The old TV show Cheers has a song with the phrase about being a place where "everybody knows your name." I caught a glimpse of that show yesterday while flipping channels on the TV.
There have really only been two times in my life that I frequented bars where everybody knew my name. The first time was in college, Emma's Bar, and the second time was a few years back in Tom's Bar, where hubby and I did the weekly Friday night meat raffle. It's kind of unique, I guess, that both of these bars have a person's name in their title, unlike other bars around (i.e. The Pour House, St. Croix Grill, etc).
I was reminded of this phrase last night as we had a couple of neighbors come over to play cards and we were talking about what's happening with our neighbors. It was not gossip, it was catching up on people's lives. As mentioned before, we live in a gated community of "friends 55 and over," so there is usually a monthly party at the clubhouse. Therefore you truly get to know your neighbors or at least their name. Working full time is not conducive to hearing about your neighbors, so it was quite a catch-up session for me, hearing about this person's trip and that person's car accident.
It feels good to be part of a community and know so many neighbors, I have experienced that only a couple of times in my life, my childhood in Cushing and a few years back in our Mudhen Lake Drive community. Based on my calculations of the bars and communities I have lived in where everybody knew my name, I had over twenty years in between childhood/college and Mudhen Lake where I was not known by name. But wait, those were the years that my community of friends were at my job or my church. Playing in softball leagues with members of my work or church, going out after work for drinks or going out for dinner, or participating at an in-home Bible study. I still found a way for everybody to know my name.
I dreamt this morning that I was leaving my present job and packing up my office. Of course, I found things stuck in my credenza drawers that brought back memories of this work event or that work event. The staff joked with me and recalled their memories too, basically saying, "we'll remember you, Rayna, we won't forget your name."
Yes, everybody knows your name! The everybody may be a family, a work place, a church, a favorite hang-out or a housing complex. I consider myself a lucky person that I have atleast one of those "places" or groups of people to go to that know my name.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
My House
A quote in Time magazine got me thinking....
Oh girlfriend! You tell it like it is, don't you? Well I'm a guilty one for being one of those "little houses," suffering from obesity. Isn't that what people say, "suffering from obesity"? Heck, I have not suffered! I've enjoyed every morsel of food I've put into this mouth. Mouth, the entrance to my house. The door of my house is my mouth. A couple of weeks ago, I got pissed off at my dentist because he was complaining while doing my dental work about my "small mouth." Heck, I paid him almost one thousand dollars (out my pocket besides what the insurance paid) to work in my small mouth, quit your bitching! Well, I got that beef off my chest.
Speaking of chests, I guess my chest is like the living room of my house... large and open and clearly visible. Anyone that's been to my home knows that it's large living room with windows on two sides to basically see right through our house from the front yard to the back yard. I love the open, airy feeling it evokes to sit there. I have nothing to hide and my house shows it!
Going back to my mouth being the entrance to my "house," the door to my actual house is small too. It's not a double door or large 8 foot door like that of several neighbors. It's a standard size door with two slim windows surrounding it, like dimples on my cheeks.
I love designing houses, I do it in my head and then put the ideas down on graph paper. I designed the present and recent past homes we have lived in. I'm sure that no matter how many homes I design for building, I will find some changes that I would make in the future. In my present home, I'd change the size and some of the lay-out of the kitchen and dining area. It's true that I would like to change some of my house, my body.
Right now, "my house" - my body is larger than necessary and misshapen. Is it the type of house I would have designed for myself? No, but it's what I have to live in right now. Do I need to chastise myself for building this house? Probably so. Do I need to accept myself for building this house? Probably so. Do I need to love myself for being me.... right where I'm at in this large, misshapen house? Probably so.
I didn't think that while I was enjoying those morsels of food coming through the doorway of my house that I was endangering my house. However, this house, as it is today, is not the shape, style or square footage that fits peacefully into my physical, emotional or spiritual being.
What rooms do I need to change or remodel? Well the chest (or living room) is what it is and always will be, I can live with that. :) The stomach (kitchen and dining room) needs some changes, mainly internal. Internal, as in what types of foods I allow into these rooms, more veggies and fruits. The buttocks and thighs (bedroom) needs some action, as in exercise of all kinds. My head is the foundation of my house and contains the entrance to my house (mouth) and it needs to be relied on to provide safe and sane thoughts and decisions, a solid basis for my life.
Well, thanks Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue for shaking up my household. You're right, there are "people as little houses" all over this country, but not just Minnesota.
"I'd just been on a trip to Minnesota, where I can only kindly describe most of the people I saw as little houses." Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue, on the prevalence of obesity in the U.S.
Oh girlfriend! You tell it like it is, don't you? Well I'm a guilty one for being one of those "little houses," suffering from obesity. Isn't that what people say, "suffering from obesity"? Heck, I have not suffered! I've enjoyed every morsel of food I've put into this mouth. Mouth, the entrance to my house. The door of my house is my mouth. A couple of weeks ago, I got pissed off at my dentist because he was complaining while doing my dental work about my "small mouth." Heck, I paid him almost one thousand dollars (out my pocket besides what the insurance paid) to work in my small mouth, quit your bitching! Well, I got that beef off my chest.
Speaking of chests, I guess my chest is like the living room of my house... large and open and clearly visible. Anyone that's been to my home knows that it's large living room with windows on two sides to basically see right through our house from the front yard to the back yard. I love the open, airy feeling it evokes to sit there. I have nothing to hide and my house shows it!
Going back to my mouth being the entrance to my "house," the door to my actual house is small too. It's not a double door or large 8 foot door like that of several neighbors. It's a standard size door with two slim windows surrounding it, like dimples on my cheeks.
I love designing houses, I do it in my head and then put the ideas down on graph paper. I designed the present and recent past homes we have lived in. I'm sure that no matter how many homes I design for building, I will find some changes that I would make in the future. In my present home, I'd change the size and some of the lay-out of the kitchen and dining area. It's true that I would like to change some of my house, my body.
Right now, "my house" - my body is larger than necessary and misshapen. Is it the type of house I would have designed for myself? No, but it's what I have to live in right now. Do I need to chastise myself for building this house? Probably so. Do I need to accept myself for building this house? Probably so. Do I need to love myself for being me.... right where I'm at in this large, misshapen house? Probably so.
I didn't think that while I was enjoying those morsels of food coming through the doorway of my house that I was endangering my house. However, this house, as it is today, is not the shape, style or square footage that fits peacefully into my physical, emotional or spiritual being.
What rooms do I need to change or remodel? Well the chest (or living room) is what it is and always will be, I can live with that. :) The stomach (kitchen and dining room) needs some changes, mainly internal. Internal, as in what types of foods I allow into these rooms, more veggies and fruits. The buttocks and thighs (bedroom) needs some action, as in exercise of all kinds. My head is the foundation of my house and contains the entrance to my house (mouth) and it needs to be relied on to provide safe and sane thoughts and decisions, a solid basis for my life.
Well, thanks Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue for shaking up my household. You're right, there are "people as little houses" all over this country, but not just Minnesota.
Monday, May 25, 2009
A Dream of Heaven
There are no roads of gold or pearly gates in heaven - I've been there.
The "road" is a railroad track that the train comes through the last dark tunnel and drops off the souls with lightening speed. I stand there stunned. There are no pearly gates, it's a train depot platform and I'm surprised. The buildings around are small and colorful - every color of the rainbow- vibrant and vivid. I wonder - am I in a Mexican village? But the languages I hear people speaking are all types. What's amazing is I can understand them, all of them. I do not have long to be wondering where I am or who I'll know or worry if I'll be fearful? People come up to me and greet me by name and say, "Welcome" "We've been expecting you." "What took you so long?" The hugs, kisses, and hand shakes fill me with warmth beyond all understanding. The people guide me to the edge of the platform and I see flowers everywhere. I look for a path between the flowers to step down to avoid stepping on the flowers, but the realization hits me - I need no path to take me anywhere - I have arrived! Stepping on the flowers is like stepping on Mom and Dad's bed mattress years ago as a child - soft, springy and a little uneven at first. But then the walking becomes natural. I look back and see the flowers spring back to their full beauty, my footprint disappears. On earth I worried about what kind of "footprint" I would leave and I now I realize it doesn't matter. I can feel love and acceptance everywhere - all around me. Yet I soon realize it's not about "me." Here in heaven, there is no better, worse, bigger, smaller, richer, or poorer - all are equal. It's so freeing. I wonder why I struggled on earth when this glory was my ultimate destination?
The "road" is a railroad track that the train comes through the last dark tunnel and drops off the souls with lightening speed. I stand there stunned. There are no pearly gates, it's a train depot platform and I'm surprised. The buildings around are small and colorful - every color of the rainbow- vibrant and vivid. I wonder - am I in a Mexican village? But the languages I hear people speaking are all types. What's amazing is I can understand them, all of them. I do not have long to be wondering where I am or who I'll know or worry if I'll be fearful? People come up to me and greet me by name and say, "Welcome" "We've been expecting you." "What took you so long?" The hugs, kisses, and hand shakes fill me with warmth beyond all understanding. The people guide me to the edge of the platform and I see flowers everywhere. I look for a path between the flowers to step down to avoid stepping on the flowers, but the realization hits me - I need no path to take me anywhere - I have arrived! Stepping on the flowers is like stepping on Mom and Dad's bed mattress years ago as a child - soft, springy and a little uneven at first. But then the walking becomes natural. I look back and see the flowers spring back to their full beauty, my footprint disappears. On earth I worried about what kind of "footprint" I would leave and I now I realize it doesn't matter. I can feel love and acceptance everywhere - all around me. Yet I soon realize it's not about "me." Here in heaven, there is no better, worse, bigger, smaller, richer, or poorer - all are equal. It's so freeing. I wonder why I struggled on earth when this glory was my ultimate destination?
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Happy Day!
Happy Saturday! The colors on this picture just makes me want to smile. These flowers were in a fountain... see the coins in the lower left corner sitting on bottom of fountain. Make a wish for today, let it happen.
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