Happenstance

On my desk at work is a daily calendar chocked full of advice, some good and some “ignore it and it will go away” suggestions.

August 1 said, “Education moves you from the realm of ignorance to the sphere of thoughtful uncertainty.”

August 2 said, “Aging has become very stylish. All the best people are doing it.” Liz Claiborn

August 3 said, “Life’s problems never hit you when you’re 18 and have all the answers.”

August 4 said, “You’re never too old to become younger.” Mae West

August 5 said, “If at first you succeed, try something harder.”

August 6 said, “Doing the job right generally takes less time than explaining why you did it wrong.”

August 7 said, “Knowing the right thing to do is not the same as doing it; doing the right thing is not the same as doing it without being told.”

August 8 said, “The speed with which you accomplish a task is only remarkable if the quality of the accomplishment is also remarkable.”

August 9 said, “You will never be successful at doing something you don’t want to do.”

August 10 said, “Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.”

And, today August 11 said, “The size of a leader is judged by the size of the problems she solves.”

In a nutshell, do we have education, grow older, succeed, speed, or have problem solving abilities?

Education—My graduating class recently celebrated their 40th alumni reunion. I say “their” because I chose not to attend. After my small, rural high school closed its doors in 1969, my parents and I were given the option of what school to attend for my senior year. After some thought, I opted for Sidney High School. I knew some of the girls there, but it was still a big step from a class of three to one with over 130. During that school year, I thought I was lucky because I knew most of my classmates by name by graduation day, except for one guy who walked across the stage and I didn’t even know he was in the class. There were a couple of people attending the reunion that I would have liked to see. I keep in contact with some even now, and don’t have to wait for a reunion.

Grow Older—Recently, one of the most celebrated songs in the world came my way. It was an absolute joy when one of my grandsons called and sang, “Happy Birthday.” He must have practiced, because it was perfect, precious, and even had a giggle in the middle!! Of course, along with the celebrated day, I had to renew my driver’s license, which I did on line for the first time.

Succeed—That’s a tough one. I’m still working on that. I feel that life is like clay, and my molded clay hasn’t made it to the kiln yet.

Speed—“August 8”: I repeat: The speed with which you accomplish a task is only remarkable if the quality of the accomplishment is also remarkable. Last Saturday, while Jim was golfing in his second day of the tournament, I attempted to practice free-motion machine quilting. The speed at which my sewing machine went only led to my frustration. I spent much of the day using the seam ripper and thinking I would wait for another day to try it again.

Problem Solving Abilties—Life’s a stage and there will always be problems to solve.

And so, alumni reunions and birthdays come and go. Life continues.

But, (August 10) I need to make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.