Real Life Rants

RANT to difficult to find addresses. Can’t we please have the numbers in addresses visible and large enough to be read from the street? Any building being constructed and all future buildings should include the address in a designated place. Looking for addresses can be hazardous.

RANT to local grocers who have adopted a policy of ID checks 100% of the time for purchases of alcohol. As a distinguished 50-something person looking to enjoy a bottle of wine, I resent the fact that the cashier is not allowed to exercise their discretion to ascertain that I’m at least 21 years of age. I can understand the perspective of the corporate legal team, but it’s a dehumanizing policy that strips cashiers of their agency!

RANT to companies that require me to identify photos with bridges, bicycles, buses, etc., followed by attesting that I am not a robot and then connecting me to a clueless AI robot.

RANT to speeding drivers. I love it when the jerks who speed past me meet me at the stoplight. Or end up in the same exit line, pretty much parked. And? It’s the West Seattle Bridge. Not West Seattle Freeway. It’s the 99 tunnel. Not the 99 Speedway. It’s scary in there. Why make it worse? Slow down, or here’s an idea: Just go the assigned speed limit.

RANT to the man on a bicycle who blew through two stop signs. That wasn’t the worst part; he had two children in seats on the bicycle with him! Even if he doesn’t care about his own safety, he should certainly care about his children! All it takes is one distracted driver.

RANT to the angry woman I encountered while walking my dog. There was no need for you to speak to me the way you did. You know nothing about me or my dog or what difficult things I might be struggling with. My small dog was on a leash and under my control. I had the right of way going up the hill and was nearly at the top. Because the sidewalk was narrow, you should have waited for me to pass or crossed the street. My dog was reacting because he sensed that you were not a kind and safe person. I give you grace because you obviously are dealing with your own stuff, and that is why you lashed out.

RANT to the canvasser who knocked on our door on Halloween dressed in a costume during prime trick-or-treat hours, took a giant fistful of candy from the bowl I offered, then asked if he could tell me a little bit about his cause! That’s a nasty trick to get someone to open the door. And if you’re going to pose as a trick-or-treater, at least have the decency to only take one or two pieces, like all the exceptionally polite teens who came by!

RANT to those who insist on decorating for Christmas before we’ve had a chance to celebrate the gratitude that comes with Thanksgiving. Their impatience sucks the joy out of a holiday that derives much of its magic from its fleeting nature and turns it into an endless marathon of overindulgence. In a year when so many have needs not met, it’s a particularly bad look. 

Posted in Reading | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Awareness

Awareness is the first step, not the last one. Knowing your trauma exists doesn’t heal it—processing it does. And that requires safe, skilled support.

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Living on Purpose

Call Your Waiting What It Is You can’t change what you keep spiritualizing or intellectualizing. Waiting often hides behind language like patience, strategy, faith, and timing. But avoidance thrives in ambiguity, so the moment you name it, you interrupt its power. Ask yourself: What am I postponing? What am I afraid will happen if I act? What am I protecting by staying quiet?

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

See a Live Show

For a fun date night, get tickets to a holiday play, musical, or ballet. While you’re at it, purchase additional tickets to gift to friends and family.

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

Posted in Reading | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rave : Little act’s Thoughtfulness

RAVE to the radio stations that don’t play Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. It is great listening to music that does not add to the “noise” of the very early/dominating commercialism of Christmas. It feels like a big loss when Halloween in October and Christmas in December so overshadow the beautiful and meaningful Thanksgiving in November. Perhaps we could all benefit from taking time for reflection, counting our blessings and pausing to enjoy and appreciate this special holiday as we do the others.

RAVE to the person who found my purse in a grocery cart at Costco and turned it in. I am forever grateful for your honesty.

RAVE to the truly outstanding displays of vivid autumn colors in Seattle and nearby suburbs this year. Private and public property owners made great choices years ago by selecting trees that show off big time before the leaves fall.

RAVE to the young man from Kirkland for helping us, an elderly couple, change our flat tire the other night. I had just started loosening the nuts holding the flat tire to the wheel when he happened to walk by. He immediately offered to help and took over the tedious task of changing the tire in the poor light made by only a smartphone flashlight. Thanks to his wonderful help, we were on our way much sooner.

RAVE to drivers who change lanes or merge into traffic smoothly, without making the right-of-way vehicles slow down at all. Nice job! (I’ll bet you are a great dancer.)

RAVE to the wonderful woman who helped me get up after a fall. She walked me home with my dog. Then she came by a few days later to see if I was OK.

RAVE to the taxi driver whose ride from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Colman Dock was an act of compassion. I had just flown home from my mother-in-law’s passing and discovered the light rail was delayed. In the taxi waiting area, I was drawn to an older gentleman standing next to his cab. When he asked if I needed service, I blurted out that my last taxi trip was traumatic; the driver was speeding and refused to slow down. “You will always be respected in my cab,” my new friend said, and we talked about love and loss as he delivered me safely downtown.

Posted in Moment of Truth..., Reading | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments