You Can’t Improve Upon the Truth

I marvel at people who would rather be disingenuous than tell the truth. You know these folks, every story they tell is more exciting or dramatic than anything you have experienced. No matter what topic is brought up they have something to say. You’ve sat there listening to them describe an event that you don’t recognize even though you were present. Multiple viewpoints make life interesting, there is something very satisfying about being able to see a whole new side of an issue. I said a whole new side of an issue not a completely different issue. It is not always clear to me why some people feel the need to lie, although I enjoy trying to “Dr. Phil” their motivations. Are they a sociopath, mean-spirited, drug addicted, mentally ill? Some people see themselves as the Chess Master moving all of the pieces around on the board by crafting “stories” that send the little pieces scurrying in all directions. Some people see themselves as the “star” of the show called life and no matter what happens it is only significant as it relates to them and their feelings. Other people really don’t remember the facts as they live in denial most of the time creating their own reality to fit the moment. I am sticking with a statement that a wise friend made to me during a discussion about a lie told in the workplace, she said to me, “You can’t improve upon the truth”. I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. So clear and direct, yet depending on your own reality, whose truth are you talking about? Some people can’t handle the truth but that’s a whole other story………

Living in a Barbie Dream World

A friend of my pointed out to me recently that I am living in a Barbie Dream World, which I think he meant as a bit of humorous dig. It got me to thinking about Barbie and I have to admit I think she did leave in a dreamy world. Okay so now I will confirm my membership in the fifty club, but I loved Barbie’s world when I was a little girl. I was thrilled one Christmas when Santa brought me Barbie’s Dream House. I discovered some hangars were missing from Barbie’s fabulous closet and can remember looking in the snow in the backyard in case Santa dropped them there. Sadly no hangars were found, but that did not diminish the fun I had opening the Dream House, arranging the furniture, planning parties, dressing up my Barbies. Then for my birthday I got Barbie’s beauty salon where I colored a number of wigs with the special solution which smelled suspiciously like vinegar. Who knew vinegar could make that perfect shade of Bozo the Clown orange? Remember the original Barbies had their hair in a perfect pony tail and their eye make up was perfect. Where do all these Twenty somethings think the perfect cat eye eyeliner came from? At some point, I got the fabulous orange corvette, amazing that I did not growing up wanting a corvette as Barbie always looked amazing driving that car. Maybe I am living in Barbie’s world as I my legs creak a little bit now just like the posable Midge I got. Remember Midge, she was Barbie’s cousin. I have met a few Ken’s in my day, In fact, if you have ever participated in on-line dating you know there are many folks who like to pretend they are someone else entirely, just like we did while playing with Barbie and Ken. I’m not sure there is anything wrong with spending a little time in a Barbie’s Dream World, just make sure you spend most of your time in the real world.

So Grateful to be in The Positive

I am so grateful for so many things I can’t list them all in one post. It as if I have stepped into a whole new world where I am operating from a place of gratefulness instead of fearfulness, bitterness, disappointment, or anger. I have always been optimistic, in fact I think I arrived in this life laughing and seeing the good. Yet, somewhere along the way I mistook “growing up” for “growing fearful”. It was as if I used my negative experiences to hold me back instead of allowing how I overcame the negative experiences to propel me forward. I understand not wanting to encounter a negative experience again, but if you let that negative experience keep you from new positive experiences, you are remaining in the negative. I didn’t even realize I was doing this until I made a major life change and left my job. While employed at this job, I spent much of my time encountering negative experiences and trying to avoid additional negative experiences instead of creating new positive ones. Take a look at your life, are you moving forward into new positive experiences or are you marking time by avoiding negative experiences? It is an important question to pose to yourself, get the answer, then move forward in the positive.

Do You Speak Dog?

I realized today that I have developed a special language to communicate with my dog, Zoe. I have created “words” for all kinds of things and I use my most melodic singsong when I am talking to her. She is the only doxie I have known that suffers from body oder, so my pet name for her is “stinky winky”. She finds this term offensive and gives me the look that let’s me know she is annoyed and embarassed. If that was the only different term I used to communicate with her, I wouldn’t be writing this, but it gets worse. I also call her “Pee-Dee-Dah” and I have no idea why. Another term or phrase (not sure which because I don’t know what it means) is “Bah-Dah-Boozie”. No, she is not a closet drinker, so maybe she is really of Russian or Persian descent and I am channeling a deceased relative of hers. I am in the habit of using pidgeon English with her at times with phrases like , “Do you want Mommy to pick you”, which we both know means lift her up to the couch, chair, or bed. When she is on patrol and continually calls out to intruders, which many people would call barking, I tell her “No, Bark”. I guess Zoe doesn’t always understand tenses. When I am trying to convince her to go back to sleep instead of needing to head outside at 5:00 a.m. I lift the blanket and say, “Get under the binkie” or “Give me five more minutes”. Zoe very clearly lets me know when I am not doing what she expects by all kinds of barks, usually loud and annoyed when I am not letting her out of the car fast enough or opening the front door when she has a “personal emergency”. Whatever the language I am speaking or have created, I know that Zoe and I have a special relationship and we communicate without words. She loves me unconditionally and looks at me with so much understanding at times it is unbelievable. At times it is clear she thinks I am being silly or perhaps that I am coming unhinged.

It is a relief to report that I have many friends who do the same thing, in fact one man I know sounds like his Grandmother when is talking to his cat in a high pitched voice with a new England accent. I am grateful to have Zoe in my life and really appreciate that she tolerates my eccentricities. And before you ask, no Zoe is not my only friend.