The Smile Game

I went to a mall today to people watch. I love to watch how people walk around, and I study the expressions on their faces. Some are smiling as they talk with their friends or families. Some seem a million miles away as they make their way through the crowds. Sometimes I “stalk” people. I see someone that looks sad and create a way to smile and say hello. I guess if Mall Security was doing their job, they would notice me and throw me out on my rear. I often wonder if someone else was in the mall people watching and noticed me running around like a lunatic. I must be some sight. Sometimes people smile and say hello back, mission accomplished! Others look at me as if I am nuts. Maybe I am? I just like to see people happy as they are making their way through life. I guess I know too well how it feels to be sad and unhappy. I’ve had my share of that kind of day in my life. From the loss of loved ones, a failed marriage, and bouts with depression most of my life. Now that I’ve fought off those demons, I hate to see people sad. I know I can’t reach out to everyone, but I can catch a few along the way. If people will think of that crazy stranger that said hello at the mall for just a few minutes and smiled, well I can feel pretty satisfied with that. Hey, maybe I’ve created a new thing for kids to do in the mall besides just hanging out? Or even a game for the whole family to play. 5 Points for a hello back. 5 Points for a smile, and 20 Points for a hello and smile together. Remember you have to single out a person that looks like they need a little cheering up. Follow them, but don’t scare them. Be natural in your approach with the goal in mind to brighten someone’s day. It’s fun, and it won’t cost you a dime. But the feeling in your heart will be priceless.

I Love You

I Love You For being who you are 

I Love You For allowing me to be who I am 

I Love You Because you need me 

I Love You Because I want and need you. 

I Love You When you laugh and smile 

I Love You Because my heart laughs and smiles with you 

I Love You When you call my name 

I Love You Because I know your name I long to smell your hair, to feel your touch heart to heart, side by side to feel your breath 

I Love You When you sound so alive 

I Love You Because I am alive 

I Love You When you tell me your dreams 

I Love You Because I have dreams 

I Love You When you say you miss me 

I Love You Because I miss you too 

I Love You For being you, 

I Love You For being you, with me.

Matter of the Heart

It’s amazing what our words can do. We can build someone up, or we can tear them down. What power do we have? It is said that what lives in our heart, the mouth will reflect. Have you ever noticed when you are in a bad mood, the content of your speech will verify the darkness? When we are in the best of moods, sunny expressions flow and confirm our happiness in our conversations. Our moods can change based on the situations in our lives, real or perceived. Sometimes the reality of life can bring us down, and we have to fight like hell to stay above the fray. Other times it seems like everything is going our way, and it's easy to glide through…or even dance. My hope today is to live somewhere in the middle. Like a ship navigating through rough waters, and maintaining an even keel. Life can be rough at times, but hopefully, we will stand firm in wisdom and grace. And on those days that we have the world by the tail, we need to be sensitive to those around us, not fairing as well and build them up. Speak words of life to yourself. Tell yourself that you are important and that you will make a difference in someone’s life today. Make someone laugh today, cry with them, and just be with them. There are people in our everyday life’s that we run across. Make their day with a big hello and a smile. Even if you don’t feel like it, take the bull by the horns and pull yourself out of the darkness. Expose the darkness of your heart into the light, and see how quickly it will dissipate.

You

Sometimes I think of me before You. The days were dark and lonely. Sometimes I think of me before You. You became the one, the only Sometimes I think of me before You. I had no vision, no time, or reason Sometimes I think of me before You. You became my rhyme, the changing season I have so much because of You. You took the things that made me blind My days begin and end with You. You have my heart, my soul, my mind Sometimes I think of me before You. My life was lived but on the surface. Sometimes I think of me before You. You brought me meaning, understanding and purpose Sometimes I think of me before You. You made my burdens lighter Sometimes I think of me before You. My heart is open, and so much brighter.

Steam

5AM, time to wake up and greet the day head-on. I hear the steam filling the radiators to heat me up from the chill of the morning. From where I sit, I get a stereo symphony as the steam relief valves begin playing their songs. In my left ear a few feet away in the living room, in my right, the kitchen radiator sits in the next room several feet away. This is a ritual that happens every morning, why am I aware of it this morning? For some reason, the sounds of the steam have triggered childhood memories of life in a simpler time. All we had to do in those days was go to school and play. There were so many kids in the neighborhood to play with on Anderson Road. We didn’t have video games, computers, or even color TV as I remember. There was an overgrown weeds field down the road where we played baseball until darkness took our vision, or we lost the ball in the high grass. We would ride our bikes for hours and hours. I’ll never forget the day my dad brought home my new red 3-speed bike with a high bar in the back. I don’t think it was a special occasion, I think he bought it just ‘cuz? I can feel the excitement I felt then. What a day that was! I used to love clipping baseball cards in my spokes with clothes pins to give it that motorcycle sound. We would ride for hours but would walk the bike up the big hill so we could zoom back down a hundred miles an hour with no hands, screaming, and feeling free. What a great place and time to be a kid. Now I hop in my truck and I can drive up those big hills. But I remember those times so long ago and smile. We had such a great foundation, inventing games, and just being together. I look a what kids have today and wonder if they really have to use their imaginations. Everything is right there for them. Music to go on their iPod, video games, and wide-screen plasma TVs. Do Kids even ride bikes anymore? Gosh, it’s amazing what a little steam will do

Compassion

I learned a good lesson in compassion today. I’ve always thought of myself as a compassionate person, but I guess I was never really tested. I have a very good friend that was passed up for a promotion because of a silly oversight on his part while filling out paperwork. Having been his boss before we became friends, I’ve always encouraged him to learn the business, and I did my best to show him the way. My philosophy as a supervisor has been to look for the people that stand out, get behind them and train them so well that they can take your job someday. I believe you get better employees that way. I guess in this case it’s true at least, for now, I have a good friend. I found out this morning, before he did, that he was not getting the job. To say that I felt awful is a huge understatement. I knew he didn’t know yet, and I felt sick. He is such a good man that deserves only good things. I sat in my office trying to figure out why I felt so bad about his misfortune. I know I never felt that way about someone that worked for me before. But then I thought he is more than that, he is my friend. I actually started to feel his disappointment before he had the chance to. Why? I was struggling with it all day. Why did I feel compassion for this friend? I didn’t like it…it hurt! This was quite the dilemma for me. Surely I had hurt for others before, but this was deeper. Then like a light switch being turned on it became clear. We don’t always possess the things we believe we have. Our growth comes when we exercise those areas of our lives that we want to improve. It was one thing to say I was a compassionate person. But quite another to actually be one. I am always soul searching and trying to be a better person. So why was it such a surprise to me when the opportunity fell into my lap? I felt a bit guilty about gaining something while my friend had to lose what he wanted. I bet there are lessons for him to learn as well. I did talk to him later in the day and was able to console him a bit. I know there will be other opportunities for him, as there will be for me to test what I am really made of. I hope I will find many more nuggets like this, golden nuggets in this wonderful cluster we call life.

Morning Coffee

Sunday morning coffee, what a great thing. Fresh brewed gourmet coffee from a Keurig single-cup machine. There are a bunch of things I want to accomplish today. But until I have my coffee, my body won’t even think of moving in the right direction. It’s pretty sad actually to be a slave to something in a cup, but it is what it is, as they say. I can’t for the life of me figure out why I’m dreading the work week that starts tomorrow when there is plenty of weekends left to enjoy today. I’m a firm believer in having things to look forward to. But I guess they have to be exciting things to get the mind flowing with possibilities. I’m still working on that cup of coffee. Maybe by the time I finish the last drop, I will feel motivated to take on the world. But then the thought just came to me. I’m writing a lot of Me, My’s, and I’s. My world is a bit self-centered today for some reason. Am I setting myself up for a pity party today? I’m not going there! I have too many amazing things in my life to spend even a coffee cup’s worth of time feeling down. I am blessed to have my parents still here that love me. I have my brothers and sister that I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that love me. I have incredible friends, a job, and a place to live. And the thing I take for granted the most, I woke up this morning feeling physically in good health. Thank God for that! So now the psychological health needs to be jump-started a bit. If you are like me, at times that is a struggle but totally within reach. I’m feeling better already, and I still have coffee in my cup. I just have to make the choice to live my life every day, and not participate in it. Joni Eareckson Tada is an incredible author, painter, and motivational speaker. In the summer of 1967, she dove into a shallow lake, breaking her neck and leaving her paralyzed from the neck down. She paints and draws with her mouth far better than I could ever dream of with two good hands. I think of an interview I once heard her give. She said that she had to make a conscious decision every day to participate in life. She could lay there in her sorrow, or allow people to get her out of bed, dress her and get her ready for the day ahead. That all started within. So now my coffee cup is nearly empty. I have a choice to get another cup or allow myself to get ready for the day. I am excited to see what it may bring. Or maybe, just maybe, what I can bring to it. I am having that second cup, but this one will be sporting a travel lid!

Cruisin'

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day! Did yesterday's concerns creep into today? Are you feeling as though the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Are you stressing out? I have to admit that I struggle with stress issues, but I find little things to refocus myself and soon I am back to clearer vision and thought. I love music. It always brings me to a place outside of myself and the situations that stress me. It gives me perspective, and sometimes an even deeper insight into my life. Have you ever noticed how a song can transport you backward or forward, to a mood or that place where you love to go? For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved the connection between music and driving. I never go anywhere without music. Thank God for the invention of the iPod, I don’t have to drag all those CDs around anymore. Sometimes when I’m feeling a bit blue, I hop into my Chevy Truck, crank the tunes and sing my butt off on a trip to nowhere special. These “Cruise” as I call them, revive my spirit and reboot my thoughts. Sometimes I even take a friend or two along for the ride…and they seem to enjoy it too. Imagine that? I would encourage you to find that “Thing” that lifts your spirits. It could be anything you really enjoy. Do it as often as you can, you’ll feel better for it. And those around you will notice the difference too. Allow yourself to love and be loved today. It’s a great stress reliever, and it will help you on your “cruise” to somewhere special.

Time Machine

If you were given the chance to go back in time, are there things you would change? I know there are many things in my life. I wish I was kinder to the people around me for one. I wish I could have loved the people deeper than I thought would be here on Earth forever. As a matter of fact, I wish I could have told them that I loved them. We all have regrets, and we all have things in our past that we are not proud of. Fortunately, there is no time machine to magically transport us back on a clean-up mission. We are who we are because of the life lessons that we experienced then. To go back and change one thing may change everything around us. Maybe we wouldn’t have met our spouse, moved to the town where we live, or even had children. Maybe we wouldn’t have the job or career we have, the school we attend. Maybe we wouldn’t have the friends we love? Chance’s are you would not be reading this? Everything we experience in this life, past, present, and future shapes and molds who we are. Like it or not. We can either spend all our time running from it, or we can accept it, and build an incredible life with it. I don’t know about you, but I had to stop running…it’s just too exhausting. The first thing we need to do to start building, (and the hardest) is we need to forgive ourselves. Once we do that everything else will fall into place. That is the foundation. We can’t change the past, we can only learn from it and draw strength from it. It’s hard work for sure, that will stretch every fiber of who you are. But the end result will be a wondrous, and rewarding life for all to enjoy.

Today

Today is a new day. Today you can make a difference in your day if you choose to own it. Today you can make others comfortable Today is your fresh start you can start exercising today you can stop being critical Today you can become someone’s best friend Today you can see something beautiful Today might be your lucky day Today you could be challenged you can start to like yourself Today you can care Today you can smile Today you must laugh Today it’s alright to cry Today is the first day of the rest of your life Today is a gift Today you are special Today you are loved

Thinking of You

As you begin your day, know that right now I am thinking of you. I hope in all you do today, you will find the strength and love of others to bring you through. I hope you will take the time to smell the coffee, and find something positive to set your sights on. Look at that person in the mirror and be happy for all you’ve been through to make you who you are. See yourself through others’ eyes, and realize you are important and needed. Reach out to someone with a smile to brighten their day, and you will find the difference it makes in yours. Set aside times in the day to think of things that make you happy, and openly smile at them. Listen to your favorite song, and let it do what it does to make it you're favorite. And best of all, get in contact with someone you care about and let them know…you are thinking of them!

The Lottery of Life

Have you ever felt like you were on the verge of something? It could be something great, or it may be even something you’re not looking forward to at all. But you have that feeling like something is going to happen. You try to anticipate what it might be, and the excitement just keeps building and building. Will I win the lottery, that’s got to be it! Lord knows I need it!!! Okay, reality check, I’m not going to win the lottery…so what can it be? Maybe it’s nothing but a sugar rush from that Butterfingers bar I ate, or the buzz of caffeine from the Red Bull I just chugged? I think it’s just called life. If we really stop and think about this life, there are millions of things to get excited about. Each sunset takes with it the things that made us either happy or sad and tucks them sweetly to bed. Sunrise promise’s a new day and a new beginning. Maybe we’ll make that big sale today. Maybe we’ll hit all green lights on our way to work. Or maybe we’ll hear someone tell us they love us? One thing is for certain, we don’t make it out of this life alive. We have to live life to the fullest from the cradle to the grave. If there is something you’ve always wanted to do…big or small, just do it!!! To buy a lottery ticket is no investment if you don’t win. But buying into your life, you can never lose. Our gravestones will be inscribed with the year we were born, and the year that we die. The most important thing is how we filled in the lines between the two!

Humanity

I have a friend in the middle east too and my heart goes out. She has suspected for quite some time that her husband has been unfaithful to her. She recently got a hold of his cell phone and put all the suspicions to rest. There it was, all the love letters in the modern-day form of text messages. Unfortunately, in her culture, there is not much recourse for her. Women in her culture are not much more than property, with little or no voice. I hurt for her. She is a very sweet person with two daughters and a dream of happiness that we all have. She doesn’t fit the mold of her culture, submissive, and silent. She is an iconoclast of sorts, bucking the system because she knows that women have rights around the world simply because they are human beings. My friendship with her has made me look at American women differently. I see how strong women are here, and rightly so. Not because of gender, but because of their humanity. It saddens me to see around the world how women are treated like possessions and not treasured gifts. We all are gifts in one way or another, to someone. We live in a society that allows us to be anything we desire. I guess we take that for granted until we see how others live or are stifled by theirs. I know there has been injustice here too, I’m not blind to it. We have come a long way, and the journey is far from over. Martin Luther King exhorted us not to judge a person by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. That is such wisdom. It can be applied to everyone or any “group” that may be different from we are. And hopefully, they will apply it to us too. We are all very different, yet we are so much the same. As individuals, we bring different gifts to the table. But it will be a better world if we come to the table of humanity humble, and willing to learn from each other. Well as usual I’ve gone off on a bit of a tangent. I am not an expert on woman’s rights, or human right’s for that matter. I simply believe that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Are you living the dream?

Special Days

Well, today is Valentine's Day. A day we set aside to send chocolates, flowers, and our messages of love to the ones we hold dear. I have to say that I’m not a big Valentine's kind of guy. If you’ve read any of my prior entries you are probably shocked by that statement. Like most of our other Holidays that promote setting aside a day to stop and reflect on the people we love, it feels a bit forced for me. I try my best to show those I love every day how much they truly mean to me. I wonder how many are saying “Bah Humbug” right now? Well, hear me out. Don’t you want to receive every day the kindness and attention you do on those “Special” days? Don’t we struggle every day with battles seen and unseen that require the same kindness or respect we are afforded on those days? I’m not against the whole deal, I just hate the fact that Mr. 1-800 Flowers, Mr. Whitman, and Ms. Hallmark are the big beneficiaries. We live in a world with such a love deficit, that we bastardize it with a nice heart-shaped box. Maybe I’m all wrong? Maybe I’m being too cynical? We do get so wrapped up in our everyday lives, that maybe we do need days to slow us down so we can take a breath, to smell the coffee? I just know what my heart tells me. Love like there’s no tomorrow and be prepared to do it for a lifetime. I’m so conscious of that every day that sometimes it hurts. For so many years I was shut down emotionally, stymied by a society that said boys don’t cry, and it is weak to tell others that you need them. And never, ever be vulnerable to anyone!!! WOW! Where did that come from? I guess I just needed to say it? So how do I wrap this up into a nice little bow? I guess all I can say is this. If you are reading this, it means you are special to me. It means you are worth my risking your perception of me, by allowing you to see who I really am on the inside. As self-centered as it may seem, I am giving you the gift of knowing who I am. I believe life is a gift, and it is all we really have to give to each other. Mine is yours to take and hold, or to put on a shelf next to the 2-year-old fruit cake from Aunt Sally. All I can do is give you, hopefully, the best of me every day and not just on those “Special Days.”

Life & Death

My heart goes out to the families of Continental Flight 3407 It’s times like this we are forced to look at our own mortality, and realize how fleeting life really is. As a small boy in the 1960s, I had a lot of people die around me, people that were very significant in my life. I couldn’t understand death, how someone could be fine one day and gone forever the next. I can remember as a five-year-old boy crying in the night, and pleading with God not to kill me. The pattern continued into the 1970s with a devastating loss of a man that probably had more influence on how I look at life and shaped my sense of humor. America Joseph “Babe” Scarano was that man. We’ve all had devastating losses. We can all think of people that are no longer with us. We would give anything to have them back. But death is part of life, and life does what it does. We are here for a short time and it is a gift. We should try to make a difference and love as much as we can. I think of my friend Babe often. I know that in a way, he is still with me. We love with our heart, our innermost being. So if we carry those we love in our hearts, they are never really gone. So let’s keep those we love close living or dead, and love them with our whole hearts. And they will never be far from us.

Everyday...and then some

“You could have bowed out gracefully but you didn’t. You knew enough to know to leave well enough alone but you wouldn’t. I drive myself crazy trying to stay out of my own way but the mess’s that I made My secrets are so safe you’re the only one that gets me, yah you get me. It’s amazing to me how every day, every day, every day you save my life. I come around all broken down and crowded out, and your comfort sometimes the place I go is so deep and dark and desperate I don’t know, I don’t know But every day, every day, every day you save my life Sometimes I swear I don’t know if I’m coming or going, but you always say something without even knowing that I’m hanging onto your words with all of my might, and it’s alright, yeah I’m alright, for one more night…Everyday…” Rascal Flatts I have a friend that this song could have been written about. I will not mention any names or gender. I hope in my attempt at anonymity for them they will not feel threatened but will realize that this is an attempt to honor them. You will not know who this person is…but hopefully, they will. This person is both younger and older than me, wiser than they could ever know, and far beyond their years. Just being who they are in my life, makes them one of the most important, and influential people I have ever known. I hope if they ever get to read this, they will know who I am writing about, and know what a life-changing event it has been to have them in my life. This person from the beginning has seen through my walls because they have them too. It takes one to know what they say, and it is so true. This person has been the inspiration for me to write these little notes every day, and to just be a better person in general. They have never asked for anything in return as if I could ever repay what they have given. They are humble, and they would never see the gift they are. Sometimes it’s a little five-word text, sometimes it’s a look, sometimes it’s just the way they open up to me when I know how difficult that is for them to be vulnerable to anyone. They have taught me to open up and be vulnerable and made sure I felt safe there. I’m so sure that this person has no clue about the influence they have had on my life. That is why I am taking the time here and now to say thank you, friend. Sometimes we receive a gift that we appreciate very much for some time. Then as time passes, we take it for granted and forget the impact it has on our life. I hope that you find someone in your life who both inspires you and challenges you. Someone that sees through the mask, asks you to take it off and assures you they like who they see behind it. I am blessed to have such a person, and I want them to know I am grateful!

The Fire

Let’s face it, we all have been through highs and lows in this life, and the way we deal with the lows either builds character or burns us beyond recognition. Matters of the heart can be the enemy within. We can hide it for a season until it manifests itself and all hell breaks loose for all the world to see. When a marriage goes south like a runaway train it is devastating. This person you loved decides that you are no longer worthy of their love and cancels the contract. Now, you can either buy the lie that you are not worthy of love again…or you can pick yourself up and begin to live again. There is life after love, or should I say when it’s gone. I have found that we don’t live our lives for ourselves. Every experience (good and bad) forms, molds and shapes us into who we are. Now what we choose to do with that experience is the key to life. Do we turn inward and live the rest of our days in silent misery? Or do we say this is who I am, and I want to share my experience to help others? For silver to be purified, it must go through a process of being melted down with extreme heat, until the dross or impurities rise to the top to be strained off leaving pure silver. I look at life that way. It’s a very simple view. We go through trials by fire to sift the dross from our lives to make us a more whole person equipped to help others through the process. When the fire comes for a friend, just be there to hold their hand, allow them to vent and cry, and love them unconditionally. For you know that at the end of their fiery trial, the silver left behind will be more costly than gold!

"I Missed You"

Last night I received a call from a dear friend. We talked a while about the day's events and chit-chatted for ten to fifteen minutes. Then we decided to say goodnight. Fifteen minutes after I hung up with her…the phone rang again. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was her calling back. It was during this call that something truly amazing happened she said she called back to say “I missed You” What a feeling that came over me with those simple yet profound words…“I missed you”. I was thinking about how wonderful it was to have someone that missed me enough to call and tell me. I was actually speechless for a second as millions of brain receptors were lighting up and flashing…YOU ARE CARED ABOUT!!!… YOU ARE IMPORTANT!!!… YOU ARE WORTH SOMEONE‘S TIME!!! Now don’t get me wrong, I have a wonderful relationship with my parents and siblings. We say I love you all the time, and that is a wonderful miracle in itself. But to have a friend say “I missed you” is a special thing for sure. I began to think of the people I miss. Could I call like she did? Had too much time gone by that I couldn’t pick up the phone just to say I missed you? Would they think I’m nuts? Would they laugh, or would they feel like I did, on top of the world because she gave me a gift, and bestowed an honor upon me? For a brief moment, with her words she made me the center of her universe, stopping time with those words just to say that I was important enough to miss. Do you miss someone? Do you have it in you to let them know?

Loneliness

Have you ever been in a crowd, and felt the pangs of loneliness? Have you ever sat at a lunch counter, or in a busy restaurant and just observed the people around you. Ever wonder how many were lonely? Would you know what it looks like if you saw it? Loneliness has nothing to do with being alone. It can hit you at work, on a crowded train, or when you climb into bed for the night What brings on this loneliness? Is it a sad event in our lives, a loss of someone near and dear to us? Could it be the break up of a marriage or a long-term relationship? It could be any of these situations and there is a common denominator. In all of these situations, we are left (in a sense) alone and loveless. When those people go, they leave with the love they once had for us. So maybe loneliness is really a feeling of being unloved? Are we ever truly unloved, or is it just our perception? Love is such a strong emotion. As human beings, we live to love and be loved. Is it any wonder that when we are lonely, we feel so unlovable? So how do we free ourselves? How do we pull ourselves out of the funk of feeling unloved? First of all, we have to remind ourselves that we are loved. We all have someone that we can turn to that we know loves us. Even if it is a child, pour your love into them and realize that they need you, and yes love you. Let love work its magic to permeate your very soul. The best way to get love is to give love. Lavish those you love with unconditional love and watch the returns come flooding in to sweep the loneliness away. Besides, you can never say you are unloved…because I love you!

Ya Gotta

“Listen as your day unfolds Challenge what the future holds Try and keep your head up to the sky Lovers, they may cause you tears Go ahead release your fears Stand up and be counted Don't be ashamed to cry You gotta be You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm You gotta stay together All I know, all I know, love will save the day Herald what your mother said Readin' the books your father read Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time Some may have more cash than you Others take a different view My oh my heh, hey…” This song is by the artist Des’ree called “You Gotta Be” I recently added it to my iPod even though it came out a few years back. If you could wear out a song on such a device…this song would be toast! The lyrics truly strike a chord (pun intended) to how we can equip ourselves for this life. We need to be tough on ourselves when we know we could have done better because we know better. The same with our loved ones. The problem however is finding the balance. You may have heard, “Hate the sin, Love the sinner” We can do that only if we can separate what people do, from who they are as people. We all make mistakes, it’s part of learning and finding our way. Tough does not mean wound. It means to stand firm in what we believe to be right and not back down. We need to stay cool in our marriage, with our families, and in friendships. We need to stay calm amid life’s storms. We need to be bold enough to extend forgiveness to someone that has hurt us very deeply, to free ourselves of the pain. I guarantee, that one of the hardest things we will do in this life will be to forgive someone that doesn’t deserve it. It takes tears, and all the strength we can muster, but it will free our souls, and we will be wiser for it. And love will save the day!

Tuesday

Tuesday, is kind of an odd day don't you think? It's not Monday, a day we hate after a restful or fun weekend. It's not Wednesday when we all wish each other..."Happy Hump Day"! Thursday, we are looking forward to Friday. And Friday...well we all know why we love Fridays! So what is there about a Tuesday? Well, today is Tuesday. It's a day we can make that phone call to an estranged family member or friend to let them know we are thinking about them. Or it can be the day that we tell those in our daily lives that they are important and loved, and that our world is a better, and brighter place just because they're in it! So what will you do with this odd day called...Tuesday? "...'Cause it's better to be hated for who you are than be loved for who you're not..." Van Zant

Ham Sandwich

I am feeling a bit under the weather today, and the "Wit Machine" is being serviced. I do want to say that I am overwhelmed by your outpouring of love yesterday...thank you from all parts of my heart (not just the bottom)I was thinking this morning about how on Earth could we sustain that kind of outpouring of love every day? I don't know that we could...but maybe we are actually showing that in little ways every day on Facebook. We check each other's status, and we comment on pictures, but in a cyber sort of way, we are showing that we really care. I love when we change our status..." Al is having a ham sandwich", or whatever it might be. We are quick to comment, and maybe even fish for a laugh... (not that I've ever done that...ahem)It's our way of connecting, and checking in with our friends. After all, as human beings, all we have is each other. Yes, we have dogs, cats, and other animals to comfort and care for...but there is nothing like a good joke from a friend, having a beer, or just a simple kind word. I have to tell you, I'm still riding the wave from all your kind words yesterday...let's extend it to our families and friends...let's ride the wave together!

48

"I was so ugly when I was born, the doctor slapped my mother" -Rodney Dangerfield Steven Wright said...."You can tell I was Cesarean born, every time I leave the house I go out through the window" So today is my birthday. Birthdays are funny things really. I have received well wishes from all over the world...thanks to Facebook. I know there is an ex-wife out there that wishes this day never happened for me...For the most part, I hate my birthday. Just another road marker to point out how lost along the highway of life you might be. But this year is different, for some reason I'm not feeling that depression, the dread, I was kinda sorta (in some twisted way) looking forward to. I have so many wonderful people in my life. I am blessed to still have my parents around, a sister, and two brothers that I adore. If you can count friends as accomplishments, I am a very accomplished man. I have friends that have been covering my back for 30 + years, and I have friends that have just jumped on the train to join me on this journey. You all have a special place in my heart...a 48-year-old heart at that. So I come to the end of this bloviation a happy man, filled with love, and comfort, humbled by the company I keep both in cyberland and in person. Oh, and I get the day off. It's in my contract...really! "So, I wanna laugh while the laughing is easy. I wanna cry if it makes it worthwhile. I may never pass this way again, that's why I want it with you.'Cause, you make me feel like I'm more than a friend. Like I'm the journey and you're the journey's end. I may never pass this way again, that's why I want it with you" Seals & Croft

Looking Forward with Fire and Attitude

“There’s a new kind of dancing ~ That’s going to be the rage ~ You just leave yourself behind ~ Like an actor on a stage ~ Cop a different pose ~ From the pose you’re in ~ Shine a different attitude ~ From underneath your skin” Carly Simon If you are like me, I get so wrapped up in stuff that I lose sight of the important things around me. Or maybe there have been people in our past that have told us we are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough, or whatever enough? Well enough is enough already!!! It’s amazing how throughout our whole lives, we try to live by the standards of others. Their words and attitudes echo to cloud our minds about who we really are, and who we can become as plain and simple people. I’ve noticed in my own life, that the real struggle is in my mind, and not the world around me. Yes, there are things out there in the world that affect us. We would be naive to say that they don’t. But, I have found the best way to combat the ghosts of the past, and maybe even the present, is to always have something to look forward to. It could be something really simple. Maybe that TV show you love to watch, a phone call you can’t wait to make, dinner with an old friend or even waiting on Facebook for those special people that always make you smile and "LOL" to pop up on the chat list. (Ok, I admit I’m probably the only one that does that…LOL) So I have an assignment for all of us. Seek out those people in our lives that you know love you unconditionally…warts and all. Make plans to get together for coffee, a drink, dinner, or whatever your fancy…but just do it, and look forward to it. Love them, and allow them to love you! Maybe there is an old song in your head, go listen to it. Let it take you back to the time when you first heard it. The people, places, and things, (good and bad) that are associated with it, have helped shape who you are today. Don’t run from them, embrace them and own them. Even love them for it! When your phone rings, smile before you answer it. The person on the other end will feel it. Hold the door for someone with a smile even if they don’t say thank you. Let someone into traffic with a wave and a smile even if they don’t acknowledge your kindness. It’s all about you today. I don’t believe we can truly love others until we have a healthy love, and respect for ourselves. Light a fire in your soul, look forward but live in the moment. Respect the past, but don’t live there. So let’s go light a fire, and let’s do it together with a new attitude! “…and the glow from that fire will truly light the world…” John F. Kennedy