Tired of life as a pissing contest

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BTW, I like your quote.

And…there is a time for deep personal, private reflection. I’ve read about people who take retreats in places like monasteries, retreat centers, etc. Some are silent. Others not so. I’ve wanted to go to Plum Village in France, but fear their level of asceticism is too much for me at this stage in my life. There is Pendle Hill in PA. There is a convent in Mississippi that was appealing. I can’t remember the name.

Not suggesting you do a retreat. It was just something that came to mind when you mentioned private practice.

I'm somewhat familiar with these places. When I was with BOTA we'd do a retreat at a Catholic monastery and retreat center in north-central Indiana. Similarly I believe there's a park in central or southern Indiana, set up by Buddhist monks, that has the flying saucer looking habs that are really minimalist but comfortable on the inside and they're effectively places to sit, meditate, and look out the bay windows.

I've also considered doing an ayahuasca retreat, have a lot of psychedelic experience so I do consider that it may be underwhelming, and I could head to Florida or Costa Rica. There is a place in Kentucky that was on Vice TV series (the Hupps) but, somewhat humorously, I'm a bit afraid I'd get talking to Steve and get shaman-told.

But yeah, with Covid winding down the idea of doing something along these lines again makes sense.

You have a fundamental human right to not participate in any contests.

I have noticed that people who have these statuses think they are superior to disabled people in general. Part of that reason is that they have been taught anyone with a disability belongs at the bottom of a hierarchy system.

Yet, when we prove to get ahead in life and become successful people, those same individuals feel threatened.

Well yeah, status is a zero-sum game and if you rise in status it can only come at the price of their relative status to you being taken away.

This is why the status game is also so radically dishonest that only athletic prowess, money, and quickness with comebacks matter - ie. if what you have is mutable in any way or a bunch of people can just agree to agree with each other that they have no idea what you're saying, they've effectively neutralized whatever you have. They can't neutralize a number in a bank account or your ability to throw a football, hit a golf ball, etc. in quite the same manner. Music and art sort of sit in the middle where people who just don't like you can deny your talents and abilities unless you're also getting famous in which case they're also stuck.