… since I last blogged; it seems as if a lot has happened which is relevant to me in the last fortnight. The Coblin (see the amygdala chapter) party has started to throw some shapes, and the losers are jockeying for the position of prime loser in waiting. Le soleil brille for a while, which not only coaxed the Watson limbs into the light but also lifted my darkened soul into the brilliance with a cry of ‘Hakuna Matata!’ I have had love showered upon me from many directions, had hopes raised and dashed, have travelled in space and time, have gazed in wonder at the modest beauty of English flora and marveled at the snootfuls of scent that wafted unbidden into the holes in my face making me smile and say ‘Wow’ like some aging hippy.
Of course the term ’a lot’ is relative to your system of measurement and the norms your mind in programmed with. For me, this 2 weeks = 67 units of alcohol = 14 days = 224 waking hours = approx 13440 conscious minutes = 1,209,600 heartbeats. If every heartbeat were as precious as it ought to be – as it was when I first fell in love, or when my children were born, and as I’m sure it will be on my deathbed – then over 1.2 million heartbeats would seem like an enormous opportunity. What has seemed like a busy fortnight for me might appear to be trance-like in comparison to the sensations I could cram in.
If the heartbeat is your chosen unit of measure, then a way to stretch time could be to increase the number of heartbeats in a given time, increasing the intensity of experience using adrenaline promoting activities and exercise. Or you could just take a good look at the frightful mess of petty bureaucracy running amok in these sceptred isles. I was talking to a friend recently who is a saffer (South African) living in London; he posed the question ‘why is Health and Safety such a big thing in England – doesn’t anyone have common sense any more?’ A good question Doug, and one to which my immediate answer only promoted me to reflect more deeply on. More of that in the next exciting episode mes braves for now I must make like a chicken and cluck off to justify my existence … but after one last nugget, one little truffle-ette to flavour your lives.
Did you know that sunshine (well, actually all natural light, but the appropriate wavelengths are more intense in strong sunlight) stimulates serotonin production and it is this molecule that is important in regulating mood, appetite and sleep. The science of serotonin production is fascinating; the positive aspects of serotonin crossing the blood-brain barrier include mood enhancement, stimulated by strong sunlight as well as ecstasy, mescaline, anti-depressants and also - bizarrely – bananas. In areas of our body other than the brain however, serotonin is responsible for diarrhoea, vomiting and the pain we feel when bitten or stung by an insect. Crazy!
How awesome is our body? And what do most of us use it for most of the time? I rest my case!
Have a great Bank Holiday weekend followers, and remember what Joni Mitchell sang
‘ … You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone…’.
If the heartbeat is your chosen unit of measure, then a way to stretch time could be to increase the number of heartbeats in a given time, increasing the intensity of experience using adrenaline promoting activities and exercise. Or you could just take a good look at the frightful mess of petty bureaucracy running amok in these sceptred isles. I was talking to a friend recently who is a saffer (South African) living in London; he posed the question ‘why is Health and Safety such a big thing in England – doesn’t anyone have common sense any more?’ A good question Doug, and one to which my immediate answer only promoted me to reflect more deeply on. More of that in the next exciting episode mes braves for now I must make like a chicken and cluck off to justify my existence … but after one last nugget, one little truffle-ette to flavour your lives.
Did you know that sunshine (well, actually all natural light, but the appropriate wavelengths are more intense in strong sunlight) stimulates serotonin production and it is this molecule that is important in regulating mood, appetite and sleep. The science of serotonin production is fascinating; the positive aspects of serotonin crossing the blood-brain barrier include mood enhancement, stimulated by strong sunlight as well as ecstasy, mescaline, anti-depressants and also - bizarrely – bananas. In areas of our body other than the brain however, serotonin is responsible for diarrhoea, vomiting and the pain we feel when bitten or stung by an insect. Crazy!
How awesome is our body? And what do most of us use it for most of the time? I rest my case!
Have a great Bank Holiday weekend followers, and remember what Joni Mitchell sang
‘ … You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone…’.
Anne
+of+Phil+-+linked.JPG)
Reading your blog is like a tonic for people who love how words can be used to convey interesting thoughts in fascinating ways. Much like a dose of serotonin! )kia kaha - Maori for 'remain strong' Pronounced 'key-ah car-ha'
ReplyDelete