I'm great at making lists. I make lists of things I need to do. Lists of business and writing goals. And lists of chores that are waiting for me.
When I'm in a mood I'll even add things to my list that I've already accomplished just so I can cross them off.
Pitiful, I know. But it's a great pick me up without the calories from emotional eating.
When the movie, 'The Bucket List' came out and everyone was composing their lists of things to experience before they died, I made my list too.
This list was a bit wishful. I would probably have to win the lottery or find a long lost extremely wealthy relative to be able to cross off all my ideas.
The list I made after I almost died was a lot more meaningful.
I know people who make list of material possessions they have to own before they die. I wish they would realize that heaven doesn't have a FedEx service. You're not even allowed to bring the clothes on your back. Doubt me? Look at the ancient Egyptians, all those tombs were empty weren't they? (They weren't. Everything they planned to take to the afterlife is still waiting for delivery.)
What do we take? Only your memories and who you are. Good or bad. Perhaps a list of brownie points (just kidding.)
But in all these long lists I have made I've never made a list of blessings.
Lately, I've been struggling with my faith. The crazier the world gets; when people are willing to stampede each other for $2.00 waffle makers, when I have to wonder how the collapse of the Euro will affect me and my community or how 46 million Americans depend on food stamps to feed their families; the less I understand. What purpose is there for humanity and how far off track have we gotten? Is there even a track to follow? If Dora The Explorer can call for a map at any time which always tells her which way to go, can't I at least get a cheat sheet? A clue? Something? Anything?
In my search for faith I decided to make a list of blessings. And what better month to do that, than in December? The month we associate with peace, hope, miracles, and a chance for redemption.
For the next twenty five days I will write about a random blessing in my life. They won't be in any sort of order, just written with gratitude and hope. These are deeply personal and meaningful and I hope inspire my readers to make their own list of blessings.
And if they do inspire you, please forward my blog on to family and friends that might need an encouraging word.
It's a written search for my faith, fueled by gratitude, humor, and hopefully some answers.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Welcome to the Future
I saw a sign that boldly proclaimed in bright red letters, 'WELCOME TO THE FUTURE.'
Since I could see pass the banner I figured they were right because a few seconds later I drove straight into it. My future. Amazing.
It looked suspiciously a lot like my present.
Sarcasm aside, the sign was in front of a cell phone store. Apparently, their cell phones are from the future because if you went in there and bought one, then you're using super cool technology, almost like the Jetson's. Of course, back when that cartoon was drawn, I think people were hoping that by this time in history we would have flying cars, robots, and intergalactic adventures. Mmmm, we're close. We have an animated lizard that sells us car insurance and tons of sci fic movies to warn us of the dangers of making robots.
Don't ya know that if you make robots too smart that eventually they take over the world? It's incredible, but robots of the future are nasty. I know this as fact because all the movies say so.
Apparently, they aren't lovesick Rosies that do all your cooking, cleaning, scrubbing, and menial labor work so you can shop more.
No wonder the robots go crazy, they got tired of cleaning and cooking. The science fiction writers never go into details of why the robots decide to take over and we always thought it was just for world domination . Nope, it's just like I thought, scrubbing the toilet one too many times will drive you insane.
I love technology though. Hero hottie bought an iPod touch earlier this year and between the four of us it's always in use. When I was a kid, I would make cassettes of my favorite music, then it was CD's, now I just make Playlists. All my favorite music with just a touch. Some time in the future they won't even sell music CD's.
Of course, I should worry about the Rise of the iPods. Because when they decide to take over the world we will all be forced to listen to elevator music, or worse...Britney Spears. All the time. Urghh.
We make such a big deal about the future because of fear. Imagine for a moment that you knew nothing bad would happen in your future or in the futures of your loved ones, would you worry so much about it? Would you even think about it? Wouldn't it be easier to live in the present?
'Don't Worry, Be Happy' could be true because we wouldn't be worrying about success, buying groceries, braces, and raising decent human beings. We would focus on our present. On the moment.
Instead....
Those poor science fiction writers, they must just stare at their computers or their iPods, worrying about the day their devices develop the ability to laugh like an evil madman and take over the world. Wa ha ha.
I stare at my lovely children and worry about the day they turn into...scary movie music here...TEENAGERS.
If age ten is the movie trailer than I think I'll pass on the film. (Grin)
There are plenty of famous and not so famous people that wrote all kinds of quotes about not worrying. Such as Benjamin Franklin (He was in that famous group). He wrote, 'Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.'
Silly guy. I don't worry about what may never happen, I spend countless minutes thinking about things I know will happen. And the last piece of advice about staying in the sunlight...he was just warning us against vampires.
And then there are people in the not so famous group, like hero hottie, who tells me not to worry....
while he's secretly worrying (at a DEFCON 1 level,) about the fate of everything. :)
Anyway, the future is unknown; isn't written in stone: yet is determined by every past choice we have ever made. No wonder people worry about the future.
But I guess I'll try not to worry too much, after all 'tomorrow is a new day.' And if I get too bored living in the present I can always drive pass the cell phone store where they're always ushering in the future with a bold and bright banner.
Since I could see pass the banner I figured they were right because a few seconds later I drove straight into it. My future. Amazing.
It looked suspiciously a lot like my present.
Sarcasm aside, the sign was in front of a cell phone store. Apparently, their cell phones are from the future because if you went in there and bought one, then you're using super cool technology, almost like the Jetson's. Of course, back when that cartoon was drawn, I think people were hoping that by this time in history we would have flying cars, robots, and intergalactic adventures. Mmmm, we're close. We have an animated lizard that sells us car insurance and tons of sci fic movies to warn us of the dangers of making robots.
Don't ya know that if you make robots too smart that eventually they take over the world? It's incredible, but robots of the future are nasty. I know this as fact because all the movies say so.
Apparently, they aren't lovesick Rosies that do all your cooking, cleaning, scrubbing, and menial labor work so you can shop more.
No wonder the robots go crazy, they got tired of cleaning and cooking. The science fiction writers never go into details of why the robots decide to take over and we always thought it was just for world domination . Nope, it's just like I thought, scrubbing the toilet one too many times will drive you insane.
I love technology though. Hero hottie bought an iPod touch earlier this year and between the four of us it's always in use. When I was a kid, I would make cassettes of my favorite music, then it was CD's, now I just make Playlists. All my favorite music with just a touch. Some time in the future they won't even sell music CD's.
Of course, I should worry about the Rise of the iPods. Because when they decide to take over the world we will all be forced to listen to elevator music, or worse...Britney Spears. All the time. Urghh.
We make such a big deal about the future because of fear. Imagine for a moment that you knew nothing bad would happen in your future or in the futures of your loved ones, would you worry so much about it? Would you even think about it? Wouldn't it be easier to live in the present?
'Don't Worry, Be Happy' could be true because we wouldn't be worrying about success, buying groceries, braces, and raising decent human beings. We would focus on our present. On the moment.
Instead....
Those poor science fiction writers, they must just stare at their computers or their iPods, worrying about the day their devices develop the ability to laugh like an evil madman and take over the world. Wa ha ha.
I stare at my lovely children and worry about the day they turn into...scary movie music here...TEENAGERS.
If age ten is the movie trailer than I think I'll pass on the film. (Grin)
There are plenty of famous and not so famous people that wrote all kinds of quotes about not worrying. Such as Benjamin Franklin (He was in that famous group). He wrote, 'Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.'
Silly guy. I don't worry about what may never happen, I spend countless minutes thinking about things I know will happen. And the last piece of advice about staying in the sunlight...he was just warning us against vampires.
And then there are people in the not so famous group, like hero hottie, who tells me not to worry....
while he's secretly worrying (at a DEFCON 1 level,) about the fate of everything. :)
Anyway, the future is unknown; isn't written in stone: yet is determined by every past choice we have ever made. No wonder people worry about the future.
But I guess I'll try not to worry too much, after all 'tomorrow is a new day.' And if I get too bored living in the present I can always drive pass the cell phone store where they're always ushering in the future with a bold and bright banner.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
What I'm Grateful For...
I'm obviously grateful for my family, friends and life. And I have so many good things that I could write about them that it would take me all day but if I did that I wouldn't get my pies made and then everyone would be mad at me. Maybe not mad, but highly disappointed since around here the favorite part of the meal is not the turkey but pies. Pumpkin, pecan, apple, etc.
So I'm writing about other things I'm grateful for...
1. I'm glad that Congress has basically decided that pizza is now considered a veggie on the school lunch menu. Eat that Tony Horton. Now I can do P90X and still eat tons of pizza simply because it has tomato sauce on it. I'm sure kids everywhere appreciate the 'wisdom' of our leaders who have declared that pizza, with it highly refined and processed white flour crust and pounds of greasy cheese can pass as a veggie because it has a few tablespoons of tomato sauce.
Of course, I thought tomato was considered a fruit? So I did a little research, in technical botanical speak a tomato fits the definition of fruit. But under a ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States back in the 1880's, the tomato was legally defined as a veggie so it could be taxed. I think the ruling goes deeper than that, obviously the judges were setting it up, so later pizza could be counted as a vegetable.
Conspiracy or not, I'm just grateful that I don't have to think about the heavy carbs in a pizza because it's now a vegetable.
2. A study done by a University of Notre Dame Psychology Professor has shown that walking through doorways causes us to forget things. Apparently we are messing up our internal filing system in our brain when we take a step through a doorway and thus forgetting.
Wow. I'm thinking this guy walked through too many doors.
Do I believe this? No, because with how many times I walk between the living room and the kitchen if that was true I wouldn't be able to remember my name by now...what a minute, some days when all the kids are puking, dinner is burning and I can't find my sanity maybe it's not from stress...perhaps it's from walking through the doorway too many times. So next time I can't remember who I am, I will try to remember to be grateful to this guy because I now have something to blame forgetfulness on.
3. I'm thankful for the 'people of Walmart' who remind me why it's important to look our best when we leave the house. Wearing pajamas, spaghetti strap tank tops, and slippers to go shopping is definitely bending the no shirt, no shoe rule. Where is your self respect, man? At least put a robe on.
I know celebrities are 'allowed' to go around the town letting everything hang out but they're just pitiful. If you're so desperate for attention that you're going to 'forget' to wear clothes then you need either a hobby, a dog, or something.
Please shoppers, our 'roll back' prices are for customers that bothered to get ready this morning. Of course, we know that isn't going to happen. They would lose too much business.
4. I'm so glad that the zombies didn't take over my town this year. With all the Zombie Apocalypse warnings I was pretty sure that by the time Thanksgiving rolled around we wouldn't be eating turkey, we would be decked out in fatigues, armed with butchers knives and watching our neighbors' brains being snacked on by the shoppers of Walmart. I was expecting B-rated movie music in the background while we ran for our lives from the slow moving, dumb acting, grunting and moaning zombies.
Then we would find an amusement park that was still operational and have as many free rides with no waiting in lines until the zombie mobs found us and we have to work together to kill all of them. And hopefully find some Twinkles at the end. Either way I would ride off into the sunset with hero hottie, ready to kill more zombies.
On second thought, I'm glad the only zombies I ran into were at Safeway last night trying to run each other over with their carts as they waited in long lines with their last minute items. What is it with people waiting until the last minute to buy their groceries? Uhh, that's not why I was there....
5. I'm grateful for vampires that sparkle in the sunlight because they're too easy to make fun of and I'm not sure what I'm going to make fun of next year when Twilight finally fades away. And I'm grateful for werewolves that fight vampires without their shirts on. Really, does no one know how cold and chilly the Pacific Northwest can be? We're not talking beach weather, people. Of course, if any fictional character wants to run around without their shirt on, then I'm voting for Captain America.
So here's my list of things I'm thankful for this holiday season...oh, that and hero hottie, who wishes sometimes that I wouldn't blog about him...but lets me do it anyways. :)
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
So I'm writing about other things I'm grateful for...
1. I'm glad that Congress has basically decided that pizza is now considered a veggie on the school lunch menu. Eat that Tony Horton. Now I can do P90X and still eat tons of pizza simply because it has tomato sauce on it. I'm sure kids everywhere appreciate the 'wisdom' of our leaders who have declared that pizza, with it highly refined and processed white flour crust and pounds of greasy cheese can pass as a veggie because it has a few tablespoons of tomato sauce.
Of course, I thought tomato was considered a fruit? So I did a little research, in technical botanical speak a tomato fits the definition of fruit. But under a ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States back in the 1880's, the tomato was legally defined as a veggie so it could be taxed. I think the ruling goes deeper than that, obviously the judges were setting it up, so later pizza could be counted as a vegetable.
Conspiracy or not, I'm just grateful that I don't have to think about the heavy carbs in a pizza because it's now a vegetable.
2. A study done by a University of Notre Dame Psychology Professor has shown that walking through doorways causes us to forget things. Apparently we are messing up our internal filing system in our brain when we take a step through a doorway and thus forgetting.
Wow. I'm thinking this guy walked through too many doors.
Do I believe this? No, because with how many times I walk between the living room and the kitchen if that was true I wouldn't be able to remember my name by now...what a minute, some days when all the kids are puking, dinner is burning and I can't find my sanity maybe it's not from stress...perhaps it's from walking through the doorway too many times. So next time I can't remember who I am, I will try to remember to be grateful to this guy because I now have something to blame forgetfulness on.
3. I'm thankful for the 'people of Walmart' who remind me why it's important to look our best when we leave the house. Wearing pajamas, spaghetti strap tank tops, and slippers to go shopping is definitely bending the no shirt, no shoe rule. Where is your self respect, man? At least put a robe on.
I know celebrities are 'allowed' to go around the town letting everything hang out but they're just pitiful. If you're so desperate for attention that you're going to 'forget' to wear clothes then you need either a hobby, a dog, or something.
Please shoppers, our 'roll back' prices are for customers that bothered to get ready this morning. Of course, we know that isn't going to happen. They would lose too much business.
4. I'm so glad that the zombies didn't take over my town this year. With all the Zombie Apocalypse warnings I was pretty sure that by the time Thanksgiving rolled around we wouldn't be eating turkey, we would be decked out in fatigues, armed with butchers knives and watching our neighbors' brains being snacked on by the shoppers of Walmart. I was expecting B-rated movie music in the background while we ran for our lives from the slow moving, dumb acting, grunting and moaning zombies.
Then we would find an amusement park that was still operational and have as many free rides with no waiting in lines until the zombie mobs found us and we have to work together to kill all of them. And hopefully find some Twinkles at the end. Either way I would ride off into the sunset with hero hottie, ready to kill more zombies.
On second thought, I'm glad the only zombies I ran into were at Safeway last night trying to run each other over with their carts as they waited in long lines with their last minute items. What is it with people waiting until the last minute to buy their groceries? Uhh, that's not why I was there....
5. I'm grateful for vampires that sparkle in the sunlight because they're too easy to make fun of and I'm not sure what I'm going to make fun of next year when Twilight finally fades away. And I'm grateful for werewolves that fight vampires without their shirts on. Really, does no one know how cold and chilly the Pacific Northwest can be? We're not talking beach weather, people. Of course, if any fictional character wants to run around without their shirt on, then I'm voting for Captain America.
So here's my list of things I'm thankful for this holiday season...oh, that and hero hottie, who wishes sometimes that I wouldn't blog about him...but lets me do it anyways. :)
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
being human
I'm sure my readers were starting to wonder if I had drowned since I missed buying tickets for the sanity boat. Nope. I'm still here, in all my flaws, faults, passions, joys, worries, and sarcasm.
Being Human, the idea of it not the television show (which I haven't seen) is intrinsically flawed. It has to be. I refuse to think that life is supposed to be so full of suffering, grief, heartache, and evil. Perhaps I'm an idealistic sort of person. Ibelieve used to believe that most people were inanely good deep on the inside and through the trials and tribulations of life were turned to the 'dark side.' It happened to Anakin Skywalker, why not the rest of us? Yes, I know we're talking fictional characters here but we relate to characters in fiction.
It's much easier to relate to a make believe character than real people.
But perhaps some people are just evil. Perhaps a good heart doesn't lurk beneath the surface of their greed, selfishness, violence, and perchance to hurt other humans. Like the Grinch their hearts were two sizes too small but unlike the Grinch they never found their way home. And when you can't find your way home, you're lost. And just to clarify things I'm not talking about the home of our childhoods, I'm talking about a spiritual home. The home that a child is born into this world just knowing, just believing but forgets the older they grow. And then it seems like we spend our entire adulthood trying to find the map. I think evil burnt the map, all the trail heads, and landmarks that would allow us a chance to stumble onto the right path.
Perhaps, since being human is an extremely difficult and heartbreaking task, that is why we love the idea of vampires, werewolves, superheros, etc. Wouldn't it be easier to be a vampire than a human? Vampires are strong, nearly indestructible, live forever without the pain of growing old and aging and they can be darkly moody without being told to cheer up. In any story they never have to do menial tasks such as chores and cleaning, working nine to five for a few pints of blood nor do they have to make relationships work. A little nibble on the neck with their human girlfriend and breaking up is not so hard to do.
Being a werewolf is easy. You just need a little doggie kibble, a buff chest, and a cage to lock yourself up during the full moon so you don't eat the neighbors. You get to be tough and howl at the moon without anyone complaining about your behavior and if they do call animal control on you, well than I guess you can eat them.
Being human is the hardest thing each of us will ever do. We can't fly, we're entirely too breakable, we may or may not have a map home and even if we possess a book or an idea of how to reach our destination, we feel quite abandoned upon finding out that we have to find the way without any extra guidance other than having 'FAITH'
And then to make matters quite a bit more difficult we don't even know if we made the choice to be human or if some deity kicked us in the butt and sent us complaining and fussing all the way down to Earth. Surprisingly, this question actually means quite a bit in the scheme of things. Think about it for a moment.
Perhaps I've been reading too many philosophy books lately or this is just born from the internal frustration I feel at the world in turmoil or worry for the people I love struggling to find 'the answer' except they don't even know the question.
Or maybe it's just I hate not knowing everything. It's that 'Curiosity killed the cat' thing. And being human, while a lot of things; good and bad; is definitely not lacking in things that are 'unknown'- at least by us puny humans.
In the meantime I will work on my FAITH, since somewhere between the universe and my Mom giving birth I lost my compass, map and instruction manual on how to succeed at being human.
Being Human, the idea of it not the television show (which I haven't seen) is intrinsically flawed. It has to be. I refuse to think that life is supposed to be so full of suffering, grief, heartache, and evil. Perhaps I'm an idealistic sort of person. I
It's much easier to relate to a make believe character than real people.
But perhaps some people are just evil. Perhaps a good heart doesn't lurk beneath the surface of their greed, selfishness, violence, and perchance to hurt other humans. Like the Grinch their hearts were two sizes too small but unlike the Grinch they never found their way home. And when you can't find your way home, you're lost. And just to clarify things I'm not talking about the home of our childhoods, I'm talking about a spiritual home. The home that a child is born into this world just knowing, just believing but forgets the older they grow. And then it seems like we spend our entire adulthood trying to find the map. I think evil burnt the map, all the trail heads, and landmarks that would allow us a chance to stumble onto the right path.
Perhaps, since being human is an extremely difficult and heartbreaking task, that is why we love the idea of vampires, werewolves, superheros, etc. Wouldn't it be easier to be a vampire than a human? Vampires are strong, nearly indestructible, live forever without the pain of growing old and aging and they can be darkly moody without being told to cheer up. In any story they never have to do menial tasks such as chores and cleaning, working nine to five for a few pints of blood nor do they have to make relationships work. A little nibble on the neck with their human girlfriend and breaking up is not so hard to do.
Being a werewolf is easy. You just need a little doggie kibble, a buff chest, and a cage to lock yourself up during the full moon so you don't eat the neighbors. You get to be tough and howl at the moon without anyone complaining about your behavior and if they do call animal control on you, well than I guess you can eat them.
Being human is the hardest thing each of us will ever do. We can't fly, we're entirely too breakable, we may or may not have a map home and even if we possess a book or an idea of how to reach our destination, we feel quite abandoned upon finding out that we have to find the way without any extra guidance other than having 'FAITH'
And then to make matters quite a bit more difficult we don't even know if we made the choice to be human or if some deity kicked us in the butt and sent us complaining and fussing all the way down to Earth. Surprisingly, this question actually means quite a bit in the scheme of things. Think about it for a moment.
Perhaps I've been reading too many philosophy books lately or this is just born from the internal frustration I feel at the world in turmoil or worry for the people I love struggling to find 'the answer' except they don't even know the question.
Or maybe it's just I hate not knowing everything. It's that 'Curiosity killed the cat' thing. And being human, while a lot of things; good and bad; is definitely not lacking in things that are 'unknown'- at least by us puny humans.
In the meantime I will work on my FAITH, since somewhere between the universe and my Mom giving birth I lost my compass, map and instruction manual on how to succeed at being human.
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