Pruning, culling, simplifying and life - life proceeds by both expansion and birth and weeding and death
Kids lose connections in the brain. I have read several times that babies have more neural connections in their head at earlier times and then drop the ones that aren't used. So, culling and winnowing starts early and is prompted by nature.
Old people pick and choose their battles and activities because
energy supplies must be used consciously since they are limited. We see that the world will get along without us and we try to simplify our activities and projects. In today's world, with lots of communication and ads, lots of opportunities and limited time, energy and money, we work to do what seems fun and interesting and let the rest go.
Circle of the seasons, thinking in a circle - spring is the time of abundance, over-supply, more seeds than can survive. Then, summer, fall and especially winter do the sorting, eliminating and focusing. I have seen a couple of references to a natural pattern of thought that in the West is basically a line, as in "progress", the unfolding of history, etc. while in the East is basically a circle, the rise and fall of ideas, practices, civilizations. See The Geography of Thought by Richard Nisbett, for instance.
Improving the lot by selection and culling. Julia Sweeney frets about the declining number of years she can expect [she is in her 40's! For crying out loud] to get the 1000 novels read that "everyone" should read". She is an admirable, funny, intelligent woman (Letting Go of God audio) with a tv, live presentation and film background so why she isn't fretting about the 1000 films everyone she view, I don't know. When she gets that done, she can go on to the 1000 places everyone should visit and the visual art that everyone should view and the music that everyone should listen to. She just has to cut back. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that she will be able to choose the best of the categories and not miss something even better. Time for the 1000 worries that everyone should fret about!
Downsizer Sandy writes a blog by that name focused on her online blogs and business. She got started when she downsized from her life in Maryland to her new, downsized one in Florida. Downsizing is important, as in the matter of waistlines, filled garages, basements, and attics.
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
