curate your life

This “It’s Saturday” is not clickbait."  Clickbait creates controversy which much of the public seems to like which sells news which sells advertising which makes money Soooo it’s really all about the money; don’t kid yourself. KnowItAllWilma says--Clickbait is more of a manipulation platform which is used all the time and all over the place.  Of course this is just KnowItAllWilma's opinion suckers! P.T. Barnum said—"There is a sucker born every minute!"

CadillacJack says--And don't believe everything folks say or write for heaven's sakes!  But flip the pancake, believe only the good, correct stuff that folks write or say.  SusieQ says--Soooo how do I know?

Boy did I get some good advice from a friend recently which I applied to my life which has made my life much better. I’m curating my life which will affect maybe even you; you are wondering aren’t you. Well, he told me to quite spending soooo much time on nickel and dime stuff which is really about such small unimportant stuff but spend more time on important stuff which is friendships, relationships and my future. What is a couple hundred dollars which takes spending hours and days working on and which is really a waste of time. Just give your stuff away erv and move on; it's not worth it. It  takes toooo much effort, time and thinking. Lighten up your life erv. Enjoy life. You are spending way toooo much time on unimportant stuff (i.e. the clock is a tickin’). That was good advice for me which I took to heart and am trying to apply. You bettcha I am! My plumber gave me about the same advice the other day. He asked me about that he heard I was moving to WA —ya, I am—I’m soooo happy for you erv; enjoy life while you’re young! And take your motorcycle along!

I read recently in a health insurance mailing that one way to improve our health is by considering “curating our content consumption.”  Soooo what is our content consumption anyway. Now that could be many things and stuff, but it was referring to curating our use of social media which it appears that excessive use can cause signs of stress, depression and anxiety. Ouchy ouchy! It suggested getting rid of such stuff and only use accounts that provide value or bring joy and unfollow everything that illicit negative feelings. My opinion is to be careful how much news we watch or in my case, I don’t watch any news as I think it has a negative effect on my life. Maybe all of us would be better off going for a walk or bike ride instead of sitting on the couch, eating chips, and getting depressed by watching the news. WalkingMatilda says--Who likes to be around depressed, radical folks anyway!

Recently I took a sabbath, meaning that I tried not to think or do anything negative and basically just took it easy and did things that I enjoyed for a day (i.e. pleased myself with no pressure in any way; at least I tried). Why not I said! I tried not to think about certain stuff that would get me going (e.g. stir me up). We all have such thoughts I would guess. I tried to stay away from most folks; I didn’t want outside stimuli which many times can be negative. Actually, I needed this break. It felt good. I was curating my life; taking charge, overseeing my life in a way I want it to be. Trying not to let others and other stuff mess with me (e.g. like cleaning out my system to prepare for a colonoscopy). It feels oh soooo good to me!

I think that there are some things that we can’t curate much out of our lives and much we can. I think that our parents had a pool of genes which we are made from  (i.e. we have no choice as to how those genes were somehow picked but they make us who we are). BUT flip the pancake, much of us is also formed by our environment of the past and the current that maybe we have some control over; I think we do. You are smart folks soooo I don’t have to give you examples; you all know what I’m talking about! That is the easy part; the hard part is doing the curating where we can! Da! I wonder if we do a very good job facing reality sometimes!  I wonder! We might be very skewed and blinded, maybe (e.g. we experienced a person who is just like their dad and it ain't pretty folks and they don't even know it)!

Soooo I was coming back from my morning walk and noticed that an acquaintance was trying to get out of his pickup and was having a very difficult time. Sooooo I went over there and asked him if I could help him.  He is about 60 maybe and has one knee that locks up and has a bad hip which both need to be replaced (i.e. I don’t know if it’s a gene problem or a past environment problem). He told me that his mobility problem is soooo bad that he peed in his paints recently as he couldn’t get out of the pickup. I told him it looks like it’s time to get a new hip and a new knee! Da! We got him out, but it was not easy. He said to me—erv, I remember what you said to the class when you were teaching 50 years ago that I never forgot. You said you and Arlene decided to build a house and it was going to cost you $35,000 and you wondered if you were ever going to get it paid for in your lifetime!  I don’t remember anything you taught me, but I remember that! Well, I’m selling the house now! It’s paid for!!! hahaha

A friend told me this story about genes or environment that explains more of what I’m trying to say maybe. A plumber was at his place and admired how he could refurbish toys.  He told him that he found an old road grader in the dump and was wondering if he would fix it up for him. He said his father would smash his toys when he was a boy. We wondered if his father had a genic problem or an environment problem; in either case it was not good. What kind of father would do that anyway. Something was not good! ANYWAY, my friend redid it for him and when he picked it up, the plumber was soooo excited to have a toy that he always wanted but his dad wouldn’t let him have. Wow!

This friend also told me this story. He went to the Butler County Fair that’s in June each year (i.e. the only thing that is fair in this world)! He watched the 4-H swine show. He told me that the show hogs are squatty, short, and fatty looking, nothing that resembles pigs that are raised for meat in IA. How come I asked. It’s what wins the purple ribbon, he said. When they are butchered, they don’t always yield out very well but they win awards in the 4-H shows. Well, that’s crazy. When I was in The Roseland Rosebuds 4-H Club we had to keep track of all our records to learn how to make money. Well, not anymore, now whoever has parents who will buy the best show pigs for their kids win and they are very expensive I was told; it’s a losing money proposition from day one. I don’t get it at all! What are we teaching our kids anyway? Suck it up erv!  Such is life!

Have Nothing Further to Say 1907-2007  AverageJoe asked KnowItAllMarvin at the coffee shop—If you are soooo smart why ain’t you rich! Do you know folks who wear big cowboy hats but own no cattle?  Or a person who thinks they know everything about everything but their life doesn’t show like they know much of anything. Their epithet and epitaph might be—Here lies KnowItAllLena who thought she knew everything but who just found out now that she didn’t know much of anything! How much of this type of person can a person handle anyway? I was cleaning out my files and found some real interesting writings of my mentor.  He was just the opposite of the person that I just described and the type of folks I curate from my life.  I asked my mentor what he would like his epitaph to be—Perceived by his friends to be a good man. Here are some other notes I found—We were having breakfast and he talked about salvation (i.e. he was not a noisy person about his faith publicly or much to me either but was as solid as a rock). He said he just couldn’t understand why folks can’t accept the grace of God and be saved; it’s soooo easy and soooo important. He told me how he prays for guidance from the Holy Spirit each day for the decisions he makes.  I asked him if he receives guidance. Absolutely erv, absolutely! I really liked this guy. He taught me a lot let me tell ya! For the records, I think his friends perceived him to be a good man.

ValvetElvis says—I assume you have had moments when you were caught up in something so much bigger than yourself that you couldn’t even put in words. Ordinary moments in ordinary settings that all of a sudden become infused with something else With meaning. Significance Hope!

Talk about curating your life. An acquaintance said to me that he was soooo happy for me in finding a lady to be with; I’m really happy for you erv.  I told him that it has really made my life exciting and positive again; I was rather living in a funk for several years. He said—Not everyone is that fortunate erv.. We met a guy on vacation who was married for 53 years and just got divorced and said that he hasn’t been this happy for years. The guy said, I wish I would have divorced her 50 years ago!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean said—If you always keep your face to the sunshine, you’ll never see the shadow.