Should I worry???

I currently have no good ideas for posts, so I searched through drafts and found this old one--which I lost track of somehow.  Since it's weird to mention the same blogger two posts in a row, this one is perfect for today:

Have you ever stumbled across a fact about yourself or your life that made you stop and think?  Something you knew, but never really thought about--until something brought it to your attention?  That happened to me today. 

I was visiting blogs, enjoying the usual extraordinary offerings--posts about food, books, health, personal experiences, etc.  As an aside, one of the great things about blogging is meeting people from all over, with different backgrounds, different experiences, and being reminded that people are more alike than different.  It's easy to relate to people when you give them and yourself the chance. 

Included among my destinations was a stop at Always Maylee.  The idea of wearing pink came up in today's post.  Aside from once having worn a pink shirt as an usher at a wedding, that's something I never do.  And yet it reminded me of something.  When I was 11, my two older brothers and I switched bedrooms with the only sister who was still living at home.  The "girls room" was larger than ours.  It was also pink.  My brothers didn't mind and I was just excited to get a bed that didn't fold up and roll away.  So it stayed pink.  Eventually my brothers moved out and I finally painted it yellow (over the pink it ended up looking sort of peachy--it was a nice color).

What I knew, but hadn't realized (if that makes sense), is that from the age of 11 until 20 my bedroom was pink.  Nine years with a pink bedroom.  Throughout my teen years my bedroom was pink.  Pink!!!  That doesn't sound like a big deal today, but back in the dark ages of my youth it was.  I can't believe my dad allowed it.  Part of me wonders if the plan was to make sure we didn't invite people into our room.  If that was it, it was genius--and worked like a charm. :)

Question:  Do you believe the color of a bedroom has any effect on its inhabitants?  Did the pink help make me who I am today?  Is that what gets the blame???  lol

Reading the Room

I’d forgotten, but a recent post by Yi-chia (Always Maylee) reminded me that I have a story about shorts.  At least it starts out being about shorts, then evolves into something else. 

I was 17 at the time and dating my soon-to-be bride.  We planned to grab dinner and go bowling on that summery Saturday evening.  When I arrived to pick her up, she was wearing white shorts.  She’d had them since she was 13 (and they were her favorite).  A lot of things change between the ages of 13 and 17 and, well, I’ll just say more was showing in the back than I felt was appropriate.  Especially for bowling!!! 

I suggested she change.  She said the shorts were “fine”.  I pointed out she couldn’t see them from all angles.  She refused to change.  I was okay with that, but I also wasn’t taking her out.  I settled in to watch tv with her parents.  She kept giving me the stink eye and motioning for us to leave.  Feeling playful, I smiled, turned to her dad and said, “Do you think it’s okay for your daughter to go bowling in those shorts?” 

Ka-boom!!!  He exploded, angrily telling her to change.  She exploded too, saying she was tired of everyone telling her what to do.  Her dad was very mad and she was crying.  As I sat there, slightly stunned, my only thought was, “I did that.”  It was my fault.  (I may have also been thinking “Teenagers!!!” but it would be weird to admit that.)

I failed to “read the room.”  If I’d paid attention, I would have known her father was agitated that night.  It was the wrong time for me to (even playfully) drag him into the shorts discussion.  I made mess.  I was wrapped up in my storyline and didn’t consider what was going on with the other characters—specifically her dad.  I hate being that guy.   

I ended up having to take her out to end the hostilities—but I didn't take her bowling.  We grabbed a few burgers and spent hours talking about her dad’s situation (soon he would have to stop working for health reasons), her frustrations, and maybe something about me…I can’t remember that part. 

It was a good lesson.  Always try to take heed of what’s going on around you, what people are going through, and what mood they are in at the time.  If you don’t, you’re likely to make a mess like I did.  Also, think twice before you decide to suggest someone's clothing might not be "appropriate"...and then think about it again before actually saying anything.  My wife is still mad about that (but she did stop wearing the shorts).  :D

Lucky Star

That’s what I born under, a lucky star.  I’ve always been lucky—I often credit that to having the best guardian angel ever.  Fate has put me into some odd situations (the stalking, the gun pointing, etc.) and I’ve put myself into a few too.  But things always work out (knock on wood).  It started the day I was born. 

Roughly seven weeks before I was due, my mom caught the flu.  I thought that’s what caused my early arrival.  But my mom shared with a sister-in-law (who was studying nursing) that it was a placental abruption that actually caused the emergency.  It’s odd my parents never told me that, but not surprising.  They weren’t much on sharing information or explaining whatever was going on.  I believe my SIL because the parts of the story I did know made more sense once I heard that. 

Of course dad rushed mom to the hospital (a small, private hospital).  Her regular doctor wasn’t there.  A doctor they didn't know was on duty—Dr. Shadow (I didn’t change his name for this story—the dude’s name was Dr. Shadow).  After examining mom, the doctor told dad it didn’t look good.  He didn’t think he could save us both.  He asked dad to make a choice.  As I am the youngest of 6 children, my parents already had 5 kids at home.  They needed their mother.  Dad made the only choice he could.  He asked Dr. Shadow to save his wife.

(Side-story:  When I announced I was getting married, my parent's neighbor, MrsB, wanted to help with the wedding.  She said I always seemed more like one of her kids (and less like my siblings), because I didn’t wait around for someone to do things for me.  I just did what I needed to do on my own.  That too started the day I was born.)

When the doctor returned to my mom, I had taken control of the situation—by being well on my way to being born.  Fortunately the doctor had been wrong.  He was able to save us both.  It was touch and go for my mom, but she pulled through.  Upon hearing he had a new son, my dad had his one and only hot flash.  He thought that meant I was going to be someone special, like a priest.  That didn’t work out for him—but I am more than willing to hear your confessions.  :)

My mom’s recovery was slow.  She was sickly for years.  I spent my first six months living with an aunt (who apparently spoiled me rotten and tried to keep me).  By the time I was six years-old, my mom was doing much better.  Then she had another health problem, which left her sickly for the next six or seven years.  The poor woman recovered just in time to be upset that I was openly interested in girls and they were calling me at home.  She really hated that.  LOL


PS – It may not be clear why, but the circumstances of my birth set me at odds with my siblings.  Among the five of them, they were mad at me for several different reasons.  Mostly due to misunderstandings which were easily avoidable.  Have I mentioned my parents were not great communicators?

Oh, I forgot to mention something—my parents never saw Dr. Shadow again.

**dunt**dunt**dun*!!!  :)

Happy 237th!

My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountainside
Let freedom ring!

USA!  USA!  USA!

PS - The Washington Monument is having a little work done this year.  It survived the East Coast Earthquake, but was damaged.  Soon its cracks will be repaired and it will be good as new!  I hope the same will be true for all the cracks in the US. 








Edit:  There are people on Twitter congratulating the US on turning 2,013!!! 

Tactical Mistake

Does this sound familiar?  You notice a dog in your neighborhood.  He probably belongs to a neighbor.  You don't recognize him, but he seems friendly...maybe a little wary?  You start to see him more often.  He wags his tail when he sees you and it's clear he has a sweet disposition.  You get used to him being around and you start talking to him when you see him--he almost seems to understand what you're saying.  Dogs are fun that way.  Then one day you see him defend an elderly neighbor by getting between her and a group of rowdy teenagers--and growling at them.  You think, "That's a good dog" and decide to give him Thursday's leftover meatloaf (you were just going to throw it out anyway). 

Mistake!!!  You fed him!  Now you can't get rid of him.  Sure, he's an okay dog, but do you want him hanging around all the time??? 

That's happened to me twice--I once got a dog that way* AND my friend Rooth recently fed me, now she's never going to get rid of me!!!  lol

But she's smart.  Hopefully she knew what she was getting into when sent me an irresistible treat--chocolate-filled croissants.  She'd paid attention to my babbling and knew they're a favorite of mine.  I love croissants, adding chocolate to them makes me giddy!  They arrived frozen from William-Sonoma.  Frozen, they looked small.  Thanks to the magic of rising dough, they're pretty big--I was only able to eat four this weekend.  I mean two, I ate two!!!  Eating four would just be silly and wrong  (okay, I ate four--I'm not proud, but they're so good).  I shared them with my family--my daughter is a fan too.  My wife and son both passed on the offer.  More for me.  Oh, I mean more for me and my daughter.  ;)

Thank you, Rooth, for being a good, thoughtful friend--and kind enough to feed a stray.  :)

* I was 11 and a dog started hanging around our house.  It was a different time and place.  Dogs roamed loose where I grew up.  Today when we see a stray, we immediately take it in and try to find the owner.