THE DAY AFTER TODAY IS THE BEST DAY, OR IS IT TODAY

I grew up thinking good times were the day after I first heard about ‘delayed satisfaction.’

People who wanted it all, and wanted it now, were not realistic.

What do you want? All. When do you want it? Now.

Why didn’t that work out for me? I had brothers and sisters.

Getting what you want, what you ask for, usually has one response.

For anyone with a gap in their manners, the correct response is, “Thank you.”

The wrong response?

Shit talking someone who agrees with you because you had more to say after getting your way.

It’s not that they want you to listen; they want you to want to listen.

If you agree with someone, but they want to explain why they’re correct, don’t do this:

“Let’s skip the bullshit. You got your way. Now we’re done.”

“But I’m not done.”

“You’re done, you just don’t know it yet.”

 

After an unfortunate incident of misunderstanding and miscommunication, which can go hand in hand, an apology was offered.

The normal response is to accept the apology.

You make things worse when you say, “That’s nice, but I’m not quite ready to hear it. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

When someone is ready to apologize when they are wrong, just take it.

Why make things more difficult than they need to be?

 

Difficult People Unite

Are you a difficult person? Do you identify as difficult?

If you need reminding that living a good life is a two way street, you might be difficult.

The good things that happen to you, good things you’re a part of, why not pass the goodness around and skip the blessing, gratitude, the self-centered thankfulness?

You’re young and healthy and swing the world by the tail?

I’m happy for them.

You’ve got a following, you’ve got admirers who worship you?

I’m happy for you.

Seriously, I’m happy for you.

I’ve beat on a blog drum for over a decade, writing post after post on a daily schedule. To what end?

I like to write, call myself a writer, a blogger, a voice of a generation. Just not my own.

What are my plans since I’m a failure in terms of developing an audience in the numbers you read about?

My plans are to write blog posts every day on the pressing issues of the moment.

My readers enjoy long blog posts? They’d better since I clock in and out at around one thousand words.

I write in three parts, beginning, middle, and end. If a thousand words are too much, skip to the end where I tie everything up.

That’s the short cut, but you’ll miss my amusing takes and creative word play.

 

The Helpful Blogger With The Helping Hand

There’s an old saying from the Boy Scouts, or Army, I forget which one.

It goes like this: Don’t piss in my tent and tell me it’s raining.

What’s it supposed to mean?

Give me the real weather report because I can’t look out my window.

Or, don’t lie to me, tell me the truth.

The truth is elusive when words and actions are crafted to illicit a particular response.

The “Portland is trash’ crowd seek confirmation, even with evidence of places in Portland that are not trash.

You can find trash anywhere you look, it’s all a matter of perspective. Or need.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure isn’t something I just made up.

And it’s not a leading sentence on websites for divorced people.

It’s a statement of value.

The day after today might be the best day of your life, but why not set it up by living like today is that day, too.

It’s an attitude to nurture.

Is today the best day of my life? I could be. If I listed why it might be, it’s definitely today.

But making that list feels like bragging, like rubbing readers’ faces in their own approach to the day.

I’m a seize the day with a gentle grip kind of guy.

First I seize the day with velvet gloves, then choke it, wring it out, until every last drip of goodness is gone before saying goodnight.

With Portland baby boomers growing long in the tooth and moving out to the suburbs, who needs to step up?

Them.

It’s a comfort seeing older people navigating the urban terrain fearlessly.

Instead of hiding inside on a blue couch watching re-runs of favorite shows, or mowing a yard, washing a car, why not perform a civic duty and dress up in Portland friendly gear, drive downtown, and walk around until you feel like getting something to eat?

I was downtown for the Blues Fest last week from Thursday to Saturday.

And yesterday.

The key for me is not looking like a victim, or victim shopping.

Portland needs you to put your feet on her sidewalks, to look at her cast iron buildings, to see Mt. Hood hovering.

Yes, it’s got urban rot like any city, and it’s easy to walk away, but that’s missing the other part.

You don’t want to miss the bliss of this place on a good day.

At the right time of day, in the right light, you may find yourself thinking anything is possible, even a Portland history comeback.

 

Anything is possible?

Yes it is. Spread the news.

Hey you, do your best and maybe someone will get motivated to try harder.

They may even ask if they can help you.

They might agree that getting their way is a good thing, not cause for angry outbursts.

Besides, who does that?