Tyler Colins's Blog, page 68

Beatin' the Blues

We endured the January blahs and now we’re embracing the February blues with the same enthusiasm a teen would an 8:00 curfew. 

I suspect, however, Feb Blues only apply to those who live in cold climates where winter seems to last for 10 months.  (I truly can’t imagine anyone feeling low when they’re strolling an Oahu beach.)

Moreover, is it really the blues as in sadness or despondency?  Can a month actually provoke despair?  Or is it more accurately impatience and/or boredom with the cold weather, grayness, multiple clothes layers, and _________ (fill in blank with annoyance of choice)?

The various shades of blue are quite pretty (blue was always my favorite color).  Blues music brings a smile to my face; my fingers begin tapping and my hands start clapping.  It warms my heart and soul.

Things that pop out of the blue are unexpected and that can prove quite fun when something unforeseen transpires.  Into the blue = into the unknown.  This, too, can prove exciting.  Who doesn’t like surprises?

There are folks who can talk a blue streak.  Having met a few myself recently, it’s amazing to observe how fast those lips can flap.  <LOL>  And I’ve certainly seen a few who’ve been blue in the face.

For those who do experience some sort of Feb blues, look at the bright side: the second month of the year is a short one and has three special days: one honoring the winter-spring predictions of a large cute rodent, another dedicated to chocolate consumption (nummm), flowers, and l’amour, and yet another devoted to the family.  Once the month is done, it’s but a hop and a skip to spring. 

It’s simply a teaser of [good] things to come.  What’s not to like about February? 

How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck

. . . if a woodchuck could chuck wood?  <LOL>  Haven’t heard that in while.  Given Groundhog Day is around the corner, it seemed a fitting, hmm, tribute.

A groundhog, by the by, is also known as a woodchuck or a marmot, but not Chuck, who’s actually a fellow coworker.  There’s also Groundhog Day the movie, which ensnares the central character, Phil, in a recurrent time warp.  Phil, by the by, is no relation to little furry Punxsutawney Phil of Gobbler’s Knob fame.

On February 2nd, this large rodent emerges from its hidey-hole to “predict” whether winter will be sticking around another six weeks or spring is arriving early.  Skiers and snowboarders will naturally root for the former while us bring-on-the-sun folks will certainly cheer for the latter.

As an FYI, the tradition was inherited from German-speaking regions where the badger is the predictor of choice.  And the earliest reference of this auspicious day dates back to 1840 (noted in the diary of James Morris, a Morgantown Pennsylvania storekeeper).

In Canada, the concept of Groundhog Day first became popular in 1956. Wiarton Willie grew increasingly popular for his early February weather forecasts and Wiarton’s Groundhog Day festival expanded as Willie’s fame increased (evolving into a large winter festival in Bruce County).

In the U.S., Punxsutawney held its earliest Groundhog Day in the 1800s, with the first official hike to Gobbler's Knob made on February 2, 1887.  Punxsutawney Phil was initially called Br’er Groundhog and scuttlebutt has it he was named after King Phillip.  There’s also the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, which plays a vital role in coordinating this festive day.

Additionally, Groundhog Day:

serves as the time to [finally] remove Christmas decorations for some

is a time to celebrate Candlemas (the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple) for many Christians

happens to be the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar.

Here's hoping the little guy doesn't see a shadow or we may well have to chuck much wood to stay warm for the six weeks of winter . . . .  

 

Ode to Nona

Numerous people claim angels exist.  Certainly, I’ve always dreamed of meeting one, but never thought it possible.  In the last few weeks, I’ve encountered three—or rather they happened upon me.  

If you’ve followed my blog, you know 2017 was a pretty taxing year for yours truly.  No vacation or time-off (at all) since fall of 2016.  No payment (at all) for the tons of overtime.  No progression re my writing or blog.  Nothing (at all) positive seemed to be happening.  Of course, I now realize now I’d contributed [majorly] to this.  

One of the angels was “Nona”.  As I’m having a mani-pedi, a gregarious Italian grandmother sits beside me.  She laughs and jokes, cusses and chats.  I learn about her husband killed in the line of duty, the selfish self-centered daughter-in-law, a darling and loving grandson . . . and about human nature.  She doesn’t apologize for swearing; it’s part of her makeup.  She may swear—with the intensity of an on-leave sailor—but God knows who she is and what she is.  She’s the real deal: not like [too many] Christians who attend church regularly and pray daily, smile to your face, but are downright disingenuous.  “Be good, but not too good,” Nona grins and winks in farewell.

A major message if ever there was one.  I’d been struggling with a) being virtuous/upright (a true Christian) and felt I was losing the battle big time, and b) wanting to be more like a fellow church-goer (one who very recently, yes, proved to be quite disingenuous).  I discovered that while it’s good to be a caring and giving person, you don’t have to be “perfect” . . . because it’s impossible.  No one, but no one, is perfect.  So don’t fret about it.  Be yourself and be happy about it.  Love the skin you’re in: embrace who you are.

Here’s to you, Nona.  I hope we meet again one day.  In the meanwhile, I’m sending out positive thoughts and a virtual hug and kiss.  God bless you, Nona, God bless.

Pushing Buttons

To push [one’s] button can mean to:

purposely annoy or aggravate

to trigger a [desired] response

intentionally needle another person without reason

deliberately erode someone’s patience

calculatedly exploit someone’s weaknesses, or

sexually be attracted to someone.

And then, of course, there’s to deliberately push a button (a switch)—such as certain world leaders have been stating they’ll do if goaded enough, thus suggesting they’re far from bright as a button.  Or to push a button inadvertently—like the individual who pushed the wrong one in Hawaii this past week and created pandemonium.

My buttons are easily pushed, thanks to being overly sensitive and under confident, so criticism (deliberate or otherwise) is not something I take well.  Does that, in turn, cause me to push buttons?  Nope.

There are a vast range of buttons and expressions, including but not limited to:

CTAs or call-to-action icons found on sites/blogs

round discs (usually but not always) on garments for fastening

the guard or blunt tip of a fencing foil

a type of mushroom

campaign/ slogan / police badges

the process of shutting up (button your lips before you say something silly)

reaching a destination at a specifically designated moment (arrived at the party at eight on the button)

closing something tightly (button up the cottage for the winter)

being adorably cute (that kitty was as cute as a button).

Well, bust my buttons (that was a  fun post to write)!

A Time For . . . You & Me

Time is (has always been) a fascination of mine. It moves quickly. “Now”—the true present—is merely a blink, a quick breath, before it evolves into the past. The future is always before us; it never truly is.

2017 was a so-so year. Okay, it was a crappy year, I readily [now] confess. But angst and all those negative up-down emotions experienced last year are past. They’re silly/sad memories. And that’s okay. Because I’d not have arrived at this point if I’d not undergone what I had. Rants, sorrow, frustration, anger have made me stronger, thankful, and so much more aware. . . . I’m ready for anything that Time wants to hand me.

On that note, let’s consider the following from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Time: I may not have as much of it as I once did (the bloom of youth has long faded), but I will endeavor to make the most of what is coming. Amen. 

Cheers to the Upcoming Year(s)

In a few hours 2017 will be another year ended, a memory.  We’ll be wishing each other a fantastic New Year and [fervently] hoping it will indeed prove a good one.

Surprisingly, I’m not alone in viewing 2017 as a trying year.  Numerous year-end posts offer a vast gamut of thoughts—personal, professional, philosophical and political—based upon a plethora of experiences and perceptions. 

The good thing is that a brand-new, fresh year is just around the bend—one that will undoubtedly present challenges, but one that may also provide us with wonderful opportunities to learn and grow . . . and enable us to banish doubtful or negative outlooks and adopt optimistic perspectives. 

Here’s to the New Year truly being an amazing, inspiring one.

Another Year, Another Cheer

Yay (!) to another year coming to pass . . . one that was filled with trials and challenges, growth and progression.  Yay (!) to an upcoming New Year . . . one [undoubtedly] filled with more of the same.  <LOL>  It’s all good!

If Life threw no curveballs, how could we mature?  How could we count our blessings or be grateful for what we have and receive?

Though some days (weeks, even months) can prove taxing or tough, the wonderful thing is that there are others that are easy-going and stress-free.  And this is all [very] good, too!

We’re shaped by situations, created by circumstances.  As much as I’d love to change a number of events in my past, if I’d not undergone them, I’d not be who I am today. 

And frankly, I’d never want to be anyone else . . . though truthfully, I wouldn’t mind being 10-15 years younger.  Fortunately, these days, that’s not entirely impossible with a little nip and tuck.  <LOL>.

Here’s to accepting those curveballs and doing it with cheer.  Happy Holidays everyone!

The Journey: Forever Learning & Growing

This week a Christian friend provided a bit of [a much needed] talking to.  No need to go into details, but one thing she did state: “stop being bitter”. 

I’d never viewed myself as bitter.  Now and again, I can prove resentful, yes.  Sometimes I’m (very) sad, yes.  Frustrated on occasion, most definitely.  Certainly frightened, I readily admit.  And sometimes, I’m cross with God for this “situation”—i.e. the life-long apron strings that have never been severed. 

Bitter, huh?  Really?  Me?  . . . The more I thought about it, the more I realized that she was probably spot on.  I’d evolved into what I’d often viewed my mother as: bitter and angry.  Now, that’s scary.

A rewind is in absolute order.  As my friend advised, it’s time to open the heart, to allow love to flow (even if I’ve never ever received any in my own life), to embrace God and let Him instruct me which road(s) to take.

It’s true: I’m/we’re forever, thankfully, learning and growing.  Maybe 2017 was a roller-coaster [stomach-churning] year, but 2018 is gonna be a good one!  I am keeping the faith [and losing the bitterness, tout de suite]!!!

Amazonly Awesome

Okay, I don’t usually promote a company or product, or anything like that.  That’s not the intent of this blog.

That said, I have to commend Amazon for awesome service.  Whenever I have an issue—and no, it’s not often—the CSR resolves it (more than) satisfactorily.

Other companies rank far from good or even fair.  I had to deal with one recently—which shall remain nameless—that took forever to respond.  And that’s only because I [finally] went to Head Office.  The GM at the branch office was MIA (or maybe he simply has difficulty dealing with anything he deems remotely confrontational).  <LOL> 

You’d think in this day and age, given the competition out there, every company and every businessperson (every individual, for that matter) would strive to be the best that they/he/she can be.  Alas, not so.  But we can hope.  Here’s to good things happening in the New Year—for everyone!

Better Late than Never

It’s hard keeping up with social media.  Maybe it’s just an age thing.  I’m sure those born into the era of computers deal with it just fine.

Finally got on Instagram.  I’d heard it was for photos and vids, so I’d steered clear (my life’s been, and is, kinda in limbo, so there’s little to share).  

But, not wanting to be a complete social media hermit, I signed up . . . and now, I haven’t got a <bleeping> clue what to do.  It says you can post and create stories (I love that), but I haven’t figured out how.  <LMAO> 

If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.  Given I lean toward the technically challenged, I suspect it’ll take an hour or five to “decode”.  But I’ll get there, even if tortoise slowly.  Hey, I only started tweeting this year, but pat on back to me.  You know that saying: better late than never.

Besides, isn’t it acceptable—if not expected—to be fashionably late?