A couple of years ago, my employer at the time told me he had no further use for my service, saying I was a "glass half-empty" sort of guy. (By that, I think he meant I simply refused to agree with him when he had some half-cocked plan that would make the company instant money but might not be good for the customer in the long run. If that is "glass half-empty", I plead guilty.)
I like to think of myself as just the opposite, a "glass half-full" person. Granted, I have been semi-employed for the past six weeks and my favorite pro football team has a chance to be the first squad ever to go 0-16 in a season. It's minor inconveniences in the big picture.
Life really is not so bad. I have a terrific wife who went through a surgical procedure and (it appears) came out fine. I have a terrific family, the type of people you are honored to be associated. We have a dog we like a lot and who (I think) likes us.
We have been doing a lot of work on our house this year. It has been a long process but the basement is taking shape and looking nice. We live in a nice neighborhood, an areas where folks notice when something is out of the norm and check in to make sure everything is okay.
Although there are times when it is appropriate to do so, it is just too damn easy to be cynical and downcast about life. There was a story this week about a blind woman who runs a convenience store in downtown St. Paul. Some grinch had stolen her laptop. Mark Dayton, a former US Senator here, heard about it and said he would buy her a new one (it cost $6,500).
Dayton certainly has the dough to do so but that's not the point. The point is he saw someone who was in need and helped the person, who was very thankful he did. (Judging by the comments on one of the local papers' website, it wasn't enough. Some people are never satisfied.)
As long as we have that type of spirit still around in this country, there is plenty to be thankful for this year. Along that line, here is my Thanksgiving wish: For one day (okay, two), can we stop focusing on those big car company CEOs who are making oodles of money and thumbing their noses at the American public? Can we quit carping about politicians from the other party? Instead, can we just take a second to look around and see what is right in our little world? Is that really a hard thing to do?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Happy birthday, Colleen!
My mother-in-law turned 80 years old today. Although she isn't the reason why many people have the day off, it is appropriate nonetheless.
You see, Colleen is the type of person we need to honor in this country. She is an original self-made woman.
Not self-made in the usual sense. Colleen was never a big-time salesperson who started her own company and made a gazillion dollars. Instead, she did something I would argue is more important. She worked at being a good mom and wife and worked hard at being there for her kids when they needed her ... even though they sometimes didn't know it.
She is a woman of terrific accomplishment, like being the valedictorian of her high school class when it was unusual for a woman to do so.
When her husband died several years ago, she quietly went out and acquired a driver's license. She didn't use it a lot. But it was there when she needed it. When she finally sold her car earlier this year, the dealer marveled at how clean it was ... and how good the parts were in it.
We have probably played 40 games of Scrabble together. The Detroit Lions and I have something in common here -- neither of us can claim a victory in our field of combat. The closest I got was a tie broken when she had the last word ... literally.
She has looked illness and heartbreak in the mouth and knocked it sideways. She did this with a matter-of-fact attitude so common in this area ... and to people of the greatest generation.
More importantly, she always did it smartly but with a light touch when needed.
When they say they don't make 'em like they used to, they are right. But there's a good reason for that. Class isn't easy to duplicate
You see, Colleen is the type of person we need to honor in this country. She is an original self-made woman.
Not self-made in the usual sense. Colleen was never a big-time salesperson who started her own company and made a gazillion dollars. Instead, she did something I would argue is more important. She worked at being a good mom and wife and worked hard at being there for her kids when they needed her ... even though they sometimes didn't know it.
She is a woman of terrific accomplishment, like being the valedictorian of her high school class when it was unusual for a woman to do so.
When her husband died several years ago, she quietly went out and acquired a driver's license. She didn't use it a lot. But it was there when she needed it. When she finally sold her car earlier this year, the dealer marveled at how clean it was ... and how good the parts were in it.
We have probably played 40 games of Scrabble together. The Detroit Lions and I have something in common here -- neither of us can claim a victory in our field of combat. The closest I got was a tie broken when she had the last word ... literally.
She has looked illness and heartbreak in the mouth and knocked it sideways. She did this with a matter-of-fact attitude so common in this area ... and to people of the greatest generation.
More importantly, she always did it smartly but with a light touch when needed.
When they say they don't make 'em like they used to, they are right. But there's a good reason for that. Class isn't easy to duplicate
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
This is a good thing
I just got back from my voting place. I figured 10:00 a.m. was a quiet, lowkey time to go do my civic duty. It was quiet but not lowkey. There was a line to get to the one of the 11 booths in our tiny precinct. They even offered up some space where a person could sit and fill out a clipboard.
No matter which side of the spectrum you fall on, this is comforting to see. Minnesotans love elections (we traditionally are among the leaders in the country in participation) and this year appears to be no different.
Despite the talkies' constant yammering and the negative ads that make us all crazy, we're still out there voting. As Martha Stewart would say, that is a good thing.
No matter which side of the spectrum you fall on, this is comforting to see. Minnesotans love elections (we traditionally are among the leaders in the country in participation) and this year appears to be no different.
Despite the talkies' constant yammering and the negative ads that make us all crazy, we're still out there voting. As Martha Stewart would say, that is a good thing.
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