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(happy birthday my Angel) August 13, 2010
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be true to your self
be your true self
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reflection section ~ scars of life
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 The top part of my neighbor Bob's big toe isn't much there. When I asked him about it, he told me the story of backing up with a lawn mower, tripping, and then ... oops ... well I won't describe the gory details, but there you have it. (Or in Bob's case - doesn't.)
I began to think of what stories I could tell from the marks on my body. Let's see, there's a piece of lead stuck in my right index finger from being jabbed with a pencil in the 5th grade Catholic school cloakroom. A jagged scar on the left side of my right knee tells the story of falling over on my bike without unclipping my shoes from the pedals (involving 3 Huskies and a cute woodsy-looking guy on the trail). A teeny three-stitches worth of a 1968 scar barely exists on my forehead from when my sister "bucked me" off her back when I was riding her like a pony (banged my head on pointy corner of dresser). I have light scars from bunion surgery (oh but these big feet look better because of it.) Then a skinny scar shows across my left knee - a little Bermuda honeymoon memory of tripping over a metal stake on the golf course.
(Holy Moly! I sound accident prone. Really, I'm coordinated :-)
But my personal best - and my FAVORITE body story - is the tale from two C-sections worth of scar tissue down yonder. (Now taking the form of two teenagers who scar me every day.) These I fondly remember especially today as my baby girl - Angel - turns 14.
Fifty years can tell stories from a handful of scars - and these don't count the ones on my heart that no one can see. Yes, life leaves its lasting imprint on our bodies, minds and hearts ... one story at a time.
What stories can you tell? |
not about the bike ~ taking chances
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Post-bike ride, I knew if I didn't run my trail bike to the bike shop right then, it might be another few weeks before scratching it off my To Do list. Needed a new seat, odometer, tires, etc. - things were falling apart.
But I didn't have my driver's license in my bike shirt. Drats. Hmmmm, should I drive anyway? What if I get pulled over by a cop for some reason? Dare I?
I dared.
I took a chance, figuring my chances were slim - in the short 15-minute ride - that I would need to show my driver's license. I got to the bike shop and back home, no problem.
Taking chances in life can be scary. It's that "leaping without a net" mindset. Some of us philosophize (is that a word?) ... "Leap and the net will appear." As an unstructured gypsy kind of free spirit, that's how I operate. I'm whirly-twirly-fly-by-the-seat-of-my-bike-pants kinda girl. Others are more cautious, needing to "see" the actual net to know for certain they will land safely and the chance will pay off.
But chance doesn't work that way. Like in Monopoly ... when landing on the CHANCE square, we pick up a card. It could award us $200 for winning a beauty contest or land us in jail. We don't know. We take a chance.
In life. In love. In learning ... we have to take chances. Because chances are ... we'll land safely.
And ... taking a chance with our 50+-year-old bodies will be snippeteers and cyclists Sue Ditman Hanley (pictured above left) and Mary Kim Wilkens of MD,
along with me - Snippets Suz - as we pedal in the
October 9 Seagull Century 100-mile bike ride in Salisbury, MD.
(Don't worry - all flat roads on the Eastern Shore. My 8th one!)
Wanna ride with us? C'mon! (click to learn about it)
Hey, we could start TEAM SNIPPETEERS!
no fundraising required;
Seagull Century is a just-because-pleasure ride of 8,000 riders.
Well, if you can call riding 100 miles pleasurable
:-)THEY GIVE YOU PIE AT THE LAST REST STOP! |
there's a right way
and a wrong way to do everything
the
wrong way is to keep trying
to make everybody else do it the right way
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In the beach bag ~ the SNIPPETS library
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Snippeteer Annie from MD is reading ...
Same Kind of Different As Me
by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
"It's a true story and very moving;
a good and powerful book."
Snippeteer Dinah from MD recommends titles by Emily Giffin:
Heart of the Matter
Love the One You're With
Baby Proof
Something Borrowed
Something Blue
Snippeteer Paula from PA liked:
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
"Very good!"
Snippeteer Dayle from MD liked these titles and said,
"Happy reading travels to all!"
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Water for Elephants
The Glass Castle - A Memoir
House Rules
Little Bee
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A mother and daughter were shopping in the mall when the mother eyes a beautiful but of course expensive fur coat. "This year," she says, "I think I will buy my birthday present instead of making dad shop for me." The daughter agrees. "And I think this fur coat would be perfect," says the mother.The daughter protests. "But Mom, some helpless, poor creature has to suffer just so you can wear this fur coat!"
"Awww, don't worry, sweetie," says the mother. "Your father won't get the bill until next month."
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whether you get up or not
the day will happen anyway
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SNIPPETS handy helper ~ Join for Joe
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FOR Rob K who lost his 2-year battle with a brain tumor, leaving behind a wonderful wife and three young boys. He was a kid at heart and will be greatly missed, reported a snippeteer.
FOR John L of MD diagnosed with advanced cancer that is treatable not curable. He is the high school buddy of a group of snippeteers.
FOR our kids moving to dorms and other cities - that their new experiences contribute to their maturity and growth ... and for us moms left behind in tears (but it's not about us!)
FOR all of you August birthday girls! Happy-happy-happy YOU.
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judgmental judy
in the case of pointless meetings
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ORDER IN THE COURT! Judgmental Judy is a very busy woman. So when she receives a request for "A Meeting" she tsks-tsks at the caller or emailer ... because The Judge knows. She knows meetings can be a waste of valuable time. She knows that 9 out of 10 times, a phone call discussing the proposed senseless meeting topic is good enough. Works for her.
What is it about people who feel the need to call pointless meetings? ("Uh, hello Judge? Could we meet about fixing that squeak in your gavel?") Why does a conversation have to happen IN PERSON when there are only TWO people involved? Uh, hello - anyone hear of a TELEPHONE? That nifty invention by Alexander Graham Bell.
In JMJ's world, setting up "A Meeting" requires all of this:
- finding a time slot on Judgmental Judy's courtly calendar
- getting gussied up (waste of makeup and perfume)
- getting in the car
- driving to the meeting (gas guzzler)
- getting out of the car
- paying for parking
- waiting for the "meeting caller" who's late
- talking about a topic WAY more than the topic warrants (does "beating it with a stick" conjure the image?)
- shelling out moolah for the breakfast, lunch or java being consumed in the meeting
- getting back in the car
- driving back to court
- wasting a half of a work day
WATCH THIS: The Judge dials 10 digits on her cell phone ... discusses a topic in 3 to 15 minutes ... hangs up. Meeting over. (All without getting out of her curlers and robes.)
Judgmental Judy bangs her gavel on calling senseless meetings. Waste of "meets."
Next! Case closed.
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you cannot have a happy ending
to an unhappy journey
- Abraham Hicks
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CIAO ...
and thanks for snippeting,
Suzanne Molino Singleton
SNIPPETS creator
(weekly since 2006)
other writing by Suzanne appear on the NY Yankees' YESNetwork.com:
Mrs. Singy: Married to Baseball
Latest story: "Ma! You threw away my baseball cards?"
and ... a new e-letter began 4 issues ago:
"Neighborhood News from Little Italy, Baltimore."
To be added to its distribution list email Suzanne here.
Read issues here.
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