I had lunch with a man I respect personally and professionally. He gave me a little bit advice at the end of our meal and while it seems simple, it’s really all we can — and should do. Use the gifts you’ve been given to the best of your ability every single day.
Nothing is more Mississippi than having to secure your Christmas decorations so they don’t blow away during a tornado.
Today, cartoonists have paid tribute to the late Peanuts creator, Charles M. Schulz. I don’t have a syndicated comic strip, but I do have the coloring sheets featuring Banjo, Pip, Sam and Mr. ML. So I thought I’d have them flying in formation with Snoopy.
Schulz influenced me in so many ways when I was little — and still does even today.
You gave me a bath. My revenge is making your couch smell like you gave me a bath.
“You have to assemble your life yourself, action by action.” – Marcus Aurelius
I had a dream the other night that I was back in college. I was in the same dorm and even had the same freshman roommate. But this time around, I didn’t go down to The Daily Beacon (Student Newspaper) and didn’t draw cartoons — because I was lazy.
I literally am who I am because I had the courage to try out for the cartooning job (even after my advisor told me not to bother). Looking backwards, I realize how each step brought me to where I am today. And I think my dream was a reminder to stay busy. I did the work back then. I have to do it now. Urgency is the key — but there is also something else.
Seeing into the future is harder than looking back.
Obviously it is harder to look forward and see where you’re going. That requires planning. And as I am getting older, I don’t have the time to waste like I did when I was 20. I can’t bounce from rock to rock as my raft floats down the stream. I need to paddle with purpose. The last chapters of my life will require more outlining as I assemble them.
I’ve done nearly 700 of these coloring sheets since the pandemic began. I really need to put them into a book.
As I type this, I’m shivering because the heat in my house went out. I’m waiting on the repairman and praying it isn’t too expensive of a fix — otherwise, Christmas will mean a new heating and air system (NOT something I asked Santa for this year.) But instead of worrying, I’m focusing on what I do have and how I can use that to get past this hiccup. How can I reframe the situation and make it a positive? Or if nothing else, how can I hustle to pay for this.
This Thanksgiving, remember that gratitude is a superpower. It illuminates the dark and lifts us above our worries — or at least gives us the strength to handle it.
Thanks to John Cerami (Cerami Air Conditioning Heating Refrigeration) for coming out so quickly and getting the furnace back operating again. On this day before Thanksgiving, I am very thankful for him.
