Month: October 2021

Thought For The Day

Today’s quotes surround the subject of bringing yourself wherever you go…and the reality that you can’t run away and escape yourself…

“Wherever you go, there you are. You would just have different problems. Are the problems you have now so bad that any other problems would be better?” (Ada Calhoun)

“Well, wherever you go, whatever you do, you’re still you. You can change your surroundings, start a new life, but you’ll always fall into the same old patterns, make the same kind of friends, commit the same mistakes. The thing you need to change is yourself.” (Chris Wooding)

“No matter wherever you go, you won’t be able to escape yourself, so learn to accept yourself.” (Jigisha Kothari)

“How far do you have to travel to find yourself? Do you have to go anywhere to find you? Where do you think you have to go? To some holy place to find yourself? Wherever you are, you are. And all you have to know, is to get to know yourself. That is so simple.” (Prem Rawat)

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

“You Bring Yourself Wherever You Go…”

There’s a saying I heard long ago in the rooms of 12 Step recovery from addiction that says, “You bring yourself wherever you go.” While it’s no secret that I’m ready to leave the Midwest and move back East, it’s the underlying message of this saying that has kept me here far longer than any other home I’ve ever lived in throughout my life since I left my childhood home and went off to college.

After almost 8 years here in Toledo, I feel now mostly like a fish out of water. I just haven’t quite fit this Midwest mentality, which in a nutshell is one of great reservedness. My partner Chris says I’m far too transparent for this neck of the woods and he feels it’s the main reason why I’ve struggled to connect with anyone here on a deep level. I’ve really wanted to jump ship because of this and head back East, preferably somewhere warm. My heart longs to live in the Tampa, St. Pete, Ft. Myer vicinity of Florida, but I’m open to living anywhere that’s close to the ocean really, as I’ve always felt closer to God there. It’s why I often think my life would be far easier living near the ocean somewhere, that maybe all my loneliness and daily pain would become far less. But that saying of bringing myself wherever I go comes to mind each time I ponder that.

Addicts tend to move around a lot in their lives, always thinking their unfortunate circumstances of life won’t be present if they move somewhere new. How many times I did this myself, recreating the very same situations repeatedly each time I moved I lost count. Here in this area, I’ve talked to many individuals that remind me of my old self, who say if they could just escape Toledo or Ohio or the Midwest in general, they’d be able to escape their miserable lives. It’s all a lie of course, one their ego tries to convince them of its validity. Because the reality is precisely what I learned over a decade ago, that whatever one’s unfortunate circumstances of life are, it will follow them wherever they go, so long as they aren’t working through what’s causing them.

I know my loneliness and pain levels wouldn’t shift much anywhere else. Over the past few years, I’ve seen that by getting away for good lengths of time, where none of my unfortunate circumstances changed whatsoever. So, even if I did find my way to somewhere like southern Florida and live within mere minutes of the ocean, I know it’s not going to change my life much for the better. This is primarily why it took me two years of long-distance dating before I moved here to live with Chris. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t trying to run away from something then. It wasn’t until I felt God push me in this direction that I finally did move. It’s indeed why I’m waiting here now, rather than letting my ego push me into moving right away.

Honestly, I feel like I was always meant to spend a period here in the Midwest, in Toledo specifically, and I’ve learned many wonderful lessons doing so. While I feel I’m ready to go now, I also trust that God will make a path to wherever I’m meant to go, when He’s ready for that. Leaving any time sooner is one that I feel would emanate from my ego and not my Spirit.

Therefore, I accept now that I really do bring myself wherever I go and maybe I’m still here in Toledo because I’m meant to finish working through something before God is ready for me to move on to somewhere new. After experiencing so many dead-ends and heightened struggles from the many ego-moves I’ve made in my life, I’m staying put until I truly feel God says it’s time to move on again…

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

Silly Joke Friday

Silly Joke #1

At my granddaughter’s wedding reception, the DJ polled the guests to see who had been married longest. It turned out to be my husband and I. The DJ asked us, “What advice would you give to the newly married couple?” I said, “The three most important words in a marriage are, ‘You’re probably right.'” The DJ then looked at my husband and said, “What do you think?” He said, “She’s probably right.”

Silly Joke #2

A guy named Bob receives a free ticket to the Super Bowl from his company. Unfortunately, when Bob arrives at the stadium he realizes the seat is in the last row in the corner of the stadium — he is closer to the Goodyear Blimp than the field. About halfway through the first quarter, Bob notices an empty seat 10 rows off the field right on the 50 yard line. He decides to take a chance and makes his way through the stadium and around the security guards to the empty seat. As he sits down, he asks the gentleman sitting next to him, “Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?” The man says no. Now, very excited to be in such a great seat for the game, Bob again inquires of the man next to him, “This is incredible! Who in their right mind would have a seat like this at the Super Bowl and not use it?” The man replies, “Well, actually, the seat belongs to me, I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Super Bowl we haven’t been to together since we got married in 1967.” “Well, that’s really sad,” says Bob, “but still, couldn’t you find someone to take the seat? A relative or a close friend?” “No,” the man replies, “they’re all at the funeral.”

Silly Joke #3

Mary and Jane are old friends. They have both been married to their husbands for a long time. Mary is upset because she thinks her husband doesn’t find her attractive anymore. “The more I get older, the more he doesn’t bother to look at me much anymore!” Mary cries. “I’m so sorry for you. I can’t say the same because the older I get, the more my husband stares at me and says I get more beautiful every day.” replies Jane. Mary immediately exclaims, “Well of course! That’s because your husband’s an antique dealer!”

Bonus Silly Joke

Jane and Ted got married at only 18 years old and went on to have 7 children. When Ted died of heart disease, Jane married again, and she and Bob had 6 more children. When Bob died suddenly after being killed in a car accident Jane remarried again and this time had 5 more children. When Jane finally died, after having 18 children, standing before her coffin, the preacher prayed for her. He thanked the Lord for this very loving woman and said, “Lord, they are finally together.” Ethel leaned over and quietly asked Jane’s best friend, Margaret. “Margaret, do you think he means Jane’s 1st, 2nd, or 3rd husband?” Margaret said, “Actually, I think he means her legs, Ethel.”

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson