Nov
17
2014
My wife was ready to put back the curtains on our large living room window. One curtain rod was missing. Both my wife and I looked up and down the room where we might have laid it. No luck. Then one evening I spotted it. It was resting on the frame of the window in plain sight. We both laughed. Sometimes you can get “blind” spots. You don’t see something because it is not where you expect it to be.
Apr
8
2012
Depression can easily become a pity party. Our lives are always imperfect. Things don’t always go our way. We have expectations that fail. It is so easy to slide into depression. I just took a shower and reflected before I married my wife I only had a tub. For fifteen years I had no shower. It is all too easily to forget that and the many reasons I have to thank the Almighty for his many blessings. And I have to reflect on that and count them. The list is long. Ingratitude is very easy to go to. Our lives never go exactly as we we want them to. Our lives are always a series of problems and only some get solved to our satisfaction. That is life! If we can go back and count our blessings and learn to do it routinely depression is less likely to set in. God does not promise us anything beyond food and shelter and usually His blessings are abundant. It is too easy to center on what we don’t have. Our unmet expectations can easily turn into depression if you are not careful. And then it becomes a pity party. It is, though, hard to be positive when we don’t feel good. Good health is a blessing.
Sep
14
2011
We never meet the expectations of our mate. Sometimes they are reasonable. Sometimes they are not. Each of us are very flawed. Another way to say the same thing is each person sins. Not one would say they are perfect (or never makes a mistake). That is why forgiveness at the end of the day is so important–to wipe our slate clean. We never completely meet the expectations of our mate. It is impossible. We are all imperfect.
Jan
28
2010
“How great art thou?” is a question that does not help a writer. Of course, you will always have doubts of your talent. Those doubts really do not help and all they do is split your concentration.
You are asking the wrong question. The right question is to be, “Am I getting better?” Not am I matching up to someone else’s work, which is implied in the question, “How great art thou?”
Only one person can answer the question, “Am I getting better.” That is yourself. All you can do is improve as a writer. And the benchmark is your own work.
As far as publishing your work, that decision whether your work is accepted for publication is not yours. Yes, you have to put it out there but you can not become overly concerned with that.
It prevents you from writing as well as you can if that is in back of your mind when you are writing and editing your work whether it will be published. Your job is to get it as good as you can. That is it.
I believe everyone has talent but somehow you have to get beyond anyone’s expectations including your own and write as honestly as you can with the least amount of affectation and be whoever you are.
You are who you are. And when you can demonstrate that people will want to read what you have written.
Jun
28
2009
I thought the tears were gone but they were not ended. I heard the song Neil Young wrote thirty-seven years ago, “Old Man”, again and I thought of my Dad who died nine years ago. A little later I burst into tears.
We had such a “rocky” relationship. Most of my life he did not accept me and we argued a lot particularly about finances: I knew I did not meet his expectations of a son. He never told me exactly how.
The last conversation I had with him he told me he was far more impressed with the million dollars his future son-in-law made selling his company than anything I did.
I remember our conversation and was then aware it might be the last time I might talk to him. He was ninety-one and possibly blind. His mind was lucid but I had to talk to him slowly. I tried reasoning with him but to no avail.
He did not value anything I accomplished in my life. All he valued was money. I finally gave up and left him in bed. That was the last time I saw him alive. He died shortly after.
Although he did not approve of my life I did know the last year or two of his life he loved me. That was a gift but I wish he would have valued who I truly was a little more.
Anyway, hearing the song “Old Man” brought up memories of my Dad and all the years we “lost”. I loved him despite how hard he was with me. In the end he loved me. That was all that mattered.
Mar
11
2009
It is so hard to ignore the expectations we have of our friends. We expect sometimes too much and are disappointed when they don’t meet our expectations. It is far more easier not to have any expectations of others and rejoice when they exceed them and also feel grateful because if the truth be known each person does what he/she can, when the person can, in their own timing. If you were to look at your own life, you would see this happening, too. You have your own timing and give the way you can and give what you can. You need to give the same right to others. If you have no expectations, everything someone does for you is totally by grace. All you really can do is tell another of your needs, desires. It is up to them how, if and when he/she responds. Everything is by grace. And the sooner you understand all that, the easier it is to accept others. Each person gives what he/she can.
Feb
25
2009
People who you know always fulfill your expectations: believe the best in them and often that is what you get. It is true you can not trust every person. And you should not — for your own protection. Nevertheless, have low expectations of others and often people will surprise you. That is a paradox: expect the best yet do not demand they meet your high standards and expectations. Every person has their own timing and of course you usually do not have a pulse on their life for you only see them most of the time for minutes. Even your mate has to be allowed his/her own timing and their own space. People will let you down but you certainly know in your heart how many times you have failed others so learn to have low expectations and believe the best in others. Surprises in your life will never cease.
Copyright © 2009 - Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country … | Entries (RSS) | Comments (RSS)
WordPress theme by 
9th sphere website design