Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom (And Whimsy)

Posted on November 12, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with one comment

It’s always good to see another sunrise

 

“It’s easy enough to be pleasant,

When life hums along like a song,

But the man worthwhile,

Is the man who can smile,

When everything goes dead wrong.”

An Irish Quote

The days are shorter and darker. The last vestiges of fall lie soggy on the ground. A cold wind is a harbinger of things to come. In our small town, it seems like the traffic gods are annoyed as we sit in endless road construction delays. It would be very easy to feel a bit down.

This is the perfect time to seek out positive people.

Positive people have a few things going for them. They seem to remain unfazed. They have a great attitude and seem to be grateful most of the time. I’m convinced that someone married great and attitude and came up with a child called gratitude.

None of us are eternal optimists. Nobody escapes this life unscathed without some significant bumps and bruises. Some of these are physical. I bumped into a retired physician the other day. I cringed when he told me my physical decline would be most noticeable in my 80s. A quick calculation suggested that I best enjoy the next 6 years of my life.

Many people suffer unimaginable losses, and we all know someone who is dealing with life threatening illnesses. No one can put a positive spin on these situations, nor should we. These people need to have genuine people surrounding them to prop them up when they feel the earth giving way under their feet.

Every so often, I’m sitting in my small but comfortable apartment. I survey my surroundings. I have an affordable place to live. Many don’t. I have enough money to buy nutritious food. Many don’t. Food security is a huge societal issue. My apartment is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Many people have to make a choice between fuel and food in the coldest months of the winter. I can dress myself, bathe myself and make my own meals. Many cannot. I can go for a walk and feel safe. Many in this world cannot.

You get the picture. Many of us are so lucky. WE might not have large bank accounts but compared to many, we have wealth beyond compare.

I distinctly remember the first time that I visited a slum in India. It was jarring. The slum was literally built in a swamp with a railroad running right through it. The poverty was staggering. These people had nothing except their warmth, kindness and hospitality as they invited us into their hovels for a cup of tea.

There were about 50 homes in this slum, and we tried to visit as many of them as we could. It was getting late and darkness was setting in. They didn’t have electricity of course. One woman pleaded with me to come and see her home. Calling it a shack would be a misnomer. There was one large frying pan hanging from the outside wall. I entered her home and at first, I thought the waning light was fooling my eyes. It had a dirt floor and a fire pit and nothing else. There was no furniture, no bed. Air conditioning was provided by a gaping hole in her roof. Fine on warm days but not so great when monsoons arrived. All she had was the clothes on her back.

I now understand the expression, “dirt poor”.

I know these are tough times and many young families are struggling with the rising costs of everything.

If you have the basics of life and are in good health, then you are unbelievably lucky.

Great+ attitude = gratitude.

Have a great weekend.

P.S. I expect the first shipment of my books next week. An inexpensive Christmas present for the hard to shop for person