Terry Lloyd's Blog, page 12

Recurring Memories.

Memories can be great, particularly when they leave you in a much better frame of mood and mind. However, what about those nasty recurring flashes of when things did not go the way you would have liked?

If one isn't careful, those nostalgic memories can become overwhelmed by reliving those nasty or not so positive times. There can be all sorts of negative experiences ranging from the mildly embarrassing to the terrible or traumatic.

Childhood memories can be an absolute array of experiences and could be as specific as a child being sick in front of the whole class to the poor teacher who came to help and got her arm covered in all the stomach churning chaos. When memories are so eventful, even the smell at another time can be a pungent reminder.

If you thought that was bad enough, even better can be those clumsy recounts similar to when on walking home from school you feel an urge to show off to your friends and do a bit of walking backward only to in actual fact trip over your own feet, almost pull out a few carefully planted shrub rows on your way down to and to top it off cause a guffaw of laughter for totally the wrong reason.

Just when you think that those embarrassing mistakes are in the past, you might years later cause new memories to form when you are trimming the hedge, and inadvertently chop through the electric cable. How about the old palpitation-inducing reminder whereby when you mislay your car by walking into the wrong multi storey car park and have a panic attack thinking someone has stolen your car!

Is there a remedy to calm your shattered nerves? Apparently the human mind can conventionally only think of one thing at a time. So in place of those embarrassing thoughts, replace and recall happier times such as coming second in the swimming baths at retrieving clothes pegs from a line for those that can not swim. While thinking about the swimming baths, think of those past rare but relaxing occasions when you were floating on your back in a heated pool or equivalent. Perhaps enjoy your close encounter with the chattering dolphins or relive the sound and atmosphere of being in Disney World.

Memories can be fun if you take control of how you review them. Thinking of happy memories can positively improve your mental and physical health while dwelling on the negative has been shown to have the opposite effect. When memories are concerned I think it is much better to focus on the positive and enhance what you do, think and feel about it.

A Political Crisis.

In my opinion there has never been a greater threat to the sanity of world politics. What is it? The spectacle of Donald Trump winning the next race to be yet again the president of the United states of America. It is amazing that his history of failed promises does not deter staunch and somewhat illogically defiant voters as they chant their support for him. They are prepared to follow him and his lies even if it does threaten to destroy their own constitution and at the same time abandon the rest of the world’s idea of decent rationale.

It does appear that certain voters view Donald Trump as the fountain of enlightenment, a concept that is arguably dangerous in of itself. The tragedy is that there have been outstanding republican leaders in the past that respected the constitution such as Abraham Lincoln and more recently Dwight D Eisenhower. They embraced the rest of the world while attending to domestic issues.

There are so many world problems that it is vital that one of the main players in world politics joins the efforts in solving those issues, as the consequences are not limited to geographical boundaries.

It is a shame that there is not one republican candidate that possesses the charisma and oratory skill to give a hope to save the world from a further domination of banal Donald Trump daily news.

When the truth can be obscured by political tactics such as Donald Trump claiming he is a victim of a witch hunt and his right of free speech being limited, it is the detail of that speech that urges people to violently interfere with the due process. To my mind that becomes a criminal act and not protected by the right of free speech.

Time and time again Donald Trump’s tactics involve what seems a ploy or manipulation of representing acts against him as acts against the American public. Is so successful that donations to fight the legal case have been pouring in. Despite one man and his own actions, the claims of fighting the good fight for the people convey a somewhat different appeal and a terrific distraction.

His intention to question the total votes in many states was a tactic to bolster the claim that the election was stolen from the American public. Donald Trump’s notorious telephone call is easily what seems to be a direct intention to fraudulently interfere with the democratic process. It is blatant and another dangerous threat to the political environment.

Wildlife Names.

Some fun can be found in the simplest of things, take the collective name for groups of animals. The name associations to many animals and birds for example, can be an intriguing glimpse into the historical and cultural influence of wildlife and humans.

It might be something that you have learnt as a child or maybe some knowledge picked up later in life, but either way wildlife etymology can be hugely fascinating. There is a vast array of depictions for different species that can range from the humorous to the startling and perplexing, and that is not forgetting sea life.

Why would anyone call a group of crows a murder? Not just that, how about a really apt name for a gathering of specific birds that is a wake of buzzards? Then a collection of Cuckoos can be known as an asylum. A group of rhinoceros are a crash and several dolphins are called pods. Beware of an army of ants, an imaginative name for a collection of octopuses is a consortium. Keep an eye out for a mob of not just people but meerkats.

A more imaginative name for several giraffes is a tower. Then for some strange reason several ravens are called an unkindness. A number of bees are called a bike. A group of sharks are called a shiver. A bunch of narwhals are called a blessing, and lastly several barracudas are called a battery.

I hope my little excursion into the richness and diverse world of collective names for creatures has sparked some pleasure in learning about the diversity of names. It can be about all types of combinations, traits and historical meaning, there can be profound application for linguistic associations or sometimes it can be basic and all down to reason of interpretations.

Evolution.

My thinking about evolution took a giant leap, when I realised that it is not just whales and dolphins that changed their environment from land living to returning to the sea. There are countless other creatures that spend most of their lives in water.

Evolution for me, highlights the mechanism of natural creation, which is continuous while the planet is able to support life. There have been so many different species that have become extinct and the length of time that has taken place is mind boggling. For over 3.7 billion years evolution has taken place, and hopefully will continue.

The history of life has taken so many twists and turns and between them huge amounts of time have passed. Such as in the accumulation of water and later the increase in oxygen followed by the rusting process, all of which can be confirmed by examples of deposits in certain rock formations. It is interesting that the increase in oxygen may account for a time when insects became gigantic.

Many of the important changes do not seem to have been caused by any specific intention but mutual benefit or chance. Take mitochondria that has its own nucleus with DNA and is part of a much larger organism. This suggests that mitochondria were at one time an independent organism.

There have been drastic changes in the atmosphere of Earth from 2.5 billion years ago to the start of life. Bacteria flourished without oxygen. Some of that bacteria inadvertently contributed to the production of oxygen.

There have been at least five major freezing periods on Earth. The weather, the same as many other phenomenons, follows cycles of variation. It is ironic that we are living in the tailend of one of the freezing periods, when temperatures seem set to steadily keep on rising.

The history of life involving evolution could be claimed is not a straight path with a specific goal. Interesting and inspiring, formations of survival and science meet results, combine to produce the most highly acclaimed display of life in action.

Free Will.

I believe I have free will but some philosophers say free will is an illusion. It is believed that whatever happens to you does predetermine your thinking and actions. I accept that to be the case, however at the moment of choice, I am not aware of how my subconscious mind has made the decision. Most importantly it is my subconscious mind, even if there is a delay in the thought and action. The last comment is emphasised because scientists were able to register subconscious choices before the conscious mind could act.

I find the thought that all actions are set out in such a way that I can not escape my destiny, whatever that may be, disconcerting. I think that should not deter me from making the best choices possible for my life and how actions may affect others.

Just to cheer you up, there is a story about a Greek king called Oedipus whose father hears a prophecy that a son will kill his father and marry his mother. To cut a long, involved story short, this in actual fact happens. The twist of the story is that the Oracle did not name Oedipus’s own mother and father as the central characters for that prophecy.

Sometimes people will actively fulfil a prophecy, not realising that it is their belief and not the prophecy, that is being created.

I think living my life and trusting that I have free will is the safest way of navigating the twists and turns. Claims about control can easily lead to coercion and when dealing with such a sensitive topic, I think independent evaluation counts.

Free Speech.

Free speech is such a precious everyday occupation. It was with some surprise that I learned that Nigel Farage has had his account closed by the bank Coutts. Apparently the bank could not tolerate Nigel Farage's published views, as they did not reflect their own position on certain matters. I have always believed that there are limits to free speech that protect the general public, such as promoting discrimination or inciting violence. These limits are enforced by common law and the appropriate authority would step in. If Nigel Farage's comments breached the law it should be the authority to rectify the situation.

Then there is in another country a prominent former president that goes out of his way to incite breaches of the constitution and when brought to justice claims to be a victim of a witch hunt and political weaponizing of the judicial system. If there is to be any trust in the mechanism of society then is it right that brazen rabble rousing can not go unpunished.

It is not just the spoken word that has caught my attention. A far right group in Denmark has publicly burned a copy of the Koran and later in a different city they have burned another copy of it. For me, publicly burning any book is not a civilised way of showing your feelings about the book. Violently attacking an embassy is counterproductive. In my opinion talking and reason is a better way of resolving this issue.

Freedom of speech must be protected at all times and the way to do that is to ensure modes of public debate are not removed from the public.

Crumbling Services.

I find it practically impossible to watch the news and not become concerned when in-depth reports show structural defects in schools and hospital buildings. Surely it can only be a matter of time before an incident, and I hope not a tragedy, occurs. The government ministers responsible, keep trotting out the same well worn phrase of how much more they are spending. Then the same individuals boast about building 40 brand new hospitals for completion by 2030. In the meantime nurses, junior doctors and consultants are on strike. As the rise in the cost of living includes mortgages, peoples’ livelihoods and lives are literally on the line, and this is a problem that is predicted to keep on rising. Emergency care is dangerously stretched and patient waiting time for operations is getting longer and longer.

Many critical patients will not see a new hospital in their lifetime; they need treatment now, not in the vague future. What is the point in training new doctors when present staff are lacking their own standard of care and are looking for employment elsewhere? There is an already barely spoken about steady rate of doctors and healthcare workers that commit suicide because of the unbearable presure put upon them.

Schools and the education services are suffering severe neglect and this has been a fact worsening over many years. Choosing to sum up the standard of a school in one word, is no longer fit for our society. I take it that inspectors who judge the school have the ability to express themselves in a more articulate and encompassing way. Following government guidelines, in certain cases it could be argued as morally reprehensible to stereotype an academic institution and specifically when a professional headteacher has spent her career striving for the best results. It is an insult to both the student and teaching bodies not to take the time to enhance and clearly depict what is a matter of professional opinion.

The taxpayer deserves a much better service from politicians. Not just for the desperate condition of buildings but for a steady and fully functioning structure of education and medical care. Priority and passion are required in many areas of crumbling services upon which today and tomorrow’s society rely.

Democracy.

Many people may think democracy is a sure way of deciding important decisions for the good of the nation. However, looking at current politics, my faith in the system is practically non-existent.

In a short time, from leading politicians who flout their own guidelines for covid restrictions to a leader that is oblivious of the consequences of her own economic policies, morals and mindsets have been significantly and vastly questioned. This is serious stuff and actions that have destroyed the mortgage market and plunged the country into near recession have taken place.

The current Prime Minister has set himself and the governing party ideals that there is little chance of successfully achieving. The former labour prime minister Tony Blair has commented that The NHS is on its knees and private health care should come to its rescue. Did I say Labour ex prime minister? Someone whose concept of democracy would facilitate an illegal and unwanted war and bring shame and shudder to the country. In actual fact I have always considered the creation of the NHS one of the most significant accomplishments of the labour party, but when led by Clement Attlee and Health Minister Aneurin Bevan.

The current leader of the Labour party announces policies only to sometime later change his mind on them, such as student loans. I have no faith in the reliability of any of the promises being made by any politicians.

So when it is election day, who can I vote for?

First past the post is a rudimentary way of picking a representative. I think that having a simple but truly demographic system in politics could be the best way forward. Actions need to match words and statements left unaccomplished do no good. Conviction is important and I hope that politics will highlight a candidate soon, someone who has conviction and compassion in both what they do and say.

Habit Loop.

Something called the habit loop has come to my attention. It is simply looking in depth at the pattern of habits. My first thought was why should anybody bother to investigate habit forming? After a little bit of answer finding I discovered that as it turns out we all are products of our habits. I, like many others, had thought that bad habits were a part of life and nothing could truly be done about them. The good news is thinking in advance can give an opportunity to deliberately form better habits and thereby greatly improve life.

As an example, if you take a usually positive task like telling the time, the first thing is to look for the cue. In this case it would be: what is the time? Then, resolve the position by looking at a watch or clock and finally gain the reward of knowing the time. However when it comes to a bad habit it just takes a little bit of thought. How about hitting the snooze button too often when just positioning the clock on the other side of the room would do? A simple halting of a repetitive habit can alter a pattern of behaviour and could make sure you start the day bright and early in a much better way.

The reward is an important part of the process involved in habit forming. There has to be some reason to change a habit. Hence in deciding what are good habits it can help by listing the individual benefits.

Another breakdown of the stages involved in habit forming are cue followed by craving and then
resolve and best of all, finding the reward.

To replace a bad habit, focus on the idea that it involves from the point of a cue in any scenario, to disrupt the resolving process and to more positively obtain a desired result.

I have mentioned a few specific points about the habit loop but there is a lot of information that if used practically, opens up a world of opportunities. Life enhancing and easy to do, I think it is a highly influential practice for people of many ages and stages to use.

Evaluating Time.

There is a saying that age is only a number but the reality is sometimes difficult to comprehend. It can at times be hard to contend with the mental and physical stages of life. As a baby I had the usual toddler troubles and I know that these were accompanied by a fair deal of parent intervention and help. That memory is, I must say somewhat surpassed by the attempt at walking I made, with frequent toppling over until two legged mobility was mastered.

One of the more dramatic events in my early days happened as I was full of energy, and tearing around the house I tripped on a raised floor batten, only to smash my face into the top of a wooden stool. The impact knocked my four front teeth out and my mouth was full of blood. Fortunately my father was present and with lightning speed he rescued three of the teeth, no fourth could be found because I had probably swallowed that one. He repositioned the teeth in my mouth quite quickly and firmly and surprisingly they stayed there.

As a child time usually passes by so slowly and often Christmas and birthdays take ages to arrive. I remember eventually for me the last day of school arrived and a decision on what would be my future occupation had to be taken. The first few weeks of work left me so tired that I would fall asleep during the evening. It was not a happy time as I felt like I had not found my true career fit. As time went on, I felt like nothing was going to ever change and that was until a different form of employment was found.

Finally my working life has ended and arguably a new reality of physical limitations has begun. Where I was physically stronger, I am now weaker but funnily I now have time to focus on exercise as an everyday affair. I have noticed that keeping up an impressive rate of walking and hitting my timely step count helps to keep my system in good working order. Writing my books and a regular blog stimulates the mind and I get to sneak a bit of science fiction in all under the name of research.

Activating the mind with stimulating activity at any age is an important part of enjoying life. Taking time to appreciate possibilities and experiences can be all the more fulfilling if you do it to the best of your capabilities. Improve on what you could maybe do in the past or swap it up for something totally new. Acknowledge changes but enhance on possibilities and appreciate how these issues can influence you.