I really feel helpless when I accidentally leave home without my cell phone. I'm not addicted to talking on it (or any other phone) and I don't even know how to text (now when did that become a verb?) but I'm now a part of that society which wants to be able to be in instant contact with others.
It was only a generation ago that answering machines became ubiquitous. Then I got annoyed when anyone I was trying to call didn't have one. Now "everybody" has one (usually included with phone service as "voice mail"). I can't believe there are actually people who don't even have computers so we can be in touch by e-mail. Still, I like using the postal service (i.e. snail mail) to send cards to friends--even if they are not instant communications.
Who would have thought people would give up their land lines in such droves? Soon you won't be able to go to the phone book to look up a number--with the address, which is often the more important piece of info needed.
Driving directions? Gas stations long ago stopped giving them. (Most attendants don't even know where they are--much less where anything else is.) Your GPS or cell phone leads you wherever you want to go. I print out directions from the computer from MapQuest or Google, though it's hard to read them while driving. Better to have that annoying voice telling you where to go.
On a visit to a friend who lives way out in the boonies I was very disappointed I couldn't get a computer connection on my laptop. I thought everywhere was covered these days--at least the ads make you think so. Thank goodness for my cell phone!
Though it's against the law (and is certainly unsafe) I sometimes call friends or family on my cell phone while driving (sorry, Oprah) just because I can. It is absolutely amazing that I can punch buttons on a little device that sends out and receives invisible signals to and from other little devices hundreds--or thousands!-- of miles away in an instant.
Now if only someone would invent a way for me to "go potty" from my car or bed. (No comment about that, folks!)
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Hoarding?
Like many people I am fascinated by hoarders. It is probably part of basic human nature to want lots of things to have in case hard times come along. With hoarders the genetic "off" switch that signals one has "enough" may not be working. Some people, like me, simply get pleasure from having a large supply of "stuff". In one case, it's inexpensive clothing--the wash-and-wear kind--as well as other things I'll mention later on.
I took a quick inventory of my closet--not a huge space but it's all mine. I have 26 short-sleeved tops, 34 3/4 or long sleeved ones, and just 6 tee shirts that I wear, but several other souvenir tees. (I gave away a couple of dozen tees years ago.) I have 24 pairs of slacks--not counting the ones that are part of pants suits. I have more than 20 coats, jackets and sweaters not including the pullover sweaters packed away for the summer. There are a number of sweatshirts--printed and plain--and 8 Christmas tops. I won't even mention the number of pairs of black shoes I have. And I love them all.
Most of these were bought "on sale". Like many hoarders I just can't pass up a good bargain.
I don't, however, have a problem getting rid of most stuff I no longer need. The last time I lost weight I gave away all my "fat clothes"--hoping that would deter me from putting the pounds back on. (It hasn't.)
I regularly make donations of "stuff" to Goodwill, Greensboro Urban Ministry and yard sales for the benefit of various non-profit groups. Kim, Ash, Will and I cleaned out our attics and other storage areas and had a bodacious yard sale for our own benefit.
But there's still a stash of "good stuff" in my attic and closets. My Christmas Closet is full of gift wrap and bows--some of which I had before moving into this house 15 year ago. Innisbrook's warehouse sales have done me in on that score. They put out all the leftover fundraiser items that the kids don't sell from their catalogs--all at true bargain prices--to clean out their warehouse to make room for more stuff people don't need.
In that closet are also items I pick up "on sale" from time to time to give as gifts. Of course I forget I have them sometimes and buy something else for the same people. That's why my family and friends get so many little gifts at Christmas.
I also collect decks of "good" playing cards. Of course I don't throw away the old ones when they are no longer serviceable. I used to say I was saving them for the kids to play with. Now the kids are grown, and their kids almost are, and there are still more decks of cards on hand than they could ever use.
We sold a number of jigsaw puzzles at the yard sale, but there are still many more that I think I will someday put together. I'll probably be blind from old age before I get to them.
I have "umpteen" sets of dishes and china. I just have to have the "right" dishes and glassware that match when I'm entertaining. Then I also collect pottery of all shapes and sizes and decorative cat-themed items. I packed away most of my owl collection years ago, but I still have some on display upstairs. I got two new card tables but didn't get rid of 5 old ones. I just love to have enough table space for a crowd!
Having these things make me happy and I'm blessed to have enough space to keep them all in without looking like a hoarder lives here. I can even park my car in the garage with space to spare.
Now this essay will join the others I've "collected" on my blogspot.
I took a quick inventory of my closet--not a huge space but it's all mine. I have 26 short-sleeved tops, 34 3/4 or long sleeved ones, and just 6 tee shirts that I wear, but several other souvenir tees. (I gave away a couple of dozen tees years ago.) I have 24 pairs of slacks--not counting the ones that are part of pants suits. I have more than 20 coats, jackets and sweaters not including the pullover sweaters packed away for the summer. There are a number of sweatshirts--printed and plain--and 8 Christmas tops. I won't even mention the number of pairs of black shoes I have. And I love them all.
Most of these were bought "on sale". Like many hoarders I just can't pass up a good bargain.
I don't, however, have a problem getting rid of most stuff I no longer need. The last time I lost weight I gave away all my "fat clothes"--hoping that would deter me from putting the pounds back on. (It hasn't.)
I regularly make donations of "stuff" to Goodwill, Greensboro Urban Ministry and yard sales for the benefit of various non-profit groups. Kim, Ash, Will and I cleaned out our attics and other storage areas and had a bodacious yard sale for our own benefit.
But there's still a stash of "good stuff" in my attic and closets. My Christmas Closet is full of gift wrap and bows--some of which I had before moving into this house 15 year ago. Innisbrook's warehouse sales have done me in on that score. They put out all the leftover fundraiser items that the kids don't sell from their catalogs--all at true bargain prices--to clean out their warehouse to make room for more stuff people don't need.
In that closet are also items I pick up "on sale" from time to time to give as gifts. Of course I forget I have them sometimes and buy something else for the same people. That's why my family and friends get so many little gifts at Christmas.
I also collect decks of "good" playing cards. Of course I don't throw away the old ones when they are no longer serviceable. I used to say I was saving them for the kids to play with. Now the kids are grown, and their kids almost are, and there are still more decks of cards on hand than they could ever use.
We sold a number of jigsaw puzzles at the yard sale, but there are still many more that I think I will someday put together. I'll probably be blind from old age before I get to them.
I have "umpteen" sets of dishes and china. I just have to have the "right" dishes and glassware that match when I'm entertaining. Then I also collect pottery of all shapes and sizes and decorative cat-themed items. I packed away most of my owl collection years ago, but I still have some on display upstairs. I got two new card tables but didn't get rid of 5 old ones. I just love to have enough table space for a crowd!
Having these things make me happy and I'm blessed to have enough space to keep them all in without looking like a hoarder lives here. I can even park my car in the garage with space to spare.
Now this essay will join the others I've "collected" on my blogspot.
Peaches
Whatever happened to soft peaches? Do you remember those lucious juicy ones that dripped juice all over you as you ate them? They bruised easily so you handled them as little as possible before you peeled them and mushed them up for homemade ice cream or laid the pieces in a dish for peach cobbler. No letting them sit around on the counter or in a paper bag to "ripen" into tasteless nothing.
Beside my grandparents' house in the Sandhills area of South Carolina there was a peach orchard. We weren't allowed to go there because our family didn't get along with the owner. Of course we kids would sneak over and find peaches, our favorites being those left over from the harvest. Those tree-ripened ones were absolutely the best!
Every time I buy peaches I do so with great optimism that I will again find that old-timey flavor and texture, and every time I am disappointed.
But, optimist that I am, I'll still keep buying and trying with hope that some day I'll find those wonderful peaches I remember so well.
Beside my grandparents' house in the Sandhills area of South Carolina there was a peach orchard. We weren't allowed to go there because our family didn't get along with the owner. Of course we kids would sneak over and find peaches, our favorites being those left over from the harvest. Those tree-ripened ones were absolutely the best!
Every time I buy peaches I do so with great optimism that I will again find that old-timey flavor and texture, and every time I am disappointed.
But, optimist that I am, I'll still keep buying and trying with hope that some day I'll find those wonderful peaches I remember so well.
Serendipity
It's interesting (to me, anyway) how much pleasure I get from seemingly insignificant things. Recently I was filling the little 2-ounce containers that I use with my coffee maker so I don't have to measure out the coffee each morning. I mix two different kinds of coffee--an expensive flavored kind and a cheaper one. I had a partial bag of the flavored one. I had exactly the amount of coffee in it to fill all my little containers without opening another bag. That made me feel really good.
Another thing--I love having just the right size box to give or mail something in. That's why I save boxes I receive. Those Postal Service boxes that include postage are a lot more expensive than just the postage alone.
I also like having just the right size container for leftovers in the fridge or pot to cook in or dish to serve something in. I especially like my little Corningware dishes for storing and re-heating just the right serving size of leftovers. They're 45-plus years old and going strong!
Another serendipitous event that often occurs is my going to the grocery store for a specific item and finding it "on special". Of course I end up buying other stuff because of the money I've "saved"--but isn't that the case with most shoppers? A few cents saved here and there allows me to feel OK about splurging on something I really don't need. And if it comes in just the right size box--WOO HOO!
Another thing--I love having just the right size box to give or mail something in. That's why I save boxes I receive. Those Postal Service boxes that include postage are a lot more expensive than just the postage alone.
I also like having just the right size container for leftovers in the fridge or pot to cook in or dish to serve something in. I especially like my little Corningware dishes for storing and re-heating just the right serving size of leftovers. They're 45-plus years old and going strong!
Another serendipitous event that often occurs is my going to the grocery store for a specific item and finding it "on special". Of course I end up buying other stuff because of the money I've "saved"--but isn't that the case with most shoppers? A few cents saved here and there allows me to feel OK about splurging on something I really don't need. And if it comes in just the right size box--WOO HOO!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Thoughts about Having Great Potential
How many times have your heard a teacher or parent say about a child that he or she has “great potential” but isn’t working up to it? How many students shine brilliantly in school (have “great potential”) but do not seem to “make it” in the real world?
Many people say that children are influenced by the expectations of others and that not raising the bar high enough limits the development of children. Adults will only do as much as they have to in order to meet others’ expectations.
But what if, inside that child (or adult) there is a voice that says, “You don’t have to achieve what other people think you should. If you’re not happy doing something, don’t do it”?
Why should one try to live up to the expectations of others when deep inside one doesn’t want to? Is it wrong to be “mediocre”? Isn’t it enough just to be “average”? Can’t others be satisfied when one does just enough to get by despite an innate ability to do more?
There is, in some cultures, a stigma against doing better than one’s peers. Some men do not like “uppity women” and women want to be liked by men in order to make homes and have children. People “of color” or of lower social echelons who “act white” or different from those they live with may be shunned by their social group.
But what if one is not “of color”, doesn’t act “uppity” or has no personality deficiencies that set him or her apart from the general population? What if one just doesn’t have what is sometimes called “ambition”? If one is able to do more by virtue of a deep well of intellectual capacity but is content not to draw water from that well? Does one owe it to others (family, friends, teacher, co-workers, employers or society at large) to use that “great potential”?
We hear news stories of people who have performed way above what other assumed was their “potential.” There are many quotes about people who have died young and never had a chance to “live up to their potential.”
What about people who just want to live their lives simply, easing over whatever bumps in the road come along, making do with what is on or beside the road, not worrying about what’s over the horizon? As long as they have food, clothing and shelter, must they always need or want more? Do they have to “live up to their potential”, whatever it may have been determined to be by others?
On the other hand, how many of those who say they don’t want to do something are actually afraid of doing it and failing? The greater they are told their potential is, the more difficult it is to meet expectations. Even small imperfect actions are felt as personal failures. If they do nothing that risks failure, they do not have to deal with negative consequences. Is someone with “great potential” all right in not wanting to risk what to him or her is generates unpleasant feelings? Because one can, must one?
What do you think?
Many people say that children are influenced by the expectations of others and that not raising the bar high enough limits the development of children. Adults will only do as much as they have to in order to meet others’ expectations.
But what if, inside that child (or adult) there is a voice that says, “You don’t have to achieve what other people think you should. If you’re not happy doing something, don’t do it”?
Why should one try to live up to the expectations of others when deep inside one doesn’t want to? Is it wrong to be “mediocre”? Isn’t it enough just to be “average”? Can’t others be satisfied when one does just enough to get by despite an innate ability to do more?
There is, in some cultures, a stigma against doing better than one’s peers. Some men do not like “uppity women” and women want to be liked by men in order to make homes and have children. People “of color” or of lower social echelons who “act white” or different from those they live with may be shunned by their social group.
But what if one is not “of color”, doesn’t act “uppity” or has no personality deficiencies that set him or her apart from the general population? What if one just doesn’t have what is sometimes called “ambition”? If one is able to do more by virtue of a deep well of intellectual capacity but is content not to draw water from that well? Does one owe it to others (family, friends, teacher, co-workers, employers or society at large) to use that “great potential”?
We hear news stories of people who have performed way above what other assumed was their “potential.” There are many quotes about people who have died young and never had a chance to “live up to their potential.”
What about people who just want to live their lives simply, easing over whatever bumps in the road come along, making do with what is on or beside the road, not worrying about what’s over the horizon? As long as they have food, clothing and shelter, must they always need or want more? Do they have to “live up to their potential”, whatever it may have been determined to be by others?
On the other hand, how many of those who say they don’t want to do something are actually afraid of doing it and failing? The greater they are told their potential is, the more difficult it is to meet expectations. Even small imperfect actions are felt as personal failures. If they do nothing that risks failure, they do not have to deal with negative consequences. Is someone with “great potential” all right in not wanting to risk what to him or her is generates unpleasant feelings? Because one can, must one?
What do you think?
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