contradiction

Do you ever say one thing but do another; a complete contradiction?  I do some sometimes; sometimes when I even don’t want toooooo (i.e. I’m a split decision). ItchieBitchie says—When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbably, must be the truth. WoldClassLarry says—It’s crazy how humans process information; just crazy!  Such is life.

I have a leader in my life who says—I need to learn to just accept folks when they contradict with my thinking, even when I think they are wrong).  I need to just say to myself—That is up to them if they want to be wrong and move on.  If they don’t want to do it the right way or to learn the right way, soooo be it.  I can’t fix them.  Just accept them and live with it.  What do you think of that?  That is what I thought.  LuckieEddie says—erv, you know what, you might be wrong and they might be right!  Ouchy ouchy!  Can’t be!

Here is a normal contradiction--We are told to love people, no matter what choices they make, but we are to hate the value system (e.g., prejudice, racism, injustice, sexism, war). The problem is, we often get it reversed. We love the value system and hate the people. RickieRick says—Even some Christians do this. Instead of being different, we can be just as materialistic, just as hedonistic, and just as enmeshed in the culture. That’s backwards. JoeBlow says--For the rest of your life, you’ll face great pressures to conform to the culture (i.e. a constant battle with our contradictions). RickieRick goes on to say--One reason you may not know what God wants us to do in life is because we may be too acculturated with this culture. Often this happens without us realizing it. But you can’t think like the world and think like God thinks (i.e. a contradiction). You have to make a choice. WafflingSally (i.e. the champion Waffler) says—Guess who gets to make that choice?  Bingo!

Coach B says—When your last no turns into a yes, your whole life will change in a very positive way.  CadillacJack says—We are pretty much “no” people; our first response usually is “no” and we say it over and over.  But once we say “yes” many different opportunities will happen (i.e. change our lives—our whole world will change).  You believe that? That is what I thought. MissPerfect says—erv, are you trying to get in my head?  I have always been a “no” person and I enjoy it; yes I do.  I am going to live my whole live being a “no” person and die that way (i.e. just don’t like change).  Folks, do you think that is inherited or learned?

A friend told me at breakfast that he has an acquaintance or friend who he has coffee with almost every morning at a local grain elevator. He always takes a negative attitude about everything.  He says--that way when something good happens, it’s sorta kinda a bonus; he says he doesn’t expect anything good to happen.  That has to be a terrible way to live (i.e. my opinion).  I guess he’s never disappointed. ha ha I wonder where he learned that attitude!

I had breakfast with a friend who is 73 and has been a developer and house builder for many years.  He told me that folks of a certain occupation a.k.a. brand are the hardest to work with; no question; they are all the same but some more difficult than others.  They act nice but all have a certain demeanor that comes from their occupation (i.e. a contradiction).  One lady of this occupation, who probably was the worst of the worst, was really something.  Finally he had to tell her straight out using not soooo nice words that the problem was her; I can’t even get my sub-contractors to work on your house as you are impossible.  One day the painter, Eddie, who was a little Mexican guy, hide in the closet when he saw her coming; she said, where are you Eddie, I know you are here. After the rather harsh conversation, she called all the subs and apologized to them and told them that they should suggest to my friend to get psychiatric help! What a hoot!

It appears if we start young to learn the right things a person is at a great advantage (i.e. no matter what it is).  I think the Nazis took the kids early and brainwashed them. Maybe the problem is, we have to decide what are the right things. Is it possible as a country to decide what is right or what is wrong? Many times, it appears, that the kids are like their parents and the parents are like their parents (i.e. but not always); look around; it’s no rocket science.  It appears like once certain teaching is learned, it is very hard to change (i.e. it’s ingrained into them).  Sooooo who does the ingraining?

Mother o’ Mine    by Rudyard Kipling   1865 – 1936    If I were hanged on the highest hill, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine! I know whose love would follow me still, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine! If I were drowned in the deepest sea, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine! I know whose tears would come down to me, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine! If I were damned of body and soul, I know whose prayers would make me whole, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine! 

I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--Dr.David wrote this--In mathematics two of the basic kinds of numbers are integers and fractions: 2, 100, and 56 are integers, while ½, ¼, and 2.5 are fractions (i.e. I don’t remember ever learning this in Roseland Elementary). Integers, from a Latin root meaning “whole” or “entire.” The word integrity comes from the same root; a person with integrity cannot be divided in beliefs or morality based on varying circumstances. Saturday question—erv, are you a whole person or a fractioned person today? Now that could be a contradiction! Ouchy ouchy!

AverageJoe says--I can’t fix a problem if I don’t have accurate information (i.e. proper evaluation). Telling the truth about ourselves can be hard, especially when we think it will disappoint someone. Sometimes we tell lies to ourselves and to others, thinking that we are protecting ourselves (i.e. a contradiction). AverageJoe says--erv, there is all kinds of data about you and how to figure you out but to interpret all that data is the problem.  It seems that the information is contradictory.  Ouchy ouchy!

ItchieBitchie says—Percentage margins don’t matter. What matters always are dollar margins; the actual dollar amount. That is ItchieBitchie’s opinion. Can the love of money be a contradiction?  One minute we say we don’t care about money and the next it’s our idol.  It could be.  I know it’s for me.  A couple gals from church came to visit Arlene.  One had on some neat shoes and I gave her a hard time about them.  She said she bought them at a second-hand store.  I told her she is amazing; you can buy any shoes you want at any store you want yet you elect to do this.  We laughed but it is right (i.e. she didn’t have to admit that; that’s a big person; a real person).  CadillacJack says—There are lot of folks who could live differently if they wanted to but decide not toooooo BUT there are also some folks who live in a world that they can’t afford but they decide tooooo.  Such is life.

I’m somewhat a contradiction! Yes, I think I am.  I want something and am told to be patient. But if I don’t put in some initiative, it might not ever happen. If I just sit on the couch eating chips and complaining and hoping (i.e. being patient) many times it just ain’t going to happen.  But I am told to be patient. See my point.  I need to be patient but I also need to take some initiative (i.e. proactive).  Our grand daughter, Erin, would like a puppy.  She wrote that note to her parents (i.e. took some initiative). Erin, here is some more good practical initiative to push the issue that is part of all negotiating.  

Sometimes folks don’t tell the truth because folks don’t want to hear the truth (i.e. it’s tooooo real soooo we candy coat it).  Alzheimer’s is not pretty folks; it’s just plain ugly.  Arlene has always been sooo sweet and fortunately has pretty much continued to be this way.  She hardly ever has gotten mad at me during our 50 years of marriage.  But recently she has a couple of times; it is soooo hard to accept it but that’s how the disease works and it’s not Arlene (i.e. it hurts).  ANYWAY, it seems (i.e. she can't verbalize her thoughts so I don't know for sure) what really frustrates her is when she knows that she can't do anything.  She wants to be the same; she wants me to fix her; I can’t and she gets mad at me.  The other night we had another such episode.  It took her some time to get settled down.  I finally got her to go to bed (i.e. left her clothes on—didn’t need any more confrontation; you can’t reason with Mr. Alzheimer’s).  Then about 3 hours later, she makes some noises (i.e. I hear every noise and pretty much know what each noise means) and go to her bed side.  She mumbled and cried; I think she was telling me that she was sorry she acted that way (i.e. that is amazing to me).  I’m Mr. Wonderful again. Such is life.

Amazon says--We haven’t done anything different on our side of the fence, but folks always need someone to blame.  MissPerfect says--It’s easy to buy nice things with another person’s money even if it’s a make-believe person (i.e. my other person when I drink)! I read in the paper, soooo it must be right, that “drunken shopping is a multibillion-dollar industry.” Wow! It said when folks are inebriated, they buy a lot and even crazy stuff (i.e. clothes and shoes are the most popular).  The average person is 36 and has an income of $92,000 with men and women about the same. Amazon reaps most of the benefit getting a whopping 85% of the drinkers’ purchases.  A pickleball friend, a semi-retired money raiser, was telling me that there are programs out there that will give money raisers an idea of information about folks as to how much money they make, their net worth, their interests, etc. (i.e. it increases the odds of raising money).  Soooo maybe there is a program out there who tells Amazon who the drinkers and buyers are (i.e. they listen to you folks); could be! LuckieEddie says--Why do casinos give free alcohol to gamblers? Da!  SusieQ says—Maybe churches should give free drinks to folks!

Hey folks, sometimes things always don’t go the way you intend (i.e. sorta kinda a contradiction).  I read in the paper that for good health a person should exercise 30 to 60 minutes for 4 to 6 days a week (i.e. watching golf on TV does not count).  A friend was competing in his 9^th Iron Man Competition when he crashed on his bike and broke the ball in his pelvis and really smashed his collar bone (i.e. plates and screws bad).  It will demand a long recovery time.  My friend, by his own admission, says he is hyper-active (i.e. he gets a lot done in a day folks).  This will be a challenge for him.  But you know what, he will do it.  Yes he will.

JoeAnonymous says--If serving is below you, leadership is beyond you. For many folks that statement just doesn’t make sense a.k.a. a contradiction to them.  But just think about it folks, great leaders help others obtain what they want; they serve them and help them.  That is why folks follow them.  Da, that ain’t hard to understand is it.  Maybe that is why Will Rogers said—If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there. My high school basketball coach at good ol’ Danube High, Coach Black, always signs off his emails with this--I finally found myself --  when I lost Myself -- in the service of others. A friend says this is a saying she enjoys--Sharing is caring, Caring is sharing, The more you care, the better you fare. She is one smart coolie let me tell ya!

The preacher said to me--You can’t say you love Jesus and then go live like the devil. You can’t say you’re a Christian and then keep on living a self-centered life. Yikes, now that sounds like a contradiction, but that is what I do many times.  The only thing I can say is—I keep trying; I’m a sinner saved by grace.  Now that is a hard contradiction to understand isn’t it.  Especially by non-believers and yes, even believers.  Folks say one thing and do another.  Some call it being a hypocrite (i.e. which includes Christians no matter how great they think they are).  My contradiction is very humbling to me. Our minister talked last Sunday about submissiveness.  I think he said that our culture does not like authority and is not very submissive (i.e. many folks’ authority is themselves).  I think I agree with him.  GerogeTheCrook says--Being submissive to God is contradictory to our culture and I like the culture I live in here in America; that submissiveness is old fashion like grandpa and grandma old fashion. BUT PreacherMan, our culture could change for some crazy reason.  Yes it could.  65-1 long shot Country House won the Kentucky Derby as Maximum Security became the first winner to be DQ’d! That’s horse racing! BobbySnort says--Sometimes events make no sense but change our lives forever both for the good and for the bad!

I asked a friend at church to give me an update of their family.  It was soooo good to get caught up.  They are having some good things happening to their family which was fun to hear.  She did tell me that they have made an old fashion change; they have become managers of their money; they never did that before.  Soooooo why the change?  We got soooo tired of never having any money and just spending spending.  How does it feel.  Great; way less stressful.  I know your parents a little. I bet they are good money managers.  They sure are.  Maybe you have grown up! ha ha  Could be, maybe!

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

erv

MyFriendJean says—Humor is to life what shock absorbers are to cars.