Oh Nuts

  More often than not, I feel like many phrases have been ingrained in our society for a long time. A good example is a common phrase, "Boys will be boys." But what is that even supposed to mean?  Photo by Ben Sweet on Unsplash Quite often, the phrase is used to explain the behavior of men and boys when they do something that other people disagree with. Unfortunately, it has been like that for a long time, and it doesn't seem like much has changed, especially when you look at current politics, sexual harassment, etc. I don't know what others think about the phrase. Still, I believe that it needs to leave our vocabulary and that people need to work on themselves and how they respond and react to different topics where that phrase is used.  A current example of how the phrase "Boys will be boys" could be used is the recent Johnny Depp/Amber Heard Trial. While I didn't follow any of the hearings, it shows how the phrase could be used to throw the blame on ...

  What if today we were just grateful for mornings. Photo by Sharon Pittaway on Unsplash  and edited by me What if today we were just grateful for nights. What if today we were just grateful for the food on the table.  What if today we were just grateful for a bike to ride. What if today were just grateful for a game to play. What if today we were just grateful for the friends we make. What if we were just grateful for a roof over our heads. What if today we were just grateful for our family. What if today we were just grateful for another day to be alive. What if today we were just grateful for everything.

  Is the customer always right? Some people out there would answer that question with a resounding yes. Others might answer it with a hard no. But which is the correct answer to that question? Photo by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash . Edited by me It would seem like yes, and no is the correct answer. Part of this is because some people like to create a scene and use their emotions to make people feel sorry for them. Since it is a bit of a classic question, it seems like it will be around for a while. Often the phrase is used by customers when they claim that something was entered wrong during a purchase, whether at the grocery store or a restaurant. But whatever the case may be, the customer isn't always right unless it is a legitimate claim.  Although I have rarely come across "Karen's," and their need always be correct, I know they are out there since I work in retail and have encountered some annoyed/upset customers. Of course, no one is perfect, but we still need ...

  “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” - JFK, January 20, 1961 Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. - Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863 We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.   - The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, July 4, 1776 O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand. Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation! - The Star-Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key,  September 14, 1814 Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now am found Was blind but now I see  - Amazing Grace, John Newton, 1772 “Give me...

  In life, we are expected to have everything planned out to the dot for our futures. But we might not realize that it is okay not to be perfect and not have everything figured out.  The photo was taken by me We need to learn and work on the fact that it is okay to feel things that are shameful, hate, and feel guilty. And we've tried to stand by the message that it's okay to have scars and show them. To show that you've been through all sorts of things and have become a different and better person because of it. It is okay to let go of anyone in your life who tries to pull you down with their own negativity.   A large part of the need to plan everything out, as well as any negativity, stems from the fact that no one likes to be wrong. In the times that something proves us wrong, it just makes us believe in it more. But we need to learn that it's okay to be wrong. As human beings, we often don't like to go outside of our comfort zone. Moving outside of our comfort zo...

  Dear Future, I'm ready! Ready for all of the curveballs that life has to offer. There are many things that I learned from the past that I can use for the future. Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash  and edited by me Using the mistakes that I made as tools to guide me, I know that I can succeed at anything that I put my mind to. With that in mind, it is like what Dr. Seuss said in the book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" "And will you succeed?  Yes! You will indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)" And with that in mind I know that I am ready to face the future whatever that may be. Whether it's now or later on down the road. So dear future. I am ready.

  Dear Past,  Thank you for the lessons. Some days felt like a party while others just seemed to drag on. But many lessons and mistakes that we learned in the past can help with the future.  Photo by Hadija Saidi on Unsplash  and edited by me The lessons each of us has learned were often accompanied by tears, anger, frustration, smiles, and many other emotions. But they were all tools to help guide us in different ways so that we could have a deeper understanding both then and in the future. We were taught to live by love, respect, honesty, and truth. These were words that the past used to guide us forward and to reflect on the times when we failed to apply them. Even though we might be defined by some of the choices that we made in the past, we learn from those. To help us approach the future, we turn to them. As we approach each new day it often presents us with an opportunity to become new and stronger people.  We can also use the tools that we have to help ...