Sunday, January 30, 2011

Daily Victories: Lost and Found

If you dropped your wallet at a major entertainment venue, would you expect to get it back?

I ask, because like many people in this world, I have to admit that I wouldn't necessarily expect to find that wallet again.  But, you know what?  More people turn in those wallets to the lost & found departments and the police than you'd think.

Yesterday, in a single eight hour shift, I returned to worried individuals two cell phones, a wallet, set of car keys, an iPod and various hats and scarves.  And I'm only the person rummaging through the lost & found bucket...not the one finding and turning in the items.  I still have a lost wedding ring note on the bulletin board--perhaps that, too, will appear.

But besides lost items, there are also lost people.  My high school principal stopped for a friendly hello last night, as well as a police officer who used to work details for me over ten years ago.

Yes, we all have too many things to keep track of in our daily lives.  But we'd all be a bit happier if we truly believed that the people in our neighborhoods are willing to help us keep it all organized. 

The next time you misplace an item, ask around.  I bet somebody will be happy to bring a smile to your face and return it to you.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Daily Victories


Yes! I found the focus for this blog.  I am always impressed by the series of TV ads placed by the Foundation for a Better Life.  If you read their website, they don't accept donations.  All this independently run concept charity asks is for every person on the planet to take those values we all cherish and utilize them in our daily lives. 

And as I've considered one topic after another for this blog, I am usually faced with one truth, I don't want to turn this blog into a place to whine...it's not becoming and there's far too much of that on this planet.  So, I will use this space to talk about what makes me happy, what I saw today that made me smile...or made somebody else smile. 

We forget, but there are many kindnesses that are extended from one human to another each and every day.  Strangers are kinder than we'd believe, due to the nightly news with stories of murder, war, theft.  There're far too many places for you and me to learn about that.  So, here will be a good place.

For today's daily victory I'll share something I saw between two of my employees: One a teenaged girl, the other a young asian immigrant.  They were leaving for the night and chattering away.  When they passed me, she kept repeating the word 'vocabulary'.  He was attempting to say it.  She spelled it out.  He spelled it out.  They sounded out the word together...it has a couple sounds difficult to say.  He said it very slowly by himself.

"There you go!" She smiled.  "You got it!"

He thanked her and left for the night.

They're not particular friends.  Just co-workers.  People with good hearts.  One wanted to help, the other was willing to accept the olive branch.

And that is today's daily victory. 

The picture?  I'll be using pics from my vacations...they made me smile at one point.  I hope they'll make you smile, too.

Share your daily victories!  I'll post them :) 

Have a great day.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Is it a Hobby or an Obsession?

I dare not call it a career or even a job.  Writing just seems to be something I can't stop doing.

When attempting to succeed in the arts--whether it be music, art, film, dance, or writing--first there must be a belief that you have something to offer that others don't.  You practice, hone and research.  Try once, throw it out, and try again.  Sometimes you decide it is no longer worth pursuing.  I've pursued a number or artistic endeavors throughout my life, but writing is the one that keeps coming back.  It always has. 

But does that make my musings worthy of supporting me? In a materialistic manner?  I am not vain enough to think that like geniuses of centuries past, my prose is meant for readers of future generations, and thus I shall never see the true worth of these words in my lifetime.  lol  No...not that.

My dream...I am foolish enough to have those...is to manage to support myself with my maunderings.  This year is the year of the agent hunt.  It is a dreary process, but one you must struggle through in this particular area of the arts.  But mostly, you must believe in yourself.  Your voice. 

Time and again I have tried writing "for the market."  Ultimately, my works tend to live in the margins of those popular markets, but never in the fast lane.  Perhaps that will be my epithet..."From the sidelines."

It's not a bad place to be.  You get to see a lot of life from that angle.  And you will never really end up in the middle, due to a lack to fitting in, if you will.

Currently, I am querying my latest work "The Heart of the Dragon," and just starting on the next idea.  Novel or novella remains to be seen for The King's Mistress.  NASCAR cranks up in just a couple more weeks and I'll be returning to the world of sports opinion on a weekly basis.

I am hoping to make this blog something more regular over the next few months.  It will take a bit to find this one's focus...NASCAR Notes took me in a direction I never believed I could achieve, really never intended to achieve...I covered a Sprint Cup race from the infield!  That there is proof that the improbably can happen if you follow your heart.  Good things come from good effort.

Well, that's all for this morning.  I shall return when I have more to share :)  Enjoy the snow! We've got enough of it.