The "Idle Janie" Journal - Days 6 through 10
The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 6
“Time to give up”
Remember the glory days, when we had actual scientists who were allowed to speak to the public about the virus? There was this small, unassuming man who almost nobody had ever heard of, who was suddenly thrust into the national spotlight speaking about science. Initially almost everybody seemed to believe he spoke only truth, as he gave us dire predictions about what we could expect from this virus. He said, VERY simply: if we can all stay at home as much as possible for a few months, and wear masks covering our faces when we go out in public, then we’ll get through this somewhat, and may only lose 50 or 60 thousand lives.
Everyone was scared, and everyone took what he said to heart. Most of the country shut down, save the so-called “essential” workers, as the rest of us hunkered down and prepared for the worst. The problem is that the virus really only inundated several “hot spots,” including the Tri-state area, where I live. NY, NJ and CT have accounted for over fifty thousand deaths due to this pandemic so far. Therefore, much of the rest of the country didn’t actually SEE what was happening. On top of that, many believed it just was not that big a deal, or at least no worse than the seasonal flu. Or that it only affected old people, or those with compromised immune systems. Basically, it became an “out of sight out of mind” issue. And after literally JUST ONE MONTH everyone was stir crazy because they hate their family and really felt they needed a haircut.
So then a bunch of self-proclaimed liberty fighter doomsday prepping militia wannabe rednecks started calling it a hoax and exclaimed that this is America, and nobody can tell you what to do, and scientists don’t really know anything about infectious diseases, anyway. Oh, and we didn’t get much in the way of guidance from most of our political leaders.
Guess what, rest of America? WE WENT THROUGH UNTOLD SUFFERING AND DEATH SO THAT YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO. Just because you live far away from NYC didn’t mean that this virus would not eventually be coming for you. All you needed to do was stay at home a bit longer, social distance and wear a mask. So in Mid-April you didn’t think the virus was a big deal because it had killed only something like 50,000 people?? NEWSFLASH: it only killed that many BECAUSE of the lockdowns; BECAUSE of the mandate to wear masks; BECAUSE of social distancing.
It was apparently all for nothing.
As of today, THIRTY TWO states are seeing increases in the number of those infected with the virus. We are now averaging something like 45 to 50 THOUSAND new cases reported daily. Are ALL of those people going to die? No. Are all of them going to need to be intubated in the hospital? No. But, please folks, do the math. We’re headed for serious trouble.
I am SO INCENSED by all the crap I am reading, seeing, hearing and watching on social media and in the news vis-a-vis this virus. If things had been managed correctly from the start, we could all be going on our summer vacations with nary a care for corona. But thanks to deniers and dimwits, Karens and Chads, anti-mask megalomaniacs and populist patriots with self-centered assuredness, the whole country is probably gonna be facing on-and-off lockdowns and stay at home orders for the foreseeable future.
Remember when you were young, and you first experienced what it feels like to touch a burning stove? Maybe you were very young but not too young, and you were just curious. And maybe your parents said “No! Don’t touch that, it’ll burn you!!” Or maybe your parents said, “Okay, fine. Go ahead and touch the burner. That way you’ll learn!”
Well, my friends, unfortunately we are now at the point with this virus where our parents need to just let us touch the burner. After listening to the cacophonous chorus of “open up already, dammit!” for several months now, I wonder if that small, unassuming scientist is thinking to himself, “FINE. I did my best, and y’all didn’t want to listen. So, have at it! I give up!”
And maybe it IS time to concede. Just open everything up and let the virus take its course. Then — and only then — can we say, “that little scientist was right.” Everyone in this country is always adamant about being RIGHT. Look at literally any back-and-forth in the comments section on any post related to the virus. People are so stubbornly clinging to their belief, their point of view, and their way of thinking that nothing else matters whatsoever — most of all SCIENCE and FACTS. So, I say, let ‘em have their bodycount. Nothing else will work to impress upon the unbelievers that this thing is REAL, that it is DEADLY, and that it is EVENTUALLY going to take someone that you love dearly. And it might just take you too.
So go ahead and touch the burner, as far as I’m concerned. I give up. Hate to say it, but I look forward to posting this on your timeline sometime soon:
I told you so!
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Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, and want to support my fledgeling career as a writer and musician, you can drop a few bucks in the virtual tip jar. It all adds up!
Venmo: @David-Bryan10026
Paypal: paypal.me/davidbryanandfriends
👽
Photo credit: David Bryan, Avila, Spain November 2018
The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 7
“Y’ALL, MY FACEBOOK FEED IS OUT OF CONTROL”
I was writing until late last night, due to traveling home from my NJ ‘quarantine within a quarantine’ yesterday, so I’m gonna keep today’s entry short and sweet. (Ish. 😂)
Everyday when I wake up, while having my morning coffee, I do my daily “scroll through the facebook feed,” in hopes of trying to keep up with the insanity of America. I’ve actually entertained the idea of doing some kind of weekly live stream news analysis, but I’d probably end up offending a bunch of “snowflakes” in my feed LOL, so I probably won’t end up doing that.
However, I think it’d be FUN - cause lemme tell y’all, my feed is RIDICULOUS. EVERY. SINGLE. MOMENT. OF. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Is everyone else’s feed out of control, or is it just me???
Here’s a sampling of news headlines from JUST this morning (okay, haha you got me - I woke up in the afternoon ;-) ) —
* COVID-19 cases up to 27 after exposure at NY graduation (Fake news, I’m sure. Because the virus is all a hoax, right?)
* Virus loans helped entities tied to Trump evangelical allies (BIG surprise.)
* Florida man bellows “I feel threatened" and menaces shopper who asked him to wear a mask (did y’all SEE this video? If folks like THAT “feel threatened” and own guns, then we’re IN TROUBLE.)
* Florida teen dies from virus after mom takes her to church “Covid party” (According to the article, “the immunocompromised teen went to a large church party with roughly 100 other children where she did not wear a mask and social distancing was not enforced.” Maybe these parents don’t like their children anymore after being quarantined with them? This is one way to remedy that problem. Also, her parents apparently gave her hydroxychloroquine — without any medical guidance. I guess 45’s stock in that drug is still reaping a financial return?)
* WH’s McEnany: “The world is looking at us as a ‘leader’ on pandemic (First of all — FLAT OUT NO. Second of all, isn’t this the woman who on her first day told us she would never tell a lie? [Which was obviously her first, thereby creating a conundrum of sorts?])
* Florida will require schools to reopen in August despite a surge in coronavirus cases (Again, maybe Florida quarantine was challenging specifically to Florida parents?)
* The two cops who pushed over Martin Gugino and left him with brain damage that he will never recover from go back on BPD’s payroll tomorrow (Gugino being that DANGEROUS 80-something year old protestor from Buffalo - to be fair, he WAS tall. So maybe he really was a threat?)
* Human head found on side of St. Petersburg road, police say (Dear God. Silence of the Lambs, anyone????)
* Spotify as a company is now worth 50 BILLION dollars, but they still only pay out artists 0.0039$ per stream (For the love of God, can we get some legislation on this?? This one personally affects me! But I will still be grateful for my $7 quarterly check, now that I’m unemployed.)
* Investigation ongoing after alleged ‘attempted lynching’ caught on film in Indiana (Don’t forget we’ve seen a spate of lynchings just in the last few weeks — or, “apparent suicides” according to police reports. Cause, you know, black youth who are unhappy with their lives resort to methods of suicide that were STANDARD PRACTICE FOR THE KKK FOR LITERALLY A CENTURY)
* University paid $504,000 to get rid of professor (Man, I wish I had had a job that had to pay me half a million dollars to fire me! I went into the wrong industry apparently.)
* Christian activist Scott Lively: “I’d rather be beheaded than wear a mask” (We should take him up on this.)
* Former Trump insider predicted POTUS will ask his MAGA supporters to take up arms and defend him at all costs if he is defeated in November (Yep, I’ve been looking ahead with trepidation towards November. I think literally anything might happen. I doubt it’s gonna be smooth, regardless of what transpires.)
* Congressional candidate claims Beyonce is not African American in bizarre rant (One in a LONG line of Republican lawmakers [why are they ALWAYS Republican?] with absolute bizarre theories about literally everything. Don’t know what I mean? Google “Outlandish republican theories about rape, incest and abortion” for clarity.)
That’s JUST today’s feed. I know what you’re thinking. And I’m thinking it too.
GOOD ONE, ASHTON KUTCHER!!!!!! COME ON OUT!!!!! WE’VE BEEN PUNK’D!!! LOL!!!!
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Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, and want to support my fledgeling career as a writer and musician, you can drop a few bucks in the virtual tip jar. It all adds up!
Venmo: @David-Bryan10026
Paypal: paypal.me/davidbryanandfriends
👽
Photo credit: David Bryan, Canterbury, England May 2019
“Adrienne Barbeau Must Be Barfing Behind Closed Doors”
For anyone who grew up or was coming of age in the early 1980’s, you most likely at one point or another enjoyed watching John Carpenter’s campy classic horror flick entitled “Swamp Thing.”
I was probably an inchoate early teen when I first saw this, so naturally I LOVED IT. It had decently mixed reviews, so apparently I wasn’t the only one. I barely remember the plot, and before looking it up on IMBD today, could scarcely mention any of the actors, the director, the producers, or, really, ANYTHING about the flick whatsoever.
The one thing I DID remember was Adrienne Barbeau. Whatever this overall accomplished actress did in that movie somehow stuck with me over the years. I can’t say that I’ve often thought of her — or that movie — over the ensuing decades. That is, until the political season of 2016, when a narcissistic, self-centered self-proclaimed “stable genius” conman with absolutely no political experience whatsoever decided to run for the highest office in the land. Conventional wisdom has said that, as a reality TV star, he ran simply to boost his ratings, with nary a serious thought of actually winning. I don’t need to wade further into these waters — the rest is history.
What I DO want to discuss is the “water” that comprised his primary platform platitude: that he was going to “drain the swamp!” It was surely at that pivotal moment that the movie mentioned above — and that uniquely attractive actress — came once again to my mind.
Well, here we are, four years later, and our country is an absolute SHITHOLE. If you’re reading this, you’re on social media, so I don’t need to tell you what’s going on in the good ole’ US of A. (Or, the artist futurely known as the Divided States of America! See this article, which gives a pretty bleak take on where we might very well end up, as a “Plague State":
https://eand.co/coronavirus-is-going-to-go-permanent-in-ame…
So, that whole drain the swamp thing didn’t quite *mean* what any of us thought it did, amiright?? But what exactly is a swamp? Merriam-Webster online defines it as such: “a wetland often partially or intermittently covered with water, especially one dominated by woody vegetation.” Found elsewhere: “However, swamps still play a very important role on Earth.”
Here’s the thing: when that Covidiot claimed — during his delusional debut as the self-proclaimed State’s Savior — that he was going to drain the swamp, at that very moment far-right republicans, tea-party patriots, staunch conservatives, InfoWars junkies, skeptics, paranoids, racists, rapists, homophobes, misogynists, anarchists, and militiamen all held hands and rejoiced in undulating unity, clamoring in concert to basically rid the government of any and all elements that held to the SIMPLE idea that ACTUALLY ALL Americans counted as equal human beings. Simply put, those who weren’t rightwing, straight, white, and male (or those bonded or betrothed to such as these) were finally fully outed as OTHER and have since been: attacked, antagonized, belittled, bullied, chastised, castigated, demonized, displaced, estranged, excoriated, fanaticized, faulted, grumbled about, grimaced at, harassed, humiliated, imprisoned, deemed inferior, jeered at, jeopardized, knocked, killed, lambasted, lynched, maligned, murdered, nagged, neglected, made obsolete, outlawed, penalized, pillaged, quarreled with, quashed, rampaged against, ripped off, sabotaged, savaged, taunted, threatened, undermined, unnerved, vilified, vexed, whipped, weakened, and there aren’t really any good words that start with Y or Z to help make my point. But I think I’ve probably made it?
So there you have it. I think THAT was the true original intention behind the idea to drain the swamp. As best I can tell based on the last 4 years, the current administration, and seemingly most of their staunch supporters, simply want to GET RID OF ALL “THOSE” PEOPLE. Then they can revel in their Newly Created Nation of Lilly White Waltons living in Beaver Cleaver Communities, Archie Bunker Bastions, and Happy Days Hotels, openly participating in public life as South Park Patriots with Roseanne Resiliency in Andy Griffith Gatherings and Little House on the Prairie Parades — and ultimately end up in their Little Rascal Retirement Communities. PBS is NSFW! Blow up Barney! Say sayonara to Sesame Street and let’s murder Mister Rogers! THIS, my friends, is the crux of that 2016 campaign’s culmination.
From my point of view, if a swamp is truly drained, you’re initially left with a habitat that most human beings would find utterly repulsive and cringe-worthy — that very scenario that would give any warm-blooded human being the literal heebie-jeebies: a big muddy hole in the ground which soon transitions into a fungi and mold-infested environmental nightmare full of dead stinky fish and insect larvae which are slowly consumed by moths, biting flies, ticks, water striders, pill bugs, spiders, mosquitos, and roly-polys — all of which will have a battle of “survival of the fittest,” finally resulting in a desiccated ecosystem which ultimately dies. And whatever living things are left are then going to span outward in all directions looking for that next meal.
Almost like how a virus behaves.
Yep, sounds about right, and we’re well on our way. Thanks, 45! You have indeed "drained the swamp"!
P.S. And Adrienne Barbeau would probably like to (NOT!) thank you for making her name synonymous with your slime.
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Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, and want to support my fledgeling career as a writer and musician, you can drop a few bucks in the virtual tip jar. It all adds up!
Venmo: @David-Bryan10026
Paypal: paypal.me/davidbryanandfriends
👽
Photo credit: David Bryan, London, England May 2019
“A Week That Saved My Sanity”
I live in NYC, in a 367 square foot apartment. Yes, out of towners, you read that right! Needless to say, after 3 1/2 months ensconced in that enclosed space — with only a brief neighborhood jaunt each day to stretch my legs — I was starting to go a bit stir crazy.
There are only so many places where I can physically SIT in this apartment — one futon, 2 chairs, a bed, and an antique heirloom “telephone desk” in my bedroom (which my buttocks graced only a few times, due to its location and proximity practicality). Of course there is also “the john,” but unlike the theologian Martin Luther, who purportedly did much thinking and/or writing on the porcelain, I didn’t view this particular seat as a productive place to ponder.
Towards the middle of June, I was thinking of taking some sort of sojourn out of the city, but was hesitant to do so given that my full-time income was about to cease. At that very point, like a gift from the universe, my 2 dear friends who live in New Jersey informed me they were traveling to North Carolina to visit with family. They have a cat named Stewie who required care and companionship, so they asked if I’d be interested in spending the week there with him. I jumped at the opportunity. They asked for a grocery list, stocked the shelves, and even offered access to the extensive liquor cabinet. Kind friends indeed! 
I just gotta say, having the opportunity to have a completely new set of walls to stare at, and different seats in which to sit, basically saved my sanity. Also, in comparison, their apartment is HUGE. I had a queen sized bed, a big bathroom, lots of room for roaming around (to constantly check in with Stewie — who spent the first half of the week in the spare bedroom — just to scratch his head and say hi), and even an outdoor balcony for fresh air. IT. WAS. AMAZING.
However, the big benefit to having this week of solace and solitude was that it afforded me the opportunity to get my life ORGANIZED. My full-time job of 12 years officially ended on June 30th, due to this pandemic. Whereas my arrival at their apartment was June 26th, I knew that my life was about to drastically CHANGE. And after really 3 1/2 months of quarantine serving simply to CALM down my hectic life and living of that last 12 years, I knew that upon entering unemployment there would always be the chance that I might slip into lazy living, forgoing any focus, and just partying til the actual end of the world arrives. (It’s coming, folks! Buckle up!)
SO — and this is where some of my readers in similar situations might benefit, if you want to borrow this idea — I simply MADE A LIST. A checklist of 12 things I wanted to accomplish each and every day. A list of important things, but also seemingly trivial things — some of which take a chunk of time, but others of which take literally only minutes. This was a list of things that I have WANTED to do for the better part of 12 years, for which I simply “couldn’t find the time.” It’s amazing how a full-time job (plus all the extracurricular music that I have been doing, both professional and personal) can creep into your desired daily routine, derailing any attempt at self-care and betterment.
It took me a few days to find my rhythm, as I found myself only attaining 8 or 9 of 12 each day. But once I realized how close I was, I pushed myself harder — and then found myself checking off all 12 bullet points for four consecutive days. I mean, it’s not like I have a job or anything to get in the way of me doing this simple daily routine!
I’m now home, back in NYC, and have added a few things to the list. I’m now up to 16 tasks I want to accomplish each day. And although I haven’t hit all 16 each day since I’ve been back, I know that all it takes is a little time management, direction, and dedication.
SERIOUSLY, FOLKS: If you are out of work and find yourself going crazy; if you sleep til noon every day, and then stay up til the wee hours of the morning drinking; if you’ve done nothing but binge Netflix since stay-at-home started; if you’ve “put on the COVID-19,” as the kids are saying; basically IF YOU ARE IDLE AND UNHAPPY WITH YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW then give this a try. Obviously you’re not gonna follow MY checklist, but you can just make one for yourself. Start simple — maybe there are 5 things you can do to better your outlook on life, and then you can add to the list as you think of new things you’ve been putting off but want to accomplish now.
So, here you go. Here is MY list — as simple and silly as some of it may seem. And I gotta say, I am feeling PRETTY A-OKAY over the last two weeks, having set these goals and mostly accomplishing them day to day.
1. FLOSS EVERY EVENING BEFORE BED. This is the bullet point I think of as “trivial” or “silly,” but it is honestly something that over the last 12 years, has largely gone by the wayside. I have something akin to early onset gum disease, and the dentist has been telling me for YEARS that I need to take better care of my teeth. How have I not been able to find time each day for this task of self-care? IT LITERALLY TAKES LESS THAN 5 MINUTES.
2. STRETCHING. My body has been OUT OF WHACK for YEARS! Well, that’s because I have rarely felt like I have ever gotten enough sleep. I know some people wake up in the morning and do yoga or exercise, and make a leisurely breakfast and maybe sip on their coffee while reading the newspaper — and I have been INSANELY JEALOUS of those folks for years. My routine was “freak out when the alarm clock goes off, press snooze 5 times (doing calculus-level early morning math in my mind, as I figure out how many minutes I can shave off of each act I need to accomplish before leaving for work, 5 different times), brush teeth, rush to the shower, get hastily dressed, feed the cats, scoop the box, rush out the door, forget wallet, have to walk back up 5 flights of stairs to get said wallet, go to subway, panic about how long it’s taking for the next train to arrive, then sprint to work, hoping that nobody at work is paying attention to what time it is when I arrive.” Oh, and I’ve wasted precious dollars spending money on coffee and a bagel or pastry en route, thereby contributing to a poor diet. I literally did this for 12 years straight, with no self-care whatsoever in the morning. (Or, really, most of the day as it turns out!) Now I spend at least 5 minutes stretching every morning. (Again, who can’t find 5 minutes??)
3. STRENGTH TRAINING. I have had issues with my right shoulder over the past few years, and have found myself rushing to the doctor or physical therapist whenever it “flares up” — instead of doing what it takes to proactively prevent any pain. I have one of those elastic bands from the physical therapist, and a very short routine I now do to keep those mandolin-playing muscles happy!
4. EAT SOME KIND OF FRUIT. My diet has been atrocious for countless years, and I now have high cholesterol as a result of that. There have been days where I had a bagel for breakfast, some kind of faux-healthy lunch (I was probably kidding myself, thinking I was eating something “healthy” like Chipotle), and then a sandwich and chips for dinner. Or burger and fries. Or pizza. There is always BREAD and/or something FRIED. B12-deficient bachelor buffet, anyone?? Anyway, there are so many types of fruit, and I like a lot of them. So this is a no-brainer. But one that a zombie workaholic culture can easily discourage or dismiss.
5. EAT SOME KIND OF VEGETABLE. See #4.
6. MEDITATE. As a professional singer, I actually have ridiculous lung and/or diaphragm capacity. Meditation is very much tied to breathing, and I’ve found when I am REALLY FOCUSED, that I can literally inhale for close to 45-seconds straight. It is a slow, methodical process where you exhale ALL of the air from your body, and then the body just slowly starts to take over on its own. But then I can time it, with incredibly slow control, to the point where I have been sucking in slow steady air for almost a minute. And such inhaling really lends itself to a kind of olfactory control that could probably land me a leading job as a super sommelier. Any of you true wine connoisseurs out there ever inhaled the vino for THAT long? I’m pretty sure Dionysus would be proud of me! Anyway, I don’t set a time limit on my meditation. I just breathe in and out until I reach that plateau point where I can hit 40 or 45 seconds of inhalation 2 or 3 times in a row. And lemme tell you: EACH EXHALE IS EXHILARATING. In comparison, there have been days over the last 12 years where I was in such a hurry that I wasn’t even aware that I was breathing AT ALL for an entire day. This is why I have claimed elsewhere that I was “a heart attack waiting to happen.”
7. CLEAN OR ORGANIZE SOMETHING. There have been times in my adult life where I look at the state of my apartment and think “people in third world war-torn countries live in cleaner conditions than this!” AND THAT’S JUST 367 SQUARE FEET. (How the hell do you homeowners do it in the suburbs???) The problem is, when I’d get home from work, I’d be too damn exhausted to clean. And F that if I’m gonna spend my precious days off dusting, vacuuming, and toiling over the toilet! Now that I have time, I can do simple daily maintenance, instead of a once-a-month “this is depressing and something drastically needs to be done” blitz-clean — which then lasts all of 2 days due to cathair and clutter.
8. GO FOR A WALK. I tried to do this every day during lockdown, but this was especially nice in my new surroundings for a week in New Jersey, as the apartment complex had a nice nature trail around the grounds. Either way, it’s good to stretch your legs every day. This is the ONLY thing on this list that was part of my existence while gainfully employed, and I did really start to miss the commute only because I was forced to do this daily. However, I’m now confined to my neighborhood, so all the streets start to look the same. Regardless, exercise is key — since it’s really the only exercise I ever get anyway!
9. DO TAI CHI. While working at St. Bart’s, I started several meditation programs in the church space, one of which was tai chi. We ended up finding an instructor who had compressed one of the Tai Chi forms of 37 movements into a simple 8-step routine that encompasses all the necessary energy flow needed to have a “full” tai chi workout. Easy peasy, and it stuck in my brain, so I’ve resurrected that and can do it just 5 times in a row each day. This is great for balance, as well as both mental and physical health. (If anyone wants a Skype session for a donation, I can teach you this form virtually!)
10. PHONE A FAMILY MEMBER OF FRIEND. My parents probably think I hate them, based on how long I would often go without checking in! It wasn’t that — it was just that my life was literally THAT insane, that a month would FLY BY and then I’d realize I hadn’t heard their voices. I’m still not “up to par” with checking in with them or other family members, but when quarantine kicked in, I had already tried to make it part of my routine to be in touch with old friends I had lost touch with. I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting with folks I haven’t heard from in literally decades!!!! Nota bene: phone calls take time, so even if I only get someone’s voicemail, I still check it off the list, having made the effort. 
At least I tried! LOL
11. READ A BOOK. I was utterly upset with myself in that I only made it through ONE book during the quarantine. I have now made it part of my daily routine, and have finished a 2nd book and just started a 3rd. I guess I read SO much in graduate school, that once I started working fulltime, again I was just too tired to do this at the end of the day. Now there is no excuse. Plus, I LOVE delving deep into the wonderful world of fiction, as you get to spend some time in someone else’s mind. My library is large, and my appetite is augmenting. Books are so much better than TV! It also exercises your eyes.
12. LISTEN TO MUSIC. This is literally the EASIEST thing to do in one’s daily routine, but one that surprisingly — as a musician myself — fell by the wayside many days of my life. You can listen to music while showering, or preparing dinner, or cleaning, or whatever. Just trying to not lose touch with that very thing that has fed my soul for so many moons. (And NO, I’m not ONLY listening to Grateful Dead!!!)
13. SPEND 5 MINUTES IN FRONT OF MY FISH TANK. Again, with the insanity of a full-time job, I would often accidentally neglect these little sentient beings, finding myself only feeding them every day, and then not even being present for that. I’ve heard that watching fish can be very calming. So, why not enjoy a further 5 minutes of meditation? Otherwise, what’s the point in having to hassle with the upkeep of the tank, with siphoning and refilling the water, and changing the filter every so often? Plus, I love animals in general, so felt guilty in that I was basically ignoring them altogether.
14. PLAY MANDOLIN OR GUITAR. I cringe when I think of what an accomplished instrumentalist I might have been had I played mandolin EVERY day since I first picked it up 20 years ago. But, again, time flies like the wind. And fruit flies like bananas! So, gone are the days where my instrument(s) sit idly by waiting for me to pluck their sultry-sounding strings. Even if I play JUST one song, at least I’ve done that daily. There is no reason for an instrumentalist to take time for TV but fail to find time to jam.
15. DRINK AT LEAST 3 FULL GLASSES OF WATER. Wow, I look back at my body maintenance over the last decade and realize there were entire days where I’d literally drink only coffee in the morning, maybe one glass of water in the afternoon, and then beer in the evening. WATER IS LIFE. No wonder my body has felt so broken — leading to innumerable issues with health and wellness. This should have been a no-brainer. But now that I’ve reclaimed my brain from the zombie workaholic world, I realize how much I revel in the sensation of ingesting H2O — especially with ice in the hot haze of summer!
16. WRITE OR BLOG EVERY DAY. I love the written word, and thanks to this “Idle Janie Journal,” I now have a FOCUSED outlet for this one. I’d love to do this full time, so let me know if you have any leads! In the meantime, it gives my incredibly overeducated and overactive mind an outlet, so that I don’t sit around wallowing in idle thoughts. “Idleness is the devil’s playground,” as they say. So, SATAN BE GONE!
There you have it. I’m not 100% with ALL of these every single day, but it at least gives me some structure to start. Since I created this checklist, I’ve done a diligent job and have gotten to most of these each and every day. I don’t beat myself up if I don’t accomplish everything, because, well, there still seems to be TONS of other things to fill my time!! But, like I said, if you’re literally going crazy, why not try out something similar. Make your own list of things you love or want to accomplish daily, and then just make yourself do it! You’ll find your own rhythm, and it will hopefully help you get through whatever is preventing you from being FULLY YOU.
Good luck to you in your endeavors, and let me know if you try a list like this of your own. If you need encouragement, call me! And then I can check that off my list. HA! I’ll give you a pep talk cause right now, I’m feeling worth more than I made at my job!
I wish I could say I feel like a million bucks, but I doubt I’ll ever know what that feels like.
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Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, and want to support my fledgeling career as a writer and musician, you can drop a few bucks in the virtual tip jar. It all adds up!
Venmo: @David-Bryan10026
Paypal: paypal.me/davidbryanandfriends
👽
Photo credit: David Bryan, Eze, France May 2018
The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 10
“We dont need no educayshun!”
Man Im sick and tired of all these ding dang snowflake libtards tryin to tell us what to do ! They think their so dam smart just cause they got some fancy collage degrees ! If I dont wanna ware a mask its my ding dang right as an FULL BLOOD AMERICA . Whats the point of livin in this country if you cant do what you want ? Heres the problem they think they . got ALL the answers for ALL . the problems but Im hear to tell YOU somethng . Just cuz your man Fouchy think’s theres a PLANDEMIC dont mean S**T to me ! All y’all’s out here walkin around wering MASK’S like your some kind of SUPER HERO’S ! Guess what?????? TRUMP IS THE ONLY SUPER HEROE OUT HEAR ! HES TRYIN HARD TO MAKE THIS COUNTREY GRATE AGIN AND YALL AINT DONE NOTHIN BUT GET IN HIS WAY .
Their is a REEL problem in this country ! Its called LIREBAL ! OUR FOUDNING FATHER IS TURNING OVER IN ITS GRAVE ! I growed up in the same country as thay did . but I AM THE ONE WITH SUPEREOR JEANS !!!!!!! BIDEN IS A PREVERT !!!
First youll watch it’s mask's now what next 5G tower’s and BILL GATE’S who with wants to PUT A CHIP INSIDE YOUR BRAIN’S ??? THESE ARE AN INTERNATIONALS OF CONSPRICAY TO BRAIN WASH YOUR BRAIN’S !!! OH BRAKE OUT THE TOWEL’S TO DRY THEM OFF AND SSTOP TELLING US WHAT TO DUE. ! whats next EVERYOBDY NEED TO START BUYING THESE BRAND OF SHAMPPOO’S ?? CONDISHUN THIS !
THE VIRUS AINT REEL !!!!!!! ITS JUST MINDE CONTROLL!
WERE THE ONLY ONE’’S REEL !!!!!
If I hafta listen to one more DEMONRAT tell me to ware a MASK then OUR HEAD’S ARE GONNA EXPLOD!! wanna know what we got more gun’s then you will NEVER HAVE so you thinkin’g your tuff ? ?! MEAT ME ON THE STREET’S AND LETS SEA WHO’S TUFF THAN !!! TRUMP 2020! HOWS THAT FOR TUFF ? PUT THAT IN YOU’RE PIPE AND SMOK IT
The fait of the IN TIRE CONTRY is en trouble if’n we dont get rid of this peolpe ONCE N 4 AL! yall think were uneducate but YOU GOT A NOTHER THING COMIN. WERE GONA RAISE UP AND BEAR ARMS AND TAKE THI’S LAND’S BACK ! THERE GONA WISH THEY NEVER BEEN BORNED !!!!!!
PLZ CHER IF YOU A GREE !! ILL BET TO MANY OF YOU SNOWFLAKE ARNT BRAVE ENOUGH'S TO CHER !!
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thank's 4 reeding. Ifn you liked what you’ll red, n wants to support my flegling carear ass a rider and musicin, you can dropped a few buck’s en theres virtual tip jar. It’s all add upp!
Venmo: @David-Bryan10026
Paypal: paypal.me/davidbryanandfriends
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