I was probably making breakfast or lunch, because I remember opening the fridge draw where we keep cheese. When I shut the refrigerator, I saw Sally and Penny sitting there in anticipation of getting a little treat. Their looks of hope and anticipation were priceless to me.
Blog friend Claudette wrote an interesting post last week regarding things we want vs things we don’t want.https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/107079447 I was having trouble getting the post link for some reason, but hopefully this is Claudette’s link and you can read all her posts…
But anyway…
What are things that you want? What are things that you don’t want? I’ll go first:
WANTS
DON’T WANT
My dog follows me to the bathroom every time I go, even if I’m just getting a tissue or replacing the toothpaste.
Why she does this is a mystery to me.
The Book: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
The Quote: What was the actual benefit of accuracy when it comes to memories?
Did you ever here that old ditty “I remember it well?”. It’s basically a song about two people who have very different recollection of the last time they met…
Does it matter if our memories are accurate?
or
Is there no such thing as an accurate memory because each individual takes something from a moment that is unique because our perception is our reality?
The other day I was talking to my Husband about something. I related a story from years past- I reminded him of something he did to piss me off (I didn’t just dredge this up- it was germane to a discussion we were having at that moment and I was using it to prove a point- my anecdotal evidence so to speak).
He could not remember the story of which I spoke.
Not one shred of memory.
He did something that irked me so much that I know we had words about it (for the record it was a battle that I wanted to fight).
And he said he never did such a thing.
To be fair, his not remembering pissed me off more than the original transgression did. Because I remember it well…
At least I think I remember it well…
How much does my remembering something that my husband swears never happened matter in the grand scheme of things? I mean, this was something he did that hurt me emotionally- where I thought he violated my trust. And I never wanted him to do it again.
But if he doesn’t even remember doing it?
Should I be mad that he doesn’t have the same memory of the event that I have?
How do you proceed if people have different memories of an event?
Should you try not to bring up things from the past, because they just don’t matter?
I know….so many questions…
Pick one or two or all and share your thoughts:
OK- so they have me talking about books…
Let’s start with what I recently finished:
What I’m reading now:
WHAT’S NEXT:
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
The Book: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
The Quote: What she remembered was the extraordinary, astonishing pain, and her fury with her Mother for not fixing it. She didn’t expect her dad or the doctors to fix it. She expected her mother to fix it.
Do we have higher expectations of Mother’s than anyone else?
Do we think that Mother’s can do the extraordinary? That Mother’s are omnipotent? That Mom’s just get it done?
Are daughters more apt to rely on Mom’s, with sons relying more on Dad’s- or does everyone reach out to their Mom’s?
I’m going to try to not butt my two cents in, and leave this open for the group:
Discuss
I have two favorite Christmas movies: A Christmas Carol (1951) and It’s a Wonderful Life. I watch them every year on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
If you know anything about either of these movies, you will know that they both have spirit guides, so to speak, who are able to show the character what the future holds. In both cases, it enables the main characters to change their ways and thoughts.
Powerful stuff.
I wish I could be a spirit guide so that I could show people what the future holds if they continue to do things as they do.
I don’t think people think too much about the consequences of their actions. I think people just act or react, without much thought to what will actually happen. They errantly assume that something is right, without fully weighing all the things about it that could be wrong. Sometimes people see things as they see them, instead of the way that they really are… While it’s lovely to have ideals, they rarely work in actual practice…
I know it boils down to the half empty/half full scenario…people get locked into how they look at things and can’t see the other side- but sometimes you have to look straight at it and just say:
“This is a glass. The glass has water in it. Where do we go from here? What happens if we drink it? Spill it? Add more water? Drop the glass? Drink half the water? “
I would like to show people the different scenarios that the glass with water in it could take- not just the cut and dry half empty half full…
I want to be your guide to the future- the real future- not the fantasy one…
The Book- Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
The Quote- That was the secret of a happy marriage: step away from the rage.
Is the secret to a happy marriage to simply take a step back sometimes?
When my daughter was home for break my Husband did/said something stupid. My daughter asked why I didn’t say something to him. I replied:
“In marriage, as in parenting, sometimes you need to take a step back from the stupid. You have to choose your battles, and decide if the battle is the one to take a stand on.”
First off- which quote is better- mine or the one from the book?
Secondly, is the secret to life not 42, but is it really just stepping back?
The people we are closest to are going to annoy us at least once a day. No two people get along perfectly 24/7/365- I know this for a fact because we just had a situation where people were together 24/7/365, and there was a lot of anger and sadness or for the sake of this piece, rage…
Do we need to harp on them every time they don’t load the dishwasher correctly, or they leave their shoes in the hallway? Annoyed because they are wearing an old concert T shirt that is 20 years old and has no arm pits anymore? Disgruntled because they don’t want to watch the same TV show?
If you have a partner, or a child living with you, how often do you point out their mistakes? Or what are mistakes in your eyes?
For homework, I want you to count how many times you nag your partner/child and why.
How many of these things are life threatening? How many of these things needed to be mentioned, and how many of them could have been stepped away from?
Do you step away more than you engage? How does it work for you?
Discuss.
Just say no to Censorship
All sides should be allowed to have an opinion and state it openly, whether it’s on a stage, on screen or on the pages of a book.
Those who have censored things end up being on the wrong side of history. They prove to be bullies. They prove to be all about intimidation.
Stop telling people that they are wrong just because you don’t agree with them. Stop books and tv shows and movies from being banned.
Allow everyone to have a voice. Don’t allow anyone to become disenfranchised.
Say NO to banning the written and spoken word.
Waking up on the Wrong Side of 50 