http://www.bouncebackcafe.com Dedicated to finding useful, resilient solutions to life's adversities. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:01:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/ordinary-pleasures-2010 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/ordinary-pleasures-2010#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:01:45 +0000 Ellie http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=2010 Recently I heard a snatch of a lively song that tickled my fancy… and fortunately, I was able to capture the artist and song title. Today I found it on Youtube.com and it set my feet to tapping, got me laughing out loud and dancing a jig in my head. Listen for yourself: Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland. It’s hard to hold on to a bad mood while listening to that tune… And, once again, a simple pleasure rescues my psyche from the doldrums… Must remember – lively music helps my mood. Here’s another one that lights up the happy in me by the Zac Brown Band, Lil Bit of Chicken Fried: It’s the simple things in life that mean the most Not where you live or what you drive or the price tag on your clothes There’s no dollar sign on a piece of mind this I’ve come to know. ...Continue reading » Ordinary Pleasures]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/ordinary-pleasures-2010/feed 0 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/out-of-control-2007 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/out-of-control-2007#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:01:56 +0000 PattiAnn http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=2007 The only thing that I am certain of is that we are surrounded by uncertainty. We collect stories of terrible things that have happened to people and then we try our best to protect ourselves from these horrors by engineering our lives to avoid them. That’s the phenomenon that occurs with the news broadcasts. We say that we want stories that reflect the positive in our world and the good in people, but we don’t really react to these stories as we do to stories of bad luck, or murder and mayhem. You may disagree with me, but I think that part of the fascination with these stories is that ...Continue reading » Out of Control]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/out-of-control-2007/feed 0 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/touching-the-walls-on-both-sides-2004 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/touching-the-walls-on-both-sides-2004#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:01:58 +0000 Ellie http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=2004 How do you live inside hope? …if you’re lucky, you’ll find a way to live inside hope, running down its hallways touching the walls on both sides. — Barbara Kingsolver Puts me in mind of the time I learned to dance on a moving log… Hope arouses a passion for the possible. — William Sloan Coffin There I was, arms flailing in a desperate attempt to stay upright on the suspended rough hewn pine log… consumed with the fear of falling… ready to give up almost before I’d begun… ...Continue reading » Touching the Walls on Both Sides]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/touching-the-walls-on-both-sides-2004/feed 0 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/how-to-help-yourself-2001 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/how-to-help-yourself-2001#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:01:01 +0000 PattiAnn http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=2001 There are many bloggers and authors out there who make fun of the self-help industry and I certainly understand their point of view. If nothing else, the question is always raised, “if self-help authors/speakers are so good, why do we keep needing to read/hear from more of them?” I think I’ve figured out the answer. They believe that we can succeed more than we do. For several weeks now, I’ve been listening to a free series of speakers provided by an organization called “Unlimited Wealth.” Some of the speakers have been a rehash of the same ol’ stuff I’ve heard a million times before, but some of them have brought new ideas to the table. The price for all of this is that in the middle and at the end of every interview, there is a sales pitch. The speaker is there to promote their business and they get their shot each time. Even so, there have been some really good ...Continue reading » How to Help Yourself]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/how-to-help-yourself-2001/feed 0 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/splat-head-1997 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/splat-head-1997#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:01:47 +0000 Ellie http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=1997 I’m guilty of Splat Head; I multitask as often as I can. How about you? On her blog, Christine Kane writes about multitasking – and she seems equate it to a disease: Many of us – especially artists, creative types, and the self-employed – catch Attention Splatter. It’s insidious. We’re so good at multi-tasking and being available to all things at all times that we don’t even realize that we’re only half present to any given one of them. Our attention is splattered. Interestingly enough, as much as we publicly disparage multi-tasking, many of us secretly believe it’s a skill, something that some people do well, and many of us count ourselves as among that “do well” crowd. Somehow those insidious, sneaky little tasks nibble away at our consciousness and lull us into believing we’re better off doing ...Continue reading » Splat Head!]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/splat-head-1997/feed 0 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/speaking-blessings-1994 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/speaking-blessings-1994#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:01:16 +0000 PattiAnn http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=1994 The Catholic Church actually began as a splinter group from Judaism. Followers of Christ were really devoted, they kept two Sabbaths, Saturday and Sunday. That’s a lot of church in one week. One of the traditions of Judaism is the speaking of the blessing over the children. In My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, she writes of the power of the blessings that her grandfather spoke over her. It’s still the same, we all want the approval/blessings of our parents, our friends, our families. For some of us, these blessings never come from our parents. Others must provide them. Lesson 1 – Know Thyself I was educated in grammar school by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Our school was 1st through 8th grade. We had no kindergarten. For that you went to the public school and since I started 1st grade when I was 5, there was no kindergarten for me. Eighth grade was the pinnacle. We were cool and about to become high school students so the principal chose to “have lunch” with each of us that year. One by one, we went to the principal’s office and “chatted” with her. I don’t really remember my lunch with Sister R. I just remember the reaction. At some point, during the lunch, Sister asked me ...Continue reading » Speaking Blessings]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/speaking-blessings-1994/feed 0 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/more-about-looks-easy-1991 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/more-about-looks-easy-1991#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:01:23 +0000 Ellie http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=1991 My post last week celebrated a really mundane personal accomplishment. And while I respect my exuberant and frivolous rejoicing (regardless of how silly it makes me feel) I also feel confused... I find myself asking: If I were to just adopt a more casual, laissez-faire attitude, would that make everything easier? I like to think of myself as an optimist who prepares for possibilities. But I’m wondering if my creative optimism is still serving me well? Or have I inadvertently morphed into a pessimist? Should I shift drastically, adapt some, or just carry on as if nothing needs adjustment? As I think about the kid’s ease on the surfboard and about my friend JD’s ease at doing his thing, I wonder: Is it really as easy as they make it look or have they simply practiced past ...Continue reading » More About “Looks Easy”]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/more-about-looks-easy-1991/feed 0 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/scenic-outlook-ahead-1988 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/scenic-outlook-ahead-1988#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:01:30 +0000 PattiAnn http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=1988 I grew up in Chicago. My parents wanted to live in a warm climate – Chicago can be a bit cold, and gray and wet and smoggy. When it’s not cold and gray and wet and smoggy, it’s hot and sunny and humid and smoggy. Both of my parents had grown up in Chicago and they both longed for a cleaner, more hospitable place to live. Since we couldn’t live anywhere else, every summer we took a three week driving vacation to the Left Coast – though back then it was just the west coast. My parents must have been nuts: three weeks in a car with three little kids. OY! To make sure that we all returned home in one piece and NOT in a casket, Mom made sure that we had lots of toys to entertain us during the 8-10 hour days as we went across Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Because she also believed that our education shouldn’t stop during the summer, she also brought library books for us to read at night. After all, everyone knows you get sick if you ...Continue reading » Scenic Outlook Ahead]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/scenic-outlook-ahead-1988/feed 0 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/celebrate-small-wins-1984 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/celebrate-small-wins-1984#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:01:24 +0000 Ellie http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=1984 I’ve been DIY-ing (Do It Yourself’n) and I Be Celebratin! You can do it for yourself too! Today I’m feeling smug. I did something little but BIG just the same. You see, the toilet broke. And I fixed it. Me. All by myself. No biggie. It was a simple part that broke and needed to be replaced. (LOL yet?) As Elton John sings in Your Song: “I know it’s not much…” Quite the contrary, it IS a BIG thing. Upon seeing that the problem wouldn’t be solved by a simple jiggle of the handle, and that there was a broken part, I realized “Ain’t nobody here but you, so what are you going to do about it?” Well, off to the store I went. And once there, after much good discussion with the Home Depot Guy about the myriad of parts available, I bought the “right one” and headed home, got it installed and ta-da! It’s fixed. And I did it. Me. All by myself. Uh huh. Whatta ya know?! Actually, what I know is this: ...Continue reading » Celebrate Small Wins!]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/celebrate-small-wins-1984/feed 0 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/faith-and-doubt-1979 http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/faith-and-doubt-1979#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:01:20 +0000 PattiAnn http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/?p=1979 I’ve just finished Called Out of Darkness – A Spiritual Confession by Ann Rice. It is beautifully written with wonderful descriptions of New Orleans, Catholic liturgy and the Catholic Churches of the 1940s and ’50s. It was amazing to me both how different from, and how similar to mine, were her experiences. In the middle of my listening to her book, all of the hubbub about Rice leaving the Catholic Church AGAIN became the subject of much discussion both on talk shows and on the internet. Listening to her describe her complete devotion to Christ and the Catholic Church at the end of the book and then reading her comments online made me feel very sad for her. But more than anything else, it made me envious of her certitude. I don’t know that I’ve ever been as certain as she is of all four stances that she took; first as a devoted Catholic, then as a certain atheist, then as an even more devoted Catholic and finally (at least for now) certain that she can no longer be ...Continue reading » Faith and Doubt]]> http://www.bouncebackcafe.com/2010/gen/faith-and-doubt-1979/feed 0