I have seen examples today.

Examples of all sorts of different people, in different situations, each one acting as they did in each separate instance.

Among these…. I have witnessed exceptionally stellar reactions… and some which were not quite as remarkable.

Which brings me to this.  A phrase that I have heard in the past is….”Act as if.”

I wasn’t quite sure what it meant when I first encountered it.  But I have come to see that there is a bit of magic in behaving the way we want to BE, even though we don’t quite feel it yet.

In a lot of cases, if I do this…..the behavior seems to lead the way. The attitude and, hence, the mental state, seem to follow right behind.

There are times when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed.  Or something may bristle us during the day.  Several things, in fact.  And there are many days we may not get up with love in our hearts for our family, or our friends,  or the other happen-stance people in our lives.  There are occasions when, in fact, we want THEM to show their love for us first.

But when this happens… wouldn’t it would be grand if we could turn the key in that lock.  If we could switch it open….. so that WE  reach out and give love unconditionally.

If we could focus on another’s needs.  Call it what you will…   Karma, Christianity, Human Spirit.   But I think love will return tenfold.

Lifted spirits.

How does the old saying go?  We reap what we sow.  The attitude we cultivate, whether one of love or selfishness, good or bad,  inferiority or superiority….. will determine how the events of our lives affect us.

It is a pretty simple principle.  If we can meet life with love and gladness in our hearts…. we’ll find goodness.  At least… I think this is true.

I saw people do this today.  It was profoundly inspiring.

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching.” – Unknown

After a wonderful night at the Grand Cheese Ball….
Pat and Chris came home… only to find their front door left wide open.

It frightened them.  Like a couple of scared little mice.

They worried someone might be inside… like a cat burglar.

And then……. …..   Then they laughed.

A cat would never fit through that hole.

Not so very long ago, when I was visiting places with warmer temperatures, and sandy beaches, I took a walk.

As with every other morning in that Balmy Paradise, I strolled along the beach.  It ran right alongside the ocean, of all things.

I marveled at this.

Once morning, while meandering… I happened upon a craggy-rocky thing.  It was scooting along the beach.  I imaging it isn’t very easy for a a craggy-rocky thing to scooch through sand.  Wet sand.

But it had a pleasant look on its face.  Like there was no hurry.  None at all.

I called out… “Hello there, there craggy-rocky thing.”
To which it replied…. “The last name is Waters. … … Skip Waters..”

Wow, I said.  Great name for a rock?
What’d ya’ mean?.

Nevermind.  So…. Skip…. where are you headed?
Up to North.  I am headed to a big Rock, Scissors, Paper Tournament.

Good for you. Are you traveling alone?
Well, I started out with my girlfriend, Paper….. AND…. my best friend Scissors.

What happened?
As it turns out… Paper got all wrapped up with another Rock, and left me.  And Scissors kept cutting my off in every conversation… so I pulverized him.

Oh.  That’s too bad.
Yep. Ya’ win some, you lose some.

Well. Nice meeting you Skip.  Good Luck Buddy.
Nice meeting you.

And off the little fella’ scooted. I thought that would be the last I ever heard of him.  But a couple of weeks later, I read in the newspaper that he met a really nice Bread Roll. That funny Rock and the bread Roll got  married and made beautiful music together.

Yet…. another life example.  You never know where, or with who… you will find your one true love.

Drama.  Drama. Drama.  Some people thrive on it…. others avoid.  Yet, in our current culture, it seems to be everywhere.   In real life situations, people over-dramatize situations.  I think this is fueled because we see it in all forms of mass media, from TV to Twitter.  Heck, even the weather forecasters around these parts get their panties all in a bunch about things.  Oh, the drama.

Yet.  I think in some ways, this has been going on in various cultures throughout time.  The Gladiators.  Witch Burnings.  And on.

But tonight’s story takes place in England.  In 1807.  A true story indeed.

It starts with an argument, between a woman and a man.  Imagine THAT.

Elizabeth Godfrey was her name.  She lived in an apartment in the Marylebone area of London.  Next door, lived a man name Richard Price, and a woman of ill-repute.  Apparently there was some sort of disagreement between them, and Richard struck Elizabeth, while out in the hallway.  It seemed to be the end of it.

But later that night, Elizabeth knocked on her neighbors door.  The hooker answered, and Elizabeth told the woman to get Richard.  So Dick comes to the door, and Elizabeth stabs him in the eye with a pocket knife.  Yowza.

Old Dick pulls the blade out of his eye.  But wouldn’t you know it?  A few days later he dies.  And guess who is convicted of murder.  Yep.  none other than the stabber…..Elizabeth The Knife Godfrey.

On the day Elizabeth was sentenced to be hanged, two others were slated for execution also.  Their names were Owen Haggerty and John Holloway.  (Owen and John had murdered another man some years ealier…. and almost got away with it.  But their partner ratted them out.  And off to the nooses they went.)

So.  On the day the three were sentenced to be hanged, the public came to watch.  Drama, drama, drama.  Nearly 40,000 people showed up for the event at  the grounds outside Newgate and the Old Bailey, near London.  Every inch of the grounds was packed.

Well… when the three were loaded up to the gallows, the crowd pressed closer to watch.  Unfortunately, these things start at the back and move forward.    The pressed nearer and nearer.   They began to trample.    When it was all said and done…. 27 people were crushed to death, including many women and children, and more than 70 were injured.

So my guess is…. when in doubt…. avoid the drama.

It may keep someone from wringing your neck…. or trampling on your back.

Or even knifing you in the eye to begin with.

“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I think, quite possibly, one of the most beautiful parts of life, is to love others and be loved back.

Some of us have more of those people than others.  Like the Old Woman in the Shoe.

Yet, no matter how many… that feeling of mutual care and understanding is a great one.  A true gift of life.

Happy Birthday, on this day, to Levi.  I am so grateful for him in this life.  He truly is a gift to many.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” – Leo Buscaglia

When I was younger, I used to play a lot of different sports.  It seems that I was a bit of a jock all the way through college.  Actually, I continued on with softball until I was in my mid to late 30s.  Back then, it was fun, getting together with friends, and competing fiercely, in this or that.

But more often than not, because of the level of competitiveness, someone would walk away with a limp.  It was the nature of the beast.  A war wound.

And it seems…. the older I get …. I no longer possess  the mental pluck to compete at that level.  Not to mention  the physical robustness.   These days… entertainment takes on different forms.

Like tonight.   A couple of close friends came over.  We ate wonderful homemade pizzas (thanks Mary) and other homey-type-whipped-up snacks (thanks me).

Afterwards, we played a game of four-player Yahtzee.  It was a great deal of fun.  But wouldn’t you know it?  When the game was over… a couple of us got up and walked away with a limp.  No injuries… to speak of.  We had just been sitting too long… and we are getting creaky.

And so it goes.

You know the old saying… “The game has changed, but the players remain the same.” ?

Well… in this case, the game has changed.  And players have aged… a LOT.  And gotten stiffer, and developed more aches, and pains.  Not to mention that the “thrill of victory” has diminished significantly.

The adrenalin rush has shifted….from competing to win the NCAA  Regionals, ….  to being absolutely stoked by pulling the pizza out of the pizza maker at exactly six minutes. … without it sticking, or burning…

Pathetic?  Maybe.
Fun?  Like a barrel of monkeys… and then some.

And the limp?  Well.  Let’s just say we’ve earned it.

Wow.  Unbelievable.

Today in the news…    Arizona lawmakers passed a controversial anti-gay bill.

[ http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/21/us/arizona-anti-gay-bill/index.html ]

Please…. keep reading.   There is much lighter and airier news to come just a few paragraphs down.

Okay.  Back to the lead story.  Yep.  I normally avoid talking politics here in my little tiny know-nothing blog.  I do this so as not to offend “readers”…. yessirreee…. keep it all just light and above the line.

Well.  Guess what. I am deeply offended tonight.

I’m not even going to argue the absurdity of this law with the people who think I am sinning…   not even.

I am so incensed by this.

So what does it mean for you, heterosexuals?   Nadda.

You have all the rights that every other heterosexual in the U.S. has.  But for me?  It is a big step in the wrong direction.

Yes. Well…..that means…. if I go to eat lunch at Skippy’s Diner… and Skippy thinks I am a homosexual horrible sinner… Skippy doesn’t  serve me any lunch.    Be on your way homosexual.  You are not welcome here.

I hope Skippy has never sinned.  I”ll tell you that much right now.  So.  Great law Arizona.  You really showed us.  And Skippy has a blue plate duck special every Tuesday.  Double Great.

Okay.  The lighter news… as I promised.  Speaking of lunch. Today I sat down a little late for lunch.  I flipped on the TV.  The show was called “The Talk”… I think?   It was a panel of women… apparently getting ready to “talk” about important women stuff.   At any rate…. the intro was…

“Today on “The Talk”…. The recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue featured more backsides than ever before.   It looks like Tushes are IN.   People are paying more attention to the rear ends…. which brings us to today’s discussion…”Are BUTTS the NEW BOOBS?”

Now THAT….. is important stuff for our daughters to learn.  Pay attention girls.  Have a great butt… get the right guy.  And that is what it’s all about.

At least you can eat lunch at Skippy’s.    Enjoy the duck.

That cold drink you are enjoying right now is a direct result of science.  Or that hot drink, whichever the case may be.

And the lights in your room. Science.  The airplane that just flew overhead is also a direct function of science.  There are so many things around us that have come into existence because of scientific exploration and discovery.

Some people have a beef with science.   I think because certain findings go against their religious beliefs.

But me.  I like science.  I like it a lot.  In fact, it has a great influence on how I feel about my spirituality.

(Let me segue on science.  There are Laws… which are things that are proven beyond Mergatroid.  Then there are Theories.  And Postulations.  And Hypothesis.   These things are based on good excellent indications…. but not proven… 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt.  Then there are those things called Studies.  Heck.  Anybody can run a study…. and the results change from month to month.  “A recent study shows that ice-cream may increase flexibility in your right knee.  And coffee is bad for you…. again.”  Take those studies with a grain of salt (which is now good for you by the way.)  But Scientific Law is Scientific Law.

Now, back to it.

You see, in science, there is a Law called the Conservation of Energy.  It states that energy may neither be created nor destroyed. Therefore the sum of all the energies in the system is a constant.   Energy in a system may take on various forms (e.g. kinetic, potential, heat, light).  But the long and short of it is this.  Energy Is.

I won’t argue it long and hard here.  I will just simply say that I think our energy continues on, in some form or another, after our physical bodies die.

This may fit in with your religious views on people going to heaven and hell.  Or… your atheist views about humans going on to be worm food.  Or…. it may fit with your view on reincarnation.    Or…. hauntings.   Or… transcendence.    Energy simply goes from one place to the next.

I don’t think any of us know for sure what happens when we go.  But if we go… we may as well go in style.   And the best style of all, I think…. is the kind with goodness in your heart, and kindness in your actions.   Compassion in your thoughts.  (Perhaps taking bad energy in a system, and turning it into a good energy.

The Law of  Virtue.    V = i  2u

Not squared.  But to infinity and beyond.  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞  ∞

I just heard on the new this evening, that the United States is currently facing a huge shortage of bananas .

Apparently, the shortage is due to the massive increase in the clown population here.

In related news…. 43 clowns were arrested on I-75. All 43 were traveling southbound in a Volkswagen Beetle. They were cited for seatbelt violations and for throwing banana peels from the windows of the vehicle.

What a bunch of Bozos.

In yet other news… a circus clown was eaten by a lion on Tuesday.  When interviewed, the lion stated that the clown tasted funny.

Oh sure. It is all fun and games… until somebody gets hurt.

“Fun is Good.” – Dr. Seuss

As I journey through each day, I happen upon things. Sometimes I stumble across them. Other times I am searching. But they are discoveries, no less. And some of them are incredibly remarkable. Amazing.

It could be as simple as realizing how to fit the gas cap on the leaf blower, just right, without a struggle. OR it could be something as monumental as finding out that there are 62,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body… and if you laid end to end they would circle the earth 2.5 times

Some people would call these “items” commonplace. But some of us call them extraordinary, fortuitous, phenomenal, or even miraculous.

Phenomenon. Wonder. Miracle.

All of these run along the same line in meaning. As described in the dictionary….. they mostly go like this. A fact or situation that is observed to exist, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.
OR….a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be highly improbable.

Unexpected. Improbable. Neato.

If only I could recognize these “miracles” each and every day. Sometimes, I let them go unnoticed.

Yet.
Other times…. they fill me. They overwhelm me with joy.

Such a thing happened today. I seem to identify them more easily when it is a “first” in my life. Something I have never seen or done before.

Today, I saw my first Pileated Woodpecker. Up close and personal… in the flesh. In the feathers.

I gasped. I watched. And then I grabbed a camera.

Now some may think this is nothing. But to me, it is a wonder of this world. Like white puffy clouds, or ice crystal patterns spreading on glass, or tree roots which breach the ground to remind you they are there.

This Pileated was a beautifully large bird, with a crown of red. He had such purpose. He had great awareness. He had a beautiful coat of shiny feathers. Not to mention a really big pecker.

Honestly, I watched him work on a suet cake for a very long time. It made me happy…. for some reason. It made me happy…. for no reason at all.

Yes, I think life is full of miracles. Large and small. No matter what you call them, or who or what you may think is responsible for them…. they happen.

I am most grateful for miracles. And red headed birds.

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.  –  Albert Einstein

When you make the finding yourself – even if you’re the last person on Earth to see the light – you’ll never forget it.  –  Carl Sagan