On our bathroom wall is a framed poem from Lord of the Rings. It’s the “Hot Water” poem from near the start of Frodo, Merry, and Pippin’s travel away from the Shire. Silly, soothing, always fun. It begins like this:
“Sing hey! for the bath at close of day
that washes the weary mud away!
A loon is he that will not sing,
O! Water hot is a noble thing”
…and on it goes. Never fails to smooth out the day’s wrinkles.
This is a beautiful, wonderful, and helpful post, my friend! I call the positive toxic positivity folks happiness zealots, they want to force a smile on your face and don't let you feel your feelings, which turns you into a happiness zombie.
I call the toxic people "zombies" too!!! Whether the zombie wants people always happy or always angry - either way they resemble stiff lurching zombies grabbing and grimacing and forcing people into a small hole with them. Humans (and artists) need more flexibility and space than that!!!
I'm delighted that you liked my post and my collage!! Hugs my friend!!
I try to sing sometimes by myself but I can't help wondering if some people use toxic positivity as a way to manipulate me into singing what they want me to. Do I sound crazy? I struggle with toxic people. It's hard. They're smart to me. I don't know the manipulations that seem to come easily for them. Smaller things I learned at an early age but others I truly didn't learn until I was 20yrs! That's actually the truth too. Happen in some cases of brain surgery. Surprisingly not all of them though. Some don't suffer like that at all. It usually takes a day for me to figure out that they were even trying to manipulate me! Other things I understand pretty easily now, yet growing up...I REALLY wouldn't get them at all! It's freakin' weird and REALLY makes me tired... That's why I'm so interested in learning about cults. They seem to understand some of that brainwashing thing people tend to do.
I hear you. As a deaf kid growing up I had a hard time figuring out when someone was being serious and truthful and when they were joking or outright lying and manipulating me. It was so confusing and frustrating. In my late teens I met someone who explained a helpful way to know if someone was or wasn't toxic: watch both what they say and what they do over time - and evaluate which wolf they feed (the wolf of kindness, love, gentleness etc... or the wolf of hate, anger, bigotry etc...) and how I repeatedly felt around that person. I also learned that it's okay to simply walk away from toxic people to draw boundaries that minimize interactions with toxic people. I can protect my inner world - my mind - just as fiercely as I would protect my physical home.
When I was little, my mother had a word for when I turned into the black cat: "ackey." When it happens these days, my husband says, "Go to your room and write." Abracadabra--ackey no more!
What a great word "ackey"!!! Good description too!!! Yes - it is amazing how well it really does work to go write/draw and "Abracadabra-ackey no more!" Thank you for this!!!
Bravo das " Abreagieren" ist wichtig, man siehtces der einen Zeichnung an, die eine dunkle Katze hat und deren Linienverlauf sehr bedenklich ist in der Richtung, dass es unter der Haut "kocht". Jedenfalls empfinde ich diese Zeichnung so.
I love your collage! I am getting more into painting silly goofy things that express a part of me that is still not quite sure how it needs to come out. I just know there’s something there that wants out and I’m doing my best to give it expression. I love that you have an ongoing journal with different expressive cats that help you set your “Purrrfect” tone for the day.
Bravo to you for doing your best to give something inside yourself expression!! That’s exactly what I think art and words are for - to help us find and release that part of ourselves that is truest. And it's never a once-and-done thing... with practice we get better at finding, hearing and expressing!! Just keep going!!!! And thank you for your kind comment! 💙💙💙💙
Acknowledging the grump is MOST of the battle to defeat it - and your grumpy art of the black cat, Sue, I'm both sorry and delighted to say, has made me laugh and laugh. Perfect!
This line has really struck a chord with me: 'I learned that it works better to be able to both acknowledge troubles *and* still be able to see things that are acceptable, okay or even pleasant and vice versa.' YES. YES YES YES YES YES. I'm still struggling with some mysterious health stuff, and I've been feeling so much better since I started telling myself 'This is now, and you're fine, you're safe, and we'll deal with whatever it is.' It's taken me a while to realise that I can view 'acceptance' as 'this is the situation, so this is what I'll do with it', rather than a giving-up kind of thing.
Oh gosh, does that even make sense?! LOL!!! 🤣 Sending smiles, dear Sue!
On our bathroom wall is a framed poem from Lord of the Rings. It’s the “Hot Water” poem from near the start of Frodo, Merry, and Pippin’s travel away from the Shire. Silly, soothing, always fun. It begins like this:
“Sing hey! for the bath at close of day
that washes the weary mud away!
A loon is he that will not sing,
O! Water hot is a noble thing”
…and on it goes. Never fails to smooth out the day’s wrinkles.
Oh that's beautiful!!! Yes, I can easily imagine that poem in the bathroom being soothing!!!! Thank you so much for sharing it!!!! 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
This is a beautiful, wonderful, and helpful post, my friend! I call the positive toxic positivity folks happiness zealots, they want to force a smile on your face and don't let you feel your feelings, which turns you into a happiness zombie.
I love the collage, "Just Singing Anyway"!
I call the toxic people "zombies" too!!! Whether the zombie wants people always happy or always angry - either way they resemble stiff lurching zombies grabbing and grimacing and forcing people into a small hole with them. Humans (and artists) need more flexibility and space than that!!!
I'm delighted that you liked my post and my collage!! Hugs my friend!!
I try to sing sometimes by myself but I can't help wondering if some people use toxic positivity as a way to manipulate me into singing what they want me to. Do I sound crazy? I struggle with toxic people. It's hard. They're smart to me. I don't know the manipulations that seem to come easily for them. Smaller things I learned at an early age but others I truly didn't learn until I was 20yrs! That's actually the truth too. Happen in some cases of brain surgery. Surprisingly not all of them though. Some don't suffer like that at all. It usually takes a day for me to figure out that they were even trying to manipulate me! Other things I understand pretty easily now, yet growing up...I REALLY wouldn't get them at all! It's freakin' weird and REALLY makes me tired... That's why I'm so interested in learning about cults. They seem to understand some of that brainwashing thing people tend to do.
I hear you. As a deaf kid growing up I had a hard time figuring out when someone was being serious and truthful and when they were joking or outright lying and manipulating me. It was so confusing and frustrating. In my late teens I met someone who explained a helpful way to know if someone was or wasn't toxic: watch both what they say and what they do over time - and evaluate which wolf they feed (the wolf of kindness, love, gentleness etc... or the wolf of hate, anger, bigotry etc...) and how I repeatedly felt around that person. I also learned that it's okay to simply walk away from toxic people to draw boundaries that minimize interactions with toxic people. I can protect my inner world - my mind - just as fiercely as I would protect my physical home.
Hang in there! 💙💙💙
When I was little, my mother had a word for when I turned into the black cat: "ackey." When it happens these days, my husband says, "Go to your room and write." Abracadabra--ackey no more!
What a great word "ackey"!!! Good description too!!! Yes - it is amazing how well it really does work to go write/draw and "Abracadabra-ackey no more!" Thank you for this!!!
You're welcome!
Some excellent advice! Thanks so much.
You're so welcome!! Hugs - and please let's keep going together 💙💙💙💙💙💙
This made me think of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbrnXl2gO_k
Your collage is masterful! More of these, please!
Lol!!! Thank you so much!!!! 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
What a lovely post! Thank you so very much 😊
Thank you for reading and for your kind comment!! 💙💙💙
Bravo das " Abreagieren" ist wichtig, man siehtces der einen Zeichnung an, die eine dunkle Katze hat und deren Linienverlauf sehr bedenklich ist in der Richtung, dass es unter der Haut "kocht". Jedenfalls empfinde ich diese Zeichnung so.
💙💙💙💙🙏🙏
I love your collage! I am getting more into painting silly goofy things that express a part of me that is still not quite sure how it needs to come out. I just know there’s something there that wants out and I’m doing my best to give it expression. I love that you have an ongoing journal with different expressive cats that help you set your “Purrrfect” tone for the day.
🤭🫶
Bravo to you for doing your best to give something inside yourself expression!! That’s exactly what I think art and words are for - to help us find and release that part of ourselves that is truest. And it's never a once-and-done thing... with practice we get better at finding, hearing and expressing!! Just keep going!!!! And thank you for your kind comment! 💙💙💙💙
Acknowledging the grump is MOST of the battle to defeat it - and your grumpy art of the black cat, Sue, I'm both sorry and delighted to say, has made me laugh and laugh. Perfect!
This line has really struck a chord with me: 'I learned that it works better to be able to both acknowledge troubles *and* still be able to see things that are acceptable, okay or even pleasant and vice versa.' YES. YES YES YES YES YES. I'm still struggling with some mysterious health stuff, and I've been feeling so much better since I started telling myself 'This is now, and you're fine, you're safe, and we'll deal with whatever it is.' It's taken me a while to realise that I can view 'acceptance' as 'this is the situation, so this is what I'll do with it', rather than a giving-up kind of thing.
Oh gosh, does that even make sense?! LOL!!! 🤣 Sending smiles, dear Sue!
I love grumpy cat. Im also so glad to see this loo bookshelf!