Meandering Along the Path During Our Journey

How many times have you heard the expression, “Be thankful for what you have.”? Most likely it was countless times. For me, I heard it from my very earliest memories until I left home to marry. My grandmother lived by her maxims.

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Over the past few years, my wife and I have talked occasionally about getting a dog. I admit that I have been the naysayer in the conversations. While she has expressed an emotional interest in getting one for quite some time, I have provided the practical reasons for not getting one.

As with all issues that arise in our relationship, we tend to see different aspects of the same situation. Very fortunately, we are adept at presenting our often opposing views and insights in a loving, non-confrontational manner. To date, we have always come to a mutual agreement without distress or animosity.

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I have taken on the joy of writing a book, a nonfiction book at that. It is something that I have procrastinated on for a very long time; that I am good at (see my articles on procrastination). The subject is one that is dear to my heart; that should have made getting stared easier. Well, it did not.

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Personally, I think that procrastination is a dangerous and often prevalent way of life. I know that when there is something that I do not care to do, or something that I want to do but fear that it is going to be difficult, complicated, or lengthy, I simply put off its initiation. Never a great idea.

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How did I come up with the career choices of writer or massage therapist? They certainly are not derivations of any of my previous careers. If you too are a ‘Mr. In Between’, how can you too come up with a meaningful future career choice significantly different from any of your previous careers?

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In a recent conversation with a friend about my current employment circumstances, the thought flashed to me of the old Burl Ives song ‘Mr. In Between’. I would like to say that I used to listen to this song while standing in my crib after a mid-day nap, but I must admit I was a bit older. Burl Ives’ version was about his ‘in between’ status with women; something I doubt was ever an issue for the then good looking, popular, and gregarious man. My ‘in between’ status is not about dating eligibility as I already am married to the most perfect woman in the world for me.

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Being blessed with a part-time job in a retail store for the Christmas holiday season has taught me some things about people that I never before realized. Being a toy specialty store may have had some to do with people’s behavior but after a month of exposure, I believe it would be the same in most retail situations.

While taking my shower and thinking about tonight’s shift at work and my experiences over the past month, I realized that our customers are a lot like soap. Sure, why not soap?

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My wife and I just returned from doing a bit of Angel Tree shopping. A boss at her office wanted to donate but did not have the time to shop so he charged my wife with shopping for 10 Angel Tree kids this year. We have already done our Christmas for Kids tradition, so this was a bonus run for us this year.

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Tonight I took part in a two-hour banking survey as a member of a ten-person panel of small-business (in my case extremely small) owners. While I admit that I was drawn to the task in part by the possibility that I might in some small way influence local banking, I was more taken in by the allure of the cash payment at the end of the evening.

Fortunately, I was in for a few surprises.

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Why is it so difficult for two companies to communicate seemingly simple instructions? It appears to me to be a rather easy task to accomplish but is often far from easy.

We recently ordered a new gas stove and paid to have it delivered and installed; a task best left to licensed plumbing professionals. We were told when we bought it that we would be called when the stove arrived at the building and a date would be arranged to deliver and install it.

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