lifestyle

Collector

Backstory – Collector

This story was part of a recording that did not get edited for the radio. There is no music intro and you won’t hear Alan Arehart introduce me. I wanted to share it with the special listeners who receive our Sunday stories. Those of you who collect any kind of themed treasure will relate, I believe. Let me know what you think.

Consider This Show – Collector

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I am known to be a collector. How about you? Does everyone know you are enamored of frogs or cute little mice? Does your head turn for giraffes or red poppies? Do they shower you with towels, scarves, cups and toilet seats – all emblazed with grapes?

If you are a collector, how did that come about? Why did you buy the first item in your collection? Your second?

I seem to be a volunteer collector – like those flowers in your garden that sprout up without your planting them. Something comes into my possession. Someone sees that I have that thing, so I must like that, So, they buy me another version – for my birthday, for Christmas, for Kwanzaa, to help me get well. Soon I have a dozen things with the same theme.

By now, any observer can see that I am obsessed with this collection with which I have been showered.

I do admit to deliberately collecting teapots. I look for unusual designs at auctions and yard sales and have some real finds. There are over 30 of them in the kitchen now.

But how about the butterflies? And the miniature shoes? Those just kind of fell into my lap.

And there they are – official collections, ready or not. I enjoy them every day and give thanks for friends and family who gifted me with so many of them that I became their collector.

[Show #341]

Making Friends

Backstory – Friends Old and New

We were counting our friends and what we like about them. We follow one of the adages learned as we aged – Make friends of younger people! We now have a wonderful combination of active, employed friends, newly retired folks and those who are older and wiser than we. We were celebrating the balance. How we wound up with this conglomeration of folks with varying ideas, interests and values became the source of this week’s story.

Consider This Show – Friends Old and New

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Friends are such an important part of life. Old friends and new friends . . .

It’s wise to keep building your community of friends throughout your life. So many ways to make new friends. Just keep your heart open and step up, when someone comes across your path who is worth keeping.

Let me introduce some of our new friends.

Last winter, we went to Elsie’s yard sale in Florida. We got to talking and enjoyed it. That chance meeting has resulted in a warm, new friendship, augmented by emails and photo exchanges.

Eight years ago, we noticed that another couple in a restaurant using the same kind of coupon we were. It started a conversation with Steve and Jeannette that still has us enjoying each other’s company.

Elizabeth and John invited us to dinner at their house along with George and Gail.

It led to a new friendship that is just beginning.

We met Cathie and Bob at a Canasta Club and enjoy each other outside of the club, many years later.

Some guests at Bill’s birthday party had been his friends for as much as 49 years. What memories they shared. It was beautiful. But so are new friendships.

Sitting on a bench in Wal-Mart, I started talking to the guy next to me; someone from out-of-town. Sharing values, we could see a connection. We have exchanged Facebook pages to get better acquainted.

New friends are out there, if we just take a chance and reach out. Remember, a stranger is just a friend we have not yet met.

[Show #619]

Dirty Laundry

Backstory – Dirty Laundry

I explain that this moral-based story takes place during a time when clothes hung “out on the line.” That was so long ago, that some of you may not relate to what that even means. You may never have experienced the joy of tugging a basket of clean, wet clothes out to the back yard and hanging them on a rope strung from one pole to another, so they could dry in the sun – or get rewashed by the rain.

It’s like those Facebook postings of pictures of gadgets used 50 years ago with the challenge – Do you know what this is? Seems I ALWAYS know what that is. And it’s fun to see it, after having it totally out of my consciousness for so many years.

I can’t even imagine what gadgets used in the 21^st century will be photographed and shown 20 years from now, with no recognition by that day’s IN generation.

What it tells me though is that whatever comes along, we will love it, use it, discard it and move on to something better – at least in someone’s eyes. Hope you enjoy the story about why the clothes were dirty.

Consider This Show – Dirty Laundry

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This story took place back during the time when clothes were hung on the clothes line in the yard to dry. The wife was horrified that her neighbor always hung dirty clothes on the line. Wash day after wash day – dirty clothes.

One morning, she looked out and was amazed to see spanking clean clothes on her neighbor’s clothes line. Her husband sheepishly admitted, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows. That’s why the clothes look clean now.”

Moral of the story – What we see when watching others depends on the clarity with which we observe.

Sometimes things seem to be turning against our beliefs and our values. Maybe we have to make sure our windows aren’t clouded as we look out. Is there some truth in the other opinion? Are there good reasons that people with the courage of their convictions have finally been able to change things?

We agreed with causes that overturned old ways, in the past – the vote for women . . . health care for the elderly . . . drunk driving penalties. Maybe those things that are winning now really did need to be changed.

If not, dig in your heels and try to change them back. Demand it! Or figure out how to go along with things as they have changed, and keep a stiff upper lip.

[Show #625]

World Upside Down

Backstory – World Upside Down

The last few months of 2016 in our house were spent in a stupor of political rhetoric, promises, accusations and commentary. No different from homes throughout America. But it was more than listening to the candidates and making your best guess to separate fact from fiction. Views and values were so opposite one another that it took really delving into each of them to try to sort things out. That was a lot of work!

Just when you came to a conclusion on an issue, something new would pop up that seemed to shoot down your well-developed logic, or lay waste to a new truth you thought you could hang onto.

I wanted to write about it; but not in favor of one candidate or the other. I wanted to voice the questions echoing in my heart. I wanted to stop the fear. No matter which way the election went, I could feel fear.

Looking back in my own life made it clear that this is not the first time that things seemed confusing to the average citizen. I was not yet a teenager when I cheered my first presidential candidate and proclaimed, “I like Ike.” Extremely uninformed of the issues, I was delighted to feel part of this important process. I remember how heated things got.

And reading the history of our country, I see that early campaigning was no less kind or gentle. Candidates went for the jugular!

With all this in mind, I took to writing this episode entitled, “Upside Down.”

Consider This Show – World Upside Down

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Things are so different these days. Sometimes it feels like the world is upside down. Right is wrong and wrong is right and it’s all so confusing.

Our Communication is instant and uncensored, with opinions developed often on inaccurate or inadequate information. No time to bother finding out the truth. And the very concept of truth is spun so completely that the truth is illusive, if not invisible.

Fear is prevalent daily – especially for parents.

Did our parents feel the same way? Were they as terrified as war raged in one part of the world or another and seemed to get closer and closer? Was there so much danger in the world then?

Or is it just that we didn’t have the capacity to hear instantly about every crime in every corner of every town.

Values are changing at break-neck speed. Do we go along with the new trends? Oppose them? Just sit around and shake our heads?

Are we caught up in pining for the good ole days? Or have we fantasized those days into something they were not?

So many questions; so few answers. Yet the decisions we make daily based on the facts we perceive create the quality of life that we enjoy or suffer in the future.

So much to consider. Such high stakes. God help us!

[Show #615]

Gratitude

There’s been a lot of talk lately, it seems, about gratitude. There are gratitude journals and gratitude blogs and gratitude books – including a few to teach you how to be grateful.

One item I read said that gratitude is your Magic Wand. “Whatever you point gratitude at increases, expands and escalates.” But, the author warns, “You have to pick up that magic wand and use it.”

Being grateful applies, no matter who you are, no matter where life has taken you, no matter what your circumstances or your desires; wherever you are at this moment, is where you are meant to be.

And there are things for which you can and should be grateful. It may be the lessons you are learning, if things are tight financially. It may be the good health of your children or your parents. It may be your ability to put food on the table and take a shower when you need one and drink fresh water that won’t make you sick.

The only error would be to stop giving thanks – to the people who bring your joy or the Deity who gives you contentment and peace.

Take time every day to write in your gratitude journal, even if it’s just a mental one. Think of all the things for which you are thankful and then go do something for someone else, for which they will be thankful.

[Show #427]

Made in the USA

What do you think about buying merchandise made in the USA? Probably the first thought that comes to mind is that it’s more expensive. Two points –

Made in the USA may NOT cost more.
Maybe it’s time to consider paying a dollar or two more to buy goods made here at home.

For the last fourth of July, I wanted some new American flags. I found them in one of those dollar stores – yep, for a buck. Made in China. It just did not seem right to show my patriotism by flying my country’s flag – made elsewhere.

Big Lots had flags made in America. They were $2 each. Consider my purchase as my contribution toward a better economy here at home.

Let’s start making an effort to buy – Made in the USA.

Ace Hardware features merchandise and machines made here. Hallmark cards are now made in China. I found lots of cards made in the USA at the Dollar store – fifty cents each. Kitchen Aid is made in the U.S.A. GE light bulbs are now made in Mexico. You can find bulbs made in the USA.

Just like reading labels for nutrients and calories when you buy food, let’s start checking for manufacture origin when we buy anything.

The job you save may be your own or your neighbor’s!

[Show #430]

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