Introduction

First of all, sorry to DietGirl and the NPR reporter who used this title first. What a strange confluence it is that I happened to come up with the same title you did. I was in the middle of a Wii Fit exercise when it happened. Well, I was doing a Wii fit exercise and thinking about how I think all the time, and how that's not very good for my brain and how I should stop doing that, and how, probably, if I wanted to stop doing that, I should meditate, and how I've been meaning to start on a course of meditation, and how I've not only wanted to begin meditating but how I've wanted to be a Buddhist, a really good Buddhist, but have stopped myself from jumping in out of a squishiness and all-around American dis-ease with Eastern thought. And then I thought, Open Up and Say Om, and the rest, I hope, will be a pleasant history for all, with the loving kindness of Google and Blogger, and my friends willing to take this journey with me, of course.

Today is an auspicious day to begin this journey. Tomorrow is mother's day, and I've been feeling sort of blue. See, two years ago -- on 10/1/08 -- a day I'll alway remember -- I lost my mom. Mommy I called her, even into my 30's. I miss her, and dealing with a loss like is the kind of thing we really need religion for.

Well, this has been a good start, I think. More tomorrow on my mom. With loving kindness, and the compassion I hope to cultivate, Christine.