What do you do to quiet your mind? This is an interactive exchange. I do want to know what you do, so please respond. I recently read a book that Jonathan Winters wrote in 1987 where he shared about his desire to keep the kid alive in him. That showed in his comedic genius and resonated with me. He tells of the joy that toys gave him and as he looks through his collection, it brings back that joy to his heart. Walking for me has been a great habit for my physical and mental health. I started out in the mid 90’s with 2 other Chef friends, Joel Tanner and Brian Kissel. We had a half mile loop near our work location’s and when we had a break we walked together. I steadily added length and speed to my workouts and now walk 25- 30 miles a week at a 4+ MPH pace. It gives me the time to free my mind, let an idea marinate, or check in with friends on my cell phone. Tying Jonathan Winter’s piece on escaping the realities of adulthood, I have a constant relaxation activity that I have employed since 1972. Only a small group of friends and family have been privy to this long-term obsession. One of the coolest gifts I have ever received is the Sports Illustrated dice baseball game with the 1970 season teams. For many of you unfamiliar with this product, here is a synopsis. It is a role-playing game (yes, the nerd in me loves that) tied to my favorite sport. You have a sheet tied to each MLB team and probability dice. You would choose which teams would be playing, fill out the lineups and starting pitchers. First you would role the dice and consult the pitcher’s chart to see if there was any result (walk, strikeout, etc.). If it revealed no result, you would roll the dice again and refer to the hitter’s chart for a result. It was a wonderful catalyst for a solo escape from reality or to share the experience with a close friend. When I attended Michigan State University, I found several friends that enjoyed the distraction from studying (much to the chagrin of pre-med friend Bruce Frieman). We had a 12-team league with playoffs during final’s week. The next term 4 of us did not want to be limited to the 24 1970 team sheets. Jeff Wall deciphered the probabilities for all the possible actions, and we created 3X5 individual player cards. Now we could add current stars and draft our own teams. Fast forward to 2024. I have continued using this game with updated players as a solo escape. It combines relaxation, with memories of my friends - and my love for baseball stays with me year around. I have also added several other techniques to quiet my mind over the years including cooking, meditation, and reading. What do you do to provide a sanctuary for that brain to slow down?
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