Stand Up and Smile
I have been writing about manners because one look at the news tells us someone, actually all of us, needs to speak our minds about manners. Let us not confuse modern manners with the type of detailed etiquette rules about forks and introductions and carefully written bread and butter notes. Those are better addressed by those comfortable with state dinners and government galas. I am more concerned about what happens on the sidewalk or the subway on an ordinary day.
A Few Thoughts on Government and Duty
I clipped these quotes some time ago thinking to use one or the other in a post. I reread them periodically and today realized that these brilliant thinkers need nothing from me but an introduction.
A Secret To Good Life
So your spouse or whomever is responsible for taking out the trash forgets to do it. You remind, nicely or possibly not so nicely. We all do it sometimes. However, when you go to the kitchen trash bin and open it to find a nice new empty bag do you think to say to that person, “Thank you for taking out the trash.” even when you did NOT need to remind them to do their task? Do you do it out of simple appreciation with sincerity evident in your voice?
Lessons in Packing
Over many years we have accumulated a number of things. We have at times actually purchased houses based on the furniture it needed to accommodate. I remember so clearly the search for the perfect house in Texas. Each of us had our particular requirement for our person preference and then there was the sideboard. We had inherited a huge Victorian period dark, heavily carved sideboard with ornate carving, a slab of marble and mirror and all sorts of things. It was tall and needed about ten feet of wall space. So, every time I walked into a house I not only checked the kitchen [1. was it open or off in a corner], the bathroom [2. nice big tub] for me. Matthew checked the space for a workshop and how close to the neighbors it was. Lydia had her own list. But bottom line there had to be a place for that sideboard!
Sunday Wisdom from Mr. Chomsky
Sometimes we do not look past an individuals reputation or their current stances on things to find wisdom or sound thinking . I know that I am guilty of this. That is not to say that we should seek wisdom or offer pithy quotations from the most vile and evil persons in our history. However, we can open ourselves to people of all opinions if we find in their body of thought that which is relevant or worthy of remembering. Sometimes when reading or hearing the thoughts of people who agitate or disturb us we also discover an ability to look beyond our own way of thinking and broaden our perspectives.
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