--I DON’T KNOW IF YOU WANT ME, BUT YOU GOT ME

…People smile and tell me I’m the lucky one.

…Sometimes it’s important to realize, that, most, times, failure is the very thing that makes us succeed.

…Although I always tried to reach that far, it always seemed like a million miles away, because it is.

…You don’t choose the blues, the blues choose you.

…If you think about it, tipping is a weird concept—who to tip when, for what, etc.  But I think it’s always best to tip big, if you are able.  I mean, what’s a couple of extra bucks?

…If you’re lucky enough to have all the pieces come together, you should take it.

…People come into our lives for all different kinds of reasons.  You can try to figure out why that is, but what difference does it make?  Just enjoy them being there.

…That nine year old boy?  I put him away for now.

…A shake of the head is all you need to know what someone thinks about you.

….Happy Birthday, Dad.  No gift cards this year, but still love in the mail.

…Everyone wanted Carver to write a novel, everyone, except Carver.  At one point, a big publishing company gave him a large advance for a novel   Carver drank the advance away and sent them fifteen pages, then went back to writing stories and poems (which no one wanted from him, except maybe me).  I admire that—not him blowing the money, but him doing what he loved most.

…From where I’m sitting, things are a little blurry and the sun won’t leave me alone.  How is that?

…Yesterday was a white space day.  Those are not my favorite kinds of days.

…I ain’t nobody’s problem but my own.

…Sometimes the obvious needs pointing out.

…Sometimes you can get scolded for not doing something a person didn’t even know you were thinking about doing in the first place.

…The beaver (“Bud”) swam by yesterday in a different way than he normally does.  Normal is him sort of floating or dog-paddling with his head barely lifted out of the water.  Yesterday he dove under, came up and was doing something resembling the butterfly stroke.  It might just be the frigid lake.  Hope the little guy is okay.  He’s one of my favorite things to watch.

…Sometimes we don’t really listen until we’re desperate.  I know, because I’ve been there.

…Pain insists upon being attended to.  C.S. Lewis said that, and yep, he was right.

…I could use a lifeguard right about now.

…I’ve been told, even recently, that it’s important to mix in some levity with all the misery.  That’s harder than it seems, but I’ll give a shot.