Since yesterday was Thanksgiving Day here in the United States, I thought it might be good to post some things I’ve been thankful for recently.
Wouldn’t the world be a whole lot better if people just wouldn’t be grumpy? That might be asking a lot for some, so how about just one day? Surely you can be pleasant for one day. Okay, you’re thinking, I can try (and don’t call me Shirley).
That’s the premise of the third annual Great American Grump Out next Wednesday. For 24 hours on May 26, people are urged to abstain from being grumpy or crabby. Can YOU meet the challenge?
A recent visit to a new auto mechanic (for an expensive repair) got me thinking about trust. How do you decide to trust someone? Once you get to know a person that decision does get easier, but what about the people you’re unfamiliar with, or those you are unable to get to know? There are a lot of people in our lives we must trust, even though we have very limited information about them. Having to decide if the car mechanic is trying to rip you off, if your doctor is the best qualified to treat you or if a certain politician is the best leader can be very difficult.
I generally think of myself as a positive person. Although lately I’ve found myself giving things a bit of a negative spin. It is so easy to get sucked into that deep pit of negativity. At first you let some little thing make you grumpy, then another and the next thing you know you’re grumpy at the whole world. When you have that negative attitude, you begin to see everything that happens to you in a bad light. I’ve known people that always seem to look to the negative. If they find twenty dollars, they’ll complain because they really needed the extra money last week. If you make a comment about how nice the weather is, they will tell you it’s supposed to rain tomorrow. Even worse is the fact that negativity can also be contagious. Hang around negative people long enough and you start to be negative yourself.
Today while I drove home from work I saw the most beautiful sunset. The sun was just above the horizon and was shining with a gorgeous, golden-orange hue. It’s great to see the sun after I get out of work again. The worst part of winter for me is when my workday ends at 5pm and night has already brought its dark shadow upon the landscape. Seeing the sunset today reminded me that I made it through the darkest period of winter. Another month or two and I can start thinking about real important matters — like where to take my first camping trip of the year.
I would like to wish all of my friends and family a Merry Christmas.
I hope the coming New Year brings peace, joy, happiness and health to all of you.
Here’s a few random thoughts that have been on my mind lately — some are important in the grand scheme of things, some aren’t. I’ll leave you to decide which is which.
America the Beautiful should be the national anthem of the U.S.A.
With the recall election mess currently going on in California, I’m grateful I live elsewhere. I only hope the Wisconsin legislature looking at tax freezes and budget cuts here realize why things in California are such a mess right now.
Is French Toast really French? More importantly, who wants to make French Toast for me tomorrow morning?
How can President Bush call it the “Clear Skies” plan when it actually allows more pollutants and greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere?
When the blacktop sealer they just put on your driveway is curing, it is very stinky.
