New Glasses

I remember getting into several fights as a child. I do not recall the reasons behind most of them. Knowing me, I was probably the cause of most of them, probably said something stupid. I was a small farsighted kid. Many times, I would hand my glasses to someone to hold before throwing a punch. Other times, my parents would pick me up from school with the remnants of what used to be eyeglasses in my metal lunch kit as I shook the box so they could hear the soon to be replaced remains.

As I grew older, I went through a time where I no longer needed glasses. My eyes were changing.

As a teenager, I was driving my mom around and ran three stop signs. She questioned me as to the reason why and I simply responded with, “what stop signs?” Shortly after, my parents brought me to the optometrist. My dad pointed to a sign on the door across the waiting room, and I could not even see a sign, much less than read what it said.

I walked out with a prescription for new glasses to correct my shortsighted vision. I was amazed at what I could see. Things at a distance were now clear. I thought everyone saw things far away, as I did, fuzzy and unclear.

Just over 30 years later, my eye doctor informed me, I need bifocals. I can still read without my glasses, but with them, I read clearer.

Seeing things clearly is a wonderful thing. I no longer run stop signs. I can now see the words on a sign and not just the frame of the sign. There is nothing wrong with getting help to see things better.

I wish everyone could see clearly and not just physically.

People talk about being optimists, but some are positive only when things are going their way. Others are positive regardless of the situation. Some are always negative. None of us can be right one hundred percent of the time. Sometimes we need help to see things more clearly.

I know what I believe and why I believe it. However, I have heard differing opinions that revealed some errors in my thinking. When proven wrong, I have changed my opinion.  Being stubborn to other beliefs keeps us blind. Not being emotional or hardheaded breaks barriers and often results in a clearer vision.

Arguments never help anyone, but honest and open discussions may. You never know who may help your vision become clearer. Do not believe everyone or everything without knowing all of the facts but listen to others. It has taken me many years to listen to some, but I enjoy being able to see. My hearing has cleared some of my vision.

The Fiery Crotch

In the evenings, I work on the sales floor in a retail store. Phone calls asking for information occur regularly. Most of these callers ask if we carry a certain product or have any on hand. Not all calls are the same.

The call happened about three years ago. I was straightening the shelves in my department when a phone call came for the health care section. I answered the call since this is a portion of my area.

The caller wanted to speak to the pharmacist, but the pharmacy closed earlier. The caller decided to see if I could assist. The caller asked me what she could put on her “itching crotch”. I informed her that I was not a pharmacist nor medically trained and could not offer an opinion. I would have thought that she would have stopped there and called an open pharmacy, but she persisted.

With a sense of urgency, she said her crotch itched so badly that it was on fire. She demanded that I give her the name of something that she could use to soothe the burning. I informed her once again that the pharmacy closed and would reopen the following morning.

“You do not understand how much my crotch itches; it burns so bad I cannot take it.” Without exaggeration, she repeated these words no less than six or seven times. She finally understood that I would not offer any medical advice and told me she would call back in the morning. She informed me, “I should be okay by then, and I have my son putting Aloe Vera on it for now.”

Not much surprises me; however, this last statement caught me completely off guard. You can never be positive about the person on the other end of a call. The voice did not seem to be an elderly person. The woman sounded to be an adult younger than middle age. I immediately felt bad for the child given this task.

I thought this must have been a joke a coworker was playing on me. After telling this story a multitude of time, no one has taken credit. I must assume the call was real.

I hope this woman received comfort. I hope this did not scar the child for life.

There are people in this world that have problems. They may not be physical problems. Some of these problems are messy. Sometimes people do not have others to “rub Aloe Vera” on them.

It takes a lot of love to help someone with his or her problems. We may try to dodge assisting because we are not trained professionals, but we can do something for them even if it is just taking time to listen.

Do not be afraid to get your hands dirty. Be there for people. It takes love and compassion. Treat others, as you want to be treated. Who knows? Maybe one day you will need help with a fiery crotch type of problem.

The Heat Index

“It is not just the heat. It is the humidity.” How many times have we heard this saying? Living in the south, you hear it almost daily most of the year. The other term we hear for a short time is the wind chill factor.  A formula determines what the temperature feels like to our bodies.  The National Weather Service came up with the formula used today.

I have no idea what 95° feels like because when it is 95°, the meteorologists tell me it feels like 110°. What does 110° feel like? I have no clue because if it gets to 110°, they will tell me it feels like something else. What type of scientific nonsense is this?

I wear a t-shirt outside, and my coworker wears an overcoat on the same day. I am certain that he does not agree with how I think the temperature feels.  My body tells me whether it is hot or cold. I do not need someone else to determine if I need a coat or a pair of shorts based on the weather.

I would love to have a job that tells people how it feels today. “Your dog died, and your car broke down, but it is going to feel great today.”  However, news stations pay good money to people telling us how the weather is going to feel.  Can I not just go outside and see what it feels like me?

We also allow others to do this in other areas of our lives. People tell us how we should think. Some tell us how we should feel. Others tell us what to do. When did we stop thinking, feeling and doing for ourselves?

When my dad died, some said I should be happy because he is in a better place. I would not consider my feelings as happy. He may be better off, but I am not thrilled that I will not see or hear him again until after I am gone. Sure, I miss him and go on with my happy life, but happy that he is dead is not an option to me.

When things have gone wrong in my life, some have told me I should be angry. What good does being angry do? I choose to move on and see the better things in life. In the same manner, I have heard people say, “Get over it.” Maybe that is how you feel, but you do not feel the way I do. Some people take longer to get over things. That is all right. Let them take their time.

Often people ask me how I can go through the things I have and keep a smile on my face. The answer is simple. I choose to enjoy life. That does not mean I am always happy, but I try to let the unhappy times be short.

What I am trying to say is do not let others tell you what to do or how to feel. It is your life. Others can influence you, but you have to make the choices and live with them. Choose wisely.

FRUSTRATION AT MY OWN IGNORANCE.

I have a tendency to drive vehicles until they leave me stranded and repairs would cost more than the car. I have sold many cars and trucks to scrap yards. When they get to a certain point, I drop all of the insurance except for liability.

My last vehicle was a 2005 Nissan Murano with just over 230,000 miles on it. On Tuesday, it decided that it had enough of me. I had it towed to my usual repair shop after they had already closed.

On Wednesday, the shop called and informed me that it was time to pull the plug on its life support because the cost of the new CVT transmission would “out value” the car. Before the day was over, I drove off a car lot with my new vehicle with only 23,000 miles on it. I am excited about the new car, but not about having to pay a car note again.

On Thursday morning, I called the insurance company to swap the insurance over from the Murano. The agent asked me if I wanted the same amount of coverage. I thought that was an odd question since I only held liability insurance. She informed me that I had full coverage on the Murano. I questioned her since I know that I dropped all but liability. After further review, I had never dropped the coverage on this vehicle. How did I not know I was fully covered?

Several years ago, someone cut me off on the interstate and then slammed on his brakes. I swerved to miss him and ended up with a blowout. It caused me to spin across three lanes of traffic hit the guardrail and spin me in the other direction until I sat facing oncoming traffic. The car that cut me off continued on its route.

I had a big dent in the rear bumper with obvious damage to its support and the transaxle broke along with a few other things. The tow truck brought my Murano to a shop, and I had the shop fix only what would make the vehicle road worthy. Any repairs of the cosmetic damage, like the bumper, I put on hold since I had to pay for the repairs out of pocket. This of course was because I THOUGHT I only had liability.

It pays to know. I drove about four years with a dented bumper and spent much more on repairs than had I paid the deductible.  How frustrating to know my ignorance cost me so much?

Many times in life, we think we know things, but sometimes we think incorrectly. We should verify what we know and believe. The older I get, the harder it is to remember certain details.  I cannot take things for granted. I need to continue to learn and review. I want to know not only what I believe but also why I believe it. Maybe we all can learn a lesson and review so that forgetting or being ignorant will not cost us more than it should. The cost can be more than money. It can be stress, undue hardships or worse.

People say the truth will set you free, but you must know what the truth is for it to do its job. 

New Year Excitement

Every year, people take this time of the year to remember the things that have transpired in the previous year. The media published top ten lists that friends can debate. Rarely are everyone’s lists the same. My top ten movies are probably not the same as yours.

Every year there has its successes and failures. Last year, I lost 40 pounds from May to November, but in the last 2 months, I have seen an increase in 14 pounds. In sports, my New Orleans Saints looked bad, then really good, then bad again.

Good or bad, we do not live in last year. We live in the present year. Every year starts with celebrations. While the past year has people and events we miss, the New Year offers us a new hope and a fresh start.

It is up to us how we proceed. Many will dwell on the past. They will tell others of their great achievements. Others will recall their losses or failures. Remembering the past is one thing, but living in the past is another.

I chose to move forward.

I do not know what tomorrow will bring. I do not know how this year will compare to last year or to the following year. The excitement of the New Year is like opening a gift. You are not sure if you get what you really wanted or a set of ugly pictures that have be re-gifted year after year. Only time will tell.

I want to live as though this year will be the best ever. I want to live life as if this were my last one on earth. I want to make new friendships that will last for years to come. I want my family to grow through marriage and births. I want those around me to be able to laugh and enjoy life with me.

These are not resolutions. These are my hopes. Some may want more money, better jobs, or better health.

Of course, I want those things, as well, but I really just want to make the people around me happy. I love smiling faces. Laughter is the best medicine.

The New Year offers no guarantees. Some things that will happen will be out of our control. How we respond to things is completely in our control. If you fail, get up, learn from what went wrong, and try again or move on to something else. If you succeed, continue or move on to the next thing. Even better, help someone else to succeed.

This year, I hope people quit complaining and start telling jokes. I hope people will stop the practice of destructive-criticism and offer practical advice and encouragement. I hope the many divisions of people can move past the hurts and come together in unity.

Accomplishing these things start with us. I hope I will be the person to start the change in the New Year. I can only affect those around me. It takes more than just me. It takes a bunch of individuals to decide for themselves how they will affect positive change.

Be positive. Be helpful. Be the change.