OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach in Season 2
For the first time in my life, I’m truly and fully present. I used to view the sea as a battlefield, but now I can appreciate the bounty it has to offer, and all of the natural beauty that surrounds it. I am but a humble wanderer, blessed with this feast, no better than a heron, or a blade of grass, or some sand, or like… I don’t know, a wave or something.
At first my heart sank when the closing scene began with the Revenge sailing away, because I thought Ed and Stede were still aboard. And we’d just spent two seasons watching Ed tell anyone who would listen (was anyone listening?) that he didn’t want to be a pirate anymore. It really started to seem like PopPop was the voice of the narrative (if you were ever good at anything, go back and do that —) and every damn time Ed tried to start off in pursuit of happiness they’d just hoist him back aboard ship and put a bloody sword back in his hand.
And then the camera pulled back and he was standing on his own front (terrifyingly rickety) front porch in the sunset with his true love on a quiet stretch of land. And now I’m at peace. Last season I was haunted by the last shot of Ed trapped, and grieving, and lost, and this time the last I saw of him was that smile. He’s not the seabird who flies on forever and never reaches land. He’s come to shore.
OK Tumblr Geriatric Ward, let’s talk about your posture-
there are things you should be doing now to prevent yourself from starting to look like 🥀
Why does it matter? Future you would like to avoid the pain, limited motion, and fall risk that goes along with worsening posture.
What’s the focus?
1. Keep the flexibility in your spine
2. Stretch the muscles in the front
3. Strengthen the muscle in the back
Here are some simple things you can do daily while sitting and when you get up to go into the bathroom or the kitchen
Keep the flexibility by doing these repeated movements: 10 repetitions several times a day
The goal is to give yourself a double or triple chin. Keep your nose pointing forward, don’t let it tip up or down
Thoracic extension- use a chair with a seat back that comes up to the level of your shoulder blades. Try to bend back over the top of the chair without arching away from the seat back and without extending your neck. If the pressure from the top of the chair is uncomfortable you can place a towel there
Stretch the muscles in the front by using a door frame. This one will feel good afterwards
If this isn’t enough of a stretch you can do one side at a time. If you have the right arm up step forward with the right foot and turn slightly to the left. Then do it on the other side.
Strengthen the muscles in the back by squeezing your shoulder blades together for a count of 10 and then repeating 10 times. You can do this several times a day Hint: Don’t lift your shoulder blades up
There are lots more exercises for strengthening your back muscles but this is a good starting point and easy to do. I like doing it while driving
Tips:
Do the best you can
If it hurts stop
Envision future you saying thank you each time you do one of the exercises
NOTE: I can do most of these with the cerebral palsy. In fact, a lot of these little exercises are automatically part of my physical therapy. My problem is I already have hyperlordosis, spine arthritis, and cervicogenic headache. These have helped me at least try to have a posture.
I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW GOOD THIS ADVICE IS
^ Attention Writers ^
Speaking as one of the citizens of the Tumblr Geriatric Ward, this is an excellent list of exercises.
These apps don’t get it. I want to have a ‘crush’ on someone and that is not possible unless they’re someone already in my life by happenstance and then I get obsessed with them for no reason. You don’t get that with a app because suddenly you’re on a ‘date’ having ‘drinks’. Like no sorry I don’t want to talk to you about my relationship history I want to look at you in a group setting and make up things about you in my head. Ok?
The thing is is like. I don’t enjoy dating the way I see other people enjoying dating because fundamentally what I find like fun and exciting is having an established dynamic with someone i.e. friend/coworker(bad idea)/passing academic acquaintance etc and then having that dynamic change through a series of rube goldberg machine-esque interactions. Like please somebody help me understand where the fun is in just going and being automatically In A Dynamic with someone and there’s no change there’s no transformation
The only two people who I feel really understand what I meant here
