Hi Ho Silver!
We’ve all had bad stuff happen to us. And in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, some of us are dealing with more than we could have imagined. I consider myself extremely lucky, especially since on the day of the hurricane, Gary was up the ladder, on the roof, cutting down a 200 pound branch. Really. He didn’t get hurt (although I did video it for use at his funeral, just in case), but could there have been an upside if he had?
Probably not. Maybe it’s because I’m a glass-half-full type of gal, but when bad things happen, I always look for the silver lining. Lost my job? Time off! Broken jaw? I’ll lose weight! Breast cancer and possible mastectomy? Possible tummy tuck!
It’s hard, though, when you’re married to a glass-half-empty kind of guy. With Gary, it’s “Damn it; we have to pay to get this tree removed” while I’m, like “Great reason to buy a wood burning stove!” It got me to thinking: what other disasters/crises have I been able to turn to lemonade? Do sometimes things happen for a reason or is it just my attitude that makes everything work out in the end? Is there some kind of life lesson here. . . or am I just rambling?
All I know is what I know. When I was in the 6th grade I had a teacher who was my nemesis. I’d always been a good student, but not only did he single out specific demographic groups that I belonged to to demonize (Italian and Catholic, to be precise), he also seemed to take perverse pleasure in making my life miserable. Mr. Weigand (who later became my 8th grade social studies teacher – but that’s another story) seemed to purposely change the rules to avoid giving me a good grade. When he sent me to the Vice Principal’s office on a trumped up charge, the Big Man told me he wouldn’t call my parents because he thought Mr. Weigand might be “overreacting.” Yes, that year was hell.
So, what was the silver lining? Other than being prejudiced, misogynistic and mean, Mr. Weigand was actually a pretty good teacher who had us write essays weekly. Have you ever written essays? It’s a skill that requires a lot practice to do it well. And he gave it to us. I guess I should thank him for helping me hone my writing skills and maybe even giving me the first step to begin blogging.
But, you know what? I’d rather take that silver and crack him over the skull with it. Call me unforgiving.
Tags: class half empty, glass half full, men over 40, when bad things happen, women over 40, women over 50
Lucille! Yes, what are the benefits that accrue when you smile and apologize when the clumsy guy bumps into you? What are the benefits that come our way when we discard all this unforgettable things we’ve forgotten that reside in storage, unseen and unnecessary?
No time like the present – and no reason to lament opportunities lost if we’ve tried our best to be where we are, in stead if wishing in the now for times that will never be again.
Peace – and Merry Christmas etc. etc!
I agree with you Lucille…it comes down to attitude. You can look at things just two ways – take the tough things that happen to us and do one of t wo things, 1) feel sorry for yourself and stay deep in self pity and say “oh poor me” and gain nothing, absolutely nothing from it or..2)face it head on, deal with it, perhaps pick yourself and brush yourself off, then deal with it..once you do that, it really isn’t as bad as you once thought. OUr five day trip back to NYC/NJ turned into a ten day trip giving us more time to see the sights, and enabled us to spend more time together as a family….only one agruement at the end…not bad for getting through Hurricaine Sandy!!
Lucille, I 100% agree with you. Your attitude determines what your life will be. Every morning is going to ge a great day. I have had many chanllenges in my life the worst loosing my son but I never gave up. I could have crawled in to a shell and had hate and bitterness but I could not let myself fall into that hole. Iknow it had to be very hard for the people at the Jersey Shore as I have family living there but they there glasses are half full also and looking for the the upside. You have always been a very positive person and I enjoyed working with you.
Lucille,
finally got around to reading your blog again; not going to make excuses – too many of them but will have to cut to the chase. I really like your recent postings – wish I could turn them into real-life (personal, one-to-one) repartee, but that’s not the modern way anymore.
Anyway, re Sandy’s fury: I’m finishing a book by Louise Erdrich, The Round House, which won this year’s National book Award; told from the point of view of the 13-year-old narrator whose mom is raped on an Indian reservation; he is devastated, and he and his friends go in search of the rapist. I’m in that part where a Catholic priest tries to explain to the boy the existence of evil, that something good always comes out of it. True, but the boy is more perplexed than ever. I can’t imagine in another scene the boy rejoicing about the ‘good’ that he expects to come while his mother has turned into a zombie and the rapist is free and ‘protected’ by the system.
It’s actually “Hi Oh Silver” . . . pronounced “High O Silver”
I stand corrected!