Over=Start Palindrome
The video you are about to see is called a “palindrome.” From what I understand it is something that reads the same both forwards and backwards…but with a different meaning in either direction. In other words…it means one thing when you read it down…and another thing when you read it up…but the words don’t change at all.
It’s one of the things I’ve noticed about life since everything changed. The paradox thing…that we can’t know “good” without knowing “bad”…that great sorrow can reveal great joy…that life is more precious in the face of hardship.
When we enter into hardship…when the world as we know it ends…it feels hopeless. I’ve been there and it seems that’s how it is for everyone when we have to pick up the pieces. But when we come to accept and live despite the difficulties…well…we get stronger and wiser…and things start to look a little different. That’s what I hope to illustrate here.
[BTW...this took me 5 minutes to write...and about 20 hours to produce. I'm not the most tech savvy guy on the interweb;)]
Wow!!! this is amazing!! reading it frontwards and backwards… you are quite talented.
thanks for encouraging the hurting, inspiring the searching and for lifting up those that have stumbled!! you are truly making a difference!!
@spreadingJOY
Thank you so much, Marie. I was a tad worried it wouldn’t come through the way I wanted…but it looks like I pulled it off. You made my night BTW. Thank you!
Andy, You created something inspiring & hopeful and you put it out there in the world to UPlift those who find it… and they will. You are touching lives by sharing your experience and by just being YOU. Andy you’re a pleasure to know. Truly, K.
Why thanks for saying so, Kimi. I hope it uplifts because I’ve been hanging around grief sites (for lack of a better word) and I know how it goes. Things seem so impossible to start…and I suspect it’s easy to stay there…but if you don’t…they start to look a little different. We’re the ones left behind when someone dies…but that doesn’t mean our lives are over too. I don’t mean any disrespect to those that have gone before us…we still love them…but we’ll be joining them soon enough…so we have to love our lives while we have them.
Whatever…wow…that was long. Sorry. That’s my way of saying THANKS!
Life is full of lies and truths. You are right we can start now, and by starting now we must believe the truth. The hard part isn’t knowing that you live a lie everyday its that you’ve become ok with these lies. How can we be with people and not feel alone if we can’t even be proud of what we’ve become or “believe in”? Even with motivation and nice thoughts like “I will make it through” you still have bad days. Not saying you give up but its ok to soak in pain when needed. Its healthy not to always be a robot. I really did enjoy this palindrome and it made me giggle hearing the voice of an optimist talk so negative.
Oh my gosh, Hope
you are so right about soaking in the pain. You gotta’ do it sometimes. (That would be reading the first way. All those thoughts and more came into my head after diagnosis. From what I’ve read and heard from others in similar situations…they’ve had the same thoughts.)
I allude to this in one of my other posts: We’ll Be OK Because This Sucks
I also see, read and hear other folks who get stuck there. I feel bad for them. (And bad for me when I get into that zone. That’s when I’ll read this again.)
Thank for visiting and reading and commenting. I mean that!
Hi Andy. It took me a while to figure it out (the palindrome), but yeah, I get it now. (I guess I am not the brightest bulb in the chandelier here, huh?)
I guess life is what we think it is and what we look for is what we’ll find.
Thank you for posting this — it’s GREAT
Agnes´s last blog ..The young and the restless
Thanks, Agnes! I guess it can be confusing…but as long as you got it…well…there you are. Thanks for saying it GREAT too. You rock…
No it’s not confusing at all. I was just reading ALL the words backwards. (See I didn’t know what a palindrome was. I thought it was “sarah palin syndrome” or something. I am not even trying to be funny, I just never heard the word before.)
Agnes´s last blog ..The young and the restless
Ha! You are so funny, Agnes…made me laugh…
Andy, I have watched a couple of your videos and I admire your strength and courage. I see that you have young children and I’m so glad you’re hanging in there for them. I lost my husband to lung cancer March 22, 2009. He was only 53 years old. That was much too young to lose the love of my life and I miss him terribly. I think about him all the time but I try to not let myself wallow in self pity. I know he is in heaven, because he was such a wonderful person. If I start sinking into depression I know I’m feeling sorry for me, not him. He is in a much better place than we are. I, like you try to honor his life and not concetrate on his death. He was sweet, funny, and loved by sooo many people. I was with him until he took his last breath and I don’t want to relive that over and over. Instead I would rather remember how we loved and laughed and maybe help someone else like you are doing. Thanks for your insight, Irene
Irene I’m so sorry for your loss. We have a sort of bond don’t we? Like so many other people who have lost someone who was a very, very large part of their life. I get sad too…and I really like your insight about feeling sorry for us…instead of the people who have died. You’re right actually. Seems so simple…like so much of life really is. We think a lot…mostly about ourselves I guess. (I don’t want to speak for you…I’m sort of talking about myself. God I’m SO self-absorbed.)
I want to encourage you to click on the “Legacy Connect” link below. I just found them…and I think it’s a pretty cool place to vent and share. Not a club we’d really want to belong to…but here we are.
Thank you for sharing. I hope what I do and your comments help out once in a while.
Andy, yes we do have a bond even though we don’t really know each other, we do. I am also sorry for your loss. We do get self-absorbed but I think that’s only being human. I actually found you on the legacy connect site. Your comment to Charles gave me great insight to some of the issues I’ve faced. You’re very talented and witty. Thanks for making me smile today! I think you have discovered how to use your life to help others, Bless you!
OH! I should have recognized that. Sorry. I hang out at a lot of sites. I’m a bit of geek that way. I tried “friending” a bunch of people there today but it wasn’t working. I’ll try again later.
I think you’re right about my finding a way to help others. It’s my hope believe it or not. I used to be even more self-centered than I am now;) But somehow…getting knocked down made me care more about other people…especially the sad ones.(Like me) I see a lack of outward talking about what we feel and how empty things can be when someone dies. We are expected to be sad…but not TOO sad…that’s just uncomfortable. I’ll stop at that. I have blog posts started about all that stuff. Lessons…everywhere lessons. We can all help other people by what we’ve learned and are learning.
The BEST thing you wrote…and what makes me feel good is that I made you smile today. Thanks for sharing that.
Andy,
I really enjoy your work. (Is enjoy the right word? Yes. Yes it is.) What really touches me is you write from the heart. We see your emotions all over the place while you are dealing with your loss. It makes the rest of us dealing with loss feel normal. Not all days are good, that much is clear. But, not all days are bad, either. You remind us of that. Thanks a lot.
Hey Joni! I’ll take “enjoy” any day. I hope my emotions aren’t too over the top…but hey…I gotta’ be me, right? You’re right…not all days are good…not all days are bad either. It’s how we look at it…even though I still look ‘em bad once in a while.
Thanks again, Joni. Love it when you comment…
This is awesome…I love it. I am going to tweet it, etc. so more people can see it. Its the message I want so badly to share with my son, he feels so hopeless right now he mentions suicide every time I talk to him. Anyhow, thanks this was great and you did a wonderful job on it.
Thanks for offering to share it, Barbara. I hope…really hope…that your son watches it and gets something from it. I can’t pretend that it’s that powerful…but maybe it helps him just a little.
WOW! That was really good! Great job Andy! I love it!
Arie Rich´s last blog ..People Helping People – Haiti Relief Drive
Why thank you, Arie. I appreciate your watching and commenting. Means a lot to me each time you do. Be good:)
WOW! Look at you go!I am wearing a big smile Andy. Beautiful Beautiful work….
well I’m probably not wearing a big smile in this comment section…..thats probably Mr Frownie guy
Ha! I don’t know how to get rid of that. (Anyone who visits this…Meg happens to be a hottie.) Thanks for visiting again Meg. We’ll talk soon…
this is beautiful… i love it. i hope all those who need to see it, do. thanks for all your inspiration… your brightness… you bring it!
patty´s last blog ..holding youth
I bring it! Now that sounds cool. Thanks for the comment Patty. Thanks very much…
I continue to be amazed by both your creativity and vulnerability . . . also this is just BAD ASS!
Laura Roeder´s last blog ..Being Useless, Switching to a New System, and Meet my Cat
Ahh, Laura. I love it when you make your way here. I know you’re busy as can be. BAD ASS…friggin’ love that too! I originally started this blog with that intention (though I didn’t call it BA)…and I believe it will make it’s way in that direction as I continue. I STILL intend to be an inspirational type to people who don’t particularly like inspiration types.
Thanks again!
All I have to say is…WOW! You left me speechless with this post and anyone who knows me is well aware that is a feat in and of itself…What can I say that hasn’t already been said? This post really brings home the point that your current circumstances do not dictate your future, but your reaction to your circumstances will indicate which direction you are headed towards. Thanks again for another fantastic post!
LaTosha Johnson ´s last blog ..Share your plans via Plancast
You hit it right on the head, LaTosha. See? You’re not speechless. (Even though I know what you meant.) Thanks again for visiting. I’m heading off to your blog now. That whole “comment luv” thing is awesome…isn’t it?
Have a great Sunday. You have a great smile, BTW…
BUT SERIOUSLY!! Did you produce this is or was it taken from a script?! The idea is amazing, twisting the words around to see how easy we trick ourselves into negative patterns when we should be making the opposite the ONLY direction onward, forward…positivity opens possibilities!!
I hope you feel proudness and strenght and above all things, LOVE!
Hugs!
Helen´s last blog ..At home, alright
I got the idea from an email someone sent me. I can’t remember what it’s called but it was about the future of youth. I thought it was so cool so I just went with what I know about how we think when something unexpected and horribly unwanted comes at us. It taught me something amazing…namely…PERSPECTIVE is EVERYTHING.
I’m glad you like it, Helen. (I gather that’s what you meant by, BUT SERIOUSLY!!) That reaction means a lot coming from you…gifted sort that you are.
Oh…yes. I produced this on my own. My words…thoughts…etc. Trying to figure out how to make it go in reverse took FOREVER…
Yes, the SERIOUSLY was a reaction of how cool I think this is!! It really brought your creativity to a whole new level! You too, are of the gifted sort
I will definitely share this and continue to read and support 30 sec!
Have a great week over there!
Hugs
Helen ´s last blog ..At home, alright
That is excellent, Andy–the power we posses in our focus is immense–we can bury ourselves with sorrow or we can CHOOSE (at times it is the Only thing we have a choice about) our self talk, our mind set, our focus, our passion, we can CONTINUE to let our light shine–even in the darkness–after all–isn’t that where it counts the most?
God Bless you in Your Journey, Andy,
Angie
Angie that is so true…it counts the most in the dark times. That’s an important lesson I learned. Not after her death…but about a year after diagnosis. It’s probably one of the things she taught me that I’m most thankful to have right now.
Thanks for visiting again, Angie.