Two Cents Tuesday Archives - Page 2 of 4

To sleep: perchance to dream…

It’s Two Cents Tuesday.

I’ll make this short. (At least I’ll try.)

I watched the presidential debate last night. I went to sleep and had crazy dreams. As dreams are, they are hard to fully recover upon waking, but the prevailing memory was that I was part of a group of people, that I discovered was duping and stealing from their own members. In the dream, I found out the lead female had distracted me and stolen money from my purse. The lead male had stolen someone’s phone (or iPod) while folks weren’t looking (I guess there’s no escaping Apple’s presence.)

But the crux of the dream was that I confronted these two offenders. Letting them know, in no uncertain terms that I was on to them – that I knew of their manipulations and deceptions and that I was going to move heaven and earth and tell everyone I knew of their wrongdoings. I was mad.

Now what does all this mean? Who knows really. I’m sure there are lots of dream weavers out there who could explain the symbolism and such, but my immediate thought was the tie-in with the debate.

I think a lot of us are mad at where our country stands. We are feeling misled and misunderstood. We can’t discern who’s telling the truth and who isn’t. The political spin is making our heads spin.

My confrontation with the offenders in my dream was clear – it’s my inner voice wanting to tell those in “power” that I’m not happy with the way things are being handled – that I don’t trust their actions – and that they aren’t pulling the wool over my eyes. It’s this internal cause and battle I’m waging – wanting to protect myself and the world.

The truth is, I/we don’t know the candidates personally. I know they are human too…and that they feel all the same pressures and worries and fears the rest of us do. They have hearts – and despite my fears, I do believe at their core lies a good, decent person, just wanting to do better by our country. I don’t think malice has any place here.

I don’t have the answers. All I know is I feel the need, probably like so many of us, to speak up and state very clearly, we are tired of that gut feeling that something isn’t right. That someone, somehow, is taking advantage of us. We want that to go away…I know I do.

My fears are real but I have unending hope that things will get better. Either that or perhaps I just need a new pillow. – BB

Taxing Taxes

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

Pass the Honey

It’s Two Cents Tuesday…

Let’s recall the great expression – you get more bees with honey than with vinegar.

It doesn’t take a college degree, or a high IQ, or lots of money to be nice. All it takes is common sense. I see it as Life 101. If you’re kind to people, and speak to them with respect, you will never go wrong. In business, in relationships, at the bank, in the grocery store, to strangers and family members – treat people as you would want to be treated.

I know it’s not easy to do all the time – or to do with people who are mean or negative or who have hurt us – but it’s in those moments we need to rise above it and continue to act in kindness. One of the first things we teach our children is to say please and thank you – we ingrain it in their daily responses. It’s important not to take those simple words for granted – because they can be as precious as gold.

And really, what does it take to be nice? Nothing but a little thought – that’s it. I sent an email to a business contact recently, inquiring about an opportunity for her client….her response was “He’s not available.” That’s it…no “Thanks for asking”, or “I’m sorry, he’s not available” – no warmth at all (I do understand tone is difficult to read in an email). The reality is this person doesn’t care what I think and that’s fine….my point is that it would’ve only taken a second to add a word of courtesy, to alter the tone and thus alter my opinion. And more importantly, to just be nice.

Here’s the deal – if we treated everyone as equals, as fellow human beings trying to make their way in this life, we would all be better off. We would feel better about ourselves – and our friends, family and co-workers would feel better too. Don’t just treat the boss nicely and speak disrespectfully to your co-worker. Don’t speak harshly to a family member or a good friend. You can say what you have to say, even if it’s something you are upset about, with kindness and humility. It will go such a very long way.

None of us are perfect…not one single person. But we all have the ability to make everyone we know (and even strangers) feel good and feel respected – all it takes is a drop of that golden honey. – BB

Edit, People, Edit

It’s Two Cents Tuesday…

Editing has gotten a bad rap.

As a writer, and someone interested in the written word as a fulfilling means of communication, one may think it strange I believe in the power of editing. The ability to be precise and concise in ones writing is the number one rule in many a wordsmiths handbook….even the prolific Stephen King touts the unspoken golden rule – brevity.

Our society is a full pendulum swing away from editing itself…between Facebook, Twitter and cell phones, we let it all ‘hang out’. We say anything we please – without fear, without care. And yes, there is something bold in that…powerful….but also very short-sighted, and for lack of a better word, stupid.

I do look up to people who speak their mind – who are honest and forthright – who say what they think and feel. It is very brave. When spoken eloquently, the truth or opinion of truth, can change people…much as Martin Luther King Jr. did when he spoke his ‘dream’ to the world.

And then there is someone like Mark Twain, who had his autobiography published (in volumes, no less) 100 years after his death. Twain, one of the most famous authors of our time, had an ability to be both biting and sentimental when he spoke his beliefs. Apparently he left tons of material behind, in a memoir type fashion, that was to be compiled and published a century after his death….some say to protect those he wrote about (as he obviously didn’t want to edit his material) and others say it was a grand PR move. Whatever the reason, Mr. Twain did not mince nor edit his meaty words.

So why do I believe in editing so strongly? Because it is often in our best interest. We do it on a daily basis whether we realize it or not. We edit what we say to our boss (how many times have we’ve bitten our tongue?), what we say to our loved ones, or even strangers. We all know saying what you really feel is not always best at the moment you’re feeling it – although the reverse argument has its validity. It’s more of a “think” before you speak, before you post/tweet/text, philosophy I believe in. And what could it hurt? Does a re-read of an email or report or letter ever cause any harm? No…but the public publishing can. As the expression goes, some things are better left unsaid.

Our forefathers edited the Declaration of Independence before they signed it, didn’t they? The laws of our society are such that although we’ve penned our right to free speech, we should also understand that with that freedom comes responsibility…to each other. Speaking out, demonstrating, blogging are great venues of expression and sharing – but they should be tempered with humility and compassion…for others viewpoints and belief systems. So many people abuse the right of free speech as a means to promote their own personal agendas which creates an unhealthy society, mired in the mentality of “me”.

Our modern social media environment has allowed us to become more global than we ever imagined – and as technology continues to expand and advance, so too will each of our reaches. What you put out in the world – in print or video – will become part of your history, your story to tell. Say what you feel, what you think, what you believe…but always keep one thing in mind…learn to edit.

Edit. It begins with E…and I love E. – BB

(That was probably more like my 31 Cents worth…perhaps I need to take my own advice and edit.)