Jeal·ous·y [jel-uh-see] noun, plural -ous·ies for 4. 1. jealous resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself.
I just learned of a sibling's jealousy ... a brother questioned something he learned about one of my grandchildren ... it was an ugly accounting but the bottom line is ... he's jealous. Therefore, I will look the other way. There is no way I can make this better ... I just consider the source and move on. Like us all, he's on a journey and perhaps, one day, our journeys will mesh and I can share the joy of grandchildren when it isn't such a source of pain for him. It seems like the simplest way.
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Recently when I put gas into my car, I noticed a scruffy man put a few dollars worth of gas in his dilapidated vehicle. He glanced at me and I noticed his most incredibly blue eyes. They were soft and gently and yet troubled. We nodded at each other and I said, "Excuse me ... you have beautiful blue eyes." He looked away. I finished putting gas in my car and as I closed the gas door, I felt a presence, then a tap on my shoulder. It was the man with the blue eyes. He said, "Why did you say that to me?"
"Because you have beautiful eyes," I told him. He said, "No one ever told me that." "That's too bad." It wasn't long after when I was at a local store that a man approached me. He was rather bubbly and filled with smiles. "Hi, again," he said. My expression gave away my confusion. "It's me!" he said through a huge smile. His blue eyes gave him away. It was the man from the gas station. "I got a job! It's not a great job, but I'm working!" he announced. He continued to tell me that after our encounter this morning he decided he look for a job. At the first place he went he spoke to a manager who told him to go home and get cleaned up and to come back and see him. He did and the manager hired on the spot. Mr. Blue Eyes said, "You did that. You helped me get a job." I explained I didn't do anything special ... I just told the truth. He told me I gave him the confidence he needed to go out and get a job. He thanked me. I thanked him. We just smiled. Be nice. It wasn't long ago I invited a friend to lunch. Her response, "Wonderful, if nothing better comes along that'd be great." Really? Am I to understand she may not meet me for lunch if perhaps her hairdresser can squeeze her in? My response, "Well, when our friendship is a priority, you let me know." I haven't heard from her since. I'm not surprised.
What's the matter with people today? Are we so commitment-phobic that we can't even 'do lunch'? I remember a simpler time when lunch was simply lunch. Friends committed to meet somewhere, some day, at some time to simply enjoy each others' company. AND EVERYONE SHOWED UP!! Nothing better came along. I know of a woman who put on a spectacular party for no minimal amount of money, I'm sure, and sent out invitations to fifty people. Thirty of the fifty RSVP'd with a YES ... and only one showed up. One guest who had responded with a 'yes' told me later she had gone shopping with a friend. The worse part of that faux pas was that she KNEW SHE WAS LETTING HER FRIEND DOWN ... and it didn't seem to matter to her at all. What in the hell is that about??? Internet hoaxes are alive and well on Facebook! Recently a picture of a baby with cancer on his face found its way to my Facebook page and my research showed the growth is actually a strawberry birthmark - granted it's very large - but it's not cancer and Facebook won't give money to this child every time the photo is 'shared'!! Why do people insist on sharing this information without checking it out? When I privately messaged one of my friends about a recent post I found to be a hoax, I was told "Oh, I just passed it on, if someone wants to check it out they can." When I asked her if she didn't think it was the sender's responsibility to check the validity of a claim before they forward the message, she simply said, "No." The madness must stop! Are we that gullible? I hope not.
There are three sites I use to validate what I suspect are hoaxes and I will continue to pass on the information. Sadly, even some of the anti-hoax sites aren't always correct, so it appears there is a sucker born every minute ... even though the man who received credit for that statement is not the originator. Check out a hoax before you spread the word. I started this website/blog because people have been telling me for years to write, write, write. I decided there was no time like the present. I'm going to focus on some of the tricks I've learned along the way. One thing I will share right now is that I truly enjoy my life and all it's simplicity - not to say I never have any chaos, trauma, or pain - but it is my intention to share the joy, to write daily and to pay it forward ... I didn't come this smart you know!!
Who knows where this will go!! I hope you'll follow me on this new journey in print! |
Who Am I?
I am what I am ... nothing more, nothing less. It's not that I know more than anyone else ... it's just that I've lived longer than a good many and have experienced life. I am a people watcher, a listener. I don't judge ... we all have a journey ... thank you for allowing me to share my journey with you. Archives
June 2023
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