Photo stories
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Getting silly
“Do a loony-goony dance ‘Cross the kitchen floor, Put something silly in the world That ain’t been there before.” ~ Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic I love people who don’t take themselves too seriously. My father was the King of Silly, a man who taught me to appreciate the quirky and the ridiculous. He admired the inventor of the whoopee cushion as well as the writings of Dale Carnegie and the Greek philosophers. These days, when little else in the world makes sense — which happens too often lately — getting silly is my only recourse. Uncontrollable laughter is the best medicine. This might explain why I think the ginormous yellow dinosaur at…
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Funny Friday: Talking to myself
“Sometimes I talk to myself, then we both laugh and laugh.” ~Anonymous
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You be you
“Forget popularity; focus on sincerity. Do what you do, not for applause, but because it is what is right for you. Practice respecting yourself and becoming a reliable part of your own support system.” ~Angel Chernoff, Marc and Angel Hack Life The word “popularity” still sends me back down Memory Lane to junior high school. And today’s quote from Marc and Angel got me thinking about the difference between sincerity and popularity. When we focus on being popular, we value the number of friends we have rather than the quality of their character, or their compatibility. Likewise, when we try to stay “on trend” with our creative projects, we risk lowering the quality…
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Memorial Day weekend
“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt There’s an important difference between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. We might lose sight of Memorial Day’s sobering origins while we grill hamburgers at family picnics, plant our gardens, or shop the holiday sales. Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday was proclaimed after the Civil War to honor the Union and Confederate dead. It later became a weekend of remembrance for everyone who died serving in the American armed forces. So, no matter what you’re doing with your long weekend, take a moment to remember the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the freedom…
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Bad manners and social graces
“Sometimes, to have good manners means putting up with other people’s bad manners.” ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr. American author Emily Post advised that having good manners isn’t just a matter of using a dinner napkin or refraining from passing gas in public. Courtesy, she said, is all about being “sensitive to the feelings of others” and putting them at ease. Civility is another word for kindness in action. A lot of people have complained lately about the general increase in rude, insensitive behavior — on the road, in restaurants, in politics, in grocery stores, and even among friends. If we’re not careful, boorish behavior will become our cultural norm (if…
