Wednesday, November 30, 2011

GBE Weeek 28-Topic BUCKET LIST

I wrote a bucket list once for this original group. It seems like such a long ago faded memory. So many things in life have changed since that innocent list was written. I look at the world differently..but that's not to say my list will have changed completely.

My list isn't necessarily in order of importance. They are in order of how they popped in my head! Here we go....

1. People would learn to understand others, place themselves in their shoes. The old saying "you never truly know what's going on in a person's life until you've walked a mile in their shoes." Put it into practice.

2. Forgiving would come easy for all.

3. Each person could see past all of the crud that sometimes people put in front of themselves, around themselves...sometimes knowingly...others times subconsciously to keep from hurting or having to deal with hurt. And we could just love. Plain and simple.

4. Children would never know hunger.

5. No person, big or small would ever know abuse of any sort.

6. That each day could begin and end for each person with laughter and giving thanks for what we have.

7. No more homelessness

8. Jobs for all

9. Greed would disappear and gratitude would grow

10. That there really was such a thing as happily ever after. Forever and always no matter what.

11. Politicians would truly work "for the people" and not for who lines their pockets.

12. That trip to New Zealand still sounds nice.

There is my bucket list. I could have gone on and on and on! But you guys have other Bucket List to take in don't you?!? Have a good week. Remember you are important and you are loved!

Friday, November 25, 2011

GBE...LAUGHTER

I went to read Word Nerd's post and realized that she and I were on the same page this week. I was going to change my post, but then I decided she wouldn't mind and I would share a couple of stories from the past on uncontrollable laughter. The kind I love the most...good timing or not!

I was in high school, it was the Christmas holidays. You remember that time when you had a few weeks off from school right?. The "story" we told our parents was that we were going to the movies, then to the midnight movie...effectively extending our curfew by a couple of hours! SWEET FREEDOM FOR MANY HOURS! What kind of mischief could we get into?!?

As we drove along one of the teen passengers had the idea to go way out in the country. He knew of a spot off of the interstate that had a little road that led down the levee. A secret place where WE could see people coming, but they couldn't see us! BRILLANT! Unfortunately he didn't quite get the spot right, we turned off and went down the levee...without any road! The car ended up getting stuck and it would take most of us to lift it up just that little notch to get it unstuck and back on straighter ground. Mark, who is a life long friend of mine had night blindness..but that never stopped him. He got out and was lifting and pushing with the rest of us. After a while, he got a bit overheated so he took off he brand new suede and camel hair coat he had gotten for Christmas a few days before and placed it on the top of the car. After much heaving we managed to loosen the car and get it free. We climbed back in and took off. After a few moments, Mark started to shiver and realized his new coat was on top of the car. Just at that moment the coat went flying off...into the other lane and was run over by an 18 wheeler. Nope..I didn't say a thing. We dusted it off, put it back on him and sent him home...blind and unaware of the 18 tire marks down the back of his expensive new coat! I think he got grounded for about a month! We still laugh about that incident some 30 years later!

A few years back, one of my dearest friends lost her mother. At the funeral her and her 5 siblings insisted I sit up front with all of them during the funeral. Her mom lived in a tiny town where most of the folks knew everybody. My friends brother (who is extremely mischievious) decided that this little gossipy town needed something to talk about. Unbeknownst to me, he told a few key "gossipers" that I was the illegitimate child of their mom and they had just found out! I couldn't figure out why everyone kept staring at me and whispering. When he whispered the reason...I went into..not giggle, not laugh but SNORT mode of laughter! In fact all of us, but the eldest daughter who is very straight laced got the giggles. We never told her what had happened! I'm sure my friends mother was laughing along with us! She would have appreciated that kind of thing!

Laughter. I am glad it is one of our release mechanisms. I can't count the times when I've been in a situation and somehow something funny happens and the gloom and doom that was overhead disapates...even if for a brief while. Remember to laugh  now and again. It's good for your soul, good for those around you...it's just a good thing in life. Have a great week my friends. Remember you are important and you are loved!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

GBE Week 26- SURPRISES

The year was 197...GAG...COUGH...memory lapse..NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS I refuse to date myself! Anyway, mid 70's...OKAY EARLY 70's are you all happy? It was Christmas time. My brother had arrived a few years earlier and he was now too big to share a room with any of us, my parents decided to turn our "play room" into a bedroom for ME! For some reason my parents thought because I was disabled, they would have a better chance giving the room to me (it had a front door to it) than to my older sister. Boy...what they still don't know about their decision to put little blue eyed, paraplegic ME in that room (evil grin).

Okay, back to my story..it was Christmas time and I was in a full swing "hippie" mode. Long hair parted down the middle, blue jeans, you know the look! I had requested to decorate my new room in purple, I'm talking carpet, walls, bedspread, curtains...that got shot down. So then I requested a grape vine be painted on my wall...well my mom thought I had lost my mind over that request (and decades later, what adorns the walls of Americans and other countries? GRAPEVINES! I should have patented that idea!). So for Christmas I put on my list I wanted electric hair curlers, jeans, tie dye shirts, and beads to hang on my door. As the holiday drew nearer, the tree went up and under the tree was a BIG square box that weighed a ton with a name tag that said Taina, MY NAME on it! I should have been excited, but I figured it was some sort of hope chest, or something boring...not at all what I had requested from good ole St. Nick.

On Christmas Eve we have a family tradition where we are allowed to choose one box to open. This Christmas however, I was given what gift I was to open! What the hay?!?! It was a cute little necklace from Avon...yay family..it was not hippie style at all, not a peace or love sign, no yin yang...just a cutsey little necklace that I'd file away in the jewelery box for later use! I was hoping this wasn't an indication of what Christmas morning was to bring. What could be in that heavy huge box? Nothing from my Christmas list I was quite sure.

Christmas morning arrived and in usual Taina fashion I was up and at em by 5am. Yes folks, I was that dreaded child that gets SO excited over gifts that I can't sleep, they drive me NUTS! I shake my gifts (and sometimes yours)  and listen, smell them, look at the box size and weight of the gift...doing calculations of what they could be...and on a FEW occasions, I may have even tried to loosen the tape to get a peek! I could barely move this big box, but when I did, it sounded as if dozens of little "somethings" were rolling around it it. Maybe the "hope chest" was filled with dishes and I had broken them all shaking the box. Crud, how was I going to explain that one? After opening many gifts, I was FINALLY allowed to tear open that big heavy box. As I gazed into the box, I saw many rectangle objects wrapped up in newspaper. As I started to undo the things...BRICKS. I had gotten a box of bricks? What? Was this the new 70's version of coal? Hold on here, I wasn't perfect, but I sure wasn't bringing up the rear of Santa's naughty list either! I got a little further and started to find MARBLES. Okay this is getting weird family, and y'all thought I was off with the purple room request?. Digging further down, I noticed that there were smaller square packages wrapped up in newspaper. As I unwrapped the first smaller object I found....BEADS!!! Tons of beads to hang up on my door! I have not a doubt the entire neighborhood heard my gleeful scream!

I'm pretty sure it was Christmas night that I started bugging my parents to help me get them up! And man oh man-when I say I was the envy of all my neighborhood friends, that's an understatement! Awesomely cool parents who although wouldn't enlist in the "purple room" theory, they still delighted their daughter by letting her embrace her "hippie" mode. Yes, God sure did bless me when He decided to pop me into my families lives. He knew EXACTLY what He was doing. But then, He always does!  Below is a poem I keep at my desk. It reminds me that I am who I am for a purpose and that Taina, is a very special person created to smile, love and live her life the best way she can.

Heaven's Very Special Child

A meeting was held quite far from earth
It's time for another birth,
Said the Angels to the Lord above.
This special child will need much love.

His progress may seem very slow,
Accomplishments he may not show,
And he'll require much extra care,
From the folks he meets way down there.

He may not run, or laugh, or play
His thoughts may seem quite far away
In many ways he won't adapt
And he'll be known as handicapped.

So let's be careful where he's sent,
We want his life to be content,
Please Lord, find the parents who
Will do a special job for you.

They will not realize right away,
The leading role they're asked to play,
But with this child sent from above,
Comes stronger faith and richer love.

And soon they'll know the privilege given,
In caring for this gift from Heaven,
Their precious charge, so meek and mild,
Is Heaven's very special child.

Life isn't always fair. There are many times we have to face difficult seasons in life. Remind me when the gray skies seem to overwhelm me that I can get through those times. That good days are around the corner and to not loose sight of what makes me special. Being me. Our packages don't matter, it's what is inside that does. Allow those in your lives to be themselves, don't try to force your hand because they don't see things your way or won't abide by what you feel is the way they should be handling things. We all handle things in our own way and that should be respected. Don't ignore people, or think by distancing yourself that a lesson will be taught. All that will do is cause hurt all the way around the room and waste the thing we should hold precous above all...our time here on earth. To forgive, to accept, to have faith and to give love freely is what we are here for. Remember always you are important and you are loved. And that YOU have a purpose here. You don't have to be the best of the best..just try being you. Thanks for stopping by...have a good week my friends.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

GBE 2 Week 24---Popularity

I was going to start this paragraph and blog with a "when I was in grade school..." then I realized that I had held on to the notion of "popular" much longer than that. It's only recently that I've truly come to understand that "popularity" can be deadly to you. It doesn't allow the things most important about you to shine through. And that folks is a real shame.

Most people love to hear that we're a decent person, a good friend, a good parent, good spouse, etc. In all honesty, those kind of comments make us feel good about ourselves. They give us what we feel is validation on a job well done. But who are we competing against? Wanting that top spot in the "land of popularity" is actually just asking to be put on display...spotlight shining down... to be judged. Society has really screwed around with our heads folks. As that saying went in the last century STOP THE MADNESS!

I have some extra luggage in my spare compartments, I have wrinkles, I screw up all the time and I have to learn a lesson in life yet again and start anew. That is called being human. I'm no longer here to meet your standards society. I'm not here to be your best buddy, the person with the best advise, the cleanest housekeeper. I am not some person you thought I was or you wanted me to be. And I can't be that person for any of you. I am only me. 

Popularity? Send it to hell in a hand basket with a cherry on top. I really could care less. I'm good here. Just being plain ole me. Thanks for stopping by friends. Remember you are important and you are loved. Have a good one and make it count...by just being the wonderful you that you were created to be.