A number of years ago, my friend Sheila O’Malley, created a personal desktop type of calendar/book for me. It was as she titled it, “Book of Days” – Quotes of inspiration, revelation, ephiphany, realization and love manifest. This was a labor of love and awesomeness. Sheila is one heck of a writer, movie critic and most importantly, longtime friend.
This is your life. No – not the old-time TV series – your real, flesh and blood, life. Live it the way you want.
“If you do not have a plan for your life, someone else will.” – Fortune cookie
“Untold suffering seldom is.” – Franklin P. Jones
I love this quote…because whether we like it or not, we hear it. Complaints. Expressions of unhappiness, dissatisfaction.
We all have them. And we all complain. Take a day or two and pay attention to what you say – odds are a complaint or two (or twenty) leaks out.
I get it. I truly do. Because complaining seems to be part of our makeup. Probably because we as people tend to focus on the bad and not the good, the lack instead of the abundance.
The funny thing is, none of us really likes a complainer. There’s a repulsion we feel towards those that bemoan their fate or the fate of the world constantly….frankly, they can be a big downer.
What we complain about can be outright silly. In my job, I deal with “customers” (or rather viewers) on a daily basis. The things they object to are, in my mind, so un-important in the big scheme of things. Sometimes I want to shake the phone and strongly urge them to let it go – to spend their time volunteering or taking a walk and breathing in the crisp air. I want to remind them that complaining about something that truly doesn’t matter is a waste of their precious energy and life force. Please sir, hang up the phone and we’ll pretend you never called clearly upset that your favorite episode of Family Guy didn’t air.
I don’t mean to belittle people’s need to express their opinions. I am a big ‘freedom of expression’ advocate (as I’m doing right now.) What I’m trying to point out is that expression is not something that should be squandered away on the mundane. Wouldn’t it be better spent in highlighting the positives in life? Isn’t it funny how sometimes when someone offers up a compliment instead of a complaint we are taken aback – even mildly confused by the kindness? I know I’ve had several experiences where I’ve been shocked by someone’s praise – thinking wow, wasn’t that nice of them? It say’s a lot about what we expect…developed over time from the cacophony of common complaints.
Certainly it’s ok and even good to complain once in awhile…to get things off our chest. But complainer on your calling card – not so welcome. – BB
For this Two Cents Tuesday – let’s talk about taxes.
Ugh. I know. Taxes, well..for lack of a better word, suck. Or rather, paying taxes does.
Without going into any long debate over tax reform or tax law, let’s just say that taxes are kind of annoying and extremely confusing. Tax brackets, tax rebates, tax deductions, sales tax, income tax, tax, tax, tax. It silently envelops us.
Ben Franklin reminded us that “nothing is certain but death and taxes” and his words have lasted in thought and action. (Hmm – funny how death and taxes are lumped together – rather poetic, don’t you think? Two equally unappealing certainties of life. But I digress.)
As I’m prepping to purchase property, I’m frustrated at the large amount of taxes collected at closing. Yes, I’ve done this before and I’ve educated myself on the particulars, but it continues to blow me away how everyone has their hand out…waiting for my hard-earned sheckles.
Fees and taxes. Where does it all go? Whose pocket am I lining? I always feel like somehow, I’m getting taken advantage of – because they (lawyers, banks, etc) know better than I. They have education and loopholes as their weapons – and all I’ve got is a lousy nail file. It always makes me wonder how anyone EVER buys real estate – with its complicated paperwork and confusing deal-making.
But it’s not just the taxes in this transaction that rub me the wrong way – it’s the whole taxation system. No one can deny it’s convoluted and overweight. You can’t buy a stick of gum or a gallon of gas without taxes. We’ve become numb to them – expecting them, surrendering to them, as just “the way things are.” Ok, I get that. But I have an underlying mistrust of the system and its creators. I don’t “buy” they have my interests in mind.
I don’t know what the answer is – all I know is that taxes wear me out. I don’t mind paying my fair share as long as we are ALL doing so. And that’s definetly not the case.
Today’s Two Cents post is taxable. Pay up. – BB