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Showing posts from 2014

Welcome...now behave!

Recently, I was berated by a sweet faced lady, who assuming I was familiar with all of the local landmarks, curtly informed me that I should make it my business to "know" my city if I expected people to frequent here. Then, she sped off, turning across several lanes to reach whatever destination was next on her agenda. As I shook my head, I thought, "Welcome to tourist season!". Hello,  are you a tourist? Yes? Well, welcome to our city, our community, and our world in Any Town, USA! We really appreciate that you have chosen to travel our streets, explore our sites, stay in our hotels and taste our culinary delights! We will try not to stare at your choice of dress, snicker at your accent, or beep when you are lost and make wide left turns from the right hand lane! But, we do need you to know that this is our home and like any good guest, there are rules for civilized and polite engagement which enhances the experience for all.  Vayama, an online internation

Yard Sales...the Signs of Summer!

I love a great bargain! Department store clearance racks aside, nothing spells summer like a handmade YARD SALE sign!  For the avowed  bargain hunter, it's enough to cause salivation like Pavlov's dog!  I would rather spend an hour in search of a relic than ten minutes choosing from a rack of properly priced and neatly arranged anything. Cataloged and pristine items have a place during the holiday rush or end-of-season sales, but there is a feeling of accomplishment from unearthing a hidden treasure at the back of a bin of purses or the bottom of a crate of books!  "Junk stores" and road side shops are also intriguing, but a yard sale is the urbanites hunting ground!  So, when we spot the sign, alert the car to make the u-turn, slam into park and attempt to amble nonchalantly amongst the goodies, here are a few tips to make our hunting ground a more enjoyable experience: 1. Assume everything you touch has a sentimental value. It was once a gift, belonged to a lov

Did you hear about poor old....

(In loving memory of my brother, Gregory.  You always believed I could.)  It's been a while since I have written something public but recent events have driven the protocol person inside of me crazy! Through a series of unfortunate events, I found myself seated in a funeral parlor surrounded by friends, family, well-wishers, and onlookers. One hardly expects to know everyone who shows up at such a gathering, but cordial behavior is extended to all, no matter how severe the grief. But, there is a line. Crossing it whether knowingly or unwittingly, always causes the recipient of such foolishness to reassess their tenacious hold on their present reality. They must first ask themselves, if the person is actually real. In times of grief, it is easy to imagine things another way because each moment is filled with "what if's and why's". After ascertaining the obvious, yes, there they are, the next question becomes, "did I really hear that or did they actually

It may be your birthday!!...or not!

So, maybe your beginning story wasn't so great…or maybe it was. You were blasted into a cold world of happy, romantic, baby loving bliss and you grew up the cherished angel of so many hopes and dreams and then you became, well, you. Or, you were tricked into coming into a cold dark reality where you not only had to eek out an existence, but somehow manage to make sense of it all while holding onto your sanity until you became, well, you. Whichever the case, with the new year starting all over, I think it’s time we celebrate! It’s your birthday today or if not today, then another day like it is coming soon and one of them has to be yours! You were meant to be celebrated, you were meant to be special, you were meant to be, well, you! Perhaps, depending on the clarity of your glass, half empty or full, you may want to do something different fun, even exciting or daring. Maybe, even to learn something new because today is the first day you will ever be this young again! Here are s

Your Future Self

  “The future is always ideal: The fridge is stocked, the weather clear, the train runs on schedule and meetings end on time. Today, well, stuff happens.” Hara Estroff Marano Psychology Today I had almost forgotten what I pledged to do this time last year, to make this year a better year than the year before, and the year before, and the year before! Each year, I look myself in the mirror and make a promise about how I will change first, my eating habits, then improve on my professional appearance, and rev up my physical regime. I vow to feed my intellectual self with profound reading and snazzier social choices and began a new path to spiritual enlightenment while doing more of my meager part to save a suffering humanity!  Every year, I put on things that will never be checked off! I feel guilty for about the first six weeks as I pass the list on my bathroom mirror, flip past it in my planner or tuck it behind the grocery list on the refrigerator. Then, just about the time