Embrace Balance

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  Life today’s a funky gig

Demand folks either zag or zig

Use labels to make small gaps big

Can’t be a Newton AND a fig

Debate lipsticks for every pig

Now change your hair or  find a wig

Play some music  that you dig

Then tango waltz moonwalk  or jig 

Welcome To the Throne -What would you do with a crown if you Had One?

 Good Morning You’re the Queen (or King)

So because it’s the biggest thing in the English speaking world (and I usually don’t  care what most people say or think)  it seems important to muse on the life and times (sort of) of Queen Elizabeth II.   Now she went to the Great Castle  beyond at age 96 after being queen for 70 years.  Let’s unpack that a bit shall we?

She was queen before the Beatles were well the Beatles.  She was queen before Elvis was big.   When she became queen the price of gas was. About 19 cnts a gallon, a loaf of bread was about 16 cents.  A new car sold for around $1,500 and a brand new house went for $9,000 and that was in Boston.  What were people bringing home for pay?  Well about $3,500 a year.  Now you might  be saying people worked  harder back then and the dollar went so much farther.  Not so fast Amos and Andy…

Even adjusted for inflation today’s gross domestic product (what we produce in goods and services)  is roughly 12 times what it was in 1952.  What that means is that the average worker today  makes good and services worth  12 times what their  grandparents did.  Sure technology  has a lot to do with tht, however, let’s not get all high and mighty about the good old days of work alright?

In fact if you use productivity. Data based upon history alone the minimum wage should be more than$23 dollars an hour nationwide.  In most states it should be $25.00 or so.  

Anyway it is hard to imagine  going to bed one night knowing that there is a good chance that in the morning you’ll be king or queen.  But what if….?

So let’s say you wake up one day and have the power to say something that will be heard by millions around the world…what would say?  

Well some royal thoughts haven’t gone over so great…like that “let them eat cake” tweet.  Oh and how about  the strategy taken by King George the third… who figured Americans would always be loyal subjects.   

I’ll offer this as my  royal declaration.   

Dear loyal subjects,

After consulting with the lords and ladies of the realm and my court jester it seems to me that we all need  to remember the following three edicts.

Lift each other because together we sing a better song

Be humble  what we believe now might be wrong

Keep learning if we wish to stay strong

Love each other  and we’ll get along

Oh and if you don’t have one of these fancy crowns… wear sunscreen

Well in reality  I’ll never be King and few folks ever will…. And like. With most things it’s not all that helpful to play the if/then game.    On the other hand maybe if we put together a royal edict and follow it—we might find some Crown Jewels on the road to seeking peace and joy.  

Until you kiss a frog or find the glass slipper… rise and take your seat at the round table who ever you are and where ever  you may roam… the grail awaits. 

Take a sip

Life With No Strings Attached?

 “No Strings attached?”

So in yesterday’s mail there were “special offers”.  You know the kind that are “exclusive” just for you?  Now I’m pretty darn sure VISA and my local cable provider. Didn’t have a meeting one day and say “There’s this guy  in Michigan and we really like him as a customer so let’s get on it and design an offer…you know  just for him damn it!”   Every day we are bombarded with these offers and even more troubling than the fact that they are somehow special is the fact that  at the end of the offer there  lies the caveat… you know “the fine print” the disclaimers.    In other words the “strings that are attached.”  It a way  it makes  one think…I wish there weren’t strings attached” —right?    

Well……….HOLD YOUR HORSES…

 Before we go make generalizations about strings let’s stop a second and  imagine.  

What would a guitar sound like with  no strings attached?  How limited. Would shoe design be with no strings attached?  How dark would the basement be if you couldn’t attach a string to that simple  light and would your vintage ceiling fan work?  How  about a kite?  Let’s say you somehow got it in the air…good-bye kite!   Oh and that. Yo-yo?    

What  reason would you have to visit Cawker City Kansas?   After all no string (twine). Would mean no ball of string that measures. Over 40 feet around.  

What’s the Seeking Peace and Joy Connection?

Well you see it pays to give. Some attention to the nature and utility of  the things that connect. You to others and the nature of these connections.  Personallly I have a bunch of friends and followers on social media platforms and most of the time the effort it takes to stay connected and the headaches caused by these apps. Is more than a fair price  to pay for the support I get.from these relationships and the lessons I learn from the experiences  of so many good folks.  Sometimes I am able to use my strings to connect others and sometimes I am able to just let the string  lay there awhile and then pick it up just when I need to be connected again.     

Oh.and thoughts string together too…. For example just now when I was thinking about pulling together  some friends  I thought about casting a line and fishing  well…that would be different without  strings or a a nylon line wouldn’t it.  What are you going to do hold a worm in your hand and lean off a log while trying to sit in your lawn chair and drink a beer?  Good Luck!  

 In short, maybe we need to pay some attention to which strings we choose and who is pulling them and to take special care of the ones that have goodness  at the end or can help us or help us help others.  Maybe we could be aware of those times when strings  are attached and why and chose to hold on to some and choose to cut others and let them float…. Oh and what about the string on a helium balloon.   You can hold it for a while and when you want to set that balloon free to see how far it will go and let many people share it and see it then you can let it go….    

Well…. I’m not going to wind  40 feet  worth, however,  I’m wrapping this up for now… I’ve strung this out far enough.