For What It's Worth II

Many years back when the kids were little, our black lab, Holly, ran off and was lost for a few days. We put a "Lost Dog" sign on Collister Road after a couple days. The phone rang one evening and one of the kids answered it. A lady had called and had seen our sign, and, she had also seen a sign in the neighborhood from someone who had found a black lab. The lady on the phone explained seeing the 2 signs and wondered if the found dog could be our dog. To which my child said, "It can't be our dog, our dog's lost".  I took the phone and called the other number and went and got our dog.

 

Quote for the day:

"Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later... that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could... adopted a role called 'Being a Father' so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life." -Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities

This is very true as I watched my mother die and as I watch my father age. I once heard it explained that the human spirit doesn't age. It changes due to experiences, but you feel young at heart as your body ages

For What It's Worth I

While organizing some of my computer files, I came across the following from about 1995.

Brayden came up to Sue one day and said:  Mom, Shaun said a bad word.

Sue: How bad was it?   Brayden: It was really bad. Sue: Well, what did she say?

Brayden: She said "Tiddlywinks."

 

Quote for the day:

It is said that one day the Buddha was walking through a village. A very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him, saying all kind of rude words. The Buddha was not upset by these insults. Instead he asked the young man, “Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?” The young man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, “It would belong to me, because I bought the gift.”  The Buddha smiled and said, “That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your abuse. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself.  I do not accept your abuse, keep it for yourself.”

There's several different versions of this story but it is helpful in dealing with people. Don't accept people's anger, don't respond with anger, and don't let it bother you. Angry people are always around and have their reasons.  When I was younger I would get caught up in other people's anger and want to get revenge or respond with anger. It's never worth it to respond this way, or to stew over their anger.   A few years ago when a neighbor put a note on our door about what bad neighbors we are, I took it back over to her and gave it back and told her she was wrong and I wasn't going to accept her note or criticism.