Friday, April 16, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Phone Calls: Part III
Phone Calls: Part III
You are asleep. Just as your alarm goes off and you start to wake up you realize your phone is ringing. You answer the phone before your alarm goes off. It’s that same voice again. Morning, after morning; it’s always the same voice. There’s a pause, just a very brief one; it is almost imperceptible. In that brief second you wonder if today the voice will criticize you relentlessly, complain at you in a dull, tired sort of way, talk to you angrily, or maybe even have some good things to say. Don’t you wish you knew before you went to bed what you would hear in the morning? Heck, you might even sleep better if you knew what you were going to hear in the morning phone call. What if when you went to bed the last thought you had was that tomorrow’s phone call was going to be great?
It is the weekend. Please be good. Drive your cares carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
You are asleep. Just as your alarm goes off and you start to wake up you realize your phone is ringing. You answer the phone before your alarm goes off. It’s that same voice again. Morning, after morning; it’s always the same voice. There’s a pause, just a very brief one; it is almost imperceptible. In that brief second you wonder if today the voice will criticize you relentlessly, complain at you in a dull, tired sort of way, talk to you angrily, or maybe even have some good things to say. Don’t you wish you knew before you went to bed what you would hear in the morning? Heck, you might even sleep better if you knew what you were going to hear in the morning phone call. What if when you went to bed the last thought you had was that tomorrow’s phone call was going to be great?
It is the weekend. Please be good. Drive your cares carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
Friday, April 2, 2010
Swimsuits and Swim Trunks
Katy and I are going to go to Hawaii. She went once before we were married; I have never been. It’s a big adventure for us.
When the kids were little I would chase them around the back yard with a squirt gun. Then they would chase me. It’s a great summer memory from 20-25 years ago. I took them swimming at the “Y” back then too. To do these things I wore swim trunks. I still have those trunks. They’re green. The kids are much too old to chase around now and plus I couldn’t catch them anymore so I haven’t worn the trunks in a long time.
Katy and I have been talking about what we are going to do in Hawaii. We talked about doing some snorkeling. We both liked the idea but realized we don’t have swimwear. Well one of us doesn’t; I still have my old green swim trunks. I took them out of the bottom of my shirt drawer, kind of shook them out, put my thumbs inside each edge and pulled them apart a little. The elastic crackled and didn’t go back; they just sort of stayed pulled apart. (I feel that way some mornings.) Okay, the swim trunks are 30 years old, big deal. That meant that Katy and I are both in the market for new swimming stuff.
Katy started looking at Lands End. I didn't want to think about it particularly or have to make any complicated choices like color or style. I would be just fine having a pair of swim trunks like the ones I had except with new elastic in the waistband. That would be more than enough “shopping” for me. We had a print catalog of swimwear that had just come in the mail. She was leafing through page after page of “girl stuff”. I think there were two pages of “boy stuff”. That’s fine with me because I don’t want to think about it anyway.
After she saw a few she liked, or maybe that she was at least open to, in the catalog she went online to look. I heard her laughing so I came over to the computer to see what was funny. There were pull down menus with hundreds of choices, yes hundreds, for all of these things: size range, specific size, color, bra type, body shape, control, and best of all, “anxiety zones”.
Excuse me but what the heck does that mean? She pulled down the “anxiety zone” menu several times and laughed at the six choices every time. If you pick something off the anxiety zone list do you get less anxiety or more anxiety with the swimsuits in that section? Are you choosing a swimsuit to reinforce your anxieties? Do they mail the anxiety with the swimsuit and do you apply it before wearing it? How many times is the anxiety good for? Does the anxiety wear out as the swim suit gets older? I’m wearing out as I get older so maybe anxiety does too.
I got on the computer and clicked over to swim trunks. I found one that looked the same as my retired green ones and that was that. But then I started to feel left out. How come I only get to choose color and inseam? Some have pockets so that’s a choice too but how come I can’t choose from some anxiety zones too?
Oh the hell with it. We are going to Hawaii and we’re both excited! We are both going to put on swim wear for the first time in decades and we don’t give a damn about anxiety zones. We are probably going to look funny and we just don’t care. So there. We both ordered swim wear and decided not to order any anxiety with it.
It is the weekend. Please be good. Drive your car carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
When the kids were little I would chase them around the back yard with a squirt gun. Then they would chase me. It’s a great summer memory from 20-25 years ago. I took them swimming at the “Y” back then too. To do these things I wore swim trunks. I still have those trunks. They’re green. The kids are much too old to chase around now and plus I couldn’t catch them anymore so I haven’t worn the trunks in a long time.
Katy and I have been talking about what we are going to do in Hawaii. We talked about doing some snorkeling. We both liked the idea but realized we don’t have swimwear. Well one of us doesn’t; I still have my old green swim trunks. I took them out of the bottom of my shirt drawer, kind of shook them out, put my thumbs inside each edge and pulled them apart a little. The elastic crackled and didn’t go back; they just sort of stayed pulled apart. (I feel that way some mornings.) Okay, the swim trunks are 30 years old, big deal. That meant that Katy and I are both in the market for new swimming stuff.
Katy started looking at Lands End. I didn't want to think about it particularly or have to make any complicated choices like color or style. I would be just fine having a pair of swim trunks like the ones I had except with new elastic in the waistband. That would be more than enough “shopping” for me. We had a print catalog of swimwear that had just come in the mail. She was leafing through page after page of “girl stuff”. I think there were two pages of “boy stuff”. That’s fine with me because I don’t want to think about it anyway.
After she saw a few she liked, or maybe that she was at least open to, in the catalog she went online to look. I heard her laughing so I came over to the computer to see what was funny. There were pull down menus with hundreds of choices, yes hundreds, for all of these things: size range, specific size, color, bra type, body shape, control, and best of all, “anxiety zones”.
Excuse me but what the heck does that mean? She pulled down the “anxiety zone” menu several times and laughed at the six choices every time. If you pick something off the anxiety zone list do you get less anxiety or more anxiety with the swimsuits in that section? Are you choosing a swimsuit to reinforce your anxieties? Do they mail the anxiety with the swimsuit and do you apply it before wearing it? How many times is the anxiety good for? Does the anxiety wear out as the swim suit gets older? I’m wearing out as I get older so maybe anxiety does too.
I got on the computer and clicked over to swim trunks. I found one that looked the same as my retired green ones and that was that. But then I started to feel left out. How come I only get to choose color and inseam? Some have pockets so that’s a choice too but how come I can’t choose from some anxiety zones too?
Oh the hell with it. We are going to Hawaii and we’re both excited! We are both going to put on swim wear for the first time in decades and we don’t give a damn about anxiety zones. We are probably going to look funny and we just don’t care. So there. We both ordered swim wear and decided not to order any anxiety with it.
It is the weekend. Please be good. Drive your car carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
Friday, March 26, 2010
Phone Calls: Part II
You are asleep. Just as your alarm goes off and you start to wake up you realize your phone is ringing. You actually answer the phone before you shut off the alarm. The person on the phone knows you well. It is someone you have talked to many, many times before. You have known this person as long as you can remember. Right away she starts complimenting you. You don’t say much of anything, you just listen. Because this person has known you so long and because he knows you so well, he knows all of your weaknesses, all of your fears, and all of your disappointments. The voice is calm but the compliments are persistent. Much of this you have heard before.
How long will you stay on the line? How long? Until you get out of bed? Until you finish our morning routine? How long will you stay on the line? Until you are interrupted? Until you have another call? Until you have to talk to someone else face to face? In minutes or in hours how long will you stay on the phone? How long before you argue and say the compliments aren’t true? How long? Try answering in the comments. How long before you just laugh and hang up?
It is the weekend. Please be good. Drive your cars carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
How long will you stay on the line? How long? Until you get out of bed? Until you finish our morning routine? How long will you stay on the line? Until you are interrupted? Until you have another call? Until you have to talk to someone else face to face? In minutes or in hours how long will you stay on the phone? How long before you argue and say the compliments aren’t true? How long? Try answering in the comments. How long before you just laugh and hang up?
It is the weekend. Please be good. Drive your cars carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Phone Calls: Part I
You are asleep. Just as your alarm goes off and you start to wake up you realize your phone is ringing. You actually answer the phone before you shut off the alarm. The person on the phone knows you well. It is someone you have talked to many, many times before. You have known this person as long as you can remember. Right away she starts criticizing you. You don’t say much of anything, you just listen. Because this person has known you so long and because he knows you so well, he knows all of your weaknesses, all of your fears, and all of your disappointments. The voice is calm but the criticism is persistent. Much of this you have heard before.
How long will you stay on the line? How long? Until you get out of bed? Until you finish your morning routine? How long will you stay on the line? Until you are interrupted? Until you have another call? Until you have to talk to someone else face to face? In minutes or in hours how long will you stay on the phone? Try answering in the comments. Seriously. How long before you just hang up?
It is the weekend. Please be good. Drive your cars carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
How long will you stay on the line? How long? Until you get out of bed? Until you finish your morning routine? How long will you stay on the line? Until you are interrupted? Until you have another call? Until you have to talk to someone else face to face? In minutes or in hours how long will you stay on the phone? Try answering in the comments. Seriously. How long before you just hang up?
It is the weekend. Please be good. Drive your cars carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
Friday, March 12, 2010
Attitudes: Part II
It's bedtime. You sit down on the edge of the bed and you take your attitude out and put it in a bag. You have written "My Attitude" on the bag. You have even taken some time to decorate the bag since your attitude is kind of important. There are two other bags next to yours. One is labeled, "Replacement Attitudes" and the other is labeled, "Leftover Attitudes".
You have a pretty good night's sleep. You wake up. The very first thing you do is put an attitude back inside of your head and heart. Before you go to the bathroom, before you take a shower, before you even open your eyes; it's the first thing you do--put an attitude back inside of you.
You didn't lose your attitude out of the running trail, you put it in your bag right next to your bed. It's waiting there for you. Would you want to make sure you put "your attitude" back in your head and heart? Would you want a "replacement attitude" or would you settle for a "leftover attitude"?
The bad news is you don't have to chose an attitude. Some attitude will always find its way into you. The one's that just find their way in usually aren't good ones; they usually come from the "leftover attitude" bag. The good news is that even you don't have to chose, you GET to chose if you want to." All so simple to say--not always easy to do. Still, I like that.
It's the weekend. Please be good. Drive your cars carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
You have a pretty good night's sleep. You wake up. The very first thing you do is put an attitude back inside of your head and heart. Before you go to the bathroom, before you take a shower, before you even open your eyes; it's the first thing you do--put an attitude back inside of you.
You didn't lose your attitude out of the running trail, you put it in your bag right next to your bed. It's waiting there for you. Would you want to make sure you put "your attitude" back in your head and heart? Would you want a "replacement attitude" or would you settle for a "leftover attitude"?
The bad news is you don't have to chose an attitude. Some attitude will always find its way into you. The one's that just find their way in usually aren't good ones; they usually come from the "leftover attitude" bag. The good news is that even you don't have to chose, you GET to chose if you want to." All so simple to say--not always easy to do. Still, I like that.
It's the weekend. Please be good. Drive your cars carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
Friday, March 5, 2010
Attitudes: Part I
Let’s say that you go out for a run. The weather is nice and you are really getting into it. You have been at it for over an hour. You finish up and you get back home. Suddenly you realize you can’t find your attitude. You just don’t know where it is. You look in pockets, you look back where you ran, you look at home, and you just can’t find it. You have lost your attitude. You must have dropped it somewhere while you were running. You have lost your attitude and have no idea where it is. So here is the question. Would you put up a sign that says, “Lost attitude—reward offered—call 425-327-8224.” Would you want your attitude back? If someone found your attitude out where you ran would you say, “Hey you keep that rotten old thing; I don’t want it”. Or would you say, “Wow, thanks for finding my attitude, I sure missed having it.”
It is the weekened. Please be good. Drive your car carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
It is the weekened. Please be good. Drive your car carefully. Ride with people who drive carefully. Treat yourself with respect. Spend time with people who treat you with respect. Treat other people with respect. Talk nice to yourself; you deserve it. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you. Keep yourself whole physically and emotionally.
P
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