Fearless Friends

Yesterday was "some kinda day" and it had me feeling "some kinda way."

On Saturday I went on an incredibly beautiful hike/walk. The views were BREATHTAKING and the sound of the waves crashing (which is my FAVORITE sound to hear) was simply CALMING.

In addition to the amazing views and sounds, God gave me another bonus in the form of one of His furry creatures, a SQUIRREL which I have so affectionately named "Stanley".

There we were, minding our own business and I spot Stanley. I approached him "in peace" in an attempt to get him in some cool pics. Well, LO AND BEHOLD, he approached ME just as peacefully. I sat down on a nearby bench and he made is way right over. At times he was UNDER the bench, other times ON the back of the bench and even NEXT TO ME as I sat on the bench. HOW COOL!!!

I knew that I wanted to hang out with this little guy for a while and I remembered that I still had some trail mix left. So I get it out of my bag and start dropping pieces on the ground. Stanley went for it! As soon as he finished, he'd look at me with that sweet lil' squirrel face as if asking for more. So...I gave him more. He and I were having such a good time together that at one point, he hopped up on me. It happened so unexpectedly and he was only there for a second.

Contrary to what most would like to believe, I don't believe he hopped up to harm me, because if he had wanted to then surely he would have. I instead, choose to believe that in me, he simply found a friend.

Well, I was so excited about our encounter, I posted about it on Facebook. It's kinda funny how you start out with the intention of something going ONE WAY and it turns out going in a completely different direction. Yeah, that's pretty much what happened.

Instead of folks just enjoying my sweet experience with Stanley, I was instead deluged with warnings of how he could've had rabies and how I could've gotten rabies, and how even worse than the danger that Stanley may have caused me, I may have actually caused Stanley more harm...

WOW!

I hadn't expected all that.

Although I am thankful for folks being concerned about my well being, and was a little taken back by the fact that anyone would EVER think that I would cause harm to an animal (I LOVE ANIMALS!), I realized that the world I live in is a bit different from the rest.

Call me naive. Maybe I'm living in a bubble. But NEVER ONCE during my encounter with Stanley, did I ever have fear of him or any disease that he may have been carrying. Nor did it ever dawn on me that I was causing him harm. He and I were simply "in the moment". And my crazy, nature loving self, actually believes that God gave us that moment. Maybe Stanley needed a friendly face, voice and hand to feed him. And maybe I needed a furry friend to show me the kindness of nature. Whatever it was, is what it was and I am so thankful that none of the "concerns" ever entered my mind as I was out there with him. Because had they entered my mind and caused me to fear, the whole experience would have been RUINED.

So...the moral of this story is this: FEAR will rob me of so many beautiful experiences that life wants to offer me. So I choose not to live IN or WITH fear. That's just me.

If I'm out on a hike one day and get attacked by a mountain lion, so be it. Mind you, I have sense enough to NEVER walk up to a mountain lion, but if it happens, it happens. Maybe a rattlesnake will jump out and bite me one day. Who knows? Anything is possible. If it happens, it happens. We could go on ALL DAY with "what ifs". But why? That's such a waste. I guess the bottom line is this...the worse thing that can ever happen to me is DEATH. However, as a believer in Christ, death ain't so bad. Because death here on earth for me, means ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM next. So for me, it's ok.

I live with peace. I live in peace. And I have NO FEAR.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What's the "wildest" creature you've ever come across? Did you stop and spend time with it, or did you "keep it movin'"?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Pretty Little Pink Slip

So yesterday I was having a conversation with some folks and the subject of cars came up.

The other folks in the conversation were speaking negatively about they type of car the someone (who was NOT taking part in the conversation) drove.

He drives a KIA.

So the big ta-do was over the fact that he didn't want to leave his car at the airport while he traveled, for fear that something might happen to the car.

To this, one of the other folks said, "Come on! It' a KIA, who's gonna want it?!?"

Well alrighty then. Would you like to take a guess as to which OTHER member of the conversation happens to drive a KIA? Go 'head...I'll give you a minute {insert Jeopardy theme song here}. That's right...Yours Truly!

So...I very kindly interjected and let them know that I happen to be the proud owner of a 9 and a half year old KIA. Mind you, it could use some repairs...a LOT of repairs, but the bottom line is that it still gets me from point A to B, the heater and air still work, and the radio does occasionally. Yes, the cigarette lighter died some time back which means that I can no longer listen to MyPod in the car, but aside from all that...I love my little KIA, who I affectionately named "Kenya" the day I got her.

And on top of everything else...SHE'S PAID FOR!!! And as they say, I'm gonna drive her til the wheels fall off...proudly.

So I guess the biggest lesson that I hope those other folks learned is that you must ALWAYS be mindful of what you say because you never know how it will effect and/or insult someone else.

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin: What is YOUR dream car?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Say Cheese!

The older I get, the more lessons I seem to be learning. I'm beginning to find it quite interesting.

Today's lesson came via the birth of a friend's first grandchild.

This morning, on my way to work my I saw my friend's status update letting us know that the mother-to-be's water had broken and labor had begun. "How exciting!", I thought to myself, "the baby will be here soon."

Later this morning came the anticipated announcement...the baby was HERE. Again, I found myself being excited as if I had a relational connection to this precious little one.

Later still, came the first photo. "Ohhh", I uttered out loud. Such a blessing!

Then came more photos. My reaction was the same for all.

At some point I realized just how incredibly amazing it must be for someone who is born today, or even 5 years ago with all of the advancements of technology, and Facebook.

Take this little one for example.

Years from now, and even longer as long as Facebook stays around, he will be able to look back on his very first day here on earth. I mean, like MINUTES after his arrival...he'll be able to see that. And every monumental event hereafter...those will all be chronicled in some form of digital technology for him to pass on to his children, and their children, etc. What a blessing!

I even have another friend who started a Facebook page for her granddaughter on the day the granddaughter was born, and updates it with pictures of the baby girl who is now two years old. Can you imagine?!?

I wish I were as blessed.

Unfortunately, I was born in a time when photos were taken, developed, and typically stored away in a photo album. As a result, I have only 5 photos from my childhood (if even that many).

It's not that photos were'nt taken of me. Oh, there were plenty. Especially being the first grandchild, and living with my grandparents for the earliest years of my life...there were albums upon albums of my photos. But they're gone now.

You see, they were all kept at my grandparents home. Made sense to me. That's where they had always been and it never dawned on me to get them, at least not while my grandparents were alive. As long as THEY were here, my photos were safe.

Sadly, my beloved grandmother (who was also my very first best friend) passed away 23 years ago.

One year after my grandmother's passing, my grandfather remarried...a witch.

I never liked her. Ever. There was something about her "spirit" that my "Spirit" did not agree with. But for my grandfather's sake, I tolerated her and "behaved" as my grandparents would put it.

Well...fast forward to my grandfather's passing.

As if losing him wasn't bad enough, we were left to deal with the witch.

Not only did she clean our family out of any inheritance that my grandfather left for his children (which he did leave, and she TOOK), but she no longer allowed us in the house (that my grandfather bought for my GRANDMOTHER), therefore eliminating the ability to go through and get anything of value to us...even those things having only SENTIMENTAL value...like MY CHILDHOOD PHOTOS.

I don't know what she's done with them. Thrown them away? Maybe. Burned them? Probably. Either way...I don't have them and I greatly wish that I did.

Had I been born in this day and age, none of that would be a factor. They'd all be neatly stored in cyberspace for all eternity available to me whenever I chose to enjoy them.

Interestingly, as I searched for a photo to include with today's post, I couldn't find a single one that conveyed what I wanted. You see, a picture truly is worth a thousand words, but in this case, since I couldn't find a picture we'll just have to go with the words.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: How old is the OLDEST photo that you have of yourself?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Flush!

So "The big game" just ended and like most viewers, I watched the commercials. That's rare for me, for two reasons. ONE: I only watch about an hour of television a day and TWO: When I do watch, I ALWAYS skip through the commercials.

So yeah...tonight was very rare.

The more commercials I watched though, the more disgusted I became.

Commercials during "The big game" cost MILLIONS of dollars. Pretty sad considering the fact that most of the time I had NO IDEA what the commercial was advertising. ALL THAT MONEY and the viewers have no idea about the product. Not the best "ROI" if you ask me. It's like they just flushed all that money down the toilet.

Additionally, I couldn't help but think off all the HUNGRY and HOMELESS folks who have no place to lay their heads at night, yet these big corporations WASTE money on ads that don't even make sense.

It just makes me angry and sad. The rich are getting richer. The poor are getting poorer. And there really isn't anything in the middle anymore.

I could go on and on about all that is wrong with this selfish society that we live in, but I won't bore you with all that...at least not today.

Anyhoo, Let the DIALOGUE begin: Did YOUR team win "The big game" tonight?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

My Boogie Shoes

So yesterday as my work week was just 34 minutes from coming to a close and I was already visualizing myself at home on the couch watching a movie...in came the text, "...wanna go dancing tonight?"

Now if that text had come from ANYBODY else I probably would've replied with, "No thanks. Kinda tired. Gonna rest tonight. Have fun."

But NOOO...

This one came from the BFF, sooo...I scrambled to find a place for us to go.

After a few texts and FB inquiries to friends, I found us a spot and a few hours later, we were on our way.

We get to the place and it seems ok so we decide to stay and give it a go.

It had a different "element" than the last place we went to back in November for her birthday. THAT crowd was young and "ratchet" as my daughters would say. THIS crowd...well, lets just say that me & Judy were the "babies" in the bunch. LOTS of silver-haired folks walking about. But the music was good, so hey.

Even in the "secret" 30 and over room (which apparently was for the younger folks) there wasn't really anybody much younger than the two of us.

In either room, we still had a BLAST and that's because, as Judy told a friend earlier today, "we make our own party wherever we go!"

And that's exactly what we did. And tired as I was, I'm glad we went.

As I look back on the night, I realize just how far I've come. Years ago I hardly EVER went dancing. And if I DID go, I surely wouldn't dance BY MYSELF. I stood around looking stupid WAITING for a man to ASK ME to dance. Well let me tell you how that normally turned out: I never got asked, so I never danced, which ended up in a miserable evening.

I am SO THANKFUL that those days are gone. I don't wait for ANYBODY anymore. If "my JAM" comes on and I wanna dance...dag-gonnit, I'm gonna dance! And that's exactly what we did last night. We danced and didn't care who was watching.

Time waits for no one. Life waits for no one. And I refuse to get to the end of my life with a bunch of "should've, could've, would'ves." I live everyday as if it were my last because the fact of the matter is that it could be. None of us know. Tomorrow is not promised and neither are the next 5 minutes. Heck...I could've died at the end of that last sentence. Lucky for YOU, I didn't. ;-)

So anyway, as in all things, life is always teaching me a lesson...even if it's out on the dance floor.

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time YOU went dancing?

Talk to me!

til next time...