SUNDAY FUNDAY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2022

 SUNDAY FUNDAY

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2022

WARM-UP

Well, after the record-setting summer heat, we could have a little “warm-up” in Central Texas.  I’ve been taking care of my ‘garden’ (my kale, spinach, and Swiss Chard containers on my patio) - and want it to survive.  It makes for a nice salad - and super fresh as I clip the leaves and eat them within 15 minutes.  They are cool weather vegetables, but can’t take a killing frost!!

We are less than a week away from the “Great American Feast” of Thanksgiving.  Can you picture the Pilgrims still able to give thanks on that first thanksgiving when so many of their company had died in the first year (about 40%).  The concept of “In Everything Give Thanks” must have applied.

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QUOTES:

First a thought - yes, I am retired, yes, I play bridge and granny basketball, I take trips, I love my grandchildren, and I have my routines.

Do you ever push against your “Comfort Zone”?  Do you try new things?  Do you remember some of those carefree days as a teenager or college student?  Do you remember climbing a mountain, going whitewater rafting, or listening to a podcast by somebody who is different from you?  

In just over a month, we’ll have New Year's Day - a day where some make (and soon forget) resolutions.  If between now and the day you die you could do something extraordinary - would you?  

So, here are some copied quotes that I like.

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You cannot help but learn more as you take the world into your hands. Take it up reverently, for it is an old piece of clay, with millions of thumbprints on it. – John Updike

KAW - are you learning more today?  Are you learning more every day?  What have you learned?  Have you shared that with your spouse, your children, and your grandchildren?
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All our dreams can come true…if we have the courage to pursue them. – Walt Disney

KAW - even in our 70s, 80s, or 90s - we can still dream - are you pursuing your dreams?
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Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. – Robert Louis Stevenson

KAW - Many of us have fantastic grandchildren - are we sharing “seeds” with them?  Are we telling them “The Skies the Limit”?  Or are we telling them “Don’t Rock the Boat”?
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What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

KAW - what is down inside you? 
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Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated; you can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps. – David Lloyd George

KAW - How do you get into a swimming pool? Walk down some easy entry steps, take time to acclimate, then a few more steps, and in five minutes you'll be in the water; OR jump off the side into deep water - all at one time!!!

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There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. – C.S. Lewis

KAW - Many of you may know C.S. Lewis - from the Narnia Stories (which are worth rereading).  What is ahead of you?  What can you do today?

Note - I am NOT perfect (duh - you already know that).  

I’m thinking about that comfort zone.  Do you have a black friend?  Take them to lunch?  Do you have a Muslim friend?  Take them to lunch?  Do you know a biker?  Go to coffee.  Have you ever been to a school board meeting or a city council meeting?  Go to one and become a friend with one of the board members and go to coffee with them.  Go to a play at a high school or local theater.  Go to a farm and ask the farmer for a tractor ride (or combine ride).  

We (including myself) as seniors are shrinking into ourselves.  Yes, I’m comfortable in my little apartment.  Maybe I need to get a tent and be homeless for a couple of days. 

If you are a Republican, take a Democrat to lunch (and visa-versa).  What are their issues?  If you are Methodist, take a Catholic to lunch (and visa-versa).  Take a Hispanic friend for coffee. 

Some people die years before their deaths.  Are you one of them?

AND - WRITE A BOOK.  I wish my grandparents would have written a book about living through World War I, II, the Depression, the Cold War, etc.  How did they live without indoor plumbing?  What was life like before television (or radio)?  When did they get their first car? First telephone?
What could you share with YOUR grandchildren?  It doesn’t have to be a bestseller - but it has to be YOU - and REAL

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LOGIC PUZZLE

Benny, Carla, and Daniella each picked up a bargain in the January sales with all three items having a reasonable saving on the original selling price - the biggest being $11.50. From this information and the following clues, for each buyer, can you determine the item they bought, the color, and the amount saved on the original selling price?

Clues:

The blue jacket was not bought by Benny

Danielle was pleased to have $9.00 knocked off the item she bought

The red item had a larger discount than the umbrella

The pants didn’t have a $5.00 discount - and the pants were not bought by Benny or Carla.

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MENTAL HEALTH

I suspect that throughout our lives each of us has had some disappointments - the job we wanted didn’t work out, our parents died too young, we were abused by somebody, we experienced some difficulty and depression - and for some, maybe some serious depression leading to mental illness.

I am highlighting only one National Day this week - The Transgender Day of Remembrance.  (Okay, don’t stop reading just because Karen is on her soapbox!!).

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE - November 20, 2022 - National Today

(From the National Day description):

“For generations, the transgender population has suffered various forms of abuse (and even death) for challenging the views, notions, and stereotypes around “male” and “female” identity. Every year we set aside November 20 as a Transgender Day of Remembrance. This holiday is meant to honor, commemorate, and memorialize those who face discrimination and stigma (often on a daily basis) across the nation. This holiday is also meant to advocate for transgender people’s rights as well as focus on the persistent struggles they face in their everyday lives, and how others can share their love, support, and hope.”

“375 transgender people were killed this year (2021), a figure that has risen since last year's total of 350. The report authors say this makes 2021 the 'deadliest year' of violence against gender-diverse people since records began. One in four of those murdered were killed in their own home.”

There is the expression “Walk a mile in their shoes”.  Try to understand those who are different from you.

I write out my first-century Jewish philosopher and spiritual guide - who said “Love Your Neighbor as yourself, do unto others as you would have them do to you, love your enemies, love one another”.  I say “LOVE WINS” and I push that more and say “LOVE TRANSFORMS”.  There is enough hate in the world - or as Dionne Warwick sang “What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love”.

Let LOVE WIN!!

Karen Anne White, © November 20, 2022