commonsencicle

My podcast is with my friend, Bill Hansen.  Our conversation is about his experience, emotions and feelings of losing his 46-year old daughter, Darla, to cancer.



I talked to a brother-in-law by phone recently—It went like this—how are you doing erv—I’m ok—what has changed; I have never known you to be ok!  Sooooo take that into consideration when reading this “It’s Saturday.”

OneSmartGuy/friend called his son commonsencicle a.k.a. street smart. Now that is a nice compliment (i.e. my opinion).  I know this young man. I think he is also intelligent and has a good heart and has a nice personality.  My opinion is that these qualities make a good combination. 

 NoEmotionsBernie says—My exterior blandness masks a burning fire but you don’t have a clue what that burning fire might be.  I will not tip my hat to you; it’s an internal thing.  Ok NoEmotionsBernie, I would guess there are others who feel like you.  I wonder folks when you read that statement, if you think their burning fire is something bad or something good.  It probably depends if your burning fire is something good or something bad I would guess.  A friend recently told me his burning fire which was a decision about an exciting opportunity.  He told me that it felt soooo good to tell me about it (i.e. vocalize it with someone—he did not have that opportunity to do that before for reasons).  Many times, as crazy as it sounds, it’s harder to share something good that is happening to you than something bad.  The reason is—You have to have a very good friend to share something good in your life as most folks think you are bragging.  A very good friend will not have that feeling and will be glad for you.  That sounds very commonsencicle but many folks really aren’t happy for you when good happens to you.  In fact, they would rather see something bad happen to you.  It’s crazy folks but that is the way it is.  It’s called jealousy.  WildWillie says—90% of the folks don’t care about your problems and the other 10% are glad you have them!   OneSmartPerson says--Pain shared is pain divided. Joy shared is joy multiplied. Saturday question—Is it a privilege to share in the pain of others, along with their joys?

JoeBlow says--There seem to be a lot of unpredictability in life.  LuckieEddie says—Even if the reviews say it’s good, it might not be.  Now we have “fake reviews” just like “fake news.”  Sooooo how am I to know what to believe.  SusieQ says—I’m constantly being brainwashed, and I don’t even know it.  Maybe we need to be commonsencicle about some things.  But, it seems like everyone is trying to manipulate us to make a buck or to get more power or something (i.e. gotcha).  It’s really hard to know what or who to believe.  CadillacJack says—Soooo why do folks say—to be honest with you, or they say--to tell the truth…?  Soooo does that mean that the other times they are not being honest or are not telling you the truth?  Or why do we swear to tell the truth in court?  Does that mean that most folks don’t tell the truth all the time (i.e. like being two faced)?  Sooooo do you and I tell the truth?  I have an acquaintance who half of the time is lying and the other half of the time doesn't tell the truth!  But honestly, the rest of the time he is telling the truth; I believe everything he says!  Such is life.

A friend told me recently that he was buying a new vehicle.  He was in the Twin Cities where there is a dealer that advertises the best prices anywhere; you can’t find a better price; we will blow the socks off of any other dealer; we can’t be beat; you don’t have to shop around (i.e. they were putting lipstick on a pig).  Sooooo my friend went there but bought his vehicle at a dealer locally for $8,000 less.  Da! This last week I got my cell phone bill.  It was $20 higher that my normal price.  I called them and asked why.  They gal said—I added the figures up and they are right—I agree but it is $20 higher that I normally pay—I will check it out—I can’t figure it out—I can’t either; I will just credit your account for $20.  That was funny to me.  Folks, it is commomsencicle to not believe what others say and to shop around and ask questions.  Such is life. 

An old college friend who I played basketball with, ended his blog this way--So I end this writing with God's promise through the prophet Isaiah, "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not discouraged for I am your God. I will help you, I will strengthen you. I will uphold you with my strong (or victorious) right hand." For me it is enough. I pray it might be for you as well. Is that statement commonsencicle to you?  That is what I thought. 

It would appear to the AverageJoes that politicians are not commonsencicle; more like they will say or do whatever it takes to get reelected (i.e. it’s all about the money folk).  Then add the radical extremists with all their hysteria (i.e. who don’t seem to have any commonsencicle) to the pot, well, folks, we have a mess.  Then you add the greed and illegal activity going on and I have no idea if we will ever get anything done from now on.  The solution is to give everyone what they want (i.e. everyone makes their want list and give it to the government).  Now that ought to work.  ha ha  Maybe that is why the history of the world is “wars and rumors of war.”  Could be. 

Folks have different sensibilities than others.  Some folks are just more sensible than others.  They can just feel how others feel a.k.a. called empathy.  And there are others who have no serious empathy—they are just cold, boiler plate folks with no real heart or emotions a.k.a. apathy.  Their relationships are more like a business account (i.e. all about me and how much they can get out of the relationship—pretty phony a.k.a. DuaneTheWorm phony, programed and canned).  The other morning, I had a college friend call me who I haven’t talked to maybe in 8 years.  That same morning friends from AZ called that never called me before.  A little later a college friend emailed me that doesn’t do it very often. A long-time friend then called me who hardly never calls me.  What is going on.  I was wondering if I was going to die that day or something!  These folks have empathy (i.e. very real folks with good hearts—very sensitive).  What a joy it was to talk to them all.  I have to admit, it was crazy!  Just fun crazy!

I read what OneSmartGuy said while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--Praying for others, concern for their spiritual well-being, and desire to have an eternal difference in their lives is important to me. My focus these days is simple: Relationships. Sadly, the vast majority of relationships most of us have are superficial. There is little if any personal investment. We take from them what we need and then move on. You know what? This makes our spiritual enemy smile. He loves relationships, as long as they are superficial and meaningless. Because his strategy is simple: deceive, divide, and destroy. Ouchy ouchy!

I had breakfast with an old college friend that I haven’t seen for a number of years.  We each drove over an hour and met half way.  We really had a good time.  I like this guy (i.e. he is unique alright).  He and I have always got along and share (i.e. he shared his heart about his current situation).  He also shared that he finally figured out one of his family who he didn’t get along with. He said--I just went to his funeral; I figured it out.  I figured out that I did not really ever hate him but we were just different.  Sooooooo I asked him--Friend, why did you get it figured out now—I think age and circumstances in my life made me wiser.  Now that is commonsencicle folks. 

I learned a couple of things recently that are sorta kinda commonsencicle but I never thought about them before.  OneSmartBigSkyRanchCowboy told me that there are left-handed lassos and right-hand lassos.  What?  Yep, the lassos are wound different soooo they coil differently and make a perfect loop to throw (i.e. for lefties and righties).  I didn’t know that. Maybe he was just fooling with me head (i.e. spurring me on); I don’t know; maybe he just had a lot of fresh cow crap/chips on his cowboy boots! ANYWAY, I asked him if he’s good at using the lariat—better on the ground than on a horse; my Dad is a better roper than I am (i.e. his dad wears a big cowboy hat and actually owns a lot of cattle—a real rancher).  I don’t know if this OneSmartBigtSkyRanchCowboy chews tobacco and is a good spitter; I didn’t see any juice on his lip!

I believe what RickyRick says (i.e. it seems to me to be pretty commonsencicle)—“Significance does not come from status or a hood ornament on your car or a logo on your shirt. Significance does not come from a bigger salary. Significance does not come from sex. Significance comes from service. Significance comes when you start thinking about other people more than yourself and you give your life away. You cannot be selfish and significant at the same time. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others” (NCV).” A major question I ask myself many times is—Am I really serving others enough or am I just one big old selfish guy (i.e. a DuaneTheWorm self-centered person)?  I wonder as I wander!!!! Compared to the perfect example, I’m way short!  Way short!  Not even close. WorldClassLarry says--Figure out what portion of daily drudgery people need to have out of their lives and offer to take it off their plate!  Just make someone’s live easier would be quite a help.  IickieVickie says—I have enough problems in my own life to help others with their problems; my life is about me and I like it that way. 

A veryniceandsweetgal, who was my student maybe 45 years ago was in church Sunday.  She is a retired Registered Nurse and they winter in FL.  She was telling me that she started a sorta kinda meals on wheels in their park along with an in-park restaurant.  She said it takes a lot of work but some retired folks decide not to help.  They say—I have done all my volunteering; my life is now all about me to enjoy! Each their own!

Have you ever noticed that when you don’t care what happens, your interest is way different (e.g. watching a sports event and you don’t care who wins). When we are emotionally attached (i.e. have a dog in the fight), we have a way different perspective and attitude.  I heard about an acquaintance who has a serious health problem and I felt bad for them but my feelings for Arlene is different than my feelings for that person.  I felt bad that I felt that way but after some thought, I decided that it is normal and correct.  Does that make any sense to you?  That is what I thought.  It’s just commonsencicle I think! 

Things seem soooo commonsencicle but we don’t do them sometimes.  This is from my big sister (i.e. big in only age--she is a neat person with a good heart; my kind of person)--This situation in my life touched me.  The first Christmas Eve we were here in MI we went to church for services and as we left the church everyone was greeting each other   -- however, we walked out and had not received a Merry Christmas.   I was crushed.   Snow had fallen while in church -- a beautiful sight in the parking lot.   As we approached our car, a man was brushing the snow off our windshield.  He greeted us with Merry Christmas and left.  To this day I do not know who he was but his gesture turned my Christmas around.

Some gals from the “afternooncircle” at the church we attend, took care of Arlene from 2:30 p.m. to 10:30 a.m. the next day soooooo I could go to Waukee and see our grand kids (i.e. Charlie had a school program in which she was the cutest and best singer--every grandpa should have that opinion). When we were walking to the school from the vehicle, Charlie wanted to hold me hand (i.e. that was special). As I was lifting Rookie out of his SUV seat, he said--Grandpa, you are pretty strong for an old person!  He did redeem himself the next morning when we were talking about dinosaurs and he said--Grandpa, you are pretty smart!  Classic statements! What a hoot! It was a nice respite for me in the middle of winter. I had such a good time! Those gals who allowed me to do it are special folks with good hearts; my kind of folks (i.e. it wasn't easy for them--they probably saw Arlene at her worst--she doesn't like it when I leave).

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

erv

MyFriendJean says—A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains.

P.S. "I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson

preconceived

Warning:  The judges who are judging the quality of this “It’s Saturday” are the same judges who judged the Olympic figure skating. It appears that they might not be totally creditable because it seems that the judging of the figure skating can be very speculative, and the judges might be political.  Such is life.  

Some of you have a preconceived idea what I’m going to write about in this “It’s Saturday.”  Soooo if you would write your thoughts down what your preconceived ideas are, what would they be?  Really! Soooo try this, try not to have preconceived ideas and be open minded.  GeorgeTheCrook says—I can’t do that; I cannot be open minded, and I don’t want to be open minded.  I’m an extremist and I love it!   Give me a few Bud Lights and I even know a lot more about everything; I instantly become a lot smarter. erv, don’t try to mess with my preconceived ideas! 

What is your preconceived idea what the sign on this truck means?  What is your preconceived idea of the owner of this truck? I bet you think it’s a guy don’t you.  I was walking back to the car at Hy-Vee the other night and saw this on a dirty truck.  It made me smile.  On the way home, Arlene was trying to tell me something that I couldn’t understand what she was trying to tell me.  She uses some words but mostly mumble jumble.  I usually can figure it out with her hand language and generally she says the same things quite often.  But I couldn’t figure out what she was saying.  I had a preconceived idea when she said “why” several times and them “me.”  I asked her if she is wondering why she is this way—ya, why—I don’t know sweetheart; I just don’t know but I love you and I will take care of you—I love you erv.  Touching.  MyFriendSecretariat a.k.a. a Swiss army knife who has a frog in every pocket, thinks Arlene understands more than we think she does.  Sooooo folks, don’t talk down to folks with dementia.  Treat them like they are normal and not your perceived idea (i.e. my opinion).  Research shows that normal folks would rather not be around folks with dementia (i.e. it makes them feel uncomfortable).  I can understand that.  Yes, I can. Such is life.

EveryDayChampJane, who is not an Olympic gold metal winner, (i.e. but who is like many of you guys) says--We all have preconceived thoughts about almost everything.  Why do different folks have different preconceived ideas and thoughts do you think?  If I would ask you to explain the troll you have in your life, what would it look like and what would it be?  Probably all of us would have different preconceived ideas of both.  Why?  Ok, if I would ask you what would really make you happy/happier, what would be your preconceived thought be. Why would our thoughts be different?  Crazy!  Not really.  We are all programed by our past (i.e. some according to party lines—ha ha).   Assignment (i.e. most folks don’t like assignments and as a result they don’t do them)—Write down what was the best year of your life and write down why—now write down the qualities that you would like in your future’s best year of your life (i.e. what would it look like).  What are the qualities that would make up your best year?  Huh, interesting.

MissPerfect says—I know for sure that I have been trying to be like someone else all my life.  I finally decided I will not and don’t want to be like other people and I feel much happier than I ever been before (i.e. don't have to try to do a hail Mary run all the time).  Good idea MissPerfect; be yourself and do it in style (i.e. class).  Comparing is soooooo hard on folks (i.e. some folks have a preconceived idea that others have it better than they do). SusieQ says—I have been taught to compare myself with others as a little child on and I know that somehow if we can accept ourselves as we are, we are a lot happier but...  RickyRick says--You need to understand something that will liberate your life: You don’t need other people’s approval to be happy. But society doesn’t want us to be content.  It’s a merry-go-round folks!  Such is life. Hey, if you like to compare yourself and make yourself miserable, here a good link that will do it for you (i.e. I aim to please).  http://www.visualcapitalist.com/interactive-median-income-u-s-counties/

What to get rid of those preconceived ideas? Then do this; it will make you feel good.  Believe me! Jesus said this in Matthew 6:6: “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace” (MSG).

CadillacJack says—Sometimes parents have preconceived ideas of their children.  I asked a friend, who I haven’t seen for some time, how his girls are doing (i.e. I like his girls).  He said his freshman daughter gets straight As. She likes to play basketball; she’s not physically designed for basketball but she seems to enjoy it.  She plays post and is pretty good, but she is 5’3” (i.e. that works when freestyle skiing but playing post in basketball????).  She said—I have limits!  She is a nice gal but at 5'3" playing post, she is going to have to be a good pusher (i.e. use her butt very well)!  ha ha Saturday question--Would you rather have your daughter be a good high school basketball player or a straight A student?

Recently a fellow class mate at good old Danube High told me another class mate, Alice, died.  I asked him to send me her obituary.  Why, I don’t really know.  I haven’t thought about Alice since we graduated (i.e.1963).  I just was interested in what her life was like I guess.  Obituaries aren’t always accurate, but they are what they are.  I wonder if I had a preconceived idea what her life was like based on how I knew her from being a classmate for a few years. But folks change from high school alright.  Yes, they do.  It’s been a lot of years. Alice wasn’t voted the most likely to succeed or wasn’t the most popular in the class or wasn’t the homecoming queen.  She was just Alice.  She wrote her own obituary, and this is one paragraph that stuck out for me—I enjoyed a career of nursing for 43 years, delivering and rocking babies, sometimes the second generation.  Caring and compassion for the sick or in need was a calling for my life and I was able to help others for most of my life.  It appears she had a good life.  Good for her.  

While watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics (i.e. was there some augmented reality used—of course there was), there was constant talk about this might be the stimulus for world peace.  Now that is a preconceived idea (i.e. my opinion)!  History doesn’t agree with that and our current world situation surely doesn’t feel that way either.  In fact, they later said maybe in 6 months they would be at war (i.e. the future remains to be seen).  It does seem that most of the world is really concerned about the youth being contaminated by technology. Also, it was said that South Korea has a hard time balancing its history with the digital electronic world of the future.  It was mentioned by the announcer that South Korea is very technology savvy and advanced.  AverageJoe says—Don’t have preconceived ideas that everyone is honest and is concerned about your best interest (i.e. they are not).  I read in the paper, soooo it must be right, that a church treasurer of a church in Graettinger, IA, population 800, embezzled $400,000 over 14 years.  The church folks all probably had a preconceived idea that he was honest since he went to church!  Ouchy ouchy! 

It ain’t what we think it is sometimes (i.e. we get fooled); we just have a preconceived idea which isn’t always correct.  LuckieEddie says—If we can’t see it, we think it’s ok (i.e. a preconceived idea).  We used to have a guy come to our church who cut his own hair.  The front looked good, but the back was terrible sometimes (i.e. he missed some spots).  No one ever told him I don’t think.  Some folks seem to have the same problem (i.e. bed hair in the back).  WhoMeTena says--What you don’t see you don’t know and it won’t hurt you.  But maybe they don’t care or it’s not important to them. Now that could be.  Such is life.

I had a preconceived picture in my head of when Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the desert on the way to the promised land. I saw maybe a couple of hundred folks.  The Bible says that there were approximately 600,000 men over 20 years of age, all the children and the women plus all the livestock.  Wow, did I have an improper bad preconceived picture in my head.  No wonder Moses had a lot of headaches!  Soooooo now I can understand why there were different opinions about the dead end at the Red Sea and concern about the” big guys” in the promised land.  Moses had his hands full alright. 

Preconceived ideas can be dangerous.  Winston Churchill said the statement in the picture.  ItchieBitchie says--I have been programmed by my past environment and have preconceived ideas and thoughts (e.g. party lines extremists a.k.a. herd mentality).  A judge, hopefully, does not have a preconceived idea for guilt or innocence; hopefully they listen to all the testimony and make the best decision they can based on facts and the law (i.e. no emotions).  ItchieBitchie says—I don’t think most folks are trained/educated to be open minded but most have preconceived ideas (i.e. very emotional—fly off the handle—very radical); especially when dealing with money, politics and religion.  Such is life.

I was on a morning run when I came upon this car (i.e. the front windshield was only cleaned off on the driver’s side as well).  My preconceived idea was that this person was lazy.  I continued running and started thinking that maybe the owner of the car isn’t capable to clean off their car or maybe don’t have a scrapper or there might be some other reason.  Sooooo when I got home I got me scrapper and ran back there and cleaned off the car.  They will never know.  Maybe I saved their life (i.e. probably not but…).  It made me feel good (i.e. because I had a negative preconceived idea of that person).  Like I say to a lot of you folks when you ask me how I’m doing—I’m ok, I have a simple life. 

I read this while eating my oatmeal with a half a banana on it (i.e. it was written by Kelan and Brittany--7. You have no higher presence in your life. I know this subject can turn some people off so if it does, just skip to the next section. REALITY:  For some of you, your life’s purpose is to exist and die. Your moral compass is skewed and guiding you down the wrong path. CHANGE: I am not going to spew my whole testimony on you about finding Jesus in my life, but I do want to share a small portion. Before God re-entered my life, I was struggling…bad. I was lost and in a deep depression for over a year. Just merely existing was a struggle. I had blinders on and could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was not until I hit rock bottom and opened my heart back up to Jesus that I was able to regain my life. I had a purpose, meaning, and direction. I had HOPE, something I was desperately missing.

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

erv

MyFriendJean says—No person can do everything but each one can do something.

P.S. A friend ended his email to me this way--Hang in there with Arlene.  She appreciates it under the shell she is in.  When I went thru the same thing with my Mom, I had a hard time being patient with her and regret that. Give her a hug for me.  This guy has a good heart—even being a little vulnerable.  

don't have time

You might think everything in this “It’s Saturday” is over the top, frenetic, and almost entirely deceptive (i.e. all hyperbole).  MissPerfect says--We are mature and some of us are even old soooo like the ad says, "we have seen a thing or two.” erv, you can’t fool us; we aren’t gullible.  Ya, right!

I applaud many of you folks; yes, I do.  You take care of yourself physically and mentally.  It shows.  Way to go.  Keep it up.  You are the benefactors of your efforts.  Read between the lines here folks—Every pound you carry puts 4 pounds of stress/pressure on your joints. 

GeorgeTheCrook says—Everyone always says: I don’t have time!  Or is it we don’t want to take time?  Or it is not as important as other stuff in our life?  Is that called prioritizing our time or something like that?  We have soooo many choices to use our time with that we can’t do them all (i.e. and the list gets bigger each day).  Soooo how does a person decide what they are going to do? While eating my oatmeal with a half a banana on it, RickyRick said this--Living for the glory of God will require a change in your priorities, your schedule, your relationships, and everything else. 

SUGGESTION—Try this “5in5” exercise program.  5 exercises in 5 minutes.  Now everyone has time to do that, don’t they? If you don’t think you have time, you can multi-task while watching TV or doing other activities that you do.  Or do 5 minutes less of social media.  C’mon folks, 5 minutes.  If you can’t do that you really have zero interest in taking care of your body. JoeBlow says—No matter how you look at it folks, zero is zero; nutton. These exercises can be done at any age.  But you can’t do any of them sitting on the couch eating chips.   ha ha   Now if you are really stressed for time—Pray during the 5 minutes you do these exercises (i.e. multi-task—kill two birds with one stone—of course being always doing a lot of stuff at one time might eventually kill a person ha ha).  Here is the link--     www.CoachB.TV/5in5

I heard that one of my golf buddies was working out at the fitness center.  This is way out of his world as I know him soooo I text him to find out if he was alright.  His response--Mostly had shoulder issue so thought lifting may help. While I was there I thought some cardio would probably be good as well. I hate every second of it. Much prefer drinking beer!!

Do you have a 'big but'? No, I’m not talking about the size or shape of your backside. I’m talking about the big excuses most people have when they think about exercising and dieting: no time, no results.  It’s much like money management.  CoachB says—If you have a solid set of principles, 99% of all your decisions are already made for you (e.g. never have a credit card balance or always tell the truth).  LuckieEddie says—That 99% thinking applies to all of our life (i.e. you don’t have to think to decide; you already know). 

Have you ever said or heard it said—That’s just throwing money down the drain?  How about throwing time down the drain.  Have you ever done that?  I recently read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--When I was completing my internship at the Veterans Administration Medical Center I had the opportunity to work on the spinal cord injury unit. That experience forever changed my thinking. In particular, I was struck by the differences in attitude among the patients. My job was to psychologically evaluate each patient. Some of those I evaluated had a recent spinal cord injury and some were returning for follow-up visits. Every patient on that unit, however, had a life-changing injury. Never would they walk again and some couldn't use their hands or even needed assistance with breathing. Every one of them had sustained major changes and losses in their life. Some of them not only lost the physical use of their body, but they lost a girlfriend or wife who couldn't handle the situation, or a job that was part of their self-identity. Yet, what I noticed was that no matter what the losses were or the length of time since the injury, the patients could be divided into two categories: happy or miserable.  So, what I learned was that even though all of these people had a similar life-changing event occur, it wasn't the event that contributed to their happiness or misery, it was their reaction to the event that caused them to be happy or miserable. PositiveJoe says—Free your mind and your a… will follow!  Soooo how did you fill in the a…?  I bet you used “attitude” didn’t you.  That is what I thought. 

I had a visit with a friend at church recently.  We talked about college debt that we hear soooo much about.  He told me that a family in his family have four kids.  They are very good money managers and 2 recent grads have payed off all their debt and 1 is working on it and the other one is still in college.  It can be done folks but it takes discipline, sacrifice, good decisions and good money management.  SusieQ says—Parents and students who don’t have that will have a huge massive debt.  PrettyPam says—My parents and grand parents are rich; they will just pay for my education; I don’t have a problem with that! It gives me more time to party! Ra Ra! Such is life. 

BobbySmart says this--Do we simply resign ourselves to a "here today, gone tomorrow" mindset and muddle through our jobs one day at a time? Instead, I would suggest taking a carpe diem approach: "seize the day." Make the most of opportunities presented to us, do the best we possibly can, and hopefully leave things better for those that follow us.  What do you think of that?  That is what I thought.

ItchieBitchie says-- Have you ever tried to talk with someone who was so busy you could not get them to hear you?  ItchieBitchie, maybe they don’t want to hear you.  No, they think they are tooooo busy. Soooo how are you going to get their attention or is it an impossibility? Maybe their life is all about “them” a.k.a. me and reality is they don’t want to hear about you or anything you say (i.e. thinking how they can get more money or power to a point that they can’t sleep at night). Or maybe they are just poor listeners.  You are wasting your time; they don’t have time for you. I read recently this--My is a possessive pronoun, a word we use when we want to express ownership (“that’s mine”) or status (“it’s my turn”). It’s not a bad word, but the frequency of its use suggests we use it carelessly. GeorgeTheCrooks says--The truth is very little to nutton is mine. Death reminds us of that.  Money is just that money! As a friend says—When the gonger gongs, everything goes back in the box (i.e. even our bodies)! Like Monopoly; it’s just a game!

A friend/golf buddy sent me this text--At mayo...lots of super over weight people waiting...feel I need to thank you again for the suggestion to lose some...Thanks these people are hurting    I don’t know if he is serious or pulling my chain but...!  We were golfing together maybe 2 or 3 years ago, and he was complaining about a health issue.  I said—You would feel a lot better if you lost some weight (i.e. he wasn’t terribly over weight—just mildly obese).  He took me seriously and lost some weight and gives me a hard time ever since.  He told a female friend at church about this and his friend told him that I was a jerk for saying that. What a hoot!  KindEileen says—Are you serious erv, you really did say that?  KindEileen, I am serious—as in “Are you serious?” As serious as congress is worried about our $20 trillion debt! And he looks a lot better toooooo! And his golf hip rotation is a lot better tooooo! He seems a lot happier about himself toooooo! Absolutely, no question! Such is life.

If you agree with that person who thought I was a jerk, how about my friend?  He and his wife were following one of his favorite professional golfers at a tournament.  The professional golfer’s wife and his mother-in-law were also following the golfer.  Frank (i.e. named changed to protect the innocent) had conversation with the mother-in-law.  The conversation continued from hole to hole.  Frank then said to her—I see that they are expecting another child.  She said—Not that I’m aware off!! Take foot out of mouth Frank.  

Some of you might want to say to my friend and I what Lady Astor said to Winston Churchill—If you were my husband, I’d poison your tea  Churchill replied, Madame, if your were my wife, I’d drink it.

My Mom, Anna, would butcher fryers to can and freeze for our family for the winter (i.e. this gal could and did everything).  We had a log behind the shed with two nails on it; she would put the fryer’s head between the nails and with one whack, their head came off.  The fryer would run around like a “chicken with its head cut off.” Saturday question—Do we ever run around like a “chicken with its head cut off?”   It seems to give us a much better chance of having a health problem.  We combine that with our total environment (i.e. past and present) and some bad genes maybe and bingo; maybe for many it’s not a good combination. It might even not let a person sleep very well at night which even magnifies the situation even more.  ha ha

SuuuperMomEmily says--You work 40-50 hours a week at your full-time job, and have to commute to work, so after that, eating and spending time with your family, how do you find the time to add ANOTHER thing onto your plate? The reality is….you just have to. You make the time. The simple answer is that there is no simple answer, and it’s not easy either. CrazyMarvin says—Time management is interesting and challenging; again and again, it has a lot to do with what is important to a person; it is a decision.

SweetJudy says—We say we don’t have time but hopefully in the wisdom of age, we turn to what is actually real in our lives, our family and friends, the youthful joy of our grandchildren and to the warmth of a trusted spouse. MeganWisdom says—Time is marching on!  Tick tick tick tick!

WanderingEdashewonders says--I'm an atheist and I don't believe in life after death; I will die like a pig.  Really?  I don't think you actually believe that, do you?  I heard an atheist proclaim once--There is no God, and I hate Him! ANYWAY  SweetheartJulia says—Can you imagine not having any thinking of what time it is or how much time it will take (i.e. like time is not a concept—we all will have all kinds of time—time is not an issue).  WorldClassLarry says—Decisions have consequences; guess who gets to make the decisions.  The choices we make now ultimately will determine the way we spend eternity. Life on this earth, it has been said, is just a shadow, a breath, a vapor but eternity is forever where time means nothing.  You believe that?  That is what I thought.

Things can change fast folks.  Don't take your time for granted. This pic came up on Facebook this week--saying four years ago.  Life can change folks. Douglas Groothuis in his book, Walking Through Twilight (i.e. a wife's illness--a philosopher's lament) says this--The concept of time is a recurring theme in Ecclesiastes. God knows the times perfectly, but we mortals do not. Here lies the vanity of our lives. I liked the book; I suggest you give it a read.

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

erv

MyFriendJean says--Tomorrow is always fresh without mistakes.

P.S. A friend sent me this--I love the saying, "Small things done often are not small things".  Remember that when you eat your oatmeal each morning. 

whatcha doing

You might want to call me Smoke.  LuckieEddie says that I have a propensity for raising soooo much smoke where there is not even a fire.  Take that into consideration when reading this “It’s Saturday.” ItchieBitchie says-Most of the guys are likeable around town except for a few gray-whiskered old patriarchs who belong to another day.  Some might say I’m one of them.  Some even think I’m in the “insane mode.”  Soooo again, take all these factors in consideration when reading this.

Whatcha doing erv? I did an attitude adjustment on myself this week.  Yes I did.  I evaluated myself and I thought I needed to be humbler (i.e. get off my high horse).  It feels a lot better now but to get bucked off wasn’t soooo much fun.  I was around a neat young man and we were talking about investments. We both sorta kinda agreed that there is more important investments in life than stuff.  Then I heard it again in church Sunday.  It takes a lot of pressure off when I don’t have to think I’m important or need to try to be important.

I heard this third hand from Rocky soooo I assume it is right. ANYWAY, Albert Einstein wrote this quote on a hotel notepad in 1922, "A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness." Would you believe that this note recently sold for over a million dollars at a Jerusalem auction house? Crazy, yes.  Suggestion—You guys better pick up your notes at hotels or someone will sell them for a million bucks after your are dead.  My notes will be worth zero to nutton; but I’m not you guys.  Such is life.

RickyRick says--Decide it’s time for change. Nothing is going to happen in your life until you get dissatisfied with the way things are, until you can say, “I don’t like this. I’m tired of being stressed out all the time. I’m tired of being frustrated all the time. I’m tired of being overworked all the time. I’m tired of feeling distant from God.” So there you go!

I-can-do-attitudeEvan, who once killed two birds with one stone, says—It’s a long and crazy story folks a.k.a. my life.  I have had the feeling of having my heart ripped out.  Have you ever had that feeling?  If soooo, you know it’s no fun.  SusieQ says—That sounds just terrible.  It sounds way toooo complicated for me.  I don’t think I could handle it.  But the fact is, it happens to many. It can make a person a little loopie let me tell ya.  Ya just got to go forward with a wing and a prayer. Most folks don’t have their life gift-wrapped. Such is life.

But sometimes good comes along when we don’t expect it (i.e. even out of something that looks bad at the time).  A friend who is a retired airline pilot for a major airline (i.e. he flew the big birds all over the world) told me this—He piloted with many military trained pilots who retired and then flew for the airlines.  The fighter pilots a.k.a. top guns where the smartest of the smart of the class and just the smart ones flew the big cargo planes.  The top dogs called those pilots of the cargo planes “tankers” (i.e. sorta kinda a derogatory title).  But in the airline business, the tankers were better pilots than the top guns as they had more experience flying the huge massive big cargo birds and not flying a fighter.  Interesting.   GiantRumblebuffin says—Good can happen when you’re not looking for it. AverageJoe says—Many folks are only great in the area they are great in; when folks get out of the area they are great, they aren’t soooo much fancy pants.  Such is life.

I read in the paper soooo it must be right that great folks don’t smoke marijuana! I think the reason is that marijuana a.k.a. a gateway drug can lead to other drugs.  I think, no I know for sure, that I’m naive as to what is going on in the real world pertaining to illegal drugs. JoeBlow says—California just made marijuana legal as well as some other states!  I had a grandfather tell me about stories his granddaughter told him about all the drugs at the university she attended (i.e. she is transferring—drug use is part of the reason).  And the folks want the government to fix it!  Da!  Fix it by helping all the addicts have free recovery programs and then paying them for disability.  What!  That’s is not going to work; you can't have your cake and eat it tooooo .  This is crazy to me.  But, like I said, I’m naive about the drug situation.  Folks want legal drugs but then they don’t want them.  You can’t have both.  WildWillie says—The government can’t stop some of you becoming your parents.  Besides, it’s all about the tax revenue that is associated with legalizing drugs.  Again, it’s all about the money. IncredibleSara says—Folks. It’s just incredible! No question in my mind.

A person asked me the other day – whatcha doing erv?  I was people watching.  It’s sorta kinda fun.  Some of the folks I knew and some I didn’t.  Can I tell what they are like by watching them? I mean, does their presence tell me about them or maybe give me an impression of them? Sooooo when folks look at me or look at you, what do folks see (i.e. their opinion)?  When I see a certain person, I always see this person as happy; when I see another person, I always think of this person being arrogant (i.e. but I know them and those evaluations are just my opinions). But folks, I still think my impressions are pretty much like other folks’ impressions.  We are not that great that only we can see that.  I had a certain impression of a person and one day on the golf course, the guy riding with me, out of the blue, starts talking about this person.  His impression of this person is exactly the same as mine.  I asked him if he thought others think like we do about this person—of course, we aren’t that smart erv that only we can see that!   Do you think he was saying something positive or negative about this person?  That is what I thought! ItchieBitchie says—It appears that most folks say more negative stuff about others than positive.  You think soooo ItchieBitchie? 

Saturday question--Have you ever been a jerk? Kevin Durant got two technical fouls and was thrown out of the game against the Knicks recently.  He was fined 15k by the NBA for complaining about the officiating (i.e. Kevin has an annual salary of 25 million).  He later apologized to the fans and the official.  He said—I watched the footage of the incident and they were right and I was wrong.  I was a real jerk.  I was wrong 100%.  I like Keven Durant; I think he is a class guy.  And he is a very good NBA player—Maybe the best.  He’s usually quite humble compared to some NBA players.  Money can make those NBA players arrogant sometimes.  SusieQ says—It does to many of us who aren't NBA players. I personally like folks who can control their egos even if they are very rich or have a lot of power.  Now, I think, that is a great person (i.e. my opinion).

I was on my run the other day when a friend pulled up beside me.  We talked about a lot of stuff (i.e. like did farmers make any money this last year—he’s a farmer).  Then I asked him how he thinks things are going in our church (i.e. we attend the same church).  He stammered and stuttered without giving me a real answer.  Just then a gal come walking by (i.e. a gal who also attends our church).  He said--ask her—He did!  She said something positive (i.e. she always says positive stuff).  My friend said—She is a great gal with a great servant attitude.  If you would ask 111 folks, 111 would say that she is a great gal!  We all think the same about her (i.e. we are not fooled—we are right on the money).  Such is life. 

Whatcha doing erv?  Not much!!!!!  Have you ever felt that you want to be invisible (i.e. like not wanted to be seen)?  I felt that way the other day—wanted to be invisible and I sorta kinda made myself that way.  Is that being obnoxious?  I just wanted to be alone and not see anyone.  I pretty much did it tooooo.  In my business I was always around folks but I’m a people person soooo it fit me well.  Now I don’t have to be around folks all the time soooo sometimes I’m not.  I like that tooooo.  I have friends who have occupations in which they don’t talk to anyone all day (i.e. they prefer it that way).  I have a friend who has no problem being alone for long periods of time. She said she grew up that way.  I think being alone and being quiet for periods of time is good for a person (i.e. anyway for me it is). It’s good for my mind and soul.  What do you think of that?  That is what I thought.

Whatcha doing erv? I’m wondering if my attitude is changing.  I’m wondering folks.  I wonder if I’m right about stuff.  I think my principles are correct and strong and, but I wonder if my methodology/administration is in tune with our culture.  Should I even wonder about this. That is another question I ponder.  All this stuff is momentarily much like life on this earth (i.e. compared to eternity).  Now think through that folks.  Thinking about this stuff also makes me humble (i.e. gets me off my high horse).

Folks, the other night, I was thinking about all the great experiences you and I have had that no one knows about or really cares.  We are really an island to some degree.  I guess if you are big on social media, others might know about some of your experiences but even at that, they know very little about all your experiences.  Sooooo what does that mean?  I don’t know. Probably nutton!  I guess I just need to live my life as I want and cherish my memories, even though others don’t know about them or really care about them.  I guess why I was thinking this stuff was because I was sitting here watching basketball with Arlene (i.e. she can’t remember any of those experiences) and thinking about all the good times we had together. Many of those fun times were with some of you guys.  Really only I and you know what I’m talking about.  Oh man, I/we have had so many good experiences with many of you folks.  It makes me smile (i.e. the memories of some of those experiences even make me lol--some were really crazy but sooooo much fun). Thanksamillion.

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

erv

MyFriendJean says—Others may be deaf to our words but they are never blind to our actions.