Anticipation...It's Making Me Wait

Remember that song? Remember how they used it for YEARS as a ketchup commercial?  It used to get stuck in my head. It wasn’t until years later I knew it was a song first…and a commercial jingle later.

And as kids we used to sing “Anticipation, and constipation…they’re making me wait…”  Classy, eh?

This weekend coming up is a 3-day weekend. This means SO many things…

·         An extra day to clean

·         An extra day to sleep in

·         A parade

·         Cookouts

·         Time with family

·         Time with friends

·         Shopping

·         Movies

·         Etc…

It also means that today will take FOREVER to get to 5:00pm…quitting time. It’s true that anticipation makes time creep by…making us wait.

As I looked over Facebook this morning, I also saw many many reminders that the true reason for our 3-day weekend is that it’s Memorial Day…a day of remembrance for those who died in wars defending our freedom.

I’m reminded about waiting again…

Every soldier who died had someone waiting for them at home…who never got to see them again.

Every soldier who died was anxiously waiting to go home…and not in a casket.

Every soldier who lived or died, and everyone on the home front awaits a day when peace will make it unnecessary to wager war.

So on this 3-day weekend, may you enjoy your movies, cookouts, shopping, and time with loved ones, and may we all remember with gratitude and solemnity those who have lost their lives for the opportunities that we have in the freedom we enjoy.

Living, learning, laughing,Michelle

 

Are you comfortable? Yes? That's too bad...

Dare to dream.

Don't settle for mediocrity.

Too many people forfeit their dreams and instead take what they see as the easier path. The thing that they fail to see is that just because a path has become more familiar does not mean it is the path they belong on.

• A well-worn path offers no new view.
• The same routine holds no excitement.
• The deeper the rut, the harder it is to climb out.

So why do we stay on that path? Because we know it well. It has become a sort of comfort zone. But we have to ask ourselves...is comfort fun? Is comfort exciting? And most of all...is comfort fulfilling?

From discomfort have come the most amazing contributions...

• Instead of cursing the darkness, Edison invented the lightbulb.
• Instead of being confined to the ground, the Wright Brothers took flight.
• Instead of watching children become crippled by Polio, Salk created the Polio vaccine.

What amazing things might you accomplish by dreaming beyond your path, beyond your rut, beyond your zone of comfort?

For beyond your zone of comfort lies your zone of success.

Take the first step.

Discover your journey.

Think beyond average.

Living, learning, laughing,

Michelle

In the Land of Stooges...I'd be Larry

Yep - that would be me on the right...Larry. The least of the stooges.

You might be asking..."Why, Michelle, would you be Larry?"

Well let me tell you about last week...

Sunday I fell out of bed. (Read previous post for THAT story...)

Monday I wrenched my shoulder trying to be all She-Ra on the service elevator door. See, I was too short to turn on the light...so I was trying to do things in the dark. And when I pulled the elevator door down, I overestimated the strength needed...it bounced back up and...voila.

Tuesday I dropped a heavy picture on my foot. I saw the flash of light in my head that is usually reserved for when the RoadRunner drops an Acme product on the coyote. And then the swelling and bruising that followed.

Now, this post may sound like a cry for sympathy...but I promise that it's not.  No, this is an acknowledgement of my own stupidity, overtiredness, and, yes, clumsiness.

So how does this equate to Larry, you'd like to know?  So glad you asked.

Moe was the "brains" of the operation - and kinda cruel about it too. He's the one who would poke the other guys in the eyes, hit them with hammers, and cuff 'em upside the back of the head. I'm no Moe.

Curly was the cute one with the "Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!" He was the one who would duck out of the way when Moe would swing the hammer, letting it hit Larry instead. Don't get me wrong, he took his lumps, too, but he was quick to get out of the way.

Which brings us to Larry.  Sweet, loveable, unsuspecting Larry.  Larry had a temper, too...but he never acted on it.  Larry took it on the chin, in the eye, and upside the back of the head.  He wasn't the brains and he wasn't the cutie...he was the straight man. Larry's "catchphrase" (if you can call it that) was "Why I oughtta..."  But then he never did. He rolled with the punches and just kept getting up. Larry had compassion. Larry had brains (though Moe never listened to him). Larry was sweet. And yes, Larry was bruised.

I guess when it comes right down to it, it's not so bad being Larry.

Hey...wanna hold this nail for me while I get the hammer out?

Living, learning and laughing,
Michelle

Laugh Fests

When my daughter, Lydia, was little, we shared a bedroom at my mother's house. At least once a week, when I was tucking her in, she would say "Mommy, let's have a Laugh Fest."

Now, some of you may not be familiar with a Laugh Fest. As far as Lydia and I are concerned...we invented them. When she was little, and she wanted a Laugh Fest, she would scooch over in her bed, making room for me, and I would slide in next to her. She would cradle in my arm, and just start laughing.

We didn't need a reason to laugh. We just laughed.  That's one of the joys of childhood...laughter for laughter's sake.

She would start to laugh...and childhood laughter is so infectious I would start to laugh, too.  Before long we'd both be laughing so hard there would be tears streaming down my face. I'd be laughing in a tone that only dogs and bats hear. Eventually we'd be so out of control, my mother would call to us to "quiet down in there." Certainly, it's hard to understand how someone (especially two people) can laugh so hard at "nothing."

Nowadays, my baby is 20 years old - and she doesn't ask for Laugh Fests anymore. Instead, they happen spontaneously.  She will say something that tickles me in such a way that I begin laughing. Soon she is laughing with me. Eventually the tears and supersonic laughter happens, and sometimes I'm laughing so hard I'm struggling for breath. She laughs right along with me. My husband looks at us and just shakes his head.  I guess even when you're laughing at more than "nothing" it's still hard to understand how we can get to that point. Well...we've had a lot of practice.

I urge you to try it. Try to find a reason for a real, tear-inducing, belly laugh. Bring someone along with you into it. It'll do you both good.

And you may even perplex someone in the process!

Living, learning, laughing,
Michelle

Daily Discovery - Falling Out of Bed

Considering this addition to our bedroom...

So, this morning I discovered that you're never too old to fall out of bed. Yes, that's right. I fell out of bed.

You see, I have a very active dream life. As a matter of fact, most of what I experience while my eyes are closed is way more interesting that the daily doings.

But, back to the dream...I was dreaming that I was in a movie - a Harry Potter movie, to be exact. I wasn't dreaming that I was at Hogwarts, mind you - but in the movie as an actress. So somewhere between taking direction and acting...I did a little spin in my wizarding wardrobe...and spun myself right off the bed.

So...what did I learn from this experience?

1 - Dreaming can be dangerous - but worth the risk!

2 - In a battle...floor usually wins over dignity.

3 - I don't look as good in a Hogwarts uniform as one might think.

and

4 - In every situation you can usually find something to laugh at - or start a blog with.

Living, learning, and laughing it off,
Michelle