MARINA OPPENHEIMER BOOKS AND BLOG

  Everywhere we read that our period in history is mainly characterized by loneliness, especially in old age. Loneliness is a destructive state of mind that takes away our desire to find a solution to everyday problems. Therefore, our life becomes a static and uninteresting journey. But what generates this feeling of fierce isolation? It is generated by our mind only because we lose all desire to look for new friends. In old age the problem is even more risky since it prevents us from understanding that not having friends is not necessary if we are satisfied with the life we have led. What is important is to create where we live a welcoming environment. In my youth I met a man of a certain age who was arrested in Switzerland for being an illegal immigrant. The first thing he did when he arrived at the   prison was to ask for a bucket   of white paint to paint the walls of his prison.   And with the passage of time he even placed a plant in the window.   Let me a...

  BLESSED SOLITUDE Status is online Marina Oppenheimer Licensed psychotherapist 140 articles April 20, 2023 "I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."  ―  Henry David Thoreau,  Walden Last week I went to lunch with two good friends at Seasons 52 in Coral Gables; I like the place and we meet there often. Our conversation was not as pleasant as usual as one of them was recovering from a cataract operation that did not heal well.  As soon as she arrived, I noticed that her mood was not the usual and it did not take long for her to express herself in a rather aggressive way. However, the conversation was pleasant enough until one of them started talking about politics, and me being the only democrat it did not take long for the bullets to hit me. A couple of hours later, driving back home...

   For some time now I have been concerned about some things happening around us on Miami Beach, specifically on the beach in front of our building. To be honest, these events are not very significant; they have to do with keeping the beach safe and sound from unwelcome intruders. However, every morning when I read the newspaper and learn what is going on around the world -thousands of peoples’ lives destroyed by those avid of power- my concerns start looking very inappropriate. Very soon I realized that, although I have a wonderful life in an idyllic place, I often feel somber. As I started to reflect on the reason of my strong reaction to these insignificant neighborhood matters, I suddenly realized that I have not yet grasped the fact that there are many things in our life that we cannot control; and because of that I was wasting many hours of enjoyment. Until one night I had the following dream: I had in my possession lots of old clothes that I had decided to give away. ...