COOL CAT!!

Well, yesterday made a year since the passing of my cat (Butterfingers).  I really miss her.  I can't think about her for too long before I begin crying.  But there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her.  She was spoiled rotten.  Went anywhere in the home she damn well pleased.  She was not a floor cat - I used to say.  Let me explain.  She would walk on the table, on top of the stove, when not in use - of course.  She would even make it all the way to the top of the fridge.  And she slept in the bed - mine or my daughter's.  Most cats would appreciate their "staff" buying them expensive pet beds, toys, etc.  Not Buttas.  She had no use for such things.  Prefering to sleep with people.  Her thoughts, I presume, were, "If you sleep in the bed, I sleep in the bed.  Talk about feelings of superiority?!  This would infuriate my friend Samuel.  Sorry, there's no room for ya.  Anydiddles, that was my girl.  RIP.  You are sorely missed.  Cheers!!

THE ILLUSION OF INDEPENDENCE!!

The key to our personal well-being and the peace and harmony of the world lies in awakening ourselves from imaginary independence and reconnecting with the rest of humanity and the natural environment.  This maybe difficult for some due to our ever increasing sophistication in commerce and communication.  It is so easy to shop online for almost everything we need from food to clothing to dating that we hardly ever have to leave the confines of our homes.


I bring this up because on my way home from work last Wednesday, I stopped at a fishmonger.  I purchased my eats and left.  As I was walking home I decided to take rest at a nearby park area because I was tired.  There sitting on one of the benches was an older gentleman dressed in jeans, a thick, heavy, army green sweat jacket sporting a goatee - relaxing.  So I began to express how tired I was feelilng.  I can't remember what I said to him just before I said to him, "I really should not take myself too seriously."  Well, sometimes I need to keep my big mouth shut - I thought.  All of a sudden he started on this long tirad of his whole entire life.  From being burned out of house and home due to a fire a few years ago, to working at JFK Airport, to his children, on and on he went.  At this point, I am not blatently looking at him eye-to-eye, but I would cut my gaze at him to see if his clothes looked dirty, dingy.  Nope.  They were clean and neat.  I don't know exactly what I was looking for (Okay, we won't go there). 


Many of you don't know me but I will listen, or appear to listen to almost anybody's story.  We all have one.  However, feelings of resentment kicked in as I wondered to myself why I stopped to being with.  But, as I allowed myself to really tune in to what he was saying, I began to relax and I acutally found his story interesting.  He's an avid traveler, loves his kids, started a grassroots Guardian Angel's program in the city.  All and all a genuinely friendly man. 

Since I had just bought fish, and it was pretty warm out, I needed to get it refridgerated soon.  As I got up to leave we were saying our goodbyes, to my surprise, he told me what my horoscope sign was.  I hadn't told him anything personal about myself but he told me exactly what sign I was born under.  And, guess what?  I guessed his, too.  I said you are an Aquarian.  My guess seemed totally arbitrary, whereas I felt his was more intuitive.  We said goodnight to each other and I went on my way.  As I began walking home these were my exact thoughts, "Why did I stop there?  What was my purpose for being there?  I didn't need nor want anything from this man.  What could he do for me?"  I was feeling a little arrogant, needless to say, while these thoughts passed through my head.  Thinking myself way too good for the likes of him.  And then I had my AHA! moment.  I lowered the banner of my arrogance.  It wasn't I who needed him, but he who needed me (talk about arrogance - lol!).  Maybe, just maybe he needed me to talk to.  Someone to stop and say hello, to have a conversation with.  Who knows what he could have been experiencing in his life or was feeling at that time.  I was just the perfect person to fulfill that need.  I came along at the right time at the right place to fill a need - a void.  There I was connecting with another human being in a natural environment - a park.  Cheers!!

LUCKY NUMBER 7/SEVEN

A few years ago I was into numerology.  My soul number is seven.  It's a very spiritual number.  So suitable for this stage of my life.  Lately, I have been thinking about the number seven and its relation to my spiritual development and realized that seven has played a dominant role in religion, science, the arts, literature, business and education.  No other number has had greater influence on our lives than the number 7.  Here's how the number 7 plays out in our lives:

7 primary colors in the  spectrum

7 days of the week

7 musical notes/octave

7 wonders of the world

7 chakras or energy centers in the body

7 deadly sins

7 virtues

Snow White and 7 dwarfs (what was Snow White doing all alone with those dwarfs in the woods anyway?)

7Up soda

telephone system is based on 7 numbers

7 holes in the human head

song called "Seventh Son"

7 degress of separation

movies - "Seven," "The Magnificant 7"

7 layer cake

7 types of love

Elizabeth Barrentt Browing's poem there are seven ways to love

7 principles in Kwanzaa - an African American holiday

Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" had only seven - slip out the back, Jack/make a new plan, Stan/No need to be coy, Roy/ Just listen to me/Hop on the bus, Gus/Don't need to discuss much/drop off the keys Lee/ (get yourself free)

7 tiles in Scrabble

movie "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

7 Seas

7 continents

7 ingredients in the Big Mac

7 is neutral on the pH scale - pure water has a pH of 7

7 years bad luck for breaking a mirror

7th child in family supposed to be good luck

dogs and cats grow older by 7 years

7 year itch

Joseph's result of interpreting the king's dream in the Bible - 7 years famine/7 years prosperity

There are many other ways that seven/7 plays out in our lives.  Can you think of any?  Cheers!!

BREAKING OUT OF THE ORDINARY

The older I get, the more and more I realize that being a bit out of the ordinary isn't a bad thing.  Rarely do I get to see blockbuster films; I get more pleasure from documentaries and the indie circuit.  If you have to wait months to get a table at a resturant, I'm not that list.  I rather visit that cozy neighborhood eatery.

I don't go for "the" designer bag or "the" signature bracelet.  I would much rather spend money on vintage one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted finds.  For anyone who has ever worried about fitting in or being totally "on trend" or in the "loop," it's nice to let it all go and embrace the idea of following your own path.  After all, why be traditional? 

Sometimes mixing things up can bring a totally new and exciting outlook or angle.  For example: feng shui, holistic healing like Reiki, soap making, visiting farmers' markets; unearthing the creative side by exploring handcrated pottery, canoeing, watching wild life, or dining by the water.  Anything to get you out of the norm and encounter sweet escapes will enhance your life.  So go for it!  Cheers!!

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE: Light Bulb Jokes!!!!!

 How many doctors does it take to change a light bulb?  What kind of insurance do you have?

How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?  One, but only if the light bulb wants to change.

How many telemarketers does it take to change a light bulb?  Only one, but she has to do it while you're eating dinner.

How many chiropractors does it take to change a light bulb?  One, but it takes hime three visits.

How many real estate agents does it take to change a lilght bulb?  Ten, but we'll accept eight.

How many auto mechanics does it take to change a light bulb?  We don't know yet, we're still waiting for a part.

How many IRS agents does it take to screw in a light bulb?  Only one, but it really gets screwed.

How many statisticians does it take to change a light bulb?  1.67.

How many accountants does it take to screw in a light bulb?  What kind of answer did you have in mind?

How many skateboarders does it take to change a lilght bulb?  One, dude!

How many paranoids does it take to change a light bulb?  Who wants to know?

How many gay rights activists does it take to change a light bulb?  None.  The bulb shouldn't have to change for society to accept it. 

How many gay men does it take to screw in a light bulb?  Two, but they would probably prefer to have track lighting instead.

How many lesbians does it take to screw in a light bulb?  Three.  One to screw it in and two to write a song about it.

How many Yale students does it take to change a light bulb?  None, New Haven looks better in the dark.

How many Zen masters does it take to change a light bulb?  Two.  One to change it and one not to change it. 

How many jazz musicians does it take to change a light bulb?  Dont' worry about the changes.  We'll fake it!

How many cockroaches does it take to change a light bulb?  No one knows; they all scatter when the light comes on.

How many writers does it take to change a light bulb?  Ten.  One to change it and nine to say, "I could have done that."

How many dyslectics does it take to change a light bulb?  Two.  One to ladder the hold and the other to bulb in the screw.