I guess more than anything else from my written piece I want to know: did my love come through? I would rather my piece be poorly written but have my love come through. If my writing is grammatically correct but says nothing it has failed. Ideally it would be both. I also want to know: did you feel what I felt? Did you have an inkling? Were you there? Did you want to be there? Did my humanity come through? Those are questions I am always interested in. If the answer is “yes”, it is relatively simple to go back and clean up the language. All that is simple when the “guts” of the piece are there. If they are not, no fiddling with it will matter. I am not always aware of the response. The answers to those questions determine the success of my written piece.
Tags: did you feel something, does love come through my writing, feel what I felt, love, my humanity, my writing, questions about writing, reactions to writing, the written piece, writing
Posted in art, balance, life, love, wisdom, writing, your job/mission/profession |
I must be getting old: Ray Manzarek (from The Doors) died today. He was seventy-four. He lived a lot longer than his mate Jim Morrison. Far too many musicians died early. Too much fame too early. Ray, at least, made it to a ripe old age. Each year someone else dies who I followed in the sixties and seventies. Of old age. I feel old, today, although I won’t stay there. From dust we come and to dust we shall return. Death and taxes. We all face that one day.
Tags: 1960's, 1970's, aging, death and taxes, from dust we come, I feel old, JIm Morrison died early like many rock musicians, music, musicians, old age, Ray Manzarak (from the Doors) dies today, rock music, The Doors, to dust we return, too much fame too early
Posted in death, God, life, music, seasons, time, wisdom |
It is easier to spend less than to make more. Your money goes further. There is no end of desiring more and more. Less not more. Being satisfied with what you have is the trick. There is a reason thou shall not covet is one of the ten commandments. There is no end to coveting. You want more and more the more you have. It is just easier to be satisfied with the portion the Lord has given you. And there is less and more from the beginning of the ages. And the commercials you see on TV feed on that desire: you have to have this. You have to have that. A bigger car. A bigger house. A bigger TV. The list is endless. Then you will be happy. It is all lies. There is an end to this: just be happy with what you got. And thank the Lord for all his provisions. Give us our daily bread. That should be your prayer: give us today what I need. Our essentials. That is it.
Tags: avarice, be happy with what you have, bigger car, bigger house, bigger TV, coveting, coveting is one of the ten commandments, desiring more and more, God, less not more, money, our daily bread, our essentials, spend less, ten commandments, thank the Lord, the list is endless, the Lord, thou shall not covet, TV commercials, your prayer
Posted in balance, God, life, money, time, wisdom |
I was depressed that evening. My wife reminded me it probably was fatigue. Right after I kissed my wife good-night Tilla followed me into the TV room and nudged shut the door. Somehow that was comforting, that my dog wanted my company. It was a small act but it mattered. The next morning I awoke and the depression was gone. My wife was right. I was just overly tired.
Tags: depression and fatigue, dogs, my wife, pets, Tilla, Tilla came in and nudged the door shut, Tilla kept me company in the TV room
Posted in local, marriage, mental health, pets, relationships, time, wisdom |
We are all flawed and it is so easy to criticize someone for their flaws. It is so easy to forget that. Sometimes the things we criticize someone for are the very things we can’t tolerate in our self. And we come down hard on those who demonstrate their imperfections. If we can remember we are all flawed and sinners, which is just another way of saying the same thing; then, we can be more compassionate of others. Everyone makes mistakes.
Tags: be more compassionate, everyone makes mistakes, it is so easy to judge others, mistakes and sins, sinners, toleration of others' imperfections, we are all flawed, we are critical of things we can't tolerate in our selves
Posted in balance, knowledge&learning, life, love, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom |
I was the older man in her life. She used to have a close relationship with her Dad. Then he was no longer there. We started talking for hours at a time. She broke her foot and was sidelined for several months at home so I started calling her at home. She told me she did not have a relationship with a older male since her Dad passed. Her husband did not care I talked to her but I had to discontinue calling her and having long talks. My wife did not want me talking to her. It was a little odd being considered the older man, which I was; but I never viewed myself as such. Anyway, I stopped the calls.
Tags: her Dad, I felt odd being considered the older male, my wife, the older male
Posted in balance, death, God, local, marriage, relationships, time, wisdom |
There is nothing like home sweet home. I was gone for a week visiting an old friend. My wife was “sigless”. In the interim, the trees have become greener and the temperature had gotten a little warmer. The lilac bush is abloom. I really have to walk around my yard to note the changes. It has not gotten too hot yet so the primrose still are blooming. I am just glad to be home. I can make my own morning coffee just the way I like to and play my own music any time I want to. I noted, again, how beautiful the area I live in is. We can get too comfortable in our own surrounding. It is good to get away once in awhile. You appreciate your wife and your immediate surroundings better.
Tags: absence makes you fonder of wife, appreciating your surroundings and wife better, flowers, garden, home sweet home, lilac bush, making your own coffee, morning coffee, my wife, Playing your own music, primrose, visiting an old friend
Posted in balance, beauty, flowers, life, local, marriage, music, nature, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom |
The Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans was fascinating but sad at the same time. The different display of fish and other life was fascinating. As far as I could tell there were fish who lived in the ocean and also in the Gulf. There were an amazing variety of life in these aquariums. But in one display there was, at least, one seal and I felt bad for the seal. It was enclosed and could not roam as a wild seal. It did not seem very happy and all kinds of people were gawking at it. There might have been a second seal in that cage but I no longer remember if there was. The aquarium was not that big for it. The seal ought to be free and wild. It just made me sad.
Tags: aquarium, Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, fish, Gulf, New Orleans, ocean, such a variety of fish, the enclosed seal, the seal ought to be free and wild, The wild life in the aquarium was fascinating
Posted in animals, beauty, life, nature, time, wisdom |
Old habit die slower (???). We usually have a limited budget (as many others). Once I had a unlimited budget for food shopping and still I was pinching pennies. I just was so used to comparing prices and getting the best deal that I could. I could not break myself of that habit and was still looking and comparing the prices of different items. Old habits die slowly.
Tags: "stretching your money", comparing prices, food shopping, getting the best deal, habits, limited budget, old habits die slowly, pinching pennies
Posted in balance, life, local, money, time, wisdom |
The “kiddies” were all taking pictures of the different fish in the aquarium with their I Phones and I Pads. Everyone had them. I read, presently, more photos are being taken with those devices than regular cameras. These kids grew up with that technology so it really should not be that surprising to see that. I am a dinosaur: I am still using a film camera. I am about to buy my first digital camera. Prices have come down considerably. I am slow to take up new technology except it is not new anymore. I am just old.
Tags: aquarium, cameras, cell phones and cameras, digital camera, film camera, fish, I am a dinosaur, I Pads, I Phones, kids, photos, technology, the young have embraced easier the new technology
Posted in balance, children, knowledge&learning, money, time, wisdom |
My older sister had all these lines running down her mouth. At least, that is what my wife noted. She is five years younger than me. She frets too much. I try not to worry too much. And take control of what I can. At least, is what my wife said. I have some lines but my face is relatively smooth. Eventually you become (as far as your features go) who you are inside.
Tags: fretting too much, my older sister, my wife, the lines in your face, worrying, Your features reflect who you are
Posted in balance, marriage, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom |
Vacations go so fast. For a short time you are transported to someone else’s reality–their world and then you get used to theirs and then you have to go back to your own world (which you have temporarily forgotten). This process happens so quickly.
Tags: their world, then you return to your own reality, vacations, vacations and their reality, your own world
Posted in life, relationships, time, wisdom |
