Sunday, July 8, 2012

Usually, when I see a good quote, one that’s inspirational, I like to jot it down so I won’t forget.  Some I end up sharing here later.  Earlier today, I came across just such a quote.  Course, I didn’t write it down….  Though I can’t remember exactly what it said, I got the general gist: today’s trials end up being the things we’ll laugh off tomorrow. 

I like the quote.  It’s simplicity.  Oft, I find that simple is best.  But, as with many of the quotes and inspirational sayings I enjoy, this one had a deeper meaning, other than the obvious. 

In it, I read hope for folks who have to endure tough times.  For with this saying, one is reminded not only that things will pass, but that unless we allow them to run their course, us sometimes caught up in the interim storm, then we won’t have the pleasure of being able to look back on them.  In doing so, we gain strength, knowing that we endured.  Overcame.  Triumphed.  And yes, there are times when we get battered and bruised along the way.  But as my father used to say, scars are what give a person character.  For without those, everyone might appear the same.

 

So, keeping this quote in mind and the mentality my father maintained, I’ll embrace rather than flee from today’s trials, hopeful that tomorrow I’ll be able to laugh them off.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Thievery is bad enough, but when one falls victim to someone they know…that’s inexcusable.  That happened to a girlfriend last night.  I noticed her sudden squeamish demeanor that had her desperate to shrug something off herself, as if it were literally creeping along her skin.  Inquiring what was wrong, I was told that one of our friends had stolen her not only her Iphone but also $50 from her purse. 

I was stunned, as this group of friends is close-knit and we all believed—until last night—that they were beyond trustworthy.  But apparently, we were wrong with that character assessment, for walking amongst us is a thief.  Not any thief.  The kind that will steal from strangers. Those are bad enough.  But this individual used their close connection to gain trust.  Trust that allowed them to do the unthinkable.

We’d been at my girlfriend’s house.  On the back patio, she had her Iphone plugged into one of those devices that allows it to amplify songs that are downloaded onto it.  Like the phone’s a stereo of sorts.  Sorry, don’t know what they’re called.  Anyhow, we’d all gone inside for a bit to grab some food.  Several friends lingered out on the patio.  Then a few left.  A short time later, my girlfriend went to check on her new Iphone music set up, excited about its ability to play music anywhere.  That’s when she discovered it had been taken.

We helped her move things around, hoping that perhaps it had been knocked of its base.  But it hadn’t.  A thorough search revealed that it was, in fact—gone.  My girlfriend reeled with the knowledge that one her trusted friends, whom she’d graciously opened her home to, had violated her in such a manner.

Her husband wasn’t there—at work—so she went to send him a text with one of her other phones that was in her purse.  That’s when she discovered the missing money.  A double whammy in less than five minutes.  My girlfriend expressed how she felt violated.  Like she couldn’t, no, didn’t want to believe the worst of any of her friends.  I mean, after all, these are friends she’d known and trusted—for years.  And now…this.

I realize times are tough and people are desperate, but to steal from others…especially those whom have placed their trust in you and opened their homes to you as if you’re family….  That’s so far beyond wrong, I can’t begin to grasp it.

Yes, I’m aware folks steal all the time.  Have fallen prey to it myself numerous times.  With each new occurrence, the same sickening feeling returns.  The one I watched my girlfriend try to shake off as if it were some foul clothing she could merely shrug out of, once clear of it, hoping things would return to normal.  That she wouldn’t feel like she’d lose her stomach.

Like I said, thievery is bad enough, but when one falls victim to someone they know…that’s inexcusable.         

Friday, July 6, 2012

I’ve said it before and I’ll state it again.  Friends make life not only more fun but also more bearable!  Humans are of a basic pack mentality, meaning that though there are those who prefer to go it alone, in the end, each and every one of us can benefit from interacting with others.  And, if we’re lucky—really lucky—those interactions sometimes forge strong friendships. 

Not every bond is alike or serves the same needs.  Each is unique in that it allows various aspects of us to connect with others.  Through those connections, we gain strength.  Shore others up.  Are able to share life’s happenings on a deeper base than we would with total strangers or by walking through life solo.  And through those interactions, life’s trials, tribulations and joys are put into better perspective.  

Alone time is important.  Something that should be guarded, but so too is the time we share our lives with others.  When we open ourselves up and let them see—really see—who we are—to our core.  For it is only through the act of making ourselves vulnerable that we can benefit from the bounty that being friends with others can provide.     

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Cohabitating with something that appears other-worldly and as if it crawled right out of Jurassic Park takes a lot of self-control.  At least, it does for me.  Though I’m a huge nature lover, I do have a rule: critters that were not invited into my house should remain outside.  If they do not abide by this rule, well…then…things can and generally do get messy—for them.  But…due to where I’ve lived for the past eleven years, I’ve had to adapt that rule and extend a conditional yet unconditional invitation to a certain critter that makes my skin crawl.

Of what am I referring?  The house centipede.  This multi-legged, marathon-speed-invoking insect is enough to give me the creeps.  And I’m not one to get squeamish.  But this fella, with its fifteen extra long, hinged legs, long, flat torso, and 0-60mph speed in a matter of seconds makes the hair on my arms and back of neck stand at attention. 

So why do I tolerate such an offensive looking inset that can and will sting if it feels threatened?  Easy.  When I first spotted one way back when, scurrying at an alarming pace, in the middle of the night towards my then toddler son’s bedroom, him peacefully sleeping and unaware such a nasty creature was invading his place of slumber, I did some research.  Wanted to know what the heck I’d spotted and did it pose a danger.  Of course, I do admit that was after I’d ineffectively tried to catch the little bugger and stomp on it.  The fact that I, the one who prizes herself on never needing more than one swat to kill a fly, couldn’t catch this new creepy-crawler increased my need to learn more about it.  What I learned both comforted and disquieted me.

My research revealed that what I’d spotted was a house centipede.  They hatch out in spring and have voracious appetites for common household insects that prove to be not only pests but also those who are destructive, such as termites.

So here I am, eleven years later, loving the fact that I’m a night owl, yet also hating that fact, as being such allows me to see the nocturnal fast-moving house centipedes that can cross from one side of a large room to the other in less than five seconds.  But…being one who would rather her house not fall prey to other insects, I have learned to somewhat tolerate the house centipede…to a point…. 

So…even though my rule is that no uninvited insects are allowed to cohabitate in my house, I do make exceptions for the house centipede.  But…when their numbers increase to the point that I see numbers of them zooming their way across on my floors, walls and ceilings as if they’re some high-speed expressways, I draw the line and decide to limit their population growth. 

After all, rules have exceptions and with house centipedes, one might not have the chance to decide now and then act due to their incredible speed.  Therefore, I’m at peace with my population growth plan and feel free to act upon it when the number of house centipedes I spot nightly in any given room outnumber the number of people I have living in my house.  Seems fair to me….