For many a good reason … I use the “Talk-To-Text” feature quite often on my phone.  I think, for the most part, it is a real time-saver.  I just “say what I want to say” and it turns it into a text message, or an email, or a Google search… or whatever App I’ve designated.

In theory.

Sometimes, this goes horribly wrong.  Take tonight for instance.  I had to work at the Preble County Fair for the Art Association.  I knew the first Saturday Night would be busy, so I left my house an hour earlier than I would normally have to leave.

Yeah. Well.  Best laid plans of mice and men.  I sat in line, waiting to pull into the Fairgrounds, for more than an hour.  It was bad with a capital B.

At any rate, I texted ahead, to let them know the absurdity of the situation.  And of course, that I might be late.  So… I said… “This is ridiculous.”  I emphasized ridiculous… because I was not so happy about the situation.

I shot off the text, and looked down.  Well. Big Whoops on me.  It said… “This is Read Dick You List”  Great.  Read Dick You List.  Who the heck is Dick?  What list?  And oh… how about your English Polly?

And there you have it.

I did not say what I wanted to say.

Or maybe I said it wrong.

And then it hit me.  This happens in life sometimes too.  Have you ever had a situation where you wished you had told someone “something” and…. you did not say what you wanted to say?  Or… you said it wrong?

I know there are times in my life, when I wished I would have told someone how much they meant to me, or how special they were, or what a good job they were doing at something.  But… I let it slide.  And for whatever reason, that moment was forever lost.  I would never be able to tell them again.

And it made that pit…. that deep hollow pit…. show up in my stomach.

Yep.  I’ve missed a few times like that.  But I have sort of vowed…. never to let it happen again.

At this point in my life, I will tell you right to your face, how much I think of you.  Or what a special person you are.  Or how incredible your Pineapple Upside Down Cake is.  I sure will.

Normally, I pass on saying the bad things… if those ever come up.  I figure, I live in a glass house.  Throwing stones is against the rules for us folks in glass houses.

As far as the text-to-talk thing goes…. I’ll probably keep using it.  And say things like Carpe Diem.  But it will come out like Carp Eat Deep End.  That’s okay.  I’m begging for it.

And the other thing.  Well, tonight… I’ll start by telling YOU thanks.  Thanks for reading this, for listening to all my quirky thoughts… and for being here.  It means the world to me…. to be sharing all of this with you.

Reflections of life.  Or…. Reflex Shins Of Like.  Either way.  Thanks.

This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.  —  Alice Waters
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I think we all do have a guardian angel. I believe they work through us all the time, when we are thoughtful and good and kind to each other.  —  Roma Downey