Groundhog Day et al!

Hey, are you thinking about Bill Murray right now?  Are you wondering what repeating a day might do for you?  Are you celebrating the thought of an early spring?  Are you frowning quizzically at the screen asking, "Groundhog Day, really?"?  Yeah, I know what you mean, but I love our little quirky traditions, especially those that hurt no one and bring commerce and a spot of fun to a tiny town now and then.  Punxsutawney Phil and his shadow indicate an early spring.  I'm thinking we'll take that and run with it.  So, what's next?  Well, February offers so many colorful and varied opportunities.  From the sweetness of Valentine's Day to the revelry of Mardi Gras to the self-sacrifice of Lent to respectful remembrance of Presidents' Day and sometimes its very own Leap Day (not this year), we've got it goin' on, so to speak.  Heck, if we choose, we might even have a Super Bowl Party planned.  Ahhhh, that's the key; we can choose.  Don't like a holiday?  Don't celebrate.  Don't even pay attention to it, but don't rain on our parade either.  Some of us are always looking for a reason to to be sweet, to stop and think, to give credit, to express our feelings, to PARTAY, as they say.  Yes, I know some "manufactured" holidays come with pressure, but you can handle that with a talk and an agreement on HOW to celebrate.  See?  Communication makes a difference (said the English teacher in me).  I'm always up for a holiday, and I know for a fact we don't HAVE to spend big bucks to honor the spirit, the joy, the emotion connected with any of our little festivals and memorials.  Break out the hearts, the beads, the flags, the cards, the snacks and music and gather our friends and family while we can...or at the very least give them shout out on various occasions.  Commercialism?  Pressure?  A Monday off for whatever the reason?  Hey, make it your own mini holiday.  Reach out to loved ones and the peeps that bring you smiles every day.  Phil and his groundhog buddies salute you with or without their shadows.

Holy absence, Batman!  I have fallen way behind on my blogging.  Life does happen, and I am having a plethora of fun.  Noneless, if I'm going to have a blog, I need to get with it.  Here we go with a blog entry about getting back to blogging.  Actually, this can serve as a metaphor illustrating the worth of picking back up rather than giving up.  Yeah, yeah...me and my metaphors.  When I created three blogs in one day (ambitious to say the least), I really believed I could keep up.  I've had plenty to say, but I haven't taken the time to organize my thoughts into a post.  Perhaps, I'm asking too much of myself.  No post requires a certain amount of words or even a deep philosophical point.  After all, I find joy and humor and vital lessons in everyday happenings and ordinary circumstances, so why not just talk about it.  Who knows?  Maybe people can relate or at least start looking harder for the positives all around us.  Lord knows some of the talking heads focus on negatives almost every day.  How miserable must they be.  I do understand being realistic and aware and prepared for problems and obstacles, but if we can face them all with a hopeful heart and an inherent knowledge that we can at least tackle each challenge with strength and possibility, isn't that beneficial?  Yes, I'm somewhat of a pixie in this crazy ol' sometimes troglodyte world, but I see evidence of generous hearts, caring spirits, and unfaltering optimists every single day.  Why not shine more light on them?  So, with that upbeat thought in this giddy little mind, I say, "Hello again, my faithful followers.  Thanks for staying with me."  Hey, perhaps I'll have a few more peeps take a chance on me.  (Are you singing the ABBA song?)  If I could leave people singing now and then, that would make me happy.  Welcome to February! 

 

My Book?

I think I'll write a book. I see people on TV all the time. They've written books and seem to be selling them, being invited to talk about them, enjoying people's commentary (good and bad). Oh sure, some of them have had amazing experiences to bring to the table, but others are just writing their opinions about things. From women's power or powerlessness to various incidents of success and failure to critiques of everything from war to table manners, I've seen it all lately. Do I have something to say and could I say it well enough that people might want to read? Heck yeah. With all the options in cyberspace, I've toyed with Facebook where I like to stay positive, created three blogs (ambitiously), and have now become quite the little tweeter. Yes, I have some things to say. I'm twisted and encouraged, troubled and inspired, moved and disgusted about a wide range of subjects. How do I capture that in a single book? How interesting might a book of essays be? I'd rather corral all my swirling, erratic, spontaneous ramblings into one continuous stream. I suppose I could just call it And Another Thing. Okay, off to see if anyone has used that title. (Official pause) Well, someone has used that, so I think I'll try But..., but I'd have to give a nod to Dr. Phil who says "What follows "but," is what you really mean." Exactly, Dr. Phil. That's what I want to say. Hey, this seems to be working out for me. So, I could keep talking and thinking about it, or I could just begin. I choose BEGIN, but first I'll get a warm up on my coffee. (Did you catch the irony there?)
(Note: I actually have started writing, and I'm posting some "chunks" in my blogs, especially in "Since When and Who Said...")

Suddenly Sunday

I open my eyes, peep over the covers, feel around for the remote, and click on the TV.  That's my normal wake up routine.  I exhale seeing no huge disasters have struck the world during the night.  Then, the headline flashes big and awful and not so surprising: Whitney dead at 48.  Now, I work to see celebrities as human beings who happen to have a talent or a gimmick at least that has launched into the public eye.  Yes, they make piles of money and enjoy adoring fans (and haters too) and often live in sprawling mansions and...well, you know the list.  As I remember Whitney and I hear her voice streaming in all its angelic beauty and watch the inescapable paradox of her misery, her very human struggles paraded across the screen, I do mourn.  Suddenly I realize that as much as we both envy and despise the very concept of celebrity, it serves (if we let it) to help us appreciate our humble little lives and what a blessing they are.  We enjoy the same loves and friendships and fight the same battles and win and lose and laugh and cry, all basically the same as the most celebrated person in the world.  The most striking difference?  For the most part, we control how much of all of it we MUST share with the world.  Yes, it's the price one pays for all the positives of celebrity, but oh the horror of having everything in your life splashed across all manner of headlines.  (I would argue that freedom of the press does not extend to hanging from trees and taking pictures over backyard fences, but that's a whole other blog entry).  So today, I'm just mindful of Whitney's family and closest friends and how they must be feeling as I did when my little sisters passed.  Just typing those words breaks my heart again.  So I embrace my humanity this morning and understand that people across the world have lost loved ones today, and Whitney just happens to be famous.

Fabulous February

Seems I turned around twice and a brand new month slipped onto the scene.  Little February packs quite the punch, especially in the holiday area.  From Groundhog Day to Valentines Day to Mardi Gras, this month rocks.  On top of everything, we have LEAP YEAR!!  Hmmmmm, perhaps that should be our theme.  Leaping sounds happy and energetic, even giddy.  We could leap toward improving conditions, a more positive attitude, volunteering time to the less fortunate, the spirit of compromise and forward thinking, self-improvement and gratitude, increasingly productive and intelligent discussions, real solutions for our problems big and small, national and personal...oh my.  Could we?  Would we?  You cannot tell me we're not capable of this sort of leaping.  I know better.  Do we need a special occasion, a declared holiday, a focused cause?  Well, I think Leap Year will work just fine.  Let's make it the moment we started leaping for the stars again.  We may not touch the sky, but how we could glitter this Earth of ours, especially our little slice called the USA!!  Attach your springs and let's leap into a new beginning, fresh and hopeful and promising for all.  There you go, February...

Simple Freedom?

I sit here this morning in a beautiful house, knowing I can go anywhere and do just about anything I want and not having to worry about a job or food or clothing or that roof over my head, and I am stopping to be pointedly grateful for so many reasons.  Not only was I lucky enough to be born in America, to have a fantastic family, to find my passion in life and do it for a living, to have a long list of wonderful people in my life, throughout my life, to be strong enough to work through difficulty now and then, and be able to find the bright spot in every, single day...and the list goes on and on, I must say.  If I tried to list everything, I'd never finish this entry, and people would stop reading.  What puts this all in true perspective is realizing how many people do NOT have what I have, not even close, and those people are surviving and working and believing and depending on those who do have to, at the very least, give a flying fig about them.  Oh, they don't usually ASK for help or for  recognition or for anything extraordinary.  All they want is a chance, a chance to work, to care for their families, to have a little nest egg, to feel secure about their future because they're doing the right thing.  I'm not being political here.  I'm just being a decent human being and stopping to think for just a moment, especially about those who are making the effort and still suffering.  I do my little part in my corner of the world.  I can do more, and I will.  Imagine the difference we could make if we all did a little bit to help.  Remember, moral support, compassion, and encouragement can change a life too.  I know I'm not telling you anything you do not know.  Most of the peeps who read my blog know and do and care.  Spread the word, my friends, spread the word.  

A new year, eh?

Where the heck have I been?  Well, I'm happy to report that I've been enjoying myself.  Oh, I have had plenty to say especially in the form of fun and gratitude and blessings and sheer amazement at my good fortune.  Did I inherit or win a million bucks?  Much better than that (although that would be very sweet).  I'm alive and kicking and already enjoying a new year.  The holidays were glorious, filled with family and friends and even the sights and sounds of Hawaii.  See what I mean?  Soooooo, I thought I'd just shout out to those of you who have been waiting patiently for me to post again.  Shall we take on 2012 with great relish and hope and belief in the opportunities it will no doubt offer us?  I know you guys.  You're already there, soaking it in and watching for the next chance to celebrate something, big or little, stunning or mild, grand or unnoticed by anyone but you.  Yeah, we have the secret of great wealth, the kind no one can steal, and now we have a brand new year to compound interest.  Can I get an "Amen?"