More Painful Philosophy

Hey Everyone!

I've been slacking a bit on blogging, haven't I?

My reasons (excuses) are extensive and varied but it all comes down to this:

I've been trying to hibernate.

I don't know about you, but I consider myself a pretty strong and resilient person.

At least that's what I tell myself.

I can handle crisis and conflict, financial and even physical downturns.
I understand trials and realize they're (hopefully) temporary.

But once the real pain-physical, emotional or spiritual-hits I tend to take a tumble.
So here's where I expound eloquently about my concept of pain and the fact that I know God is still in control of my life:

It. Stinks.

Pain, that is.

But here's the thing:

I don't have to like it. I think anyone who isn't honest about their feelings about painful experiences is disrespecting the experience.

Lately several folks who hold a special place in my heart have been going through some terrible times.

Not unfortunate times or difficult times, but really gut-wrenching-I-may-not-live-through-this-or-even-want-to times.

And despite the fact I'm not personally experiencing this horror, in a big way I am.
And it hurts even second-hand.

So here's where my truthiness comes in:

It's awful and I'm hurting and I'm irritated and exhausted.

But all is not lost.

My reaction to pain is real but so is my response to the experience.
If I'm to learn something from it PLEASE let me learn it well.
Don't allow me to recoil from relationships lest I risk my own injury as I help others deal with theirs.
As a believer in Christ, it's phony to act all put-together when inside I'm falling apart.
So pain is real. My dear ones' experiences are real.

But God is Real-er.

Humor isn't for Sissies

Humor can be a tricky thing. What one person thinks is side-splitting hilarious the other person will think is dumb.

Tastes differ, that's for sure. I'm often dumbfounded by the glee dear hubby expresses when telling me a terrific joke he heard at work.

Long after the joke has been told I'm still waiting for the punchline.

For years I thought Don's taste in jokes was juvenile; he'll outgrow it and become 'sophisticated' like me, I've told myself.

I'm still waiting.

Then I discover that most men are the same way: men will tell tall tales and stories and jokes about body functions and mothers-in-law.

Women tell jokes about men.

Is there a type of fraternity these guys all belong to? Is that why they love 'The Three Stooges?'Is that why watching someone fall off a roof or get beaned by a baseball bat is rip-roaring good fun?

Why can't they be more like us girls? We enjoy true stories about what funny comment little Joey made while saying his nightly prayers. Puppy and kitty tales (tails?) are always welcome. And we would NEVER stoop so low as to laugh at the misfortune of someone else (ahem.)

We actually take it personally when our fella's joke flops.

What, doesn't he have any intelligence at all? What kind of person does he think I am that he thought I'd like that joke?

It reminds me that God must have a sense of humor; especially when we get all riled up about what WE think is right and wrong or what is appropriate.

Or funny.

I'm amused by my common belief that the world is meant to accommodate me and my opinions. Differences aren't simply unwelcome- they're downright WRONG!

I must concede that God has given us our individuality. If I criticize someone's taste in music or movies or humor I'm insulting the One Who put it there.

I'm saying that what they think or feel isn't valid yet I fight for my own right to think and feel (and laugh) the way I want to.

So funny is relative (and my relatives ARE funny...whacka whacka whacka).
The trick is to relax, smile a little, shake your head in disbelief and look at your unfunny loved ones in awe. Rejoice that at least YOUR jokes are brilliant, well thought out and skillfully delivered.

I hope to encourage dear hubby in his joke telling. Some day maybe he'll stand at a podium somewhere to deliver an important speech, beginning with a joke that will be repeated eagerly for many years to come.

Now THAT'S funny!

Why I Blog

It was initially a tough sell to get me to blog.

While I enjoy reading what other people write, the topics usually underwhelm me (Reading about how drunk someone got the night before or the descriptions of irritating relatives gets old).

Following the blogosphere I find myself wondering how someone can focus so many words and so much energy on...table settings. The merits of Grey's Anatomy. Whether flash frozen peas are as nutritious as fresh peas. Whether the major storms so far experienced in 2011 in the U.S. are due to global warming.

The topic possibilities are endless, as are the opinions expressed by anyone or everyone who possesses a computer and isn't afraid to use it.

It's intimidating to think my few comments could make an impression in the vastness of information available to us. Often I'm overwhelmed by the responsibility I've taken on to join the fray and express my own quirky perspective on life.

But I think it's necessary to go where the people are. I could be stubborn and do my little workshops and seminars and speak individually to anyone I can outrun.

But there are a lot of us who don't really know what we're looking for until we stumble upon it late at night. When it's quiet and we can't sleep. When we finally have time to listen to our own thoughts. So many times I've heard people say they were surfing the net and my blog caught their attention.

And it spoke to them, providing something that came at the right time.

It's intimidating to realize that people I don't know and may never get the chance to meet read my articles. They pass them along to friends and family.

It's cool, really.

I share the thoughts and experiences that teach me something. I figure if it meant something to me it could mean something to you, too.

I sure hope so.

So in the meantime, spread the word about this blog. The goofy stuff that happens to me I freely share with you. If nothing else, it might show you that weird stuff happens to all of us. Okay, maybe to ME more often but I'm still optimistic.

It's what we do with it and how we move on that makes our lives unique.

And that's why I blog.