Eyes are Opened, finally...

OK so the tornado and hurricane are back in my head. Do you ever wonder if you are a good friend, acquaintance, or co-worker? I tend to rate my acquaintances, co-workers and friends on how I would treat them in a certain situation. And here lately I learned that I must be a complete idiot. I would never treat people that way and I don’t know how they sleep at night. You think you know some one and you are completely wrong. I have always been a person where words mean nothing to me. Actions are what I am about. I have heard the words come out of both sides of the mouth and no actions follow.

I like to think that I was taught by the best. Herbie and Betty Mae what better teachers. Everyone loved them and respected them. If they needed anything they had a limitless family and an infinite number of friends. I knew this but when Dad and Mom passed, I seen just how many lives they had touched. From the coal miners wiping their eyes when telling some joke Dad had pulled or the countless number of Mom’s additional kids remembering how Mom adopted them all no matter what, seeing and hearing how Dad and Mom brightened their lives made me even more proud of the best parents in the world. They set an example and that is how I want to be. Heck with being like Mike, I wanna be like Herbie and Betty Mae!!!

Rule number one: treat everyone with respect. Treat them how you would want to be treated. Seems so simple and it is common sense but so many have trouble with this. This world does not revolve around you, no matter what you think. We all put our jeans on the same way. It doesn’t matter what religion, sex, race, or social status you are; we are all the same. It doesn’t matter if you are from the big city or a small town in Southern Illinois. It doesn’t matter that someone buys his or her clothes from Wal Mart or from the mall. The only thing that matters is what is on the inside. You know that is what the Big Guy upstairs is going to be looking at come judgment day.

Rule number two: timeliness. What is considered good timing? Certainly not three weeks after you said you would do it the first time. I procrastinate too, hell ask my great nieces and nephews that get their birthday cards very belated. When asked to do something and commit to it, then do it. Don’t make excuses. To quote Betty Mae excuses are like assholes everyone’s got one. So we are all getting older and yep I will be the first to admit, I must actually make myself notes to do things. I never want to have to tell someone I forgot to do something they asked me to do, cause then it is like I forgot them too. And yeah there are times when we get busy with something else, but hey if you have a note it could remind you. We all have our own routines, like mine is get up, go to work, get pissed, come home, go see my family next door, and get in a better mood. There are many times when I have to veer off this routine. I might need to go see someone else in my family or a friend that I haven’t seen in quite a while or go get another tattoo (yeah this is coming up). So you just have to work new errands, responsibilities and tasks into your schedule and if it for family or friends like the Nike slogan, you JUST DO IT!

Rule number three: Recognize and Respond. If someone does something for you or continually does something for you, don’t act like nothing. Telling them every once in a while something like “Hey I appreciate whatever” goes a long way. When you say nothing, it is like you expect or you deserve whatever. No, this doesn’t mean you have to do this every minute of every day. A simple response every once in a great while that says you recognize that someone has been doing something for you, means you haven’t forgotten. Or even better that you are grateful and don’t deserve to be helped in such a way. I am a big supporter of “please” and “thank you”. Don’t expect anything. If people want to help you they will and if they do acknowledge it. A simple thank you goes a long way. I like helping people and there is no other motive. I am not trying to gain anything but maybe a friend. What can I say; I get a rush helping people, nothing like seeing a smile when you do something for someone. I am addicted to smiles; I can’t get enough.

If you haven’t already guessed it, I have been rather upset here lately. This blog is my cleansing. I am here to say first, Betty Mae was right and I learned the hard way how people change. Yep Mom, I should have listened to you on this one too. I am not the one who changed, and my eyes are opened now. Same as before I am the one making this decision, no one else is coercing me to do what I am doing. I am ending by saying that I have learned my lesson, my expensive lesson. Now I am done, time to move on. Breathe out the bad, breathe in the new. As the Beatles say, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, life goes on bra, la la how life goes on…

Peace out!