Perfectly Imperfect #socs

Stream of Consciousness Saturday 1 Minute

As I was thinking about perfection and where I was going to go with it, I ran across an article from Psychology Today called "The Problem With Perfection". One line really struck me…

The only perfection is in being present, yet the perfectionist is never present.

I had a problem with perfectionism: unless things were absolutely perfect, I couldn’t enjoy myself. I have spent countless hours lying awake, thinking about how I should have done this or that, what would have made certain situations perfect, blah blah blah, wanting a do-over to see if I could make things come out any better. And I’m talking about years later. Many years later…

The stroke changed a lot of that. It’ll be sixteen years on the 19th of this month. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that things will never be perfect again, and I think I’m getting there. I still lie awake regretting things I screwed up, but not quite as long…

Linda is the host of Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Now a word about Folger’s instant coffee. Tastes good as fresh perked!

Published by John Holton

Internet disc jockey, lover of old TV (especially the commercials), inveterate wise guy.

Published

27 thoughts on “Perfectly Imperfect #socs”

  1. I feel that same wanting/striving for perfection pain. Embracing imperfections is healthy. I think you’re doing a great job recovering from your stroke and persevering despite the physical changes you can’t change. Oh, my, 😂 that coffee commercial…I remember Folger’s jars like that at my grandparent’s house and then my mom’s too.

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    1. Instant coffee was a lot more popular back then. I’ve heard it’s because all the guys who served in WWII and Korea got it with their rations and developed a taste for it. We drink instant now, because we were making a half pot and throwing the rest out, plus I drink decaf and Mary drinks regular. Personally, I like it. Sounds weird, but like frozen pizza, they’re really improved on it.

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      1. Yes, that makes sense about the war time rations. Not many French Presses back then.
        We still make the full pot, and drink day-old coffee the next day. We have a pot that keeps it ‘fresh’ enough to do so. We’ve convinced ourselves of that anyhow.
        Yep, the food industry has made it easy and convenient for us to keep eating and enjoying what we love to eat.

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            1. Mary’s gotten used to doing the shopping, though we’re doing a lot through Amazon Fresh and Instacart (which services both Kroger and Publix, our local stores). It’s nice and worth whatever premium we pay (which isn’t really that much).

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  3. Pingback: The New Mini Week That Was – The Sound of One Hand Typing

  5. Wow! I love that quote from Psychology Today!
    My love of observing (and learning from) children reenforces that in a way I have only briefly considered. “Being present” is what kids (and pets) remind us to do.
    It’s so sad that technology has made it even more difficult to achieve. There were moments when my interest in photography was at its peak that I found myself frantically scrambling for my camera. All the while, I was doing that, I was missing a wildlife event that I could have witnessed instead. That realization humbled me to the point that I rarely pursue photography with the passion I once did.

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