I was so happy last night. (This picture is the result of Richard telling me that the blog was “starving” for pictures.) Anyway, I thought of this poem my Grandma wrote and gave me to a long time ago.

This is for you TRAVEL WARRIOR.

wishyouwerehere

Some blogs I follow existed long before I knew what a widget was. Most have mentioned times during their “blog life” where they dabbled in a comment-free existence.

That time has come for me. It has gotten a little ridiculous the number of times per day that I check for comments, the lengths I have gone to to elicit comments, and the way a lack of comments can influence my mood.

So, dear readers, if something really moves you feel free to email me. But now you are free from obligatory contributions. Read, view and enjoy guilt free!

The way I interact with people around me is greatly influenced by what I perceive to be their feelings about me. My behaviors toward them are a response, in great part, to the various “messages” I feel they are sending me.

For example; the mail lady. I perceive that she has no vested interest in my life. Therefore I feel a wave or a smile are sufficient communication for maintaining our relationship. If you can even call it that.

Another example; a co-worker. I perceive that she thinks I am naive, and I therefore take all opportunities to prove myself otherwise.

Do you follow? I don’t use my perceptions as a sole guide for my behavior, I have other influences such as my morals, impulses, and my emotions at any given moment. But as I said, the feelings I believe other people have towards ME do influence the way I treat them.

Well I recently had an experience where I realized that my perceptions were dead wrong. My associations with a certain individual led me to believe she thought I was … well…

She had no use for me.

Or so I thought.

Come to find out, she admires me.

Wha?

After letting myself feel flattered for awhile I started to think about how differently I would have treated her if I had only known that she liked me. Then of course – I started to wonder how many other people I ignore or disregard because I am so sure “they don’t like me”.

So I have determined to give myself a little more credit and give everyone else the benefit of the doubt. Already I can feel a greater sense of happiness and self-contentment when I choose to believe that people do like me and I therefore make a greater effort towards friendliness.

It never occurred to me that lacking self-esteem was making me so selfish.

**Disclaimer: I generally do not discuss scenarios on my blog if the people involved actually read my blog. So rest assured that you are not the person described in this post, or any other post. Thanks for reading!

So the real sun hasn’t shown its glorious face for days around these parts. But the good news train has entered the station bringing a different sort of radiant joy.

Around here we’ve been mixing up a melancholy cocktail.

Ingredients:

*one bad cold
*a husband/father away on business
*an inversion (readily available in Boise if you’re lacking)

The antidote?


Well first choice would be sunshine and a good dose of Richard.

But we’ll settle for doughnuts.

You may recall Eli soliciting Cameron’s assistance in retrieving a certain blanket.

It is now clear exactly what he had in mind.