Monday, May 16, 2016

Monday morning QBing

Good morning!   It's time for a little Monday morning quarterbacking...

I'm looking back on some things and giving my opinion.  For what its worth!


*  Did anyone watch the Invictus Games?   I just could not.  I am ashamed to say that it was just too  hard to watch those scarred and changed forever by war.   Don't get me wrong.  I really admire the strength of the athletes and the way they have come back from serious war injuries  (often amputations) and then they find joy and "winning" in a competition like this.   They have made their bodies strong, and they have come together in a bond like no other.    I admire it.  I just can't watch it.

*  This makes me think of the upcoming Olympics.  Does any athlete ever compete not on drugs and steroids anymore?  

*  Do you have the Time Hop app?   I love it!   I check it every morning to see what I was posting and doing a year ago, two years ago... all they back 7 years (when I started using Facebook).   It brings back fun memories, and makes me smile!  It also shows the passing of time and I try to think of that as positive!  ha  

*  Should I even bring up the whole gender bathroom issue?   Here goes.  My thoughts.   If I am in a bathroom and a trans-gender person walks in, I would prefer it to be someone who identifies as a woman.  I really don't care if she still has male body parts.   I think I would feel more "awkward" if it was the other way around, a female by birth but dressed, looking and identifying as a man. 

But, the most basic and easiest solution is the all gender "family" bathroom.  We see them already in many public places.  It's a private bathroom that is there for perhaps a mother with a little boy, or a dad traveling with a small daughter.  Or, it's for a person who is uncomfortable "sharing" with anyone in general. 

The big stink about it (oh - that's not meant to be bathroom humor) is about how it effects people who are NOT trans-gender.   Can we think for a minute about those who identify one way but have body parts that don't match?   Seriously.   They already have society issues like crazy.  They have trouble feeling normal and fitting in.  This whole bathroom thing now has made them feel more isolated and different.   It's not fair to them.  It's painful.   I think we all who are not trans-gender need to have compassion for them. 


*  Here's a revelation - NOT!  Getting old is not easy.   I am in the last few months of a decade.   In my mind I am still young, and in fact, I actually feel younger than I did a decade ago when I had more responsibility in raising children, etc.  I feel more free now to be ME - to do what I want to do, to do THINGS I want to do.   But, as I feel this way - my body doesn't always cooperate.  I have finally healed from my foot injury that had me 'limited' for months.  But I still wake up and feel stiffness. I try to do physical activity every day in some way.  "Move it or lose it."  But, it isn't always easy - and pain-free.    But - I'm going to keep on going...


*  I have started watching CMT music videos in the morning now so I don't get weighed down by the morning news.   I think everyone should start their day with music!  Not bad news.   Which makes me think...  Kenny Chesney has a song out called "Noise" and the video is awesome, showing all the noise we deal with every day in our world.   The words say there is all this noise - and that we just don't get heard.   All this noise! 

Here are the lyrics!


Wrecking balls, downtown construction
Bottles breaking, jukebox buzzing
Cardboard sign says the lord is coming
Tick, tick, tock
Rumors turn the mills back home
Parking lot kids with the speakers blown
We didn't turn it on but we can't turn it off, off, off
Sometimes I wonder how did we get here
Seems like all we ever hear is
Noise
Yeah we scream, yeah we shout 'til we don't have a voice
In the streets, in the crowds, it ain't nothing but noise
Drowning out all the dreams of this Tennessee boy
Just tryna be heard in all this noise
Twenty-four hour television, get so loud that no one listens
Sex and money and politicians talk, talk, talk
But there really ain't no conversation
Ain't nothing left to the imagination
Trapped in our phones and we can't make it stop, stop
This noise
Yeah we scream, yeah we shout 'til we don't have a voice
In the streets, in the crowds, it ain't nothing but noise
Drowning out all the dreams of this Tennessee boy

So... to stay sane in this crazy world of noise, here are the words from Tim's "Stay Humble and Kind."  A wonderful message to our young people who are caught up in all that noise!

 So, Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

Don't expect a free ride from no one
Don't hold a grudge or a chip and here's why
Bitterness keeps you from flyin'
Always stay humble and kind
Know the difference between sleeping with someone
And sleeping with someone you love
"I love you" ain't no pick up line so
Always stay humble and kind

Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When those dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

When it's hot, eat a root beer popsicle
Shut off the AC and roll the windows down
Let that summer sun shine
Always stay humble and kind
Don't take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you're goin
Don't forget turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind.

*  Let the summer sun shine??   Is there anything better?    I love this time of year! 

*  Hubby and I are thinking of downsizing.  It's taking me a little bit of time to get used to the idea. I know everyone goes through it.  But, as I said above, getting older is tough sometimes.  I don't feel ready for this change in my life.   Thankfully, we saw a place yesterday that got me a little bit excited.  Smaller with lots of charm.  

It's a hard thing to live and accumulate "things" and then let go of them.  Yes, some things are easy to let go of... but, throughout life you get meaningful keepsakes... from the children, from places visited, from special people in your life.  It's hard not to think of them as just 'things.'   They are memories.

*  And as I deal with this, I think of my dad who just moved into an assisted living setting.   He's almost 90.  So, I am happy he is there, getting some help, nice meals every day, more interaction with people.  But, he is not happy about it.  At. all.   

*  I think I better end on a light "up" note!  Our church is doing a VBS program in June that is 'going to the dogs'!  Ha!  It's called "Pets Unleashed:  Where Jesus cares 'fur' you!"  I am helping and I am excited about all the activities!  The program ties in Noah & the Ark, and Jesus as our Shepherd, with the children loving our pets and taking care of them.   It's FREE and will be great fun! If you are local and interested in sending your child - or helping - let me know!

Happy Monday everyone!!





3 comments:

  1. I really limit how much news I watch and also when. I like to know what's going on but I don't watch news first thing in my day either. The athletes are incredible. I felt like Invictus got more publicity this year. I don't remember seeing this much coverage of the games in years past.

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  2. Hubby and I downsized almost nine years when we bought a Garden Home in a gated community. There are five different sections to the neighborhood with big and not so big houses. We love our section because the houses are between 1800 and 2000 sq ft with small yards, most of which are fenced. You are right, the hard part is deciding what to keep and what to toss. We decided that we would only keep what we love and the rest could go. I have added a few accessory items, but for the most part, I've kept it down scaled on purpose. I shudder to think of our kids going through our stuff some day and laughing and saying, "What were they thinking?" Ha! Just like middle age, downsizing is a right of passage and one I recommend.

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  3. I don't blame your daddy. I wouldn't be happy with it at all. It is very depressing and upsetting to feel like you've lost your independence. My husband likened his time in a nursing home (after recovering from surgery) to an incarceration. I'm sorry that your daddy has had to go into assisted living. If there is no hope for him to go back home again, I pray that he will get to a point where he can be happy there.

    David and I are working on plans to downsize. The way our youngest daughter's dorm in laid out it is really an apartment. Something that size would be perfect for us, especially if it is out in the middle of nowhere. First, we have to do a major toss-fest of stuff. 2500 square feet and 30 years of stuff. OY! It is hard to toss things when so many things have memories attached to them.

    Have a blessed day!

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