That Long Book...

Another chapter in that long book, "Everything You Know is Wrong."

Check out this episode of Terry Gross's Fresh Air: "How the Lost Art of Breathing Can Impact Sleep and Resilience."

Turns out we don't really know how to breathe. We should all, always, be breathing thru our noses. I sometimes do it. I mean, when I meditate, I actively concentrate on my breathing, and maybe that's the most important part of the meditation, but sometimes I forget. Sometimes I am a "Mouth Breather." Turns out that is not good. God knows what happens when I'm sleeping.

Turns out also that we humans have been on a downward trajectory for the last 400 years or so. Our skulls are shrinking, our mouths are getting smaller. Maybe it has something to do with the food we eat. Too much food processing, not enough healthy, concentrated chewing. Smaller mouths and crooked teeth.

So less breathing thru our noses. Shite, we don't even know how to breathe correctly! Less oxygen to our brains. No wonder we seem stupider than ever. We humans are actually "devolving." Who knew?!

I mean, yes, the signs have been everywhere, just check out the daily news, but still, it's surprising to get knocked upside the head with new information. Sometimes you realize we really, really don't know what the hell is going on, and who we really are...

The a.m soundtrack - The Chieftain's - "Long Black Veil."  (1995). Going back to my Irish roots this morning. Another thing I was pretty wrong about. I grew up believing I was 1/2 Irish, turns out, no, more German and Polish than Irish. So really, I spent lots of time not even knowing who I was, what my genetic heritage was, or who were "my people." This is sort of a gimmick record. Traditional Irish songs. An all-star cast of singers fronting the Chieftains. Still, it's an amazing "Who's Who" of artists: Sting, Mark Knopfler, Mick Jagger, Van Morrison, Sinead O'Connor, Ry Cooder, Marianne Faithful, the Rolling Stones, and Tom Jones. For some reason, it all sounds a bit hokey this a.m. I mean, it really is a gimmick record. Except of course for Van and Sinead.  They are the real deal, as Irish as they come. Some of the tunes make me long for the little Emerald Isle. Even if only a tiny fraction of me is connected to that shimmering, green paradise... like I said, "Everything You Know is Wrong." Okay?!