The following articles have been published in The Suburban Newspaper at www.thesuburban.com
My Column is titled: Living in the Now
After I photographed the image, I just stood there and looked at it. I tried to figure out in what direction a car has to travel in order to create this design. The logic of how to create these tracks didn’t astound me as much as my questions of, “Why now? Why me? By whom?” I felt this design was a message. Someone sent me a divine message of love.
Here is my challenge for you this week before Valentine’s Day. Look beyond the conventional gifts to celebrate your love for someone. Buy a blank card or make a card. Write what you feel. What you really feel inside. Like, “I think about you all day long and then I have to work around that.” Or, “Ya know, you’re a pain in the ass, Butt I miss that when you’re not around.” Or, use the words from the title and print them on a cute t-shirt!
The apples in this store actually taste like apples from the orchard. They are fruity in a perfume kind of way. I go out of my way to buy my fruit and vegetables there. However, I seriously need to mention this now, the store smells of spices that sometimes makes me gag!
Next to me at the base of the hill was a much younger girl. She had music blaring in her ears as she ran on the tips of her toes. We both needed to stop at the base as there was a red stop light. Once the light turned green, it was as though we were racing to get to the top. She bolted out of the gate determined to beat me. I had the one thing she didn’t have, experience. Although, she had the one thing I didn’t have, youth.
You might have friends which you are able to share a total balance of conversation with. I call it, “converfriendsation”. It’s the perfect flow of conversation with a friend. I speak, she speaks, I speak, she speaks, etc… It’s like the tick-tock of a grandfather clock. Are you able to tick-tock with a friend?
So this happened…I bumped into an old boyfriend. We dated over 30 years ago. He still looks pretty good. Me? Not so much. It’s best for me to keep my thick coat on! We got to talking about this and that…
At dinner that night, my father asked us what we were going to do to give back to the world. He stated that today was filled with blessings. So, what was our plan to give back? I wasn’t sure. I told him I was going to think about it. A few days passed and I thought about a way to give back. It was called, “Give an egg. Sell an egg.” I heard of kids doing this so I thought I would give it a try. This is how it works…
You would think my existence could get boring. Not for me. I like the expected repetition. I like schedules, familiarity, and consistency. I like to know what I can expect.
I am embarrassed to say that at this time I haven’t exercised in weeks! Which answers the question, why do I feel like crap? I am close to a month behind in my journal writing. Oh, the thoughts I have wanted to put down on paper and didn’t have the time to. When I get around to filling in those days, I am certain to have forgotten what I initially wanted to say.
It took me a while to find out who the unknown sender was as I didn’t have their contact number in my phone. With so much gratitude, I immediately thanked the sender. Firstly, the text message got me to stop watching movie clips and reminded me to get back to editing my article. Secondly, IT WAS A BURST OF ENCOURAGEMENT!!!!
You might be thinking, Sue, it’s a good time to lay off the ice cream, drop those pounds you’ve been complaining about, and leave the ice cream for warmer weather days. That would make sense, but NOW’S NOT A GOOD TIME, I NEED MORE DAYLIGHT!!!
At the time, I was thinking about all the things I could do to help this situation. I could have walked into Starbucks and asked the entitled a**hole to move his car because he clearly didn’t have a handicap identification card which is needed to use the reserved spot. But, by doing that I would have drawn a lot of attention to myself and I don’t like that. This could have escalated into an argument and that video could go viral. Not for me.
Perhaps Carole King said it best in her song ‘Beautiful’. Her words are the encouragement to start every morning with a smile on your face. I start my morning with thanks to G-d for giving me this day to live. I’m simply blessed with the opportunity to write this article. Nothing is taken for granted. Nothing!
Everything can change in a moment. Peace is a privilege.
Everyone and everything needs to recharge their batteries at some point. Nothing can be “ON” all the time. People are just people, animals are just animals, and plants are just plants. So…When my adult children tell me to “Chill Mom!” I get it.
When presented with a glass which is half filled with water, I’m asked, “Is this glass half full or half empty?” For me, it’s neither. I see the glass entirely full to the top! The glass is filled with water and air, both which are required for life. If the water is clean to drink, and the air is clean to breathe, and the glass is clean to drink from, the glass is wonderfully full of hope!
OP/ED – With all the advanced technologies, discoveries, and theories why are we not better at being humans? If we can put men on the moon over 49 years ago, why are we not more intelligent? As humans we should have become more intelligent over those 49 years, yet now people are being killed in churches, synagogues, and schools… friggin schools!!! Is there no place of peace anymore?
But one school is not enough. Team Frank Africa is building its second pre-school in Gottenburg, South Africa. Kimmy is determined to build many schools and in doing so, she hopes to also build happy, educated successful lives
She was spewing meaningless questions. So many that he got uncomfortable. Since when do people have the right to so much personal information? Is this the new normal with all the sharing that’s currently happening in our digital social media world? I wonder?
There were only a few differences between my jumpsuit and Elvis’. The buttons on my suit were plastic and his were metal. The weight of my suit was somewhat lighter than his. Elvis’ suit was much tighter to his body than mine. I also added the cape and some red satin lining for image effect. However, at the end of the night, my body was exhausted from wearing such a heavy suit. I didn’t dance and sing under hot lights in it. I didn’t sweat like crazy in it. I didn’t perform in front of 30,000 + screaming fans in it. I just wore it and walked around smiling. The next day I needed Advil every four hours to deal with my shoulder and back pains. My knees were also aching from the platform boots. I couldn’t imagine wearing this jumpsuit night after night…
Author / Writer / Columnist / Educator
