opinion

Experience/University of Life

/ doubledacres / 4 Comments

“No one is the same, and we all have different life experiences.  It’s not my place to judge them or  for them to judge me.  We should all be accountable for own lives.” – Joanna Krupa

Experience can be a direct observation of or participation events as a basis of knowledge. It can be practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation or participation, or the length of time of such participation, something personally encountered or lived through. It can also be defined as the conscious events that you have lived through.

Our lives are a collection of experiences that starts as soon as we are pushed from the warmth and darkness of our mother’s womb into the bright light.  We live a life full of different experiences and there are those who have had near death experiences that say they were drawn toward a bright light.

There are good and bad experiences.  Experience builds character and can give you an edge in making some decisions.  I have always said that experience is life’s education system.  Book learning is good but when you learn something from experience you tend not to forget it.  Experience has a way of etching a lesson in your mind permanently.

“We are all born with a unique genetic blue print, which lays out the basic characteristics of our personality as well as our physical health and appearance…And yet, we all know that life experiences do change us.” – Joan D. Vinge

Unfortunately we can’t choose our experiences.  We have to take them as they come.  Parenthood is quite an experience.  We experienced childhood and went through many changes.  The day comes we find out we are going to be parents and we say we are going to use a different approach of rearing our children than our parents because we think we can give our children a better experience.  Then that fateful day arrives, you turn into your mom and say “If you don’t stop crying I am going to give you something to cry about!”

“Character cannot be developed  in ease and quiet.  Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”  –   Helen Keller

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Who Is To Blame?

/ doubledacres / 10 Comments

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The pic above pretty much says it all about me.  Keep it simple.  Can’t say I know many people the age of 63 who would camp this way especially the weekend before Christmas in the state of Missouri.

Today’s blog is going to be kind of a rant about some of the things happening in our society today here in the good ole USA.  I watched in horror as an older gentleman chewed out the cashier over the price of gasoline and this little Tasmanian Devil went off in my head.  We are a nation of complainers but when it comes right down to it we, as a whole, will do absolutely nothing about it.   By the way, I did tell the man where the bear poopoos in the woods.

Folks, who sets the prices in this country?  If you said corporations, wrong!  The market sets the prices.  Who is the market?  John Q Public, in other words you and I.  Corporations put prices on the product and if we don’t buy the product they will have to lower the price or pull it.  For example, remember those spinner things that were all the rave?  Kids all wanted one and they were paying $10.00 for them.  The companies made money hand over fist because we bought them at those ridiculous prices.  Now the market is completely saturated so you can now buy that same spinner for$2.50. Once again Americans were fleeced.  Why?  Because we didn’t dig our heels in and say “NO”.

Gasoline costs.  Folks are always complaining about the prices.  Newsflash Twinkletoes, have you did anything to reduce your travel?  If folks would reduce their driving and gas consumption the gas companies would be forced to drop the prices so they could sell it.

Look at the price of new vehicles.  2018 Dodge 350 with a diesel.  $38,000 to $50,000!  New homes $350,000 to $750,000.  We just keep on buying them.  Going deeper and deeper in debt.  Then we have to have that $75,000 camper.  But why?  To keep up with the Jones’es or to act like we are someone of importance?

Growing up I remember camping and there were dozens of tent campers.  I went to a state park back in the fall of 2017 and camped in my tent and there were maybe 6 tent campers and 20 camping trailers.  I am here to tell ya those trailers were first class with all the pleasures of home.  The price of tents are pretty reasonable but those campers, well you better bring the big checkbook.

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln

I seem to be all over the place here but what I am trying to get across to folks is you have to accept the responsibility of the prices you are paying.  Oh, price gouging is real but if you don’t buy the item they can’t gouge you now can they?  Do you have to have that camper with three built in televisions, satellite, built in butt wiper, etc.?

Supply and demand rules.  As long as you demand that $10 beer at the stadium, they are going to charge you $10.  Gasoline supplies get low and you keep buying it, it is going to go up because the demand is greater than the supply.  Maybe it is time for consumers to stick together and help determine a little better pricing on some of the products we use in this country.  Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and I hope it made sense to you.  Spread the love.

2018 Is Knocking On the Door!

/ doubledacres / 5 Comments

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“Your success and happiness lies in you.  Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” – Helen Keller

I don’t know about the rest of you but I don’t know if it is because I am getting older or just busier, but this year reminded me of Secretariat coming down the home stretch at Belmont in 1973.  I didn’t get accomplished what  I wanted to.  That tells me I need to improve my planning for 2018.

To me it is a little ironic that the end of the year and the celebration of the birth of Christ both happen in the month of December.  The Beginning and the End so to speak.  With the celebration of Christmas comes bouts of depression for some.  It is a tough time for those who have lost loved ones, especially those who are celebrating Christmas for the first time after their loved one has passed.  Unfortunately it is the time of year when companies trim their work force getting ready for the year to come, adding stress to the lives of those that lost their jobs.

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is the time of year one needs to go to their safe place and reflect on the year and evaluate what happened in 2017.  Are you disappointed?  Happy?  Ecstatic?  Was last year a good year but if not, what can you do to make 2018 better?  Now the operative word here is “you”, I didn’t say “we”.  What’s that?  You are married.  Congratulations!  Sorry the operative is still “you”.  When you get “you” worked out, then you can sit down with the spouse and finish your planning.

I am going to go out on a limb here and I am going to bet that one of the things you need to change going in to 2018 is (drum roll please) spend more quality time with family.  I went into a restaurant a couple of weeks ago and there were what appeared to be 4 members of a family.  My guess was father, mother, daughter and son.  Youngest (son) was probably 15.  Every one of them were doing something with their phone and maybe, just maybe said 15 words.  Do yourself a favor and make 2018, the year of the Family.

This is going to probably put some of your undies in a wad.  I am sorry but it needs to be said.  If you are one of the many complaining about the current political climate and you DID NOT exercise your explicit right to vote, then shut up!  I don’t care if you don’t agree with me or even if I am not politically correct, you don’t have the right to complain, in my opinion anyway.  Yes it is my opinion and isn’t supported by any law, local, state or federal.  Sad thing though is that these people are the ones that complain the most. (Note:  This pertains only to the U.S. because I do realize exercising that right in some countries could get one killed.)

“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.  We can help write that story by setting goals.” – Melody Beattie

The new year can bring us new challenges so in that chapter of life we will be writing about things that we have never experienced before.  Make sure your book of life is an autobiography.  Do your own writing and decision making.  It doesn’t hurt to seek advice but for life decisions, you make them.  After all you are the one that is going to have to live with that decision.

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Work on knowing all your neighbors.  Learn their names and even talk to them.  I know that is asking a lot for some, but think about it.  Spread the love.  I don’t care what your passion is share that love with everyone around you.  Respect those around you.  When other people talk, shut up and listen.  Respect their opinion whether you agree with or not.  I myself have said more than once, “We are just going to have to agree to disagree.”  Learn to walk away when a discussion goes south.  Treat people the way you want to be treated.  Keep your life free of negativity.   Last but not least, love yourself.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Spread the love!  NOTE:  I do not have a degree in psychology and am not a psychologist.  Just an old geezer that has watched and learned as I traveled down the freeway of life.