This summer’s heat has my brain all jumbo up. Instead of writing a comprehensive blog for the month, I am going to share with you all some of my random thoughts from July.
- I am still fascinated with the concept and reality of time, specifically time zones. I am writing this at 8:30 am from Denver/Mountain Standard Time. The antipode of Denver is Port-aux-Francais, Kerguelen, French Southern Territories in the southern Indian Ocean. It is 7:30 pm in Port-aux-Francais and the people there are about to have dinner.
- And in July I had my very first international client at the College of Marshall Islands facilitating a series of mental health training. As I write this at 8:35 am Denver time, my clients are deep in their sleep at 2:35 am.
- Lately, my obsession with time is probably because I have just turned forty in July. Even though this age is just a number, it definitely feels extremely weird and uncomfortable. How did I turn FORTY? What happened? WTF!!!! I feel like I am still a teenager.
- This July also marks the 4th anniversary of my mother’s passing and the 2nd anniversary of my therapist’s passing.
- One of my favorite Cajun foods is boudin (boudain). When I was in Bilboa, Spain, I had a pintxos (tapa) that tasted like boudin except in the form of blood sausage. I have been thinking a lot about it and craving pintxos lately.
- Talking about food, I love tacos. I prefer the traditional Mexican tacos that consist of a small hand-sized tortilla, a good quality meat, and salsa without all of the crazy and weird stuff on top. The best tacos I have ever had were in the Bishop District, Dallas. I have been thinking a lot about those tacos, too.
- Talking about perspective, this year’s summer heat in Denver has been pretty bad. Denver hit the 100-degree mark multiple times while breaking some historical record. I was in Three Oats, Michigan for a wedding at the end of July and the weather was 88 degrees with 82 percent humidity. I would take Denver’s100-degree dry heat over Michigan’s humidity any day.
- I have started another podcast-ish with two amazing people, Dr. Kristel Carrington and Dr. Sudha Wadhwani. We called the podcast-ish, “Great Minds: Seeking Connection in the Human Experience.” In our very first episode, Dr. Wadhwani and I interviewed Dr. Carrington about her inspiration for becoming a psychiatrist. Dr. Carrington’s family is from Guyana. Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, her childhood was heavily influenced by the Caribbean culture and the diversity in Brooklyn. Now, Dr. Carrington is a certified psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychopharmacologist with her own practices. Please check out our very first episode to learn more about Dr. Carrington’s upbringing, her accomplishments, and how she interconnects mental health with diversity/inclusion.
- As we discussed the intersection between mental health and DEI, Dr. Carrington recommended an article by clinical psychologist Natasha Stovall called, “Whiteness on the Couch.” If you are a white person that’s invested in becoming an ally and advocate for mental health and DEI efforts, this is a must-read!
- Lately, my imagination has taken me to different science fantasy worlds, such as the Lord of the Rings and The Witcher and I have also been reading Sarah J. Mass’ books on magic and assassins. I enjoy reading these fiction stories because they keep my brain imaginative and creative and above all, they continue to nurture my empathy. According to Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki’s NPR interview, “There’s a fair amount of evidence now that the more fiction that people read, the more empathetic they become because fiction is one of the most powerful ways to connect with people who are different from us, who we might not have a chance to meet otherwise.”
- Check out my pink orchid. This is the third year it has blossomed. I am feeling pretty proud about it 😊
- Circling back to time. Lola will turn 9 years old this November. After Maggie dog passed away in February at age 11, the reality of Lola’s aging and the thought of losing her are frightening and stressing me out. Part of this fear is probably related to the fact that I just turned 40. I can feel my body aging and for the first time in my life, I am facing and examining my own mortality. This is not an easy topic to tackle. The good news is that I still have many years to reflect on it. Maybe I will never find an answer. Maybe the process of searching an answer is the answer.
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