#4 - Calculate Your Ecological Footprint

(a) I took the quiz to calculate my ecological footprint and my score indicates it would take 4.8 Earths to sustain all the people on the planet if everyone lived like me. The quiz pointed out that the planet has 26.7 billion global acres of land and ocean and that is about 4.5 acres per person. So, if my lifestyle requires more than 4.5 acres, then the score equals more than one Earth. In that light, I didn’t think the score of 4.8 was so bad. Thinking about the ecological footprint just reminds me that all renewable resources come from the Earth. This reminds me of the importance of taking care of the Earth.

Part of the assignment is to evaluate my family’s lifestyle. My husband and I live together in a one story single family home. We have two German Shepherd Dogs that live with us. We have a Tahoe vehicle that we got so we could pull the motorcycle trailer. We also have a ten year old Toyota that we inherited when my mother died a couple of years ago. We try to drive the Toyota as often as possible because it cuts down on our gas bill. We have to drive the Toyota when we are taking the dogs to the vet and when we are transporting the grandchildren – because we need the room to fit the pets and to fit two car seats.

We both work in the downtown Jacksonville area, so we carpool to work. Our commute is only about 8 miles each way. In the Summertime we often ride the motorcycle to work (this cuts down on gas expense also.)



We are gone during the day so we do not consume a lot of electricity. Our heating system in the house is natural gas. We put in energy efficient windows about three years ago and that has made a big difference in our electricity costs. We have also switched to the energy efficient lightbulbs throughout our home, although I do not like them very much because they are slow to heat up and light up.




We do very little cooking at the house. We generally eat yogurt for breakfast. Then we meet for lunch downtown and have our big meal of the day. In the evenings we usually have meetings or other activities to attend – so we seldom eat supper at home. If we are at home in the evenings, then we usually snack by having some chips or cheese and crackers. We generally drink a glass or two of wine at night when we are home. Since it is just the two of us, I usually only run the dishwasher about twice a week and the washer and dryer about twice a week. We have tile floors – so there is no vacuuming. We recycle all of our glass, plastic, aluminum cans and newspapers. We have a recycle pickup every Tuesday.






I don’t think there are very many changes that we can make to our lifestyle. We are already recycling and cutting back on gasoline and energy as much as we can. I did look on the internet at an article by The OutPost that listed Ten Ways to Reduce Your Ecological Footprint to see if I could get any idea. Here are the suggestions and my responses to them:

1. Use energy efficient light bulbs – we do.
2. Reduce the amount of meat you eat – eat more veggies – this I can try. I know it would be beneficial for me to eat more fruits and vegetables.
3. Have a car with better gas mileage – we do.
4. Downsize your house next time you buy – we would probably do this, since our kids are no longer living at home and we do not need a large place.
5. Cut out a plane trip for the year – we seldom fly, so not really applicable to us.
6. Ride your bike - - this we do not do. We don’t even own any bicycles. We walk our two dogs almost every evening – if we were to take off on bicycles without them – they would be very upset.
7. Cancel newspaper subscription and cut down on junk mail – we try very hard to cut down on junk mail – but we do have a newspaper subscription, we like to read the paper in the mornings while we eat breakfast. I do not like reading the news on the computer.
8. Buy locally – we do buy at the local grocery store – but we do not travel to farmer’s markets or farms, because we do not eat that much at home. The fruit we buy at the store often gets rotten before we eat it.
9. Recycle – this we do.
10. Vote for candidates that want to make a real change for the environment. This is a good point and I will certainly think about this more in the future. This is one I can do.

I think one of the most important things I can do to help the ecological footprint is to set a good example for my young grandchildren. I am not unhappy with my quiz results. But taking the quiz makes me want to be more aware of what I am doing and makes me want to try harder to conserve and recycle.



(b) The assignment is to take a look at my specific consumption over a 24 hour period during a typical day.
1. energy usage – in a given day I use electricity to light my house and gas to run my dryer.
2. fuel usage – my husband and I carpool to work every weekday. On the weekends we usually ride our motorcycles. I don’t think we could use any less fuel than we do.
3. food intake – my food consumption has been discussed above. I can make an effort to eat less meat and more vegetables and fruits – this is something that would help the environment and be healthier for me and my family.
4. water use – my husband and I take showers each night and we generally wash about two loads of clothes a week. We do not water the yard with any regularity. Our dogs have to drink bottled water because the granules in the tap water was causing them problems – so we buy bottled water for us all to drink.
5. packaging – there is way too much packaging in the bills and other mail we receive, but I do not have any control over that. I seldom package anything for mailing. When I do send a package I use (recycle) the newspaper to stuff around the item.

“Ecological Footprint” is defined online at www.footprintnetwork.org as: A measure of how much biologically productive land and water an individual, population or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates using prevailing technology and resource management practices.”




When I look at my score from the quiz – I realize that if we (humankind) do not design ways to live within the means of one planet – we will never achieve sustainability.

Field Trip #1 - UNF campus (Journal Entry #3)

I visited the University of North Florida (“UNF”) early Sunday morning, May 16, 2010. UNF is located in Jacksonville (Duval County) Florida and it is a public university.

Here is a little history and other information about UNF: It was established in 1969 and classes began in 1972. So it is a relatively new university! The university is comprised of five separate collages (College of Arts and Sciences; Coggin College of Business; College of Computing, Engineering and Construction; and College of Education; Human Services and Brooks College of Health) and the current president is John Delaney. Mr. Delaney is a former mayor of the City of Jacksonville. UNF has approximately 16,500 students enrolled and has a faculty of 558. The mascot and symbol for UNF is the osprey. The website for UNF is www.unf.edu.

Since 2006, every new campus building has been constructed to meet the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), demonstrating UNF’s commitment to the environment. The College of Education and Human Services moved into its new building that is the first no campus to achieve the LEED Gold rating, the second-highest award. Ospry Fountains houses 1,000 students in a new campus complex that includes a swimming pool, game rooms and fitness center. The new Student Union has become a hub of student activities, providing a base for all Student Government-related functions as well as restaurants, student lounges and game rooms. A new Science and Humanities building will become home of the Costal Biology Flagship Program when it opens in 2012.







UNF’s Jazz Program is considered one of the top undergraduate jazz programs in the country. Jazz and other regularly scheduled Music Department concerts offer entertainment at the Fine Arts Center, site of a 1,300 seat Lazzara Performance Hall. The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, the University Gallery and theLufrano Intercultural Gallery of Art play an integral role in UNF’s cultural offerings. Sports fans can enjoy a variety of athletic events; fans can take in a baseball game at the Harmon Stadium, see swimming and diving meets at the Aquatic Center and watch basketball and volleyball in the UNF arena. UNF recently made the move to NCAA Division 1 Athletics. The UNF campus has 28 major buildings and five housing facilities on campus. “The Green” is a central open grassy area on the campus that is popular with the students. There is a state-protected wildlife and bird sanctuary featuring miles of nature trails and numerous lakes and ponds with an abundance of wildlife on and around campus.

When I visited the campus – I saw wildlife all over. There were a great number of big, ugly black birds – ospreys and vultures (I was a little frightened of them). We also saw a family of ducks and that was very cute! Here are some pictures I took:







The campus is located on a natural preserve and consists of 1,300 acres (at present only 150 of those acres have been developed). A major emphasis of Physical Facilities at UNF is to protect the environment and to conserve and protect our resources, especially the natural beauty of the campus. The UNF Preserve occupies approximately 300 acres of the campus. The Environmental Center at UNF was founded in 2004. Its mission is to develop and foster multidisciplinary education and research related to the environment. The center is governed by an Executive Board representing all five UNF colleges.







UNF is home to the Robert W. Loftin Nature Trails, the John Golden Memorial Environmental Education Pavilion and the Eco-Adventure Outfitters Center. In 1973 campus faculty, students and staff joined together with community groups to build 12 miles of Nature Trails surrounding the campus. Today the remaining trails are complemented with interpretive education signs and are maintained for environmental education, research and low impact recreation. In 1977 UNF applied to the National Department of the Interior and was granted membership as part of the National Recreation of Trails system. UNF maintains that status to date with five miles of trails. With over 500 acres of natural lands within the nature trail system and hundreds more surrounding the university, UNF has one of the best natural assets of any Florida university.







At UNF there are three well-marked trails (Goldenrod, Blueberry and Red Maple Boardwalk). On my visit to UNF I went on the Red Maple Boardwalk trail.






We (my husband – Steve – and I) arrived at UNF in the early morning. Apparently, we were the first ones on the nature trails – because the trails had tons of spider webs on them and we kept having to walk through the spider webs. One interesting thing I noted about the trails is that part of the path is made from wood planks, but a part of the path is made from plastic milk cartons that had been formed into woodlike planks. I thought that was pretty cool!




Lake Oneida is an 18 acre freshwater lake with large picnic area, an island and a bridge which is popular for fishing and wildlife viewing. The Robert W. Loftin Nature Trails are open daylight hours, 365 days per year.

During my visit to UNF I also learned that they have Eco Camps in the Summer for children. (I thought this was great in reference to our recent studies in this class about Nature Deficit Disorder and children not getting out and experiencing nature enough.) The camps are for kids ages 6 thru 16 and activities include hiking, canoeing, exploring nature, field trips, games, etc. The .pdf of the brochure for Eco Camps can be found online at: http://www.unf.edu/recsports/nature/2010%20Eco%20Camp%20Brochure.pdf


REFLECTION of my experience for the UNF field trip. I did enjoy the field trip. It was early in the morning when we went and the weather was cool and it was very pleasant. There was no traffic as it was a Sunday morning. We encountered a few joggers and hikers when we went on the nature trail. I enjoyed the trails – although it is still painful for me to walk very long and to walk on uneven ground due to the foot surgery on my left foot I had in March. I have to be very careful when I walk. That is very annoying to me.

I thought that the campus was beautiful! It is very modern, but yet very green and nature friendly at the same time. There is also a lot of construction going on at the campus. I had attended UNF about 25 years ago when I obtained my paralegal certificate. I thought that the campus was very nice then – but it is much nicer and much larger now! In the past I have taken my kids to concerts at the facilities on UNF and the sound system and the venue there for concerts is amazing and state of the art.

UNF is still growing and I believe that one day it will be a major university in Florida.

#2 - Sense of Place

My name is Helen Susan Coleman and this is my second journal entry entitled “Sense of Place – Your Neighborhood.”

The Blog Journal instructions explain that “sense of place” is understanding the environment around you, your comfort zone, where you feel most at home.

I think that the place I feel most at home is at my home. We bought our house on Azore Court in Jacksonville, Florida in 1986 and so we have lived there for 24 years. When we moved into the house my husband and I had been married 13 years and our sons were ages 9 years and 6 years. (Prior to buying the house, my husband was in the U.S. Air Force and we had moved around frequently.) This is the first and only house we have ever bought and our children grew up in this house – so it is a very special place.

We live in a cul-de-sac. There are ten houses on the street. Our house is located at the end of the cul-de-sac and we have a very large, five sided fenced yard. It is a one story concrete house. We originally had an in-ground pool, but about four years ago, we filled in the pool and now have grass all over the yard. The inside of the house is all dark colored wood paneling. I love it. A lot of people think it is too dark; but I feel very safe and secure when inside the house – it is like a protective cave.

Here are some picture of my street and my neighborhood:







Probably my favorite place – my sense of place – is when I am sitting on the deck in the front yard. I like to sit out there and drink coffee or wine (depending on the time of day). We have two German Shepherd Dogs (named Sabre and Sascha). They are indoor dogs and stay inside the house all day while we are at work. So, in the evenings we often just sit outside, so they can be out in the yard. They lay out in the yard and look down the street. The dogs like to be outside – but they like being with us more, so if we go inside, they will go inside. We try to sit outside with them as much as we can, so they have an opportunity to outdoor. We have a large weeping willow tree in the front yard. Oftentimes, Sabre (the largest and oldest dog) lays under the weeping willow tree. When he does that, I stop what I am doing and just “drink in” the picture of this beautiful sable colored regal animal laying under the dropping limbs/leaves of the weeping willow tree. It is a priceless picture that should be painted by an artist.

When I sit on the deck in the yard with the dogs, I feel a real sense of peace and the worries of the day (from work, bills, etc.) just seem to float away. It is almost like time stands still.







Take a walking trip around your neighborhood. I live in the San Souci neighborhood of Southeast Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida. San Souci is a French word that means “no worries” or “carefree.” According to the city profile information, approximately 30,000 people live in my neighborhood, mostly married couples. One interesting thing I learned about my neighborhood is that it is in the Eastern time zone at 30 degrees latitude (same latitude as Wuhan, China) and -82 degrees longitude and has an average elevation of 19.02 feet sea level). A major and very busy intersection – Beach Boulevard and University Boulevard – is in my neighborhood and Harvin Road is an offshoot from that intersection and there are three cul-de-sacs that shoot off from Harvin Road and my street is one of those.







Memorial Hospital of Jacksonville is only a couple of blocks from my house (located on University Boulevard). We often hear the ambulance sirens when we are home. One good thing about living near a hospital – is that we are on the same electricity grid as the hospital and if the power ever goes out (particularly in a hurricane) – it is usually one of the first areas to have the power restored – because of the hospital. There are sidewalks in my neighborhood and an elementary school and a junior high school within walking distance of my house. The other thing we really like about where we live is that it is right near the expressway (I-95) and we can pretty much get to anywhere we want to go from our house in about ten minutes. It is an older neighborhood with older houses.


Map of Neighborhood from City of Jacksonville website:





Observe special environmental features, green design, sustainable aspects, species, wildlife, etc. I don’t think there are any special environmental features in my neighborhood. It is a quiet neighborhood and most of the people have lived there for years. There are many yards where children play and many dogs and cats in the yards. Many of the homes have swimming pools. Most of the pools have solar heaters with the solar panels on the roofs of the houses. Also, many of the yards have the solar powered lights lining the walkways. Most of the houses in the neighborhood are older homes, having been built in the 1950s, so there is not very much green design. Some of the homes are powered by gas and some by electricity. There are many domesticated pets in the neighborhood. As far as wildlife, since we have lived there we have seen armadillos, raccoons, and snakes. In the evenings there are bats that fly around. There is a wide variety of birds – blue jays, woodpeckers, robins, mocking birds. There are ducks and geese in the pond at the hospital. There was a time where pet rabbits escaped from a home and then multiplied in the neighborhood and we saw a lot of white rabbits all over the place. There have been two occasions since we have lived on our court that alligators have come up from the sewer pipes and actually been walking on our street. Animal control had to be called to pick them up. There are many orange trees in the yards of our neighbors. Another very popular tree in the neighborhood is the crepe myrtle. We also have palm trees and pine trees. Some of the yards have azaleas and brightly colored flowers. We also have some wild blackberries growing in a lot of the yards. As far as sustainable aspects – there are neighborhood schools, churches, grocery stores and gas stations. It is a safe neighborhood where people often take walks or bicycle in the evenings and on weekends.

What sustainable or ecological features do you notice? A lot of the sustainable and ecological features of my neighborhood have already been discussed above. The soil is good for growing plants and some people have small gardens. The land is pretty flat.

Draw or write about an area where you have a feeling of Sense of Place. I already discussed above why one of my favorite places (sense of place) is sitting on the deck in the front yard of my home, watching my dogs. This is a place I can feel relaxed and tension melts away. This is a place I can go to when I want to think or just feel happy or sad. This is the “place” that I think about that I want to go to and to be at when I am stressed and not at home. This is a “place” I can carry in my thoughts. I do think that “sense of place” has to come from within and you have to feel that “place” because sometimes you cannot physically be there. I think about the soldiers fighting in foreign lands – surely they have a “sense of place” within them where they can conjure up that special place and feel more at ease. My grandmother used to tell us kids that we have to “bloom where you are planted.” I thought that was a really dumb statement, until I got older and figured out that you have to make the best of the situation you are in at the time and you have to continue to grow in every situation.

I also think that the South is a sense of place. In our travels all over the country – I am the most comfortable in the southern states. I like the warmth, the sunshine, the hospitality, the sense of a slower pace (as opposed to northern, eastern and western states) where lifestyles can be very different from what I am used to. I also have a “sense of place” when I go to the beach and sit on the sand and watch the waves. I love to hear the sound of the waves hitting the shore and smell the salt in the air. It is timeless and peaceful.

Also – I know from years of working experience that working in a beautiful and clean environment is much more productive than working in a crowded, ugly building. I have worked in an office in a warehouse facility that was dirty and messy. I have also worked at City Hall in Jacksonville, which was newly constructed with an atrium and was beautiful (almost opulent). But the feeling of being in that building was wonderful. The office where I work now is very new and modern with lots of glass and chrome and modern equipment and look and feel. Having worked in both environments, it is a much better feeling, to work in beautiful surroundings.

Pictures of City Hall – beautiful place where I have worked in the past:





Also, this probably sounds crazy to anyone who has never experienced it – but I think bikers have a “sense of place” when they ride their motorcycles. It just feels “right.” If you ride a motorcycle and are not able to ride for a while you start feeling anxious and longing to just get on the bike and ride. There is a Harley quote that is – “If I have to explain it, then you wouldn’t understand.” That is very true. It has also been said that a biker understands why a dog likes to stick his head out the window. This is not actually a physically place – but a place where when you are there it feels right, like all the planets are aligned, the clouds open up so that the sun shines and all is right with the world. I love to feel the wind on my face, smell the smells of the places you ride past, hear the sounds or the silence, feel the rain or the sun or the cold.






I also feel like I have a “sense of place” when I am with my family. I am the most comfortable when I am alone with my husband. We have been married for 36 years. We can talk for hours or sit comfortably in silence. I feel a “sense of place” when all of my family (children, grandchildren) are together. It is like we “belong” and it is a fun and easy time. Oftentimes when I am at work – I can’t hardly wait to get home where I’m loved and appreciated. I like my friends and my co-workers and my neighbors – but I feel most comfortable at home with my husband.

I don’t think that the term “place” used in the context of “sense of place” simply refers to a geographic location – I think it involves much more than that. The “place” in “sense of place” is something that is meaningful and significant, it has emotional factors and is a “place” that gives one a chance or opportunity to think, to rest, to feel, to grow, to experiment, to investigate, to change, etc.

#1 - Incoming Reflections

My name is Helen Susan Coleman and this is my first journal entry entitled “Incoming Reflections.”

The first question asked in the assignment is “What are your initial expectations of Colloquium, feelings?” I had expected the colloquium class to be more of an exchange of ideas on a particular subject (in this case the environment). However, after reading the syllabus for the class and the emails from the instructor, I realize that it is not an exchange of ideas at all. It appears to me that this course is academic paternalism where the course is telling me what is “best” for me and what I need to do.

I am very apprehensive about this course; however, I need this course to graduate this Summer, so I will do whatever it takes to complete and pass it. One concern that I have is the technology required by the course material. I am 55 years old and have never “blogged” in my life. This is a totally new and unnerving experience for me. Also the requirement to include photos, drawings, video clips and links with each journal entry (per the Guidelines on the University Colloquium Blog Journal) is a bit overwhelming to a first-time blogger. I did not sign up to take a computer/technology course; I signed up to take a colloquium course.

After seeing the requirements for this course to go on field trips and perform service learning hours I have a serious concern due to my physical health/condition at the present time. I had surgery on my left foot on March 12, 2010 and am still healing and recovering from that. I am scheduled to have surgery on my right foot on May 21, 2010. I need to be totally off my feet for five days and then will be able to walk short distances while wearing a boot/cast for approximately six weeks. Following the upcoming surgery I am not supposed to put weight on my right foot, not supposed to walk for long distances or stand for long periods of time; I am supposed to keep my right foot elevated the majority of the time and I am supposed to only walk on level surfaces. Also, after the surgery I will not be able to drive while wearing the boot/cast, so will be dependent on my husband to provide transportation.

Photo of feet below - left foot had surgery (see scars and swelling) - right foot scheduled for surgery:




Another concern I have about this class is the additional service hours requirement. The main reason I have taken all on-line classes at FGCU is because of scheduling demands on time. (Obviously I spend a significant amount of hours on the course work; however, I can do it on my own schedule and I often get up at 2am or 3am in the morning to do the work – I cannot do that for field trips or service hours.) I knew about the required service hours to graduate at the time I registered at FGCU and I have successfully met those requirements. I did not know that additional service hours would be required in this course. This does not seem fair to me at all. Additionally, the instructions under More Service Learning Guidelines – “Service Learning in University Colloquium” states “you project needs to relate to the natural environment and the goals of the course.” So, once again the course is deciding a course of action for me and not allowing me to volunteer my time where I want to. Also – the course is deciding that working environmentally related service hours is “best” for me and something someone else has decided that I need to do; but I don’t think that standing and walking and putting weight on my foot while it is healing – against my doctor’s orders – is what is “best” for me; but I will have to do it in order to graduate this semester.

Here is an interesting reflection – In the article we read Week 1 – “Who is this Dewey Dude Anyway?” it states under the heading of “Dewey and Education” – “What he did accomplish was to reflect upon his own “traditional” education which minimally involved students, as classes were taught primarily from the standpoint of what the teacher believed the student should know, as opposed to what students were interested in and or ready to learn.” Hmmmmm . . . that seems to me to be what this course is doing – teaching primarily from the standpoint of what the teacher believes I should know – as opposed to what I am interested in or ready to learn!

So, in summary, I guess that my answer to the question being asked: “What are your initial expectations of Colloquium, feelings?” is that I am expecting this class to be very difficult for me to accomplish and I am feeling pretty negative about it.

The journal assignment says to: Briefly describe any experience you have with exploring wilderness areas here or in other regions. I am a little unclear on the correct definition for “wilderness area.” I love going to an unoccupied beach and sitting on the sand and watching the waves. I have walked various nature trails with my two German Shepherd Dogs. I do not hike and have no desire to do so. I don’t recall having any particular desire (in the past or now) to explore wilderness areas. I do not feel safe in the woods. I have ridden the motorcycles through the Ocala National Forest, the panther habitat, the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Everglades, through farmlands in rural Georgia and in the mountains in the Carolinas and enjoyed that very, very much. I remember one trip to the Natchez Trace Parkway where we had twelve motorcycles pull off onto an overlook and when all of the bike engines were cut-off there was absolute silence – no one said a word – as we all just say there on the bikes in total awe of the view and the scenery. I have been to the Grand Canyon and felt stunned by its size and magnitude. (I am just not sure if the places I have been actually count as “wilderness.”)


Here are some photos of some of my nature experiences in the past:

The journal assignment says to: Describe your relationship with the natural world.
I love the natural world (but I equally love the comfort and convenience of the indoors). My favorite times of day to be outside are daylight and dusk. I love watching the sun rise and set in the distance. I also love going outside at night and looking up and seeing the stars and the moon. I love it when it is so incredibly hot and a sudden rain shower falls and I get wet and cooled off. Being born and raised in Florida, I love being around the beach and the ocean and I particularly love the sunshine. I do not enjoy cold weather and when my husband was in the Air Force and we were stationed in Maine – I did not like the cold and the snow and found it depressing because it was so gloomy and not sunny. I love animals and I love watching animals just being themselves. I feel like I enjoy and appreciate the natural world. However, I do not want to camp or hike. I feel safer inside my house. Maybe, I just like “looking at” the natural world, rather than being in it.

The journal assignment says to: Describe any anxieties or reservations you have about this class. I believe that my anxieties and reservations about this class have already been pretty well discussed in the answer to the first question at the beginning of this entry.

The next question in the journal assignment is: What are your personal goals for this class?
Truly, my personal goal for this class is to pass it so I can graduate. It will be a personal goal for me to accomplish the requirements of this class. I feel like I am already pretty knowledgeable about the environment, but it is a goal of mine to learn as much as I can from this course.

The journal assignment says to: Describe how this class might be an important component to your education, major or life experiences? This class is an important component to my education, because completion of this course is required in order for me to graduate. My major is Legal Studies, so other than some applicability to Environmental Law cases, I do not see how this class will be an important component to my major. I suppose if I were to go to work for the EPA or some other governmental regulation authority, then this class would be beneficial to my career field. Unfortunately, I do not think that this class is an important component to my life experiences. I am 55 years old and have already had a lot of life experience on my own (without this class). I have already visited many of the areas that I am interested in and wanted to experience. Being required to go on field trips and work service hours that are not my own preference and interest will be a negative life experience. But, in an effort to “re-frame” the experience, I am going to have a lot more self-confidence if I am able to overcome the issues I am concerned about and successfully complete the course. (Makes me think of the quote by Friedrich Nietzsche – “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”). It can be a positive life experience to overcome odds with creativity and fortitude.

Hmmmmmm . . . maybe there is something to this journal thing – I feel a little better now having gotten all these thoughts “off my chest”!!