It's Friday...trash day. I've gathered up the garbage from the bathroom, the kitchen, the yard....it's time to take it out. There is a sense of urgency because I think I hear the truck and if I miss it, the trash bags will have to sit in my garage and stink up the place until Tuesday...and that just can't happen, yuk! Actually, I started thinking about gathering up the trash last night hoping that I remembered this morning. It made me think about the fact that four of the seven days of the week I think about taking out the trash.It made me wonder about emotional garbage. How much time to spend thinking about that? Most likely at least every day. We let it control us, occupy our every waking moment. Would life be better if once a week we intentionally thought about getting rid of the emotional junk that we don't need? And how do we get rid of it? Or maybe we just let it pile up for weeks without a thought. Man, it really does get ripe when we don't deal with it. Maybe at least once a week I should put all that rotten thinking and emotional stuff on an old paper towel, put it in with the potato peels and set it next to the curb with all the tangible junk. Each day is new even if the junk lingers. We get a brand new day to deal with it maybe in a new way - a more productive way. We get to choose not to be the victim of the junk.
Don't think I'm being trite, just try it once. Try writing down your biggest piece of trash and physically put in the kitchen garbage and leave it there. For added effect, watch the garbage man drive away with it :)
level of a triple deck boat and got a great view of the whole island as we circled before docking. The place where prisoners set foot on the island is exactly where it always was and the breathtaking trek up to the cell house is just as it always was. I'm not one for concerning myself too much with thoughts of ghosts and spirits but man...when I went into an isolation cell for just a little minute...I got chills as I thought of the men and how this place must have broken spirits. Now I'm not saying they didn't deserve their punishment. I heard many stories of murder, rape, theft, tax evasion and many other things that make me angry and hostile. But I also heard stories of men who started their lives as brilliant young students who did good deeds simply because their mama said "Do good deeds". But just as so many young people do, they fell victim to the streets and the pressures to 'succeed' and be 'respected'. As I grow older the idea that everyone has complete control over their success and ability to steer clear of trouble seems to be a little more diluted. Anyway, where was I??? Oh yes...Rachel behind bars. I can now check Alcatraz off the list of things I want to do before I can't travel due to age and meanness. ha! After the freezing trip back to San Francisco, we walked back to Little Italy and at The Stinking Rose. Delish! and revolting! Tomorrow is the trip through Napa and Sonoma. We have reservations at one winery and the others we'll just hit as we see 'em.
