Starting Fresh

February 2021 is turning out to be a snowy month here in the mitten, but also across the U.S. including the southern states. The last year has been full of Covid stress, political chaos, surprises (some good, some not), and many changes. With change all we can do is adapt the best we can. It doesn't mean we have to like all of the changes, but we have to learn to live with them. In the last twelve months I have gone to work every day to a primarily lonely empty building. My family has seen very few people outside of our bubble. My sleep patterns have progressively gotten worse, my hairline has thinned out, I've lost a little weight (not necessarily a bad thing)  ... but on the bright side I've saved money and been thrifty, I've read a few books, and I've accomplished some pretty detailed PBN paintings. Like I said there is the good and the bad. The important thing is to find a balance you can handle.

So what does any of this have to do with there being snow outside? Perhaps nothing, but as I drove down the street this morning I was in awe with the fresh couple of inches of snow we got last night. It's sparkling and amazing! The snow was layered delicately on the bushes and tree branches. It gave me a fresh outlook on my day. It covered the grey and doom and gloom I've been feeling and gave me a sense of hope and a new day with a new start. I know it will melt and the dirty slush will appear again soon, but for right now I am enjoying the moment. 

Wherever you are today (geographically, mentally, or spiritually) ... embrace it for what it is. Make a choice to either let it run your life for you or decide what you can do to make it what you want. Many people feel isolated and out of touch right now, but take a chance and reach out to someone (a family member, a friend, a neighbor). Send a text, an email, or make a phone call; but don't choose to be alone. More importantly, if you find yourself on the receiving end to someone reaching out to you please don't ignore them. Take five minutes or more and talk with them. Your voice and conversation lets them know people still care about them and they don't have to be alone.

Wishing you a wonderful day and bright tomorrow.

Remember When ...

In a time when the world is constantly changing and evolving I think it's clearly time for a game of 'Remember When?'

• Remember when you actually walked across the room to change the channel on the TV (or better yet your parents made you do it because you were youngest and thus had the lowest seniority)?
• Remember when we used to play vinyl records? Before cassette tapes and CDs? Before IPods?
• Remember when rather than emailing or texting someone you actually picked up a phone with a cord that was attached to the wall and called them AND if the line was busy there wasn't any call-waiting so you waited 5 minutes and tried again?
• Remember when you were a kid and walked to a friend's house, knocked on the door and said 'Can so-n-so come out and play?'
• Remember when it was safe to let your kids go out and play in the neighborhood and come home a few hours later in time for lunch?
• Remember when it was acceptable to correct any of the kids in the neighborhood for cutting through your yard, driving too fast down the street, or saying something inappropriate where other people could hear it?
• Remember when you wrote your homework and reports out BY HAND? If you couldn't spell a word you actually had to look it up yourself in a paper dictionary? When you researched your book reports and term papers you went to the library and used encyclopedias?
• Remember when you ate dinner as a family every night of the week at a specific time AND you actually talked?
• Remember when the best Halloween costumes were handmade not bought at Halloween City for $19.99?
• Remember when you had a pen pal? You wrote letters (by hand no less) on stationary you received from your grandma for Christmas and mailed it?
• Remember when writing in cursive was a required part of your education?

These are just a few of the things that come to mind for me. What about you? What do you remember doing when you were younger that's different from today? Some would say changes are all about improvement, others would suggest some things were simpler and clearer before change. Some changes make life more efficient and easier, but other changes seem to promote laziness. I've seen the handwriting of some high school and college students and let me tell you ... it's disgraceful. It used to be a joke that if a man's handwriting was bad he must be a doctor. My doctor has much better handwriting than a lot of last year's graduating class.

 

Tell me a favorite memory of yours. Did you used to do something that while it may have taken more time you felt by doing it you gained character?