NO SHOES ALLOWED
No shoes allowed! Ever noticed those signs? You are about to walk into a place but due to sanitary concerns, you have to leave your footwear behind. Usually, a temporary boot or sandal is available to protect your feet. Footwear has evolved over the years. From the sandals made from a rope to sneakers (so you don’t hear people sneak up on you) to wedges and heels, footgear have quite a history. They used to look like this. Ancient civilization making a mark. Shoes… keep us comfortable protect from injury keep us fashionable Now they look like this.We make a statement with shoes. Why footwear? Well, I do love them! I am also intrigued by how they have evolved. Witness an incredible journey!They were not always elegant and pretty in the way we perceive elegance and beauty today. Makes me think indeed many big things, start small. Like fine wine,…
A PREVIEW OF THOUGHTS
I read snippets of stories from various platforms this week and would like to share thoughts on a few that struck a chord. LIVING ALONE At some point in life we all leave home as a way to assert ourselves as grownups. For some it is an easy transition. Sian enjoys living alone and thinks that coming home to an empty house is a great feeling as it is an opportunity for her to recharge. Living alone, like travelling solo, helps with self-reliance.She also thinks that women are the creatives in a man’s world. I think she might be right. Do you agree? THOUGHTS ON THE HIKING DUO Hahn is blind, enjoys hiking and found a partner Knecht who can’t walk. Their mutual interest in hiking brought them together. She is his eyes and he her legs when they go hiking. A formidable partnership and teamwork in spite of disabilities…
Five Advice We Give But Rarely Use
I read about a man who loved to walk barefoot. Problem was he had diabetes and could get gangrene from an infected cut. He angrily threw out a pair of slippers he got as a gift when advised to use them, because he felt that was controlling and hated to be told what to do. As you probably can predict, one foot did get amputated. There is something about living on the edge that can sometimes be appealing to the human mind. We are such complex beings after. Without doubt, there are a lot more, but here are my list of five types of advice we give but rarely use, and maybe you can relate. Be On Time. Use Common Sense. The Easy Path is Not Always the Right One. (Oh how I wish it always was.) Listen, Really Listen Before Speaking. To Be Truly Excellent at Anything, You Have…
Easily Make An Impression And Stand Out: Short Stories
To easily make an impression and stand out can be learned. It is not much fun to be just another writer, farmer, lifeguard, doctor, engineer, teacher, or chef. I’d rather keep learning and raising the bar. How about you? Now, I think of the Bible parable of talents in which three men each get talents to nurture. Two of them multiplied their talents while the third man buried his. Could he maybe have learned how to develop and put his talent to good use? Little Joe easily makes an impression and stands out in this short story. He wanted a special kind of ice cream and went to a café. He learned how much it costs and paused to make a decision. The server was impatient as the shop was filling up with clients. Finally, he got service. While clearing up after the customers, the server swallowed hard as she…
IF I COULD TELL THE FUTURE?
What if I could tell the future? I guess I would know the decisions to make today that will lead to desired outcomes in life. I would learn from the mistakes of others, make fewer mistakes and live the best life possible as a result.I would know why some people accomplish much way earlier than others. Hmm! Now that is a thought for another day. Sometimes, I take a walk to people-watch. It is such fun to watch people on these walks. Some faces have a smile. (I like that) Others are serious (well, there’s a time for everything eh?)Makes me think everyone is on a journey, seeking the finer things of life and to do incredible things! I have experienced a bit of life’s fine things, learning, being my best self, embracing and growing in my femininity. Still I want more. Is that bad?Being ‘hungry’ can be a good…
A DARING ADVENTURE; THE HELEN KELLER EFFECT
The story of Helen Keller is inspiring. She had lost her sight and hearing due to a childhood illness and for a minute, it must have seemed like all is lost. In spite of this overwhelming state, she learned to understand and communicate with the world around her as well as acquire excellent education. Her parents had hired an extraordinary teacher. Parents, teachers and mentors have a huge responsibility it seems. Helen Keller became an author and was widely esteemed for her work. For many she had become a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. Now I think, it is possible to live the dream and overcome adversity through learning. To give up is easy, but I would be curious to know what I could achieve by not giving up.So I seek to understand, learn, create and pursue excellence. Great stories often had humble beginnings.At the…
THE STORY OF SOLOMON, OF KINGDOMS AND SUCCESSORS
I am intrigued by King Solomon. Here was a king with power, fame, wisdom and a good lineage. The queen of Sheba visited him and observed that his workers, numerous in number, I imagine were happy. Wow! That says a lot about the character of the man and he had influence with God too. Amazing! Makes me think indeed, great wealth is divine and a perfect fusion of the natural and the supernatural. Just like his father David before him, Solomon had it all. Then he lost it all and an inheritance from past generation is also lost. Someone dropped the ball. Where did Solomon miss it? He was warned of this happening to be honest. (1 Kings 11) His relationships, diverse and eclectic, became distractions and turned his heart away from what mattered most. The heart is where it all starts, right? A wise man (or maybe a woman?)…
OF BOULDERS, BEES AND WALKING ON WATER!
The story is told of a king who placed a boulder right in the middle of a street and watched out of sight to see who would move it out of the way. Some people walked around it complaining about the king’s failure to maintain roads well. He watched as a man came along and moved the boulder. It took him a while but he did and now others could walk freely too. He was rewarded when he found a bag stuffed full of treasure where the boulder had been. The king had placed the reward there. Often, opportunity is masked as a challenge. Will we find it?Helping others makes us happy. Does compassion drive it? Bees work twenty-four hours, seven days a week with out sleeping or resting. They have a short lifespan of just three months. They are really making the most of the life they have…
THE THINGS WE DO AND THE AFADJATO EXPERIENCE?
We set off very early that morning. Really excited, we were finally going to hike and climb Afadjato, the highest peak in Ghana. To look from below, you would think, this should be easy enough. Were we wrong! It was tasking. No steps or clearly marked trails. Instead dicey slopes, crevices and dangerous drops. We needed more water than we had, stopped more times than we planned, to catch our breaths, and sometimes went on all fours to keep from falling. Arghh! Embarrassing. Possibly, amusing for our guide? We had a guide. A group of students we encounter share some water with us. Yay! Strength and vigor renewed, and voila we reach the top. What a marvelous view. Life is good again. Our guide reveals that half the time, many quit. Oh, wow, so he was impressed with us for finishing, after all? Then he adds that descending is just…