I use Golden Audio Books to listen to free versions of somewhat current books from time to time. Over the weekend, I listened to Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements, the book Tom Brady said changed his life. I really liked it and listened to several sections twice, now I’m trying to remind myself of those four agreements throughout the day. Just listing the agreements here won’t do much for you, you have to understand the context and meaning behind them, but they are:
Be impeccable with your word
Don’t take anything personally
Don’t make assumptions
Always do your best
I saw several articles applauding Tom Brady for making a Mother’s Day post on his Instagram expressing gratitude and praising the mothers of his children. That got me thinking about how much I would like to praise and express gratitude to the mother of my children. But, the mother of my children kept our children from engaging in any communication with their father for four nights, only allowed me a monitored five-minute phone call with our son on his ninth birthday, refused any request for overnight stays or extra time with our children during divorce proceedings, and made me beg to spend any time with our children on Father’s Day because she wanted to spend it at her parents. Until some of those things are discussed in person and explained to me how that was in our children’s best interest, I’m afraid our co-parenting relationship will suffer. Because of her actions, any simple request doesn’t come across as simple. With that said, I’d like the opportunity to sincerely apologize to her for my shortcomings and listen to anything she would want to say. Now it’s time for me to take another look at those four agreements. Her refusal to have a conversation caused me to make a lot of assumptions and take things personally.
Texas Monthly – Galveston Is a Tourist Hot Spot Once Again – Its fortunes ebb and flow, but the historic island is experiencing a renaissance, with new hotels and renovations and a shiny new cruise terminal.
Churches’ role in Abilene election prompts calls for investigations – West Texas voters rejected three conservative Christian candidates who sought to infuse religious values into local politics. The campaign support the candidates received from local churches has prompted calls for state and federal probes.
From the chamber of the memorial, one can appreciate the different stones used in its construction. The terrace walls and lower steps comprise granite blocks from Massachusetts – the upper steps, outside facade, and columns contain marble blocks from Colorado – the interior walls and columns are Indiana limestone – the floor is pink Tennessee marble – the ceiling tiles are Alabama marble – and the Lincoln statue comprises 28 pieces of Georgia marble. These building materials may seem random, but Henry Bacon specifically chose each one to tell a very specific story. A country torn apart by war can come together, not only to build something beautiful, but also explain the reunification of the states.
I finished streaming The Man in the High Castle. It starts off alt-history, turns science fiction, and turns into science fantasy. Overall, I liked it, but at this season in life, I need to watch something more uplifting.
I don’t drink beer, but it’s been crazy seeing the reaction of conservatives about recent beer commercials.
End of a love affair: AM radio is being removed from many cars – Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Tesla and other automakers are eliminating AM radio from some new vehicles, stirring protests against the loss of a medium that has shaped American life for a century (paywall)
Automakers, such as BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda and Tesla, are removing AM radios from new electric vehicles because electric engines can interfere with the sound of AM stations. And Ford, one of the nation’s top-three auto sellers, is taking a bigger step, eliminating AM from all of its vehicles, electric or gas-operated.
DaughterGeeding’s softball playoff game was only two miles away from Allen Premium Outlet. It was weird being at something so wholesome like a softball game but knowing a massacre happened at a place so close.
I guess I have a weak vocabulary. I had to look up what “brood” was after reading this sentence: “Kristen Nikolas, Von Erich’s daughter, said the family is closing on a 60-acre ranch at the end of this month and all 14 of the brood will move to the property.”
I don’t have a will, but I should. Thanks to LiberallyLean, I can do one online because the Texas Supreme Court has approved it.
BoyGeeding can easily solve a Rubik’s Cube and other similar puzzle-like devices. It’s something I wish I could do.
I’m not sure long-time reader Ben still reads this blog, but I think of him and his family often, especially when I see something Disney related.
Realize that your feelings are visitors – Feel them and let them go. There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad, lonely, scared, worried, or any other emotion, but repressing them can backfire.
Since then, I’ve been waiting for something or someone to convince me that “having a purpose” is “life-changing.” But, as far as I can tell, you can be content and/or successful by just getting a paycheck, traveling every once in a while, having friends and fam (or a pet!) you love, being in healthy relationships, and making time to pursue whatever fleeting hobby that feels right. And you can do all that without having an overarching theme dictating the direction of your life.
DaughterGeeding played in her first softball playoff game last night.
DaughterGeeding lost her first softball playoff game last night.
If you are signed into Google Chrome, typing “docs.new” or “sheets.new” into your browser will automatically bring up a new blank Google doc or spreadsheet
I pray that I can find opportunities to put me in positions to be around more people and make more friends, like genuine friendships.
I just found out Heather Brooke Hamilton (aka Heather B. Armstrong, aka Dooce.com) died. Mental health is a serious struggle. She was one of the first to become “famous” for blogging (specifically, fired for blogging) and was an inspiration for this blog. It was easy to identify with her very open struggles with depression (and alcoholism, though I never had a problem with the latter). It’s one reason why I try to be so transparent, I learned it from reading her blog. She let her readers know her life wasn’t picture perfect and did so with a lot of wit and humor. People would often thank me for introducing her blog to them. She was only 47. One thing she did, that I wish I would have done, was write a monthly love letter to her daughter and post it on her site. The news of her death (rumored to be by suicide) has really bummed me out. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. And, if that person lets you know they utilized the service, please don’t use it against them in court to keep them away from their kids.
My pastor’s wife during my teenage years still keeps tabs on me. She knows I’ve been struggling with depression and my concern there’s nothing to live for since I believe my best years are behind me. I like what she wrote and thought I’d share. The song, if you want to look it up, is actually by Brandon Lake, not Brandon Heath.
A message from Bono regarding his last Songs of Surrender performance. It made me smile for some reason. Probably because he’s simply Bono.
The New York Times invited Connie Chung into a studio with 10 other Connies named after her. When it was her turn, Connie Koh explained she’d picked the name after college. “You’re an iconic person,” she told Ms. Chung, who had grown teary. pic.twitter.com/GmlLVdcN0B
— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) May 11, 2023
Posted inPersonal|Comments Off on Bag of Randomness for Friday, May 12, 2023
