Serendipity

I f you ever feel a little bit stupid, just dig this up and read it again; you'll begin to think you're a genius. (On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.)  Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,"     --Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss US A contest. "Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." --Mariah Carey "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life," -- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign "I've never had...

*Forget world peace. Visualize using your turn signal. *I used to have a handle on life, but it broke. *WANTED: Meaningful overnight relationship. *Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder. *IRS We've got what it takes to take what you've got. *Out of my mind...Back in five minutes. *Hang up and drive. *I took an IQ test and the results were negative. *Where there's a will...I want to be in it. *It's lonely at the top, but you eat better. *Ever stop to think, and forget to start again? *Be nice to your kids...They will pick out your nursing home. *Always remember you're unique...Just like everyone else. *If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of car payments. *I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money. *Never take life seriously. *Nobody gets out alive, anyway. *Never knock on Death's door: Ring the doorbell and run (he hates that) *I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe. *You have the ri...

“Dare to Be" "When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully. When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light. When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it. When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway. When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back. When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some. When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going. When tim es are tough, dare to be tougher. When love hurts you, dare to love again. When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal. When another is lost, dare to help them find the way. When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand. When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile. When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too. When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best. Dare to be the best you can – At all times, Dare to ...

bouquet of flowers After the ordeal in Wisconsin almost 20 months ago  (found in my earlier blogs from 2 Summers ago)  , I swore I was done with men and relationships. I had enough of the lies and deceptions; I'd had enough of making bad choices and no longer trusted myself to make a 'good' decision where men were concerned; I needed time to "find" me again...dealt with the knowledge that if I never met someone, I would be content to remain single until my last breath.  And really...who would want "me"? That's the biggest thought I lived with all of this time.  Then...something happened that changed everything for me. Mike and I went to school together, so many years ago...and had become 'friends' on Facebook almost 2 years ago. We had moments of conversations over that time, nothing more than a comment here and there, and I could see that he was living a good life down South. (Between Florida and New Orleans.) He seemed happy i...

window looking outside...7/5/13 A new story has begun in my life...one of beauty...one of sorrow. In the week ahead, I will begin at the beginning, but for now, I am starting here, where the biggest travesty is occurring. Michael, my boyfriend, has hit rock bottom. In the last 6 months or so, things evolved which were completely out of his control. His own brother attempted to kill him while high on crack; he lost his unemployment weeks ago; was evicted from the place he was living because he couldn't pay his rent; had to surrender his car because he was unable to pay for it; and now...he's had to turn to welfare for help.  (As a side note, he had been living in New Orleans up until 6 months ago, returning 'home' to New York.) I was with him when he applied for emergency help at the Department of Social Services...and watched as it tore him to pieces to have to be this low in his life, and saw how the whole process of applying and being interviewed shredd...

June 5, 2013 We are born, we live, we die. That is the nature of life.  The question here is: Are we really living, or are we existing? Some people might not understand my terminology, so I will explain.  'Existing' is just living day to day: get up; go to work if you have a job; come home; and finish the day out in front of the TV or what have you. Basically, fast paced with no time to really enjoy living. 'Living', on the other hand, is really taking the time to enjoy life to the best of your ability. It means, taking time out and 'absorbing' the things around you. Reflecting on their individual beauty.  June 4, 2013 Step outside, on your balcony, deck, porch, or yard...and really "look" at what is around you. See the flower or blade of grass for it's beauty and purpose. Enjoy it! Listen to the sounds of laughter, or birds...watch them...marvel at them. Smell the air...be thankful that it's there...and all that it does ...

Jesse Gourley, Founder of PTSD TKO Evansville, IN --  Jesse Gourley is a typical, fun-loving 8-year old, who loves camping, writing and drawing. Already she carries a heavy load on her heart for one so young, experiencing firsthand what PTSD has done to her father. Jesse has experienced fear, hurt and anxiety in a time of her life that she should be solely enjoying her childhood. Shawn and Jesse Her mom, author and owner/founder of  Military with PTSD , Shawn explains that she has done her best to ease things for her children, telling them no more than needed, about why daddy acts like he does and seems so angry at times. Shawn knows though, that children don't really understand PTSD. Unfortunately, most adults don't either. Shawn explained to me how TKO came to be: "Jesse came to me with the idea of TKO. They bet me they could raise more PTSD awareness than I could and said the theme was 'Momma said knock you out' and from th...