It's Good Not To Be Alone

If I sit back and read through some of my own past blog posts even I can notice some common themes ... doing what's right, honoring values, helping your fellow neighbor, and holding on to traditions and what some would call 'old-fashioned' ideas. Last night I tuned in for a portion of the CMA Awards on TV. I don't tend to listen to country music all the time, but when channel flipping in my car I have been known to stop on the occasional country song because it has a good beat, great harmonizing, and some amazing musicality. I like to think that my music tastes are varied.

 

I listened to a few of the acceptance speeches from various artists; some have won the awards repeatedly and for others this was their first time. It's not always why we do what we do in life, but truth be told I think we'd all like a little validation at times just to let us know that we're not alone and that we're on the right track.

 

We all know that I have no problem sharing my opinion, when asked. I've often written in my blog about technology being both a blessing and an opportunity to make us lazy. I've written about today's society having an 'instant gratification' mentality. Whether you, as the reader, agree with my viewpoints or not isn't the point. We all have opinions and they may all be different, but how refreshing it was to turn on my radio this morning while driving to work and hear a recap of last night's award show followed by the playing of a Miranda Lambert song called 'Automatic'. For me it was an epiphany. I always try to listen carefully to the lyrics; after all I love words and how they're used and the impact they can have. This song (that I'd never really heard before this morning) validated my views and let me know that 'I AM NOT ALONE'. That's a nice feeling to have.

 

Listen for yourself. Miranda may or may not have been the songwriter (I don't actually know so I wouldn't want to say), but for me the words are absolutely perfect.

 

 

The Polls Are Now Closed ...

Today was election day. The absentee ballots have been turned in, the in-person votes have been cast, and the predictions will now roll in as the votes are tabulated. For me, election day has always had its pros and cons. Pros being that we can witness democracy in action; people voting and hoping that their voices are heard, and the campaigning drawing to a close. Cons being the manipulation of the campaign circuits and the sometimes disrespect of many voters.

Today on Facebook I saw graphic after graphic posted to people's pages saying that they had voted ... which was great. What I also saw was various TV media stations making early predictions based on exit polls in attempts to influence one party or the other that one side was winning over the other and they needed to get out and vote. I guarantee you that anyone could poll any targeted group about a pre-selected topic and come away with the result they were looking for. Ironically the early exit polls all start coming out in the middle of the day ... seriously? I've been voting now for over 30 years and I have not once been asked who I voted for as I left a poll; which is probably good because if asked I would have to tell them that it was none of their business. It's all manipulation no matter how you look at it. As if the last several weeks haven't had enough TV & radio commercials with content that did nothing more than bash the opponent, we now get to observe Facebook and Internet 'comments' from people who hide behind cartoon and fictitious profile names. I always seem to quit reading after about the 8th or 9th ignorant comment because my stomach starts to roll. It continues to amaze me how freely the disrespectful and ignorant words can flow from one stranger toward another stranger.

I am all for exercising our right to vote. I am all for fighting for our freedoms and our rights; freedom of speech being one of them. But with every right and freedom comes responsibility ... or at least it should. 

Late tonight or tomorrow morning there will be both acceptance and concession speeches. As with any competition there will be winners and losers. At this point all I can hope for is a brighter, more positive tomorrow for ALL of us.

How did you fare during today's election?

It's All About Change

Today has been a day about change. Last night we changed the clocks back an hour. I, for one, appreciated the extra hour this morning to get ready. 30 minutes of extra sleep and 30 minutes extra to get ready for church without rushing. 

Sometimes change can be good; other times not so much. Some people will say that if you do the same thing day in and day out you'll find yourself in a rut. Others might say that changing up the routine will keep things fresh and exciting. I guess that depends on whether you're a 'glass is half empty or half full' kind of person.

There are the changes that we choose for ourselves like which job will we take, which house will we live in, which outfit we will wear, and which person will we choose to marry. Then there are also the changes that we have no control over ... Daylight Savings Time (lol), having to pay taxes, being diagnosed with a disease, or having someone run a red light and come into our lane.

Some changes we will embrace and grow from, others will be be thrown right at us and we will do nothing more than try to cope with them. Those are the tricky ones. Trying to make important decisions that we don't want to make and keeping our heads above water. It can be tiring and heartbreaking at the same time.

This morning, though, the church I attend began a new chapter. We have a new pastor which is a change in itself. I was glad to see a worship center that was full once again. There was a definite sense of community and a high level of energy. It was good. I pray that people will embrace this change as a positive one.

What kind of changes are you presently dealing with? Are they good changes or bad? Do you feel like you're adjusting to them or are you hanging on by your finger tips?

Can Technology Make Us Lazy?

Are you one of those people who avoid technology like it's the plague (or should I say Ebola)? Do you embrace all the newest and fastest gadgets the stores have to offer? Or are you a fence sitter?

Here are a few observations and perhaps you can help me determine if there is a common denominator.

• Do you call someone and leave them a message only to have them call you back and say, "Hi, I saw that you called." To which you reply, "O.k., did you listen to my message?" And then their frustrating response is, "No, but I saw that you called. What did you want?"

Does technology tend to make some people lazy? Do they take the easy way out, check the caller ID - but not bother to actually listen to the message?

• Do you find yourself emailing someone and asking them 3 or 4 questions in the content of the email, yet when they respond they haven't actually read the 'whole' email? They respond to 1 out of 4 questions and disregard the other 3. That becomes a gross waste of time because if you still need your answers now you have to email them back again.
• Then there are those people who will give you their email address but claim they never check it. So ... why do they have one?

Do you think technology overwhelms some people? Do they feel obligated by society to participate, but they don't really want to?

 

Technology, in its many forms, certainly has great purpose, but I also think it can create a sense of disconnect. Yes, computers and emails and Facebook and cell phones are convenient, but they also make it easy to lose touch. When was the last time you wrote a letter (you know, that thing with pen and paper and an envelope and a stamp)? I know many elderly people and college students who would much rather check their 'mailbox' instead of their 'inbox'.

 

Which side of the technology fence do you sit on? Does it help you or hinder you? Does it make you more social or more of a loner? What's your favorite forms of technology and why? For example, maybe you like a Kindle because you don't have the space to store actual books ... on the other hand maybe you prefer the smell of a good bound book and enjoy turning a page and using a bookmark.

 

What's Your Mountain?

Everyone has something they're trying to overcome; a mountain they're trying to conquer. Some may have an addiction or what seems like an insurmountable fear. Many may deal with loneliness, depression, or loss of faith. Some have a goal they're trying to reach. For some, stepping out of their comfort zone may just feel too big for them. What do we do when that happens? How do we conquer our mountains?

For me, I've always found that I get a bad case of nerves when I need to speak in public. It goes back to high school and being paired up with the smartest kid in school on the debate team. Now I know what you're thinking ... if I had a case of nerves why was I on the debate team? Good question. I suppose I like to face my fears head on and try to overcome them. Doesn't always work of course, but at least I'll get an A for effort. I thought, somehow, that I'd start out slow ... observe the other students and learn from them. Boy, did that backfire. We ended up going to the State tournament. I thought I'd never survive, but somehow I did.

To this day I still find myself purposely putting myself in situations that I hope will help me overcome my fears. People will tell me I do well, but of course I never believe them. Why? Because I'm my own worst critic. Someone will say my hair looks good and I suddenly doubt and think, 'Are you sure?' I don't know why I think people will always say nice things just to try and boost me up. Maybe they were right ... maybe my hair really did look good that day. (lol) At some point our confidence has to grow and we need to learn to believe in ourselves and be able to stand sturdily on our own two feet.

What's my current mountain? Still the same old thing; speaking in public. So what am I doing about it? Same old thing; putting myself in a position to speak. This time it's BIG (at least for me). Saturday I will be one of 2 guest speakers at the opening ceremonies of a local Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. More than 600 people will be listening to what I have to say. What's my goal  - besides getting through it? To inspire 'one' person. If I can do that then all the rest is just icing on the cake.

What mountain are you currently trying to conquer and how can I help?

It's All About Choices

According to a recent TV commercial there's a theory that people always make bad choices in horror movies. 

> They make their getaway by running through the cemetery at night.

> Instead of choosing someplace safe they hide in the barn where all the shiny, sharp objects are hanging from the rafters.

I will even go one further and say they usually answer the door ... when it's dark, they're alone, and the phones aren't working. Seriously? Don't forget the ominous music and the creaky door. We all know it's that time of year ... Halloween is just around the corner ... time for the fright movies and even the Halloween Wars on the Food Network channel.

So, Halloween aside, how confident are you with the real-life choices you make?

• Do you text & drive or even drink & drive?
• Do you honor your marriage vows and stay faithful to your spouse?
• Do you lie to get ahead at work?
• Do you cheat on your income taxes?
• Do you gossip with your friends ... OR about your friends?
• If your restaurant bill is lower than it should be, do you let your waitress know or consider it a gift?

There are endless choices that we are forced to make every day. It can be daunting when you stop and think about it, but think about the fact that every single choice you make today is a puzzle piece to your future. You may not think it'll matter, but in the end it will.

Take the time today to think your choices through. Think of the possible outcomes or consequences. It could be worth the extra few minutes or even seconds to determine if your choice will get you into proverbial trouble like those in the seasonal horror movies.

What does your perfect world look like?

The world today is a tricky place. There are a lot of positives, as well as negatives. They are things we have absolutely no control over and things we can have an impact on if we try hard enough. In a perfect world I'm sure we'd all like to believe there could be world peace, no war, no poverty, no hunger, and no disease. These items all seem to be bigger than the average person though. While I think we all know I have a very serious side and am full of compassion, I also like to try to lighten the mood and the stress level whenever I can. It doesn't mean I don't still think about how to change what many believe to be the unchangeable, but it means I try to lesson the pressure and start small in hopes of gaining momentum and someday tackling the bigger issues.

So, in the spirit of keeping things light ... 'What would your perfect world look like?

• We'd be able to eat ice cream EVERY day and lose weight.
• The ratio of colorful marshmallows to grained cereal would be higher in a bowl of Lucky Charms.
• In my husband's perfect world he would be allowed to keep the Christmas tree up 12 months out of the year.
• For me, I would be able to overcome my anxiety of going to the dentist.
• There would be a 20 minute recess for adults if they had a work day that was longer than 8 hours.
• In an efficient world, people would be on time and respect each other's time.
• In a respectful world, people would keep their word. Deals used to be made with a handshake; today even a signed contract isn't always worth the paper it's written on.

If the bigger and more important issues were all taken care of what would it take for your little corner of the world to be a little more perfect? What would make you smile in anticipation?