Simple Is, As Simple Does...
Looks like we're going to be having a good weather day for Memorial Day this year (In Fort Wayne, Indiana at least), so it will be a good time to enjoy some of those simple things in life.
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But before we continue, a word from our sponsor.
*** A legend in television has passed away.
Art Linkletter died yesterday at the age of 97.
Here's the WIKI link for the history behind this icon of live television:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Linkletter
I grew up watching his shows, and it was a LOT better than anything they have on these days.
You can still get some of his "Kids Say the Darndest Things" on DVD.
We now return you to the program...
--If there's one thing you can take out of life, aside from the inevitability of having to pay taxes and die (as Dad used to say), it's that life is, for lack of a better word...COMPLEX.
And the level of complexity is often determined by our actions; our "choices" if you will.
We can make life as difficult as we can for ourselves (and others), OR we can decide to take another path.
Now, I've been told MANY times, how "simple" I am...
But somehow, I don't think a lot of those people meant it the way I thought they did...weird, isn't it?
I know my Mom used to always chide me by saying: "Don't act so simple".
Well, ACTING simple is one thing...living a SIMPLE LIFE is another.
(but you can still act simple once in a while to relieve the stress, right?)
I've never been one for glitz, flash, bling...whatever the hell they call it these days.
I like things to be as straight-forward as possible. I like my PEOPLE that way, too.
Like I said, life (itself) is WAY too complex to ever sort it ALL out, so don't bother trying.
-You deal with life in as simple a fashion as possible.
-You take the good WITH the bad.
-You try to be as honest as you can, and let your words be your bond.
-If you screw up, admit to it, and move on.
-Always try to make good decisions, and never make the same bad decision twice.
-Pay your debts, never live beyond your means, and always let your conscience be your guide.
(and a little help from "The MAN Above" never hurts one bit either)
-You never try to be all things to all people...that's GOD'S job!
-You won't ever be able to do everything you want to in life either, but it's still fine to "keep a list".
-Try not to pursue riches, because that "almighty dollar" isn't worth half of what it used to be 50 years ago. And besides, the FIRST MILLION is always the most difficult to earn...so try for the second (million) instead...LOL.
Money is a TOOL (no, not the type of "tool" we elect into office that screws us over...that's another tool), and should be treated as such. That means you don't use a pair of PLIERS to drive a nail, if you get my drift.
Now, if you were to stop by our house, the first thing you'd notice is that it's, if nothing else, a humble abode.
Most every stick of furniture came from someone else (maybe that's why they don't match, except for color), but they are not beat to hell and they hold our asses just fine. They're clean and well kept, so what's the big deal?
My stereo is close to TWENTY years old, and still works. The TV in the living room is older still, and THAT works.
The lamps came from my late Mom, as did the drum tables.
Our sofa and chair came from the in-laws, as did all the family room furniture.
From all this, you can take one thing:
We (sooner or later) become the sum of our parents...and that's not such a bad thing.
Having reminders of THEM about the house keeps that humility humming along.
We recall who they were and what they did for us as we were growing up.
Sometimes, a little reminder IS a good thing.
I'm not one of those people that HAS to have the latest technology or the NEWEST gadget or gizmo...
I have to have proof that whatever is being touted is something I truly NEED (and not want).
It's like when I bought my guns.
I never NEEDED to have a (personal) gun with me 24/7 when I lived in Philly, but I did "want" one.
When I moved here, at first, I thought the same way.
Situations that occurred proved otherwise, and I figured I NEEDED a gun.
Well, today, I have "enough" firepower to dissuade those with criminal intent on their minds.
It became a case of going from a "want" TO a "need".
Sure, I also WANT an Aston Martin DBS...BUT, I already have a car (same one for the past 26+ years, too), and like my father always said: "You can ONLY drive ONE at a time", right? Love to know where Dad came up with all these sayings.
I WANT a nice neighborhood (back), but the NEED to have one is just as important.
People NEED to be able to enjoy a certain "QUALITY-OF-LIFE"...that's a given.
They NEED to not be worried about crime at the level we have around here.
They NEED to feel, if nothing else...SAFE, both in their own homes as well as out on the streets.
Like I said...life can be VERY complex.
I'm not of those people that goes out of my way to MAKE life complex...quite the reverse.
That's (seemingly) everyone else's job...not mine.
MY job is to live simply...or one could say SIMPLY LIVE.
And that should be the pursuit of a lot more of us.
All too often, we're chasing after something, using up valuable time that could be better spent doing something a bit more meaningful , or we're wasting time (which stalks us like a predator, whether we're moving or not).
So many people claim "It's the simple things in life that we derive pleasure from."
And that is SO damn true.









Simple for me is the garden and our flowers.
This is something I could only dream about back in the concrete jungles of Philly.
Yeah, I get happy when I see the critters stop by for some seed, or when the hummingbirds come up from South America (almost the ONLY thing good coming from there these days).
It's those times right after a rain shower, when the air smells so damn good.
It's when you've got that flag waving on those special days of the year, like the upcoming Memorial Day.
It's when you hear Beethoven's 5th symphony on the radio...or the William Tell overture (Rossini), or the overture to the Flying Dutchman (Wagner).
It's when the only sound you hear are birds chirping in the predawn hours.
Yeah, it's all that...and more.
And that stuff doesn't cost you one red cent, people. It's just a few of those SIMPLE things in an all-too-complex life, my friends.
Sure, our journey in life is full of twists, turns, potholes, and hills, but it's always a journey that's worth it.
In some ways, it reminds me of those "drives to nowhere" Dad used to take us on Saturdays or Sundays (after he could afford a used car, that is).
Just drive out to "the country" for a half hour, and then come back home.
It's one way to find out that the world is a BIG place, no matter how "small" others paint it these days.
And within all that "big", there is a whole lotta "simple" to be discovered.
Perhaps if we understand that our lives, and all the complexities contained within, are nothing more than an awful lot of "simples" thrown in together, maybe we'll be better prepared for what is around "that next bend" in our journeys.
You never know until you try it, right?
Be Well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.