Pause the Therapy Treadmill

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After several months of traditional psychotherapy examining the navel of my psyche, I think the only thing I really learned was that I’d rather be applying a quick Occam’s Razor than ferreting out precise root causes, so that I can then put more time and energy into pragmatic actions.

I’m pretty sure that means it’s been worth it.

But yeah, I’ve decided to take a break of indeterminate length (at least with the individual therapy). I know it’s supposed to be time consuming, and take a long time to even gain any traction. But at least with the therapist I was seeing, it just doesn’t seem like the goals I came in with are even on the horizon.

I’ve been trying to do more self-help reading too, but that is slow going. The book I’m on now has so far spent all of its digital ink describing the benefits of mindfulness. I can only assume that information about actually achieving increased mindfulness is coming later. But it’s been making me drowsy almost right away, every time I start reading.

The resolution will not be televised.

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I’m not making any New Years resolutions this year. I haven’t been good about keeping them in past years.

Instead, I’m making decisions. And I make those every single day anyway. Today’s are no different; they’ll have to be renewed tomorrow too.

I’ve been neck-deep in self-analysis and behavior modification for months now already, trying to change my very nature. It’s been about as fun as it sounds. So, calendar, I say it’s about time you caught up.

Doughty @ The Loft, 10/27

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I saw Mike Doughty perform with a backing band at The Loft in Atlanta last week. The other times I’ve seen him perform, he’s been an opening act, and it’s just been him and his acoustic guitar. I kind of think his vocals were mixed a little low this time, they had a hard time competing with the band. I knew almost all the songs already, so Mike’s artisanal wordsmithing wasn’t lost on me, but if I didn’t know the words I would’ve found it hard to discern a lot of them. So I was a little disappointed on behalf of the friend I had brought with me to the show, but he assures me he enjoyed it too.

I sang along a lot, which always feels good. There were a couple of moments where Mike got mixed up on the verses and somehow I made the same mistakes along with him in real time. It was kind of uncanny. I felt very present, if that makes sense.

The opening band was an act called Moon Hooch, who claimed to have been plucked from the streets of New York by Mr. Doughty and invited to tour with him on the spot. They were two sax players and a drummer; their whole performance was instrumental, but their pure musicianship was mesmerizing to watch. These guys can BLOW.

It was great to get out, even on a Thursday night. I need to commune with sound more often, it’s so therapeutic.