Yeah, it's my birthday. My youngest daughter is home for the weekend and we have some family activities planned. Fortunately, I have 20+ days remaining on Large Hybrid V, so my diminished playtime won't cause co-ordination issues.
A couple of years ago, my daughters asked me to celebrate my birthday by recording 50 Things That I Know. Looked it over last night & I'm still pretty happy with the list, so I'll share. Maybe you'll find something that resonates.
50 Things I Know:
- You can never say “I love you” too many times.
- It’s hard to consistently take the long view. It demands patience!
- Everyone you know will disappoint you someday. Realize that in advance, cut them some slack & get over it! PS: You’ll disappoint them sometimes, too.
- Never underestimate the rejuvenative power of a good night’s sleep.
- Butter tastes better than anything that has “poly”, “hydrogenated” or “trans” anywhere in the ingredients.
- Want to see what ‘focused’ means? Watch a bird dog on point just before the covey flush.
- Holding a sleeping baby is God’s anti-depressant.
- A bird feeder & a pair of binoculars are pretty cheap entertainment.
- If you have to explain it, it isn’t “art”.
- Faithful friends: a sharp knife, a cast-iron skillet & a home-made quilt.
- Every 8 year old should know how to tie a square knot, a bowline & two half-hitches. By 9, they should know when to use each one.
- There is no substitute for the power of the written word. It follows, then, that there is no substitute for both being able to read and actually exercising that ability often.
- It’s pretty handy to be able to make change without a cash register doing the math for you.
- If you are talking more than you are listening, pipe down.
- Looking at the stars through a decent telescope, can make you feel insignificant. Recognizing that the same God who made those stars knows you by name, can make you feel really valuable.
- Changing a flat tire in August will make a preacher cuss.
- Having a current backup of your computer is a lot like an ejection seat in a fighter jet. You don’t need it very often, but when you do, you need it badly, right now and there’s no viable substitute.
- Being able to type and 10 key by touch are lots more important than they used to be.
- It’s hard to go wrong when you send flowers, particularly to your wife’s workplace. You get the credit for sending them & she gets the credit for training you properly! On-line florists really take the pain out of this, too.
- Sometimes the difference between “preaching” & “meddling” depends upon which side of the lectern you’re standing.
- Being able to make good cream gravy is equal parts science and art.
- You should be able to appreciate almost any kind of music. You may not like it, but you can still appreciate the talent it takes to create it.
- Nobody dies saying they wished they’d spent more time at work.
- My choices include: Batman not Superman, Mary Ann not Ginger, Chevy not Ford, Clapton not Knoffler, Folgers not Maxwell House, Levis not Wrangler, Jiff not Skippy, Sig Suaer not Glock.
- To quote Ronnie Dunn “I’m finding a lot more truth in the words written in red.”
- I have a lot more questions and a lot fewer answers than I did ten years ago, but that doesn’t seem to bother me as much as it used to.
- Having a charged fire extinguisher in your trunk and in your kitchen is a pain in the neck. Until you need it.
- Having more credit cards than cars is a bad idea.
- If your internal clock and sense of direction aren’t reliable, a watch and a compass are pretty handy.
- Granny was right… Hard times will make a monkey eat red peppers.
- Email is handy, but sometimes the people you love need to hear your voice.
- A simple, handwritten thank you note speaks volumes about you.
- If it’s stupid, but it works, it isn’t stupid.
- If you have both the ability to cook well and the inclination to do so, you need never be lonely.
- A good hug is hard to beat.
- If you hope that God is more pleased with you today than yesterday, He probably is.
- As I have gotten older, my father has gotten wiser. Even though he died more than twenty five years ago.
- You may want to re-think things if you spend more time with the TV, the golf course or the computer than with your spouse.
- A gun is always loaded, until you personally, completely and safely verify that it isn’t.
- A few things every man should know how to do: sew on a button, iron a shirt, cook something besides meat on grill and choose the right fork at a tablecloth restaurant.
- A few things every woman should know how to do: check the fluids in a car, adjust the air pressure in the tires, change a flat, differentiate between a Phillips & regular screwdriver and between a crescent and box wrench.
- One man’s varmint is another man’s endangered species. It’s always wise to consult with others before pulling the trigger.
- Better on TV: football & basketball. Better in person: baseball & auto racing
- There are worse ways to spend Saturday morning than with 6 speeds, 50 miles of twisty road and Stevie Ray’s box set.
- There are worse ways to spend Saturday night than with Chinese takeout, “Steel Magnolias”, “Murphy’s Romance” and your sweetie.
- I used to think that God would be ready to earnestly answer all my questions when I get to heaven. I’m becoming more convinced that we’ll just share a pretty good laugh at all the trivial things I was so concerned about.
- You can call it ‘salmon’ or ‘dusty rose’ or ‘morning coral’ or ‘blush’. It’s all ‘pink’ to me & I’m not wearing a shirt that color.
- Nothing is more lonely than a hospital in the middle of the night.
- I’ll take tornadoes over earthquakes, hurricanes & floods every time.
- God (and a few people) loves me no matter what I do, say or think, but it never hurts to say “I’m sorry and I’ll try and do better” when appropriate.
Posts
1 comment:
A great list indeed. Very inspirational. Thank!
Post a Comment