Unanswered Question: Can’t we all admit that we’re silly?

On 02/27/2023 By Susan St.PierreIn In my humble opinion..., Unanswered Questions19 Comments

I’ve had an ‘aftertaste’ that my recent posts were too repetitively ‘salty’. We all know too much of anything isn’t good for anyone. So, I decided to poke fun at myself and anyone else who may want to identify.

Gosh… there’s so much material.
My current most frequent ‘silly’ behavior is attempting to exit my car before I release the seatbelt. The gathering of my pocketbook, phone, and car keys, keeps jumping ahead of the basics. Every time I get that tug of “wait a minute pal” I start giggling. Then I spastically twist around trying not to put my ‘load’ down while gaining my freedom. In my head, that scene is hilarious.
Something I also do and immediately think, “DUH!” is stop at a railroad crossing with a single track, watch a train pass left to right, then proceed when the gates lift and look both ways before crossing. Um… a train could absolutely not be traveling right to left at that moment, silly.
How often we operate on what I call “autopilot” is something I find simultaneously frightening and comforting.
On occasion, I’ll drive a few miles (while in thought) and realize I have no visible memory of that part of my journey! My first instinct is to pull my truck over and slap myself. (I’ve yet to act on that one. lol) But not being fully aware of one’s surroundings is NOT a safe way to drive. It’s a “wake up” call when that happens.
Before you beautiful souls take up a collection for my incessant ‘thinking’ and do an intervention with “Overthinkers Anonymous”, I want you to know that my days hold a large amount of giggling precisely because of my affliction. It’s not all about “What ifs?”, it often times is “Look at that!” and takes on a humorous flavor actually more often than not. {I am a ‘silly frog’ don’t cha know.}

My granddaughter felt ill the other day and as she rushed to the bathroom to vomit, let’s say she ‘didn’t make it’. Knowing that ‘being sick’ is bad enough but being ill all over the back door is worse, I asked her what she’d had for lunch.
“Only a few blueberries and raspberries.” she gasped.
My answer was, “Wow! That’s what made this so colorful!”
Then we laughed together.

Yesterday, my mom sent me a photo of a quiche she had made labeled “Quiche Lorraine”. I responded with, “How were you able to tell it was a girl?”

You see? I’m able to annoy people with all kinds of questions and they don’t need to be the serious kind either.

Today, I would like to ask, “Can’t we all admit we’re silly?”
Incidentally, I don’t mind being ‘laughed at’. No one could do that more than I tend to do it to myself!

God bless.

SoCS- 1/14/23 According to reports…: A Modern-Day Parable

On 01/13/202301/13/2023 By Susan St.PierreIn In my humble opinion..., Writing Prompts3 Comments

Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 14th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “once upon a time.” Start your post with “Once upon a time,” then write whatever comes to you, whether it be fact or fiction. Have fun!

Once upon a time on the African savannah, rabbits lived happily in their dens. The savannah was dangerous, and they knew some of them would fall prey to predators, extreme weather, and disease but they took precautions and counted upon their instincts which had been, so far, the safest way to live wild and free.
One summer some of the rabbits became aware of jackals on their perimeter and naturally avoided them. Their ancient warning system of stomps and flashing their white tails kept the communities informed of that danger. But when the jackals failed to move to invade their area, the rabbits grew less attentive to their presence until a few got close enough for the jackals to communicate with. The jackals smiled and told the rabbits that they’d come to enjoy watching the rabbits so much that they would be willing to serve as their protectors by keeping an ‘eye’ out for any danger that might arise and report it to them. The proposal made the persuasive claim that jackals covered far more area and certainly had access to a larger and farther source of information than rabbits could obtain.
Soon the rabbits agreed to that partnership. The jackals would laze in the shade offering the rabbits frequent reports on elephant migration, impending floods, and hungry hyenas and rabbits could now be free from all dangers. The rabbits soon came to the decision that thumping feet and flagging tails were ‘old school’ and unreliable methods that served no more use to them since they’d found such a modern solution.
The happy, carefree, rabbits grew in numbers. The trust in ‘jackal reports’ became nearly universal. When an occasional rabbit thumped his foot, the others shamed him and called him an ‘alarmist’ and troublemaker until he ‘got with the program’.

Once the jackals realized that their reports had gained complete acceptance, they went right to work. Occasional ‘made up’ reports of raiding hyenas sent some rabbits running outside of their domain in panic. Those outliers were abruptly gobbled up!
The next day report from those jackals made no mention of the missing rabbits and instead foretold of new imminent dangers producing the delicious same affect. No doubt, the most gullible rabbits were their easiest and most constant meal tickets.

And so, it still goes on the savannah, the rabbits no longer trust in their ability to warn each other, have a delusional sense of ‘perfect’ safety, and refuse to listen to (even bash) any rabbits who ‘think outside of the box’ suspecting that jackal con game. Those choosing to trust their instincts over the reporting from jackals are sadly becoming rarer every day.
Notably, the most effective panicked response to date has been the reaction to the recent report of a deadly disease sweeping the area. Boy, are those jackals getting fat!

Just so ya know, this isn’t The End but the most promising prospect for Happily Ever After still belongs to the jackals at the moment.

Happy Saturday friends! (I’m busy tomorrow so I need to post my stream today.)

[I had no idea that an old English tale about a jackal and rabbit existed before I wrote this post. This tale came directly from my own Stream of Consciousness. I’ll be looking it up to read and compare English tale with mine soon. When I searched for the image for this post, the existence of the other tale popped up.]

https://lindaghill.com/2023/01/13/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2023-daily-prompt-jan-14th/

Philosophically Speaking

On 09/28/201309/28/2013 By Susan St.PierreIn In my humble opinion..., Sideshows4 Comments

My Philosophy Bookshelf(top) (Photo credit: jddunn)

I find myself shaking my head in disbelief after many (mostly political) conversations that I often initiate on Facebook.

It comes from a received comment that is totally unrelated to my initially expressed idea… which leads to other unrelated comments and so on. Such is life on social media but I’ve been perplexed by why it happens so often?

Then I realized that my comments are from a philosophical consideration, while others, want to deal in “facts” and polls and, sometimes, rumors.

No one way is superior to the other but, put them together, and no one gets anywhere but confused…sometimes angry.

Those who deal in philosophical terms are dealing with concepts and beliefs. They realize that they simply don’t know everything, and, also believe, neither does anyone else. So, to the philosophical person, data is not a part of the discussion. It may be worthy of a power point presentation but simply offers nothing when discussing principles and reasoning itself.

I admit that I am numerically impaired. I try to remember exact numbers and statistics but I cannot.(besides, I don’t trust them)
Because of my impairment, I’m really not interested in that kind of discussion, anyway.
There seems to be folks who are my opposite. I call them Fact-focused. I’d say they are, sometimes, quite philosophically impaired. You can recognize them immediately. They have “facts” and stats and find their truth somewhere among them. I’d want those people doing my taxes but I get frustrated with them in any philosophical argument because they are not speaking a language germane to my subject.

Furthermore, a philosophical person primarily asks only one question… Why?
A Fact-focused person asks many…Where, When, and How many?

To cement my self-labeling as a philosophical thinker, a fact-focused person would not have needed to understand “Why, am I not being understood?” as I just have … but I suspect they are searching, at this same moment, through data and sharpening their information for their next battle of wits. Problem is, we won’t be on the same planet when it occurs. Ugh!

Public Philosophy? (3quarksdaily.com)
How To Think Like a Philosopher (with Daniel Dennett) (bigthink.com)

Calling all imaginations…

On 02/27/201202/27/2012 By Susan St.PierreIn Keeping Kids Creative, Sideshows, Susan's Family Day Care4 Comments

http://www.facebook.com/v/450561218827
There is an alarming trend in kid toys in recent years. I’ve watched 2-year-old toddlers receive toys that made no noise, did not light up, and did not ask them to play. The kids are tossing them aside people. The same can be said for greeting cards that contain no money…junk, in the eyes of modern day youngsters.

Yes, some of those electronic toys are cool, but Lincoln Logs are really cool too. Play dough factories are insults to the imagination. Playing with just a few tools and your hands is a fascinating enterprise. A wondrous transformation from a 2 dimensional to 3 dimensional plane is waiting to be awakened in kids. A cardboard refrigerator box makes the grandest spaceship. Threading macaroni on yarn is the best jewelry maker. Just plain making bubbles with a wand allows so much room for creativity.

Greeting cards should NOT contain anything but a message. What ever happened to, “It’s the thought that counts.” ? We are creating the glitz and glam, that’s barren of imagination.
Fewer toys, no batteries, and more thoughts are needed desperately!
Don’t go crazy and throw all the “new” toys out. I suggest that you hide them and bring them out after the kids have had their share of pretend time.
Two tin cans on a string made for hours of fun when I was a kid. I really feel a pang of loss when I see kids with “real” cell phones as toys.

If I were to recommend one, over looked activity, that will bring back a sense of wonder to childhood, I’d choose puppet making. Anyone can make a puppet from a sock or wooden spoon. You’d be very surprised how little they have to resemble Kermit to evoke fun and imagination. Try drawing a face on the inside of your thumb. Making “Thumbkin” talk can make for discussions that will amaze you.
Try drawing in the dirt with a stick. Try using only one color when painting. Make any inanimate item have a voice. NOW, watch the fun and ideas flow!

Imagination is the strongest sense that we have. Don’t let the kids in your life let theirs die.
http://www.facebook.com/v/196374158827

Colorful Socks

On 08/08/201106/08/2012 By Susan St.PierreIn Sideshows, Susan's Family Day Care4 Comments

Of all the gifts one receives in their life, there are some that keep giving.

Yes, a magazine subscription is one example. A family photo is another one to revisit and enjoy.

My favorite one is new socks. A package of new socks, given at Christmas, can start my day happily right through Easter.

First, knowing that they are there, bright, pristine and stretchy. I hoard them until I need a little something extra. A morning full of chaos can be brightened ten fold by using a new pair. I can just tell when I need them.

They are hopefully brightly colored. That makes them much easier to keep paired AND life is just too short to wear dull common socks. I wear two different colored socks sometimes, possibly because their mates are temporarily missing but often to see if my kids notice. When they do, I tell them that I have another pair somewhere just like those.

Playing “head games” with kids is so important. Makes them think outside the box. I am surprised by their ability to “catch on”. When a kid ,of 3, says,” I’m thirsty.” My response is usually, “Hello thirsty, where’s (their name)?” Often the very next time they want something to drink they rephrase their request and say ,”NO, (their name) is thirsty.”

One of my former kids was known by the nick-name ( I give each of them their own) Punkin’ Pie. I made up a jingle about her. Now, at age 12, she remembers it still.

She’s my Punkin’ Pie and I don’t know why?

Maybe she’s cute

Maybe she’s sweet

Maybe I’ll just nibble on her…

toes.

She still giggles as we pause for the last word which long ago she realized was supposed to rhyme. I can remember the day that she “got it”. Before that it was just a jingle. I always left the last word off and let her end the song.

By playing word games, my kids really caught on to the complexity of language. Especially the ways we could be misunderstood by the misplacement of only one word in a statement.

Sometimes a word will come up and I will write it down as “word of the day”. I tape it to the kitchen door. Once in a while we will list other words that mean the same thing. Poison was followed by toxic and venom. We spent a whole week on those words and the kids kept interjecting them into daily discussions. Those words led to talks about nature,safety,and other words and their meanings. Kids really like to talk and I love talking with them.

At day’s end, when we are waiting for parents to arrive, I have a question and answer time. They LOVE it. Big kids of mine ,who stop by for only a day still ask for “question and answer” time. I use that time to question them on safety practices. A specific question might be, “What would you do if suddenly confronted by an unknown dog who is snarling at you?” The ones who have played before know that they should not make eye contact and should not run but remain still and look like a frozen tree. The littler ones listen and learn and if they have all forgotten what to do, I am able to refresh their memories. I throw in questions about science, good manners and grammar as well.

Talking to kids is as much fun as wearing new socks. It makes for a colorful and happy feeling all day long. This is why I like brand new colorful socks. Get it?

Someone Who Has Influenced the Way I See the World

On 07/22/201107/22/2011 By Susan St.PierreIn SideshowsLeave a comment

TV Characters ruled my young years.

Too Many Kirks

TV characters made a big impression on my generation. We were the first kids to enjoy that Saturday morning ritual in front of the TV. In the 50s and early 60s, Saturday morning was not entirely a cartoon venue. Shows like Fury, My Friend Flicka, Rin Tin Tin and Sky King were dramas with real actors. Certainly, my devotion to animals has roots in these shows, The “save the day” mentality ran deep in those shows.I still laugh when I picture (June Lockhart) asking Lassie to go home and find her keys on the counter, near the cookie jar, THEN bring them to Timmy and have him come along not without dropping by the barn to grab a rope so he might pull her out from beneath her car which rolled over her leg as she stopped to investigate a gopher hole where she incidentally lost her other set of keys!

And they say, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” REALLY?

By the time I was 10, I had a healthy understanding of the plausible but chose to be entertained by those early shows.

Then came Star Trek. My adolescent years revolved around the swashbuckling tales of space exploration. It did not have to be believable and I had been tempered in the ridiculous and was ready for adventure. Forgive my pun, the sky was the limit and my imagination was set free.

There are many who scoff at that low budget, out-of-the box, science fiction show. The writing was deep and those who appreciated it, saved it from the “Dopey Show” graveyard.

Captain James T. Kirk was just the role model for me. His courageous investigation of new worlds (which in your teens applies to life) along with his ability to do what HE BELIEVED was right, many times in spite of rules and traditional thinking, made me proud.I became a student of civil disobedience and a believer that cunning is our best weapon. The topics of that show crossed many social barriers and made me think…yes, thinking and reconsidering forever became a part of me and I am grateful.

A favorite scene of mine which introduces the old to the new. Star Trek remains a thought provoking experience and has grown better with age!

If you haven’t ten minutes to watch this clip…watch only the last two. They encapsulate the Captain Kirk that I admire.