"If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all." ~Pearl S. Buck
"Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man."
~Rabindranath Tagore
Welcome to my Friday Blog where I share funny and almost always true advice with the young folks who Grace my life.. and enrich my world.. I am truly blessed to have so many young friends; children; grand-children; and my list goes on and on... I hope that everyone who visits here laughs aloud at least once.. Even if you only giggle or smile I will have accomplished something wonderful.. Won't you help me have a wonderful day and let me know you giggled!
:~}
1:)~ Plan on having a job at some point in your life.... Unless you don't plan to eat or like soup! ~ I guess there are people who live and survive with out ever doing any kind of work.. I even think I know a few of them.. they sit on the bench outside of my Grocery store and ask for "spare" change. Most people of this day and age just shake their head at these people and don't even slow down as they pass them. I will be honest with you.. I don't give them my money.. I don't have any "spare" change.. I keep my change for my own things.. I haven't been there yet but I am told that even as small as our town is that we now have a soup kitchen for our homeless.. A few weeks ago Dave and I spotted a young fellow with a sign that says he's homeless.. I hope he found the soup kitchen.. I was going to give him a dollar until I realized he was wearing expensive shoes and smoking Marlboro Menthol's.. I think instead I'll give him the book called Stone Soup and the directions to our soup kitchen.. At least the last person who sat on that corner had a sign that said "will work for food".. Unemployment in America is at an all time high.. I know times are tough for everyone.. even me.. But I am not on the corner with a sign asking for your money while I chain smoke..and wave at the passing girls with a devilish grin.. hoping against all hope that a wonderful job will fall from the sky and knock me into next week"s pay period!.. and if by some chance you do have to go to the soup kitchen... you could offer to wash a few dishes and always say thanks.. they always need volunteers and it's always better to work for food than sit on the corner waiting on the now extinct.. "spare change!" Please don't think I would never help a homeless person.. I have helped many people who were down on their luck.. even moving a few right into my life and my house.. I even made them a regular family member by assigning them chores! :~)
2:)~ Never spend your money for something you don't really need or want just to impress people that you don't really like! ~ This happens a lot more than people realize.. "It's also know as Keeping up with the Jones!" When I worked at the hotel we almost always had ball teams there on week-ends.. they came her to play baseball on our fancy new fields across town.. One Sunday morning I had the chance to watch and listen as a family came in for breakfast before and early game... The father grabbed cereal and fruit for the smaller two children and got them settled in at the tiny corner table.. The baseball player grabbed a banana and shoving his ear plugs deep into his ears he flopped back into a pink flowered wing back chair and closed his eyes..Pretty much ignoring everything except the thump thump thump of the loud music vibrating in his ears.. The Mom to this outfit appeared normal until she set off on the whining and complaining spree like none I have ever heard before.. The Jones had a New Tahoe .. The Smith's had a new Tahoe.. even the Green's had a New Tahoe~ "God Knows how when she doesn't even work!".. "Why can't we have a New Tahoe?" ~ He glanced at me and then explained that the Mini Van they had was paid for and he didn't want another car payment right now.. He even asked her why she cared what the others had.. Her reply was that she didn't want them to have more than her.. she said it wasn't right.. She went on then to say a few nasty things about most of the other team families.. Making it plain that she despised most of them.. I don't care who has more than me.. I have a junk car that runs and carries me where I need to go.. when people pass me in their new Tahoe.. I just smile to myself and am thankful that all my vehicles are paid for.. The Jones have what they have and they have the payments to go with it.. unless you need it.. and I mean really really need it.. Let the Jones and the Greens race to see who can have the most.. Get over here on the sidelines with me and watch.... I'll even loan you a plain old folding lawn chair.. it's nothing like the fancy one with a foot rest that Miss Jones has though!
3:~ Don't know everything! ~ Smartness is attractive.. but so is vulnerability. Do you know anyone who is a "Know it all"? Well I meant besides Me.... I don't know it all.. I know most of it and I'll look up for you what I don't already know so I guess I'm a "know most of it all"..( You can laugh here!) You know it's true! It's perfectly fine to admit that you don't know something and will have to look it up or look into it.. Once you think you know it all you will quit learning.. There is so much that we each have left to learn.. I'm pretty sure there are sights out there that have never been seen and thoughts that have never been thought.. And as long as you are learning you will be well on your way to knowing it all.. I try to learn something every day.. Some days I look at new words or new forms of poetry.. I read about places I have never been and will never have the opportunity to go.. I know a lot of stuff... I even know a lot of important stuff.. But I still don't know everything! Neither do you.. so quit with the he-man chest thumping I know it all stance and go read a book or visit a new place.. Learn all you can about the place.. Learn about the lives of those who lived there or who now live there.. Try to learn everything.. who knows.. one day you might be the first person to really Know it ALL!
4:)~ Don’t pay too much attention to “how to” advice~ It is everywhere.. Everyone knows a better way to do something.. Even I have lots of advice for ways to do things faster; smarter and better.. But the truth is that each of has to find our own way.. No two of us will make it to where we want to in life by following the same path.. You might be better off following the "how not to screw things up" plan that we have each and every one left behind.. Listen to the advice of your elders and then decide what works for you.. develop your own plan for your life... expect to make some mistakes.. and when you do make a mistake.. correct your plan and move on.. a mistake doesn't mean the plan was flawed.. Just that some adjustments are needed.. But if you do need advice from a really smart person... one who knows a lot of stuff... one who knows almost everything.. One who loves to give advice.. Don't call me.. I'm just a foolish Old woman with a blog.. I will most likely tell you to rethink your original plan and quit sniveling about how the world hates you.. then I will make you help me gather eggs while you tell me about your plan.. and as we dig a fish pond you can explain to me where the plan went wrong.. then if you are still sniveling and whining I will work you till you decide to rethink your plan alone in the comfort of your own room with your own advice being the best you have... See.. You already don't want to ask me.. You'll figure it out.. that's why it's called growing up!
5:~You can teach an old dog new tricks.. There is an odd belief held by many that learning is for the young.. It is true that children learn things like languages and some skills easier and faster than adults do..... You're too old. You might hurt yourself. It would be undignified. People will laugh at you. You'll fall on your face. Why bother at this point? I bet you have heard some of these.. I have heard most of these.. A few of them are even so.. People most likely would laugh at me if I tried to learn something wild and crazy like skateboarding for instance or maybe snow boarding.. I would also fall on my face.. But I know me I would get up and try again and again until I broke something or learned it... I am not likely to try to learn to snowboard.. But I can still learn to do new dance steps or new crafts... I learned the desk clerk software for the computer faster than the other girl who was supposed to train me.... She was half my age.. In fairness to her she had children at home and didn't own a computer so I had one less worry and one more already learned skill.. No kids at home and I already knew computers.. (On the other hand she learned not to talk back to the Boss man and I didn't.. She still has her job and I am back to the UN-employment line..)
Lawrence Katz, a professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center and co-author of Keep Your Brain Alive, makes a convincing argument that the more you learn, the better you learn. "Children's brain cells are still growing, adding new connections, until about age 18," explains Katz. "When you're older there's still some of this plasticity left, but you need to rely on different brain pathways." By the time a person reaches adulthood, some of the brain's "wires" are permanently in use for other purposes. But there are always extra neural pathways that can be pressed into service. By doing what Katz calls neurobics, we can activate them. Neurobics can involve any new activity — from learning to speak a new language to brushing your teeth with your left hand or trying to walk around your house blind folded.. Things involving as many of the senses as possible are wonderful for nourishing our brains, says Katz. Activities that also involve interactions with other people are even better. These include dancing and sports. So if you pass by my house and see me hanging upside down from a metal bar tied under the old Oak tree.. I'm not crazy I'm just trying to rekindle my desire to be a flying Trapeze artist... if you knock onmy door and Dave and I answer blind-folded we are not trying a new kinky thing we read about.... We encouraging new Brain connections..If you're on the slopes at the snowboarding resort and see me coming down the hill at break neck speed; to tumble head over hills and fall before you.. Laugh with me all the way to the coffee bar because I will need a cup and I might have some good advice for you on the other aspects of life.. You are never to old to learn..
Let me apologize that this post didn't make it on Friday night.. We had a thunderstorm that knocked me off-line three times in a row.. Finally I gave up.. Bright and Early.. before the crack of dawn.. this morning I planned to hurry and get it posted.. feeling that most people read me a day late anyway.. I sat here just about to hit publish when I heard a scary freakish frying sound and then kapoot! kapooey! .. my computer monitor went black.. Thank God and Dave that I had a surge protector.. Something fried my telephone line and my surge protector but missed my computer.. It threw the breakers in my breaker box and scared the patooky out of me... I finally got back on-line even though I still don't have telephone service.. I'm pretty sure it cooked the telephone.. The phone wires are black and crumbly.. But I apologize for being a day late.. I hope you enjoy my Friday's Advice for the kids for this week.. Have a great day!
Patsy
