South Of Someplace

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Objectives For 2019

Put less pressure on yourself.

Get more rest.

Get more exercise.

Spend more time doing things that bring you joy.

Put more skills on the résumé.

Put more money in the bank.

Be a bit better organized, but don’t stress about it.

Connect with fun people more often.

Sell or give away things that you no longer need.

Develop new skills.

Celebrate your accomplishments.

Realize that you are on the right track. Keep going.

The Cost Of Fitness

Fitness comes at a cost of time and effort. If you are not paying that price in full on a regular basis, you’re not in shape. It’s as simple as that.

Friday, December 28, 2018

Christmas Shopping Stress For Guys

Guys know how frustrating Christmas shopping can be. For instance, you might want to surprise your wife with a gift of sexy lingerie. But if you try to guess her bra size, it’s almost guaranteed to be a bust.

Just Stay In Bed

There are days when I just want to stay in bed. Today is one of those days. Gloomy weather is powerfully demotivating. Just pull up the covers and get some extra rest. Better yet, spend the day with a friend, and get no rest at all.

Thursday, December 27, 2018

This Good Christmas Time

The wreaths

The tree

Those festive lights

Don’t whisk them all away

Remember that this Good Christmas Time

Is meant to last twelve days

Higher Resolution

Instead of wishfully declaring our intended resolutions on New Year’s Day, perhaps we would do better to wait a few months, and then follow up with a list the goals that we actually achieved and behaviors that we successfully adopted. If we dare, we can also admit which resolutions we failed to keep.

There is already a day on the calendar that is uniquely well-suited for just such reflective reckoning. It falls exactly three months from the first of the year, and it even has an appropriate name: April Fool’s Day. Pull out that list of resolutions on the First of April, and it will become clear fairly quickly where you have been fooling yourself.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Peace Be With You

I get a little nervous in that moment when you’re asked to share peace with the people standing near you in church. Suddenly, you’re shaking hands with a complete stranger as your mind works overtime evaluating their appearance and facial features.

Merry Christmas, Everyone! May God’s peace be with you, no matter how freaked out I looked when we first met.

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Random Thoughts - 20181223

Nothing has been as I expected, and I expected nothing.

Sometimes we say too much, and sometimes, too little. So rarely do we get this right.

Who gives presents to Santa Claus? Who keeps a list of what he’s secretly hoping to receive? Does the guy even get presents? How sad if he doesn’t.

Think of all of the people that you have known over the years. Now, think of the ones that you can actually count on.

I prefer to dine alone. The conversation is better.

We make our most difficult choices when we aren’t given one.

Always be the bigger person. It’s not easy, but you can do it. You can do it, because you’re the bigger person.

New York Minute 125 - Peanut Allergy

I was having lunch yesterday at a Thai restaurant in my neighborhood. As my food was being served, the hostess sat two ladies at the table next to mine.

In big cities, space comes at a premium. Tables in restaurants tend to be arranged in close proximity. There may have been eight or ten inches of space between my table and the table where the two ladies were now seated, but not more.

One of the ladies called the hostess back over to their table and asked to be reseated. She claimed that she was allergic to peanuts. On my table, a big, steaming bowl of Pad Thai had just arrived, covered in crushed peanuts. I understood why the lady wanted to move, and I sympathized with her concerns.

The hostess walked the ladies around the dining room, but everywhere they looked, they saw peanuts. Peanuts are used heavily in Thai dishes. Eventually, they returned to their original table just inches away from mine.

No one was sitting at the table to my left, so I offered to the hostess that I could move if the lady was concerned about being close to my peanuts. I moved voluntarily. It was no big deal, as I was dining alone.

The lady thanked me profusely and said that she felt embarrassed. I urged her not to worry about it. I explained that I, too, have dietary restrictions, and that I respected her concerns. The staff thanked me as well. I told them that it was no bother. It was the right thing to do.

More people occupied that table shortly thereafter. Hopefully, they didn’t order a dish with peanuts.

Take Care Of Small Problems

It’s better to take care of a small problem than to worry about a big problem that you can’t fix.

Take the dog for a walk.

Take out the trash.

Take candy to work.

Take time to finish a job.

Take care of yourself.

Listen to good music. Learn something new. Do things that you enjoy.

Take care or your health and well-being. Schedule critical appointments. Get some exercise.

Take care of others.

Call someone who hasn’t heard from you in a while. Call them “out of the blue.”

Make someone smile. Get them to laugh. Run an errand for them when they could use a little help. Comfort them when they struggle. Say nice things about them to others.

Make everyone that you meet feel respected and appreciated. Surprise them with your kindness, your thoughtfulness, your enthusiasm and generosity.

I have a feeling that if we can address enough of the small problems in life, the larger problems will take care of themselves.