Just a reminder that even the most popular, prolific, talented, friendliest, happiest, supporting people around you may carry a tender side of them that lives in perpetual modes of fragility, fear, pain, guilt, or shame. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it is not there. And I'm not saying that any one person is being described here.. if anything, it's myself more than others.

My point is this.. Display a little decorum and grace, please. You have no fucking clue who people really are.

@leturos I think it is the little things that make our lives meaningful. Big things are showy and wonderful.. but obvious. The grace of shared laughter, kindness, and love must be, in my mind, more valuable.

@Gord02 My daughter just laughs about her student loan claiming the gov't knows very well it will never recoup her student loan in full. Unfortunately though, my kids are in the same boat.. there are no affordable beginner homes anymore.

OTOH.. you have two boys who are the product of your wisdom, time, and love. Do we all have to have mastered amazing feats, designed wonders, or made a gazillion dollars to be successful? Perhaps success is not the ultimate win, but giving love is.

If you are of an age (any age, really) and struggle with who you are and what you feel your calling should be.. you are not alone.

I have three children ages 18-25 and recently turned 55.. and have no idea what is going on. I still feel like I have yet to reach fulfillment in my life.

If only there were some life planning maps passed out at birth and through adulthood in its varying stages.

@Tattoomonkey29 Still, what goes up must come down. Some of those warning shots could still injure or kill people.

OTOH, we had old Mr. Sears down the street who would chase kids off his lawn by waving a pitchfork in the air.

Can we talk about how right wing news and shock radio has been fermenting the seeds of distrust, fear, and hatred for decades? DECADES! The seeds have now sprouted like nasty weeds.. everywhere all at once.

From the article:
Neighbor shoots 14-year-old as kids play hide and seek outside, Louisiana cops say

The property owner told deputies he went inside and grabbed his gun after he saw shadows outside his home and then open fired on kids.

https://www.sunherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article275197271.html

Meanwhile.. I just looked out of curiosity. The local McDonald's has a job listing for "Closing- Crew Team Member" with this interesting dichotomy.

•Starting at $11/hour
•Average Estimate Salary for a Closing- Crew Team Member: $45,316 to $61,903

How many hours must a person work at $11 to get a salary of $45,316? Only 79.22 hours!!!

Yeah, totally doable.

@Indefinite_Article No, I read that the original post had been deleted and read it from elsewhere that an apology was given, No other source is reporting on Carter's death.

Burger King to close 400 locations.

A few months back I drove up to a local Burger King drive-thru at 10 pm. The kid/guy that was working said he was there alone and if I had not placed an order through the app, he could not fill my order. But if I wanted to order through the app it would be at least an hour. You can't treat employees like that, having only one employee on shift running an hour behind on orders while turning other orders away, then expect your business to be successful.

FYI.. CBS just issued an apology for reporting Jimmy Carter's death in error

..

<nodding >

Just be you.

From 2017, still applicable today.

MmmHmm.

@0x56 My middle school music teacher, Mr. Correll, followed our class to the HS. I then had him for 4 years of chorale, jazz and madrigal singers, show choir, and music theory. I scheduled my lunch to be in the music room where I could listen to everything from Bach to Ellington to Beatles to Dylan.

I was always frustrated that he would just wing the set lists for our public gigs. But with a rating of 6-O at state levels, he just believed in our abilities & I started to believe in myself.

From my youngest days I have been forward thinking, anticipating the future with hope and planning in my mind the possibilities before me.

But recently I have been attempting to sit within the present and acknowledge my thoughts and emotions. For some of us, it is much harder than it may sound.

It can require memories to surface and acknowledgments to be made.

There are more tears than smiles on some days.

But on the positive side, I can begin to let go of harbored and hidden pain.

Happy Monday.

May you have a whimsical thought to give you sneaky smiles through the day. (✿◠‿◠)

As with Brooklyn's Public Library, Seattle is also offering a free digital library card to teens and young adults ages 13 to 26 living anywhere in the U.S.

"We believe in your right to read what you want, discover yourself and form your own opinions. Fill out the simple form at the bottom of this page to get a Books Unbanned card."

https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/teens/books-unbanned

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