Gettin’ It Done

I have this incredibly horrible habit of letting projects go to the wayside.  I’m not sure if it is a lack of motivation, laziness, or simply getting caught up in the life around me.  However, I have finally started getting back into my projects.  And you know what?  It feels great!

I am hoping to keep myself on track this time.  Throughout the years I have gone through many cycles.  One cycle is the “I’ve got motivation and I’m going to do this, this, and this,” but after so long I lose all motivation to do anything.  Then I realize I’ve been doing nothing for too long, beat myself up, and start moving again.

 

Time to break the cycle!

Being a person who loves routine, I’m planning to slowly incorporate bits and pieces of my projects into my daily life.  Slowly is the key.  I have learned through years of personal development that rushing a change leads to certain death – err, so to speak.  You must take it one day at a time.  As long as you continue working, no matter how much actually gets done, you are making progress.  Any progress is good progress.

So, if you are going through something similar, I urge you to create some kind of small routine for yourself.  If it’s important to you, you will do it.  You just have to remember what it means to you.  We often find ourselves getting caught up in daily life and forgetting the things that mean the most to us.  If you love your gift, use it!  Do not let it get shoved aside.

I hope you don’t mind the short post.  I’m off to continue my projects!  Have a great week everyone!

 

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The Secret of Embracing Change

I don’t know how much your life has changed in the past week, but mine has made a huge shift.  It happens to all of us from time to time, in one way or another.  Life puts you in a position, and you have to move.  You have to change.  I was put in such a position last week when my family was forced to move at the drop of a hat.  We had only one place to go – two and a half hours away.  Now, this isn’t the end of the world.  Far from it.  There are so many positive points that could be made about moving back to my home town.  The most important point, aside from being close to my extended family again, is the opportunity to make a fresh start.  And honestly, we not only wanted that;  We needed it.

 

The Tornado of Emotion Hits Hard

The most difficult part of coping with change is letting go of what you know, what you’re used to, what you are comfortable with.  Some are better than others when it comes to adapting.  I am on the lower end of the spectrum.  I like to huddle within my comfort zone for as long as possible.  (Hence the reason life has thrown me out of it more than once.)  Leaving my job wasn’t so hard – I was becoming unhappy there anyway.  Leaving the people I worked with for the past four years – that was the hard part.  I attach myself to the people I love.  I didn’t shed any tears until I realized I had to leave all these friends behind.  I could no longer see them every day as I had become accustomed to. 

I also think there is something to be said for the lack of control that sometimes comes with this type of change.  I was upset because there was no choice I could make to adjust the way things were changing.  No matter what, I had to go, and there was only one option as to where to go.  While I am extremely indecisive, I like to have a choice.  I like to make the choice.  I felt my independence had been taken from me.  I imagine anyone would feel that way in similar situations.  And that feeling alone is enough to dull your spirit for a time.

For the record:  I am feeling much better now.

The Calm After The Storm

Embracing change is rarely easy, especially when it is forced upon you.  You could deal with emotions similar to the ones I dealt with, or you could deal with totally different feelings.  One emotion associated with change that is particularly difficult to handle is stress.  Whether you are happy about the change or disappointed, you are going to encounter stress.  We all handle stress in a myriad of ways.  I don’t particularly handle it well most of the time.  Although, I’m constantly trying to find ways to relax and adapt more easily.  In my scenario, I allowed the stress of the change to override the positive points I knew I would find at the end of the road.  In fact, the stress was the underlying emotion that was running my thought processes.  Being overwhelmed by stress makes your brain look to the more negative aspects involved in your life.  It generates fear of the unknown.  That is what happened within my mind the day life turned me around.

By far, the greatest way to overcome the fear or stress associated with change is to let go.  You have to let go of your routine.  You have to let go of your comfort zone.  And most of all you have to let go of your expectations.  Let go of it all, and soar with the winds of life.  Sometimes relinquishing control will bring you to a much better place than you could have ever imagined.

Do you have a time when life pushed you to do something drastic?  How did you react to your situation?  Feel free to share your experience in the comments below.

 

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Thoughts On Time (And Where Your Focus Lies)

I have written before about time management, but I choose to not do it too often.  I assume this is because, quite frankly, I’m not very good at it – time management, that is.

 

A View of Time

There are many systems out there that can be implemented to help one make good use of their free time.  But what is free time anyway?  At its core essence, all time is free, is it not?  We make every choice that uses it up.  Going to work might seem like a chore, but it is still a choice.  You could just as easily call in sick, but you don’t for any number of reasons.  You also choose to take care of your child, make dinner, and clean the house.  Obviously, there are good reasons for all of these, but they are still choices.  For the purpose of this topic, we will call them obligations.

The area of time management I want to focus on today deals with the time you have at home, outside of work and any other daily obligations you have to deal with; The time you are using to read this blog right now, to check your email or Facebook and to watch that TV show you have been looking forward to seeing.  If you are like me, and I’m assuming most of you are, there are numerous activities you enjoy and want to be a part of.  For instance, the past few days I have thought about wanting to take a photo walk, work on a new art piece, dabble in my jewelry crafting, write a new blog post (thank goodness I’m working on that one) and get started on the restoration of my son’s rocking chair.  I have worked on all of them to some degree, but not a single one is finished or even to a point that is satisfactory from my perspective. 

 

“Too many things to do, and so little time.”

You know this phrase, and I am positive each and every one of you has used it at one time or another.  In some respects, the statement is true.  It is highly unlikely that I would be able to finish all of those activities in one day while juggling my daily obligations, especially if it includes an 8-hour work shift.  But perhaps the problem lies not with the amount of time we have but within our use of it.  Wanting to do many things is not a problem.  Lacking focus in one or few areas that are priorities to us is the issue here.  Instead of viewing the list of things you want to work on in its entirety, view it with certain priorities in mind.  Create categories if you must, but always have an idea of what comes first for you.

 

Tackling That List

So, here is my recommendation to you and also to myself:  every day, choose just one thing you are going to work on when you have the time to do so, and work on it until you are satisfied with how far you’ve come.  Today, I wanted to write this for all of you, and I have done that.  I’m feeling very accomplished already.  So, maybe I’ll choose another task to get into, but if I don’t it’s no big thing.  I chose one project, and I have done that one task well.  The best part is that this feeling of accomplishment has made me want to do another thing on my list.  Now I can re-evaluate my priorities and decide what other project I am going to get into today.

Sometimes, things seem so complicated, especially when pertaining to time.  The truth is it’s so simple.  We just need a new perspective to see it.

What one thing are you going to tackle today?

 

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The Power of Simplicity

I have always tried to keep my mind focused on the simple things in life.  Even though it is something that comes naturally to me, I don’t think I was ever fully aware of the power behind those simple things until a few years ago.  I have a tendency to write about it quite often, because I am not sure other people understand the power that is acquired by looking at life this way.  How about some examples?

- A loved one brewing your coffee and bringing it to your bedside in the morning.

- The sound of a child’s laughter, especially when it comes from something you have done to provoke it.

- Hearing people say they love a meal when you cook for them.

All of these examples have one commonality:  They were created or received from “you.”  Not all examples would be this way (like enjoying the breeze on a hot day or listening to the birds chirping outside your window in on a beautiful Spring morning), but these kinds of examples can be extremely uplifting and possibly have some long-lasting effects.  They help boost self-confidence.  They push you to be a better person.  That is if you choose to view them in the way that will cause you to continue this sort of action.

 

Action and Reaction

If you choose to care about the people in your life, you are inclined to make time for them.  That might mean once a day, once a week, or once a month, but you still find a way to touch their lives.  It is these small caresses that really matter.  Looking back on the example of a laughing child, I can easily say I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to replicate that event.  When you make a child laugh, you are inclined to keep trying to make them laugh.  Why?  Because you love the sound.  And why do you love that sound?  Simple.  It is proof to your mind that you have done something good.  So, you keep doing things that might bring that reaction again and again.  Everyone wants to please someone.  Pleasing a child is the greatest feeling, because they do not hold back their emotions.  They are free spirits who will laugh straight from the heart, and they will cry just the same.  They don’t think in terms of boundaries the way we do.  They are living passionately moment to moment, and their way of showing it leaves me speechless.

Obviously, we do not always continue doing things just because we know we did something good.  A loved one bringing you coffee in the morning was not an event started by you.  You merely received it.  Looking a little deeper, the person bringing the coffee feels good because they did something nice for you.  Perhaps they were inclined to do this for you because you did something equally nice for them in the preceding days.  Or perhaps they were starting an event of their own.  How would this act make you feel?  Wouldn’t it make you want to do something to show your appreciation?

 

Life is nothing but the intertwining of events

It is imperative to keep acting out of kindness.  The more events you throw into the mix the more events will come back to you.  If you maintain these acts of compassion toward the people in your life, you will receive compassion and kindness in return.  Making a positive impact on everyone around you:  now, that is something worth striving for.

The awareness of this power we all hold is an amazing gift to everyone with whom we come in contact.  Maybe one day we will literally change the world.

What will you do for the ones you cherish today?  What will you do for a stranger?

 

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Standing in the Way of Success

Through conversation with a friend earlier this week, I was reminded of my fear of failure and codependency issues.  It’s so funny that when it came up I felt like I was hit by a ton of bricks.  I always know these problems are there.  Yet, somehow I’ve managed to forget about them for a while.  They get in the way almost every day of my life.  How could I have possibly forgotten?

The conversation left me taking a hard look at myself and the person I have allowed myself to become.  It got me thinking, yet again, about changing the way I live.

When I think about failure, I am aware that it is inevitable. 

Mistakes are tools for learning, for growing and for becoming a better person.  I know that, because I’ve definitely made my share of mistakes.  And I have always learned a great deal about myself and the world from them.  It always sucks, and I always walk into the smoke feeling defeated.  Then I step out feeling empowered.  If you are a perfect person who has never endured that feeling, you are truly missing out. 

So, I obviously have no problem learning from my mistakes.  The problem lies before that.  It lies before action is even taken, because I become so anxious about the thought of failure that I don’t take even half of a step. 

The worst thing one can do to themselves is stop taking action. 

All that being said, it’s safe to proclaim I know inactivity all too well.  We’re pretty good pals – sharing a very unhealthy long-term relationship.  I go through extreme periods of laziness and inactivity quite often.  This is because I believe in giving yourself a “lazy day.”  Since I’m still learning the art of balance, my one lazy day only increases my lack of motivation.  So, I have another lazy day, and another, and another until my house is a total wreck (which increases that lack of motivation even more.)  See the pattern? 

Facing codependency

Codependency ties into this whole scheme, because I am more inclined to take action if I am not alone.  If I know I have someone there to aid me or someone who is counting on me, I am much more comfortable making a move.  Example:  I find myself most productive with housework when my fiancé is cleaning up also.  I am also more productive musically when I am working as part of a group, as opposed to doing solo work.  (I think this sort of thing is semi-normal for most people.  I know many people who create gym regimens with a friend, because they know the friend will hold them accountable.)  Some might say it is more a lack of confidence.  They might be right.  I think there are always many facets to the diamond.  Each piece makes the whole.  It works for any given situation, theory or physical object.  If you are an over-analyzer like myself, you totally understand what I’m talking about.

Throw together a small amount of codependency, fear of failure and a problem with self-motivation – and you have uncovered my greatest personal dilemma. 

I hope you aren’t feeling sorry for me at this point, because I’m not.  And that was definitely not the purpose of this post.  Everyone has the power to change.  I remind myself of that every day.  I have the power to change who I am.  I just have to work for it.  Mindfulness and determination are the keys to success.  As long as I am mindful enough to see what I am doing (or refusing to do) and determined enough to break through my own personal barriers, I can accomplish a great deal.  

After a very productive day and a feeling of pride, I found the best possible quote from a brilliant soul who passed on this week.

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." – Steve Jobs

Let us remember that every day counts.  Make memories that will last in your heart and the hearts of those you love.  Not a single one of us is immortal.  Today you can choose to create happiness.  You can choose to do something exciting and fearful.  You can choose to be the person you truly want to be.

What kinds of inner demons seem to block your path in life?  Feel free to share in the comments section below.

 

Misery Loves Company

Every awakened moment I have comes from the simplest life experiences. 

Recently, my workplace has had a change in store management.  This guy is nothing like the boss we used to have.  As I say with pretty much everything, this is both good and bad.  From my perspective, he is a man of action.  And I like that.  However, he seems to make many changes without consulting anyone around him.  These changes also seem to make little sense in the grand scheme of things.  So, while he is a man of action, he is also a man who lacks respect for his employees.

One small change he made was getting rid of a radio in one part of our office.  While most people got mad and then got over it, there is one woman who can’t seem to cope as well.  She is infuriated.  In fact, she is so upset about it that she is working to get a radio from a different part of the office removed also.  She thinks she is making things “fair” in her own mind.  All she is really doing is upsetting more people around her and in turn losing what could be a valuable relationship with a fellow employee.  The other employee is now upset with her for trying to ruin things in an area that isn’t hers.

Pretty much anyone can look at this situation and say, “Wow, what on earth is wrong with that woman?!  She needs to grow up.”  But how many of you can look at it and realize you have acted similarly?

We get so caught up in ourselves and our emotions sometimes.  It can be hard to look outside our little bubble and see what is really important.  This woman wants to create a sense of fairness to make herself feel better – to make sure she isn’t suffering alone.  I haven’t gone quite this far in a situation so small, but I know damn well I have done similar things for the same reasons.  Why?  Because misery really does love company.

A much more common experience is when two friends vent to one another about things they are upset about.  It feels good to rant and rave about something and have those feelings reciprocated.  You start to feel like you’re a part of a greater whole.  It’s no longer just you.  You are also feeling validated, because someone else feels the same way you do.  The thing is when you get into these types of conversations, it’s easy to get stuck in that way of thinking.  So, every time you are around this friend you end up complaining, which only creates more agitation within yourself as well as the other person.

Both of these scenarios have reminded me of two Buddhist principles:  Right Action and Right Speech.

In the Buddhist philosophy, you should always think before you speak or act.  Every word and action should be made with kindness.  Basically, you should care enough about your fellow man to want to ease their suffering, not bring it on.  Otherwise, you could be making enemies which will only increase your own suffering as well as theirs.  I purposely say nice things to the people around me everyday; I’ll rub shoulders or make jokes just to get a smile; I make it a point to tell my fiancé she is beautiful; And I am adamant about saying I love you to those close to me.  But I’m not perfect either.  I am known to throw a fit about things in the moment.  There are also times when I get irritated with the people around me.  I accept that I am flawed, but I also work to better myself by examining these flaws.  What good is life without personal growth?  Making yourself happy and compassionate is not only rewarding for you but also for those around you.

Relationships based on positive connectivity often thrive much longer than those based on a mutual distaste.  Strive to create those long-lasting friendships, and you will be a much happier, lighter person.  We need more people who are willing to face themselves in this world.  Face yourself, and you can face anything.

All you have is the present moment.  Make it count. 

 

Infiltrating the Social Sphere

When I was a teenager, I would spend so much time doing artistic things.  I used to draw all the time; I used to sing and play instruments everyday; And I used to be crafty.  I felt like I had all the time in the world.  Part of it has to do with the fact that I was a teenager:  so, I had little to no responsibility.  But there’s an even bigger culprit in our current time.

Connectivity

We are obsessed with Facebook and everything “social” about the internet.  Period.  It has become one of the largest defining links of our time period.  Connecting with friends, family, and acquaintances quickly and easily is something that makes us feel good about our relationships.  We share everything via status updates and comments.  We put ourselves on display. 

Here’s how this relates to my passions: 

I could do so many things with my time, but the things I want to do are very time consuming.  They would never be done in a day.  Being on Facebook made me create unrealistic expectations of myself.  Somewhere within my mind, I have this idea that things should be done quickly so they can be shared with the people I know.  Go ahead and laugh now.  I almost did. 

It seems so ludicrous that I would put certain things on hold just because I want to be able to share them immediately.  There’s no good reason for this mental blockage.  There are many people out there who don’t experience this.  But I want to make sure the topic is approached for those people out there that are experiencing something similar.  In fact, they might not even realize it is happening.  I know it didn’t occur to me until this morning.

The problem is that we are too social.  People often wonder why I don’t answer the phone or why I have a hard time getting back to them.  It has nothing to do with them and everything to do with my personal need to get away from the social sphere of our lives.  I don’t give myself enough time away from other people.  It shows in the way I shove things aside.  If I don’t quiet my mind once a day, I’m bound to feel like I am torn in too many directions and still moving nowhere. 

We need to learn to nurture our relationships. 

Liking a status on Facebook isn’t enough to nurture your relationship with the person that posted it.  I’m not saying you should never like another status.  However, if you can create a conversation from that status in the comments section, you should do it.  Meaningful conversation is everything in a relationship.  If someone kept talking to you in person and all you ever said was, “I like that,” do you think your friendship would stand the tests of time?  It’s highly doubtful.  You have to share your opinions and find common ground with people on a regular basis.  This is what I call relationship maintenance. 

In fact, I recently read an article in Success Magazine that covered this topic from a business standpoint.  In it, they make a strong point; The number of people you “connect” with in a day does not stack up to the amount of people you personally connect with.  The point here isn’t to get things done with simple one-liner responses.  The point is to make the other people feel like you noticed them.  Personalize your responses.  Really get involved with the things other people are saying. 

I think it’s more important than ever that we search for our roots.  Technological advancements are truly amazing, but there are things they take away from us if we allow it.  I’ve always been a tech junkie, and I’m sure I will continue to be.  The problem lies not in the technology but in the way we use it.  Turning off the phone, the TV, the computer:  all integral parts to living a fulfilled life.  I’m afraid we are using technology to avoid ourselves.  If we can find time every day to sit without them, maybe we’ll stop ignoring and start remembering what we are all about. 

Getting in tune with yourself is one of the greatest ways to cultivate happiness in your life.  Start turning off the electronics.  Start small if you have to.  Once you do it you’ll notice a difference.  At first it might be strange.  Stick with it anyway.  Trust me:  it’s one of the best things you could possibly do for yourself.

Feel free to share your experiences with connectivity in the comments section below.  I’d love to hear from you. 

 

The Joy of Being Late

This morning I lay in bed half awake listening to my son babble while waiting for my second alarm to sound – signaling my final moment to get up.

That.  Never.  Happened.

I looked at my cell phone to see the time:  7:47 am.  I was due to work at 8.  I had apparently switched off the first alarm in my sleep.  So, I had indeed heard the second alarm already.

My initial reaction was panic (this is normal for me when I am running late), but I allowed the feeling to subside this time around.  I went about my morning; making my espresso beverage, grooming myself, and even taking a few minutes to sit with my son.  This led to me being a half hour late, and I didn’t mind one bit.

Now, this partially worked out because I knew no one was relying on me.  There are times when I know my tardiness gets in the way of someone else’s work, and then I rush because I don’t want to hinder their experience.  Today that was not the case.  So, it was easier to take my time and enjoy my morning.  If only every morning could work out that way.

As if an answer to my thoughts, I read an email blog posting about our mechanical lifestyles.  We are conditioned to believe in this structure that, by all means, should not exist.  It’s no wonder the majority of us despise our jobs and feel overly stressed when it comes to time.  I personally feel confined by my work schedule.  When I wake up I like to have time with my family.  If I work at 8am, it’s hard to always find that time.  If I work in the evening, say 2 or 4pm, I lose my motivation to work by the time work comes along.  We all have our own personal schedules.  Sometimes we get lucky and find ourselves content with the schedule we are given at work.  Maybe it coincides with what we enjoy.  Maybe we’re just good at getting used to it.

What if we could choose our own schedules at work?  Wouldn’t we be more productive?  I suppose not everyone would be.  But I could once again blame that on our conditioning.  We need people to tell us what to do.  We are the drones, the worker bees, the majority of the American public.  We are easier to control if we are created in a certain image.

I have always been a part of this routine.  I have always needed it.  More recently, I’ve been trying to break it up a bit.  Instead of forcing things upon myself, I choose to do things as they come to me.  Honestly, I am much happier doing things this way.  Always the chronic list-maker, I still write down certain tasks I know need to be done.  I know my mind well enough to realize I will quickly forget the things I want done if I don’t document them.  However, if something else comes up that I really I want to do, then the other stuff will wait.  Obviously, with my current work situation I don’t have much of a choice in that department.  I work for someone else, and I am expected to follow the rules they set for me.

The article I read, titled “You Are Not a Machine; How to Stop Compartmentalizing Your Life,” dives into things like exercise and life experiences as well as work.  I think it is a must-read for anyone who feels like they are being stunted by the routine structure of life.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on this topic below.  And remember you can always receive my posts via email if you simply use the sign-up form on the right-hand side of the page.  Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

 

Wake-Up Call

A few days ago someone told me I needed to start writing again.  And she was right.  Little did she know that statement was exactly what I needed to hear.

 

A Few Months Off

We could say I took a break from blogging, but really I just stopped.  I allowed myself to fall into the pits of depression for months – which is far too long.  I’ve always had a depression cycle but nothing like what I just went through.  Rather than find ways to motivate myself and find happiness again, I chose to mope around and feel disgusted with myself and my life.  Technically, I am still going through it.  I’m just learning to work through it better.

I should note two things here:  1.  I’m not sure if it is clinical depression or not.  It is simply what I believe to be depression.  And 2.  I have always sworn off all mood-enhancing prescription medications, because it is my belief that I should be able to control my own mind/emotions without the use of pharmaceuticals.  (This doesn’t mean I frown upon anyone else who chooses that path.  It is just a path I’ve long tried to avoid.  Who knows… Maybe I’m just stubborn.)

 

“You need to start writing again.” – Opened my eyes.

The first thing I did was look at what is wrong in my life.  While there could be many candidates, I know it is best to start with one or two things.  The biggest one is something I wrote about in April:  Time management.  I am oh so bad with time management.

The post was about budgeting your time efficiently.  While it worked for a short time, it became very difficult to be spontaneous, and I honestly just walked away from the project without thinking.  Maybe I was budgeting things incorrectly, or perhaps I was trying to juggle too much.  Maybe I got too lazy to continue working with it.  The answer eludes me.

For the time being, I’ve found a very simple solution to understanding my problem so that I might be able to find a more permanent fix.

 

The Time Log

I remember reading about keeping track of your time by creating a time log for your day.  This was a long time ago, and I felt like I had no use for such a thing back then.  But while I was writing in my journal the other night and rambling about my lack of time, I decided to figure out how much free time I actually have in a day.  Well, the simplest way is to say:  I work for 8 hours most days, and I sleep for 8 hours most nights.  So, somewhere in between there is another 8 hours left for… well…. anything else I want to do.  I had NEVER thought of it that way.  I spent way too much time blaming my job for taking up my time when, in fact, I was really just using my time inefficiently.

If you feel like you do the same thing, keeping a time log is extremely simple.  I bought a small notebook for less than a dollar specifically for this task.  I use one sheet every day to write down what I did and at what time.  I try not to miss much of anything, because it is imperative that I have an accurate log for later observation.

The main thing I look for is a balance between duty and pleasure.  When I have 8 hours to kill, I should be productive for at least four of them.  It isn’t difficult in the least bit.  I think keeping the log helps me to actually see what is going on.  Our thoughts are so obscure that we need tangible evidence to understand what is going on.  For lazy people like myself, this is an amazing eye-opener.  Even people who aren’t lazy could benefit from a time log when they feel like they aren’t accomplishing certain tasks.

So, while I might not keep a schedule for my posts just yet, I would like to say that writing is one of the things I am trying to bring back into my productive time.

I hope you try the time log for yourself and see an improvement, if you’re in need of one!  Feel free to leave a comment about this topic below.

 

A Child’s Mind

As a child, I watched a show called Lamb Chop’s Play Along.  It was by far my favorite thing on T.V.  I remember admiring the host, Shari Lewis, and telling myself I would have to try to meet her someday.  However, a few years later, I heard of her passing.  I never tried to figure out what happened to her.  I simply cried a bit and shoved the dream aside. 

My son is only seven months old, but he seems to really enjoy Blue’s Clues re-runs on Netflix.  I found myself wondering if one day he will admire the host of his favorite children’s show just as I did.  This sparked my curiosity – which always leads to much time spent using Google. 

It turns out Lamb Chop’s Play Along only ended because of Shari Lewis’ failing health.  She had been battling cancer and could no longer act.  She died a year after the show ended in ‘97.

Finding this out just broke my heart even more.  It made me realize how little we know as children.  I mean, obviously, I wasn’t a part of this woman’s life.  So, I wouldn’t have known the situation anyway.  But as children we get these ideas in our heads as though nothing could ever shake them.  We don’t understand cancer and other deadly illnesses.  As an adult, it still bothers me to see people battling these things.  And I still don’t fully understand them.  Cancer can show up in anyone – anywhere – any time.  Some people fight it and win.  Others aren’t so lucky.  It’s always a gamble. 

If we can’t explain these things to ourselves, how are we to explain them to our children?  Or do we let them figure it out on their own?  I guess we could explain it scientifically, but does that really help them to understand the disease and what it can do to our bodies?  I suppose it depends on their age more than anything.  We have to simplify most things so children can understand.  This situation is no different.  I guess I’m just shocked by the large change in mindset between myself as a child (selfishly being upset because I wouldn’t meet Shari Lewis) and as an adult (seeing what really happened to her and wishing she wouldn’t have gone through such turmoil.)  If I had known the truth at that time, would it have changed anything?  Would my view have been different?  I’m not really sure.

I am sad to know how Shari Lewis passed.  However, I look up to her even more now.  It was obvious that she was continuing to live her life the best she could for as long as her body would allow it.  That is truly something to be admired.

And, as a side note, I wish Netflix would get some Lamp Chop episodes available for streaming.  I would love to share them with my son – while catching up on them myself. 

Ah, memories.