Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

I have lost touch with the current musical scene.  “Mojo” magazine, an English musical magazine I get, listed the top fifty releases of 2009:  I had only bought one.  A lot of the names of the groups I never heard.  At best, they were names of groups I had come across and usually was not familiar with their music.  I had become almost completely unaware of “what was out there”.  The thing is I really do not care although my antenna is always up for artists I have never heard of yet are very good.  Most of the time, though, they are not in the “mainstream”.

Tags: 2009, England, mainstream music, Mojo magazine, music, music groups, music magazine, music scene, musical artists
Posted in art, knowledge&learning, music, time | No Comments »

Never be afraid of contradicting yourself:  words are always one-sided.  There is always another side–another point of view.  Your words can only state one point of view.  That may seem obvious but it is true.

Someone who reads what you have written may say, “What about this or that.  That is not true all the time?!”

Don’t get upset.  Just be aware there is always another side.  Just try to state your point of view as honestly and as accurately as possible.  That all you can do.  And do not be dismayed when someone challenges you.

Tags: accurate, always another side, another point of view, contradict yourself, honest, one-sided, writers, writing, your words
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The smallest social unit within your family is your partner.  Do you treat him/her with kindness and love.  It matters.  How can you possibly treat others with love and kindness if you can not even treat the person who is closest to you that way?

Of course, kindness starts off with you, your thoughts, your self talk.  If you can treat yourself with tolerance and love, fully aware you are flawed and forgive yourself for blundering and, also, ask others for forgiveness when you have hurt them.

I find it interesting in the Lord’s Prayer it states, ‘And forgive our debts, as well as we forgive our debtors’ (Matthew 6-12).  You have to ask God for the forgiveness of you sins first before can you can forgive others for hurting you.

If you love those who God puts in your life (and it starts off with your mate) you can transform the world.  Never discount the power of one.  Every movement started off with one person so never discount yourself.

Tags: ask for forgiveness, Bible, blunder, forgive others, forgive yourself, forgiveness, God, hurt, kindness, Lord's Prayer, love, love others, Matthew, never discount yourself, our debtors, our debts, self talk, social unit, the Bible, the power of one person, thoughts, tolerance, transform the world, we are flawed, your mate, your partner
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I don’t understand hate but what I do know love, forgiveness and kindness would transform this earth if it was practiced by everyone.  I know it is not an easy formula for peace.

Humans (including myself) are very flawed.  It does not matter what you do for a living.  Some may be impressed by that but what most people remember is how you treated them.  If it was with love and kindness, they may remember that for a long time.

Forgiveness is in the equation because humans make mistakes with one another and hurt one another.  It does not matter if it was intentional or not.  It just happens.

And forgiveness give us a “clean slate” and lets us start afresh with one another.  And forgiveness has a price.  It is not easy.

I read in a book all God asks of us is to forgive each other.  Wouldn’t that transform the world if everyone did that?

And this starts in the most basic social unit–the family.  And then make wider circles:  your neighbors, your state, your country.  And it has to start in the family first.

Tags: clean slate, forgive each other, forgiveness, God, how you treat people, hurt each other, kindness, love, neighbor, peace on earth, social unit, start afresh, the family, transform the earth, we are flawed, we make mistakes
Posted in balance, beauty, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, local, love, marriage, mental health, politics, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »

You have the most impact on others by being the person only you can be.  Fulfill the calling only you can have.  I can’t tell you what that is.  Only you know.

Try to be no one else but you.  It is amazing of the billions of people on this earth each one is unique.  Explore that tiny seed the Lord put in you, the tiny voice only you can hear.

Love what you do, who you are, the way you are “wired” and you will have the most impact on those around you.  Yes, you might not live long enough to see that.  It does not matter.

Each person was put on this earth for a reason.  Each person is driven to do something well.

Don’t be overly concerned of your legacy.  That is not your place.  But do what your tiny voice is urging you to do.  That is all you need to do.

Tags: be yourself, billions of people on earth, do something well, everyone is unique, fulfill your calling, God, listen to your tiny voice, love what you do, love who you are, the Lord, tiny seed, you are here for a reason, you are unique, your legacy
Posted in balance, death, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom, writing, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

The new can opener worked perfectly the first time.  Lately our can opener which my wife has had for over twenty years was not working properly and we had “to play with it” every time we used it.

A few days ago I remembered I had another can opener which I used for camping.  I looked at it and realized it looked brand new.  My wife had made me buy one solely for camping.

And this one worked perfectly.  The joy of small things.  Isn’t life composed of many small pleasures.  The big things only come along once in awhile.  And they fade in importance very quickly.

And it is so easy to take every day pleasures for granted until they are gone.  Every thing is by grace.

Tags: big things in life, camping, can opener, everything-is-by-grace, God, joy of small things, life is composed of small pleasures, little things, my wife, pleasure of little things, take for granted
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‘You never listen to me!’  I heard that from my wife countless times.  Why is that the perennial refrain wives give:  “You never listen to me!”  When she says that, I become furious.  I retort sometimes, ‘”Never” is a really long word.  Why can’t you use the word “sometimes” instead of “never”.’  Usually she just shakes her head and walks away.

Tags: "never" is a really long word, God, marriage, my wife, perennial refrain, use "sometimes" instead of "never", you never listen to me
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Every person gives what they can, when they can, to whoever they can.  It is important to have low expectations of your acquaintances (and certainly your friends).

Thus, you can never be disappointed and when one comes through and gives you something unexpectedly (and let us not forget the gift of their time probably the most precious commodity a person possesses), you simply can be grateful and consider it serendipity.

One can not live inside another and know what goes on, what pressures and concerns that person is facing.  It is hard enough when you live with someone so you can imagine how difficult it is with someone else.

When another person reaches out to you, you ought to be grateful and accept the gift.  Others give what they can, when they can.  That does not mean you should not try to reach out to others around you.

Just be aware others often do not acknowledge your efforts and certainly do not always return the “favor” to put it one way.  You need to love others particularly your neighbors (and even strangers) unconditionally.

A relationship may blossom when you least expect it to.  And that is how it usually goes.

Tags: accept the gift, acquaintances, be grateful, blossom, gift of your time, give what you can, give when you can, hard to know what others are facing, love strangers, love unconditionally, love your neighbors, precious commodity, reach out to others, relationships, return the favor, serendipity, your efforts, your friends
Posted in balance, beauty, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom | 2 Comments »

I miss those magnificent oak trees that I passed by every time I went to the local post office.  They were only a block away.

I talked once to the man, “Drummy?” who informed me he planted them decades ago.  He lived until 101 and was called the oldest boy scout in the county.

There were only three left.  I had moved away and once was visiting my old haunts.  The last three were gone.  There were holes where the trunks used to be.  They were 100 foot plus high stately oaks.

They were not diseased but were cut down because if they ever fell down, they might do major damage to the three nearby houses.

The trees did nothing wrong and I was glad I did not live in that town any longer because every time I would pass that street I would think of those trees.  I (???) still mourning their death.

Tags: 100 feet tall, 101 year old man, death, mourning the trees, nature, oak tree, oldest boy scout in the country, post office, trees
Posted in beauty, death, life, local, nature, time | 2 Comments »

“You can neglect the whole world, but don’t neglect your mate.”  I don’t know exactly where that quote came from.  I know it is a paraphrase.  I do not even know how good a one it is but anyway that ran through my head today.

The thought that came to me right away is we can spend so much time on our jobs or outside tasks and neglect the person we live with.  No one hears as an epithet, “He worked hard and long at his job.”

Sure it is important to do well at your work outside your house but never neglect, in the process, the one closest to you.  Rather neglect your work than her/him.

Tags: don't neglect your mate, epithet, God, marriage, one closest to you, our job, quote, whole world, your work
Posted in balance, death, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, relationships, time, wisdom, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

Is Health Care a right?  Should everyone have access to health care?  I find it interesting of all the discussions and debating going on in our Congress no one is saying that companies covering health care should stop making billions of dollars of profit.

I have read of all the countries mandating health care for everyone not one is allowing companies to make a profit providing health insurance.  Is health care a right or is it a privilege only some should have?  If it is a right, then we have to stop the obscene profit other companies are making in this country providing health insurance.

And I find it interesting there is no talk about that?!

Tags: Congress, God, health care, health care privilege, health care right, health insurance companies, insurance company profit, mandate health care, other countries health care
Posted in children, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, mental health, money, politics, time | No Comments »

The headline in our regional paper said our area might get blanketed by a snowstorm.  I read further and the forecast said at most it would be slightly under an inch of snow.

I had to laugh:  That was a snowstorm?  That was a dusting.  Other areas of the country that consistently get a lot more snow than us would also laugh at that forecast.  Why do weather forecasters here “cry wolf” all the time?

Tags: blanket of snow, cry wolf, dusting of snow, inch of snow, newspaper headline, snowstorm, weather forecaster
Posted in humor, knowledge&learning, local, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »