Great Plain Jane

ItchieBitchie says--When we are born we look like our genetics and when we die, we look like our decisions.

What do you see in the pic? What don’t you see in the pic? What do you like in this pic? What do you not like in this pic? My friend, DoyleTheClick, says he can make any family look any way they want to look in a pic for a price (it's all about the money)!  It’s modern technology; it’s not that hard; anybody can basically do it (i.e. make it a Facebook pic). BUT do you think this is a natural pic or is it doctored up? Is this how you think the average, common family looks? Each of us might think of a common family way different than other people think. I don’t know what an average common family is anymore in our culture, I don’t.

I was hiking in Cochise Canyon the other day and ran into a fellow hiker. (i.e. a common looking senior hiker; nuttin special about him until I got to know something about him). He was about my age, but an avid hiker. He asked me if I had seen any snakes. I said no – he said I‘m very afraid of snakes, especially rattlesnakes. He pulled open his hiking shirt and said, ‘And I’m a Marine.” He had a Marine T-shirt underneath his hiking shirt.  We had a very nice conversation, including that he became a orchardist in midlife after working in jobs in Seattle. He bought the family farm against his parents’ wishes as they said you cannot make any money farming here in the valley. They planted half of the 80 acres to apricots and the other half to cherries (i.e. it took 8 years before they picked the first cherries). He said I’ve been so blessed! I never had one crop failure and that is incredible, almost impossible for that to happen. I said to him, you sound very grateful--I am very thankful to God. I asked him if he was a believer? I absolutely am, completely. I’ve had a very good life, he said, and I’m very thankful for it. He just appeared to be just another common hiker!

My mentor would say to me—erv, we are all Common Joes and Great Plain Janes (i.e. at times we all just blend in with the wall); we all have warts, but other folks always can’t see them). Think about that! Did my mentor think of warts as actual warts or used warts as a metaphor?

There are common folks who are special and special folks who are common; common folks who are just common folks and special folks who are just special folks; there are common folks who think they are special but aren’t and special folks who think they are common but aren't. We made the acquaintance with a person who we don’t know if they are special but just act common or common but are just special. We think most likely they are a special person and they act special, but it is hard to know for sure. They are something else (i.e. they hit a lot of game-winning walk off homeruns let me tell ya)! Very impressive to us. They remind us of many of you folks; you know who you are! Saturday question—What kind of person do you like to be around? I was told by an impressive person--Remember one of the quickest ways to loose good friends is to talk about politics. Another impressive, special, common person who is a good friend, gave me this wisdom years ago--Dad, I would rather not discuss with you controversial subjects which we might disagree about; it's not worth it; I don't want to take any risk in hurting our relationship.

Can humans stay common when they are filthy rich or have unbelievable power, or have big time fame or are extremely intelligent or born in a certain family or extremely gifted, etc.? Is it possible? We hear of very rich folks that live somewhat common lives. (e.g. some of you seem to live a fairly common life considering). I would think it would be very hard to be common under some circumstances. Dr. J says--"When we’re filled with the Spirit of God, our life will be different. We will have a song in our heart, a spirit of thanksgiving in our personality, and a yearning to bless others." Soooo I guess anyone can have the Spirit of God no matter who we are.

AverageJoe said this--"Exceptional people are rare. When you find someone wonderful, invest in them. When you find a great employee, pay them well. When you find a great friend, prioritize the relationship. When you find a great spouse, out-love them each day. Relationships are probably the most important part of life. Take care of the great ones." I’m just another bozo on the bus, but I think relationships are very important, very!

When I was on my hike in the Canyon, I took this pic. I thought it was a great example or a mirror of life. The desert is dry and only a few plants can exist, and they are really not that bright green in color. But the plants on the canyon floor are very green and lush and plentiful. Why, we all know why, it’s where the Cowiche Creek runs with water that waters the plants. It’s common sense. Ok, if we are around “The Living Water” how will that make our lives look. Isn’t that common sense? I think soooo! Da! Great Plain Jane asks—Has our world lost its common sense? Does all what’s going on (i.e. the current picture) make any sense to us? Will we ever come to our senses? But John, anybody can be a John, says--But everyone has a different sense of what common sense is! Da!

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriend Jean said—Strive not to be a success, but to be of value.

it sounds fishy

Some friends sent this to me—I was walking past a farm and I saw a sign that said: Duck, eggs!.....I thought: That’s an unnecessary comma – and then it hit me. You know folks, we always don't understand things the same now do we. Maybe some of us don’t quite understand what the saying is trying to express, could be! Take that in consideration when reading this "It's Saturday." We just don't always think alike! But, maybe the most import thing is that we think! My Daddy, Chester, would say to me--erv, most folks just don't think enough!

GeorgeTheCrook says—"It sounds fishy" or "it looks fishy' are idiom meanings for when a situation, story, or explanation seems dishonest, untrustworthy, or highly suspicious. It suggests that something is not right, questionable, or "shady," rather than literally smelling like fish or looking like a fish. I think we all understand that expression the same! Bit on the think!

Have you ever had something that sounded "too good to be true" a.k.a. fishy and then to find out it was. We had to find out the hard way that is was not the truth. We got scammed in some way, in some form or in some degree! It was fishy from the beginning and after the fact we say, I should have known better! FlipThePancake, have you ever been presented opportunities that were "just too good to be true" and they really were (i.e. unbelievably great)! And they ended up to be God Winks, blessings way beyond our belief or imagination, just amazing opportunities. I have, they just fall in my lap! Soooo I ask, how could we know up front?

Sooo, do we analysis the odds, look at all the possibilities, test it against the worst possible scenario, pray about it, ask our brother-in-law who doesn’t know which way north is, flip a coin, ask for advice from wise folks, go with our hunch, hire an expert, never take a chance, look at our past experiences or others’ experiences, ask the dog, etc. And then we still don’t know what we should do most of the time. OneSmartPerson says—But sometimes we do know what we should do and don’t even do it and wish we would have! Ouchy ouchy!

LuckieEddie says--If it sounds fishy or smells fishy it usually is! Don’t kid yourself. Don't be sooo gullible! That's been my experience! 

Here is a precious fishy story. Our granddaughter has a friend who is also a friend of their family. He took Jimmer, her brother who is 14, who likes to fish but has had little experience fishing the other night (i.e. they have developed a friendship). He seems to be a very fine young man—he just graduated from high school with honors, an Eagle Scout, and a believer—pretty good credentials, my opinion. Soooo they fished from 10 to 1:30 and Jimmer caught his first walleye. It almost sounds fishy; too good to be true.

I really smell something good in what James, anybody can be a James, says—" We can train our eye toward the opportunities each day quietly presents. We can become competent at noticing our good luck: the little moments of joy, the stranger who helped, the small things that went right, the opportunity in front of us right now. So, what are we competent in observing? And which types of observations seem to serve our life best?" Flip the pancake, I think all of us don’t give thanks to God enough for all the good things that God gives us. Why do we forget soooo soon or don’t even think of it (i.e. maybe we just take it for granted). I smell a rat in the thinking of why we don't thank God more with sincere gratitude! It's fishy for sure!

Google says—Global scam losses are estimated to reach $442 billion annually. In the United States official reports track over $12 to $16 billion in reported losses yearly. Only 3% to 14% of victims report their losses. The true financial impact on Americans ranges from $119 billion to $106 billion annually. Ouchy ouchy.

 “There is a sucker born every minute” is a quotation associated with American showman P.T. Barnum (1810-1891). It appears that nuttin much has changed. As I see it there are soooo many ways that we can be scammed; sometimes we don’t even know it. Some scammers are really good at it. We have a tendency not to trust any folks anymore. We think they are all taking advantage of us. I have been scammed by folks who I had trust in and then they went bad or just plain took advantage of me. Sucker erv! But they weren't even fishy!

There are really some nice young people! Here is another example. We like to walk along Chestnut Street and the surrounding area. We park at Franklin Park and walk through the park to the area. As we were walking through the park there were three young men who were talking while holding their powered scooters. We were walking right by them so I asked one if he would teach me to ride his scooter as I like experiences and never did that before. He said sure and I rode it for a little ways. I guess we didn’t look fishy since we are 80-year-old folks! He was 14 with braces and was going into high school next year (i.e. a very typical young man). I told him that I have a grandson who is doing the same and he is a little nervous. I asked him if he is—a little maybe! I asked him his name—Skyler—I told him he is a fine young man—he said thank you--I shook his hand. While I was riding the scooter, Jeanne said to the other two young men—you better get your phones out to get ready to call 911—one said to her, he'll be alright! What a hoot! I wonder what they told their parents when they got home. Their parents probably told them not to trust those old farts!

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriend Jean said--Good examples have twice the value of good advice.