50+ community Check-in August 12-15, 2019
I wish you all a wonderful Monday and a nice week 
.
Today's question is:
How much are you engaged with your talents and are you using and sharing your skills and abilities with others? If not, would you like to or what prevents you?
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@amiablePeace77 I share my talents and abilities most when I participate and host discussions. I do not know the answers but I am glad to open up to the questions and see what comes out.
Sometimes you lose confidence as you get older Its good to try to push yourselves though. I was pretty stressed when I was asked to decorate the charity shop window but now I get a lovely buzz from doing it.
Just wish I was a better driver, I hate it and find it scary which has got worse as Ive got older@soulsings
@mooboxer mindfulness helps me. I get in the car and take deep breaths and I look many times before I pull out and do not guess but be sure it is safe
@soulsings
same here soul, better be safe than sorry what concerns driving
@soulsings
We cannot always know the answers but the more we are open to questions the more answers we might get.
You do a great job here!
I am skilled at putting IVs in. I get asked to help in other areas, and if I can I go. But talking is not in my wheelhouse. And I wish it was.
Sorry to ask but what
@mooboxer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intravenous_therapy most likely. I'm guessing you probably haven't spent much time in hospitals.
Ah, thanks, I feel a bit of a twit for not realising @stressBear
Thanks for enlightenment!
Hows things for you and your wife at the mo?
@mooboxer Pretty well -- she was discharged Friday with a prescription for oral cipro, and she's definitely been getting stronger as she gets in more walking.
I think I'm hanging in there, and I'm getting a little more done than I have been recently. Only a little, though.
That
@Lauren63 maybe the skills you have in the hospital are more valuable to patients than drawing blood.
@soulsingsI dont generally draw blood. I inject radioactive isotopes. Then do scans. But thank you Soul. I do have other skills and I use them also.
@Lauren63 I love people who are good at putting in is's. (I used to work in the hospital and have been a patient in the hospital.) I go for a nuclear medicine test every year. The tech is great. He always gets my vien the 1st time,
@Lauren63
Putting in IV's requried surely a lot of skill, not everyone is good at it so it's really great that you help others. We can't be good at everything but I find we can try to improve things we want to get changed. Maybe by chatting with them you can also get more fluent in conversations?
@amiablePeace77 excuse me? What?
@Lauren63
Lauren, I was replying to your comment "But talking is not in my wheelhouse" - did I misunderstand you? If so, apologies in advance.
@amiablePeace77 sorry , misunderstood your reply. My mistake.
@Lauren63
No worries, happens to me too 
How much are you engaged with your talents and are you using and sharing your skills and abilities with others? If not, would you like to or what prevents you?
Well, I just performed at a local upscale bar and grill last night, went pretty well; I guess that means that I am sharing my skills and abilities with others. I really enjoy doing that.
@Offmytrack
Amazing Offmytrack!
I'm a singer-songwriter, and haven't been doing much of either lately. (Though I did sing one of my sister's songs a few minutes ago, at my wife's request. My sister, sometimes her oldest kid, and I perform together when we can; it hasn't been feasible lately.)
I try to practice and improve my interpersonal skills here in the forums, in my Dreamwidth blog, and occasionally on Quora. Sometimes that comes off okay.
Awesome @stressBear
@stressBear
Singer-songwriter - awesome talents, hope you will pick it up more again. Have you thought about singing in a group or events?
The forums and occasionally quora are great ways to improse those skills, never heard about dreamwidth though, just googled it, sounds like an interesting place - thanks for mentioning.
@amiablePeace77 You're welcome!
My current group consists of me and my sister-of-choice (who is also a songwriter). We both sing; I play guitar (acoustic) and she plays percussion on some songs. We mostly perform at science fiction conventions.
@stressBear
Awesome Bear!
Btw, is science fiction one of your fav?
@amiablePeace77 I've always enjoyed science fiction (my father got me into it, along with computers). Lately I've been reading less, and at conventions I usually gravitate toward the filk music. (Filk is the folk music of the science fiction and fantasy fan community; it's an amazingly welcoming subculture, and small enough that one eventually gets to recognize almost everyone. There is a local filk-con in our area, and we've started having an annual house-con as well.) Even at a filk con, the best thing for me is the conversations.
How about you?
@stressBear
Bear, I am the same, love a good conversation, preferably a deeper one but not all the time.
@stressBear
That just sounds cool and amazing!! I love a good sci-fi ,always been a bit of a trekki as William Shatner was my crush from a kid. Brilliant to hear about your music it sounds really cool and funky@stressBear
@mooboxer Filk music is fun! For a good introduction, take a look at this intro, Filk 101
one of the best filksongs ever: The Eagle Has Landed (Official Music Video) - youtube .com
and some absolute silliness: I Had A Shoggoth - YouTube
In that last video Tom, the guy singing, is making verses up on the spot. And Judi, who has never heard the song before, is translating it into American Sign Language in real time. I don't know how she does it either, but both Tom and Judi come by their Best Performer awards honestly.
Haha I listened to it, it was really mad but kind of intrigueing @stressBear
Wondering if I will ever not feel broken, alone and depressed?
Sorry to hear you are low, are you on antidepressants, they do help when you feel rock bottom, I
What has made you feel so bad?@mooboxer
@mooboxer
Yes I take Zoloft and Wellbutrin everyday. It does help some I just have so much I am processing with being lonely, having my father die in March and the permanent spinal problems I am dealing with. I know a lot is situational stress also do to my workplace disability insurance companies lack of recognition of my pain that has caused me to miss so much work and they deny short term disability claim benefits stating pain is "Subjective"! Basically my pain doesn't matter. I miss my father very much, I don't have anyone close I can talk to about my problems.
@bgdave
HUGS dave, it might not appear to you right now but even not the worst times stay forever, there will be always change, things will get better. Never give up, believe in yourself and celebrate the small victories.
Loosing your Dad is terrible, its the hardest thing which ever happened to me and so I know what you are feeling. It will get easier believe me, your brain wants to help you to feel better. Its a wonderful inventive organ and will find ways to help you to live with this tough time.
Sending healing hugs
How much are you engaged with your talents and are you using and sharing your skills and abilities with others? If not, would you like to or what prevents you?
I can sew pretty well, so from time to time I sew things for others, or help them with their projects.
@MissPen
MissPen, being able to sew can save a lot of money, lots of people can't so it's nice that you help out.
Today I returned to work after getting si joint steroid injections to help relieve pain. I am very frustrated with my stepmother as I told her when I got off work and rode the bus home I was going to stay on the bus and travel to Costco for some meat I need for my meals. She said she also needed to go to Costco and if I just came back to her house we would go together in her car. Well I did as planned and she is gone and I have been waiting for an hour and Costco closes in an hour. She lives in her own little world. I am really pissed. 🤬 I am trying to learn to let it go because being angry only hurts me. It is just very frustrating, She has Parkinson
Did she realise what she
@mooboxer
She has a daughter but she works full time and has a daughter of her own. She really doesnt help her mother like a good daughter should. She is selfish and you know where she learned that, the apple doesnt fall far from the tree. I am in a lot of pain from having to walk to and from the bus to get to and from work. I thought she was going to let me use her car but that had only happened twice. She is still recovering from hip surgery she had at the end of February. She wastes her time and money going to a chiropractor that gives her some temp relief. I think it is all in her head. I honestly think she is nuts and half the time doesnt know if she is coming or going. She is driving me nuts and I have only been here like 5 days. I am really struggling with my depression and my job is burning me out. I am seriously thinking about applying for SSDI as my back is not going to get better. My spinal issues are degenerative and permanent. It is very difficult for me trying to keep trying to survive being in such terrible shape. I need to drop 100 lbs. and I am sure I would be in less pain and would not be huffing and puffing just walking a half mile to and from the bus and work and home. I really need a car but cant afford one. Thankfully I have tomorrow off and I can get some rest and go pack things in my apartment I need to get out of. I feel like I am in hell on earth. I know this wont last forever but right now it is incredibly challenging.
Gosh Dave, I don
@mooboxer
I am not sure other than get myself motivated to move to Texas where my brother lives. I can
@bgdave
Hope things work out for you , they sometimes have a strange way of doing that
sending hugs today @mooboxer
@bgdave
What you describe sounds awfully tough to go through. I hope you will continue finding the strength to beat this all, you showed great strength so far. Hope you will find a good solution soon. 