While I’ve been trying to come up with something to write here today, my editor (i.e., my son) has pointed out not one, but two errors I made in previous posts.
And The War Is Ugly
April 2, 2020Recently I discovered there’s no such thing as a pacifist in a war against a pantry moth infestation.
I Then Apologized To The Dog
April 1, 2020This morning I awoke to find an “unexpected present” from the dog outside the bedroom door.
“Bad dog!” I scolded her, prompting L and his Mother to scurry over.
“No, no!” they protested. “It’s not real! It’s just a prank!”
“Really?” I sighed. “You two knew I didn’t sleep well last night, and you still thought this was going to be funny! There had better not be any other ‘surprises’ in store for me today, because as far as *I* am concerned, there is NO April Fools’ Day around me.”
I let my words (and the accompanying disappointment) sink in for a just moment before unleashing a flurry of tickles on my son. “Gotcha!” I chuckled. “April Fools!”
The Answer Is, Yes, I Should Be
March 31, 2020Should I be worried that my son has been giving me a 48 hour countdown to April Fools’ Day?
Step Five (And Six)
March 27, 2020Now, to the best of your ability, go do the right thing. Yes, people will argue with you endlessly about what exactly “the right thing” is, and that’s okay, but when it’s time for you to act, you’re going to have to be the one to do it, and you’re the one that’s going to have to live with what you do. Remember that, and do your best to be your best.
(And my son asked me to add that it’s okay to hope, just don’t let hope become a form of denial. He’s right too. It’s not only okay to hope, it’s good to hope! A ten percent chance of success, even a one percent chance, is still better than no chance at all, and if that’s your best option, better that you take it than just give up. Just take those chances with your eyes open and as much as possible, a serene heart. Remember, the Valkyrie don’t just pick from the winning side.)
Step Four
March 26, 2020You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts!
(But remember they are clues! Like I referenced yesterday, it was a fact no big animals lived in the area; that fact alone didn’t necessarily preclude the possibility of something big being in the area. New facts come in all the time. Use them!)
Step Three
March 25, 2020Don’t go into denial. Time wasted on Can’ts, Musts, and Buts is time better spent on the actual situation. Put another way, stopping to explain to the tiger that it can’t possibly be in your backyard isn’t the best use of your time.
(Take it from someone who as a kid ran inside after a stray firework startled something that sounded big that was hiding in the underbrush, and I was promptly assured that no big animals lived anywhere near there. While this was true as far as it goes, the next day I heard about a train load of circus animals that had escaped following a nearby crash, so . . . you know, I still feel pretty good about going inside.)
Step Two
March 24, 2020When in doubt, see Step One, because as Adam Savage has rightly said, “Calm people live, tense people die.“
