It Will Be Alright

I was watching television last night and as I was dozing off to sleep, a commercial for a new movie came on. The last line of the commercial stayed in my head all night. Probably because it made such sense. "Everything will be alright when it is over and if it is not alright then it is not over". That thought ran circles in my head, until I got up this morning. Such a true statement. Sometime we like to rush the outcome of life. We look so forward to the final outcome, that we gloss over all of the important stuff that hides in between. Many events in life just need time to come to a natural conclusion. That conclusion is the right one, even if it takes longer than we wanted for it to occur.

My Second Home

They say that there is no place like home. I totally agree with that, but I have my heart in two homes. One in New York and one in Massachusetts. Each one has a son and daughter. I am specifically not saying "daughter-in-law". I am using a term of love, not law. I came to New England yesterday and will be leaving this morning. Each time I visit, I also see my extended family, my sons' in-laws. Although I only see them a few times a year, it is as if we saw each other yesterday. That comfortable feeling that you only have with those you feel so close to. It is amazing how one day away is enough to recharge my mental battery. I guess that a change of atmosphere is the best conductor. I will be leaving for breakfast in a few minutes and then on to the ride home. My battery will stay charged until I come back in a few months.

Sixth Sense

I am going away overnight. Driving to Massachusetts to see my son. I will be back tomorrow. It was a spur of the moment trip as he was not able to get time off to meet me half way. I did not have the heart to tell Shelby but I think he knows. I have asked my younger son to come to my house and feed and walk him but this morning Shelby was acting strange. He was very clingy. He barely wanted to eat. As I was eating breakfast he sat himself on the chair next to me as if he was saying "I am a big boy and want to go with you". As I am writing this, he is sitting behind me almost suctioned to my back. I snuck the suitcase by him last night but he just must have a sixth sense about things. I think he is having "doggy depression". Once I leave the house, I am sure he will sleep all day until his "brother" comes by to take care of him. Even though he is a dog, he know how to make me feel guilty!

Other People's Charities

I am all for charities. I think that they are so worthwhile and I give so much credit to the people that are involved with them. Most times, people become active in a charity because it has affected a family member or friend. That is just human nature. Very seldom, does a person randomly choose an affiliation. As I have discussed in previous blogs, my workplace is involved in a current charity. The choice was my employers. She wants her staff and the community to jump on board and help, as she sits at home. She is becoming demanding, in a way that I have never seen before. By doing this, she is alienating everyone and now it is to the point that most of us are resenting our involvement. I am being asked to tell people they must walk 4 miles. I am being asked to request that small businesses donate money. Businesses that I know, for a fact, are not doing well. That puts me in such a bad position. Are we supposed to help others while we are hurting. My enthusiasm for this project is waning and it makes me feel bad. Sometimes pushing too much, just pushes people away.

Give and Receive

There is the old saying that it is better to give than to receive. In most cases that is correct. There is one exception. When someone gives you a hard time. There are people in this world that get pleasure out of making other people miserable. They get energy from this. Is it being selfish or just mean? They have a way of getting under your skin to the point that you are going to explode. That is the part they like best. Here is the funny part. Those people, have zero tolerance for anything that does not go their way. The slightest mishap or change in routine, sets them off. They whine and cry and act as if the world has let them down. Grow up! Don't give it, if you can't receive it.

Spring Cleaning

Today is May second. I have no idea where the past few months have gone. It was as if I blinked my eyes in October and opened them up in May. For some reason I have the need to do some Spring cleaning. If I didn't have a conscience, I would call in sick today and rearrange everything in my house. All night I was thinking about where I would put things and what I would throw away. I want to have a garage sale, so that is a third pile. I feel like a hoarder, planning the big "clean out". I have accrued so many papers since I have been teaching and lecturing and they need a stable home. They can no longer hang out on the side of my desk in binder clips. I will need to relax in work today, because tonight there will be a paper frenzy going on in my den. If you hear about a tornado in Nassau county, please disregard it. It will only be me!

The We Of Me

I has happened again. An event in work where we all have to pitch in and make it wonderful. Somehow, "we" has again turned into "me". There are over 20 people in the office and so far, not one person has done anything to make this event special. I have sent the emails. I have called the newspapers. I have made the signs. I have made the posters. It is not that I mind doing this. Quite the contrary. I think this event is important. I feel good that I am contributing. What annoys me, is that no one else, even my boss, who wants the event here, has not done a thing. The event is about a man who is walking from Pennsylvania to Boston, 500 miles, in honor of his son, who committed suicide last year, after suffering with BDD, for years. He is retracing his sons' journey through life. He starts at the hospital his son was born in, then the places where he worked, where he went to school, the doctors where he sought help and the hospitals he was admitted into, during his years of suffering. It is a very poignant walk, so I am helping all that I can. I do not know why others cannot give a bit of their time, to welcome this man as he visits our office and gives a lecture. I guess people have other things to do. Please visit the website WalkingWithNathaniel.org to see the amazing journey.