about face

Roger Miller in the lyrics of a song of his, says—Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo heard! But you can be happy if you've a mind to!

Dr. Scot Peck says—'We must continually expand our realm of knowledge and our vision through the thorough digestion and incorporation of new information.” Saturday question—How do we obtain new information? It appears to me that new information has been found forever. Sometimes we have to do an about face (e.g. like the world is flat—we’ll never go to the moon—the Titanic builder said in Hailfast “This ship can never sink”). Now even grandmas have tattoos! The culture is changing! Oh yes!

Ya can’t take a shower in parakeet cage! But you can be happy if you've a mind to!

"November 20, 1798, in his Last Will and Testament, Patrick Henry wrote: ‘If they had [faith in Christ] and I had not given them one shilling, they would have been rich; and if they had not [faith], and I had given them all the world, they would be poor indeed'.” My opinion folks—If we have faith in Christ everything else just falls into place. It’s like a breakthrough! Like an insurance umbrella policy! Sooo what is faith? Has faith changed with time? About face!

You can't go swimming in a baseball glove! But you can be happy if you've a mind to!

About face! I asked JoeFromEastport,Maine if I could take a pic of his cap—Sure, go ahead! Then we saw a guy walk past with a tee shirt on that said—I know a lot more when I drink!  Then a guy walked past who had a tee shirt on that said—I don’t have the answers but know a Guy that does! Then another person walked by with a tee shirt that said, change the tide!

You can't change film with a kid on your back! But you can be happy if you have a mind to!

People don’t have nightmares during the day, do they! How come everything seems worse at night when it’s dark (e.g. some folks with Alzheimer’s have sundown syndrome which causes them to do strange things when it starts to get dark; something happens in their brain; they don’t know what they are doing). About face, it seems when the sun comes up in the morning it’s a new day and life seems way better! That is why I really enjoy early mornings! About face!

You can't drive around with a tiger in your car! But you can be happy if you've a mind to!

This is an about face interesting experience:  We met and had dinner with a lady who came to the U.S. from Twain as a young woman. She learned how to speak English, got a M.A. and spent her business life as a financial advisor/broker in CA but recently moved to FL (i.e. she has become very financially successful). ANYWAY she has a legal Twainish name but changed her name to street names during her life. When she was in business, she wanted a more powerful name soo she changed her name to Jessie. After she retired, she has changed her name to a name she made up which has a special meaning to her. She said it has taken her two years to live up to that name but is accomplishing it. Isn’t that interesting. Sorta kinda an about face. She now wants to travel the world 120 days of the year to enjoy life and expand her knowledge of life. She is an amazing, unique lady! We enjoyed her company

You can't go fishing in a watermelon patch! But you can be happy if you've a mind to!

Early one morning, I met this gentleman from Maryland who was an athletic director with this tee shirt. We talked about the importance of leadership and direction. At St. Johns, New Brunswick we walked up the hill to an old church (i.e. it was Sunday). It was Thrinty Church, a loyalist church established many years ago. Jeanne and I knelt and prayed together. It felt good. When we got back to the ship, we talked to a staff member who was from South Africa. She was 21 and she told us she was the youngest employee on the ship. She told us she walked up to the same church during her break and prayed as well—we asked her if she was a believer—of course I am; it is the foundation of my whole life—You seem really happy—you know where I get that happiness!

All you gotta do is put your mind to it! Knuckle down, buckle down! Do it, do it, do it!

About face—ItchieBitchie says, The important thing is whether we can slow down, be still, and appreciate life! Maybe we can do both at the same time. What do you think? That is what I thought!

I read this in one of my morning devotions from my PreacherManFriend –"In the movie Apollo 13, Flight Commander James Lovell radioed back to planet Earth after observing smoke and debris emitting from the space craft, ‘Houston, we have a problem.’ In like manner, we too have a problem. It is a problem as old as man and as destructive as any we have ever seen. There is no greater need than when we think we have no need. The Greeks called this arrogance hubris; the Bible calls it pride.”

About face! Eating breakfast one morning the guy next to us had this tee shirt on and I asked him if I could take a pic of it and him—Sure, my granddaughter gave it to me. He was from Harlem, NY. Now that sums up this It’s Saturday. Take that into consideration when digesting what you just read!

Don’t take any of this It’s Saturday toooo serious! Remember, you get what you pay for! I’m just another bozo on the bus! If you can read French, you know what the sign says that this nice lady bought who sat next to us at an afternoon break in Quebec City.

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said--A smile is a language that even a baby understands.

courage

A new friend in Yakima told us—Once I got a spine my job went a lot better!

Here are a couple of questions for you to answer. Why are some folks much more courageous and tougher than others? And, how come at times all of us are more courageous and tougher than at other times?

I know many folks who are courageous and tough, and I know many folks who are wimps! I want you to think of folks who you know who fit into both of those categories. Do you think there is a common denominator in folks in both of those groups do you think?

Long time friends of Jeanne told us about one of her favorite books of all time called Follow the River by James Alexander Thom.  She is a big reader with a house full of books! The book is about courage and being tough. It’s a historical novel on the true story of a pioneer woman. They suggested that I read it; sooo I did. I suggest you try it. It made me feel like a wimp! 

Coach Frentz, who is the head football coach at Iowa, set a record of winning more games than anyone ever in the Big Ten. I always don’t like his coaching philosophy, but I like him as a person, I think he is class. ANYWAY, I listened to his interview after setting the record. Again, he gave a lot of credit by being surrounded by good folks. I hear that over and over and over again. Soooo there must be some truth to that! It really doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out! Flip the pancake, I have read many times that we should get rid of folks in our lives who are bad influence on us. That is just common sense, isn’t it! That might take a lot of courage to do, maybe! I wonder if we sometimes “buy into" the philosophy of folks with bad attitudes or actions which could really affect us negatively and we don’t even know it. I wonder!

I read an old timeless classic book, The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck. It’s another book I suggest you read. In the preface of the book he says, “As a psychiatrist, I feel it is important to mention that I make no distinction between the mind and the spirit, and therefore no distinction between the process of achieving spiritual growth and achieving mental growth. They are one and the same.” Soooo I wonder if that has anything to do with courage and toughness! Mumm! I think it could. What do you think?

An old 84-year-old coffee drinking friend is courageous and tough but not really. He buys all his meals at Costco that are frozen so that he can just microwave them. He buys six weeks supply at a time. But he says--Once a month I buy a pint of ice cream; I like ice cream; I eat the whole thing in one day; I can’t help myself. Sometimes if there is a special on a quart of ice cream for about the same price, I buy it, but I also eat it all in one day as well! I can't help myself!

There is an old saying--You can’t teach a person something that they think they already know! That is probably true I would guess. I have relearned that it’s hard to change a person’s thinking if they have it instilled in their mind. It is very hard to change and if it ever changes it will have to be done by the person themselves and that just doesn’t happen very often. Soooo my conclusion, I pretty much give up on them (i.e. pretty much throw the idea of changing them out the window). I will be much happier in just accepting them as they are. Their thinking has been formed by their genetics, their past environment and their current environment and it is what it is. It appears to me that certain patterns in different folks produce certain results, and they are hard to change (i.e. both good patterns and bad patterns). For me I have to be courageous and tough to accept that!

The one and only SusieQ says--I want to be courageous and tough, but I don’t want to! I mean I want to face reality, but I really don’t want to face reality. I talked to a friend who lost his wife. He has been a caregiver to her for years. He told me that his reality has changed once again. Reality keeps changing for me. And now once again I have to face the new reality. I can’t pretend it didn’t happen. I told him to be courageous and tough; you can do it. I believe he will as he has an internal strength (i.e. guess what that is).

I read about this concept of life that is exciting. We are to kill part of our old life and replace it with a new life a.k.a. rebirth like forming a new part of our life (e.g. if we are bitter about everything so we kill that attitude and have rebirth with looking at everything positive). Do you know how much happier that would make us. Another example, we can’t run anymore or don’t want so we replace it with walking with friends. We can’t walk anymore soooo we start reading and form a book group or a friendship group or something. Now that might take courage and toughness to do. And it might make life much more exciting! Just sitting on the couch eating chips does not cut the mustard!

Jeanne has found some renewed friendships at church. It appears that some folks go back to church when they get older. It’s sorta kinda a rebirth. I have found, it seems, that some of my best new relationships are at church. Is that a surprise to you folks?

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion.