Friday, 31 July 2020

Live

If you want to live a life you’ve never lived, 
you have to do things you’ve never done.
  - Jen Sincero

Wednesday, 29 July 2020

Hold

It’s impossible to hold onto the past 
and seize the day at the same time. 
 - Jen Sincero

Monday, 27 July 2020

Bend

Often when we lose hope and think this is the end...
[remember]...it's just a bend, not the end! 
 - author unknown

Friday, 24 July 2020

Today

Today is a most unusual day, 
because we have never lived it before; 
we will never live it again; 
it is the only day we have.  
 ~William Arthur Ward

Wednesday, 22 July 2020

Pencil

The average pencil is seven inches long,
 with just a half-inch eraser –
 in case you thought optimism was dead.
 ~ Robert Brault

Monday, 20 July 2020

Order

Chaos is the law of nature.  
Order is the dream of man. 
 - Wallace Stegner

Friday, 17 July 2020

July 17, 2020 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   There have been so many new norms we are living with as a result of the pandemic.

   One of the more controversial recommendations is the wearing of non-medical masks, and whether they should be mandatory.

   While I believe there are some individuals who require masks, and situations where they are necessary, I disagree with mandatory mask wearing in public, and my main reasons are:

    • humans tend to relax their vigilance when they think they are “safe” due to perceived safety features, and take more risks and stop social distancing which we know is effective  If people think there is a risk, they act with more caution and common sense.

    • too many people don’t wear masks properly and tend to touch them and remove them numerous times (ie to adjust the fit or touch their face or to speak to others) totally negating the safety aspect.

    • also, masks are not meant to be worn long-term and should be changed often, and that is not always feasible for people when out.

   Making mask wearing mandatory (without extensive supplies, and proper usage education) will not make any of us safer or healthier.  On the other hand washing (with soap and water, not hand sanitizing) and social distancing DO work.


* my garden labyrinth (below) Just needs weeded now! Thanks to my next door neighbour for taking the picture.   


Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua28/home/July%2017%2C%202020%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Know

Accept that you don’t have to know 
how to do what you don’t know how to do yet, 
and that the Universe will lead the way. 
 - Jen Sincero

Monday, 13 July 2020

You

You were made to be the you that is you, 
and there is no wrong way to be you 
because even if you are trying to be someone else, 
you are always being you. 
 - Jen Sincero

Friday, 10 July 2020

I...We...You

If anything goes bad, I did it.
If anything goes semi-good, we did it. 
If anything goes really good, then you did it.
  - Paul “Bear” Bryant

Wednesday, 8 July 2020

Done

If you’ve done it, it ain’t braggin.’ 
- Author Unknown

Monday, 6 July 2020

Wrong

When you are doing something wrong, 
doing it more intensely isn’t going to help. 
 - Vince Lombardi

Friday, 3 July 2020

July 3, 2020 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   I belong to a year-long women’s mentorship program, and is often the case with women, the issue of (negative) body image came up at one point.

   I wanted to share a slightly different perspective on body acceptance in the group, so shared a more personal (and emotionally raw and vulnerable) version of this…

   “Unlike the majority of women, I have been underweight my whole life. It got significantly worse following my physical collapse 7 years ago as I lost 25 pounds (as we tried to figure out what food was causing the problems) I did not really have in excess to lose! So, I was down to 105 pounds and desperately trying to GAIN weight to no avail.

   Last Fall when we finally discovered it was the tap water making me sick most of my life, and I got the reverse osmosis unit, I started to gain weight! I had people coming up to me and congratulating me on my weight gain, and I said I was probably the only woman who was cheering and giving friends updates on how many pounds I had gained. Just over 8 months later, I am now 150 pounds!!!

   Buying clothes has always been a challenge for me.  I was looking at clothes with a friend once.  She suggested an outfit and I told her “if it looks awesome on the hanger, it will probably look great on me.” She freaked thinking I was putting myself down, but that’s the type of figure I had - clothes hung on me the same as they did on a hanger.

   Now...I have curves I’ve never had in my entire life! My clothes actually fit.  I do double-takes when I walk by a mirror, see a picture of myself, and even when I get undressed...this body - while it feels good  and healthier - LOOKS so foreign to what I am used to.”


   No matter what the issue is that we are personally faced with, or conversely, personally avoiding facing, our society is geared to the majority.  And while, there are benefits to that - just imagine the absolute chaos and confusion if we had to include every possible option or configuration to cover every possible scenario or outcome - we must remember that, ultimately, EVERYONE is NOT the majority.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua28/home/July%203%2C%202020%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 1 July 2020

Wandering

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony 
which once existed between man and the universe. 
 - Anatole France

Happy Canada Day!

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