Peace begins with oneself. I read several paragraphs from several sources about that motto—and the symbol said to represent it—this morning. A quick review of various sources led me to conclude that no one among us is likely to be privy to indisputable “facts” about them. Instead, we should be satisfied to appreciate the philosophies that drive us to place such enormous value on the fundamental concepts of peace. Focusing on the paint or chisel marks or letters or lines that define the concept or appearance of peace is sure to confound and confuse us, rather than illuminate the ideas that serve as the foundation for peace.
The third image here is not a universally accepted symbol for peace, but it suggests (to me) the symmetry of peace. That statement, though, raises a question: What is the “symmetry of peace?” Is it a collection of syllables meant to be thought-provoking or simply a meaningless concept nicely-arranged and illustrated by a set of designer rocks?
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More than two weeks ago, we began watching a Nordic crime noir series (The Bridge). It remains just as intriguing as it was at the beginning. We are closing in on the end of the series, something that’s always a disappointment when watching good films. However, several Scandinavian actors we’ve seen in other series are in this one, so it has confirmed that other films/series in which they play a part might be just as interesting. The character of the female lead (Sofia Helin) in The Bridge is on the autism spectrum. Initially, I thought the idea impractical and unlikely, but it has grown on me. Other actors with whom I have seen in other Swedish and Danish series include Kim Bodnia, Sarah Boberg, Dar Salim, Lars Ranthe, among others.
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I’ve had some odd…downright strange…morbid thoughts lately. For example, as I watched some of the later episodes of The Bridge, it occurred to me that my cancer might be progressing a faster pace than my film-watching. Which could mean I might not finish watching the series unless I hurry and finish before I die. That’s morbid for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it won’t matter whether I watched the full series or not…but it seemed to me that I might be wasting my time if I did not complete the series. I doubt my medical prognosis is quite so immediately dire, but it must be on my mind from time to time, considering how those thoughts have so easily slipped into my “routine” thoughts.
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Potentially dangerous high levels of potassium in my blood are being treated with a drug that is intended to remove excess potassium from the intestines before it is absorbed into the body. I suppose I’ll find out tomorrow, during my weekly blood work, whether the treatment is working. Superficial evidence of its effectiveness is not obvious, so something else may be necessary. Ach! I am getting so tired of infusions of minerals, etc. that are too low and extractions of those that are too high.
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I’ll try to get another 15 to 45 minutes of sleep now. No reason not to do it.
