Miracle

OK, enough hand wringing.  

Time to speak about Joy!  

I tend to get “ear worms,” you know, those songs that catch you and play over an over in your head.  

Yesterday, just before going out for my bike ride, it was The Joker, Steve Miller band, I caught a few bars someone was playing on the radio, pretty much played most of the whole 30 miles, 2 hours and 13 minutes, somewhat on and off.   

This morning was Miracles, Jefferson Starship, don’t recall how that one came up.  

I don’t always remember all the lyrics; sometimes I must look them up. 

Ear worms bother some people, I don’t mind them.  I do not listen to music when bike riding outside, I also like to listen to the sounds of the world, this time of the season the birds are so vocal, wonderful!  

I also like to look around, take in the budding trees and bushes, seeing the spring flowers.  

I also enjoy looking at the cars and buildings, old crumbling buildings and fresh new buildings in progress…  

I am a bit of a car guy, as teenagers, my friend Neil and I, would try to identify all the cars on the road, make, model, and year, I still try to keep up…  

Neil was always more knowledgeable than I, probably still is…  

This morning, I was perusing an article from The Atlantic, Five Joyful Ways To Spend Time Online, collected 5 writers’ recommendations, I resonated with none of them!  

I suspect that they are all younger than my kids and my wife’s kids, all 37 and older, but older than my grandkids…  

I usually start my day reading the New York Times online, at least perusing the “The Morning” and “Today’s Headlines,” if I don’t have to go to work, Wed-Fri, or have something pending early I might open a few articles to read completely.  Today there is an article in The NYT Magazine on ADHD, I might try to get a copy in print to read.  

I usually stretch out and do some lightweight strengthening exercises, almost every morning for about 20 minutes…  

Much of my days I spend reading, novels, I have several magazine subscriptions, I like print!  

I usually have a few projects to attend, astronomy, ham radio, loading ammo, projects around the house, there is always stuff to organize…  

Sometimes I play with our dog, or he needs a walk, or my wife and I take him for a longer hike.  He is older now and does not require as much attention, more time to think and Blog!  

If I don’t go for a hike or bike ride during the day, before dinner, I try to work out for 1.5 hours or so every other day, indoors, some karate bag work, light weights, 10 minutes on the rower, then an hour on the elliptical usually watching a silly or violent action movie or show, then shower.  

When out, or at home, I try to take time to notice…  

I’ll look through the windows, step outside to look around at what is growing, do some house inspections…  

I’ll put down what I am reading and just contemplate…  

So, from that song playing in my head with the line; “If only you believe in miracles…”  

I started thinking about miracles this morning…  

Merriam-Webster online defines Miracle as: 

1: An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs

the healing miracles described in the Gospels.  

2: An extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment

The bridge is a miracle of engineering.

3: Christian Science : a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law.  

I like to think about everyday miracles…  

When taking time to contemplate, I see that everything is a miracle!  

Just being alive is a miracle, yes, there is horrible suffering in the world, but that subject is for another day…  

Today’s Blog is for looking at everything with Awe, Wonder, Joy…  

I will refer to the Third Commandment:  Have fun!  

https://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-third-commandment-enjoy-yourself.html  

(As an aside, a Google search for my Blog no longer finds my Blog, even though it is on Google Blogger!  I have switched to Duck-Duck-Go!)  

I have written before about how our eyesight, our brain’s connection to our eyes is such a miracle:  

https://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2022/04/seeing.html 

So, those 20-30 year olds in that The Atlantic article found Joy doing certain things online, things that have absolutely no interest for me…   

Wonderful!

Everyone can find their own ways into a joyful life!  

This morning, I am writing this meandering Blog to encourage you to stop, and notice, perhaps drop all the stories you have running in your head, perhaps look so intently, that even your ear worms drop away, look at yourself and at everything around you with fresh eyes, with “Beginner’s Mind,” as the Zen Buddhists would say…  

Look closely at this life you have been given…  

Maybe you do not like everything about your life…  

Then contemplate how can you take that first step toward greater Love for this one life you have been given…  

Perhaps, even a tiny step in another direction…  

Any step toward greater Awe, Wonder, Joy, Love, Compassion, is a sacred step…  

Each step you take is an Everyday Miracle…  

Namaste