This is a cute story, and who am I to say about understanding the universe? I do know the universe continues to surprise me, good and bad. Thank heavens for all the good.
I believe in a recent post I inadvertently opened my mouth and actually put both feet in! I was talking about how I coped spending long periods of time hospitalized (long ago) and being away from my family.
cool images
My attitude change worked for me, or whatever you want to call my approach. But talking it over and thinking about it later I realized that I may have implied denying or masking how you feel and pretending to be happy. I believe that being positive, and thankful is always a good choice but absolutely recognize that feelings should not be denied, masked, or disrespected. I am a buffoon who can type for giving the wrong impression.
My post was about what I did to cope, I was extremely sad, and at the bottom of an emotional pit so I pulled myself together with humor, and positive outlook.
Everyday be honest with yourself, and be an amazing you. Don’t expect perfection, don’t berate yourself for not being what you think you are supposed to be. Lower the bar of expectations from yourself and celebrate that you can be honest and content being you, after all lots of people love you just like you are!
I found myself humming this song again the other day, forgive me for sharing the song again!
Long long time ago, a lesson was learned by me. That lesson was to laugh, to smile, even when on the inside I felt the opposite.
Vancouver General Hospital Centennial Pavilion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The year was 1986, and it was the third year in a row, that I was back at Heather Pavilion, at Vancouver General Hospital. This year I arrived in April and I stayed until nearly October. It was a long five months, and I rode out highs and lows as I received a kidney transplant, it worked really well and then failed despite best efforts.
All the tests, treatments, blood tests, sleepless days, and lack of privacy, but eventually rejection. So after five months of effort, and new hope I found myself 50 pounds lighter, and back on dialysis.
I endured it all but not alone. My wife, my parents, my closest and dearest friends all experienced it with me.
“A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.” – William Arthur Ward
I had to learn to make it easier for them, and for me. So I told jokes, and made the nurses, doctors, students and visitors all laugh. I learned that you need to smile and laugh. You need to help others and yourself by smiling outside and it isn’t fake at all after you start. It really helped, and it even had it’s physical benefits I am sure. After all, I survived, and not everyone did that year.
“Laugh as much as possible, always laugh. It’s the sweetest thing one can do for oneself & one’s fellow human beings.” – Maya Angelou
We all have things that we need to deal with, life is change, and it will change until we die. My lesson was to not let life rob me of each day, or the chance to smile, the opportunity to encourage someone else while injecting myself also with the smile vitamin.
Sure there will be times when you have to be silent, and just be there but climb out of those holes and don’t linger there, either for yourself or those who support and care for you.
A smile is a good place to start, even when you don’t feel like it maybe especially when you don’t feel like it.
Today I came around the corner a few doors from my driveway and I came upon this
Moma duck and her seven little ducklings. This made me very happy, and with a big grin on my face I rolled down my window, and drove alongside and took a few picture of this nature parade.
Recently I traveled to Orlando and could easily see Disney World from where I was staying. I didn’t visit there though.
I know it is probably pretty neat, and tons of creative minds of worked hard to design all types of ingenious rides and so on. But it doesn’t grab me. Rollercoasters and concrete, no thanks.
calm, and silent as paddled along in our canoe
Jewel lake in the sun
mine entrace jewel lake – cold air blasted out from the mountain
jewel lake cabin across from that awesome view
what an amazing view for breakfast
so friendly, the locals welcome you on the road.
Caroline had lambs last year.
The loon’s call echoed down the lake, surreal.
Last June I visited Jewel Lake, in central BC. I stayed in a two room cabin, no tv, no wifi, just a kitchen and two bedrooms and a wonderful wood stove. I had the best week, and all week wished my wife, and daughter were there also to share it with myself and my son.
The lake was a jewel, the wildlife was abundant, eagles, loons, glistening lake, chattering chipmunks, and air so fresh you felt you could cut it with a knife and drink it. I was seriously grabbed and time went slow as we soaked it all up together.
Whatever you like, be real to yourself, and not because 30 million people say they love it or you have to visit so and so because it close. Make the memories for yourself that you enjoy.
Enjoy who you are and not who you think you are supposed to be, don’t be perfect, just be yourself.
I got to thinking that it would be nice to have the words for The Simple Life, so here they are!
Don’t need no TV I don’t need no phone
don’t need a speedy car to get me home
Don’t need no nothing all I need is time – for the simple life
go get your butt out off that lazy couch
put down the laptop and get out of the house
Don’t need no nothing all I need is time – for the simple life
I got a brand new scratch on my cadillac
try to call the bodyshop but my phone is dead
tried to email my brother but the wifi’s down
this stuff is haunting me all year round
I’m fixing one thing and another one’s coming lose
it’s making me think – how much it stinks
I keep on buying new things that I can’t really use
if it just gets you annoyed – then what is the point
Don’t need no TV I don’t need no phone
don’t need a speedy car to get me home
Don’t need no nothing all I need is time – for the simple life
go get your butt out off that lazy couch
put down the laptop and get out of the house
Don’t need no nothing all I need is time – for the simple life
I’m taking one step forward and three steps back
kick myself for letting go of the things I had
guess you don’t know what you got till that junk goes bad
never should have dumped that hand me down I got from dad
I’m solve one problem and another one’s popping up
ain’t it ironic how the problem get’s chronic
cause when you got it good – you just don’t know when to stop
don’t worry bout the earning – if it stops you from living
Duhm Duhm Duhm’s and Scooby doo’s
Don’t need no TV I don’t need no phone
don’t need a speedy car to get me home
Don’t need no nothing all I need is time – for the simple life
Don’t need no TV I don’t need no phone
don’t need a speedy car to get me home
Don’t need no nothing all I need is time – for the simple life
go get your butt out off that lazy couch
put down the laptop and get out of the house
It doesn’t hurt if you would try some times it’s the simple life
Thanks for checking out my blog, I really appreciate it. I hope you will visit again. I have been feeling so grateful for all the likes on my blog as people have looked around. Really heartwarming. 🙂
The children and women who need the spotlight are the millions and millions around the world who are virtual or real slaves in the sweatshops that exist primarily in third world countries.
One of the things I like about Toastmasters is that it constantly opens doors, and inspires me. Either through speeches that I hear or speeches that I give I am freshly exposed to look at something new and challenge my thinking.
Sweatshop project (Photo credit: marissaorton)
Fact: 85% of employees in sweatshops are women, frequently sexually harassed, paid 10 to 20 cents per hour if they are paid at all, in many many situations they are contractual slaves who are not paid. They live in worker dormitories, surrounded by barbed wire, armed guards and cannot have outside contact or visitors. They work 16 hour days or more, and are fined if they take bathroom breaks or talk.
This week I needed to give a speech where I did some research, provided statistics etc on the topic. As usual I struggled to find a topic that grabbed me, and that I hoped would engage the listeners in my club. Finally after discarding some other themes, I chose “sweatshops” because it was a current news story that everyone was familiar with, and secondly because I realized that my understanding was so slight and I needed to or should know more. I felt like I am sitting here in Canada and blessed because I was born here, while millions are barely getting through life just because of where they were born.
Fact: An NBA Jersey that sells for $140 results in only 24 cents for the worker!
What an eye-opener it was for me as I did the research for this speech this week. Honestly I would like to have practiced more, and been able to give a powerpoint kind of presentation but none of it mattered. The scope of the numbers, and the understanding I gained from my brief research into sweatshops touched me more than I realized before I spoke. When I did my speech I was so grateful that somehow the unfairness and size of the abuse faced by women and children in incomprehensible numbers did come out.
Fact: 250 children worldwide are employed in sweatshops working in dirty, filthy, and unsafe conditions.
There are a lot of education websites on the internet talking about sweatshops, be prepared to surprised, but now is a great time because if we share our outrage with each other, then we can motivate change. Change is possible because ugliness exists in ignorance, in the spotlight of media working conditions, wages and sexual harassment of workers will shrink.
Let’s all Learn, Share, and support change by starting talking to each other, and using the tools we have, if we aren’t complacent, we will motivate the spotlight we seek.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you are motivated to learn more.
This blogger has a fun, original and quirky sense of humor. I had to share her thoughts about her office. I am glad I read while the weather is warm here at home this time of year and not just after I just spent shovelling the driveway of snow for an hour in December. (chuckle)
Life and Random Thinking 