Whitman or Facebook?

Walt Waltmin and Facebook logo

Not only is there not enough time for both Whitman and Facebook, but also, more importantly, there’s not enough space in my brain.

Reading Walt Whitman makes me slow down. I can’t scroll/like/scroll/refresh as is my wont on Facebook. Facebook is drive-through fast food. Whitman is a sit-down, five-course (or at least three-course) meal. But just like stopping at Sonic for a number one with tater tots and a vanilla sweet tea can easily become a habit, scrolling Facebook can become one too. Do it too much and I start to feel lousy.

You are what you eat. I don’t want to be Facebook. I want to be Whitman. Anyone who’s been on a diet will tell you it isn’t easy to stick with it long enough to see change. But it’s possible.

I’m going to change my diet from Facebook to Whitman. And I might let my beard grow out again 😜

A Touch of OCD

Even though this post falls in the category of TMI (too much information), I feel compelled to share some of the thoughts that often run through my head. I consider these thoughts a kind of OCD of the brain. Everyday activities and encounters almost always trigger a memory or an internal thought sequence.

I’m going to list a few to start and if I think of more, I’ll create a new category on the blog and share updates. What I want to know is, am I alone with this sort of thing?

  1. When I spill coffee, I think of when my parents stopped putting cream and sugar in their coffee because they wouldn’t have to deal with sticky coffee rings if they spilled it.
  2. When I scoop out the litter box, I think of LeeGayle commenting on Facebook, “Well, I know I like a clean bowl.”
  3. When I feed the dogs, I silently quote most of the scene from the original Family Dog. (See around 241 below.) Come to think of it, I think of this scene when the kids won’t clean don’t clean their plates, when I have to clean the toilet, or when I have to do some kind of housework I’m not in the mood to do.

  4. When I eat Pringles, I think of Pringle sandwiches and of calling the dolphins. (Name withheld to protect the guilty.) Here’s how you make Pringle sandwiches: Chew a Pringle, spit it out on another Pringle, put a Pringle on top, eat those Pringles, repeat. To call the dolphins, make a high-pitched noise by sucking air through your vocal chords.
  5. I have a litany of seven curse words and phrases that go through my head in the same order when I’m surprised or a little irritated. I learned the litany around the fifth or sixth grade two girls who where cousins to each other.
  6. When I have a good hair day, I think of my friend Lee, who always had perfect hair. He’s bald now.

More to come.