Isn't it funny how stories change over time? You know the 'grandmother' game......first a phrase is written down so no one can say later on, "No, that isn't what it (the written phrase) said!"......then you start off in a circle and whisper the phrase you were given in the ear of the person on your left....that person whispers what they 'heard' to the next person and on and on until the last person has to say what the phrase is.....guess what???? It is NEVER exactly how the phrase started out.
We as humans, have the habit of remembering how we want to remember things, instead of how they really were. Mostly because we bring our own emotional baggage into the equation. For instance, if someone says something about you and it is so very far from the truth......it will never bother you. If, on the other hand, it is a flaw that you recognize in yourself.....it will bug you to pieces. I guess that is where the phrase, "The truth hurts" comes from. And when someone tells you they have forgotten something that happened in the past, but they are obviously hanging onto it for dear life....that is usually because you have come too close to a trait that the person dislikes about themselves or has tried to overcome and is insulted that you 'went there' and they feel uncomfortable about reliving it....Or someone may call you a 'fake' and if you know you are not a 'fake' it will not bother you. But if you know deep down that you are a fake and someone is getting close to uncovering that truth about you.....it hurts your feelings. If we dig deep enough and are truthful enough with ourselves....the truth usually comes out.
My daughter taught me something she learned in college while she was studying psychology.....the teacher said if someone said you have green hair....how would you feel? It wouldn't bother you, would it? Because you KNOW you don't have green hair. If someone says you gave your child up (even though it was the right thing to do at the time) you would have that pang in your gut because you 'feel' you should have kept the child with you no matter what. But don't blame the person who DID take care of the child because you feel guilty. Instead be happy the child was taken care of by someone who obviously loved them very much, while you had to do your own thing at the time.....It is easy to 'blame' others for making you feel a certain way.....but the reality is that you are in charge of how you process what other people say to you in a hurtful way. If it really, really, really bothers you...there is probably some shred of the truth in what they said. If you say you have forgotten it and put it behind you.....but keep it alive and nurture it with hateful thoughts.....it is still there, isn't it? And if you spout off hurtful things back at the person.....are you really any different than what you were so upset with the person for in the first place?
The reason Gommy is talking about all this is that I have had to work on myself quite a bit over my many years. I have made mistakes over the years and there have been times of wishing things didn't happen a certain way. But we are human and we do make mistakes. But if you learn from your mistakes and grow from them and truly try to do better, then all was not lost. Sadly 20/20 vision works only for our past, not our present or future in how we should have or will have handled certain things in our lives. But if you truly want to make yourself a better person....only you have that ability. If others don't see that you have tried to make amends....then it is that person who needs to start working on their 'stuff'.
Today is the "Day of Atonement" for the Jews. This is the holiest day of the year because it gives everyone a clean slate. Gommy thinks it is a good idea for all of us to implement. Atonement means that there is a chance to start all over again. But doing it right this time....but you must truly be sorry (atone) for your mistakes or sins..... BUT....with the knowledge that you cannot just do things the same old way or the deal is off. If you have hurt someone....you atone (feel sorry) for the way you acted. If you sinned.....you atone for that behavior....etc., etc.
So Gommy says......if you truly want a peaceful life, you will not succumb to any sort of drama i.e. suffering, quarreling, violence, grudges or any unkind behavior. You will realize that there are ALWAYS three sides to every story before you take sides (which is never a good idea either).......the two people involved and then the TRUTH. If you can be honest with yourself......really honest......you will start with your own behavior and work out from there. There is no reward in not facing our own faults and frailties. So man-up or lady-up and put on your big girl or boy panties and deal with whatever it is that is haunting you. Don't blame someone else for bringing it up. If it isn't anywhere near the truth.....it won't bother you.
If you feel someone can't get over something from the past and it causes drama in your life.....just stay away from that person. There is no plus in trying to foster a relationship with someone who dislikes you. There is no place for phoniness to ever make a relationship work. It will only cause you more frustration and sadness and no one wants that in their life. Put out what you want to come back in your life and if you know in your heart that you have grown as a person and have tried to make amends....you will be at peace. We must all deal with the Karma that we put out there....Gommy is truly trying to atone for any unkind or mean things from my past and it is very freeing......so try it......it REALLY feels good to expunge toxic feelings from your life. It takes 'moral reckoning' to a new level!!!!
There was a time that Gommy held grudges and just couldn't find it in her heart to forgive someone for things. But in reality it was only making Gommy sick.....the person you are mad at is going along their merry way and the 'grudge-holder' (just made that up) is the miserable one.....So atone, atone, atone.....it really does make you feel GREAT!!! If God can forgive you.......well, that is all that really matters now doesn't it? Now, be happy all you boys and girls out there.....Gommy is going to get ready to go to lunch with a very dear friend today and I intend to enjoy and be grateful for this day that was given to her as a gift and atone for any mis-steps I may have taken along my life's path!!! ((*.*))
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Guru or not Guru
Hi boys and girls....Gommy is feeling deep today. It is my day off and I awoke with a feeling of joy and happiness about life in general and wondered why some people are happy and some people are sad. Then Gommy looked up her favorite GURU on YouTube to listen to his teachings and thought how many people may not have had the opportunity or even the inclination to discover what 'makes them tick'. It is strange, but most people go through their whole lives in a state of being 'un-conscious'....meaning they just go through life, doing the things they do, over and over and over, because they think that is the way it is supposed to be and not questioning the hows, why's, or whatevers. Now, many people from western cultures hear the word 'guru' and become turned off because they 'think' it is some weirdo hocus-pocus or woo-woo way of thinking. But in actuality, the word guru itself just means 'a trusted counselor, adviser or mentor'. Not so scary right?
We are or become what we have been taught by our religious scribes, what our social culture expects of us, doctrine, dogma, our own skewed perception of how things happened in our memory of our past, or just what our parents have told us about ourselves. Many times our religious background has led us to believe things that may not be 100% correct. Now, you are thinking.....not my religion....but if that is so......what about all the other religions in the world? What about those religions that you think are woo-woo? THEY think their religion is the right one as well. Remember that 'self righteous morality is just jealousy with a halo'. (sic) For example....many cultures have very different customs and beliefs. Take the Hindu. They revere the 'cow'.... where we in Western civilization EAT our cows.....My 'guru' (er..........teacher if that makes you feel better) says that Hindus are no different than other religions; they kill for their beliefs and are merely vegetarians! Other civilizations kill for their beliefs as well. Take the killings in the Spanish Inquisition, or any war for that matter, that is based on religions.....WAIT A MINUTE!..... aren't all wars based in some matter or way in religion when you dig deep enough???? The point is that we may believe anything we wish to as long as we aren't 'obliged' to believe without questioning.
Many of us seem to focus on the negative instead of the positive aspects of our lives. For instance, my 'guru' says that if a child does poorly in math but excels in music, we usually get him a math tutor. DUH...While the positive approach should be to foster his musical talents and that way, he can 'hire' an accountant when he becomes successful. We seem to be 'addicted' to perceiving the lack instead of the abundance of everything around us. Nature is the 'poster child' for extravagance, wastefulness, and abundance in our existence. Think of how many flowers there are in the world, how many bodies of water, the grasses that grow under our very feet each day, how much food is produced that is thrown out (at least in our wasteful Western world). We should try to become 'addicted' to good addictions instead of bad addictions. Be addicted to noticing the abundance in the world around you, to the kindnesses that are evident in our daily lives and mostly, to the gift of life we enjoy!
How do we do that? Start by meditating.....Now don't get scared away....meditating is only stopping the 'monkey talk' in our heads and relaxing the mind. Science has proven that meditating boosts and secretes serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin ('happy hormones') in us and lowers the stress hormones because it induces DEEP rest in us. And we know that DEEP rest is refreshing and revitalizing to our mind and body's.
I know this is getting long......but Gommy has one more thing to think about. If you TRULY want something......you have to GIVE it to GET it. HUH? Think about it......the way the Universe (God) works is by example and service to others. If you want wealth.....you must help other people to get wealthy, if you want love you must give love to others, if you want respect you must respect other people or the people you want respect from, if you want peace....guess what? YOU must act peacefully towards others. Get it??? 'Be the change you want to see in the world." (sic)
OKIE-DOKIE...Gommy has stepped off the 'soap-box'....but just for today....I'll be baaaack. So have a great Saturday out there in 'blog-land'...Gommy is going to the beach and thank God (the Universe) for everything. If you are looking for me, I'll will be the one meditating....Hugs and Mush - Gommy ((*.*))
We are or become what we have been taught by our religious scribes, what our social culture expects of us, doctrine, dogma, our own skewed perception of how things happened in our memory of our past, or just what our parents have told us about ourselves. Many times our religious background has led us to believe things that may not be 100% correct. Now, you are thinking.....not my religion....but if that is so......what about all the other religions in the world? What about those religions that you think are woo-woo? THEY think their religion is the right one as well. Remember that 'self righteous morality is just jealousy with a halo'. (sic) For example....many cultures have very different customs and beliefs. Take the Hindu. They revere the 'cow'.... where we in Western civilization EAT our cows.....My 'guru' (er..........teacher if that makes you feel better) says that Hindus are no different than other religions; they kill for their beliefs and are merely vegetarians! Other civilizations kill for their beliefs as well. Take the killings in the Spanish Inquisition, or any war for that matter, that is based on religions.....WAIT A MINUTE!..... aren't all wars based in some matter or way in religion when you dig deep enough???? The point is that we may believe anything we wish to as long as we aren't 'obliged' to believe without questioning.
Many of us seem to focus on the negative instead of the positive aspects of our lives. For instance, my 'guru' says that if a child does poorly in math but excels in music, we usually get him a math tutor. DUH...While the positive approach should be to foster his musical talents and that way, he can 'hire' an accountant when he becomes successful. We seem to be 'addicted' to perceiving the lack instead of the abundance of everything around us. Nature is the 'poster child' for extravagance, wastefulness, and abundance in our existence. Think of how many flowers there are in the world, how many bodies of water, the grasses that grow under our very feet each day, how much food is produced that is thrown out (at least in our wasteful Western world). We should try to become 'addicted' to good addictions instead of bad addictions. Be addicted to noticing the abundance in the world around you, to the kindnesses that are evident in our daily lives and mostly, to the gift of life we enjoy!
How do we do that? Start by meditating.....Now don't get scared away....meditating is only stopping the 'monkey talk' in our heads and relaxing the mind. Science has proven that meditating boosts and secretes serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin ('happy hormones') in us and lowers the stress hormones because it induces DEEP rest in us. And we know that DEEP rest is refreshing and revitalizing to our mind and body's.
I know this is getting long......but Gommy has one more thing to think about. If you TRULY want something......you have to GIVE it to GET it. HUH? Think about it......the way the Universe (God) works is by example and service to others. If you want wealth.....you must help other people to get wealthy, if you want love you must give love to others, if you want respect you must respect other people or the people you want respect from, if you want peace....guess what? YOU must act peacefully towards others. Get it??? 'Be the change you want to see in the world." (sic)
OKIE-DOKIE...Gommy has stepped off the 'soap-box'....but just for today....I'll be baaaack. So have a great Saturday out there in 'blog-land'...Gommy is going to the beach and thank God (the Universe) for everything. If you are looking for me, I'll will be the one meditating....Hugs and Mush - Gommy ((*.*))
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Do as I Say - Not as I Do !
Gommy has been reminded once again how easy it is to GIVE advice and not TAKE advice......even if you are the giver and the taker yourself. A co-worker this past week was very vitriolic and nasty to Gommy and Gommy allowed herself to easily fall into the trap of letting someone else's opinion matter.....But only for a minute ( ok - a few minutes) and only until Gommy remembered her (my) own advice to others, i.e. "Don't let someone else's opinion of you bother you because what someone else thinks of you is none of your business!" Get it??? Gommy does now (or does finally once again...) If we are to be secure within and about ourselves, we must become immune to our criticisms and well as the flattery we receive. You can't have it only one way. If you only listen to flattery then you will get a 'swelled head' and if you only believe your critics, you will self deflate.....not so good for either 'belief' to take over....see how that works?
The great Deepak Chopra says that anything that seems wrong in your life can be seen as the result of the past or the future. (sic) If you focus on just the 'present' moment, you will see that the present does not present any problems at all (right at the very minute that you are worrying about). If you only dwell on what has happened in your life in the past that was unpleasant or you only worry about what might happen in your life in the future that you fear.....you will 'think' you have problems. But you should realize that your past cannot hurt you (emotionally) unless you are stuck there in your mind and your future is just that.....the future, and the future can change if you focus on what you do want and not what you fear.
Then there is the theory that people usually equate 'wealth' with money. They fear they don't have enough of 'it', or someone is going to take 'it' away from them, or they fear they are less because they don't have as much of 'it' as someone else, or they have too much of 'it' and people don't like them because of 'it'.....and on and on ad nauseum. In reality, 'wealth' should be measured by the amount of good health and happiness you have in your possession because those are the things that cannot be bought nor are they for sale in any mall.....
There is a hunger for youth in todays' culture. The Eastern cultures admire and respect their elders. In our culture, the elderly and/or the poor are looked down upon and dis-respected. One thing Gommy found out when the little co-workerattacked disrespected Gommy this week is that if you disrespect someone they can become enraged!!!! You can pretty much do anything or say anything to someone and it will not affect them, but if you disrespect them....look out! Remember what Gommy said in a few blogs ago? 'You can say or do most anything to someone.....but how you make them feel will never be forgotten" (sic)
You can also age yourself more by the way you think too. Don't believe Gommy? Think of the people you know who always say they don't have enough time to do this or do that.....or the people that say there aren't enough hours in the day.....or their children are growing up too fast....they usually look or appear to be older than they are. And many times, these same people end up with a heart attack or poor health because they are actually aging themselves with the thought of running out of time....they are sadly prophesizing their own early demise!!! Instead, try to think in terms of...."I have an eternity to finish that....or I have all the time in the world to get ready for 'this or that'..... It will definitely cut down on stress and we all know that stress is what kills.... you know 'DIS-ease". And Gommy knows you have all heard that phrase before!
It is the same with the preoccupation of the 'war on this' or the 'war on that' as in the 'war on terrorism' or the 'war on poverty' or the 'war on aids', etc. etc. and yada-yada-yada. How is that working out folks??? Not so well, eh? Instead we should have a "peace movement' as we older generation did back in the day. It eventually ended the War in Viet Nam. Instead we should think in terms of 'healing bigotry' or 'healing hurt feelings that harbor terrorist thinking' or 'healing the ills of the country so that no one has to go hungry'. Gommy bets it will work alot better than all the 'wars on this and that' are working. Or how about working on our own 'spirituality'. And not the 'shallow' spirituality many people are living. Gommy means the 'deep' spirituality that involves looking into our own hearts and how we feel about the things in our world. What are you in that regard; deep or shallow spirits?
How can we help? What can we do? Gommy thinks if we just start out small, like being kind to our neighbors, friends and family is a very good start. Don't 'snap' the next time your child asks you a question, or your elderly parent, or your teacher, or swear because you are stuck in traffic, or you...........get the picture yet? Then start being a good citizen and not throwing that gum wrapper on the ground. Help someone less fortunate than you. It almost started up a few years ago with the movie "Pay it Forward", but sadly stalled after the hoopla of enjoying the movie ended.
Soooooo, Gommy says to think about this for a bit. Just that little pause from the hatred, bigotry and disrespect may be enough to get the ball rolling in the RIGHT direction. Try it....it can't hurt....right??? :) Have a nice day everyone and Gommy will try to remember from now on to "Do as I Say" and really DO IT!!!!....Hugs and Mush, Gommy
The great Deepak Chopra says that anything that seems wrong in your life can be seen as the result of the past or the future. (sic) If you focus on just the 'present' moment, you will see that the present does not present any problems at all (right at the very minute that you are worrying about). If you only dwell on what has happened in your life in the past that was unpleasant or you only worry about what might happen in your life in the future that you fear.....you will 'think' you have problems. But you should realize that your past cannot hurt you (emotionally) unless you are stuck there in your mind and your future is just that.....the future, and the future can change if you focus on what you do want and not what you fear.
Then there is the theory that people usually equate 'wealth' with money. They fear they don't have enough of 'it', or someone is going to take 'it' away from them, or they fear they are less because they don't have as much of 'it' as someone else, or they have too much of 'it' and people don't like them because of 'it'.....and on and on ad nauseum. In reality, 'wealth' should be measured by the amount of good health and happiness you have in your possession because those are the things that cannot be bought nor are they for sale in any mall.....
There is a hunger for youth in todays' culture. The Eastern cultures admire and respect their elders. In our culture, the elderly and/or the poor are looked down upon and dis-respected. One thing Gommy found out when the little co-worker
You can also age yourself more by the way you think too. Don't believe Gommy? Think of the people you know who always say they don't have enough time to do this or do that.....or the people that say there aren't enough hours in the day.....or their children are growing up too fast....they usually look or appear to be older than they are. And many times, these same people end up with a heart attack or poor health because they are actually aging themselves with the thought of running out of time....they are sadly prophesizing their own early demise!!! Instead, try to think in terms of...."I have an eternity to finish that....or I have all the time in the world to get ready for 'this or that'..... It will definitely cut down on stress and we all know that stress is what kills.... you know 'DIS-ease". And Gommy knows you have all heard that phrase before!
It is the same with the preoccupation of the 'war on this' or the 'war on that' as in the 'war on terrorism' or the 'war on poverty' or the 'war on aids', etc. etc. and yada-yada-yada. How is that working out folks??? Not so well, eh? Instead we should have a "peace movement' as we older generation did back in the day. It eventually ended the War in Viet Nam. Instead we should think in terms of 'healing bigotry' or 'healing hurt feelings that harbor terrorist thinking' or 'healing the ills of the country so that no one has to go hungry'. Gommy bets it will work alot better than all the 'wars on this and that' are working. Or how about working on our own 'spirituality'. And not the 'shallow' spirituality many people are living. Gommy means the 'deep' spirituality that involves looking into our own hearts and how we feel about the things in our world. What are you in that regard; deep or shallow spirits?
How can we help? What can we do? Gommy thinks if we just start out small, like being kind to our neighbors, friends and family is a very good start. Don't 'snap' the next time your child asks you a question, or your elderly parent, or your teacher, or swear because you are stuck in traffic, or you...........get the picture yet? Then start being a good citizen and not throwing that gum wrapper on the ground. Help someone less fortunate than you. It almost started up a few years ago with the movie "Pay it Forward", but sadly stalled after the hoopla of enjoying the movie ended.
Soooooo, Gommy says to think about this for a bit. Just that little pause from the hatred, bigotry and disrespect may be enough to get the ball rolling in the RIGHT direction. Try it....it can't hurt....right??? :) Have a nice day everyone and Gommy will try to remember from now on to "Do as I Say" and really DO IT!!!!....Hugs and Mush, Gommy
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Old Friends
Isn't it nice when you can just pick up where you left off with a friend from your past? Yep.....But twenty-five years ago!!!!! That is what Gommy did this week. Through the wonderful social network of Facebook, a very dear friend from Gommys' early childhood found her way to reconnecting with Goms. We picked up just where we had left off all those many years ago. And we did so seamlessly, which is pretty amazing if you think about it.It was sooo funny getting ready for our breakfast get-together.....You would have thought Gommy was getting ready for a date instead of meeting up with an old friend. But you know, it had been a very long time since we had seen each other and who know how she might look??? Goms had to look her best too. As soon as I saw her at our rendezvous place.......I knew her immediately and she hadn't changed one iota in all these years......well, we have all changed a little but for the most part, I would have been able to pick her out in a crowd. Of course, she was polite about my looking pretty good as well.
My friend and I actually go back some 50 years.....we went through our first marriages together too. My late husband and I would go over to her and her husbands' house and play games and cards when we were all newlyweds. It was before Gommy had any children and my friend and her husband had a son at the time. Those were some mighty good times when you think we didn't have a 'pot or a window' in those early years. It just proves that you CAN have a good time with little or no money for entertainment.
Another pretty astonishing thing is that when we were kids, we lived just blocks away from each other and when I asked about the rest of her family and we got to one of her brothers....I asked where he lived and she mentioned an area and it is the same area where Grandpa and I live now and then I asked what street it was and it turns out it he lives on OUR very street! He happens to live just 6 blocks from where we live right now.....Is that ironic or spooky or what??? We ended up living just blocks away from each other after 50 years had passed. That is awesome, if you ask Goms.
Well, it is a very nice circumstance to get reacquainted with a very good friend from ages ago. It is definitely a 'Blast from the Past"......Gommy LOVES it!!!! Great things keep happening in our lives all the time. Can't wait for the next great surprise that is around the corner......Hope some of you have a chance to reconnect with an old friend some day......Have a great day all my blog-friends out there!! Hugs and Mush, Gommy
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Beyond Judgement
Gommy is enjoying another glorious Sunday. Thank you God. This Sunday started at 5:30am for Gommy..........I know! Gommys' internal clock just works that way....but at first stirrings, the thoughts of my blog filled my head. What to write about today??? 'Judgement' came to the forefront of my thinking and that is what 'Gommys Goodies' is about today.
Gommy heard somewhere that there are only three types of behaviors; nice, nasty and indifferent. When you think about it, by golly, that is correct! Try to think of people you know and try to give other types of behavior to them and you will see for yourself that anyone you can think of will actually fall into one of these three categories. I know! I tried myself.....
We don't usually give much thought to the nice people we know. And that is a terrible oversight because they are the ones we should focus on.....but for some unknown human response 'thingy' (a very technical Gommy term), we do focus on the nasty or the indifferent people we come across.
As we tend to focus on the nasty or indifferent people we know, we are usually measuring how they feel about us or their opinion of us. And that is absurd because in reality WHO CARES what they think or feel about us? Gommy only cares about the opinion of those who Gommy admires or loves or cares about in life.
If you ARE one of the nasty or indifferent people (but sadly, don't often admit to being) who do judge others all the time, you need to work on that. Try to get beyond the judging and find that small place just before the judging begins and your response to your judgement takes affect. THAT is the place to start. Start what? Start stopping.....Stop judging and start just witnessing. By that Gommy means you can 'witness' someone or something and just process it without judging because you have no idea how that person or their behavior manifested. Go beyond judgement to witnessing and then finally to acceptance. The acceptance that it is really none of your business how someone decides to live their life. You know the Bible parable about 'the splinter in your brothers' eye and the log in your own'? (sic)
Some of the greatest 'seers' in life went beyond judgement and just witnessed. Most of us have heard or read the great poets Keats and Shelley. But did you know that they had all of this wonderful insight at an age that is not often represented by the youth? Shelley was only 29 when he died and Keats was only 25!
But back to judgement and judging. Wayne Dyer, in his lectures, says that we should be 'independent of the good opinion of others'. By that, it means that we should live our lives and let others live theirs and stop trying to 'be of' the good opinion of others. For if you do, you will always be trying to live up to someone elses idea of how to live.
The great satirist H.L. Mencken wrote once to one of his critics, "I am sitting here in the smallest room in my house (we all know which room that is) and I have your letter of criticism before me. Soon it will be behind me." (sic) And that is how we should all feel about someone who is criticizing us. Let it go.....who cares????
So as Gommy sits at the computer, enjoying the birds chirping outside and realizing they are not aware nor do they care about the other birds opinions of their chrips.....Gommy says quit judging others and if you really need to judge, start with yourself....that is really the only opinion you should care about and the only one that you can actually change anyway......Enjoy life....Hugs and Mush, Gommy
Gommy heard somewhere that there are only three types of behaviors; nice, nasty and indifferent. When you think about it, by golly, that is correct! Try to think of people you know and try to give other types of behavior to them and you will see for yourself that anyone you can think of will actually fall into one of these three categories. I know! I tried myself.....
We don't usually give much thought to the nice people we know. And that is a terrible oversight because they are the ones we should focus on.....but for some unknown human response 'thingy' (a very technical Gommy term), we do focus on the nasty or the indifferent people we come across.
As we tend to focus on the nasty or indifferent people we know, we are usually measuring how they feel about us or their opinion of us. And that is absurd because in reality WHO CARES what they think or feel about us? Gommy only cares about the opinion of those who Gommy admires or loves or cares about in life.
If you ARE one of the nasty or indifferent people (but sadly, don't often admit to being) who do judge others all the time, you need to work on that. Try to get beyond the judging and find that small place just before the judging begins and your response to your judgement takes affect. THAT is the place to start. Start what? Start stopping.....Stop judging and start just witnessing. By that Gommy means you can 'witness' someone or something and just process it without judging because you have no idea how that person or their behavior manifested. Go beyond judgement to witnessing and then finally to acceptance. The acceptance that it is really none of your business how someone decides to live their life. You know the Bible parable about 'the splinter in your brothers' eye and the log in your own'? (sic)
Some of the greatest 'seers' in life went beyond judgement and just witnessed. Most of us have heard or read the great poets Keats and Shelley. But did you know that they had all of this wonderful insight at an age that is not often represented by the youth? Shelley was only 29 when he died and Keats was only 25!
But back to judgement and judging. Wayne Dyer, in his lectures, says that we should be 'independent of the good opinion of others'. By that, it means that we should live our lives and let others live theirs and stop trying to 'be of' the good opinion of others. For if you do, you will always be trying to live up to someone elses idea of how to live.
The great satirist H.L. Mencken wrote once to one of his critics, "I am sitting here in the smallest room in my house (we all know which room that is) and I have your letter of criticism before me. Soon it will be behind me." (sic) And that is how we should all feel about someone who is criticizing us. Let it go.....who cares????
So as Gommy sits at the computer, enjoying the birds chirping outside and realizing they are not aware nor do they care about the other birds opinions of their chrips.....Gommy says quit judging others and if you really need to judge, start with yourself....that is really the only opinion you should care about and the only one that you can actually change anyway......Enjoy life....Hugs and Mush, Gommy
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Football Season
Well, it's here fans.......football season. Armchair quarterbacks, the testing of manhood, proudly showing off how cold it is in the stands, while baring your bare-chested and game colored-painted body in the sub-freezing weather, while holding a giant thermometer to show how 'strong' and 'virile' you are, just in case a TV camera catches you on the Jumbo-Tron...........and guess what?....they do! You must be sooooo proud!
There are many seasons of our lives....there are the yearly seasons of Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. There are the Christian holiday seasons; Easter and Christmas. And then there are the seasons of our life.....birth and death. Sometimes football games can lead you to wish you were 'dead' when you have bet too much on your losing team.....Geesh....what were you thinking guy?
But back to football season....it is usually looked forward to with rabid anticipation for many men and quite a few women as well. Gommy thinks it is because after a long, busy and hot summer, most of us are ready to take a break and 'watch' instead of participate. The summer usually brings with it vacations, beach-going, hiking, rollerblading and many other out of doors activities that require us to expend quite a bit of our own energy......Now, the fans can sit and watch other people expend quite a bit of their energy and get to watch them and all the while, we get to eat junk food and socialize with our friends, in person - at the games or just in our living rooms. Bathing suit season is over for this season.....no more exercising or holding in the old gut. Pack on the pounds fans...... you can relax until Summer approaches next year and that panic sets in that you have to get ready to put that bikini on again.......UGH!
The hoopla over football is very interesting to Gommy. A bunch of guys try to get an orb from the other bunch of guys and beat up on each other for a couple of hours and the one that gets the orb the most....WINS!!! Wins what? Mostly 'Bragging Rights' that they are the best.....Best what??? Best 'beater-uppers'....And the people who are rooting for them are the 'Best' too. How that is puzzles the mind. Just because you like....er....LOVE a certain team and they beat up the other team and took their orb away more times.....what?...somehow equates that now you are better...stronger....smarter????? Oh well...........if that is what 'floats your boat', then you 'go guy and girl fan'. Gommy is all about positive 'self-esteem' no matter how you get it (er....almost no matter how you get it). This sort of sporting event has been going on for centuries...it is not unlike the Gladiators.....except for the killing.....;) - although Gommy has seen a few after-game tail-gate parties that almost included killing the opponents fans......WOW...that is certainly some personal attachment to a game!
But, Gommy has to admit that she looks forward to football season too. That is now that Grandpa Mike and Gommy don't own the golf course anymore. Football season is when the golfing season seemed to go into hibernation up north, along with the opportunity for any form of money coming in to the business to pay the bills! :( ....but now Gommy and Grandpa can enjoy the football season just like 'real' people. Gommy might ad that the weather isn't a dire concern any longer either......Having the weather determine if you are going to make any money on any certain day or if the weather is going to cancel or mess up a money-making golf tournament that you have planned and worked on for months is not so much fun! Gommy can actually enjoy hearing the rain, while taking a nap now.....Thank you God!
I'm guessing all the hype and TV ads really do get you all reved up to begin the'beating-up' football season......ahhhhhhhhhhhhh....soooooooo, just like so many football fans, we've got our stash of corn chips, salsa, potato chips, hot dogs, chicken wings, beer and sodas and any other junk food you can think of ready and waiting to sit in the recliner and shout out to the TV how the coaches SHOULD be coaching.... BOOYAH!!!!! GO TEAM!!!!!
There are many seasons of our lives....there are the yearly seasons of Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. There are the Christian holiday seasons; Easter and Christmas. And then there are the seasons of our life.....birth and death. Sometimes football games can lead you to wish you were 'dead' when you have bet too much on your losing team.....Geesh....what were you thinking guy?
But back to football season....it is usually looked forward to with rabid anticipation for many men and quite a few women as well. Gommy thinks it is because after a long, busy and hot summer, most of us are ready to take a break and 'watch' instead of participate. The summer usually brings with it vacations, beach-going, hiking, rollerblading and many other out of doors activities that require us to expend quite a bit of our own energy......Now, the fans can sit and watch other people expend quite a bit of their energy and get to watch them and all the while, we get to eat junk food and socialize with our friends, in person - at the games or just in our living rooms. Bathing suit season is over for this season.....no more exercising or holding in the old gut. Pack on the pounds fans...... you can relax until Summer approaches next year and that panic sets in that you have to get ready to put that bikini on again.......UGH!
The hoopla over football is very interesting to Gommy. A bunch of guys try to get an orb from the other bunch of guys and beat up on each other for a couple of hours and the one that gets the orb the most....WINS!!! Wins what? Mostly 'Bragging Rights' that they are the best.....Best what??? Best 'beater-uppers'....And the people who are rooting for them are the 'Best' too. How that is puzzles the mind. Just because you like....er....LOVE a certain team and they beat up the other team and took their orb away more times.....what?...somehow equates that now you are better...stronger....smarter????? Oh well...........if that is what 'floats your boat', then you 'go guy and girl fan'. Gommy is all about positive 'self-esteem' no matter how you get it (er....almost no matter how you get it). This sort of sporting event has been going on for centuries...it is not unlike the Gladiators.....except for the killing.....;) - although Gommy has seen a few after-game tail-gate parties that almost included killing the opponents fans......WOW...that is certainly some personal attachment to a game!
But, Gommy has to admit that she looks forward to football season too. That is now that Grandpa Mike and Gommy don't own the golf course anymore. Football season is when the golfing season seemed to go into hibernation up north, along with the opportunity for any form of money coming in to the business to pay the bills! :( ....but now Gommy and Grandpa can enjoy the football season just like 'real' people. Gommy might ad that the weather isn't a dire concern any longer either......Having the weather determine if you are going to make any money on any certain day or if the weather is going to cancel or mess up a money-making golf tournament that you have planned and worked on for months is not so much fun! Gommy can actually enjoy hearing the rain, while taking a nap now.....Thank you God!
I'm guessing all the hype and TV ads really do get you all reved up to begin the
Friday, September 11, 2009
Re: Power (Again) ;)
Last month, Gommy wrote a blog about 'power'. Then.........this month, Oprahs' O Magazine (aka my Bible but not in a blasphemous way) came in the mail and lo and behold.........one of the top topics was on how to tap into your 'true' power and really make it work for you. Boy...great minds think alike....ha,ha. I wonder if Oprah would think my mind was as great as hers...probably....she is pretty magnanimous.
Anywhooooo...what the article basically said was that to have 'true' power, you must lock in your thoughts, emotions and actions with the highest part of yourself. Then and only then can you expect to get anything fulfilling out of your life. Then it becomes easy to seemingly be 'great' in other peoples' minds-eye because you are being your authentic self and not trying to be someone you are not. Gee............it feels good to be validated by OPRAH!!!!!
Try to remember to stay on course when you do discover what it is that your lifes' purpose is. If you are doing something......anything to please someone else or to impress someone else......you are OFF course. As long as you stay on course with your lifes' purpose....you will eventually tip right side up if your 'life canoe' flips over. And it will flip over from time to time. Sometimes for just pesky things....sometimes for more serious events in your life...and sometimes you may just feel like staying under and forgetting the whole kit and kaboodle. But please do allow your 'canoe' to flip right side up again because each day we have here on Earth with our friends and family is truly a blessing. If you give up, you will be missing out on a whole wonder of things to come. I promise......If Gommy had given up when my husband Terry died......I would have missed out on so many happy times I had with my children (Terry, Tracey and Tiff) after that, i.e. graduations, visiting Terry when he graduated boot-camp, Terry's wonderful humor, Tracey and Tiff making me soooo proud of their academics and their beautiful personalities, Tracey's wedding, the birth of her children.... you get my drift? And if I had given up after Terry and Tiff died, I would have missed out on the amazing relationship I have with Tracey and with her adorable children today and with Terrys' children as well, being Gommy to such sweet children and watching my daughter be a wonderful mother to them. And now we have Grandpa Mikes' granddaughter Kyra to look forward to seeing grow up. And I would also have missed out on meeting Grandpa Mike and all the wonderful years we have spent together.
Since Gommy and Grandpa Mike moved back 'home' ( home for Gommy anyway)....life has been so good that it scares Gommy sometimes. You know....that old Yin and Yang thingy....I keep waiting for the other Yang to fall......but as long as we are this happy, we are going to enjoy and be grateful for each and every instance and each and every minute we get to enjoy life and all it has to offer.
Today is the 8th anniversary of 9-11 and we can't help feeling sad for all the loved ones that were lost on that terrible day and for all the loved ones that were left behind. Some of them have recovered from that day and some never will. It is always harder on those left behind to go on and not feel guilty for being happy again. But they must remember that their loved ones would surely want them to be happy.....just as they would want their loved ones to go on and be happy if it had been them that were killed that awful day. The day itself even seemed to be weeping during the memorial services today in New York City as the rained pelted down and the people all stood under umbrellas in their sadness.
But back to power. We all have it. We just don't all know that we do. We have the power to be happy in spite of what is going on all around us. We have the power to hold our tongues so we don't say anything that will be hard to take back and mar a marriage or relationship. We have the power to raise responsible children to become the future of this wonderful place we all call home.
So, Gommy says to think of how you SHOULD be using your power from now on. Make sure it isn't at the expense of anyone else. Don't use your power to over-power someone who is less fortunate or who is smaller and weaker than you. You know what the right thing is to do. Listen to your gut instead of your head and it will tell you if you are on the right track.....Gommy is watching you so you better do right.....Hugs and Mush.....((*O*))
Anywhooooo...what the article basically said was that to have 'true' power, you must lock in your thoughts, emotions and actions with the highest part of yourself. Then and only then can you expect to get anything fulfilling out of your life. Then it becomes easy to seemingly be 'great' in other peoples' minds-eye because you are being your authentic self and not trying to be someone you are not. Gee............it feels good to be validated by OPRAH!!!!!
Try to remember to stay on course when you do discover what it is that your lifes' purpose is. If you are doing something......anything to please someone else or to impress someone else......you are OFF course. As long as you stay on course with your lifes' purpose....you will eventually tip right side up if your 'life canoe' flips over. And it will flip over from time to time. Sometimes for just pesky things....sometimes for more serious events in your life...and sometimes you may just feel like staying under and forgetting the whole kit and kaboodle. But please do allow your 'canoe' to flip right side up again because each day we have here on Earth with our friends and family is truly a blessing. If you give up, you will be missing out on a whole wonder of things to come. I promise......If Gommy had given up when my husband Terry died......I would have missed out on so many happy times I had with my children (Terry, Tracey and Tiff) after that, i.e. graduations, visiting Terry when he graduated boot-camp, Terry's wonderful humor, Tracey and Tiff making me soooo proud of their academics and their beautiful personalities, Tracey's wedding, the birth of her children.... you get my drift? And if I had given up after Terry and Tiff died, I would have missed out on the amazing relationship I have with Tracey and with her adorable children today and with Terrys' children as well, being Gommy to such sweet children and watching my daughter be a wonderful mother to them. And now we have Grandpa Mikes' granddaughter Kyra to look forward to seeing grow up. And I would also have missed out on meeting Grandpa Mike and all the wonderful years we have spent together.
Since Gommy and Grandpa Mike moved back 'home' ( home for Gommy anyway)....life has been so good that it scares Gommy sometimes. You know....that old Yin and Yang thingy....I keep waiting for the other Yang to fall......but as long as we are this happy, we are going to enjoy and be grateful for each and every instance and each and every minute we get to enjoy life and all it has to offer.
Today is the 8th anniversary of 9-11 and we can't help feeling sad for all the loved ones that were lost on that terrible day and for all the loved ones that were left behind. Some of them have recovered from that day and some never will. It is always harder on those left behind to go on and not feel guilty for being happy again. But they must remember that their loved ones would surely want them to be happy.....just as they would want their loved ones to go on and be happy if it had been them that were killed that awful day. The day itself even seemed to be weeping during the memorial services today in New York City as the rained pelted down and the people all stood under umbrellas in their sadness.
But back to power. We all have it. We just don't all know that we do. We have the power to be happy in spite of what is going on all around us. We have the power to hold our tongues so we don't say anything that will be hard to take back and mar a marriage or relationship. We have the power to raise responsible children to become the future of this wonderful place we all call home.
So, Gommy says to think of how you SHOULD be using your power from now on. Make sure it isn't at the expense of anyone else. Don't use your power to over-power someone who is less fortunate or who is smaller and weaker than you. You know what the right thing is to do. Listen to your gut instead of your head and it will tell you if you are on the right track.....Gommy is watching you so you better do right.....Hugs and Mush.....((*O*))
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Is Anyone Out There???
Hello somebody....anybody....is anyone out there? Gommy went to see Julie/Julia the other day and absolutely loved, loved, loved it....Julie writes a blog too and at one point she asked her computer if anyone was out there reading what she was writing. That got Gommy to wondering that same thing. Oh, Gommy gets a few comments once in a while (I think I even lost one reader who wasn't too happy about something I wrote) but there is no way to know who is really reading what Gommy writes other than a disgruntled reader here and there. You know there is a saying that if someone likes something they either keep it to themselves or tell one other person but if they don't like something they tell EVERYONE!!! I wonder why that is???
But Gommy will continue to blog and for the most part it is purely selfish. Gommy loves writing....It is soooo cathartic. There are times when feelings get all bottled up and it provides an outlet to vent when that happens. Gommy has found that when people do get upset about something you write, it is usually because you have gotten too close to something they aren't comfortable with in themselves. But Gommy isn't trying to hurt anyone and there probably will be occasions in the future that something that is bothering Gommy will spill over onto someone who is reading my blog and they will get defensive. I apologise in advance.....but it has to come out or Gommy may implode herself....:))
I was on Facebook yesterday and I got an IM from a woman that I had gone to Jr. High and High School with. She surprised me by telling me that she had spent the whole day reading all of my blogs and that they had inspired her and she looked forward reading more.....Wow.....that was very nice to hear.
She also told me that many of my blogs really hit home with her. I explained that I thought that we are all more alike than we are unalike...and that when and if we all ever realize that fact...we will be much more comfortable in our own skin. The same things happen to all of us....just at different times in our lives. It is how you react to those things that change or mold your life. If you have had something horrible happen to you, that is no excuse to take it out on someone else. They didn't have anything to do with it! I recently read something that really resonated with Gommy. It was, "Don't cry because it ended. Smile because it happened." That saying means to Gommy that being sad that something ended, left or was taken from you can be turned around to being thankful you had 'it' or 'them' in your life at all.
I have recently been joining in on political debates on Facebook and that is something I never do face to face or in mixed company. It is never a good idea to discuss (in person) religion or politics because people identify so boldly with their beliefs and a heated argument is sure to ensue. The point Gommy is making is that if someone else brings up a subject on a social network and you are asked to respond how you feel......you should be able to answer what your point of view is, even though they are so adamant about their point of view.....Gommy says it is fair game to say what you believe as well. The best part is that there can be no fighting and arguing as is the case in person where it can escalate. So it is much safer than a person to person face-off. I could never be on those programs that have debates about politics....When Gommy gets mad, she gets flustered...all the facts just fly out the window and the argument SEEMS to be won by the other side. Gommy doesn't like that feeling.
But back to blogging and blogs in general. If there are any pent-up, frustrated writers wondering if they could ever be taken seriously in print.....Gommy says she doesn't mind being the "Poster Girl" for taking a chance and becoming a blogger...Hey, Grandma Moses wasn't discovered as an artist until she was in her seventies.....At least Gommy still has some good years left to be discovered.....((*>*)) So Gommy wishes that you all have a blessed day and remember to be grateful for everything you have.
But Gommy will continue to blog and for the most part it is purely selfish. Gommy loves writing....It is soooo cathartic. There are times when feelings get all bottled up and it provides an outlet to vent when that happens. Gommy has found that when people do get upset about something you write, it is usually because you have gotten too close to something they aren't comfortable with in themselves. But Gommy isn't trying to hurt anyone and there probably will be occasions in the future that something that is bothering Gommy will spill over onto someone who is reading my blog and they will get defensive. I apologise in advance.....but it has to come out or Gommy may implode herself....:))
I was on Facebook yesterday and I got an IM from a woman that I had gone to Jr. High and High School with. She surprised me by telling me that she had spent the whole day reading all of my blogs and that they had inspired her and she looked forward reading more.....Wow.....that was very nice to hear.
She also told me that many of my blogs really hit home with her. I explained that I thought that we are all more alike than we are unalike...and that when and if we all ever realize that fact...we will be much more comfortable in our own skin. The same things happen to all of us....just at different times in our lives. It is how you react to those things that change or mold your life. If you have had something horrible happen to you, that is no excuse to take it out on someone else. They didn't have anything to do with it! I recently read something that really resonated with Gommy. It was, "Don't cry because it ended. Smile because it happened." That saying means to Gommy that being sad that something ended, left or was taken from you can be turned around to being thankful you had 'it' or 'them' in your life at all.
I have recently been joining in on political debates on Facebook and that is something I never do face to face or in mixed company. It is never a good idea to discuss (in person) religion or politics because people identify so boldly with their beliefs and a heated argument is sure to ensue. The point Gommy is making is that if someone else brings up a subject on a social network and you are asked to respond how you feel......you should be able to answer what your point of view is, even though they are so adamant about their point of view.....Gommy says it is fair game to say what you believe as well. The best part is that there can be no fighting and arguing as is the case in person where it can escalate. So it is much safer than a person to person face-off. I could never be on those programs that have debates about politics....When Gommy gets mad, she gets flustered...all the facts just fly out the window and the argument SEEMS to be won by the other side. Gommy doesn't like that feeling.
But back to blogging and blogs in general. If there are any pent-up, frustrated writers wondering if they could ever be taken seriously in print.....Gommy says she doesn't mind being the "Poster Girl" for taking a chance and becoming a blogger...Hey, Grandma Moses wasn't discovered as an artist until she was in her seventies.....At least Gommy still has some good years left to be discovered.....((*>*)) So Gommy wishes that you all have a blessed day and remember to be grateful for everything you have.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Why Now?
Have you ever wondered why it is that we promise to be better, or act better, or behave differently when we seem to have come to the end of the line? LITERALLY....Have you ever been so scared that you start asking God to help you? I work with a very wonderful lady (her name is Esen) who is as strong as an ox. Sometimes she is as stubborn as one too but I love her just the same. You could never (nor could she) imagine that she would ever be in a weakened state. We never seem to be able to see ourselves as being incapacitated. That is until we come down with a flu that knocks our socks off and we are like weak little kittens that can't hold up our heads. Or we have a disease that is life threatening or our children come down with some very serious illness.....
Well, Esen told me that yesterday, at the end of her shift, she began to feel sick. She explained that she was telling herself to just keep on working and she would make it until the end of her shift. She gets her words mixed up sometimes, (that is when she is most adorable to me), and as she was explaining, she said she was trying to 'patience' (hold on) long enough to finish out the night. She finally was hurting so horribly that she had to succumb and leave early. And if you knew Esen, you would know that she had to be close to dying to leave work early! When she got to her parking space in the parking lot, someone had backed into her car and the bumper was hanging on the ground. You know "Murphys' Law".....anywho......she pulled it the rest of the way off and shoved it in the back seat of her car and slammed the door (all the while asking God, "WHY NOW???")....Then the door wouldn't shut right because the bumper was too long....She finally finagled with it and the door did eventually shut. The whole time, she was telling herself that she must just focus and drive carefully and get to her apartment before she died. She truly thought she was going to die.
She made it to her apartment and the owner of our workplace called her to ask how she was feeling. She weakly told her, "I'm dying...I'm dying....I'm dying." Of course our boss quickly went to her aid and when she arrived at Esens' apartment, she went in to see if she could help. The pain seemed to be radiating from my friends' back and our boss thought she must have strained it and gave her some muscle relaxers and strong pain pills. Our boss had stopped at an all night drug store on the way to rescuing our friend and got some heat pad thingys and other meds she could think of that she may need. My friend said that our boss literally got into bed with her and rubbed her back for her and after about 15 minutes, Esen drifted off into a very deep sleep. But as she was drifting....she was making a deal with God. She told me that she was promising everything she could think of in exchange for God allowing her to live.
She promised that she would be a very good girl from now on and that if she had done anything to make God angry, that she was sorry beyond words and she would never do it again (even though she didn't even know what it was that she had done.....) She promised to be very nice to everyone from now on and not judge anyone anymore,and not to talk about anyone unkindly anymore, and to only to do very nice things from now on.............but please God, let me live, she begged.
The point Gommy is making is that we all go along our merry ways most of the time and it is not until something terrible happens or we become ill that we turn to God for help. My friend is not unlike most of us in that regard. But Gommy was thinking how nice it would be if we could all get a little 'wake-up' call on a regular basis that would self-correct our attitudes, behavior, stubbornness, etc., to make us realize we were going down the wrong path and that our behavior or attitude or failure to be more forgiving could make it harder to bargain if the time did arise that we needed to do some swapping with the Almighty. There may just be a time that we have gone over the line for any kind of bartering to exchange. We may not have anything left to barter with....God may just be fed up with giving us more chances after more chances.....Lord knows we push Him to the limit all the time....Kinda' scary isn't it???
Esen told me that she did wake up the next morning and when she opened her eyes, she touched herself to see if she was indeed alive.....Yesssss, I am alive, she thought. Then she was afraid to move in the bed. What if the pain was still there? She gingerly moved and voila' - no pain...only a little tenderness. But Gommy thinks the tenderness was a little of the leftover pain to remind her of what she had promised....Gommy has to admit that she was much more cheerful than usual and her attitude seemed to be one of happy gratitude and she appeared to love everyone. Gommy told her that she 'belonged' to our boss from now on because of some hokey-pokey deal she had made and from here on out, she owed her life to our boss.....Gommy was just joshing with her but I think she believed me...All she keeps saying is "Thanks God.....Thanks God......Thanks God.... I don't mind".
The moral of this little story is that we can all use a little reality check on how we are behaving. Some of us are a bit arrogant....some of us are a bit selfish....some of us are a bit (o.k. alot) bossy......you get the picture, don't you? So don't wait until something drastic happens to you before you snap out of it....Try to temper those nasty traits right now and take a good hard look in the mirror. Like what you see? Gommy bets there are a few things that could use a quick fix.....because none of us are perfect.....right?
We never do know when our 'last train to nowhere' is coming for us....sooooooo, you better have your 'bags' packed with everything you will need for wherever it is you are going......Woo-Woo!!!! and Bon Vonage.......Hugs, & Mush, Gommy ((*>*))
Well, Esen told me that yesterday, at the end of her shift, she began to feel sick. She explained that she was telling herself to just keep on working and she would make it until the end of her shift. She gets her words mixed up sometimes, (that is when she is most adorable to me), and as she was explaining, she said she was trying to 'patience' (hold on) long enough to finish out the night. She finally was hurting so horribly that she had to succumb and leave early. And if you knew Esen, you would know that she had to be close to dying to leave work early! When she got to her parking space in the parking lot, someone had backed into her car and the bumper was hanging on the ground. You know "Murphys' Law".....anywho......she pulled it the rest of the way off and shoved it in the back seat of her car and slammed the door (all the while asking God, "WHY NOW???")....Then the door wouldn't shut right because the bumper was too long....She finally finagled with it and the door did eventually shut. The whole time, she was telling herself that she must just focus and drive carefully and get to her apartment before she died. She truly thought she was going to die.
She made it to her apartment and the owner of our workplace called her to ask how she was feeling. She weakly told her, "I'm dying...I'm dying....I'm dying." Of course our boss quickly went to her aid and when she arrived at Esens' apartment, she went in to see if she could help. The pain seemed to be radiating from my friends' back and our boss thought she must have strained it and gave her some muscle relaxers and strong pain pills. Our boss had stopped at an all night drug store on the way to rescuing our friend and got some heat pad thingys and other meds she could think of that she may need. My friend said that our boss literally got into bed with her and rubbed her back for her and after about 15 minutes, Esen drifted off into a very deep sleep. But as she was drifting....she was making a deal with God. She told me that she was promising everything she could think of in exchange for God allowing her to live.
She promised that she would be a very good girl from now on and that if she had done anything to make God angry, that she was sorry beyond words and she would never do it again (even though she didn't even know what it was that she had done.....) She promised to be very nice to everyone from now on and not judge anyone anymore,and not to talk about anyone unkindly anymore, and to only to do very nice things from now on.............but please God, let me live, she begged.
The point Gommy is making is that we all go along our merry ways most of the time and it is not until something terrible happens or we become ill that we turn to God for help. My friend is not unlike most of us in that regard. But Gommy was thinking how nice it would be if we could all get a little 'wake-up' call on a regular basis that would self-correct our attitudes, behavior, stubbornness, etc., to make us realize we were going down the wrong path and that our behavior or attitude or failure to be more forgiving could make it harder to bargain if the time did arise that we needed to do some swapping with the Almighty. There may just be a time that we have gone over the line for any kind of bartering to exchange. We may not have anything left to barter with....God may just be fed up with giving us more chances after more chances.....Lord knows we push Him to the limit all the time....Kinda' scary isn't it???
Esen told me that she did wake up the next morning and when she opened her eyes, she touched herself to see if she was indeed alive.....Yesssss, I am alive, she thought. Then she was afraid to move in the bed. What if the pain was still there? She gingerly moved and voila' - no pain...only a little tenderness. But Gommy thinks the tenderness was a little of the leftover pain to remind her of what she had promised....Gommy has to admit that she was much more cheerful than usual and her attitude seemed to be one of happy gratitude and she appeared to love everyone. Gommy told her that she 'belonged' to our boss from now on because of some hokey-pokey deal she had made and from here on out, she owed her life to our boss.....Gommy was just joshing with her but I think she believed me...All she keeps saying is "Thanks God.....Thanks God......Thanks God.... I don't mind".
The moral of this little story is that we can all use a little reality check on how we are behaving. Some of us are a bit arrogant....some of us are a bit selfish....some of us are a bit (o.k. alot) bossy......you get the picture, don't you? So don't wait until something drastic happens to you before you snap out of it....Try to temper those nasty traits right now and take a good hard look in the mirror. Like what you see? Gommy bets there are a few things that could use a quick fix.....because none of us are perfect.....right?
We never do know when our 'last train to nowhere' is coming for us....sooooooo, you better have your 'bags' packed with everything you will need for wherever it is you are going......Woo-Woo!!!! and Bon Vonage.......Hugs, & Mush, Gommy ((*>*))
Monday, September 7, 2009
Happy Birthday to Gommy
Gommy just had the best, most wonderful birthday she can remember in many a year!!! It started off with breakfast with Grandpa Mike, then off to the beach. The beach was calm, warm and soooooo very inviting and delicious. After four hours, we headed back to our little bungalow on the intracoastal. Dipped in the pool for an hour or so and then showered and got ready to have dinner with the family. Trace, Johnny, Sam and Brandon treated Gommy and Grandpa to delish steaks at a restaurant. Then the University of Miami beat FSU in football tonight.....All is right with the world again (the football world anyway). What a great way to celebrate your birthday. And the whole Nation was off today to enjoy my day as well....You're welcome :)
There have been birthdays from the past that have been pretty dismal. I can remember being away from family when we lived in Tennessee and owned a golf course. The only thing that differentiated my birthday from any other day was that Grandpa Mike got me a card and tried to make it special by having the golf club members wish me a happy birthday. I can honestly say it was very sad for Gommy.
I think Gommy has been Blessed lately because of how grateful I have become. It took not having a 'pot or a window' to realize what exactly was important in life. I can honestly say it was worth all the agina in the world to have this peaceful, wonderful life Gommy and Grandpa now have.
So Happy Birthday to Gommy is an understatement....Gommy is really, really, really happy. Thanks to all my friends and family that have wished me well. It worked.....I AM!!!!
There have been birthdays from the past that have been pretty dismal. I can remember being away from family when we lived in Tennessee and owned a golf course. The only thing that differentiated my birthday from any other day was that Grandpa Mike got me a card and tried to make it special by having the golf club members wish me a happy birthday. I can honestly say it was very sad for Gommy.
I think Gommy has been Blessed lately because of how grateful I have become. It took not having a 'pot or a window' to realize what exactly was important in life. I can honestly say it was worth all the agina in the world to have this peaceful, wonderful life Gommy and Grandpa now have.
So Happy Birthday to Gommy is an understatement....Gommy is really, really, really happy. Thanks to all my friends and family that have wished me well. It worked.....I AM!!!!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Calm Down!!!
It's Sunday, glorious Sunday again. And Gommy is, once again, grateful for another glorious Sunday.....This Sunday, Gommy wants to say a prayer for all those people out there who are so wound up about the economy, the President, the state of the union and the world, their life, and .....yada,yada,yada................. to CALM DOWN......
Why does it seem some people are not happy unless they are spewing vitriolic mumbo jumbo to scare other people who don't keep up on what is going on? Not very nice, says Gommy. Now, these are people who have a very nice house, a good job, a wonderful spouse and healthy children......so why in the heck are they so UNHAPPY about life????
As far as trying to scare people who may not know the difference, by telling them there is a scarcity of 'whatever',...........clue.........there are no shortages. Look around you. Is there a shortage of grass growing on the ground? Is there a shortage of food on the shelves when you go to the multiple selections of grocery stores? Are any of us so skinny because we didn't have enough to eat lately? NOT.....Gommy for one doesn't have the problem of being too skinny, ha,ha. My point is that there have always been Henny Pennys' around who just LOVE to scare everyone with their screaming of, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling". And guess what??? The sky is still thankfully up where it is supposed to be.....WHEW..............So quit telling us it is falling....PLEASE...
It must be so tiresome to the friends, children and spouses of these people who only look for the 'bad news' in everything. Gommy has even quit watching the news because there is never anything good on the news shows anyway....sooooooooo why watch? I read recently that a study was done with a group of severely depressed people. The only thing they were asked to do was to write down three things each day that they were grateful for. And within 15 days of the study, 94% of the people were less depressed. That shows Gommy that staying 'upbeat' and grateful is healthy. Other studies have also shown that being positive also stimulates your immune system to ward off illnesses and other booga-boos.
Obsessing over the news or other negative things will make you borderline 'looney-bins' (and sometimes REALLY looney-bins) if you aren't careful. If you dwell on negative things, your life and outlook will be negative. If you are just one of those 'worrier' types.....map out a few minutes a day to 'worry' (if that will make you feel better....HUH??? ha,ha). Then after the allotted time you give yourself to 'worry, fret or stew', STOP IT!!!!!! Another study said that people who only look for negative things, do so because they don't really have a life so they try to make other people afraid of everything too so they will be miserable as well. You know the old saying, "Misery loves company". Gommy chooses to opt out of that club thank you.....
If you don't care about other people, you should at least care what you are doing to your children....Don't think they aren't like little sponges that pick up every little thing you say, do or feel. Do you want them to grow up to be like you????............I hope not. You should want them to be happy!!!!! Don't you want your children to have the sense of faith, or if you aren't religious, at least have something to look forward to, that they will be alright? Do you want them to worry like you all the time that something awful is pending that will make their life horrible? Now if this is really making you mad right now.....ha...I gotcha. The closer someone is to hitting it on the head about our personality faults....the madder we get about it and the more offense we take. If you really want to be happy and live in the world with all thecrap stuff that goes on....you have to start to STOP complaining and stewing about the same thing over and over.
Why not try this: Think of all the things in your life that you SHOULD be grateful for and write them down. You will really be surprised and it will take a lot longer than you think it will. If you can't think of anything...........Gommy is really sorry for you. But you can start with your breath....you still like to breathe don't you? Don't YOU? Then you can add your healthy children, your job (if you don't like your job, at least you have a job. Unlike so many who have to feed their children and put a roof over their heads and don't have a job), your spouse, the computer you use to spew yourdistorted tirades on.....oops.... feelings on. The more things you can put down to feel grateful for, the better you will start to feel about your life.
Well you may say that Gommy is a Pollyanna.............but I'll take being a Pollyanna any day over being a Henny Penny. It is just less tiresome.....So Gommy says to 'man-up' or 'woman-up' and put on your big people undies and deal with whatever it is that is making you so grumpy......There are those of us who choose to look forward to another glorious Sunday to be grateful for.....Hugs & Mush, Gommy
Why does it seem some people are not happy unless they are spewing vitriolic mumbo jumbo to scare other people who don't keep up on what is going on? Not very nice, says Gommy. Now, these are people who have a very nice house, a good job, a wonderful spouse and healthy children......so why in the heck are they so UNHAPPY about life????
As far as trying to scare people who may not know the difference, by telling them there is a scarcity of 'whatever',...........clue.........there are no shortages. Look around you. Is there a shortage of grass growing on the ground? Is there a shortage of food on the shelves when you go to the multiple selections of grocery stores? Are any of us so skinny because we didn't have enough to eat lately? NOT.....Gommy for one doesn't have the problem of being too skinny, ha,ha. My point is that there have always been Henny Pennys' around who just LOVE to scare everyone with their screaming of, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling". And guess what??? The sky is still thankfully up where it is supposed to be.....WHEW..............So quit telling us it is falling....PLEASE...
It must be so tiresome to the friends, children and spouses of these people who only look for the 'bad news' in everything. Gommy has even quit watching the news because there is never anything good on the news shows anyway....sooooooooo why watch? I read recently that a study was done with a group of severely depressed people. The only thing they were asked to do was to write down three things each day that they were grateful for. And within 15 days of the study, 94% of the people were less depressed. That shows Gommy that staying 'upbeat' and grateful is healthy. Other studies have also shown that being positive also stimulates your immune system to ward off illnesses and other booga-boos.
Obsessing over the news or other negative things will make you borderline 'looney-bins' (and sometimes REALLY looney-bins) if you aren't careful. If you dwell on negative things, your life and outlook will be negative. If you are just one of those 'worrier' types.....map out a few minutes a day to 'worry' (if that will make you feel better....HUH??? ha,ha). Then after the allotted time you give yourself to 'worry, fret or stew', STOP IT!!!!!! Another study said that people who only look for negative things, do so because they don't really have a life so they try to make other people afraid of everything too so they will be miserable as well. You know the old saying, "Misery loves company". Gommy chooses to opt out of that club thank you.....
If you don't care about other people, you should at least care what you are doing to your children....Don't think they aren't like little sponges that pick up every little thing you say, do or feel. Do you want them to grow up to be like you????............I hope not. You should want them to be happy!!!!! Don't you want your children to have the sense of faith, or if you aren't religious, at least have something to look forward to, that they will be alright? Do you want them to worry like you all the time that something awful is pending that will make their life horrible? Now if this is really making you mad right now.....ha...I gotcha. The closer someone is to hitting it on the head about our personality faults....the madder we get about it and the more offense we take. If you really want to be happy and live in the world with all the
Why not try this: Think of all the things in your life that you SHOULD be grateful for and write them down. You will really be surprised and it will take a lot longer than you think it will. If you can't think of anything...........Gommy is really sorry for you. But you can start with your breath....you still like to breathe don't you? Don't YOU? Then you can add your healthy children, your job (if you don't like your job, at least you have a job. Unlike so many who have to feed their children and put a roof over their heads and don't have a job), your spouse, the computer you use to spew your
Well you may say that Gommy is a Pollyanna.............but I'll take being a Pollyanna any day over being a Henny Penny. It is just less tiresome.....So Gommy says to 'man-up' or 'woman-up' and put on your big people undies and deal with whatever it is that is making you so grumpy......There are those of us who choose to look forward to another glorious Sunday to be grateful for.....Hugs & Mush, Gommy
Saturday, September 5, 2009
What If
Gommy is going to get a little alot serious today. "What IF" this was your last day on Earth? That's pretty serious isn't it? Gommy is coming up fast approaching another birthday....They are coming faster and faster each year now. Anywho....it got Gommy thinking about what would happen if this were her last day.......or the last day of anyone reading this piece today.
What kind of messes would we all leave behind if this were the last day??? Do we have all of our personal 'business stuff'' in order? Is there very much left to do that we had wished we had done? Did we leave the planet any better off than before we inhabited it? But most of all, have we told the people we love and care about that we DO love them and care about them? I guess the measure of your life is measured by how your leaving will affect those you leave behind. There are some people who won't be missed very much and that is very sad. It is a terrible thing to waste anything.....but your whole life??? Tsk, tsk, tsk.....
Have we had wishes and dreams about something but never got around to doing them? We see people all the time doing extraordinary things and think, "WOW, that's neat....wish I would have done that!" Do we rue the choices we have made? That is sad as well. Because we are in charge of our choices. We can put blame on circumstances in our lives for the reason we didn't go for it....but that is just a crutch. I have found that everyone does just exactly what they want to do, if they sincerely want to do it. People claim they don't have time for this or for that.....but they make time to do what they truly want to do......
If this was Gommys' last day I would be sad but I can honestly say my life has been pretty blessed..........save for the losses of loved ones. God (the Universe) has always taken care of me in most areas of my life and I haven't ever 'wanted' for much......and I have always felt loved.....and to me, that is what is most important!
What kind of messes would we all leave behind if this were the last day??? Do we have all of our personal 'business stuff'' in order? Is there very much left to do that we had wished we had done? Did we leave the planet any better off than before we inhabited it? But most of all, have we told the people we love and care about that we DO love them and care about them? I guess the measure of your life is measured by how your leaving will affect those you leave behind. There are some people who won't be missed very much and that is very sad. It is a terrible thing to waste anything.....but your whole life??? Tsk, tsk, tsk.....
Have we had wishes and dreams about something but never got around to doing them? We see people all the time doing extraordinary things and think, "WOW, that's neat....wish I would have done that!" Do we rue the choices we have made? That is sad as well. Because we are in charge of our choices. We can put blame on circumstances in our lives for the reason we didn't go for it....but that is just a crutch. I have found that everyone does just exactly what they want to do, if they sincerely want to do it. People claim they don't have time for this or for that.....but they make time to do what they truly want to do......
If this was Gommys' last day I would be sad but I can honestly say my life has been pretty blessed..........save for the losses of loved ones. God (the Universe) has always taken care of me in most areas of my life and I haven't ever 'wanted' for much......and I have always felt loved.....and to me, that is what is most important!
If this were the last day....I bet some of those things that are making you mad or upset today wouldn't seem so important....now would they??? When you really get down to it....there isn't very much that is going on that should ruin your last day or any day for that matter. It is ALL small stuff. Especially if you won't be here tomorrow......right???
So, anyone who is reading this...............take stock in where you are, where you have been and where you wish you will be. You have the choice. You also have the ability to tell those you love that you do love them. You will be doing them a big favor by doing it while you are still around. Happy Birthday to Gommy......Hope I get some more.....tee,hee ((*>*))
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
"Be the change you want to see in the world"
Gommy was reading up on what some of the smart people of history had to say and came across a quote from Gandhi. He said that we must be the change we want to see in the world. What that means is that when people are rude, grumpy, disagreeable or just downright mean....you must resist the urge to mirror that unpleasant behavior. It is hard to do.......because the human impulse is to react. We don't have the ability to change how someone behaves....but we do have the ability to modify how we react to them. But remember also that no one can hurt your feelings without your permission. Another very potent quote that the author and poet Maya Angelou said and that everyone should remember is: "People will forget what you have said and they will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel."
There are people who come across our path in life that leave a mark forever on our hearts. Do you ever wonder why that is? Gommy thinks they are put in our path to teach us lessons. If we learn from them......we have done what we were meant to do. If we ignore that tug at our heart or conscience.....we will have to keep having the lessons over and over. Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome....If the person makes you feel something very strongly and you wish you could be more like them because they are kind or compassionate.....try to take from them that element and try it on for yourself. You can build yourself some mighty good character that way.
Then there is a quote that Gommy doesn't know who to give credit for but really touches home and heart, for me anyway. It is: "Don't cry because it ended. Smile because it happened." That one makes Gommy think of my two children who died. Terry and Tiffany were a magical gift to Gommy and even though the pain of losing them is almost unbearable.....the pain was worth the pleasure and happiness they gave Gommy for the 17 and 22 years they were here with Gommy. You cannot have the extreme happiness someone or something gives you without the opposite pain. It is law. The law of opposites......The yin and yang of life. Yin and Yang is depicted by that circle which has white and black with a white spot in the black swirl and a black spot in the white swirl. The symbol shows the circle as the whole and the black and white as the opposites of how things work. The spots of the opposing colors in the solid colors show that nothing is all black or white. Life is all about opposites....winter to summer....man to woman....happiness to sadness, honor to dishonor, wealth to poverty..... and on and on. But life is not all one or the other or we would no longer exist. If there were only women in the world the species would eventually end. If there were only winter.....we would die off because our food source could not grow any longer....or someone who is honest may at one time in their life have been dishonest i.e. even a little white lie? You see the reasoning in Yin and Yang now?
And believe it or not....Dr. Seuss (yes the author of childrens' books) was pretty deep himself. One of his quotes is: "Be who you are and say what you feel because people that mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind." That is pretty thought provoking. If we have to change the way we are to make other people feel comfortable, then we don't have a real relationship with that person to begin with. Being who you are is important as long as you are comfortable with being who you are....Is that too convoluted??? What Gommy means is you should be the best you can be and as long as you are comfortable with that.... you don't have to concern yourself with how other people see you. Living up to anothers values is too tiresome and can get you into all sorts of problems i.e. living above your means because someone may think you aren't 'all that' if you can't buy this doo-dad or that doo-dad. Then you find yourself worrying about how to pay for the 'doo-dad' that you didn't really want or need in the first place....get it? Just be you and be happy being you and you will be a happier you.....Toodle oooooo ((*.*)) Gommy
There are people who come across our path in life that leave a mark forever on our hearts. Do you ever wonder why that is? Gommy thinks they are put in our path to teach us lessons. If we learn from them......we have done what we were meant to do. If we ignore that tug at our heart or conscience.....we will have to keep having the lessons over and over. Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome....If the person makes you feel something very strongly and you wish you could be more like them because they are kind or compassionate.....try to take from them that element and try it on for yourself. You can build yourself some mighty good character that way.
Then there is a quote that Gommy doesn't know who to give credit for but really touches home and heart, for me anyway. It is: "Don't cry because it ended. Smile because it happened." That one makes Gommy think of my two children who died. Terry and Tiffany were a magical gift to Gommy and even though the pain of losing them is almost unbearable.....the pain was worth the pleasure and happiness they gave Gommy for the 17 and 22 years they were here with Gommy. You cannot have the extreme happiness someone or something gives you without the opposite pain. It is law. The law of opposites......The yin and yang of life. Yin and Yang is depicted by that circle which has white and black with a white spot in the black swirl and a black spot in the white swirl. The symbol shows the circle as the whole and the black and white as the opposites of how things work. The spots of the opposing colors in the solid colors show that nothing is all black or white. Life is all about opposites....winter to summer....man to woman....happiness to sadness, honor to dishonor, wealth to poverty..... and on and on. But life is not all one or the other or we would no longer exist. If there were only women in the world the species would eventually end. If there were only winter.....we would die off because our food source could not grow any longer....or someone who is honest may at one time in their life have been dishonest i.e. even a little white lie? You see the reasoning in Yin and Yang now?
And believe it or not....Dr. Seuss (yes the author of childrens' books) was pretty deep himself. One of his quotes is: "Be who you are and say what you feel because people that mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind." That is pretty thought provoking. If we have to change the way we are to make other people feel comfortable, then we don't have a real relationship with that person to begin with. Being who you are is important as long as you are comfortable with being who you are....Is that too convoluted??? What Gommy means is you should be the best you can be and as long as you are comfortable with that.... you don't have to concern yourself with how other people see you. Living up to anothers values is too tiresome and can get you into all sorts of problems i.e. living above your means because someone may think you aren't 'all that' if you can't buy this doo-dad or that doo-dad. Then you find yourself worrying about how to pay for the 'doo-dad' that you didn't really want or need in the first place....get it? Just be you and be happy being you and you will be a happier you.....Toodle oooooo ((*.*)) Gommy
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