Tag Behavior

This or That

Michael 8 Comments

I hadn’t planned on doing this today. I was going to do that. When I discovered eventually I’d have to do that, I thought today would be a good day for that. In fact, I even said to myself, “Self,” I said, “Thursday would be a good day for that.” And indeed, it would, but so would Monday be, so instead I’m doing this.  And equally indeed, on Monday I’ll do that.

This is promoted by yesterday’s Uplift post. No surprise there as usually Thursday RRSB posts do recall Wednesday Uplift posts. Not always, and it wouldn’t have been had I done that instead but I’m doing this so that’s that.

This, about as far as I can tell, is an absolute original thought Diem and I had and posted yesterday. Quiet Change. I’m capitalizing them here although we didn’t there because the more I think about it, the more I think this concept of Quiet Change is something special.

A few sentences from the post:

So which is it – change is all around and within us as a natural part of our existence, or change happens when we take the steps to initiate it? It’s probably more neither than both. Yes, we are closing our ears to the noise about change, both the change being inevitable and change being instigated. Change is self-fulfilling. So we say.

Too often we use change as an excuse for our actions, or inactions, rather than an impetus to them. We call for the need for a change then wait for others to do the hard work of change. Or we explain away lapses in performance or even in judgement by citing something that had changed without our knowledge. We’ve turned change into the noise that detracts, distracts, and deflects us from responsible action.

The quiet side of change too often is overlooked.

We contend that people make change artificially difficult and use it as an excuse for bad or incomplete decisions and procrastinated or poorly executed action. The magic to Quiet Change is it allows us to work with it, appreciating the positives of the process and progression.

If I say so myself, “Self”, I’d say, “that’s something on the Internet well worth the time to read.” So why don’t you Listen for the Quiet.

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Waiting for Summer

Michael 10 Comments

I can really not wait for summer. I had to run out yesterday. Afternoon. The warmest part of the day it was snowing!  I want a day at 72° sunny warmth. It’s not that I don’t appreciate Spring and the necessary rains that lead to burgeoning blossoms, or the cool nights and warm days that get the maple sap flowing that eventually finds its way atop my breakfast pancakes.

We are clearly in the early throes of global destruction. Before you know it, we’ll all be standing around in prehistoric looking rock lined canyons while pelting rain, roaring thunder, and brilliant flashes of lightning become the new white noise that is, or will be, the backdrop to our soon to be extinguished existence(s).

As an aside (you who watch science fiction will understand this), have you ever noticed how when our future space explorers land on a far out there planet, with more intelligent life than we have here, the planets all look like unused sets from Jurassic Park and the intelligent life has tails. But I digress…

How much longer will we have to wait for real warm weather? Up here. Not down along the Gulf of Mexico. Oddly enough, for as ancient as I am, and as many trips as I’ve made south of the Mason Dixon Line, there are only 3 cities in the Gulf I’ve been too, Houston, New Orleans, and Clearwater.  Clearwater was my favorite. Maybe again someday. Now, where was I? Oh right…

When will we get back to reasonable weather? I suppose I should be grateful I’m alive still to see any weather. It sort of reminds me of how always looking to the future we lose our appreciation for the present. And that reminds me of this week’s Uplift post Coming Attractions. Take a look.

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Where were you when…

Michael 16 Comments

The last couple of weeks have had some interesting stories in the news, and I don’t mean articles detailing the machinations of a chainsaw wielding immigrant or an orange skinned man-child. I’m talking about interesting stories, real life stuff.

Although I suppose there was a specific date when the world decided to shut down, the media, social and mainstream, must have gotten together and declared it was early March 2020 and have been busily writing up every 5 year COVID anniversary story they can imagine. How healthcare has changed, how cooking has changed, how exercise has changed, how travel has changed, notable moments in the history of, or the lingering effects on life after COVID. It’s a good thing we had that pandemic or else people would be filling up their column inches (and the pixelated equivalent) with really far-fetched stuff like Presidential executive orders banning skinny jeans or renaming established geographic entities. But I digress.

As much as I enjoyed reading the timeline of recent history almost as much as I enjoyed living through the timeline of recent history, the most interesting articles addressed food. If you were to say that makes sense to you because you know I like food a lot more than I like history, you are right! Even though I did get an A in history throughout my junior high school career or whenever we learn about history because those who do not learn their history are doomed to repeat it.

Apparently, something we aren’t doomed to repeat, or aren’t privileged to repeat, is more home cooking. A U.S. Department of Agriculture survey conducting in 2024 indicated people are spending 55.7% of their food budget on dining out. But…there’s always a but when you start talking statistics…but, according to a national association of restaurants and restaurateurs, more people are ordering take-out and enjoying their dining out dollars at home, including double digit increases in people purchasing complete major holiday meals (think Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter). All this while inflation supposedly had been escalating more rapidly than Dingy Donald’s golf scores. (To be fair (yes,I can be), according to the National Restaurant Association, restaurant prices increased 27.2% from February 2020 to June 2024.)

As I read some of the articles, I discovered new to me 5 year old information. For example, did you know there was a yeast shortage during the pandemic? Now, I am a bread maker. Bread, pizza, rolls. All things yeasty. (Not beer. I’m not crazy about beer and every “home-brew” I have ever tasted seemed to want to challenge rhubarb as the most bitter stuff you can put in your mouth.) Like the rest of the world, I was baking bread nearly every Saturday during the pandemic. But I also was baking bread nearly every Saturday before and since the pandemic, and because I was/am a constant baker (not to be confused with a constant gardener), I buy yeast in 2 pound blocks.  Guess I sailed right through the “shortage” with the couple packs I always have in the freezer. Who knew?

What changes from 2020 are you still living with, or without, or would like to again? Maybe next week we should talk about how exercise has changed. Gotta work off all those bread calories. See you then!

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This or That

Michael 11 Comments

Disingenuous. That’s a great word. It sounds almost polite but there is no mistaking it means you’re about as trustworthy as a fox in a henhouse, as loyal as a Benedict Arnold fan club member, and/or as honest as a politician. Let’s take an average Joe, or your average Donny who rants and raves about immigrants and wants to see them all deported, yet two of his three wives and one of his one mother are immigrants, his loyal assistant’s wife is an immigrant, and his best buddy is not only an immigrant but an illegal one, entering the country on a student visa but never matriculating to any institution of higher learning. That is a good example of disingenuous.

It also doesn’t sound like one, but disingenuous is one of those black or white, this or that, yes or no type words. There aren’t many shades of gray to dishonesty, disloyalty, or distrustwrothiness. (By the way, do you know the difference between gray and grey. One is a color and the other is a colour. Hahahaha!!!!)

Anyway…back to shades of gray. It seems unless one is discussing their own sketchy behavior (behaviour), people don’t like ambiguity. We want a definite yes or no, good or bad, yea or nay, do you or don’t you. I could go on and on. Or on and off.

Of course the worst of the either/or scenarios are when we assign good or bad, plus or minus, love ‘em or hate ‘em qualities to people. Seeking absolutes divides us into “us” and “them,” limiting understanding and the ability to find a common ground. And believe it or not, we’re all pretty common even if we aren’t necessarily all grounded.

This week’s Uplift post explored the idea that in a world where everyone believes themselves to be right, everyone might be wrong, and that admitting the possibility of being wrong can encourage discussion and collaboration to uncover the real truth. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look. It isn’t too long yet not too short, and neither is it our best work, nor is it our worst. Take our word for it, there’s more right than wrong in it and we genuinely can say that. (By the way, tomorrow’s Friday Flashback further explores this idea. If you join our mailing list today you’ll get an email notice of that tomorrow.)

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Appropriate Attire Optional

Michael 13 Comments

I think I’m turning old fogie. Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to an Alton Brown live show. Alton Brown is the cinematographer turned chef turned celebrity who created the long running Food Network show, “Good Eats.”

I grant you, this was not a symphony concert nor a Broadway marquee performance, but it wasn’t the Grateful Dead either. As such, I was not dressed in my Sunday go to Meeting Clothes (even though it was Sunday), but I looked respectable in a collared shirt, slacks, and blazer.  My daughter was with me in a flowy spring dress. Sprinkled among the crowd were others like us but most looked like they would have been more at home at that Grateful Dead concert.  One particular couple who caught my eye, she with what appeared to be a beach coverup (although I don’t know what it was covering, not even close to beachwear weather) and he with a sweat stained t-shirt, cargo shorts, and grass stained work boots. She was wearing a rock on her left hand the size of the Hope Diamond and they were in the VIP session with us so I guess the lawn business is a profitable one for him and perhaps she just flew in from the yacht to catch the show.

This is all on the heels of another event on Saturday. I can’t recall if I ever mentioned here that I am a member of the Toastmasters. We are in the midst of contest season. Every year, Toastmasters around the world compete for a spot at the World Series of Speaking, moving through Club, Area, Division, District, and Regional contests in search of that spot on the International stage. Saturday was the Division contest and drew about 100 people from 18 local clubs. Of the 12 speakers, four looked like professional speakers, suits and ties, or at least blazers for the men, and a dress on the one woman.  The others looked like lawn boy’s cousin. I’m sorry, but that is not how you present yourself if you want to be taken seriously. (Unless the style of dress is a reflection of the topic like a tropical shirt if you’re discussing surfing. Nobody talked about surfing.) (Or even lawn care.)

But…through it all, whoever it was and whatever anybody looked like, I noticed a lot of people nodding and saying hello. I was flabbergasted! It was just last week in the ROAMcare Uplift post that we talked about how the world needed more Hi Guys. If you haven’t already, take a look at it.

Did you notice I was late this week? If you did, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. If you didn’t, why not!?

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When eyes are smilin’

Michael 10 Comments

A chance encounter reminded me of an old post here that led to a new post there. It’s been a couple of weeks since I visited the walk in wobble out same day surgery center at the local big time hospital. It was on the way in that I had my mind’s eye opened.

Almost exactly 8 years ago (March 30, 2017 to be exactly exact) I posted about The Hi Guys. What could have happened all this time later to remind me of that ancient text. A near exact (there’s that word again) encounter as the one that led to the post. Back then it was a grocery store, this time it was a hospital. Both life saving institutions in their own way. But what was it. It was the greeting and the smile of an absolutely complete stranger that turned a day of anticipated dread into one of realizing the world really isn’t such a bad place after all. (Except for Washington, DC. There it’s the pits and will for always and ever and/or until January 2029 be so.)

Anyway, to see what that was, take a look at The Hi Guys and see how a simple nod or hello can become a powerful incentive to making someone smile and maybe, just maybe making their day.
While you’re there, sign up to join the ROAMcare community. It’s the only way you’ll get to see what tomorrow’s Friday Flashback will be.

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Happy Things

Michael 15 Comments

I had some of the snarkiest content ready for this week when I decided I didn’t want to add to the spectacle. If you haven’t yet figured out Washington is now full of parasitic nutcases, nothing I can say is going to change that clearly wrong thinking you are holding on to.

Instead, I am going to heed my own advice and make me happy. It was in a ROAMcare post from last fall when we wrote, “The most positive thing you can do to offer happiness to someone is to be happy for yourself and to be happy with yourself.” It is in that spirit that I offer you that which made me happy last week and maybe you will gain a smile from it too.

You know that two weeks ago I had surgery on my arm and for a couple days, if I wanted my arm to go anywhere with me it came along in a wheelbarrow because like a newborn, it had to be carried everywhere it went. I am happy to say since early last week I have regained all movement and flexibility in that appendage. I may never be able to throw a curve ball again but I never could anyway so there’s that. I still am limited to lifting nothing heavier than a small hard bound novella but I expect by next month I should be able to tote around a Stephen King novel.

I was at a meeting Thursday and as we standing about and talking someone asked now that spring is coming, if we were plants or flowers, what we do to prepare ourselves for the new season. I didn’t even have to think about it. If I was a plant, I’d tear myself up from the roots, toss me in the compost pile, mix me around a little, and take another shot at things. I think everybody probably could stand to have a little overly dramatic self-rejuvenation project and come out the better for it.

Yesterday I made a fabulous breakfast for my weekly Sunday ‘meal of any kind’ with the daughter. Little breakfast slider sandwiches with eggs, bacon, sausage, cheese, onions, bell pepper, spiced with chili powder, smoked paprika, and (hold on now) cinnamon and baked together in sweet Hawaiian rolls. Did I mention they were delicious.

It’s been two weeks since Jingle went to doggie heaven. Two days ago, we were introduced to a new member of the family. Daughter said his spirit said it was the right dog who came along at the right time. Meet Gabby.

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In last week’s ROAMcare Uplift post we wrote about the power of positive thought. I think this worked out pretty well.

Have a great week. We’ll talk again soon.

Positively Impossible

Michael 11 Comments

Every day can bring new reasons to be positive, and to connected with yourself and the world. Unfortunately, every day can also bring myriad opportunities to confirm the world really has gone bat shit crazy.

Take a look at the screen shot I’ve posted below. This innocent looking post violates Facebook’s terms of use or service or appropriateness or whatever they want call it. When I clicked in the “click here to find out how we arrived at this decision” the answer is, “this post does violates our community standards.”

I’ve had issues before with anti-social media. I’ve posted literally hundreds of posts for ROAMcare with artwork I’ve generated myself to have several of them removed because of suspicions of being AI generated without declaration. I’ve had posts removed because they included links to websites and therefore are spam and I’m trying to “trick” people into clicking to potentially dangerous sites.

So far, Instagram and Blue Sky are the only sites that haven’t come up with some stupid excuse for removing or limiting any posts.  Give them time.

Now, here’s the most annoying part of all this. We at ROAMcare make nothing from the site or posts. Nothing we do is monetized. We don’t ask people to for access, we sell no ad space. We don’t even ask people to “buy us a cup of coffee.” Everything we do is because we truly believe in what we post and publish and want to spread awareness that it is possible to be enthused about life.

Take the blog post that this post is about, Positively Powerful. A thoughtful discussion about the power of positive thought. Am much as I believe every word that we printed, I get increasingly discouraged by the blatant double standards of the social media world. Unfortunately, most of the outside traffic to our site is generated by the Facebook posts. Oh well.

Perhaps you can look at Positively Powerful or any of the other posts and clue me in on what community would be offended by our work.  While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

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just stuff

Michael 19 Comments

I’m not in much mood to write a post today. And I suppose I could just not write anything. Nobody has a paid subscription guaranteeing a publishable post. I’m on no program mandating so many words written per week. But because I’m a trooper (and. It just another pretty face), you’re getting a post whether you want one or not.

There has been so much going on since last Monday (and I’m not even considering what Dingy Donny, J(ust) D(umb), and the South African American immigrant were up to) . I already told you the biggest news, the loss of little Jingle. When Jingle first went to live with the daughter he was more than a handful. It wasn’t too terribly long before he was acting only like a little terror and a few more months until he because a reasonably well-behaved canine gentleman. He will be missed.

Thing  Two also was brought up in Thursday’s post. That was an already planned procedure that took way too long. It was a simple enough thing. A little quickly rerouting of a vein in my arm. We got to the hooray at 9am and left at 5:15 that afternoon for a roughly hour long procedure. To facilitate the actual surgery I was given a nerve block which rendered my arm absolutely useless for 2 days. Not just numb, but dead weight hanging off my shoulder. I had to carry my arm around in a sling or I’d leave it behind.

Item the third has been this headache I’ve been carrying around for the last 4 days. I used to be subject to terrible vascular headaches. Nothing helped. Somewhere along the way, while is was researching something at the hospital, I came across an old article (older than me even) that described very low doses of an old, old antidepressant (which was probably newfangled when the article was written) to treat headaches. I convinced my PCP it made sense to try it and if it didn’t make sense to her I knew a lot of other doctors I could go to. (These were really annoying headaches and I was not above threatening taking my medical business elsewhere.) Well…to make a long story short (I know, too late), the pills worked. Until Thursday.

And finally, I really want some ice cream.

There. Now you have your post, and in the process I actually feel a little better. It’s odd becuase there weren’t a lot of positive things mentioned and that’s a sure-fire way of feeling calmer and at peace. (Is that sure-fire or sure-fired?) Oddly enough, we wrote about feeling calm and at peace in last week’s Uplift. Take a look at Location, location, location.

While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

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Re-discovering my center

Michael 10 Comments

There is an old cartoon, so old I can’t find a copy even on the Internet and you can find almost everything on the Internet. It is set in what I suppose is a yoga studio and features a croissant, a Danish, and a donut. The instructor at the head of the room is saying, “Find your center.” I always felt sorry for the poor little donut. And this week I empathize to the highest degree with him.

It’s not been a good week. Tuesday I had some minor vascular surgery done on my arm. Not difficult, not painful. the used a nerve block that make my arm something just to drag around for 2 days. Fortunately I had a tight sling that kept it from any random movement that I might not have been aware of.

Unfortunately this all took place at the same time poor Jingle, the daughter’s beloved tri-paw, lost his battle to bone cancer. There will be more about him int he coming weeks. He was doing very well after the amputation and chemo last September. About a month ago a new tumor appeared, this time going along his spine. He kept being him, happy and puppy-like despite being close to 10 years old, not young but not yet ready for retirement. He went on his own terms, peacefully. He just picked the wrong day to do it. A day or two longer and I’d have been able to provide more help than just comfort. But a day or two longer might have meant a not as peaceful goodbye for him.

And so we go on. Yesterday’s Uplift was about finding your center, looking for the calm and peace that you know is inside you. Take a look at Location, location, location.

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