Category: Life

Making a Point

Recently I’ve had a couple of people mention to me that I haven’t posted a blog in quite a while. First & foremost, I’m always amazed and humbled by people’s interest in anything that I may have to write, so my most sincere thanks to anyone and everyone who reads my blog.

To be honest I have not been inspired by any particular topic or subject that I haven’t written about already. Probably my biggest reason for not posting is that so many people are so sensitive and easily offended by people who may not agree with them or share their same views. What a sad state of affairs this is, and I truly believe that our 1st Amendment rights are under attack, and of all places, at many of our colleges and universities!

I’m not sure if some people don’t realize that you can host someone with different perspectives and beliefs than yours without necessarily endorsing what they have to say. I have learned over the years that it’s more important to listen to opposing viewpoints as compared to living in an echo chamber. Comfort zones are nice and give us a chance to recharge our mental & physical capacities, but you were never meant to stay there. In order to grow you need to experience the ying & yang of life, to feel the pull from opposing forces. And yes, sometimes you need to pick a side and stand up for what you think is right, but at least do it from a perspective of comprehensive knowledge instead of a narrowly defined bias filled with cherry picked facts and data. And with that, don’t be afraid to recognize your bias and how it affects your perceptions of the world. To quote Walt Kelly – “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

We are all guilty of having bias and prejudice, what we should not be guilty of is allowing those perspectives to continue to inhibit our growth and unduly influence our view of the world and each other. I pray each night that we learn to accept our differences and that we use those differences to make the world a better place for all of us. And when we can’t, that at the very least we don’t use those differences as a reason to cancel or inflict harm on others.

We are all children of God, maybe it’s time we start remembering that, or better yet, start being examples of such.

As always, thank you not only for reading but for also for accepting me into your life, and for keeping me pointed in the right direction.

No cart left behind

I stopped into our local Costco on Saturday to pick up a pie for National Pie Day, and if you have read my previous blogposts you are familiar with my love of pie and when National Pie Day is! Hint – it’s not the more well known March 14th.

As I was walking back to my car I came across a conversation between two other shoppers. Apparently one of the customers was pulling out of her parking space and had left her shopping cart in the lot near her space. The other customer who was parked near her asked, somewhat sarcastically, if she was going to just leave her cart there for someone else to move? The lady who was leaving went into a very calm explanation that she had asked the person who was waiting to pull into her soon to be vacated spot if she would like the cart, and the incoming customer apparently said yes. And with that the departing customer looked at the complaining customer and said rather sternly, “so just mind your own business!” The gentleman started to retort but she simply closed her window and drove off.

I, happy not to be caught in the crossfire, got into my car and simply watched and waited, and sure enough, the incoming customer parked her car, got out, and took the abandoned cart back with her to the store. I might add that the gentleman who started the whole back and forth watched as well, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he thought.

Now, let me be clear here, I’m one of those people who doesn’t appreciate other people who lack the courtesy to return their shopping cart either to the designated area or to the store. However, as I begin to age out of this lifetime I have learned that I don’t know what’s going on in that person’s life. They may be under extreme stress, or may simply be having a bad day. So, I have learned to be a little less quick to criticize and perhaps be a little more understanding. And if I have to park a little farther away from the store because a cart has been left in a parking spot, well I can grab the cart on my way by and count the extra steps as part of my wellness goals. I see no good coming from having a verbal altercation with someone whom I don’t know, nor do I know their personal circumstances.

At this point you have to be wondering what my point is with all of this. Well, here it is, can we all just calm down a little bit and be a little more understanding, accepting and tolerate of one another??!! We may think we know what is best, what is right, et cetera, but everything is not always as it seems. Our first order of business should be making sure that our own actions are in order, and if they are then congratulations, you have achieved something that few people have. Someday I hope to be one of those people but for now I know that I’m still a work in progress. There are many instances of kindness in this world, I only hope that we all continue to learn from those examples, and if we do, then this world will truly be a better place for all of us.

Now, where did I put my car keys??