Do you feel like you are more important than others around you? Are you bigger then life itself? Time to come off your high horse and stare at the stars.
I’m not trying to make you feel insignificant or trying to tell you not to do your best in everything. I just want you to take a few moments and realize what is really out there and what your place truly is. I find that people can become so into themselves that they can’t see how small of a footprint they are making in life. If you believe that a king, president or ruler of any kind is better than the man or woman that spends their time picking up roadkill for a living, you are sadly mistaken.
Everyone of us arrived in this world in basically the same way. Some people grew up to strive for greatness, some born into money and others that are filling in the gaps. What I’m trying to get at is, we are all as important as the other person. People in higher ranks of life have more responsibility but, that does not in anyway make them better then anyone else. I myself will talk to you the same and show you the same respect, regardless of wether you are President of the United States or the janitor at the local high school. We are all just as important as the next guy.
The reason I brought up how insignificant we really are is not to suggest anything bad. This is to put into perspective how small we truly are. Have you ever taken the time to stare at the stars? When we look into the vastness of space, we realize how much bigger things are then our little home that we call Earth. Heck, we could put one million of our earth’s into the space our sun occupies. Just imagine how much time has gone by from any single star to the point when we see it. There is alot more out there than our tiny planet.
Here we are in all our glory and yet, we are nothing when it comes to everything that is in the universe. We think of ourselves as bigger than life but in actuality, we are but specks in a universe. Why are we so great? What makes us so special? Read on and maybe you will understand what I have finally learned after years of thought in my own little world.
We are special because we are chosen to be what no other creature can claim. We are a reflection of the one whom created all the stars, planets and vastness of space that we are such a small part of. We are but a speck riding on a marble tumbling around in one of many universes and yet, we are truly spectacular. We hold the glory of the one whom created it all.
This my friends brings up a thought of how crazy it is for us to fight each other over things that really don’t matter. Things like rich versus poor or black versus white. How stupid can we be? Let’s see if we can get some sort of example of the way things should be. How about ants? These small creatures work together to create massive empires in their small world. Why can’t we come together and build our empire in our small world? We fight each other and destroy instead of building what could be the greatest empire we could ever conceive.
I believe we were put on this earth to perform a service for the one whom created us. I believe this is not to destroy but, rather save and build to the greatness that we have the ability to achieve. This means we must work together and love one another, not to hate and destroy each other. We have the ability to do anything we desire as long as we work together like the ants do.
Next time you feel that you are better then your fellow human, look up in the sky and remember that we are but a very small part of the vastness that is. We must work together because we do hold a great responsibility and the only way to keep it is to bind together. We all have our part to play and it won’t work without working together.
Will you join with me, not as my superior or as my subordinate but, as my equal to achieve greatness? Are you ready to show our creator what we can do? We all have our special gifts to apply to the empire. If we can learn to share our gifts instead of keeping them to ourselves, we can create what will make our creator proud.
Mankind, such a small creature with such big ego’s. If we are to be as great as we think we are, we better start thinking more like the ants. So so small but, with the greatness of giants within us. It is true that we are a very small part of the massive amount of what is. Yet, we hold the true heart of our creator. We are a great part of the universes, small as we are, we should learn to live together with humbleness and set aside our egos. Will we show the creator what a great creature he has created on this our tiny planet or will he wander where he could’ve done a better job?
I come to you with love and a humble heart to ask that we come together the way we were meant to be. Our world is huge to us as a small patch of land is to the ants. Just remember, we are smaller than the ants when we see what is truly out there. Spend some time looking at the stars and be proud that we are the chosen planet. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
If you were to die today, would you leave behind the impression you want to? Of course everybody would talk about how nice you were because that’s what people do. Do you believe in your heart all the nice things are true that are being said about you? Are you who you want people to remember or will they have to tell lies or think really hard to come up with something nice to say at your funeral?
There are alot of people that think they are good people because they say thank you or say pardon me some times. Or maybe they put some change in the bucket during Christmas when the bells are ringing. Does this make you a good person or are you just trying to make other people think you are. Who are you really?
These questions should be asked by everyone of themselves if they truly care. Possibly you don’t care and that’s fine by me. I have always tried to find the good in people, no matter what kind of person I’m dealing with. You maybe a 100% jerk but, I’m looking at more then you think you are showing to me.
It doesn’t matter if your rich, poor or what ethnic background you have. I’m looking for the true you and I want others to do the same with me. I have known people that have shown an outward appearance of being a good person, when they are really masking who they are. I believe that most people want to be good but, some don’t know how.
When I tell you that I am looking at more than your outwardly appearance, I really do mean it. You have probably heard the expression “the eyes are the windows to the soul”. There is some truth to this even though it is a little off the mark in my opinion. I believe the eyes can show the spirit of a person in who they truly are. We are a trinity. We are a spirt with a soul incased in a body.
If you don’t believe the eyes tell who a person is, focus on someone’s eyes without thinking of any other part of their body and see what you will. Let’s look at a example. If there is a person who has bandages covering their face with only their eyes visible, tell me you can’t see what they are thinking or feeling.
People can look at others body motions, like the hands or the way they stand and usually tell alot about what that person is thinking. If a person has their arms folded while talking to you, they are either insecure or very upset. Taking the rest of the body language with this motion will tell you which one it is. Police officers are trained alot in body language to help them with their jobs along with keeping themselves safe.
Body language can be deceiving with someone that has trained themselves to not use the same body language that is normal though. This is what makes the eyes so important. The only thing a person can train to change what the eyes show is a dead stare or crying of course. But the eyes are truly the one thing that will tell you more about a person then anything. The eyes are so special and not to be ignored. If I talk to you face to face, you will notice that I watch your eyes. I want to know what kind of person I am dealing with. Even the police officers will ask you to remove your sunglasses when they are telling you what you did wrong. Why would they do this unless your eyes tell them something about what you are thinking? Do you have a kind spirit that wants to be good or not. Your eyes tell the truth.
Are you being what you want people to remember you by? Money means nothing to you when your gone. Can’t take it with you. You will leave all that you have for others to use, whether for good or bad. Your memory however, will last and will be the only thing others truly have of you. All the possessions are just things you once owned.
If you die today, what kind of memories are you leaving for others? Do you care? If not then you are probably not a good person and the nice things said at your funeral will be false.
Let’s all try to live like we want to be remembered. Love, forgiveness and hope for ourselves as well as others. Be a good spirit with a clean and clear soul. We never know when our last breath may come. God Bless you and your families. Remember, we are all in this together.
Beauty is different for everyone. I will be discussing different kinds in this post. Come along for the ride and see if you fit into any of these things that I discuss. Maybe you can add to my list. Feel free to comment below.
First off, I will not be using humans in this context. This is because, if you ask a male what is beauty, guarantee that ninety-five percent of them will name a female and if you ask a female, ninety-five percent of them will mention a newborn baby. The beauty I am discussing must be something other than people.
I remember a time when I was attending a Vo-tech class to learn welding. The beauty of the perfect bead was what made my heart skip a beat. Welders all over the world can understand my excitement of this. So melting two pieces of metal together can show beauty to the builder. What other kinds of beauty are there?
An archeologist can see beauty in a dusty, broken old pot pulled from the ground that has been buried for hundreds of years. A painter may find beauty in the shadow of a scenery. A musician will find beauty in a single note played on a piano.
Beauty is all around us at all times. We must slow down long enough to embrace and enjoy it. Watching ants prepare for a storm that is coming is a beautiful site. The trees swaying slightly with the wind in the woods is beauty. New born animals are true beauty, even when you know what they will look like when they get older.
Poetry is well known as beauty. This is not because of the rhyming. Some Poetry has no rhymes. The reason Poetry is so beautiful is because of the thought process it took the writer to write it and where it takes the reader while reading it. Poetry actually will take you into the dreams of the writer so, this will show how your dreams can have beauty as well.
So where is beauty? It is all around us, if we are just willing to look and listen for it. I love walking in the woods and looking at all the beautiful things. I grew up mostly living in the woods so I have learned a true joy of it. The cities can be beautiful but, for me it’s the countryside.
Do you live so fast and frantic that you don’t have time for the beautiful things around you? If you do, you are truly missing out on alot of life fulfilling things. I know that life can be hectic and sometimes it’s hard to slow down but, give it a try. It doesn’t take long to enjoy what is around you and it will help you mentally, physically and spiritually. Taking this small amount of time during each day will show you more to life then just rushing though it.
I myself have found beauty in some of the strangest places. It can be something as small as a leaf falling to the ground or maybe as large as cloud formations in the sky. It is truly all around us in good and bad times alike. We just have to be willing to look and listen for it.
I challenge you today to take five minutes out of your busy day to find the beauty around you. If you will except this challenge, I will lay odds that tomorrow, you will be looking and listening again. Allow your heart to leap at something beautiful today. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
The fastest way to get over a fantasy is with a dose of reality. This can be good or bad depending on the circumstances. An example of the bad is with a marriage starting with a fantasy and then real life hits you in the face. You realize that marriage is hard and love must be present for it to work. Just because your partner likes what you like or is good looking does not equal love. Alot of divorces come about because fantasies were started but love was left out. Of course there is the ultimate betrayal of one partner leaving a love for a fantasy.
We all have our fantasies but, are they beyond what we should imagine? A child’s fantasies are a part of growing up and it can determine how far we go in life. If you see a child playing with a toy fire engine, he is probably saving lives and becoming a hero in his mind. The same child picks up his daddy’s cigarettes and the fantasy can become harmful in later years.
An adult who has fantasies about a co-worker can have a hard time focusing on his or her job. These same fantasies can also create a unemployment status for this person, if not a lawsuit for stalking.
So when are fantasies a good thing and when do they cause harm? Most fantasies come upon us without much thought put into them. The important thing is to monitor these fantasies and ask ourselves the important question, “Is this fantasy going to cause harm to me or others?”
Fantasies are different then dreams, we have little control what we dream about in our sleep but, we do have complete control to stop a fantasy in its tracks. Fantasies are normal and you are not weird for having such thoughts in your life. How far you take them is up to you and carrying a fantasy too far can cause a tremendous amount of problems for you and others.
Don’t be afraid when a fantasy comes upon you. Just remember, you are in control of it. Have you heard the saying, “that person is living in a fantasy world?” You must be very careful in using such a sentence because their is a distinct difference between someone who fantasizes to someone who is a dreamer. A dreamer is thinking on something to better their lives while fantasy is usually a fairy tale.
Do you remember the boy playing with the fire engine? This may start as a fantasy and end up being his dream. I myself started at a young age with a fantasy of driving the big haul trucks in a mine. This fantasy turned into a dream of mine and later in life became a reality for me. These are good fantasies. I have also had fantasies of women I have known and I have had to shut them thoughts down because they were going to cause bad things to happen in my future. These are bad fantasies and need to be put to rest as soon as possible before a problem arises.
I hope you are catching what I am pitching. You are in control of you. Even though thoughts may come to you, you have the ability to continue to focus on them or completely destroy them in your mind. Please be careful of how you allow your mind to wander. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
The world has gone crazy and I’m losing my patience. Why is it with every one step forward, we seem to take two steps back? As a society, we are failing miserably. For every one thing that is changed to fix something that someone has a problem with, we create more problems that must be solved.
I thought that maybe I was just looking too hard into things that I don’t understand. These feelings are becoming stronger as I get older and look at the world with more mature eyes. No single group of people seems to be happy anymore. People all want something for nothing and are offended by everything and everyone. What happened to the world I grew up in? Are all the good times really over? Is their any hope left for mankind?
These are tough questions to ask one’s self and the reality of the conclusions are very bleak to say the least. Why has society changed to the point of total obliteration? Where exactly did we go wrong? Are we going to keep going downhill or are we going to wake up and fix this mess? I’m not sure how many of you see things the way I do and are also worried about the path we are heading down. I hope that I can find a majority somewhere that will stand with me and voice the problems we are causing ourselves.
As I write this, I’m asking myself what all this is about, so let me throw out some examples. I live in the United States which is known worldwide as a free country. Lately we have become everything but free. We put ourselves up to show the rest of the world what freedom is all about. I believe we are now failing in our attempts to do just that. We will come to the aid of others in different parts of the world to help those in need. However, we no longer finish what we start. We do have the ability to solve many problems the world has as long as we have our friends in other nations to help us. The problem with doing this is we are too busy fighting amongst ourselves to be able to help others.
We as a nation see others as being wrong thinking but, we are now following what we fought against for years. Our nation was built to allow all peoples into our country no matter what race, religion or creed, as long as it is done legally. I see now that this is falling apart and needs to be fixed immediately if we are to survive and continue to aid others. We have no right to tell others how to live unless we can achieve this ourselves. When I was growing up, we were living the way we were teaching others. What changed in my beloved country?
There is only one thing that is bringing this country down and when I tell you, you will either agree or quit reading immediately. Our country, even though we allow all types of people, was built with God in mind. If you look at our currency, it says “In God we trust”. This seems to have lost it’s meaning through the years and the people now have hardened their hearts. When we started turning our backs against the one who helped us become a nation, we began to lose what we stand for.
The name God is different depending on what religion you follow. I myself am a Christian. I am not here to tell you whether you are right or wrong in your beliefs. We as Americans respect all people and religions. We do not stand in your way to believe what God you follow or don’t follow. However, for this to work, we must get back to the point where all Americans stand together once again. I want to help others help themselves in bringing back the foundation this great country was built upon.
I know I may lose followers due to this post but that’s alright. If this single post reaches just one person and helps them, it was all worth its weight in Gold! We say “God Bless America”, let’s stand up and invite the Almighty back to this country so we can go back to helping others worldwide.
This is all for now. I hope you will join me for future post. If I have offended you, this is not my intention. I will be here for you as long as you will allow me. God bless you and your families. Remember, we are all in this together.
Hope is its own entity that must be fed constantly. Hope is what drives the human spirit to great achievements as well as keeping us in tune with the goals we set for our lives. Without hope, we are just like dust in the wind, ( no meaning and without direction ).
Some people tend to lean upon luck as their driving force. This is a great mistake and tends to lead to great failures as well. Luck is the opposite of hope and leads us to think in negative ways. When you stay living with luck, you are allowing others as well as your surroundings to control what happens in your life. This my friends is no way to live if you wish to have happiness in your life.
Let me see if I can get my point across in a way that may make more sense. Do you have dreams of what you want out of this life? Do you see something that you want and it makes your spirit leap because you can see the possibility of possessing such an object or situation? These are hopeful thoughts and they bring joy to us. Females are very good at this. Sometimes as early as twelve years old, a girl is already in a dream state of her wedding later in life. She is hoping for a good man that will bring her joy and a wedding that will be the envy of her friends. This woman didn’t get lucky to find a good man, she has been planning for years.
Have you ever seen someone who tends to have everything go their way? Of course, most will commit how lucky this person is. But maybe, just maybe this person knows something that you don’t and is using it to help things go their way. These people understand the difference between hope and luck.
If you win the lottery, are you hopeful or lucky? Wow, trick question right? This is not a trick question. Believe it or not, you are starting with hope but relying on luck. I bet you didn’t expect that answer, did you? If it started with luck, then you wouldn’t have bought that lottery ticket. It would just magically be that you won the lottery. You see even though you may feel lucky, you actually were using hope to start with because you did put in the effort and money to purchase that ticket. Now this is what I call “working against yourself.” While you did have hope to start with, you changed it to luck/chance in the aftermath. You essentially took a positive and turned it into a negative. Negative, meaning that you are now allowing someone or something to take control away from you. This is one reason why any kind of gambling can be addictive and cost you everything. You think you are working in the positive when in actuality, you have been leaning alot farther into the negative without even knowing it.
Have I lost you yet? Let’s try this a slightly different way. Hope consists of putting some form of effort into the situation. This can be thought, money, time or even the old adage; blood, sweat and tears. Whatever it is, there must be something from you to create it. Luck on the other hand, just automatically appears. You are at the mercy of whatever force is controlling the situation.
The highest form of hope is faith. Now some might say that is just for people who are religious. This is untrue. Although faith is used by some religions, it is also used outside of the church. If you look at the definition of faith, the first part will show like this: 1. A trust or confidence in the intentions or abilities of a person, object or ideal from prior empirical evidence. Here is a simple thought on faith. Your child has faith that you will take care of them. This is much stronger than hope.
Why did I bring up the word faith while talking about hope you might be asking. This is because when you use the word hope, it doesn’t quite have a full meaning to what I’m trying to get across. Using the word faith tends to have a greater meaning for people. To show you what I mean, here is a definition of hope: 1. the feeling of trust, confidence, belief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen.
Now that I have shown what hope is and the higher side of hope which is faith, let’s take a look at the definition of luck. Luck 1. something that happens by chance, a chance occurrence, especially a favorable one.
Do you understand now why I believe we must live by hope/faith instead of luck. With hope/faith you are taking control while luck is just something that happens and may or may not show up for you. Take control today. Here is my final word on this subject. This may or not make sense to you. “Faith is a substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” If you would like to know where you can find this, I will be happy to share. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
You never know what you can do until the situation is presented to you.
We all have that extra amount of willingness, strength and determination when the time comes to call upon these. These extra bits of power usually show up during disasters of some sort within our lives but, can we pull these extras out without a disaster bringing them forth? The answer to this question is a definitive Yes, as long as we are within the right mental attitude and willing to practice until we have these mastered.
If these powers are within us, then they are also at our beckoned call. All we have to do is learn how to bring these powers into being when we want them.
Everyone has heard a story such as a woman being able to lift a car to save her child in a crash. Scientifically, this is determined by adrenaline. So why must there be a accident for this woman to call upon her body to produce enough adrenaline to lift this car? Why can’t she produce this adrenaline whenever it might help her in a normal situation? I believe this all comes down to training the body and mind to do what we ask, when we ask it to.
I know this sounds far fetched and you probably think I’m losing my mind just by bringing it up. But the question is still there. Can we train our bodies and minds to do these super human feats upon command? I believe the answer to this is another definitive Yes. Let me explain why I think this is possible. If you look at things like martial arts, the human body can produce much more strength then we ever thought it could. Martial arts also requires a great amount of mental training. In baseball, the pitcher bends his arm in very unnatural ways to make the baseball react the way he wants. (If you want to see what I’m talking about with pitchers, record a baseball game and watch the pitcher in slow motion). How is this possible? You are correct, it all comes down to training of the body as well as the mind.
So after looking at martial arts and baseball, do you now believe we can train our body and mind to control these extra powers within us? I hope you now can see that I’m not out of my mind. I really do see these things as not only possible but, already proven.
Are you willing to put in the training to achieve these super powers? Most of us would have to say no. This is why there are only a select few that become professional sports players. There are many who practice but, only a small percentage that master martial arts. These special people are willing to put their body’s and minds through the training that is needed to use these super powers at their beckoned call.
You have these powers inside you and you can master them if you really want them. Of course you will have these super powers if you are ever in a disaster and need them immediately too. The human body and mind are much stronger then we give them credit.
I have no idea why I wrote this. I hope there is someone out there that needed to read this. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
I’m going to write about something that I have always had a problem with. Why is it, no matter what kind of person he or she was, people always say the one that died was a good person? Maybe it is proper during the funeral for the families sake but, if this is so and you don’t think this was a good person in life, then why are you at the funeral to begin with?
How about the people that worked with said individual and knew they were a horrible person? When they hear of this person passing away, they always say they will be missed and what a great person he or she was. “Oh, it’s so sad that James passed away. I remember the time he waved at me and smiled.” Well, you knew him for forty years, I hope you can remember the one time he smiled and waved to you. Let’s face it, he was a horrible person in life and death only helps because you don’t have to deal with him anymore.
Maybe people say how great a person you were after you die just for their own peace of mind. Maybe there is more to it. Just possibly it’s because we see ourselves in that coffin and don’t want anyone to talk bad about us when it’s our turn. There are alot of theories out there but, I haven’t heard anyone trying to figure it out. I can say, if you plan on attending my funeral, you best speak truth. If you feel I was a terrible person, don’t hold back. Tell it like it is! I will have more respect for you if you tell the truth rather than lie to everyone.
One thing I will say is, once I’m gone, it doesn’t matter anymore. If I was a horrible person in life, then that is what I should be remembered for. If you feel like you need to say something but can’t think of anything nice without lying, then just say that I was what I was and leave it at that. Either show up at my funeral and speak the truth, be quiet or don’t show up at all.
One thing I will say on this subject that does throw a wrench into matters is if you are related to the dead person. Sometimes we are required to show up at funerals and show our respect just because we are family. If we tell what a horrible person he or she was or if we don’t show up, we may be black balled by the rest of the family. This is the only excuse there is that is reasonable for a lie.
I will put this in print so if you need to, you can show the family members that I have given you permission not to show up or to tell exactly how you feel about me. Make sure you print this post so you have a record of it if you feel it may come in handy.
I wrote this post just to cause a question to be asked and answered. Why are people always good after they die? Can you answer this question? I look forward to your thoughts. Take care out there and Remember, we are all in this together.
There is a saying, “Those that can’t do it, teach it”. The shorter version that I have always heard is “Those that can’t, teach”. Either way it is said is just plain dumb in my view. How can you truly teach someone something without being able to do it yourself?
Now I’m going to pick on teachers in the public school system a little bit here. I have had four children that I have watched go through the public school, two of which are still attending. I have found multiple times where teachers are teaching subjects that they themselves don’t understand. I will not tell which years or the names of said teachers. I am not here to condemn anyone. I am simply going to address things that I have witnessed through the years. If you are reading this and are one of these teachers guilty of this practice, I hope you will adjust you teaching methods accordingly.
Teacher’s book is for your reference. The book is not the teacher
First subject I would like to address is math. When a teacher is teaching math and they have to look in the back of the teacher’s manual to be able to give the students the correct answer, you as a teacher need to study before teaching students. I am completely flabbergasted that there are teachers teaching math when they themselves don’t understand how to get the answer. I understand there maybe times that you need to refresh your own memory but, you need to do this before getting in front of your class. You know what you are going to be teaching your students the day before. Spend a little time the night before refreshing your skills. If you do this, your students will gain a greater respect for you and you will be a genius in their eyes.
Next subject I will discuss here will be gardening, agriculture, farming or whatever the school decides to call it. If you are the teacher of this sort of class, you must know how to use the farming type tools before you teach your students. A simple tool like a shovel used incorrectly can cause injury to your students and possibly get you in a world of trouble to boot. Don’t condemn a student that is working on a farm and using a tool correctly in your class because that’s not the way you think. If you don’t know the proper way to use the tool, do some research. Research in this day and age is extremely simple. All that is needed is to go online and look it up. It’s not like it was before the internet, where finding the answer was somewhat more challenging.
There are other things that I have seen through the years that were taught by teachers, where the teacher didn’t know the answer. There is nothing wrong with not knowing. The smartest people in the world don’t know everything. You must learn yourself as well as teaching others. This is not just for school teachers. I’m picking on school teachers just because it is easier for me to show examples. If you are on the job site in a construction zone and teaching the new guy, these examples also hold true. If you find yourself in this situation, you better know what you are doing or have the mental fortitude to tell your boss that maybe you could use some more training yourself. This will keep you and your fellow workers safe and efficient.
So above I have basically talked about all the bad and why this must change. Now let me give credit where credit is due. I have met and observed some very good teachers. These teachers are school teachers as well as trainers on job sites. A trainer on a job site that knows what they are doing, not only is able to teach the new employee how to do a job correctly but also is there later for questions if needed. I have a true respect for these people and they truly deserve it.
School teachers are in position to mold a young mind and help their students have a successful life. The teachers that take this to heart and really want their students to succeed, are put on a pedestal by their students. These teachers will always hold a special place in their students lives. These teachers have my utmost respect and it is well deserved.
Every adult can look back and find one or two special teachers that made an impact on their lives. I had a couple of these teachers that I think of quite frequently. They were and are special to me today. They really cared about their students and felt if their students went on to do well in life, they had done their job. I remember some teachers but not for good reasons. These were those that thought of teaching just as a job and were just looking forward to summer break.
If you think back to both of these kind of teachers, I would be curious if you have the same reflection about them. The one thing that really hits me is, I can remember the caring ones. I remember their names, the way they looked and even sometimes the tone of there voice. I can remember special times of things that happened within the school walls. I can remember how much they wanted me to truly understand what they were teaching me and how their eyes would light up when I finally understood. The other teachers that were there just as a job are hard to remember. If I try real hard, I may be able to remember their names but with great difficulty. I can’t remember what they looked like or how they sounded. I don’t remember any special times. It’s almost like I never really knew them at all.
If you are a teacher or you are training someone at work, please take into consideration which kind of teacher you want to be remembered as. Are you there to help or just there for the job? Do you really want to teach or do you just like the summer vacation every year? I want you to really think about this because, it would be nice to see students remember all their teachers later in life and not just one or two.
Tell me what you think on this subject especially if you are a teacher. I look forward to reading your views. Take care and Remember, we are all in this together.
One thing that every human is born with is freedom of choice. Some countries respect this, others do not, but it is your God given gift and birthright. If you live in a country that does not believe in freedom of choice, I have one piece of advice to render to you. You may have to live under an unfair rule of government, but you are still you and have to choose who you are and will become.
For those that seek freedom, you are in our thoughts and prayers.
I am blessed to have been born, raised and live in a so called Free country, but I too must choose who I am and will become. No amount of man made freedom can give you the freedom you were automatically given at birth by God. Even in a Free country, there are still those who try to take your freedom from you. There are still rules to follow that allow you to have these man made rights.
Throughout history, freedoms have been given and taken away by rulers that insert their own feelings into what others deserve. The only way this can be accomplished is by the followers that bow down and accept what is handed to them. The only way to break this is enough like minded people standing up for the freedom of choice we all were given at birth. These United States that so many are trying to get to, was not given to us, they were taken by our ancestors using their freedom of choice.
You are born with God given freedom but, you must fight to keep your freedom from evil men.
All countries that don’t allow their citizens to live free can be taken and given freedom if the citizenship would stand together and take what is rightfully theirs. As long as the citizens bow down and allow their freedom to be taken, these people will never know or understand what freedom is. You as a people must take your country back from your oppressors. Don’t wait until another country comes to your aid, because it may never happen. Even if a country does come to help, they may leave at any given moment and you as a people need to be ready to continue the battle.
I know there are some out there that know what I’m talking about. These things have happened and are happening now. I wish we could fix the world but, if more people don’t stand up for what is right, the evil will continue. Stand for the right and let’s all enjoy freedom together. May God be with you and Remember, we are all in this together.
I will not be talking about best friends in this article. There are various reasons for this. First off, if you are married, I hope your best friend is your spouse. Other reasons for this is because different people view best friends in different ways. Is this your best friend because you have the same likes or dislikes? Maybe it’s because this person is the one you see most often. Of course age also plays a part in who you consider your best friend. Also many consider a best friend someone whom you have a spiritual connection with. For these reasons and others that can be brought up, I will not put myself into a trap of alot of hate mail over whom your best friend should or shouldn’t be. This post is written solely about true friends.
If you get out of high school with two true friends, you are blessed. Most will graduate high school and later find out, they have one true friend. This friend may have gone to high school with you or maybe not. This has little impact on what a true friend is. Everybody has a different view on what a true friend is. I’m not here trying to change your mind In any way. I am simply presenting what I believe the “true friend” concept to be. We all have friends, but how many of them are true friends?
If you are reading this and are still in high school, you will look around and say you have many true friends. Once you leave high school and continue on your life’s path, you will discover that this is no longer the case. You as well as your friends are changing, growing up and looking for your perfect piece of life on your own. This may be to go into the military, go to college, have a family, stay single or go into the family business. There are way too many things to list. You may look at my list and consider most of these things or none of them. It really doesn’t matter. The main thing is that you are going to follow whatever dream you may have. It is important to also remember that your friends will also be making choices for themselves as well.
This is a huge step into being who you want to be. This is also a time where friendships break down. This doesn’t mean that you can’t get together with old friends but, you will notice a difference that is very hard to explain. The connection is no longer the same as it once was. You may be happy when you see them but, five or more years may fly by without even thinking of them.
True friends have a special bond
So what is a true friend? True friends have a special bond that is never broken. A true friend is a person that no matter how long it has been, they are still in the back of your mind during these long separations. A true friend is someone you can call when you need help and you know they will do what they can to help you without judgment. A true friend will never talk bad about you to others even when you deserve it. If you have messed up in life, a true friend will be trying to figure out a way to get you back on track again. This friend will not allow others to talk bad about you without defending you at all cost. This kind of friend will tell you the truth when you ask a hard question about your life. This person will back you up to the ends of the earth if necessary.
And there is one more big thing about a true friend. After you have been apart for some time and you see each other again, it will be like nothing ever changed. This is my view of a true friend. You can understand now why I say that if you leave high school with two true friends, you are truly blessed. Thank you for reading and feel free to tell me how you describe a true friend. Take care and Remember, we are all in this together.
Did you know that panic causes bad situations to become one hundred times worse? Once panic sets in, the problems will continue to get worse. During a natural disaster, this could and will cause more lives to be lost. These lives are the unnecessary ones that could have been saved if only we stayed calm.
Let’s take a look at a smaller scale of panic. How about the panic that some have of thunderstorms. Some people will have panic attacks during such storms. This can be something that person may feel they have no control over. These panic attacks are very real and can cause very real bodily harm. Panic attacks like these can cause heart attacks if they are bad enough. I’m no doctor and have never claimed to be, but I do want to help these people to understand not only the physical damage, but also the mental damage these can cause.
First let’s examine exactly what panic is. Panic is the fear of something that is believed by the person or persons to be beyond the person or persons control. The dictionary states panic as “To feel overwhelming fear.” Now I must ask, has panic ever helped in any situation? Of course not, so we must train ourselves not to have these overwhelming fears. Easier said then done I’m told, however the military has been training panic out our people from all walks of life for as long as there has been a military. How do they do this, you may ask? With training and more training. The mind can be trained to think beyond panic. This is by no means any kind of brain washing. This is simply looking at a situation with a different point of view.
I’m not suggesting that you join the military to solve your panic situations. This is not necessary. You can do this on your own if you just put a little thought into it. Let’s take our fear of thunderstorms as an example. If you have a fear of these and they bring you to a panic, ask yourself this, “Is my panic changing the way the thunderstorm reacts?” The answer to this is of course a big fat no! Okay, so is your panic over these storms causing you trouble? Well of course it is. You are allowing something you have no control over to harm you unnecessarily. You are hurting yourself physically and with allowing your brain to control you instead of you controlling your brain, you are actually hurting yourself mentally. You may not like these storms, you may even hate them and you are allowing them to beat you up and cause you harm for no reason at all. The thunder is going to boom, the lightning is going to crack and the rain is going to come. What are you going to do to stop it? Absolutely nothing! It’s going to happen if you like it or not. So why let the fear take over when it’s not going to help? If you want to help yourself, get indoors, close the windows and enjoy the light show and drums. There is something happening that is awesome to experience and you didn’t even have to pay admission. Not a band in the world is going to give you that kind of show for free.
I must add this before I decide not to, we all are caught off guard by panic sometimes in our lives. When we are caught, it depends how fast we can get ourselves back under control that counts. As a trained fire fighter, the one thing that I should never do is panic during a fire, but it happened to me once over something very small in size. When my wife and I had first moved in together, I had an episode that still bothers me and yet makes my wife laugh to this day. I was watching television, lounging on the couch while my wife was cooking dinner. Out of the blue, my wife very calmly said, “Scaggs, I have a fire.” She had a small grease fire on the stove. Instead of calmly getting up and putting out the fire, I jumped up, almost leaving my skin still on the couch and yelled, “where, what!” Then she looked at me with a small grin. This seemed to calm me down and I had the fire out in the matter of seconds by putting a pan lid on the pan. There was absolutely no rhythm or reason for my panic, but it did happened. I have seen alot of bad fires, but I panicked on a very small situation. Until I calmed down, I was making the situation worse. Once calm, all was well. So you see, sometimes even training can elude us. Don’t beat yourself up too badly over things like this. Just file these instances for future reference and don’t make the same mistake again.
Let’s move on to natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. Is panic going to help during these things? No, not even close. If you panic, your setting yourself up to be one of the many that will be searched for when it’s over. The person who can put aside the panic and look for a way out, has the greatest chance of survival. Of course your going to be scared. You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t, but don’t use that when things are happening. When it all comes down, this is the time to use your brain for survival not for running in circles. When it’s over, that’s the time to get the shakes and let the tears flow. Don’t start out failing! Think survival not panic and you have a chance to see tomorrow. If you panic, chances are slim that you will survive.
So what is panic? Panic is not only fear but also failure. You have already quit on yourself before you have even given yourself a chance. As far as these panic attacks that come to some of you out of nowhere for no reason, there is a reason. You need to figure out why you are having these so you can move on to getting rid of them. Until you have overcome them, breath through them and ask yourself, “Is there a reason I’m doing this now?” It will help. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
If you don’t want the answer, don’t ask! I have lived by this sentence for many years and it has served me well. I have always tried to be honest, but others feelings tend to lead to small lies (white lies as some call them). If I’m to be a truthful person, how can I tell even the smallest of lies and keep credibility? Even if I am trying not to offend someone, a lie is still a lie. It doesn’t matter how small the lie, if I’m telling it, that makes me a lier.
So how am I supposed to tell my boss at work the truth about a situation when he wants a certain answer but this isn’t the truth? I decided to incorporate into my language a short sentence that has helped me keep a solid reputation as a truthful person. “If you don’t want the answer, don’t ask.” This allows the other person to choose whether they really want the truth or not be told. Everyone that knows me, knows I give my honest opinion. I hold nothing back. I have used this many times with my work supervisors, friends, family and even with enemies. But, never ever with my wife!
There are always the questions you may be asked, that requires a variation of what the truth is. Not a lie, but not the first thing that comes to your mind. Here is an example of a trap that all men are stuck dealing with a girlfriend or wife. “Honey, do these pants make me look fat?” In this instance, one cannot use the sentence I have described above unless you have a death wish! Also you cannot necessarily say what comes to mind at first. Here is an example, “Well, if you want to look like a hippopotamus on swan lake, it’s great!” This too is a death sentence! So the best way to answer this question would be to think of something she has worn before that you really liked and go with that. This answer would be something like “Honestly, I really liked that stripe pair of pants you had on the other day.”
Well. Dear you look….
Now guys, let’s face it, unless you want to lie to your bride, it doesn’t matter what you say, it is going to be wrong. On the other hand, she will appreciate that you didn’t just lie to her. You found a way to get out of lying and still make her feel as beautiful as you know she is.
Ladies, your men see you as lovely and beautiful as they have always seen you. If you ask your man to answer a question like the one above, then you are asking him to look through another’s eyes. Once you do this, you have set your man up for a fall, because no matter how beautiful you look, you aren’t worried about how men see you, you are worried about how other women see you. Let’s be truthful, if women think you look good, then you know men do too.
So using the sentence I have suggested does work with bosses, fellow workers, family and friends as well with enemies. However, this helpful sentence is never to be used with your significant other, unless you really are ready for a knock down, drag out fight and possibly death of a relationship.
I have tried to make this as enjoyable as I can while still getting my message across. It is true what I have said about using this made up sentence. It has worked for me over and over again. Once someone decides that they do want your opinion, (truth as you see it) they may get angry but, they have no reason to be angry with you because they were warned.
What are your thoughts?
I would love to hear your thoughts about what this post is about. Let me know if you have tried this sentence and if it has worked for you. Also, let me know if using my ideas while answering your spouses impossible questions has helped. Ladies, am I wrong about what I said when looking good for other women is important? I look forward to your responses. Take care out there and Remember, we are all in this together.
Why do we want to be followers instead of leaders? Let’s face it, it is much easier to follow than to lead. This taking the easy follow way ultimately turns into more work later in life. It is a trap that is hard to get out of. It is easier to study hard in school the first time and get the good grades. This will lead into better opportunities in the job market than to try to make up schooling at a later date in life. The ones that don’t study hard, find themselves having to fight the rest of their lives to get the good job they could’ve had all along if they were to just start with this goal in mind In the first place. This is learning to lead your own life and learning to lead or follow others, depending which avenue you decide to take.
Leaders are not born into leadership, leaders are created by the leader themselves. These people have found the way to lead others is to be in the right frame of mind. Those that follow are in the position of one of two things. They either have very low self esteem or they are extremely lazy when it comes to using the gift of the mind we are all given. Yes it is true that some have a higher IQ then others but this is not what makes a leader. A higher IQ just means it is easier to understand a problem put before them, usually it is known as book smarts.
Leaders don’t have to be book smart to lead others. Actually most leaders do not possess book smarts because book smarts consists of following someone else’s position that has been written down. A good leader pushes others to follow by example. This can be done in various ways, but it usually comes down to the leader coming up with their own ideas that others want to follow.
Leadership can also be dangerous. If the person that is leading others is not a good hearted person, this can lead not only the leader but also the followers of this person into destruction. Their is such a thing as good leaders as well as bad. We can look into history and find both sides of this coin. However in both cases, the one who has followers, has learned how to lead, whether it be for a good or bad cause. Let’s see some examples; Abraham Lincoln was what is known as a good leader, while Adolf Hitler would be known as a bad or destructive leader. Both of these men knew the secret to get people to follow them, but with completely different results. So when I say a bad leader, I am talking about a destructive leader. Adolf Hitler was good at leading people but for all the wrong reasons, so this makes him a bad leader.
If you want to be a good leader, you must be careful not to lead for your own selfish reasons. A good leader will always want the best for his or her followers. If you use your new found leadership skills for selfish reasons, you will ultimately fail and drag all your followers down with you.
Be a good leader and teach others to become good leaders as well. By teaching others to lead by your example, you will become an even greater leader than you ever dreamed you could be.
What things can you come up with that makes a good leader? On the flip side, what do you think makes a bad leader? I would like to hear your thoughts on this. As you come up with your responses to these questions and respond to others who share their ideas. Please be kind to others in your replies and Remember, we are all in this together.
One thing that can’t be forgiven is suicide. This is the ultimate selfish end to everyone that loves you. You have taken every aspect of good and forced heartache into all that know you. This is a heartache that does not go away. It is a stain on all of your loved ones. When someone dies in an accident, tragedy, or from natural causes, there is a time of mourning, but as time goes by the healing will begin for the loved ones. When someone takes their own life, the healing cannot and will not ever be there for the loved ones. There will be a hurt that will never ease in any way.
People will look into the life of a suicide and say things that try to make sense of it. Well, he or she had a lot of problems. He or she was a very sad person. He or she needed help and couldn’t find it. These are responses of the living trying to find any kind of peace for themselves. Actually, none of these reasons warrant the taking of your life and I will tell you why. If you open your eyes and look around, there is always someone that has it worse than you, and they are making things work. These people will live a miserable life if they have to, just so they don’t bring the pain to others. These people will also find the solution to their problems. They will gain strength in their struggles and will see how much better off they are for the hardships they have been through. Those who soldiered on will see how selfish, weak and cowardly those that take their own lives are.
I want you to know right now, there is help. Don’t give up! Don’t force the pain you are feeling onto others because you are having a hard time. Seek help now! Don’t wait until tomorrow. You know where you are with your feelings. You may not think that there is anybody that cares for you, but you are dead wrong. Furthermore, you are reading an article right now of someone who cares. There are also others reading this and want to help you. We may not know your name, but we care and are willing to listen to you. I am willing to talk with you and get to know you. I will listen to your problems and help you see a different way.
Give me and others a chance before you do something that you can’t take back or be forgiven for. You can respond to this post or contact me directly at joinme@readcsi.com. If you wish to be even more private, let me know, and I will be more than happy to give you my personal email. I truly believe that you can change your way of thinking and see a better future. If you are a teenager or someone who would like to hear a new perspective through a teenager’s eyes, I suggest checking out my daughter’s site. I am so proud of her and her friend reaching out to other teenagers to help with the hurt so many are going through. You can find them on Instagram @brettzoid. If anyone reading this post would like to add their thoughts, I welcome you to reply below. Together we can make a difference and help someone in need.
If you have read any of my post before, you will notice that I try to end my post with a small sentence that really hits home with not only myself but with others as well. I will end this here, and I will keep an eye on my email for your thoughts and questions. I look forward to talking with you. Take care, think of others as well as yourself and remember, we are all in this together.
It is true that we must labor to make a living, but what are you doing to make a life? I’m not talking about having children, I’m talking about your life. Going to work at a job you don’t like will make you a living but not necessarily a life. You need to enjoy what you do for a living to have a good and fruitful life. You can have a job that you dislike and still enjoy it with the right frame of mind.
Keep a joyful life even while making a living
Most people don’t realize the difference between just living and life. One hundred percent of us are in the living sector but what percent can actually say they have a good and fruitful life? Many go to work forty or more hours a week to make that all important living that pays the bills and puts food on the table. Maybe seventy percent of these people make it to retirement age. Once retired, possibly twenty-five percent of those retired have the means and physical ability to enjoy the remainder of their lives. That’s not very high in my point of view. Besides, why do we need to get to sixty-five or older to have that life we so much desire? Why can’t we have true meaning before we get old?
So what makes a good life? Some are content with the nine to five jobs, going home to see the family and for a home cooked meal. Three or four hours of enjoyment, then off to bed. The best thing we can think about is the weekend or maybe the week or two of vacation once a year. Of course the family vacation takes away the savings we have, which later will hurt us when we are ready to finally retire. Some have retirement money through their jobs like the 401k or maybe the company will pitch in if you spend thirty years with them. By the time you reach this all important age, you find out the retirement money isn’t really as much as you planned. It really looked good on paper, but when you start paying for things you want to do, you find out it’s never enough.
Don’t wait till retirement, enjoy life now
I know it sounds like I’m being down hearted about this living versus life, but I’m going to bring a light to this right now. You can make a living and have a good life everyday once you set your mind to it. This has nothing to do with money. This my friends has everything to do with your mindset. You have to learn how to enjoy life even when things are at their worst. If you are of the mindset of just putting in your time till retirement to have a life, then that’s exactly what you’re going to get. You will not find true joy until you receive that gold watch for thirty years of hard labor. And sometimes, once we arrive at that time, we find out how fast time has gone and how much joy we have missed. Worse of all, maybe our bodies aren’t in the shape we planned on when we get there. This would really put a kink in our plans.
Retirement is happiest if you enjoy life before
To have a good life from beginning to end, we must determine to live every day to it’s fullest. Then once we hit that all important time to finally retire, we can look back and see that we had a good life all along and didn’t miss the joy that came with it. When you wake up in the morning, and every morning from now on, decide to have the positive outlook instead of the grind it out negative way. I will guarantee, if you follow my advice, even the worst day can be a good day.
My friends, this may not make sense to you right now, but if you try the positive outlook for one month, every single day, you will feel the joy that you so desire and deserve. Don’t wait to get old to have a life. Start today and enjoy the time you have. We never know how long we truly have. Don’t wait to enjoy life. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
I have been a teacher, not in the traditional sense, but I have taught in many of my occupations. This is about one of those teaching experiences that maybe went not quite as expected.
First off, let me explain something about haulage trucks and rain. These are two entities that are polar opposites. When the rains come to the mines, one thing is true, all haul truck drivers are in for an adventure. While the rain keeps pouring from the sky, haul trucks drive just fine, but when the rain stops and the dirt on the road becomes more like clay, it is like driving on ice. There is no feeling like sliding down the road in a machine the size of your house with no true control. Just as one tops the hill and is ready to head down the other side, the driver tenses up, especially in the buttocks’ region. There were many times I thought I might actually have to call out mine rescue to remove the seat from my butt. After about six months or so, it becomes more of a game than a total fear of life ending drama.
There are still times, no matter how many years you drive one of these big machines, that you will have that scare put back into you. Here in Arizona, where I drove in the mines, we have a monsoon season every year. Sometimes the monsoons aren’t too bad, other times they are downright fierce. This instance is during one of the bad ones.
I trained a lot of haul truck drivers during my time working in the copper mines. Almost all drivers taught, but I taught more than the average amount. I’m not sure if it was because of my ability to talk to almost anyone and find out what works best for them, or maybe I just had a death wish. Some trainees would get behind the wheel and scare the trainers. I only had this happen to me one time in twenty years teaching to drive these trucks. I may and probably will write about that time in the future. This post however will be about the teacher scaring the student.
Whenever we got some new drivers in the mine, one thing we always told them, was if they made it through the monsoon season, they would be alright as long as they wanted to do this job. Once every couple of years. It seemed like we would get a new batch of students during the monsoons. This was the times the students truly got thrown directly into the fire. Learning to drive a haulage truck in the worst possible circumstance is very difficult, not only for the students, but for the trainers as well.
One day at work I was told that I would be training John, (truth be known, I can’t remember his name. This was many years ago). The rains had been bad for a week or so and the mine roads were a complete mess. John was excited to get started. He told me that he had driven many types of equipment, but never in a mine setting or anything as large as a haul truck. I explained how the rains affected the trucks and how bad the roads were right now. It didn’t seem to phase him. Maybe this guy will do alright, I thought. I have, and still do believe, the only way to learn to drive one of these monsters is to get behind the wheel and do it. I never allowed a trainee to just ride around all shift watching me drive. The first day it’s ok to ride and watch for half a shift, but after that, it’s time for the student to drive. This day was the exception.
I believe there were thirteen students that showed up that day. All the driver’s that would have trainees with them, including myself, decided, the students would just ride today. This was going to be a suck your seat up the butt kind of day. If the students didn’t quit today just by riding, then maybe they would make it through training. When the experienced drivers were worried, then I could just imagine what the students were going through. These poor trainees were going to have the ride of their lives and didn’t even have to buy a ticket!
The first half of the shift was a circus. Drive up the hill, slide down the hill, and hope you didn’t hit anything. The bosses all parked their pickups at the top of the mine to watch what was happening below. There was no way in the world they were going to be on the road with us, doing everything we could to keep from playing bumper cars! I was doing fairly well keeping my truck out of the ditch, which was quite the challenge. I told John once that it was his turn to drive, and his eyes got huge until I said that I was just kidding. With a sigh of relief, he said under his breath, “Oh, thank God!” I laughed and told him that even I wasn’t that big of a jerk.
Maybe six hours into our shift, one of the shovels went down, and they had to start another one up. This wasn’t that big of a deal except, the road to the shovel hadn’t been worked on all day and I knew it was going to be extremely slick. The rains were turning on and off all day, keeping the roads in terrible condition. This road hadn’t been worked on today by road crew because they had their hands busy with all the other roads. Dispatch told me to let them know the condition of the road, so they knew whether they needed to pull someone to work on it. I knew It was going to be bad, but I didn’t know it was going to be that bad.
I stopped at the top of the hill, looking down the other side, and told John, this is going to be the best ride in the park today. John let out a small groan, which is what I would’ve done if he weren’t here with me. I have to keep up good appearances for the student, I thought to myself. Slowly we started down the hill. I knew it was going to be slick. I knew we were going to slide. Furthermore, I knew that my butt would try to eat my seat. Furthermore, I also knew that I had a trainee in the seat next to me, and I had to play it cool, so I didn’t scare him into quitting on his first day. What I didn’t know was how awful it was going to be and how hard it would be to keep my cool for John’s sake.
We started down with a small slide toward the driver’s side. This soon turned into a very large slide. One thing kept popping in my mind, stay cool for John’s sake. So I started explaining what I was doing to keep us on the road and out of the ditch. I explained every turn of the steering wheel, how much brake pressure I was using and how to watch what the road was telling me with the dips and potholes we were navigating over and around. I explained these things all the way down the hill towards the shovel we were heading for. Furthermore, I even told John that was the shovel as we passed the shovel, still sliding for another three hundred yards on the flat and heading towards the berm! The truck came to rest about fifty feet from the berm. I locked the parking break and took a deep breath. John looked as pale as a ghost, and I wasn’t sure that I didn’t as well.
Over the radio came a familiar voice of my ole buddy Pat, who was running the shovel. With a small laugh, Pat said, “Hey Billy, the shovel is over here, come on over and get loaded.” I answered back, “John and I are going to step out for a small break and clean our shorts out first!” I smiled at John to let him know everything was okay. Truth be told, even though I had to play it cool for John, my heart was running about ten times faster than I was letting on. I asked, “Are you okay, John?” He said, “I didn’t mind the sliding and all, but I guess what bothered me was how you explained what you were doing as we were coming down the hill.” I answered, “What do you mean? I just wanted you to get the idea of what I was doing to keep us out of the ditch.” He said, “Ya, but you were looking at me the whole time!” John, I said, “Actually, I was looking at the road, it just happened to be out of your window!” This did not sit well with John, as his pale white took on a light shade of green. Maybe that was not what he wanted to hear, but it was the truth.
We got through the rest of the shift without incident, and I assured John that today was not normal and tomorrow would be better. He shook my hand and thanked me for everything. The next day came and as my shift was beginning soon, I asked my boss where John was. The supervisor told me he was one of the five students that quit today. Well I hated to see John go, but it let me know that he probably wasn’t right for this job anyway. Yes, it was extreme conditions, but that is part of the job.
We all have our limitations. As for John, I hope he found a great career outside the mines. I’m not sure if he just didn’t have the stomach for the job, or if maybe he was just smarter than the rest of us that continued with this line of work. Sometimes you just have to find the right place in life for you. Oh, just to set the record straight, I only lost one other student during training in the mines, and he was the one that scared me, whom I talked about earlier.
Take care, enjoy what you do and remember, we are all in this together.
This, my friends, is going to be fun to write. I get excited every time I think about the concept I will be teaching today. Everything yesterday, today and in the future deals with two basic concepts, positive and negative. No matter what it is we deal with in life, we are still creatures of these two thought patterns. If you are a positive person, then this post will help you with those minimal times of doubt. If you are a negative person…. well you need to read this post over and over again. Hopefully, you will gain a positive outlook on your life and those around you.
Doubt comes no matter who you are or in what circumstances you are dealing with in life. Even the most positive person will allow doubt to creep in, sometimes even unnoticed. Why do we doubt things and even ourselves at times? Doubt can be considered as that extra sense that can cause all kinds of havoc. Some suggest that our sixth sense is one that lets us know that something is about to happen or something may not be right. Doubt will hang on to this sixth sense like an ugly little monster that just wants to destroy what you are doing in life. So what is this creepy thing we call doubt? The definition of doubt is; To be undecided about; to lack confidence in; to disbelieve, to question. Synonyms: distrust, mistrust. So basically put, this is negatively in its purest form.
If you are in a situation where this ugly little thing called doubt is getting involved, there is a problem with the situation or with you. At this point, you must be honest with yourself and decide if the situation, or you are at fault. Sometimes this can be real tricky because your mind will mess with you and create more doubt. So what are we to do to resolve this problem? You have to ask yourself some questions to decide whether doubt is a warning connected to that sixth sense or is it worry, lack of confidence or just plain fear. Here are some questions to ask yourself. Do the facts line up? Am I working with a positive attitude, or am I lurking into the dark shadows of negativity? Am I dealing with a positive or negative person? Have I done this before and did it work? Do I believe in myself? Am I over thinking the situation or process?
Once you have answered these questions that you have presented yourself, you can allow the true magic to happen. The magic isn’t magic at all, but it will feel like it. Here we go! You must doubt your doubts! That’s right. If you doubt your doubts, then you can remove all doubt. You can now make a positive choice whether to go through with it or not. You have officially removed the negativity that led to the doubt in the first place.
Always keep in mind that a person who lives with doubt can never accomplish anything of value. These are the naysayers that believe nothing good can come of anything. These are the negative people I spoke about. These people will go through life just bouncing along with no goals. You can set all the goals you want, but living in doubt means you will never accomplish any of said goals.
How can a concept so simple be so hard to learn? It’s not hard to learn at all, my friends. I just gave you the formula to positive thinking. If you find yourself dealing with a negative person (doubter), you better take warning. These people are toxic to you if you follow their direction. Instead, do what you say you can do instead of folding up camp because they said you can’t. Once you have done it, maybe, just maybe, you can take the doubt out of the doubter and help change a negative person to a positive one.
This world runs on eighty percent negative and twenty percent positive. It’s the twenty percent that keeps the world creating new and wonderful things. It’s the eighty percent that slow down progress. Don’t be part of the eighty. Stand tall with the twenty! I sure hope I got my point across. I picked this idea up from a wise man and ran with it in my own way to help explain to you, my readers, in the simplest way I know how. Don’t forget to doubt your doubts to remove all doubt. As always, take care and remember, we are all in this together.
As a male, the number one reason to get into trouble, especially during our teen years, is to impress a female. So this would draw the question, why are teen girls drawn to the bad boys? This can be explained within the “boring rule”. The good boys are boring, where the boys who get into trouble bring excitement, even though, they also bring trouble to those who hang around them.
As we get into our twenties, things change. Most young women start figuring out that the bad boys will not be able or willing to do what it takes to get them what they want out of life. Young men still want to go out and be crazy but young women want the males to grow up and become family men, taking care of them and giving them the finer things in life. Things like a family, a nice house and enough money to take vacations every year are very important as a female starts into her twenties.
Here is where the times are becoming hard for the boys/men. Males are expected to act a certain way to attract females in their teenage years, just to see these same girls end up with the boring boys later in life. The so called boring boys are the ones working to get good grades and ultimately end up with the good jobs which later turn into what girls want as they become young women.
It is very true that girls mature faster than boys usually. There are always the stand outs of course. There are males that mature quickly, usually because they are forced to. It could be a death of their father or older brother that makes them step up much quicker in life. Military is also a great way to learn how to grow up quickly. On the other hand, there are girls that refuse to grow up because they have fallen into the wrong crowd or something happened to them at a younger age. Drugs can also play a major role in this along with abuse in the family.
I have noticed that the gap in mature rate between males and females have started to close up in recent years. This is due to changes in society. The whole fabric of human existence seems like it has been torn and it’s very sad to see. Alot of girls are slowing down their mature rate and alot of boys are no longer maturing at all. Why do you think this is happening more today then in years before? I believe it has become socially acceptable. We are no longer holding young adults to the higher standards we once did.
Unless we bring back some “old school thought” into our society, I believe we will see more and more problems as we go forward. It is okay and a good thing to have our fun time, but there is a time to step up and take responsibility for our actions. The more times we give our society a pass on these responsibilities, the fewer people that will actually mature at a time that is needed. Where will we be when there are no more mature adults? Not in a good place my friends.
Teach your children the responsibilities of there actions as they grow into young adults and let’s keep society with both kids and grownups and not just kids trying to figure things out without any adults to look up to. Take care out there and Remember, we are all in this together.
Does it seem like we are trying so hard to make an easier life for humanity, we are actually hurting ourselves? If this holds true then how and why? One case may show part of the reason is we are deep into the electronic age or robotics age, if you will. The starting of a child’s life now and for the rest of his or her life is and will revolve around electronic devices including robotics.
Gotta have that phone on always, right?
Are you old enough to remember, as a teenager or younger, going around the neighborhood, looking to make money doing odd jobs? I remember cutting grass, hauling hay and even working on cars, before I was old enough for high school. This is the way we used to do things but look around now and tell me how many of these children are out trying to make a buck. How many times has a youngster knocked on your door and asked to mow your lawn? Even the young girls are no longer asking to help clean up your yard or house for a few dollars. I believe this all stems from taking away from our children not only a need for these jobs but a want.
Children are having their “learn how to grow up phase” taken away from them. And we as a society are teaching our children to be lazy and not worry about taking care of business when they do become adults. So where have we gotten with all these new technologies? I believe we have actually started dumbing down society. Of course your five year old can run a computer but if we were to lose electricity for a month, how many people today could survive? We still need to teach our children basic skills that have nothing to do with an electronic device or they will be lost if something does happen.
What happened to teaching something other than how to use electronics in school?
If you have kids in school today, the first thing you may notice is the tablet or laptop they are using in school now. That in itself is fine but for doing all their work on one is just crazy. We are teaching our children not only to depend on electronic devices for everything but also showing them how so many people are losing their jobs to robots. So many industries no longer need people to run them. If people are needed, it is fewer and fewer. The grocery store may have ten registers but only three need employees because the customers themselves are running the other seven.
When was the last time your children played a game that didn’t include a electronic device? I believe in all the technology that we are so proud of and continue to make better, but at the same time we are destroying the society that we should be worried about. Technology is like anything else, too much is a problem and we most definitely have a problem.
So if this is a problem, how do we fix it? First we have to limit the time our children use electronics especially cell phones. Almost anything that can be done on the internet, can now be done in the palm of your hand. But children are losing out on this great world of ours. Anything and everything includes a cell phone today. Even going camping or fishing, the young ones as well as adults have their cell phones running all the time. This would be fine if it was incase of a problem so you could call someone for help, but that’s not why they take them. The main reason is to have your nose stuck in it talking to friends online or worse to people you don’t even know. If for some reason the camping trip is in a place where the cell phone doesn’t have service, do we leave them in the car? Of course not, then is when the off-line games come in. Did you catch any fish on your trip? No but I beat level twenty-five on slam dunk chocolate mania! Really sad it has come to this.
R2-D2 is ready to take your job
Another problem is with the adults helping their company build systems that ultimately take their own jobs away. The company that you helped build is doing great while you are out looking for a new place of employment. Jobs have never been so hard to find. Even the burger joints are getting to where they only need one fifth of the work force they once needed. So how do we put an end to this problem. I don’t think there is a quick fix but demanding more and more for the employees is not helping the situation.
Unions are great in one way and bad in other ways. They help the employees get good pay and good benefits. They also tend to push farther then they should. The companies are figuring out with fewer people to pay, the more profit they make. Companies are going more and more to robotics to take away the need of paying for health insurance, higher minimum wages and retirements. Machines have no need for these things and they also don’t call off sick. Win win for the company and if you like it or not, the reason companies are in business is to make money.
Higher minimum wages will ultimately break you
There has to be a middle ground that we can come to. People are pushing harder and harder for an easier life with electronics and ultimately, we are pushing ourselves into the poor house. We no longer teach our children to make it without electronics. We no longer realize the harder we push for more and more money for the same amount of work is causing us to be replaced. The machines are truly taking over and humans are at fault. Let’s back the clock up and teach our children along with learning for ourselves how to live without all the electronics. Like I said before, technology is great but too much will destroy society itself. Let’s take a step back into old school thought. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
Divorce is happening more often as a percentage not because of growing apart but because of the selfishness of both partners. Neither side of the relationship is willing to grow up and take responsibility. This has caused a trigger in alot of young adults to have babies but never get married. The thought of divorce has caused overwhelming fear of commitment. If you believe in marriage or not, is your business. But without this bond, you are just telling your partner that you don’t love them enough to sign the contract. You never have to say this aloud but mentally, this is what is being picked up. The male will always have in the back of his mind that she will leave him any day now. The female will always believe she is not worthy of him.
Together without true bond
Another reason, is that the government is pushing people away from getting hitched. It is becoming easier to make a living when the contract isn’t signed. The tax break for being married is weakening and it is much easier to get government help if you don’t have to show that there is a spouse helping with the children. Divorce, in most states, consists of the parents doing their due diligence until the youngest child turns eighteen (in some cases until the child is twenty-one). It is much easier for the partners, if the marriage never exists, depending on state laws, of course.
Young people no longer want to be tied down until death do them part. Of course, if there are children, then the parents will still be attached if they like it or not. But who is it that truly pays for this lack of commitment? The children of course and their children. You have taught your children this is the way to live. We all learn the environment we are in.
Your children deserve your commitment
Leaving the door open and not sealing it with the commitment of marriage is just like quitting before you even begin. This is just a way to play house without taking on your responsibilities. Of course you are going to be completely destroyed if your partner cheats on you but without the commitment, are they truly cheating or using this time to expand their horizon? There is no contract to break other than the verbal boyfriend/girlfriend rules. Neither one of you have taken a stand for yourself to be with this one man or woman. You have also decided not to take a stand for your partner or, worse of all, your children. All you have done is split the bills and hope the other doesn’t do you wrong. At the same time you are telling your partner that you are also looking around, even if you aren’t.
Another way to think about this is, both of you buy a car together or house and both of your names are on the contract. You are betting on each other that both of you will hold up responsibilities of making the payments on said property. So what both of you have decided is that car or house deserves a contract signed by each of you but neither of you are good enough to have a contract with. I could go on and on about this subject. I choose to leave it as it is because I believe I have given you something to think about. No matter what your religion is or your thoughts of marriage as an institution, don’t your children deserve this commitment in their lives? Your marriage may or may not work out but don’t let the fear hold you back. Take a chance on your beloved and no matter what happens, your children will reap the benefits of your commitment.
True faith and belief in each other
These ideas are truly of my own thinking and not to dismantle anyone who doesn’t agree with me. If I didn’t write what I feel in my heart, then I’m just writing to pass the time. I will never publish anything that I don’t truly believe and feel that it needs to be written. Take care, love one another, step up to the plate and Remember, we are all in this together.
When I write a post, these are either what I believe in and/or what I have lived through. I always leave my post open for not only agreeing with me but also for those that disagree. I wanted to write this today because I think some have gotten the wrong impressions of why I write the way I do and about the subjects I pick. If you disagree with me and want it to be posted, all I ask is you don’t use foul language. If you can do this, all reviews will be posted! These are my opinions and views that I pull out of my head and my heart. My post are just my way of giving you, my readers, a chance for a fresh view to process on your own or discuss with your friends and family. Also, a word of advice, if your not sure of something you read, do some research. Don’t just take everything to heart because someone published it. They may be wrong.
I may not always be the most articulate writer and this is because of two distinct reasons. The first is because, I want to do my writing as though I am talking directly with you and not at you. The second is because, I don’t use big words myself and it would be unrealistic for me to write in a way that I don’t think or talk. I write from my heart not from a dictionary and I plan to continue to do so.
Incorporating teachings
I do try to put teaching within my writings, using lessons that I have learned. I feel if I am not teaching what I have learned, then I’m just writing for myself. This is not what I want to accomplish. I am a teacher at heart, so I must follow the way I am led. I do write about parts of my life that I have lived through, usually with funny things that have happened. When I write about my adventures, I always let my readers know, this is what I have done. When I write my stories about my adventures, I try to put it as close to what happened as I can. I do try to leave foul language out because I don’t want to be known as a writer of foul language. This is a personal choice and in no way a slam on anyone who chooses another path.
I have written before that I write about things as they come to me and tonight this is where this post comes from. I will continue to write my teachings and my life stories as long as you will have me.
I want to thank each and everyone of you that continue to read my post. I also ask that you let me know if I hit a nerve with you, whether good or bad, so don’t be shy and tell me. If you wish to send me a direct email without it going on the post, here is my email; tailfeathers32@protonmail.com Just make sure you are off my website when you send it. I will be happy to discuss any problems you have with my post. Thank you for reading and Remember, we are all in this together.
This is an adventure I had with one of my friends that I ran around with in my teen years. Kevin and I were and still are good friends. Unlike me, he is still in the Missouri Ozarks. This is a place I have great memories of and miss a great deal. In the area where we lived, it was almost impossible to get to someone’s house without driving on a dirt road. My house was no different. We lived at the bottom and in between two hills. One was steeper but shorter, the other was quite a bit longer but not as steep. This longer route was the one that was used the most because it emptied out on a blacktop road. The other went into another dirt road before it hit blacktop. The shorter of the two was also the wrong way to go in the winter because it was so steep and snow and ice would make it incredibly slick.
All of us at the time did a lot of engine work on our vehicles to make them faster than stock, and Kevin’s truck was no different. Of course, at our age, getting on dirt was a reason to spin the tires. Asphalt tears up tires, but a good dirt road is fun without the cost of tearing things up, usually. We all worked on our own vehicles and helped each other out when we could. Kevin was very good at mechanics, so his vehicles always ran top-notch.
Up at the top of the hill, close to the paved road, there was a man that lived in a ground set trailer. It sat back, maybe two acres off the dirt road. He kept pretty much to himself, except he really didn’t like when we drove past his house kicking up dust. I kinda considered him more of a city man instead of a country man. He really didn’t belong there. I never really had many dealings with him because he didn’t do any kind of farming, and he didn’t want to have anything to do with us farmers. Like I said, he didn’t fit in.
I’m not sure if we were coming home from school, but that is how I remember it. On this day, when we pulled off the paved road onto the dirt road, Kevin gave a little more throttle to his Chevy than was needed, and it caused the truck to slide sideways. It wasn’t a full on rip up the road kind of thing. It was just enough to make the truck “fishtail” to one side and make us both laugh. I was a little upset that he didn’t give it more gas then he did. We headed on down the hill to my house. My dad was out front working on a tree he had just planted. Kevin and I went into the house to get something to drink.
It was maybe fifteen minutes later and my dad yells for us to come outside. We went out and there was a cop talking to my dad. Oh no, what’s going on?, I thought to myself. This officer asked why we had been doing doughnuts at the top of the hill. Kevin and I looked shocked. We both denied it. Kevin told the officer that maybe he was going faster than he should, but we weren’t doing doughnuts. I agreed with him and said if we were doing doughnuts, the tire tracks would most definitely show. The officer told us that he knew the guy at the top of the hill was a grouch and for us to please slow down going past his house. We said we would, and the cop shook our hands and left.
After the cop left, my dad looked at us and asked what we really did. I had probably the best dad ever. Anybody that knew him would agree that he was one of a kind. Kevin and I both told him about the small fishtail we had done and dad just said don’t do it again. It wasn’t long after that that Kevin went on home. After Kevin left, my dad asked me again what we had done. Again I told him what had happened and said if he wanted to, we could go up and look at the tracks. He said, “ok, let’s go.” This came as a bit of a surprise to me, but it is what it is I guess. We went to the backyard and got into my Ranchero and I drove us up to the spot, so my dad could look at the tracks. We both got out and looked. It was a little worse than I thought, but it was still a fishtail to one side like we had said. Dad told me to get in the passenger side, so he could drive. I got in and dad got behind the wheel.
Then it happened, my dad put the car in first gear, slammed on the gas pedal, let out the clutch and did three perfectly executed doughnuts in the middle of this dirt road, directly across from the man’s house that had called the cops on us. After, he stopped the car, he got out and yelled at the man. “Hey stupid! You see that? That’s a doughnut! Now call the cops you moron!” We went home and I was in awe of what my dad had just done. He told me that we were wrong to spin the tires like we had done and not to do it again. I answered, “Yes sir, but what about what you just did?” Dad explained, “I just wanted to make sure that idiot knew what a doughnut was!” Then he smiled and said, “Maybe next time he will come talk to me so I can handle it, instead of calling the cops like we live in the city or something.” That man never called the cops and he made sure to always wave politely anytime we drove past. I guess he figured he didn’t want to mess with dad. Kevin and I kept our promise to the cop and to dad, we never spun our tires in front of this man’s house again. Oh, we wanted to real bad, but we didn’t.
I hope you enjoyed this story from my youth. I have many more to come in the future. Sometimes I wonder why I ever grew up. These were good times, but the past is the past, and we must move on. Take care and remember, we are all in this together.
Depression is very real. It comes from all directions, in many different ways and with many different levels. Others that pay attention to their friends and family, can see when depression is starting but many times, the person with the symptoms, don’t know it’s coming or even real. They just feel like it’s just a bad day, need better or more sleep or need to eat better. There are all kinds of things for this person to blame it on. The best way for this person to feel like something is wrong is when he or she is surrounded by people that love and care for them, yet they still feel alone.
Everyone at one time or another have dealt with some form of depression. Sometimes it is a chemical imbalance and that is why I believe it shows up in teenagers so frequently. Their whole body including their brains have chemicals changing so much during those years. After women have their babies, it can show up. Once again a great chemical change has happened. When it shows up in later years, it sometimes makes a difference what that person has gone through in their life. This last one is where I fit in. I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist but I do understand depression. I suffer from depression and there are times I feel like it is taking over. Most of the time, depression can be helped with medication and having people around that care about you is also of great help.
Not all depression shows up with the “poor Ole me” syndrome. Actually, most of the time the people that are showing the “poor Ole me” syndrome are just trying to get attention. When real depression hits, it can’t be explained by the person having it because it is unexplainable. This can show up in eating habits, changing of speech, worry without cause, sleep disorders and many other things. Of course the worst is self destruction. It takes people that really know you, to be able to pick up on it.
The hardest part about dealing with someone that has depression is convincing them to talk to a doctor. This is a real tricky health issue that is very hard for you to believe you have. I had myself convinced that I was just having bad days and all would be fine if I just kept plugging along. It didn’t matter that it was day after day after day. If at anytime, I laughed about anything, then I was convinced that I was okay. I didn’t want to believe it and I put my family through alot because I wouldn’t believe anything was wrong.
If you are dealing with someone that you believe may have depression, be very careful how and when you bring it to their attention. Don’t bring it up when they are really upset. Bring it up when things are calm and make sure to back off if they argue with you about it. Just show them that you care and want them to know that you see a difference in their behavior. Then back off and let that sink in. It’s almost like dealing with an alcoholic or someone that is hooked on drugs. The person that has the problem has to see it for themselves and just telling them they have a problem usually doesn’t work. It takes finesse and kindness and a strong will to help someone with depression.
After the depressed person decides to get help, the battle is very near an end. Even though this person may have issues for the rest of their life, they will be able to see who they are and want to change for the better. There are many different drugs to help with depression and it may take quite sometime to find the right prescription that helps. Once found though, it is like a new beginning.
For those of you that feel you may suffer from depression, don’t ignore it. Seek help and I promise, you will be glad you did. I’m not saying that you won’t have trouble with it even after you get help, but the understanding of it is the greatest feeling in the world. You too can feel better and function like yourself again. I got help and I have learned how and when it is going to come upon me. This has been my greatest accomplishment to date. Don’t ignore when your body and mind are telling you that you need help. Be well my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
I believe we need to change the name from Father’s Day to Daddy’s Day. This is something that I have always believed. I think if you read on, you may understand where I’m coming from.
What is a father? According to the dictionary, it is: a man in relation to his child or children. This is a pretty vague and open description. Daddy is an informal way of saying father, however in a child’s eyes, there is a big difference. Any male figure can become a father, but not all fathers can or choose to be a daddy. There are many men who have created children, including very bad men. This includes abusive men, rapists or even murderers of their children. Why are we allowing these men to be celebrated? This is the first part of why I believe the name change is in order.
To all fathers that are taking care of their children, whether being in the same household or not, I salute you. The men that have stepped up for their children can be considered father and daddy. Remember, just because you helped create a child, does not make you a daddy.
What about a man that steps up to raise a child that they did not create? Those that are stepdads and those that adopt children and become dads can possibly be considered daddy, but not always. If the men in these cases raise these children with love, compassion and respect, they may and possibly will become a daddy. However, in the stepdad position, this may or may not be the case. If the father is still in the child’s life and also shows the child love, compassion and respect, then this will trump the stepdad’s claim on the term daddy. As long as the stepdad shows love, compassion and respect for the child, then these are still great men to be respected.
It takes a special man to be a daddy, It only takes sex to become a father. There is a huge difference in these two terms. Why are we celebrating all fathers when so many don’t deserve to be celebrated? Why are we leaving out the daddys that deserves to be celebrated? Some families do celebrate daddys on Fathers Day as well they should, but the name in the holiday doesn’t fit.
I never knew my father and have not seen him since I was a baby. Do I believe this man deserves to be celebrated on Father’s Day? Without ever meeting this man, I would have to say no for now. I am now in my fifties and this man has never tried to contact me in any way. The man that became my stepdad at the age of four earned the role of daddy through the years. This man showed me love, compassion and respect until the day he died. I never called him daddy because I was raised in the time when that was only a term said out loud by the girls in the family. Dads and sons in my day didn’t hug or show much emotion. Shaking hands was the highest respect that was used to show love. I called him dad, but in my mind’s eye, I was always saying daddy.
I will spend another Father’s Day this year without my daddy, and I miss him so much. If you have a daddy, make sure you show this great man love. Even though some of us old men are still stuck in the handshake mode, we still love our hugs.
I hope I have made my case for the name change of this holiday. Some people never realize how special a daddy can be until they are gone. Have a HappyDaddy’s Day!
The strongest power you have is your words. Be careful how you use them. Words can make or break you. Worse yet, your words can help or hurt others.
I know you have heard the old adage, “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words (names) can never hurt me.” The first part is correct, however, words can hurt. Words can destroy! Not only do we need to watch our words for our own sake, we need to be mindful of them for others too. A wise man once said to listen is our greatest gift. What exactly did he mean by this?
Does it mean that we are never to talk and only listen? Of course not. We were given a mouth for a reason. But we were given only one mouth and two ears! We need to listen twice as much as we talk and we will learn a whole lot more. When we are talking, it is hard to listen and we will miss alot that is going on around us. Not only are we affecting our own hearing by talking too much, we are also affecting those around us. Case in point, how can we have a truly meaningful conversation with someone if we are doing all the talking? I have a real bad habit of this that I am trying to fix myself.
Have you ever tried to have a thought of your own while listening to three or more teenage girls talking? If you can, then you are an exception to the human race. If you want to know if these young ladies are really listening try this. Ask a question of them that is off subject and watch their responses. Make sure you have your camera ready because you will get some really strange looks. Everyone of them will tell you they know what the other is saying, but if you really pay attention, you will notice some very distinct differences of what they are saying to each other. Now I will admit that girls are much better at this than boys but they aren’t as good as they think they are. Actually if you dare to record their conversation and play it back to them, there may even be some hurt feelings between at least two of them.
As far as your words hurting yourself, try this and see what happens. Take one day and do nothing but call yourself stupid, moron or what ever bad thing you can come up with. Then take another day and praise yourself. Tell yourself how you are doing such a great job, how good you look and how nice of a person you are. After this little experiment, ask yourself which day you felt good at the end of the day and which day you felt terrible. Be careful not to overdue the bad things you say because this is very powerful stuff you’re dealing with.
What about your words hurting others? Well after you tried your little experiment on yourself, imagine how it feels coming from someone else. There is a real truth to this that you will have to test for yourself. But if you really try it, you will learn to choose your words a little more carefully. Try to change words like “hate” to “dislike” and see if you yourself don’t feel better about yourself after talking to your neighbor about the old grumpy man down the street.
If you will take my advice and start monitoring the words you use and how many words you use, I will guarantee, you will feel better and so will those around you. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
The best way to get a positive person to achieve something is to tell them they can’t do it. On the other hand, if you tell a negative person the same thing, they will quit.
I refuse to let anybody convince me I can’t accomplish what I strive to do. I will never say something is impossible because I have learned this statement to be untrue. The impossible is very possible given the right circumstances. The impossible has become possible over and over again. There was a time not too long ago when the thought of getting into a machine that could fly was an absolute impossibility. Yet here we are with not just one machine that can fly, but thousands of them all over the world.
A positive person will continue to work on a problem until a solution is presented. A negative person will quit as soon as the problem becomes too much of a stretch. I have had times that I have been a negative person, usually after a great hurt in my life. For the most part, I am a very positive person and I love it when someone tells me I can’t do something. This creates a great drive in my spirit and I am able to achieve things that even I wasn’t sure I could do.
Not once but a few times in my lifetime, I have had people say that they are positive they can’t do something. Even worse, I have had someone tell me that they are positive that I can’t do something. This, even if it is meant to be funny, is an ugly thing to say. This my friends, is what is known as a double negative and will in turn teach your brain to be negative.
How do we live being positive and not negative through life? I was lucky to have parents that started me on my journey of a positive life. After I left to be on my own, the United States Navy helped me to become even more positive. I learned to accomplish things that seemed impossible until I achieved them. I thought this was where becoming a positive person came from. Even though this did help me on my path, this was not ultimately the answer to the question.
Becoming a positive person starts with a kind of stubbornness of refusing to quit. This is a mindset that you put upon yourself. It comes from the accomplishment of finding the solution to a problem. How can you say that you are a positive person, if you have never reached a goal? Now this is where I’m going to tell you something that may upset you. If you don’t set goals, this is also a way of being a negative person. That’s right! You cannot be a truly positive person without goals. Just acting the part of saying things like, yes you can or yes I can, is not being positive. These are just empty words to make yourself and others feel good. You must accomplish something, then you can claim positivity.
Are you a positive person? What have you accomplished to claim this award? Are you setting and achieving goals? I sure hope that if you aren’t already, you will now after reading this post. Be positive my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
I never really know what I will write about until I sit down and get started. Most bloggers can write story after story without stumbling, but I must get inspired at the exact moment of pen hitting paper, or in this case, fingers hitting keys.
I have plenty of stories to tell, however I want to make sure that when I tell my stories, it means something to the one that is reading it. The things I have lived through mean alot to me, but to my readers, it may be a waste of their time. Even though I have really started to enjoy writing, there is no need to publish what I have written if nobody is reading.
Taking all of this into account tonight, it hit me, what about inventors? I mean, the one thing that helps a inventor is to put ideas to paper. This being said, what about other people that put their ideas on paper? Am I not an inventor right now? I’m taking ideas directly from my brain and putting these ideas in print. Once, twice and sometimes many more times I go back and change things until I have it the way I want it. This may not always be the best for my readers, but I do what I can to make it the way I would like to read it. I don’t use a ton of big words on purpose because I think that takes away from the objective of the stories or lessons that I am presenting.
Let’s get this straight right off the bat. This is not in any way a lesson to teach writing. I am simply bringing up a case for what I’m about to explain to you.
When it came across my mind about inventing and writing, it really started to turn the murky waters crystal clear for me. We have been taught the best way to learn something is to write it down. I never believed in this because I have always been a hands on type of person. Now that I have started this writing gig, I have been learning alot from what I have been writing. Although in the deep recesses of my mind, I truly do believe in all that I’m teaching, I have gotten more use from this knowledge after writing it down. So I am a living example of learning by writing.
When a inventor gets that glimmer of an idea for a new product, they write it down and continue to add to that idea until it comes into existence. They are an exceptional people because they truly bring their dreams into existence for the rest of us to enjoy. What about others in their lines of work? Let’s take the carpenter for example. This person can take a hammer, nails and some wood and make a beautiful house! However, before hammer ever hits that nail, there are blueprints to be used, which means writing is involved.
If you take what ever occupation that you do for a job, I’ll bet somewhere there is something that is written down for that job. So while this is all fine and dandy, what am I trying to get at? What’s the lesson? Let me see if I can help you make your murky water crystal clear as well.
We all have dreams of what we want out of life. How do we fulfill these dreams? You got it, write them down. Study them and keep your dream alive. As you find something to add or take away to get closer to your dream, you are just rewriting your new draft. Your dreams will become more and more real to you if you take time to write them down. Then study your writing. Do you want a beautiful house? Great, what color is it? How many bedrooms does it have? Is it in the city or the country? These are things you have to ask yourself and add to your writings of it. Trust me, the more specific you can be the better and more real it will become. This also allows your brain to figure out how you are going to be able to achieve your dream. If you just write down that you want a yellow house and don’t put in the details, you probably won’t even get close to what your dream is.
It is said that we only use ten percent of our brain. So what’s the other ninety percent for? Maybe the ninety percent is meant to serve as our own personal dream catchers. If humanity can accomplish everything that we have done using only ten percent, imagine what we could do with fifteen percent. Write down your dreams and allow your dream catchers to go to work for you. Keep your dreams alive and Remember, we are all in this together.
Why are you worrying about what others think of you? Are you secure in who you are or not? Are you going to let the ignorant or stupid people control and destroy you?
In today’s world, it’s hard to speak of anything because someone somewhere is going to to be offended. It doesn’t matter what it is. I could say that I don’t like mustard and if the right person hears this, it will be on tomorrow’s news that I’m prejudice against mustard. What the heck is going on? Did you know we have a bigger problem with prejudices today then we did in the ’70s? That is scary! We are headed backwards.
I have come to the conclusion that society is getting weaker by the year and within ten more years, we will no longer be allowed to talk at all. For some people being quite would be best, however it’s going to be hard to order a hamburger through the clowns head at the drive-thru.
I spoke earlier about ignorant and stupid people. There is a huge difference. Ignorant people are uninformed while stupid people are informed but choose to go with the wrong anyway. This is where I believe we have lost our way. Parents are no longer teaching their children right from wrong, just how to feel in any given situation. This means that the more people raised in this society, the higher the percentage is of ignorance. But we have feeling people. Ugh!
Years ago we had plenty of stupid people that found everything they could possibly think of to tear down another person. It didn’t matter if it was race, religion, sex or what language they spoke. It’s all really stupid to include these things when thinking of someone anyway. Of course in the ’80s and earlier years, it was easy to deal with because it was very easy to see the stupid ones and separate them out of main society. They stuck out like a sore thumb and you just stayed away from that crowd.
In the ’90s things started to change in a big way. We stopped allowing teachers to have any authority over our children in schools and the parents were shunned if they tried to discipline their children at home. (Sit in the corner Jr. until you have learned your lesson). For the love of all that is holy, Jr. is thirteen years old! All that kid is learning, sitting in a corner, is how he or she is going to make your life worse.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about abuse, Anybody that abuses a child should be strung up by their thumbs! (That’s putting it nicely). But there are disciplinary ways to teach a child other than timeouts. We didn’t have as many issues with our children in the ’80s as parents have today. Old school thought fits right in here my friends.
Now back to ignorant and stupid people and those offended by them. Which side is truly in the wrong here? The ignorant or stupid person is saying something that has upset someone else. The upset person has just allowed the ignorant or stupid person to be the master of them because of being offended and showing their feelings in the first place.
Do you want to stop prejudices? I’m talking about all prejudices. It’s real simple. Pay attention now. Stop getting offended. If nobody gets offended, all prejudices cease to exist. Be proud of who your are and stop letting the ignorant and stupid people ruin society. Take back what we have given away in the last thirty plus years, our pride! Why allow the few to destroy the many?
Next time someone says something that hurts your feelings, don’t let them see the hurt. Don’t give them the satisfaction of knowing they hurt you. If you show the hurt, it’s like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. Don’t fuel the flames. You can go home and cry in your pillow if you want, but when you are faced with the situation, stand tall and proud. There is nobody that is better than anyone else. Only you can allow someone to offend you. I personally don’t care what race, religion or sex you are. We are all human beings living on the same planet trying to do the best we can with what we have.
If you wish to reply and tell me how wrong I am, please do. I don’t get offended. Take care and Remember, we are all in this together.
One of my friends that I ran around with and got into trouble with was Eugene. There were a few others, however Eugene seemed to be the one that helped me create some of my greatest, craziest and fondest memories.
To say my teenage years were interesting would be an understatement. I grew up on a farm in Missouri during my high school years. We didn’t have all the luxuries kids have today, like cell phones and computers, so we had to come up with things to do. This is what happens when you leave farm boys to their own devices…
I’m going to give you a little background into my life, so the pieces will fit together. My family had some property up on the highway a few miles from our house. The property had two large buildings on it. In the smaller of the two, we had a convenience store called “Linda’s Nut House.” I know that’s a funny name, and I will probably write about how that name came to be in a future post. The other larger building was an auto shop that my dad ran. Since I had the availability of an auto shop, all the tools that you could think of and of course snacks from the store, I had friends come over to work on their cars after hours quite often. One of the main ones that showed up a lot was my friend Eugene and his ’65 Ford Mustang.
It was Sunday afternoon, and I was in the shop alone tinkering on my ’66 Ford Ranchero, when I saw that Eugene pulled up. He came in and told me that he had bought a new steering wheel for his car and asked if I would help him install it. “Of course” I told him. I had him pull his car in, and we went to work. I had changed out the steering wheel in my own car not too long before and knew exactly how to do it.
I gathered the tools we needed, and we removed his original steering wheel. I told him to get the new one. He reached in the back seat and pulled out the box with the new wheel in it and handed it to me. I set it aside and said that I needed the adapter box first. Eugene looked at me kind of funny and asked, “What adapter?” I told him the one that you put on the original bolt pattern, so his new GT steering wheel would bolt to it. “I don’t have an adapter” he said. “Well we can’t put it on without it” I explained.
There was only one auto parts store in our little town, and it was now closed. It wouldn’t be open until tomorrow, but we had school in the morning. Even though we didn’t live but about two miles apart, down a couple of dirt roads, we went to different high schools. This meant I wouldn’t be able to drive him to school, and there was nobody else around that neck of the woods that went to school with him. He absolutely refused to ride the school bus.
As we walked around the car, I was making fun of the situation, He did not see the comedy in this. I told him that we would just have to put the old one back on until he got the adapter we needed. He sat down in the driver’s seat with the new steering wheel in his hands and seemed to get an idea. This worried me. It always seemed like when he got an idea, I was about to get into trouble. He took the new steering wheel and stuck it onto the shaft. He then proceeded to turn the wheel back and forth, feeling the front tires turn under him. “Can’t I just drive it like this?” He asked. “I guess so, but there’s nothing holding it on but you. Any little bump and you’re going to be going down the road with it in your lap!” I answered with a laugh. My laughter soon turned into concern. He’s seriously thinking about this!
“It ain’t no big deal, Bill, I can get the adapter tomorrow and put it on tomorrow night.” He said. One thing I knew about my friend, when he decided to do something, it was going to happen. So he left the new one on there, fired up the Stang and backed it out of the garage. “Let’s take a run down the road and see how she does.” He said. “Why not?” I said. I got into the passenger seat and away we went.
I fully expected to be in a wreck, but I’ve been in worse situations. We went down the road a piece, and he held nothing back. Full speed ahead and worry about disaster when it happens, I guess. After going maybe five miles, he turned around and headed back. Maybe two miles back down the road, he told me it was working great and asked if I wanted to drive. “Sure.” I said. I figured he just wanted a second opinion. Going down the road at maybe fifty miles an hour, he pulls the steering wheel off and offers it to me! “Put that damn thing back on!” I exclaimed. It took him a couple of seconds, but he got it back on and said “Cool!” “Are you crazy?” I exclaimed. He laughed, which made me laugh. How I kept my underwear clean in that few seconds, I will never know.
A couple of days later, he did it to me again. “You haven’t got that adapter yet?” I asked. “Nope, having too much fun and besides, nobody can steal my car. Hell, I just take the steering wheel with me,” He said with a crooked smile.. He always had a way to make sense out of the dumbest things. After about the third time he did this, I didn’t panic anymore. I would even take the offered steering wheel, act like I was driving from the passenger seat for a second or two and hand it back to him to put back on going down the road. We actually got perfect at it and decided this would be fun to mess with other teens.
We were at a bonfire party where we met a couple of girls. Eugene asked if they would like to run to the store with us to pick up a couple of things? They said they would. So we piled into his car. We made the girls sit in the back seat. Our first victims! Going down the road, Eugene asked if I would like to drive. Of course my response was, “sure.” He pulls off the steering wheel and hands it to me. I made a couple of quick gestures like driving and handed it back to him. He puts it back on and everything was great! Well, except for the blood-curdling screams from the back seat, of course! It was kinda of funny, for a short period of time, these girls wanted to kill us. But after it was all said and done, they wanted to kiss us, and of course we let them. For some reason, girls like to be scared as long as everyone is okay afterwards. We used this tactic a couple more times on girls and sure enough, blood-curdling screams and then kisses. Oh, life was good!
The final time we used our little ‘you want to drive trick’ was with a guy we knew. His name was Floyd. Floyd drove this bright yellow beat up Ford pickup, and he was always running out of gas. He carried a five gallon gas can in the back of his truck all the time, so he could go get gas if and when he ran out. We never understood how one person could run out of gas so many times, but Floyd always was.
Eugene and I were running down a side road and there was Floyd. He had his pickup parked in the ditch and standing on the side of the road with that five gallon can of his. Eugene pulled up and asked if he was okay. Floyd said he ran out of gas and was wandering if we could take him down to the station and back. Eugene told him that he would. I opened the passenger door and pulled the seat forward so he could get in the back seat. Now Floyd was a mountain of a man and if you have seen the back seat of a ’65 mustang, you would know, there’s not much room at all. Floyd had to squeeze himself in and sit across both seats just to have enough room for his massive body and gas can which he sat in the floorboard.
We took him down to the filling station where he filled up his can. He set the can in the floorboard and crammed himself back in there. Eugene couldn’t help but to laugh on and off through this ordeal, and he had a very interesting laugh that made me laugh. On the way back to Floyd’s truck, Eugene smiled at me, and then the words came. “Bill, do you want to drive?” I gave the proper response, “sure”. Eugene pulled the steering wheel off and handed it to me. I did my little number, handed it back to him, and he went to put it back on. This time, it didn’t work! Neither one of us had thought about it, but before when we had done this little trick, it was either on a flat dirt road or the US highway which was also fairly flat. This time we were on a back paved road that was not flat. It was convexed. They design roads like this in cold climates to help snow and ice run off. When Eugene tried to put the wheel back on, he couldn’t because the shaft it goes on was turning since the wheels were following the drop of the road! We were heading into the ditch, and this was no small ditch either. Just beyond the ditch was a barbed wire fence that was coming up on my side in a hurry! Into the ditch we went and up the other side. Just before we hit the fence, Eugene was able to get the steering wheel back on and turned as hard as he could. This slung the car away from the fence back down to the bottom of the ditch where the car came to rest.
Eugene and I both bailed out of the car and because we had been involved many times with stupid things like this, our full focus was to check the car. Our health and well-being was never even a thought. Looking around both sides of the car and underneath, there was no damage. We always called this a successful wreck. By the time we got to the front of the car checking for damage, it dawned on me. I looked over the hood from my kneeling position and asked, “Hey Eugene, where’s Floyd?” We both looked back through the windshield. No Floyd. Did he get out? Neither one of us seen him get out. So where’s Floyd? We both got up off of our knees, walked back and looked into the back seat. There’s Floyd, this mountain of a man, bent over hugging that five gallon can of gasoline, tears streaming down his face. Eugene was the first to speak. “Are you okay, Floyd?” He asked. Floyd yelled,”You crazy A**h***s, we could have blown up!”
Now, let me point out before I tell you what I told Floyd at that moment. My dad was a mechanic. He taught me that it’s not the gas that blows up, it’s the fumes from the gas that causes explosions. “Floyd, is that gas can full?” I asked. He yelled, “Of course it’s full, you seen me fill it up!” “Well then you are safe because it’s the fumes that blow up and if the can is full, heh, no fumes.” I said with a half smile on my face. This did not help him feel any better. He squeezed out of the car, (which was like watching a hamster give birth to an elephant), grabbed his gas can and started walking toward the direction of his truck. “Hey Floyd, it’s still two miles to your truck. Are you sure you don’t want a ride?” Eugene asked with that undertone of his funny laugh. All we heard out of Floyd was a grunt as he kept walking. The next time we saw Floyd out of gas and offered him a ride, he refused. We never did our little trick again. I guess Floyd took all the fun out of it.
Years later after my time in the Navy, I went back to visit my friend Eugene. I asked if he still had the old Mustang. He raised the garage door and there on jack stands was the old girl herself. I had told alot of my shipmates about our adventures and a thought came to me. I walked over to the driver’s side of his car, reached in the window and grabbed the steering wheel. And guess what? It came off with a slight tug. My friend never did get that adapter kit. Good Ole’ Eugene.
I have many more stories of my adventures with Eugene along with some other friends that I will write about soon enough. We may be the reason they say don’t try this at home on those crazy television shows.
My friend Eugene is in Heaven now due to a boating accident years ago. I would like to dedicate this story to him. I miss you, my friend.
I hope you enjoyed this. Take care of yourselves and remember, we are all in this together.
Why so many people want all the drama in their lives is beyond my comprehension. Certain people seem to thrive on drama and feel without it, there’s no satisfaction in their lives. People that live with drama all the time get to the point where they have to have it to be happy. These people feel for them to fit in and be socially accepted, there must be this powerful and yet painful experience. Usually this is because they are either hiding something or have low self esteem.
Have you ever noticed, no matter the area that you live in, there is always that one person ( or sometimes a whole family) that drama surrounds at all times? The drama may be with neighbors, with there own family or possibly even both. There is a reason for this. Someone is searching for and wanting to live within it’s destructive power. They don’t necessarily see the destruction side that it causes until it becomes a part of them and may even bleed into their family, friends or both. This can start with something as simple as gossip and balloon into a force that cannot be contained. People talk about women gossiping, however men are just as guilty as women in this terrible act. People need to think before they talk bad or make up stories about someone. There is always hurt involved. It may not be that day but hurt will show it’s ugly head and cause drama. Why must we feel the need to hurt someone’s feelings to make us feel special?
Drama can be and alot of the time is learned in school, especially high school, but lower grades as well. When kids get together in their little clicks or groups and turn their nose up to someone that doesn’t fit their ideas of who you should be, hurt has begun. Because we moved around alot, I was never in one of these clicks. I was lucky because I learned to get along with any and everybody regardless of what click someone was in. This was extremely unusual because most others that didn’t fit into a click was picked on and shamed. I was the one that also made friends with the others that didn’t fit and stood up for them whenever I could.
Someone that was mistreated in school (picked on constantly because they didn’t fit in) can create alot of drama later in life if they use this hurt against others once they become an adult. They are not necessarily trying to hurt anybody but using things like gossip to gain attention and sometimes even ‘so called friends’ within their community. These people have never known true friendship and use hurt because this is all they know. This is the saddest kind of drama coming to life.
On the flip side, someone that was always the bully in school brings drama to themselves like a magnet as an adult. The only way the bully can escape drama is to change their ways and become the giving and loving type of person they weren’t in school. If this change doesn’t happen, hurt and drama will chase them forever.
Almost always the drama is brought on by one person and alot of the time it will infect a whole family. Sometimes this single person that brings this destructive force upon the family is considered the head of the family. This person can be male or female and most of the time they are actually trying to help their family. The drama comes when there is a backlash from others within the family against this head person. While the head is telling the others how to live their lives, some family members will not except this and push back. This is usually the case when marriages start happening and different ideas are brought in from other families that are not necessarily welcome. All is good at first until the push back begins.
These are my experiences with drama. It is an ugly and destructive way to live. I know there will always be drama out there but I hope that this post will help stop maybe a little bit of it. Once you allow drama to take hold, it is hard to stop. It grows at a rapid pace and will hang on you with talons of steel. When the drama starts, stamp it out before it latches on. Take care my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
“Who’s going to help me this time?” Have you ever said or thought this way? Maybe the answer is simpler than you think. Everyone needs help sometimes but getting it can be a dangerous thing. Maybe you are taking this ‘help me’ attitude thing too far.
Have you ever thought maybe you should be the one to help you? Maybe others are busy helping themselves or others. Maybe if you work hard enough and use some brain power, you can get all the help you need by yourself?
To some people this sounds really mean and unsympathetic but this is the truth. The more help you receive, the more it becomes a habit. This my friends is a habit I hope to help you break.
My two sons are quite a bit older than my two youngest daughters. There are ten plus years difference from boys to girls. When the oldest of these two girls was just learning to walk, it took her longer than usual. This is because my boys found it easier to pick her up and carry her everywhere instead of letting her learn to walk. She found that all she had to do was cry a little and one of the boys would go pick her up and carry her to wherever it was she wanted to go. She got used to getting help and found it easier than doing the work of learning to walk herself. This is one classic example.
Here is another example of a younger child learning how to get things the easy way. If the child is used to getting a toy anytime they cry for it in the store, guess what happens next time the child is in the store? You guessed it, there will be crocodile tears running down the young ones face. This child has figured out it is easier to cry and throw a fit to get what he or she wants instead of doing the work of behaving his or herself.
Now I just used two different instances with children, but what about adults? Sorry but there’s not alot of difference between the two. If an adult gets used to, let’s say the government doing everything for him or her, guess what happens? Once again, you are correct. Why go to work if the government is going to pay you to stay home? I’m not saying that if you need the assistance, you shouldn’t take it, but living on it through generations is just not right unless you absolutely can’t work due to a handicap that makes work impossible.
Here is another example that happened to me when I was a truck driver. I had just pulled into the parking lot of a small truck stop outside of Houston Texas. I was going to be there all night because my load wasn’t going to be ready until the next morning. There was a small restaurant and I decided to go have dinner. The restaurant turned out to be a all you can eat smorgasbord, so I was full when I left. When I walked out the door, there was a man begging for change. This man was dirty and looked like he hadn’t had a decent meal in quite a while.
I decided I wanted to help this man and figured the first thing to do was get some food in his belly. I told him I would take him into the restaurant and get him some food. I told him it was a smorgasbord and he could eat all he wanted. He told me they wouldn’t let him in. I said “They aren’t going to stop him because I was going with him.” He said, “Just give me some change and I’ll be on my way.” I said “No, let’s go get you some food.” He refused, so I headed back to my truck and started catching up on some paperwork.
It was probably an hour later when I seen this same half starved man sitting against the wall with a bottle of cheap wine he was guzzling. Apparently, someone else had given him the change he was looking for. Disgusted, I climbed out of my truck and walked over to him. I addressed him and asked if he was happy with his decision. He looked me dead in the eye and said that someone else had answered his request. I then explained that if he would’ve taken me up on my offer, not only would he have a full belly, but I would’ve bought him a better bottle of wine and put him up for the night at the motel across the street. Then I turned and walked back to my truck and went to sleep.
Everything I told this man was true, I had every intention to do just what I told him but he chose to stick with the change and cheap booze. I understand he was an alcoholic and I felt sad but I stuck to my guns. I hope next time, he thinks twice about turning down a meal. He chose the easy hand out instead of the full blown help not because he was a drunk but because he had gotten used to the change game.
Handouts can be useful if one really needs it, but don’t let it become your goal in life. If you do, there is no way but down and being keep down. Take some pride in yourself and achieve the help you need by yourself. Don’t be afraid to step up and step out into the world. I believe in you and I want you to believe in you. Until next time, take care and Remember, we are all in this together.
It doesn’t matter what age you are, we are still learning. If you believe that you have learned enough about anything, it’s time to start learning something new today.
Years ago I met a wise man while I was an over the road truck driver. He too was a truck driver probably three times my age at the time. I still consider this man one of the smartest people I have ever met just because of a simple request he asked of me and the explanation afterward.
There is a saying in the truck driving world that goes ‘Don’t be a lazy truck driver’. What this means is, if you are not sure while backing up, then get out and look. It’s really a good rule to follow but sometimes hard because you just want to hurry up and get loaded or unloaded so you can get going again.l
I was heading into a warehouse that my company had a contract with to run their freight. This particular place, had docks on one side of the building that was extremely hard to back into. I would say a silent prayer before getting there that the easy docks would be open.
This particular day, I showed up with another truck driver that had been driving over the road for thirty plus years. His CB handle was Broomstick and who I considered a true professional truck driver. Of all the truck drivers I met while I was driving trucks, his was the one name I will never forget. I myself had only been driving trucks for a couple of years and still making my fair share of mistakes.
When we showed up at this warehouse to get loaded, sure enough, there was only two docks open. One was on the easy side, the other on the nightmare side. I was the front truck so when we pulled up to the building I stopped in the driveway and studied the two docks. I really didn’t want to choose the hard one to get into but I didn’t want to look like a bad person to Broomstick by choosing the easy one.
My CB came to life and it was Broomstick calling. “Tailfeathers (this was my CB handle), go ahead and take the easy dock, I will take the other one.” I felt a wash of relief all over but I still asked, “are you sure?” He assured me it was fine so I headed to the easy side and backed in in a matter of seconds. After I finished backing in, I looked over to watch him on the hard side. I figured, I may learn something from watching this master get into the nightmare dock and boy did I learn something that day!
Broomstick turned his truck around to where he was heading in the general direction of the dock. As I expected, he got out of his truck and took a good look around. What I didn’t expect was him waving me over. I thought, great he is going to give me some pointers for next time. I got out of my truck and headed over to where he was.
“Hey, Tailfeathers, would you mind spotting me?”He asked. “Excuse me, you want me to help you?” I asked. “Of course, I’m no idiot!” He said. I was more than happy to help watch for him so he could back in easily. I asked him after I seen how easily he backed that big truck in why he asked me for help. I seen he had no problem whatsoever by himself. He told me if there is help, don’t be afraid to ask. A cocky truck driver won’t ask for help and it will catch up to them somewhere down the road.
This very wise man told me, never get so full of yourself that you can’t ask for help and never go a day of your life without learning something. He told me he had been driving this big truck for over thirty years and loves it but if the day ever comes that he feels he has learned everything about it it would be time to retire and learn something else.
I learned a lot from that man that day and I used it for the rest of my truck driving days as well as for the short time I was an instructor at a truck driving school in Tucson. Of course I taught my students these valuable lessons and I made sure to give all the credit to Broomstick.
I hope telling you about my experience has opened your eyes and will continue to help you now and in your future endeavors. Don’t forget to learn something every day. Remember, we are all in this together.
I am republishing this post from April 13th 2021 in honor of our fallen heroes for Memorial day. Although this post is a little different than most Memorial day post you may see, I believe this must also be recognized during this very important holiday. Please indulge me in this short read. God Bless the families of our fallen.
I decided to write this post not because I am a veteran but because there are so many others out there struggling.
Did you know there are on average twenty-two veterans that commit suicide a day? This is unacceptable!! My brothers and sisters have sacrificed so much for you and I, yet end up ending their lives because they feel they have no purpose left in society or the nightmares are just too much. I myself understand the nightmares.
When was the last time you thanked a veteran for their service? This is a very small task that may mean nothing to you but it means a lot to a veteran. When someone thanks me for my service, I automatically stand a little taller and feel a spark of appreciation and love. Trust me it means a lot. And when you see a Vietnam veteran, make sure you add to the phrase thank you for your service and welcome home. This is huge to a Vietnam veteran because they were not welcome at the time they did actually come home.
Most people don’t understand that when you sign on that dotted line, you automatically are setting yourself up to die for your country.
Did you know if you put all service people together ( Army,Navy,Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard) that is only seven percent of the population of the United States. Let me say that again, only seven percent of the population of the United States ever serve their country in the Armed Forces. By figures, that means that ninety three percent of Americans are living free in this country from the sacrifice of the seven percent. Let that sink in for a minute.
Depression is very real and for veterans it’s common
Are you so into yourself that you can’t take three seconds out of your life to thank a veteran? I am so tired of my brothers and sisters taking their own lives because they feel they have nothing left to give.
Let’s not take our veterans for granted anymore. If a veteran needs help and you have the means, please do what you can to help. They sacrificed their lives for you and still sacrifice after they are out of the service. It’s extremely hard to fit back into civilian life and actually, it’s never quite the same after serving our country.
Also don’t forget the families of these veterans. They have a harder job then you know keeping everything together while their husbands or wives are off fighting for our freedom.
There are many charities you can give to like Wounded Warriors, Veteran suicide prevention, many others that help veterans overseas and don’t forget the ones that help veteran’s families. You can choose if and who you would like to give to, or you can choose to help a veteran you see with whatever that person needs. Please don’t ignore their needs because they didn’t ignore your needs of freedom.
God Bless our Veterans and God Bless America! Remember, we are all in this together.
Most of the time people quit on things just as the breakthrough is within grasp. In life we go through many ups and downs. Of course if you are on the upside, everything is great and you are willing to do anything to keep it going. What about when you are on the downside?
This is very important especially if you are a teenager or a young adult. It does work with any age but usually people in their thirties and up have learned this lesson. Some learn it the easy way, unfortunately most of us learn this the hard way.
Are you ready to hear this very simple but also very wise lesson? No matter what your project is, whether it be learning a new skill or figuring out a complex situation that you find yourself in, it all comes down to a simple concept. When you are closest to the solution of the problem you face, it will be at the point when it is the hardest for you. This is why there are so many that quit just as they are about to solve the problem.
The more you struggle with a problem, the greater the reward is when you solve it. Anything that comes easy is just there. No big deal because you didn’t have to struggle to get it. However, if you struggle mightily and stick to your guns until the solution presents itself, this my friends will be a great reward for body, mind and soul.
Another way to look at this is someone that wants to be the best at something they are practicing to do. It doesn’t matter if it’s playing guitar,becoming a football star, being a great ballet dancer or becoming a great motivational speaker. It all comes down to working hard and following through to the end. It takes the bumps and bruises to accomplish great things.
So when you feel like you are at the end of your rope with whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, that’s the time to push your hardest. That is the time when the breakthrough is within reach and you are about to solve the great feat you are faced with.
You can cry, yell and stomp your feet if you want but don’t let go because it became difficult. Push harder, farther and use all of your talents to finish what you have started. Your so close and I want to see you receive the great joy of accomplishment. I believe you can and I want you to start believing you can. Now go finish it and Remember, we are all in this together.
I know it sounds mean to some but once a child becomes sixteen, they are on their own choosing who he or she will become. Until this age, parents can still teach their children right from wrong. After fifteen, it just turns into war!
We all know that when a kid hits their teens, they become the smartest people on earth. Smarter than their parents, teachers and anybody that is in their thirties or above, but especially their parents. We all know it because we were once there. It usually doesn’t take long to figure out why the old and not the young are considered the wise.
If all of us as parents understand this concept, why is it such a shock when it happens with our children? I believe we all want our children to be better than that. But if our children don’t go through this transformation from sweet and loving to the evil we all know they can become, does this become a issue later in life?
We all have to learn what it means to grow up. This can be accomplished as a teenager, in our twenties and thirties or in some cases, never. I would rather have my child be an absolute terror in their teens than later in life.
I’m getting a little off subject here. I can’t help it because I have already been through the teenage years twice and working on two more as we speak. Back to why I’m writing this post…
Why is sixteen a huge mountain in our lives? For one, we are given greater freedom along with greater responsibility. The biggest of these of course is being able to drive. Jumping in the car and taking off to wherever it is we are going is a big responsibility but also gives us more freedom. Alas, it usually ends up showing us we aren’t quite as smart as we thought we were. Did you have to ask you dad for help fixing the car? Did you ask your mom for extra gas money? And this is just a small part.
I’m no psychological genius by any stretch but as far as
dealing with teenagers, been there, done that. People usually believe that eighteen is the age that our kids become who they are but I believe it is at sixteen that humans determine who they will be. Good, bad, respectful or not. This is the mile stone that is a turning point in our lives.
Of course you can change after this age if you choose but it is completely up to you to change your mindset whether for good or bad. Eighteen is just an age the government sets for you to be a legal adult, but sixteen is where the big choices begin. At fifteen and under you are still considered a child whether you approve or disapprove of this title. One year later and all of the sudden you are starting to become a young adult. Your not an adult but no longer a kid. Your stuck in the middle as they say.
There are many cultures that call upon the age of sixteen as a turning point. I never quite understood this line of thinking until I really started paying attention, mostly through my own children but also through their friends. There is a very significant change that happens and it shows in the eyes. Pay attention parents at the blank stare or what I like to call ‘the dead eyes’. This blank stare usually starts between eleven and fourteen, however, the dead eyes are perfected at sixteen.
Now during the sixteenth and seventeenth year, the eyes will either become clear or become more clouded and farther away. This is the time when your almost young adult is deciding who he or she will become. For any parent, this is the scary time. We as parents hope we have instilled enough sense into our offspring that they will choose the right path. Of course, parents, it is truly out of your hands now. You can set curfews and take away the keys if they show up late, but they know there are only two years left until they can walk out the door and show you how dumb you really are.
Have you done everything right in raising your child? Of course not, we all make mistakes. Have you done the best you could? Ninety-five percent of the time the answer to this is usually a strong yes. So if you have done the best you could to raise your child to be that good man or woman, you have done your job. If your child becomes a jerk as an adult, it’s on them because of who they decided to be at the so-called sweet sixteen.
I really hate when some young adult does something that gets them in trouble and people start whispering, “Probably had bad parents”. In some cases this is true but for the most part, it’s that sixteen year old deciding who he or she is going to be and has nothing to do with the parents.
I am up for any discussion you want to draw up either for or against what I have written here. I’m a open book as some might say. I wish you well and for those parents that have the sixteen and seventeen year old kids under your roof, I will say a silent prayer for you. Remember we are all in this together.
The winds of change are upon you. When are you going to wake up and make a change? There isn’t anything holding you back but air, hence the title.
I wanted to talk to all the people out there that are constantly complaining about this or that. The government is taking all my rights away. My boss treats me unfair. People look down on me. My peers don’t include me in anything. I’m always broke. Any of these sound familiar?
So, what are you doing about it? I don’t want to hear that you have been on lockdown because of covid. We all went through the same thing, some still are. You are not alone. But why is it that you are being treated unfairly and it seems like the whole world is moving on without you?
First off stop crying about it! Second, ask yourself what you can do to change your situation. If it’s government, register to vote and be at the polls every time they open. If your boss isn’t treating you right, change jobs. If you aren’t looked up to like you think you should be, maybe you should take a better look at yourself. As far as your peers not including you, well for me that’s a blessing, it weeds out the people I don’t want to be around anyway.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret that I have talked about before. We become our environment. The only way for us to change who or what we are is to step out and change that environment. Does that mean to move? Maybe. Does that mean to find different friends? Possibly. Does that mean to change jobs? Could be.
All these scenarios could and probably will change at least part of your environment. It all depends how much you want to change. Do you need a small change or a drastic one. This all lies on your shoulders and nobody else’s.
Have you ever heard that poor breeds poor and rich breeds rich? Why do you think that is? Most poor people would say it’s because rich people are born into riches. This is true in some cases, however, if you do some research, you might be amazed it’s not as large a percentage as you think. There are people just like some of you out there that invent things that make them overnight millionaires.
So what is different about these overnight successes from others that are not? The answer is, they stepped out of there surroundings and changed their environment. Maybe these people never left their broken down old barn they used to make their discovery, but in their mind they were already in a different class.
There are overnight millionaires from winning the lottery. However, if they don’t have their mind right, they will be broke inside of six months. So what I’m trying to say is, if you don’t change then change won’t be and you will be in the same place next year as you are today.
The winds are there. Are you going to spread your wings and change your future for the better or stay with the nest and live the rest of your life in that same nest? If you are happy where you are, great! But if you want more out of life for you and your family, you have to jump from the nest.
One more thing to consider is your children and your children’s children. Someone down the line will have to step out if you are living in poverty or poverty will keep being taught. This is why poverty breeds poverty and rich breeds rich. If you grow up in a certain environment, it’s all you know. Maybe someone will tell you that you can do better. Maybe you won’t listen to all the negative ones around you. Maybe you will be the one to break the chain. Maybe, just maybe, your boss, your friends or even your family (usually family) are wrong when they tell you this is all you can accomplish.
Start doing research on successful people and see what kind of struggles they had to go through to become successful. I can tell you, it will open your eyes! You can do better for you and your family but, you have to decide how much of a sacrifice or change you are willing to make to make it happen.
I can’t change your environment. Your boss, friends or family can’t make you flip that switch in your brain to change. Only you can do it! And if you get flack from the others, make sure to drop a postcard in the mail to let them know how well you are doing. Who knows, maybe they will break the chains too. Take care, I wish you the best and Remember, we are all in this together.
When was the last time you did something for someone else just to bless them? I’m not talking about your kids or significant other, which of course is nice but also usually expected. I’m talking about your neighbor, the police man at your kids school or someone you have never met before.
I know there are people out there that are just looking to take advantage of a kind soul, especially this day in age. However, there are alot of good people left in this world that perhaps just needs someone to show they care.
I live in a state where there are alot of people begging in the street for that all mighty handout. Truth be known, about seventy-five percent of those probably make more money than you or I do. But what about the other twenty-five percent? Did you have that feeling deep inside or that little voice telling you to help this person? Did you hand them change, groceries, offer them a job cleaning your yard or did you turn your head and drive away?
The policeman or policewoman ( have to be politically correct here ) that are watching your kids school is doing his or her job of course. But when some nut job attacks a school, who is it that is going to jump in and protect your kids even if it means their own life is at stake? You or that officer? Have you ever stopped and thanked them for protecting your children or are you waiting for something terrible to happen so you can show up at their funeral?
Don’t ignore others.
How bout that elderly person that makes sure to wave at you when you leave to go to work everyday? You don’t even know their name but you throw up the half hazard wave back just because it is a natural human response. Have you ever thought about walking your lazy butt down the block, introducing yourself and asking them if they need help with their lawn or cook a meal for them? Maybe that weak wave is good enough for you.
Here’s a good one for today with this Corona stuff going around and all the lock downs that we have been put through world wide. How about when the restaurants were reopened and you have that waiter or waitress ( still politically correct ), that wasn’t quite as good as you thought. Did you leave a tip anyway or keep that dollar in your pocket? Did you ever think maybe they are having a rough day because he or she has been out of work and stressed about taking care of the kids at home?
My wife has been amazing through Corona
How about the Supermarket workers, ( this is close to my heart because of my wonderful wife being a cashier), have you thanked them for continuing to work and put themselves at risk so you can have food on your table during Covid?
What about Doctors, nurses, fireman and women, truck drivers, Veterans… the list goes on and on! Are you having a bad day? Did someone ask if you were okay? Has someone done something nice for you recently even if it was a simple thank you?
I believe we have gotten so into ourselves, especially in the last twenty years or so that our selfishness is starting to be the norm. It has to stop! We are becoming more animal than animals themselves.
Time to wake up and think about others as much if not more than ourselves. Help others and when you need help it will come. But don’t do it half hazard or just because you want help in the future. Do it because you truly want to help your fellow humans. Show love and love will be, in turn show hate and hate will be. What kind of world do you want? Don’t harden your heart! Even the Grinch and Scrooge learned that lesson.
The title to this post is “Selfish or No” not “selfish or not” because it’s not meant to be a question. I hope some day to write a post called “Generous or Yes”. I hope to see a change in this world and bring back old school thinking so that i can write it with joy in my heart. Be well my friends and Remember, we are all in this together.
Enjoy the age you are. Life goes by quickly! It’s funny how the older you get how time goes by so much faster! Truth is, time stays the same but we change. The older we get, the more we pay attention to time. Why is this? I believe I have the answer.
I was talking with my youngest daughter the other day and the subject of time came up. She is just becoming a teenager this year and she said how she was scared to grow up. I gave her the Ole “Time goes faster as you get older.” She just stared at me. It hit me then, this is really something she wants to know and understand. I decided this was about to turn into a serious conversation that I’m not prepared to have.
How am I supposed to explain to a twelve going on thirteen year old what I mean. I myself didn’t start seeing it until I was in my forties. I’m still not real sure I understand the full complexity to this. I just feel, the older we become, the more things we have missed.
I decided to go with an approach that I have learned and hope that it helps my beautiful daughter, and hopefully others like her out there. I know we all have regrets, whether it be a job, girlfriend/boyfriend or even losing a friendship over something dumb. Whatever it may be, it still leads me to the same conclusion. I will try my best to explain this the way I explained it to her. She seemed to pick up on it and gain the understanding I was hoping for.
When we are young, the one thing we want more than anything is to grow up. Once we are grown, the one thing we want more than anything is to go back to being young again. We need to start enjoying the age we are now! It doesn’t matter if you are twelve, twenty-five or eighty-five. If you are twelve, enjoy being twelve because thirteen is just around the corner and you will never see twelve again.
When we become older, the only way to enjoy twelve again is through our children and our grandchildren. Maybe you will be fortunate enough to be around to enjoy your great grandchildren. Take full advantage of this because you will never be twelve again. On the flip side of that, enjoy what ever age you are now. If you are fifty, enjoy fifty because you will be fifty-one soon enough.
And for goodness sake, don’t look back at missed opportunities, look back at successes. Enjoy life now! We are only here for a little while. Don’t make yourself miserable over something that is long gone.
I hope this helps. Enjoy today and Remember, we are all in this together.
The more you succeed, the more mountains you must conquer. This is true with anyone that has been successful. Once you climb a mountain to success, there is always another in front of you that must be conquered.
If you conquer one mountain and stop, are you successful? The answer to this riddle is no. Just because you have succeeded in one thing in life does not mean to lay down and stop where you are. This is not the meaning of a successful person.
A successful person never stops looking for opportunities to be more successful. This has nothing to do with money, however money usually follows.
Don’t give up!
Take a person like Albert Einstein, he continued to work on ideas that have changed science until his dieing day. Even when he wasn’t working, as far as we could see, his brain was still in overdrive. Was all his ideas valid? Maybe not as we have found other ways to disrupt some of his ideas. Did he quit? Never!
There are many other examples which most of the time are just hard working people that never gave up. Pick a few billionaires out of the crowd to study and I will guarantee, they don’t quit.
If you succeed in something, take a minute to pat yourself on the back and then get back to work. If you do this, then the sky’s the limit. Or is it? Even if it’s just an idea that you are working out in your brain, keep it up.
I have no idea why this post came to me in the middle of the night. Maybe this is just for me or maybe one of you are having a hard time keeping the faith in your dream. I’m not sure, but there it is. If it’s for you you will know it. Keep knocking them mountains down and Remember, we are all in this together.
When I was growing up, or at least until I became a sophomore in high school, I was always the new kid in class. My dad moved us back and forth from Missouri to Arizona multiple times.
My dad worked for the Railroad and the copper mines as a mechanic in Arizona and when the layoffs or strikes came, boom, we would be headed back to Missouri, where both my mom and dad grew up. He would open up his own auto shop or go to work for another shop (usually a diesel shop) until the strike or layoffs were over. And just like that, back to Arizona we would go.
Now, truth be known, it wasn’t exactly like that, but very close. Yes, we moved a lot back and forth between these two states, but sometimes it was just to different parts of Arizona or just to different parts of Missouri. This situation would very often cause me to be the new kid in school, sometimes twice in the same year!
Growing up like this was hard on me, but as I have seen through my life, it was actually a very good thing to grow up that way. Sure it was hard leaving friends that were just made and trying to make friends over and over again, but I learned that I can, did and do adapt better to circumstances that others have a hard time with even today. I guess the hardest part was figuring out who the new bully would be that I would eventually end up fighting. Of course, I lost most of the time, but I was granted great respect for always standing up for myself and sometimes others as well.
I consider myself a ‘Missourian’ and yet for the past twenty plus years, I have lived in Arizona after my dad passed away. The thing I’m trying to spit out is, we become part of our society, and those that have lived in multiple societies are better off in a lot of ways. For one, I could be uprooted and placed in a different location tomorrow and within a month, I would be able to fit in.
I was able to prove this when I went into the Navy. Most of the recruits beside me had a real hard time adjusting, but me, heck it was just another day. Sure, I missed my family, but I was able to fit into my circumstance very quickly. And the bully? Well, that was my company commander and I decided not to fight him.
I sometimes feel for the military kids because I know it’s hard on them. Let me tell you moms and dads something about that. If you explain why your family has to move so often, the kids will be stronger for it. If you just tell them, “just deal with it”, then you will have a very troubled teen on your hands. Be honest with your children about it, and they may be mad now but understand later and become well-rounded adults.
For all other parents that have a choice to move or not move for a job or other circumstance, make sure you make the decision, Not your kids. Too many times the decision is made more by the children than their parents these days and that is wrong. You are responsible to do the best for your family and let your children change things up with their kids if they want when they become parents. (This is classic old school thinking).
Before anybody yells at me for that last paragraph, I tell this from experience. I made this mistake! I made sure to keep my kids with their friends and I decided to stick it out and not take them to a better life and now my children are paying the price, let alone my wife and I are still stuck where we really don’t want to be. Don’t get me wrong,, this is a wonderful area, just not what we want. One of my sons is in the Navy now and instead of adapting like I did, he is one of those having a hard time, and it’s my fault.
If I had moved us years ago when I had the chance, I believe my whole family would be better off today. Instead, I let the children decide. So don’t be afraid to move if you believe it is better for your family. I’m not saying to be like we were when I grew up, I do believe that was excessive, but I lived through it and would willingly do it all over again. There’s a great big world out there, don’t be afraid of change. Change can make you stronger. Your kids will adapt and be just fine. Take care out there.
Some of my readers may have never heard the phrase “If all else fails, back up and punt.” I promise most of the sports enthusiasts out there, especially those into American football, have heard and understand this wisdom.
For those of you that don’t understand, I will try and explain this great wisdom. First off, let me tell you in advance, even though this is a football term, I will be using it to explain how to achieve what you want out of life. So fear not, I have a plan.
There are times in life where we have tried everything under the sun to accomplish something, but nothing seems to work. This is the same when one football team comes up against a much better team. Yet sometimes the better team loses because the weaker team pulls the Ole rabbit out of the hat trick, and catches the better team off guard.
I’m now going to coach you up, to put it in sports speak. When I say ‘punt’ this refers to kick the ball back to the other team because nothing else is working. Sounds kinda dumb, huh? Well not really, you see, when that ball is in the air a lot of different things can and will often happen. The main one being the guy that’s supposed to catch it, messes up and fumbles the ball. This gives both teams a chance to recover the ball. The team that just booted the ball has new life because if they recover it, they are in a better position than they were in before. Also, if they don’t recover it, at least they have a chance to regroup and physically and mentally catch their breath.
Okay, maybe a little NFL thrown in there, but this is a lot like life. If you have thrown everything you have at a situation, and it’s not working, then sometimes it is better to back up and try something out of the ordinary. It may not be what was planned, but maybe the plan that was needed.
Not every rule works the same all the time with different people, businesses, inventions or whatever it is you are trying to find the solution to. So you can keep banging your head on the same wall making the dent deeper or try something that is really far off and maybe, just maybe, pull your own rabbit out of the hat!
I hope this post hits home with some of you that are having trouble finding a solution to your unique situation. Sometimes you just have to back up and punt. Remember, we are all in this together.
What if we are just the reflection of someone else’s reality. Have you ever stepped back and wondered why you did something even though you knew it was wrong? We have free will. We make our own choices. Furthermore, we do right or wrong knowing it’s right or wrong. So why do we do what we do?
Life makes no sense, and yet here we are. But what if we are not in control but just a reflection of someone else’s reality or even worse just one of their dreams? What if our lifetime is just a small amount of time for he or she that is subconsciously making us who we are? Scary thought, isn’t it? I like to think outside the box a lot and this is about as far outside as is possible from said box. I believe what I am presenting here is a bunch of fluff with no basis for truth, but it would explain a lot if it were true.
We have all had that dream that seemed so real that it was hard to convince ourselves it was just a dream. But just for a split second, what if this is the dream and the dream we thought was a dream, was in fact reality? Would this change your prospective of life? Would you wake up and do things differently this time? Or if we are someone else’s dream, would we manipulate it to fit what we want?
I know I’m stretching this thought about as far as it can go, but I do have a reason for all this nonsense. If we can think of ourselves as a dream/reflection of someone’s or our dreams being reality and our reality being dreams, then we can believe we can accomplish anything without being held to the rules of the world.
We start believing we can do anything we desire without being held back. If we decide to amass a great empire, we can do it. If we decide to fulfill our life’s ambition, well it’s easy because we control the dream.
So why, if we can dream it, we can’t do or have it? There is no reason. We only use a small amount of our brain our whole lives and if we listen to others negativity, we use less than that. If we have to pretend this is all a dream to achieve what we desire, then so be it.
It’s been said time and time again, “Follow your dreams”. Well, I say, let’s help ourselves and live the dream and make things happen to help ourselves. There is nothing wrong with a good imagination. Don’t be afraid to step out into the world and achieve what you want.
Are we someone else’s dream, or is our reality a dream and our dreams’ reality? I guess it really doesn’t matter as long as we live life to the fullest. You may live to be a hundred years old, but that’s really a short time in the grand scheme of things. Do what you can to make your life’s dream come true and if we are really in a dream world, at least it will be a good one.
First off, you can win a discussion. You can win a debate. You cannot win an argument. This is because once a discussion or debate becomes an argument, there is no logical conclusion. Even if all the facts you have presented are found to be true, the other person is too upset to see them. It goes both ways, if the other person has all the facts that check out, you are too upset to see them as well. So the only way to win an argument is to not argue.
A wise man once said that it is better to listen and be thought of as a fool, than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt. So once a discussion or debate as it were, becomes heated and heading to an argument, just shut up! This is against human nature because nobody wants to be wrong. We always want to be right, even when we are wrong.
One of two things will happen after an argument. Firstly would be never to speak of it and possibly each other ever again. The second and usually the case is someone says they are sorry.
Let me say this about sorry, it may make you feel better for saying it, but did it really do any good? Most of the time all sorry is a cheap word thrown around to get someone out of trouble (as my wife has taught me). If you don’t believe that, next time someone tells you they are sorry, think about your first thought afterwards. Was that thought; Do they really mean it? Or maybe; that’s not fair to bow out like that. If you use sorry too many times, it doesn’t mean anything anymore. Just another scapegoat way of getting out of trouble. When you told someone you were sorry, did you really mean it, or are you just looking for peace in the situation?
Everybody that is reading this column, at least the ones that haven’t given up on it yet, have gotten a vision of one side or the other that has happened to them. Hmm, did he or she really mean it? Did I really mean it when I used it?
It takes two to argue, unless you have mental issues that allow you to argue with yourself. One of the quotes I put up, gets to this point when talking to yourself. Go to my quotes page to read it.
We know now that an argument really is never won, so what do we do, Billy? First off, if you are having a discussion or debate, and it starts getting heated, just shut up. You state your case and then stop talking. The other person may get mad and start yelling even more, but hey, if you are no longer involved, then they are arguing with themselves. It won’t take long, and they will figure it out too. Nothing worse than getting caught arguing with yourself. Trust me, my wife gets me arguing by myself quite often.
So can you when an argument? The answer is yes if you don’t get involved in the first place. And next time you feel the need to tell someone you are sorry, change it up a bit and tell them “I apologize, I believe we can work this out if we can be civil and not raise our voices. Will you allow me the opportunity to make this right?” Sounds better than that empty word sorry, doesn’t it? Take care out there and Remember, we are all in this together.
Are you a kind person? Do you care about others as much or more than yourself? Are you the most important person in the room and see others as beneath your superiority? These are questions that if you are not asking yourself, maybe you should.
Everyone on this planet is different. There are no two people exactly alike. Even identical twins are not identical in spirit and observe their selves and others differently. My question to you is not only are you a kind person, but how do we know if someone else is truly kind? You have to determine you for yourself. As far as others, there are two sure fire ways I know if someone is truly a kind individual.
Number one is the reaction of a small child around this person. Now, I don’t mean when the child is acting shy or maybe even cautious of this other person because the child doesn’t know him or her. Most children will show both of these emotions to anyone they don’t know yet. However, if you watch the child, you can tell a lot about this other person. A kind person will still draw the child’s curiosity. He or she may be hugged up to mom or dad’s leg, but still want to take glimpses of this new person.
If this stranger doesn’t have a kind spirit, the child will never take another look. Instead, the little one will grip mom or dad’s leg as tight as possible, hiding their face in the parent’s leg and never even attempt to take another peek.
How can a small child have these strong feelings at such a young age? This is because this little person has yet to be damaged by society. You heard me right! Let’s put the child at say four years or younger, depending on when they start school. The child is still living by instinct. Once they go to school, things change. The child is forced to deal with all kinds of different people and to learn to get along and accept others no matter what. I’m not talking about race or handicaps or stuff like that because the child hasn’t been introduced to any such feelings just yet. I’m talking about kind and unkind people and trusting in both the same.
Once in school, usually starting first grade, society has started to take hold and instinct is starting to be less involved. If the parents are not on top of these new emotions, then society will take its hold and instinct will start to wither away. This will be the first start of bad thoughts of others because of differences like race, religion, mental abilities, athletic abilities, clothing or any other Stupid reason not to like someone else for. However, they will lose the ability to look out for the one thing they should be watching for, and that is someone that may really harm them. Society has now started taking over!
This is what sets humans apart from animals. No matter how old an animal gets, instinct is still there. We as humans tend to overlook our instincts and that is why a lot of humans tend to get into dangerous situations without even seeing it coming.
The second way I know if someone I’m talking to is kind or not is by watching my dog. Of course, a dog is going to protect his master no matter what. But if you really know your dog, you can tell when something is really not right. No matter how well-trained your dog is, he will advise you when something is wrong, even if he is going to get in trouble for it. Your dog is not only your protector but also and sometimes more importantly, your advisor of danger.
They say a dog can smell fear. I truly believe this to be fact. I also believe a dog can smell or sense a kind or unkind spirit in a person. If you are an unkind person and have a dog, the dog will protect you because they are so loyal. However, the dog will also be leery of you and never completely trust you.
So there it is. Are you a kind spirited person or not? If you’re not sure, watch a child or dog. They will let you know the truth about you! Until next time, be kind to yourself and others.
When does family become just relatives? This I believe is a great question. People of all walks of life view this question extremely differently. Some believe once you say family, it includes all the people that are in your ancestry. Others feel family means the people related to you that are still alive. Others consider a certain group like clubs, gangs and maybe a whole community they grew up with as family.
My feelings may be welcome or scoffed at, but here goes. I was taught and have passed on to my children that family is you, your spouse and your children. Now, when I say children, I mean those that are still in your care. This means, it may be the blood child of both parents or one of the parents and not the other. The other being a stepdad or stepmom.
Before we go on, let me say, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a stepparent. Some of the best parents are stepparents. A stepparent has taken the children, knowing who those children are and loving them as their own. This is a true blessing, and don’t ever think otherwise. For any of you that have or had a stepparent, remember, anybody can make children, but it takes someone special to take you in without creating you. This also goes the same for adoption. I believe these are very special parents. Don’t ever feel you are unloved if you were adopted, you are extremely important and loved. You were chosen from the many.
Now back to my feelings on family and relatives. I believe when you find that special someone, and you move out of your parent’s house, something really special happens. You are out to start your own family. You, your significant other and your children are now your own family. All others at this point become relatives (nice to visit, but no longer considered home).
Relatives are nice to visit, but it’s also nice to head back home after the visit
We all have that special place that we remember as home. However, home now is where your newly made family lives. I believe this is very important to understand. You and your significant other set the rules for your household. You two have taken on that responsibility, as well you should. It’s nice to ask Mom and Dad for advice, but ultimately you two should have the final say. Your Mom and Dad did their job, and it’s up to you to decide what is best for your family.
I have seen many times how outside influences can hurt a marriage and family. I personally was involved in such a relationship years ago, and it was not good. Furthermore, I and my wife at the time would decide something for us and next thing I know, my father-in-law would get too involved, and it would end up a big mess to put it lightly.
Now, if your little family falls on hard times, and you have to move back in with one of your sets of parents, the game changes. You have to understand if this happens, you are now under the rules of the household you have just moved in with. I’m not saying it’s wrong, just be well aware what you are getting into and make a plan to move back out as soon as you can, if for nothing else but your own sanity. Also remember, your Mom and Dad did their job with you already, don’t make them come out of retirement and do it all over again.
One whole family
I am the first to say that I’m no specialist in family matters, far from it. I have been in some of these situations and I know the problems they can lead to. If you plan on having a happy marriage for years to come, you must back each other up and don’t let relatives tear you apart. As I said relatives are nice to visit, but home is home. Take care out there and remember, we are all in this together.
Do you remember when a handshake was all that was needed? I remember, when I was a kid growing up in Missouri, watching my dad do many business deals with nothing more than a handshake. At the time, it didn’t seem like much of an undertaking. I mean, everybody in them parts had a contract with someone else and all it was a simple gesture. The only time I remember seeing my dad sign any kind of paperwork for services of any kind was at the car lot or when he signed the banknote for our house.
Why is it now you have to sign your life away to get anything. I mean, if you have a next door neighbor, and you want to put up a fence on the property line, the first thing that comes up is going down and getting a legal document signed so nobody gets sued. It doesn’t matter if this so-called fence is helping both parties or not.
I remember a neighbor we had come to dad and asked if it was okay to replace a fence in between our farms that had been damaged by a winter storm. My dad kinda laughed and said, “Now, Jerry, why would you ask a silly question like that? Of course, you can change out that section, and I’ll pay half the cost”. Jerry said,” I just wanted to be respectful “. The next morning, when I dragged myself out of bed, I looked out the window and their Jerry and my dad were working together to replace that section of fence.
It was the same all over the Ozarks, and I’m pretty sure it was everywhere else except maybe the big cities where everyone was uptight all the time living so close to each other with no elbow room.
Nowadays, even in the backwoods, it seems like everybody is so afraid that they are going to be sued over something stupid, there’s a mountain of paperwork to do with your neighbor just to put up a flag pole on your own property because your neighbors have to look at it.
I want to get back to the time when people trusted one another and not just be neighbors, but be neighborly. When did things change and become so bland? Where did we go wrong? I know part of it is because everything everywhere offends someone somewhere. But, I don’t think that’s the whole problem, even though it is a big part of it. I’m concerned about this great mistrust of one another that has gripped society today.
It used to be a handshake was a man’s bond, now it means little to nothing. It is really sad how far we have regressed as humans. Wait long enough and clothes, music and other such things come back into style again. Let’s bring back trust in our fellow man and make a handshake a man’s bond once more. It’s bad enough we can’t get countries to get along, but when we can’t even get along with our own countrymen, something is truly amiss.
I know I bounced around a lot in this post, but if you really look at what is happening out there, this is all tied together. We better figure it out soon because it isn’t looking good. Take care of yourselves and your neighbors. We all have to work together before it completely falls apart. The sad part is we are barely holding on by a thread now. Remember, we are all in this together.
I thought I had great patience, however, like most Americans, I don’t have as much as I thought. I am learning to be a little more patient because of this blogging thing I have going on now.
I have learned that one letter or number put wrong in the wrong spot, can cost hours upon hours to fix unless you have the gift or training to find your mistake. I do not possess this quality on either side of that coin. Furthermore, I’m a learn as you go kinda guy. This learns as you go thing is not a great thing to have when dealing with computers.
I have made a total of three mistakes since I have started this blog that have cost me enormous hours of work trying to fix. I will get one thing fixed just to mess things up somewhere else.
Where am I going with this? Well, other than the complaining I mean. I want to tell you that losing your patience with something is no reason to quit! If I had given up any one of thosetimes, my blog would’ve ended right there. Instead, I buckled down, did a few chats with the computer geniuses and kept going. There is always a solution, you just have to keep going and trying different things until something works.
Why the exclamation points in the title, you ask? That was what I caught myself yelling at myself earlier today, just before I figured out the solution to the mistake I made night before last. Of course, that wasn’t the whole sentence, there were a few choice words also used, but I’m trying to keep this a G rated blog or at least PG.
As a recap, I want to ask you a question. How long is your patience? I think the answer to that question is, how important is it to you? This blog is important to me. I want it to be the best one of its kind. How long is my patience? I have yet to find the end of it. I may get upset, throw my hands in the air and yell out some profanities, but afterwards, I’m right back to work.
Learning to be patient is a lifelong lesson but given enough attention, it can lead to lifelong dreams. Take care and remember, we are all in this together.
I know you have heard the term, I’m at a crossroads in my life. To this, I have to laugh. If a crossroads in your life isn’t just ahead, well, you must be pushing up daisies. We as humans are at a so-called crossroads every day of our lives. Every day, when you wake up, you have choices to make. These choices (crossroads) can be as simple as getting out of bed or just going back to sleep. They can be as complicated as putting your paycheck in the bank or trying out the stock market.
We all have plans for our lives, and some work out, some don’t. I am willing to lay odds the ones that don’t work out are because we have either decided to quit on that plan or found a better opportunity to follow instead. Some people believe if they are able to pay their bills for the month, it’s all going great. Others believe if they haven’t made a million dollars this month, they have failed.
I don’t know where you are in life or where you want to end up. I do know you can go as far as you want if you want it badly enough. Furthermore, I’m not talking about just money, but what really makes you jump for joy.
When you wake up in the morning, don’t think of how bad things went yesterday. Instead, think about how great things are going to be today. In turn, if you had a great day yesterday, that was yesterday and today is here. How are you going to make today as good, if not better than yesterday? Hmm, a crossroads? That’s right, every choice you decide to make today is a crossroads in your life.
Your choice to go left, right or straight ahead with the plan you set in motion today will lead you down a path. Is it the right way or wrong? I am here to send you some good news. If you choose the wrong path, you can fix it because there is another crossroads up ahead. Think of it this way, you just took the scenic route instead of the expressway. May take a little longer, but there’s less traffic!
Don’t dwell on mistakes because you chose the wrong path. We learn from our mistakes, and it makes us stronger people for making them. Remember, mistakes are learning tools, failure is only when we quit. What is your crossroads today? Is it simple or complicated? It doesn’t matter, go with your gut feeling and if you’re wrong, it can be changed at your next crossroads. Have a wonderful life and remember, we are all in this together.
I have been offline for a couple of days because my website was broken. It was a rough couple of days full of a lot of hair pulling. As you can see, my site is back up and running. Thanks to the good Lord above it wasn’t any longer because I’m running out of hair. This little stint away has brought me to my next journey into a phase where I ask myself and others, “Are we better off with or without the technology we have today?”
The first thing that comes to mind is, I wouldn’t be able to communicate with all of you if there wasn’t internet. The second thing that comes to mind is how much simpler things were when I grew up without all these gadgets we are stuck to today.
I believe this is a subject that takes some looking into. Do these electronic devices help or hurt us? In some ways, life is so much easier. You don’t know the answer to a question today, well ask the all and powerful Google. I mean, before Google, we had to look things up in a dictionary or travel to the local library to find the answer.
Of course, on the other hand, if the grocery store loses power before you are done checking out, we’ll then you go home with no food because none of the registers work. Before all this technological advancements, if the power went off, it’s okay because the drawer still opens to make change.
Nowadays, we can find out what our military is doing overseas by simply turning on the television and searching through a million channels twenty-four hours a day. When I was growing up, we had three channels, and you couldn’t pause the station to use the restroom. If you left the room for any reason, you missed what ever happened to be on.
Now, I’m in an up and down battle with myself whether these advancements are good or bad. I mean as far as knowing everything the military is doing overseas at any given time may be a good idea for you, but I’m against it. As a veteran of these United States, I believe something’s are better left untold. I may go into more detail of that at another time. ( If you would like to read my thoughts on why I don’t believe we need to know everything that our military is doing, send me an email and I may write a blog about it)
There are many things to see without a phone on hand, like this creek.
So where do I stand with technology? I guess I enjoyed life a lot more without it. Sure it’s neat to have a phone I can carry around with me and not get strangled in the cord, but I spent a lot more time enjoying the world we live in without it. I didn’t have that feeling all the time that my phone buzzed even when it wasn’t in my pocket. Anybody else gets them sensations?
I guess that’s my feelings on technology. Let me know what you think. I really like reading the opinions of others. If you don’t want my audience reading what you have to say, it’s okay, drop me an email like a lot of others do, and it will be between us.
Well, I’m glad to be back to writing again, and I hope you are glad I’m back. Take care of yourselves and set that phone down sometime and enjoy the world around, there are a lot of things to see without a screen. Until next time, remember, we are all in this together.
