Ragnarök

[THOR RAGNARÖK SPOLERS]

In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is the event where Asgard, the home of gods such as Thor, Loki, and Odin, is destroyed. However, the story of Asgard and Scandinavian gods doesn’t end there. After Ragnarök, Asgard is renewed.

Variations of these Norse myths are told throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through the heroic God of Thunder, Thor, an original member of the Avengers. In Thor Ragnarok, well, you can guess what transpires. After Odin’s death, Thor’s sister Hela escapes her imprisonment in the underworld and tries to take over Asgard. Several other events lead to the inevitable destruction of Asgard–Ragnarök itself. Luckily, many Asgardians are saved through the likes of timeless and unlikely heroes (and their large spaceship borrowed from a distant planet).

During Ragnarök, the great Heimdall–the gatekeeper god who can see and hear throughout the cosmos while controlling the Bifröst (rainbow bridge that connects worlds)–assures Thor of what his father, Odin, conveyed in his final moments:

“Asgard is not a place, it’s a people.”

Heimdall to Thor

And so Asgardians were saved even though Asgard was destroyed. They were together on the safe harbor of their ship until their inevitable and unfortunate encounter with Thanos. After the events of Infinity War & Endgame, Asgardians set up a new home in the town of Tønsberg, Norway. A long way of Asgard–in a different realm, but enough of them to remember who they are.

What’s the moral of the story? No matter where you go, you will bring your people with you. Your family, your ancestors, the people who sacrificed so that you could be alive. They are you and you, them. People are not determined by where they live in the cosmos but by who they are. While your location impacts how you live, that you are alive will always unite you with your people, your culture, your home.

Asgard is a people, not a place. Asgard was destroyed, but Asgardians not. Now in the MCU, there is hope for Asgardians under their new leader, Valkyrie. They are rebuilding their home because they never lost it–it just changed location.

Moving away from home–be it destroyed or intact–doesn’t change your cosmic identity. While it may change how you live your life, you will always be the sum of all the people and choices that made you, both throughout the past and during your lifetime. You are quite a marvel, and you will always be more than your address.

Back to the Basics

When embarking on a journey towards better health and more vibrant wellness, you must remember to keep things simple.

If the basics are not the cornerstone of your endeavor, you’ll soon find yourself overwhelmed. When things are too complicated and you can’t commit to all the changes you held yourself too, you’ll feel defeated. You’ll stop progress altogether because if you’re not all in you’re not getting the most benefit, right? Instead, your complicated plan shortly becomes too much to bear and you remain the same, still holding that extra 20 pounds, still gasping for breath after going up the stairs.

Let me take a moment to remind you of the basics, the bare necessities of living a healthy, balanced life. This doesn’t include a food scale or calorie counting, and there’s no need for a fancy fitness program.

The Basics:

  • Eat plants and animals
  • Avoid processed foods
  • Cook your own meals
  • Eat until you feel full
  • Pack your lunch
  • Find healthy snacks that don’t have too many simple sugars
  • Drink filtered water
  • Steer clear of sugar-sweetened beverages
  • Don’t have caffeine past 2pm
  • Move your body every day
  • Go for a walk
  • Run, lift weights, or go to a yoga class if you want to
  • Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night, depending on your own needs
  • Limit your screen time, especially at night
  • Take deep breaths
  • Spend time with your loved ones
  • Spend time with yourself
  • Allow yourself to laugh
  • If you slip up, forgive yourself and get back on track

If you implement these lifestyle practices, things will start to change. You’ll feel more energized and less lethargic. You’ll need less coffee and have more time to spend with your loved ones. Once you start, the momentum will keep you going. That cupcake you have in celebration of a good week won’t feel like a defeat but a victory. Small victories will compound and you’ll soon be miles ahead of where you started

It’s all about balance. If 80% of the things you do are healthy and 20% aren’t the best for you, you’re living a pretty balanced, enjoyable life. Forgive yourself if you slip up and move forward with a grateful heart. This is all about learning and growing.

I’m telling you, if you get back to the basics, things will change.

A New Kitchen Table

I came home for the weekend and saw my parent’s new kitchen table. It’s a high top wood table with a dark stain and comfortable bar stools surround it. This was the final sep of their kitchen makeover which began earlier this year. This t’s the same hight as the new island so that, theoretically, the tables could be connected to fit 10 for a big family dinner.

This new table replaced the table that was in our home since before I was born. That table was ugly — it had dents on the legs from ramming toys into it, pencil scars on the surface from countless hours of homework, and scratched off gloss from intrigued children. The light wood has faded and the chipped blue paint of the legs has been covered a few times with chipped black paint. It was ugly but broken in. From happy hours to family dinner, discussions about college and card games, this table was m favorite feature of our house. It was the cornerstone of our family.

I voiced my disapproval of change many times. I’ve also voiced my dislike for the new table (I don’t like the style). But my parents understood, so they saved our original table for me. It’s in the attic, waiting for me to find a good use for it. I have some ideas…Stay tuned.

I guess I’ll have to give the new table a try. It’s healthy to force yourself to change when you don’t want to. Acceptance of what is sounds like a pretty good discipline to practice.

Dipsie-Doodle

This is from an essay I wrote today. The essay is about Lake George, New York and it was for my American Environmental History class.

I took a bath in Lake George this summer.  After running 5 miles through Silver Bay and its smaller neighbor, Arcady Bay, I celebrated with a well-deserved dipsie-doodle.  This is a term coined by my Uncle Nick, a successful marketing executive, who bought a vacation home on the waters of Lake George in 2000.  The renowned Lemma’s Complete Family Dictionarydefines dipsie-doodle as the following:

dipsie-doodle (noun)

dip•sie doo•dle / ‘dip-sē dü-dᵊl /

Definition of dipsie-doodle (noun):

a brief reconnaissance with spiritual waters of nature—lasting a few moments to fifteen minutes; typically associated with feelings of euphoria, bliss, serenity, and accomplishment.  As many as 10 dipsie-doodles may be taken in a summer day.

Usage of dipsie-doodle (noun):

Nick: “I’ll be right back. I’m going to take a dipsie-doodle!”
Kathleen: “Not without me, you’re not—you stinker!”

And that is a dipsie-doodle.