More From 2005

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Coffee Enhanced Reality

My life has a coffee cup nearby. I know that some decry it as bad for me, but coffee tastes so good,
and I hope to continue to live the caffienated lifestyle until God brings me Home. Hopefully there will be coffee there, too.
As I am testing the tools on this blog, I've decided to post a picture to see how it looks.

Posted by Doug at 9:40 PM

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Friday, July 22, 2005

Sholom Aleichem

“The World is a terrible place, and if you ask about my good nature, my humor, that is the reason. To spite Them, you won’t see me cry. To spite Them, there is going to be laughter.” Sholom Aleichem

The problem with opening a post with a quote from Sholom Aleichem is that any words that I use seem pale and weak after bringing his to mind. I have loved his writing for many years, and his insight into the sometimes ridiculous but always marvelous human condition is a treasure needed to be shared in these days.
You read his stories, and you know and come to love his people, even if you, like me, are only adopted into a Jewish family. (Jesus is a Jew, and I am Blessed to be in His family.)
Sholom Aleichem’s book, “Some Laughter, Some Tears” is next to me right now; the book I wish I still had was his wonderful “Old Country Tales” which, foolishly, I lent to a girl from Romania, who quickly disappeared. I’m going to order it again, probably from ABEbooks (plug).
I do not doubt that a little of his magic is lost in the translations to English, but rather than bemoan my lack, I appreciate what I have. And I encourage you to seek out and enjoy the works of Sholom Aleichem; you will be better for having read them.
Doug

FDW Run Agains

I've decided to use Finer Dry Wit as a sort of...well, I can't say "best of" site-a 'recycler' for posts from FDW written over the past decade or so. Most are probably new to just about everybody. Happy day, citizens.

Friday, November 18, 2005

Going to My Happy Place

There's a comedic bit where someone who is super-stressed out is told to “Go to his Happy Place”-he shuts his eyes and imagines he is on a sunny beach, or in bed, comfortable and relaxed, miles from the neck deep doo doo he faced just a moment earlier. My variation, which I've done at work: “I wanted to go to my Happy Place, my favorite place in the whole world, I opened my eyes, and I was right here! At Work!”
My co-workers then tell me to shut up.
Going to a Happy Place...a dose of momentary unreality (a spoonful of sugar) to help one cope with a harsh reality (helps the medicine go down) is fine in moderation-but dangerous if one becomes addicted to Finding His Happy Place.
Some crank the music louder, or ‘get into’ Nascar/NFL/movies/TV/uh...blogging...--others go where the only bill they have to think about is the bar tab, and that's not due until they have to go home and face reality again.
You see, Reality happens, whether you're ready or not. Being comfortable with Reality makes wherever you are your Happy Place. Avoiding Reality makes wherever you are the Unhappy Place you want to be gone from.
I love my Happy Place. I also enjoy remembering other days, but not as an escape, but because I enjoyed my Reality, my Happy Place then, also.
I just sent a Thanksgiving card to a friend who was with me when I took the picture above-December 31, 2001. I included the URL for here, and hope that she stops by {Hi Vaida! Hi David!}. It was a wonderfully cold time, but it is one of my favorite memories, also; I’ve been waiting for Winter to come so I could post this picture. I hope that as you read this, you remember a great time in your life, and then look around and see that where you are right now, the Reality you face at this moment, can be your Happy Place. Today can be the great day you will remember fondly years from now. Go make it happen.