But Call Me Betsy

In January, I started a meditation class, but stopped when I realized that I was going to have to miss two night classes and the day-long meditation practice. Today, I started again--this time in a class with quite a few more people, a good range of ages and professions. Quite a few are already meditation practitioners, and a couple of them work as either social workers or therapists. We also have one scientist and someone interested in researching meditation. I didn't say much today, realizing that I always feel compelled to come up with something funny or insightful or confessional. Wish I could write more about the class members, but confidentiality was emphasized, so I won't. I can mention that the 8-week class is held by the Penn Program for Mindfulness , if you are so inclined to join in. We did a 25 minute body scan meditation and I very nearly tipped over the edge into sleep. Like, I could feel that moment happen where your brain starts doing nonsensical things, such ...

During my quest for a hot body today at the gym, I was listening to my ipod (for which I bought a cover finally--$1 at the "Everything's $1 Store" where everything is not in fact a buck) and the REM song "Strange Currencies" shuffled in. It's not the best song to really get you going and if you're not careful, it can make you remember boys from your youth and cause you to stumble on the elliptical machine and fall down and hurt your nose. Except I don't know if you could call it a love song or if it's more of a stalker song. He sings "I don't know why you mean to me" which isn't very flattering to the adored and then "...you will be mine" which makes me think of him hiding behind a building and watching the silhouette of this person in the lighted window above him. But the song makes me want to just sit down with Michael over coffee and talk for a couple of hours, because all of REM's songs are like that--lovely a...