it's how you look at it

My Chinese fortune cookie message the other day was, “Everyone around you is rooting for you. Don’t give up!” Sooooo, reluctantly, I picked up my spoon and absolutely forced down the rest of my caramelized banana fritters with vanilla ice-cream. I’m easily motivated! It’s how you look at it!

RickyRick says—"What do you fear in your relationships? Maybe you don’t want people to find out what you’re really like—so you hide yourself. This is the oldest fear, all the way back to Adam, the first man. When you’re afraid, you get insecure and hide who you are. You cover up, not just physically but emotionally. You build walls around yourself and pretend to be someone you’re not. But while insecurity ruins relationships, love builds them up.” BUT if you have been burned in a relationship (e.g. a marriage relationship) some folks have a hard time to overcome that.  How do folks do that.  Most folks just don’t like to get burned again; it hurts toooo bad.  Sooooo now what! I like real folks with good hearts; they are my kind of folks; phonies I just don’t care for much.  BUT that is my opinion.

Contents a.k.a. stuff or context a.k.a. understanding; what’s most important? Pretty deep you think? We spend a lot of time working to get stuff; how much time do we spend getting understanding?  How long does stuff last?  How important is understanding? Missperfect says—I’m going with the stuff; I like stuff and I’m not very smart soooo I never did understand the meaning of a lot of things.  A friend told me recently that she did very well in the education system (i.e. got good grades) BUT she told me she just memorized the facts and information but never did really learn it or understand it.  Huh, interesting.

Myneighbordownthestreet says-- It’s how you look at it.  Modern English dictionaries draw a general distinction between seeing and perceiving. Seeing is more the physical act of noting, detecting, or laying eyes on. But perceiving has more to do with understanding, discerning, or comprehending. Everyone with physical sight can see, but it takes more than physical sight to comprehend what is seen—to apply it for good. Soooo are you a winner?  Maybe it’s just a matter of perspective; you ever thought about that.  Pretty deep thinking.

GeorgeTheCrook, who can scare a wild pig, says--My friend, the used car salesman once said to me, “You have to take advantage of your friends because your enemies will never get close enough.” Folks don’t take advantage of their friends now do they?  They are their friends. C’mon! It appears that we should be especially nice to our friends.  What do you think? That is what I thought.  I like the story of David and Jonathon which is about their friendship.  Sooooo I ask a friend sometimes—how are you?  The other day she says to me—erv, why do you always ask me that?  Well, you have been through a lot of drama and hurt and you always seem soooo upbeat and happy and I just wonder if you are really that way inside; if you are not, you can tell me. She is amazing! Myfriendnorthoftown says-- It’s like a basketball player late in a close game who is called for a foul that could have gone either way. Ya just got to move on. It’s how we look at things I think; that’s my opinion.

Adding to the memory bank! Our granddaughter, Buggy, is making a list on her phone of all the funny things of life that she doesn’t want to forget.  Now that is interesting.  What are funny things of life?  I guess that is how you look at them.  We do forget a lot of those funny things and sometimes when we get together and remind each other of them, they are soooo funny and we laugh soooo hard.  We many times tell the same stories over and over because they are hilarious and classic; they are funny forever (e.g. like the time when my bother-in-law was driving the van with me, my siblings and their spouses  in it on a German autobahn at 100 mph; it was real quiet in the van as we all almost popped in our pants).  I love those stories.  What is the funniest story about you? The one that even you have to laugh at yourself.  It’s that funny!

I was jogging on the golf course the other morning and saw this smartweed next to a stump.  I went over there and pulled it out.  That smartweed bothered me.  You know any smart weeds; I’m talking about human smart weeds!  They drive me crazy tooooo.  SusieQ, who makes offers no one can refuse; she is soooo nice, says—erv, it all depends how you describe a human smartweed; my brother-in-law can be a smartweed at times a.k.a. a smartbutt.  And yes, we just pull him out (i.e. that ought to let a little air out of his balloon). And the sucker next year just shows up again just like the smartweed in the yard! I always wondered if egotistical folks ever get humbled!  Do they ever realize that they are obnoxious?  I get humbled a lot when I get a little cocky!  Do you?  That is what I thought.

CoachB says—It is your way not your want that determines your what! CoachB, that’s pretty deep.  It is what it is and I’m whom I am! A friend told me and others that faith in faith is very powerful.  Think through that folks.  Dr.J says--Only one object can occupy a certain space at a time. And the human brain can only be aware of one thought at a time. And we can only move in one direction at a time. But that is not to say that a certain action can have only one purpose at a time. There is a lot to think about in that statement. 

RickyRick says—"Have you noticed that human beings have a tendency to mimic the emotions of people across from them? The reason we do this is because of mirror neurons in our brains. They allow us to sympathize and also to mirror what other people feel. For instance, if someone gets angry with you, you get angry back. If somebody is really sad and you hang around that person long enough, you start to get sad. ‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.’ Proverbs 15:1 Let me give you a little tip that will save you a lot of heartache and conflict in your life: When other people raise their voices, lower yours—in your marriage, in your parenting, in your friendships, and at work. That’s called strength under control." I think I can see a difference in a friend who has had the opportunity to hang around with a certain person who has really influenced him to become a different person.  I don’t think it’s my imagination, but it could be that he is just getting older and wiser (i.e. or eats a different kind of pizza). Could be.  Sooooo our grandkids are ages 8-13, their parents are in their 40s and I am in my 70s.  Who should be the wisest do you think? BUT I wonder sometimes!!! I could be hurting the curve of growth! I’m sorta kinda wondering! Has there every been a young Pope? Such is life.

As I was driving to my MN golf outing, I noticed all the dilapidated buildings in the country.  Some are vacant, some are obsolete, and some are in such shape that they will never be repaired and will fall down or be destroyed (i.e. and that is costly soooo they are left to rot).  It’s the ageing process, I guess.  Gene and I played in their member-guest tournament for about 40 years (i.e. oh boy we have some memories); that means we were in our 30s and could at that time play fairly well.  The old guys admired us because they no longer could play well.   Now all those old folks are dead, and we are the old folks who can’t play very well (i.e. and there are very few of us around for various reasons).  We are just like the dilapidated buildings I saw on my trip down there. Huh, interesting. Dilapidated buildings eventually disappear from this earth.  Ageing is how you look at it for sure, but it happens and that is for sure.   Some of those dilapidated buildings have character and many memoires and are thought provoking to me.  How about you?  That is what I thought.

Saturday question—What do you do to stay in top mental, physical and spiritual shape?  National Football League Quarterback Tom Brady won his seventh championship ring this year as the oldest player to appear in a Super Bowl. How did he get to be so good? There’s a whole list of things Brady does to stay in peak performance mentally, physically, and emotionally, including drinking 20 ounces of water as soon as he wakes up every morning. He’s developed healthy habits that have paid off for him. My Daddy, Chester, would say to me—The best discipline is self-discipline.  That self-discipline isn’t easy; it’s not for wimps for sure!  But 20 ounces of water when you get up!  I drink about 4 ounces first thing in the morning.  Maybe that is why I’m not very good at some stuff.  It’s how you look at it!

I talk and think about self-evaluation a lot.  I try to do this, but I always don’t know if my self-evaluation is accurate (i.e. it’s like asking the Pope if he is Catholic).  It’s hard to know sometimes.  BUT, I think I see good results from doing it.  When I promote, demote and terminate some events, folks, situations in my life, my life is a lot better.  AND once I figure out what the things are that I need to promote, demote and terminate, my life seems to be better; it really does seem that way! And then I have to do them and that is even harder at times.  THINK about doing those three things in your life.  I think my life is much better when I do that.  BUT that is my opinion.  I guess it’s how you look at it!

I saw this in a back yard of a house recently.  I just wondered what it was all about.  It just fascinated me.  I thought it was where they buried their cream can with their money in it and didn’t want to forget where they buried it.  The other morning the guy was in his yard soooo I stopped and talked to him.  I was way wrong, he said he just likes a flower bed like that.  I don’t know if I believe him!  Some night I might sneak over there and dig it up and see once. 

CrazyMarvin repulses me and fascinates me at the same time. He seems to be humblebragging.  I learned a new word this week.  It means bragging while not acting like you are bragging.  I guess it’s how you look at it. 

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—You have the right to be less than perfect.

 The tip of the day comes from one of the best farmers deep in Grundy County via one of the best business folks in Grundy County.  These are the kind of guys I hang around with.  I just listen. ANYWAY, the best day to spray your lawn is the first sunny day after a killing frost.