No More Empty Fortune Cookies!

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Dear Universe

Dear Universe,

Please send me a super cute, charming little Craftsman bungalow or Tudor style house with wood floors and a fenced yard that my pups can't jump over or dig under. I just don't want to live in a bland box that is indecipherable from every other house on the street.



It needs plenty of light and a super awesome man cave for Macey, first-floor laundry is a big bonus, and if there are stairs, I need well lit, not deathly treacherous stairs so my blind ass won't fall down them.

A big front porch with plenty of room for evening relaxation, morning coffee, and Friday night poker with the in-laws would be super sweet. Maybe you cold even throw in a nice back patio for summer grilling?

And it needs to fit within my budget.
Is that asking too much? That's probably asking too much.

As close to that as possible is all I'm really asking.

Please and thank you.

XOXO - Me

Saturday, February 4, 2017

A Nihilist, Two Pessimists, and an Optimist walk into a bar

Dinner discussion last night:

Is there really such a thing as positive energy vs. negative energy? And can people really change the world by harnessing positive energy, if such a thing even exists?

The absolute nihilist at the table said "No. Energy is just energy. You can't prove that it is either negative or positive. Nothing you do will make any difference, so why bother?"

The atheist who wavers between nihilism and optimism said, "Absolutely there is positive and negative energy, and I think that when energy is released from us when we die, it disperses across the universe and has either positive or negative impact wherever it lands. But I also believe that since in the end, we're all going to die and the universe will collapse into a black hole, nothing we do can change that."

The pessimist who has faith in God and a hint of optimism that shines through every now and again said, "Well, maybe if I did something really nice for some unfortunate person, that would be positive energy, and it might make the world a different and better place for them, but it would not absolve me of my wrongs, of my negative energy from my past."

If you know me, you would probably guess that I weighed in on the side of YES! Positive and negative energy are absolutes, and everyone carries both, it is up to us how to harness and use them. And YES! Absolutely people can, and do, and have made BIG changes to the world. Even just one person can make a change.  I feel that when you as an individual do something especially nice for someone who really needs a hand up, (positive energy) and you make their world a better, brighter place, no only do they become happier, but they are more likely to pay that good deed forward and make the world happier for another person, who will, in turn, make the world happier for another person. Cumulative positive energy. There's a chain reaction that happens. Not only does that do good for all those people, but knowing that you helped change the world for the first person, and knowing that you had a positive impact on their life will make you happier and more fulfilled, which gives you the strength and recharges your positive energy that you need to continue doing good and helping others. It snowballs. And even though we're on this tiny rock hurtling through space until we reach that cataclysmic event that annihilates everything in existence, it is incumbant upon us each to do what we can to make life while we're here, happier and better for those around us. We might as well enjoy this ride as much as we can, for as long as we can. At least that's my humble opinion.

This conversation led to the question, from the absolute nihilist of, "So you think that by being positive, that eventually everyone will be all good and happy and everything will all be OK?"

No. No, I don't think that at all. Why? Because there will always be people who can't or won't acknowledge that their negative energy has an impact on everyone around them, and so they will continue to spread negative energy about. But I still believe, with every fiber of my being, that we can strive to make the world as good as we possibly can, and that every improvement, no matter how insignificant it seems, is worthwhile because it could be monumental to someone else.

Both the has-faith-in-God-pessimist and the atheist-with-borderline-pessimist/nihilist-tendencies both of which also have some optimism that sneaks out leaned toward my view, but they both also said that in the end nothing we do really makes a significant impact, and so although they believed that we could make small improvements for individuals, they really wouldn't amount to much.

Fascinating conversation. Where do you fall in? Weigh in and tell me what you think.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Lookng for Light in the Midst of Darkness

I've been feeling down and blue lately. The election is a part of that, and it is winter so I get less sunlight, and that always seems to affect me, and then there's my sight...

I know to expect a constant decline. I know it is, as my medical record so kindly states,
"a progressive, incurable disease
I know all of this, but I still find it hard to adjust each time I notice my world getting darker and smaller than before.

Colors fade.
Lights dim.
Visual acuity diminishes.
And my positive outlook plummets, even if it is temporary.

I was deep in thought about it all the other night, and I realized that there are parallels between how I feel about what's going on in the world around me politically, and what's going on in the world around me visually.
  • Darkness is slowly encroaching on an ever smaller and smaller world. 
  • The dangers I encounter are growing in number, and I don't always see them before it is too late. 
  • What worked before is inadequate now.
  • I have to constantly remind myself to slow down, look for the safe spots, and then make my way to them slowly, meticulously considering each step and then cautiously advancing, ever onward. Ever forward. 
  • Sometimes the steps I take look foolish to others, and I have to stop caring whether or not they understand my motives. I always strive for my actions to do no harm, to myself or to others. 
  • I'm constantly looking desperately for a glimmer of light to help guide me. 
  • Sometimes I have to create my own light. 
Although I get overwhelmed with the changes and frightened by the darkness, I have to approach it with determination and confidence.

Friends, I'm here to tell you, I will get through my vision loss and thrive in spite of it.

We will get through this dark period in our country's history by adjusting ourselves to our new environment, taking carefully planned steps, and maneuvering ourselves back into that circle of light where we can clearly assess our surroundings, unobstructed by all this darkness.