I have a hobby

All these years, one hobby after another by the wayside.. Baseball cards... collecting aluminum cans, if that's considered a hobby.. finding golf balls with stepson when we lived next door to the golf course.. slot cars.. juggling.. guitar.. writing... Sudoku...

None really stuck (kinda like ex's I guess!).... Well, I guess writing and Sudoku have, but - all these years, all this trial/error/finally boredom have made me come to the realization - I've actually had this hobby ALL ALONG: smile collecting.

I am perked by smiles. In passing. In friendship. In love.

I've learned to quickly vaminos, Snagglepuss (exit, stage left), get the hell away from situations where smiles never occur. People. Workplaces. Yes, even relationships. Some, seemingly prefer to go ahead and live in this hell - perhaps not believing they're due anything better.. maybe because it's simply easier to stay put.. and yes, for some, smiles aren't really even important. I don't understand that, but certainly their prerogative.

Nomme.

I love happy - so I try to be around it. I have a pretty "s-eatin grin" I've been told - but that's ok, as long as I'm smiling - life is good.

Smiles bring laughter, friendship, a better working environment, peace, and sometimes even love.

This hobby (addiction) of smile led me to Facebook. I love seeing fun/funny clips, sayings, "comebacks", pics (young folks, middle folks, old folks), selfie sticks, etc. Creativity breeds smile. Camaraderie lends to smile. Niceness is a very cool factor. Shock value can loom large.

Smiles don't need Spring, rain, sun to pop up. Ya don't just harvest them in the Fall. They're year-round, and they go a long, long way in easing this turbulent thing called life.

I suppose, like ballcards filling a closet, slot cars gathering dust, golf balls turning yellow - I should do something will all these accumulated smiles.

I'd like to think I am. I'm enjoying the hell out of life. Of you. Of her, of him, of this, of that. "Peace begins with a smile." (Mother Teresa). Right you are ma'am, right you are.

Gotta run. Ok, actually, gotta walk. Grab s'more smiles. Life really is a candid camera. When it's least expected - you're elected, it's your lucky day: smile!

Bobby McFerrin once said:
"Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no girl to make you smile
But don't worry, be happy
'Cause when you worry, your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy now"

Smiles (followed closely by music) are the most wonderful, 'organic' antidepressants known to man (and women).. Have one? If not, you can sure have mine!

Love, Victurd.

Take the long way home.......

Observation, or sometimes lack thereof, is (to me) an interesting thing. I have this goofy habit of combining song lyrics, and sandwiching a blog in between.

Today, I took the long way home. Victor, are you going to share dirty laundry? Nope, but I am gonna thank a doctor, a friend and a hospital. For five years I've had a blockage in my leg. Dreadful pain to walk a distance, oh, say from the meat department in Wally World, down the aisles to the Automotive department. Dreadful. So, the roto rooter thing last Tuesday, absolutely no pain.

Today, the hound and I took the long way home, a 2 and 1/2 mile walk. Zero pain, first time, long time. Thanks Doc, friend, hospital.

For years, I've often heard the Supertramp song "Take the long way home" - and ain't never really listened to the words. Like, long ago, I asked my then wife "How long have we had that picture?"..."Two years." Duh.

Roger Hodgson, who penned the song relates "It wasn’t consciously about people I knew. There is a double meaning to that song. There is the obvious meaning of taking the long way home when you don’t want to get back home to your wife but there is a deeper meaning of taking the long way home about what really has meaning in life. You can take the long way home to your heart. You can look back on your life and wonder where it has gone. You wonder where the meaning of life has disappeared to."

Well, drop the 'don't want to get back home to your wife' thing cause that wasn't the case.. It's, to me, more about appreciation. Listening. MAKING things meaningful. Keeping a journal in our minds of daily life. Watching the color and grasping the awe of the trees insteada "can't see the forest for the trees."

Not moping about what we ain't got, but being gracious, and appreciating what we do. We (speaking of me) maybe zombied out on occasion in life. Divorce is no fun. Her side, his side. Of course, me, I'm perfect. Ha! Looking back at marriage, and at life - perhaps I didn't always travel with enough appreciation. Perhaps age has taught me the importance of appreciation, dunno.

Gas usedta be so dadgum high we never took the long way home. I wouldn't care if it went up two bucks a gallon tomorrow, I'd still take the long way home next time. See, live, appreciate.

I have a friend.. two actually, taking the long way home: LA, Tokyo, Singapore, Delhi, Munich, Venice, Croatia, Slovenia, Newark, Kansas City. I mighta missed a point or two, but.. that's a long way home. I hope a journal is kept, both in writing, and in their minds.

I (miserably) do the New Years resolution thing.. the exercise fit.. Why, I've even quit smoking seven times.. This I know though: I WILL walk the rest of my life in appreciation. Things, people, events, places, learning, et al. I guess it could be akin to taking the long way home.

Love, Victurd

Reflections......

(to me, for me, hitchhikers welcome)

I'm a word nerd. Reflection is one'a my alltime favs.. Of course, the beauty of a body of water - and nature's image twofold.. years of looking in the mirror with results ranging from "eww" to "yuck" to "not horribly bad" to "damn, I hope you had a lotta fun getting to this point" ........

I love love love that on my computer I can search email, or perhaps Google, and in a millisecond have it filter out a kajillion other things to specifically bring back scoop pertaining to my original quest/question.

With the brain though, serious thought - reflection is "magnifico".. You don't need a user ID, password, LinkedIn, credit card, you don't have to find the GD (gosh darn) X in the upper right hand corner to close a pop-up, nor wait 5 seconds to close the ad.

Reflection (of yesterday/today) has 'learnt me' I don't know everything, I've not seen everything, and not experienced everything and that only increases my excitement for today/tomorrow.

I can reflect back to 'down' - but, I try to look at is as a '10 minute parking zone'..... In life, like an inspector at a food plant, we're able to "throw a batch out" if ain't to our liking - and pull only The Best. Dwelling, stewing, reminding, loitering, 'living there', patooey. Hard lesson (for me at least) to learn - but happy to announce, "I think I'm there now."

As I gather UP experiences from today - I think, look back, deduct "I don't think I've ever been this happy - and it's due to all that 'filtering' (reflection) of where I sit today."

Ya Google "Happy" to the brain - up pops family, loved ones, bestest of friends, casual friends, long ago friends, friends gone by, classmates, teammates, jobs/coworkers past - they're all there in that reflection - and were we a 'food thing', they'd all be proudly listed on our label of contents.

They say, and it's a given, as we age - we get slower. What better to have to reflect a tad more - spend a little longer time on each wonder from today and yesteryear.

Is EVERY minute enjoyable? Victor, don't cars pull out infronta you? Well heck no every minute ain't enjoyable, and YES, I've some pretty nifty cusswords (with windows up, I'm too old for a fist fight) for those that cause me to swerve outside the white highway lines (that I wish I could see!)....

Point being, in looking back. In reflecting. I/we are lucky. Of course bad, unfortunate, sad happens. Googling the brain "deduction of it all" - it's a pretty darn nice, happy, rewarding ride though. Love, Victurd.