Displaying 21 - 30 of 35 entries.
I love hearing from my friends and family, really I do. And in our conversations, I attempt to do more listening than talking, although I’m not always successful. (Oh wait…….I have a rant to post about that subject….attempting! I’ll post that one next.)
As much as I enjoy hearing from everyone, it always cracks me up when one of them ends the conversation by saying “I’ll let you go.” Let me see, you called me, we chatted. I listened, you talked, and then, when you’re done talking, you tell me you’ll let me go??? Ah….ok, and…..what if I don’t want to go? What if I’d like to actually engage in a true conversation, a two-way communication system? Isn’t saying “I’ll let you go” just a cop-out? A way to avoid taking responsiblity, perhaps. Why not say “thanks for listening and now I’ve got to go.”
I believe that learning to truly communicate with another requires awareness, practice, an interest in the other person’s experiences, and a genuine desire to share. I’ve been blessed to have several such “communicators” in my life, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
Start paying attention to the conversations you have and see if you find this to be true too. Granted, I’ve always had this insatiable curiosity and do love hearing other’s stories, and yes, I’m guilty of asking lots of questions, and no, I’m not really complaining that so many folks use me as a sounding board. (Hey, it’s good to feel useful.) Yet I do so appreciate a “good conversation” too. Actual two-way communication!
Continue reading Today’s Rant: The Art of Conversation »
Ok, here it is almost the middle of March and I need to rant a bit because it’s freezing in here. You can’t tell me climate change isn’t happening. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where typically, it’s mellow all year long. Sure it rains, but this year that moisture is coming down in the form of snow. I really don’t like it. I spent an hour and a half on the phone with my daughter yesterday as she was driving through a blizzard and was terrified. God, that’s a nerve-racking process. Thankfully, she got home safely with no incidents, but we were both exhausted.
Here’s another thing that gets me. My home is only about 1200 sq. ft. and I keep the thermostat set at 55 degrees. My energy bill arrived last week. $208!! I called the energy company to see if I could get on their “equalization plan”, you know, where you pay so much a month all year long. Well, not only did I opt NOT to do that, I learned that their rates go up in the winter months! Did you know that? How is that right?
And so, I’m bundled up again this morning in layers of clothes, sipping a cup of hot tea and listening to the furnace kick on far more often than I like. On the other hand, I am most grateful to have a home and a working furnace!
Continue reading Today’s Rant: Climate Change »
Ok, this subject truly deserves some ranting! It seems to me that a ton of crappy, just downright bad behavior gets rewarded with big bucks these days, especially in the political arena. I heard yesterday on the news that the impeached Illinois governor, Blago, has been offered 6 figures to write a tell-all book about the corruption in politics. Ah, hello? He’s caught on tape, using foul language repeatedly, suggesting he was interested in selling Obama’s senate seat, then for what seemed unending weeks we’re all subjected to his shiny face and manicured hair on every possible news show proclaiming his innocence. Hmmm…what comes to my mind is that you can’t really write about a subject you don’t know about. I grasp that simply knowing something doesn’t mean you’ve participated in the corruption yourself, but…when I hear those tapes, well…….I draw a certain conclusion, that bad behavior gets rewarded! What do you think?
Continue reading Today’s Rant: Rewarding Bad Behavior, Blago gets 6 figures? »
Today it is so easy to rant about this subject because I think it’s absolutely tragic how humans feel so free to manipulate nature! Today there is the extremely sad case of the chimpanzee who attacked some poor woman and tried to detach her face. Birds aren’t meant to NOT fly, and chimpanzees are not meant to live in houses under the pretense they are humans.
I wonder when the exotic pet trade will stop. I wonder when society will wake up. It’s only then that these horrific events will cease happening.
It seems we’ve become very disrepsectful of nature, not just in the exotic pet industry. Somehow, for human pleasure, it’s ok to keep a magnificent elephant chained in place till show time. Or it’s ok to raise 8000 chickens, all crammed into cages designed for 800, never letting them see the light of day or scratch at the dirt. Or better yet, let’s breed those mutations together and come up with the distorted things like those poor ”munchkin” cats, you know….the ones with shortened legs.
It’s pathetic. A power trip. Selfish and so very disrespectful.
Continue reading Today’s Rant: If Birds Can’t Fly, and Chimpanzees Can’t Climb Trees »
Today’s Rant: Delusional or Not?
So in this rant I admit I am, in some ways, totally delusional. Perhaps we all are to a certain extent. If I weren’t delusional, I’d be either depressed or insane, or both.
Digging alittle deeper, however, I’m wondering what the difference is between a delusion and a belief. The dictionary says a delusion is a false belief. Well, if you think about it, that makes little sense. If I hold a belief, then isn’t it true for me? Who decides the “false” part? If I believe I can’t accomplish something, I’m right. I can’t. The wonderful little book “Illusions” by Richard Bach says it this way: “Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they’re yours.”
So perhaps being somewhat delusional is ok, a survival tactic of sorts.
Continue reading Today’s Rant: Delusional or Not? »
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