stepwise improvement -- and better

Well. All my plans for a careful series of steps towards "independence": completely

​*​

over

​* ​

stepped :-)

I do like to "be prepared". To list future tasks in a logical, ordered progression. Yet I believe -- strongly -- that ... I forget the exact quote ... No plan survives contact with the enemy. Or even, in more peaceful planning, No plan survives contact with the future.

So I may have a very vague, very long-term goal. I know the general direction to achieve that goal. I see a few *short* term steps which will -- I believe -- get me just a short way towards that goal. That are unlikely, at least, to lead me *away* from that goal.

I begin to take those steps. Checking as I go. Does this seem to be the "positive" result that I am expecting? Can I now see a choice that may be "better"? Can I see further tasks -- beyond the already-planned few -- which look as though they will continue my progression towards my overall goal?

That is: my planned tasks start with "do this now"(*) ... and get more and more vague as they get further into the future. And the task list may stop -- with an obvious gap -- well before any end-goal has been reached.

(*) Of course plenty of my plans don't even have a "do this now" task. They are... usually.

​.​

. the less important / less possible / I have no idea how, plans.

This morning I blogged of the steps -- past and future -- which are giving me a feeling of returning independence. Basically, I am working back to the feeling that I can -- without help ! -- get back to being able to go out and about. Funny how collapsing unconscious can l

​e

ad to a loss of confidence :-)

Today's step was

​:

 Deb drops me off,

​ ​

to have a yarn with my brother in the city, then I make my own way home by taxi. A simple enough task, appropriate to my current... confidence. (More on the yarn, later.)

All fine..

​.​

until I vary the plan! Taxi? No way! I decide to catch the bus!

And I catch the bus home. There are several stages: walk, bus, bus, walk. I'm in no hurry, I wait however long it takes for each bus to arrive. There is time to get some helpful information at the busport where I change buses. It is  all very easy :-)

aside: The bus

​system

 is brilliant! Clear signs,

​helpful

 bus drivers and information staff, easy-to-understand system

​s​

in the new -- to me -- busport. Better yet, free transport in the hours that I am travelling... You know, I'd vote for the politicians who decided to have all this set up. If

​they

 weren't all, politicians.

It's easy. I get home (and let Deb know that I'm safely home).

But why do I claim that today's travel has "over-stepped" my plans?!

This must be the first time in twenty or more *years* that I have used Perth public transport. While I was "fit and well" I was reluctant to use public transport. Partly, I like to drive. And partly,

​reluctance

 to learn a new skill,

​to learn how to ​

use public transport.

​Which

 reluctance may have been based on fear of making a stupid mistake :-)

So, today, I have progressed even beyond my fit-and-well independence. So there :-)

====

This morning I met with my brother. The one who works in the city. We discussed cancer, family, work, health, naturopathy... That's my brother's special interest in health, naturopathy.

Usually, I agree when I agree. (I do support the underlying concepts, as explained by my brother.) And when I disagree, I keep quiet. (Usually.)

Today I am more questioning. More, clearly, doubting.

​Distinctly doubting s

ome of the points. Sorry, brother :-)

In fact, that's just my way of showing more interest...

I'm happy to listen to, discuss, perhaps think about, almost anything. When the topic appears to be irrelevant -- to me -- I

​say just enough to keep

 the conversation going. Now... for some reason... anything "healthy" seems to be relevant.

When a topic seems relevant -- or interesting for some other reason -- I want to know more, to understand. The best way to do that -- for me -- is to ask questions. Questions to help me to gain a better understanding. Questions so that I can better accept -- or reject -- what I am hearing. The more questions I ask, the more I am listening. (Well, not quite. Sometimes I am able to listen without questioning.)

I ask questions, that does not mean that I am disagreeing. I do not ask questions, that does not mean that I am agreeing. What I am doing is, adding to my knowledge... or to my information, anyway. (

​Data

... information...knowledge...

​wisdom

... A separate topic

​ for a different blog​

:-)

Now I go home. Absorb, analyse, interpret, etc... until I reach some sort of agreement with and within myself. Then I will accept... whatever ideas I have decided to accept. I may take relevant action. Or I may be back for more discussion, with more

​specific

 ideas. To be

​discussed

...

​challenged

... built on.

So, Thanks for the ideas! They

​are not rejected, just

 under review.

And it was great to catch up

​ :-)

===

Later: My brother phones. Did I make it home okay? Easy, I brag :-) And the call gives me a chance to ask questions on a totally different topic. Which were not asked because we ran out of time. Questions on which my brother is... at least the *family* expert.

An enjoyable day. And a satisfying expedition.

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

Now so much more than a simple holiday blog:  https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au :-)
====

"The grass is always greener when you add a bit of manure." … per Ginger Meggs