Drinking from the Hose

There are many things I see when I drive through my neighborhood. There are always people jogging, walking their dogs, or selling lemonade on the street corner. However, last week I saw two young boys drinking from the garden hose. Of all the things that would bring back memories, it was this. 

I remember when my dad worked outside in the heat; he would always go drink water from the hose. I followed his example when I would play outdoors. My friends and I would all drink from the hose while playing outside. 

It seems like those were simpler times. We were not too good to drink from the hose. We did not require bottled water. We were not scared of what may be in the water coming from the pipes. It must not have been too bad. My dad did it and lived to be ninety. I did it, and at 50, I am still not on any medications. 

We went to the library or used encyclopedias to do research. Today, information is at our fingertips. It is surprising that libraries and bookstores still exist. I hope they never disappear. Technology makes things easier unless it puts you out of a job, which seems to happen more every day.  

My parents scolded me for not calling when I was out later than expected. People always wished that they could contact others instantly. With cell phones, it is almost impossible to hide. The busyness of life makes turning the phone off almost impractical. 

People always want to make things easier. When something new comes around, we must have it. Then after we have had it a while, we complain that life used to be much simpler. 

Someone came into the store the other day and asked for an atlas. Growing up, map reading was necessary for travel. Now we put our trust in the GPS. My GPS has taken me for some interesting turns and sometimes brought me to the wrong place. 

Someone else came to ask a question about a house phone. The other employee asked if I could assist because he had never had one and did not know how they worked. Am I that much of a dinosaur? 

King Solomon wrote, "There is no new thing under the sun”. While the inventions may be new, the motivation remains the same. Let us make things easier. The other thing that remains the same is we find reasons to complain about the new inventions. The book of Philippians tells us to do all things without complaining and disputing. 

How nice would it be with no one complaining? Let us strive for contentment. There are things that need changing. We can implement change without complaining. 

A GLASS HALF FULL

I am a natural born skeptic. I do not believe everything people tell me. People quote fiction as if it were fact. I do not believe what I believe blindly. I research and study, sometimes a little sometime a great deal. When proven wrong, I have changed my beliefs based on facts and research.

I also like to look at things from an open point of view. I will debate a point, even if I agree with you, to see if I you can strengthen my viewpoint or to see a weakness in my opinion. (This drives my wife crazy.)

My outlooks are often different from those around me. Those who think they know me would often be surprised. However, I am not bashful about my beliefs. If you want to know, ask.

This week has been a demonstration of reactions to things that have happened in this world. Election results stirred protests, riots and a call for rule changes by those that do not like the outcome. NFL Football games brought the question on the radio, “should this rule be changed?” Racism has again brought the worst in people from more than one culture.

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Some people will see everything happening in a pessimistic way. To me, the glass is half-full.

I am not blind to the things that are happening. I also do not think the world is doomed. The world may have some negative things in it. It also has some wonderful things taking place.

Approximately 75,000 people were born in the United States last week.  Some will question kind of world awaits them. I prefer to think that many of these will be great success stories and others may bring something positive to this world.

Some people complain about how much money actors and musicians make or with what kind of role models they are.  I prefer to look at what some do with their fame.  Last week, Metallica collected nine tons of food for malnourished children In Colombia.

Some people dwell on the problem of sickness and disease, while a 12-year-old boy learned to sew and has made about 800 teddy bears to give to the sick children in the Royal Hobart Hospital in Australia to bring Joy.

Sure, there are many messed up things in the world. You alone control how you think and what you believe. What will be your mindset? Will you complain about everything? Will you lose hope? Do not dwell on negativity. Be part of a positive solution. You cannot do everything, but you can add something positive to someone’s life or to the world in general.

Do not ignore the facts but look at them is a positive way. You may even begin to see the half-filled glass as an opportunity. Life is great if you make it that way. It all begins with your attitude.