Out of a blue clear sky

Theory: "Your emotional responses are preceded by automatic thoughts, it is not difficult to train yourself to focus your attention on them during various events and circumstances."

Practice: "Start practicing the skill of recalling the images and ideas which floated through your stream of consciousness during the last few moments. To do this, sit quietly and allow your mind to wander. After a minute or so, ask yourself what you are currently thinking about. Once you’ve identified that, ask yourself what led you to start thinking about what you were thinking about. Continue tracing your thought stream back as far as you can."

Problem: The automatic thoughts are - and falsely - labelled as "I". So investigating thoughts like this can be like quizzing a nun about scriptures, or like harrassing a marxist on economic. It requires humility and genuine disinterest in oneself, and, by reversal, comittment to truth above falsehood.

Solution: Spiritual. The "I" unaided can't detach from the causes of itself, but can only dissociate from the effects. Logic, perception and feelings, all work at the level of effect. So the techniques described above are useful in the context of a dedication to personal responsibility and truthfulness... in turn, only someone who has a sense of their own existence perceives the value in truthfulness, which to three quarters of humanity is a convenient fiction only.

I'm listening to George Strait:

"Surprise your new love has arrived
Out of a blue clear sky!"

And the joy in the song opens my heart to the painful sorrow there for my poor puss, who has disappeared this last day. The gratitude for her having been with me for the time she was replaces the fear that she may not return; and as tears stream down my cheeks I recall that unconditional love brings us together, no matter how far apart we seem to be. It is only the conditionality in my lovingness that causes me such terrible sorrow.