1. re Charlotte turning 13: well, yay but your life is now chaos for the next - what? eight years? Maybe not, she could be one of the mellow kids. I know a couple but am related to none. 2. re conventions and cool people - I am jealous. Elvira would be fun to talk with and I am a Star Trek fan from waaaaayyyy back. 3. re zoning out while driving - this happens to me all the time, especially on the very familiar commute. Sometimes I'll just "wake up" and think "waitaminute, I don't remember passing the rest stop." You're not asleep, it's more like autopilot. If you see brake lights ahead the systems to watch for that are still running, it's just your conscious mind is not gelled enough to think. I have to think about this a little more. I think this might be the state you are supposed to aim for when you are meditating, a kind of "watchful waiting."
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2. re conventions and cool people - I am jealous. Elvira would be fun to talk with and I am a Star Trek fan from waaaaayyyy back.
3. re zoning out while driving - this happens to me all the time, especially on the very familiar commute. Sometimes I'll just "wake up" and think "waitaminute, I don't remember passing the rest stop." You're not asleep, it's more like autopilot. If you see brake lights ahead the systems to watch for that are still running, it's just your conscious mind is not gelled enough to think. I have to think about this a little more. I think this might be the state you are supposed to aim for when you are meditating, a kind of "watchful waiting."