lifestyle

When Things Go Wrong

A few shows ago, we talked about what to do when something goes wrong.

Regina shared how she handles righting a wrong. She said, “I get silent and listen. I take in as much data as I can. I consider all the consequences of my actions and those of others. I consider all the different ways I can react to it.”

“I try each reaction on like a coat. Does it feel right in my gut? If not, I try another coat and another.”

“I don’t rush it. It may take days. I may ask for advice. I may journal. I may sleep on it or dwell on it for days. I consider whether I can go on without resentment over what was done wrong. I come to the best conclusion and I act.”

“But I have trouble swallowing the resentment. That takes much longer. It does ease, with time. I mature . . . I grow and eventually, I let it go and forgive.”

She points out that – “Forgiveness is like ocean waves. At first you try to forgive and move on, but the waves are so big they take you down with them. You struggle to stand up and forgive again, again you fall.”

“Over the years, the waves get smaller and you learn to step over them. In time they are but a ripple tickling your toes and you enjoy the peace of the ocean once again and you forgive and are at peace.”

[Show #432]

Staying Cool

Say it’s summertime. You have the choice of being outside in the sun, hot and heavy, or inside in the cool comfort of an air conditioned domicile.

Which would you choose?

I remember a time, not long ago, when that choice did not exist. It would be as hot in the house as it was outside. My grandmother had her summer routine down pat. When to open the door and windows. When to pull the shades and drapes. When to turn on the big fan that did little more than moving around the hot air. When to hurry and get the day’s work done while the heat was still bearable. When to sit as still as possible with a big cloth for wiping the sweat.

City kids remember how they’d open the fire hydrant and everyone would get wet to cool down. In recent power outages, we’ve been reminded of how that felt.

Young folks may never before have had to go days in intense heat with no cooling. How did you and your family handle it? Did you cry and whine, cursing the power company to hurry up and get us back to normal? Did you give prayers of thanks for all the days when we do not have to go without the cooling comfort of our conditioned air? Did you just ride around in your air conditioned vehicle until it was all over?

Air conditioning in hot weather. Yet another thing for which to give thanks here in America.

[Show #431]

Benefits of Age

I was thinking about the benefits of growing old. There’s wisdom and experience, and being able to take it easy. But there are also benefits you might not think of right off hand.

Take kidnapping for instance. Well, kidnappers don’t seem to be very interested in old people. That’s a plus. And if you ever get in a hostage situation, chances are you’ll be released first.

When you get old, no one expects you to run; anywhere. Of course, older person’s stereotypes can be annoying too. People call at 9:00 pm or 9:00 am and ask, “Did I wake you?” Come on…

On the other hand, there’s nothing left to learn the hard way. You can eat supper at 4:00 pm if you want. And pay less too! You can live without sex, but not without your glasses.

You get into heated arguments about pension plans. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge. You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.

Your investment in your health insurance is finally paying off. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the National Weather Service. And your secrets are safe with your friends, because they can’t remember them either.

And that’s the way it goes…

[Show #459]

Still Asking Questions

As a child, it seems I always had questions about the way things are and why we do what we do. So much of it didn’t seem to make sense.

Now that I am grown up, more or less, it seems I still have questions. For instance, why do you have to ‘put your two cents in’ but it’s only a ‘penny for your thoughts’? Why aren’t thoughts worth two cents too?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box? Why is it desirable to “sleep like a baby” when babies wake up like every two hours?

And speaking of babies, tell me this – If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

Then I wonder why it took us so long to figure certain things out.

Do you realize, we put a man on the moon before we figured out that it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage? Yes, youngsters, we dragged heavy suitcases around for years Instead of having them wheel themselves.

Why are you IN a movie, but you’re ON TV? Why do people believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check it out when you say the paint is wet?

When I’d get impatient with life, as a child, Mama used to say I’d have to wait and some day, all the secrets of the world would be known to me.

Mama, I’m still waiting . . .

[Show #442]

Courtesy Close In

I was coming around the corner in the grocery store. So was he. Whew . . . close call with our carts. “Excuse me,” he smiled. “No problem,” I replied with a smile as generous as his. We were so kind and polite to each other, we two strangers. I was proud of us both.

But sometimes we forget to be equally polite to the people we love and who mean something to us. A child approaching while you’re fixing dinner may hear, “Watch out; get out of the way.” A wife reaching for a kiss during the football game may be waved off. A teenager arriving home with the groceries may be greeted with, “It’s about time you got back” Instead of “Thanks for making that trip.”

We expect that those close to us will accept this kind of behavior. After all, we can’t go around the house muttering “Please, thank you, excuse me” – all day long. Can we?
Why not?

Why treat strangers in a kinder and more polite way than those we love?
Practice thinking and saying those special words around the house. Practice courtesy towards those you love!

Please . . . thank you . . . excuse me. It will be such a joy when the new kinder gentler you takes hold.

And when you find the words being used by children and grandchildren too . . . well, that’s when you know you’ve made your corner of the world a slightly little better place.

[#336]

Decisions You Make

Today, you will have decisions to make: whether to get up now or sleep another hour. . . what to have for breakfast. . . what to wear. . . whether to take that phone call as you’re ready to walk out the door or not.

Each of those decisions seem inconsequential. You may make them by rote without even really thinking about them. But the chain of those decisions becomes your life.

How well you live that life depends on the decisions you make. Some people are very good at making decisions, and their life thrives. Others – not so much.

That’s when we hear the excuses about what went wrong: it was the economy. . . a bad start in life. . . not enough education. . . parents who did not care.

But the truth is . . . every one of us has the right – and obligation – to make good decisions to keep our lives running in the right direction. YOU have control, regardless of the economy or your schooling or your parents.

Making the right decision is not always easy. You may not have immediate gratification. It may take years to get where you want to be. You may have detours or false starts that need do-overs.

But It’s never too late to start making the right decisions. Something to think about.

[Show #451]

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