A Thought...

A few days after I went to Grand Haven, I had lunch with my mom, sister and grandmother and was telling them about my trip. What made this convo stick out in my mind was the fact that my grandmother said, "I can't believe that you can just get up and take a trip like that by yourself."

Days later, her words still come to mind. For me to see a movie or go to dinner by myself isn't a big deal, so a day trip to clear my head was a no brainer. For her and my mom, the concept is almost foreign.


When I took that trip, by no means was I trying to make a statement or anything. All I was doing was doing something for myself. In a way, it turned into something for the older generations to think about. That maybe, just maybe, flying solo may not be a bad thing. A challenge even.


At the beginning of the year, I set out to challenge myself and step outside the box. Without realizing it, by doing something that I love, I did that last week while opening their eyes.


So I say this: if you have never considered going on a trip, to dinner, a movie, whatever by yourself because its depressing, you'd be shocked how untrue that really is. If anything, its almost liberating. I say do it. You'll discover another side to yourself that you didn't realize was there.

"Your true traveller finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty- his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure." ~ Aldous Huxley

A Day for Me

A few years ago, as a way to handle work related stress and to give myself a chance to catch my breath, I started to take sanity days where I could do whatever I wanted.  Days when I would sleep in and focus on me, to rest.  Last year was a little different because of the job situation, but it taught me a lot.  That these days are what save my life, or should I say, my sanity.


There are days when I feel like I am being pulled in several directions, forcing me to try and be everything to everyone.  For anyone who knows how that can be know what I'm talking about.  Not wanting to say no, for fear of disappointing, taking on burdens.  Putting everyone before yourself, even when you're battling your own demons...  


It's absolutely exhausting!


Last week, I figured enough was enough.  Its time for me to make some time for myself for a day, so I took this past Monday off and spent the day in Grand Haven...by MYSELF!  Let me just say that it was perfect.   Yeah, the trip started with an insane thunderstorm that I would have considered to be awesome had I been at home, not on the expressway.  


Over two hours later, I found myself in a coffee shop that was a hot spot for older locals and while sipping on my vanilla latte, this came to me:

Taking a day for myself was the best thing I could have done. Walking through historic downtown grand haven right after a storm is perfect bc it matches the chaos in my head. No one is in a hurry and there are no strangers. A painter meets me at the door of an art gallery just before she urges me to check out her work, which is absolutely beautiful btw.  The overcast skies and the small town feel puts me at complete ease...knowing my car won't be ticketed helps too.

After spending three hours walking through the historic downtown and along the marina with my ipod going, I decided to end my day at one of the beach parks along Lake Michigan and, as usual, it was worth the trip.

And to think, Mom didn't think it would be a good
beach day after the storm that morning

As I drove back home, covered in sand, I don't think I could have been happier.  I had done something for myself and was completely relaxed.  Re-energized...


To someone who has never done anything by themselves, this trip would have been horrible, but for me, it was a reminder that I do need to take time for myself.  Someone I would consider a friend, despite my constant urge to knock some sense into them, said to me that if I want to keep from losing my mind, stressing about the wants and needs of the people around me, sanity days are crucial.  


I couldn't agree more...


Now that I know how relaxing that trip is, I may have to go back...this time with a notebook.

Don't compromise yourself.  You are all you've got. ~ Janis Joplin 

A Sucker for Bookstores

*I've been in a funk lately in terms of blogging and my own writing and maybe it's due to the 90 million things I have swirling through my head, but I think today or should I say yesterday's trip to the bookstore may have helped a little.*

“Old books exert a strange fascination for me -- their smell, their feel, their history; wondering who might have owned them, how they lived, what they felt.” 

― Lauren Willig

There is something about wandering through a used bookstore that just puts me at ease when my mind has spent so much time at full speed.  The more chaotic it is, the better.  


The smell that hits you the moment you walk in and its so different from that of a brand new bookstore, like Barnes and Nobles.  


Running your fingers across the spine of each book, making sure you don't miss one, as the music pours from the speakers in the ceiling or your earbuds, stirring up the dust along the way.  The creases and worn pages of each book telling its own story of how it got there.  


The almost sweet musky smell that hits your nose as you flip through a potential buy.


Its the feeling that as you wander through the store that you're the only one there....no pressure.  Its almost a safe haven... no judgement.


The guilt hits as I approach the cash register to pay for my finds, thinking that I should have bought that last book.  My consolation?  I'll just come back for it another time...

Heaven...

Crossing Over

There was a time when I would cringe as my parents played their favorite albums and think that my generations music was oh, so much better.  


That was then...


Since I have gotten older and my music tastes have matured a bit, I have gone back and added a few of their songs to my own playlist.  What can I say? Their generation of music was onto something.  That it's not the time, but the message in the music.


Over the last several years, I have gotten to the point where I want there to be a message or a story in the song... something that I or others could relate to.  Not the repetitive nonsense that many rappers or so called r&b artists go on and on about in their lyrics.  


I finally got a chance to listen to a few songs that Lionel Richie re-released on his Tuskegee album recently and fell in love!  He mixed classics such as Stuck on You, You Are and Deep River Woman with various country artists without messing them up, sounding amazing.  Leave it to Lionel to say screw the genre lines and do something totally different.  Because of his love for music, rather than caring about what people would think, this album has been accepted by many of his loyal followers as well country fans.  This man just proved that he can still put out a good album.


For now, I'll keep Stuck on You with Darius Rucker on repeat!


Have a great week!

Are We Regressing?

Earlier this evening, I was talking to a friend of mine who sent me a link for, what I initially thought was, a cool picture and a quick blurb telling what made the photographer post this.  


When I finished reading, I was seriously overwhelmed with emotion (and I know this post will not do it justice).  Sadness, anger and sickened.


The man in the photo was telling the woman that he would pay her to go out with him.  Honestly, what gives him that right? 


It is May 7, 2012 and women are still treated as objects to be possessed, rather than people.  That's what disturbs me the most.  It was a cruel reminder that this world has a long way to go in terms of the treatment of women and makes me sick. 


As I was talking about this with my friend, all I could think of was how this way of thinking was being passed down to the younger generation of males and society turns a blind eye to it.  A woman should not have to worry about having to deal with this when they step outside their home.  


As a young woman and an older sister to two younger women, it disgusts me that this is going on.  It shouldn't be allowed and hurts my heart.  This is an issue that only gets worse each passing day and that shouldn't be the case.  Women are not to be bought like an object on a shelf!


Men....


No....


The world needs to remember that!


Ladies, Queens, Sisters, stay strong! 

Metta World Peace...

As a Detroit Pistons fan, it is ingrained in me to HATE Ron Artest aka Metta World Peace because of the Pistons-Pacers 2004 brawl at the Palace.  Even more so now that he plays for the LA Lakers.


Today, I can't help but want to switch sides and defend him like a Lakers fan. As I sat down to finish watching the end of the first half of the Lakers-Thunder game with the siblings. The first thing that I saw was a replay of Metta World Peace celebrating a huge play. In the process, he elbowed a player from the other team in the head.




The referee's hit him with a flagrant foul 2 and had him ejected. With that type of foul, not only is the player ejected, they are suspended.


Was the call too harsh?  Absolutely!  I say this mainly because it was unintentional.


Ron Artest has the worst history of anger issues and I can't help but wonder this: How long should we hold this against him if he is trying to change his image?


Had this been anyone else, they would have been hit with a technical foul and the game would have continued.


Ron Artest is pure muscle and is an extremely emotional player, so much so that he has gotten professional help. When you have a strong man like that all riled up, things are going to happen. Do I think he was at fault? Not completely.


As much as I HATE the Lakers, I actually feel sorry for them because he really is a talented player.  Yes, it sucks that the other player may have been hurt, but the league may have come down a little too hard on Metta. My brother, who is sadly an LA Lakers fan, and I were talking about the foul and he brought up a fair point. Ron Artest, body and physical style of play, is in the wrong playing era. This man should have played during the 70's to the very early 90's when the refs would just let the teams play without calling could every few seconds.


What do you think?

April Thoughts

It seems like just yesterday Michigan was going through that awesomely crazy heat wave. Now I'm back to wearing my coat, hoping like hell that this all just a bad dream.

Wishful thinking right?

Maybe...

So here is what's been swirling around this head of mine.

- The book that I submitted back in September was rejected last month and for some reason, I'm not disappointed at all. So what I'm going to do is take out the unnecessary chunks and turn it into a novella. More on this later.

- I survived another calm holiday. Holidays just aren't the same without the chaos of a big family.

- My sisters are now 21 and 18? Good lord, where did the time go?! Then they are both about to graduate. Insaneness!

- During my time off from writing, I swear my characters are constantly on my mind. I'm still trying to figure out what Devyn looks like in my head and everything I do, I wonder how she and Miles would act in that situation. I'm thinking that I need to get back to writing.

- I found another recipe to try and am now hooked. It's pasta with spinach and cherry tomatoes with chicken sausage. It's pretty basic, but healthy. (Look mom, I do eat veggies!) I added the chicken sausage just to try it and am now in love with it. Would I recommend it? Most definitely!

My Words

**I feel as though I have completely failed in terms of this blog, the one place that my words may not be twisted to fit the needs and wants of others.  As I was going through the list of unpublished posts, I ran across this one that I had started in August, but must have lost the nerve to finish.  Not entirely sure why, since it tells a lot about who I am as a person and what, or should I say who, has helped shape me.**


Today, I was thinking about the people that I voluntarily or involuntarily keep around me and how they have managed to help shape my life for me to be the person that I am today.  The people who force me to answer the tough questions when I don't want to.  The ones who tell me to take a chance and if I fail, to get back up and try it again.  Those just passing through or keep showing up no matter how many times you have told them to take a hike.  Or those who have walked beside me through thick and thin.  Those who I have known all my life, a few years or a few months.  Each person has challenged me in ways that another person may not and maybe that's the point. 


As I get ready to enter a new year next week, I can't help but think about how they have all influenced or forced me to step outside the box.  Believe me, that's not always an easy thing to do.  Whether it be food, my slight irritation with people who seem to lack common sense when in a public place, change or whatever. 


Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra said "Tell me what company you keep and I'll tell you what you are."  


I have found that most of the people that I have around me are people that are like me and in the end, force me to be a better person.  How did I get so lucky?

Realistically Unrealistic

Last Saturday, I decided to go see Tyler Perry's new movie called Good Deeds, which was decent.  Decent because there was a point to the story: Don't live for others or base your life on what they think.  Do what makes you happy and live for yourself.

Wesley Deeds, Tyler Perry's character, was the oldest and considered to be the good son by his parents and peers.  He was engaged to a somewhat selfish real estate agent, who was more about herself and keeping up this image.  He gave up his dream when his father groomed and had him take over the family's multi million dollar software company since no one thought his younger brother Walt, played by Brian White, could handle the responsibility.  (Let me just say that Walt was an ass and Brian White played him oh, so well!)  His mother, played by Phylicia Rashad, had high expectations for Wesley....marriage, kids, career. 

The movie isn't bad...predictable like most of his movies.  Its not believable because as someone who kind of keeps up with the celebrities, we know Tyler Perry is not attracted to women so it was easy to tell that the heated scenes with Gabrielle Union and Thandie Newton were practically forced.

What caught and kept my attention throughout the movie were the expectations Wesley faced from everyone around him.  He couldn't say no to his mother because she expected him to be successful, he was his brother's keeper and with his fiance, he is just a safe bet due to his predictability. 

I understand the thought of not wanting to say no so that other people won't get upset or feel as though you have to be that dependable person since no one else will.  Its the parents or other family members, friends that are much like Phylicia Rashad's character who don't see that they are forcing that one person or persons to live up to these high expectations.  Its when the person has taken on such a burden that they snap and walk awat that they realize one of two things:

1. Maybe we should back off and let them live their lives
2. That person is just rebelling...they'll come back

As always, Tyler Perry reminds us that we as people, not just the African American community, need to remember to think about ourselves.  That everyone else will come around eventually and if they don't, oh well!  They weren't that important anyways. 

I will leave with the words of Raymond Hull:

He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.

Sunday Evening Thoughts...

I'm sitting here thinking about the last few days with mixed emotions, but I'll only write about the good.

• Yesterday, I spent a day only doing what I wanted.  Woke up late, watched TV, went to see a movie that in some ways spoke to me, despite how predicable and unrealistic it was, and ended the night with take out and a bottle of wine. It couldn't have been any better!
• Spent today with my family as we celebrated my sister's 21st birthday. It still amazes me how fast the time has gone.  It seems like just yesterday my brother and I were fighting over whether she would be a boy or girl.

• I opened my mailbox and found a package with this inside!  (Courtesy of KT Mac!  You are awesome, dear friend!)  Definitely a great way to end the weekend! 

My hope for this week is to get back into my writing, since I have taken an unplanned break.  (Please don't ask why, because I don't even know why!)

Have a great week! 

Where is the Progress?

Yesterday, a friend of mine who sometimes starts the day with an article that often times forces me to think. This article, though, stopped me in my tracks for several reasons. An African American, eighth grade girl from Rochester, NY wrote a paper on Frederick Douglass' The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass for a class and contest. Much to the teacher's surprise, the teen did more than write her opinion to this complex read. She compared it to the educational system and pointed out their failures. She wrote it in a way that the teacher saw this to be an attack on whites, or white teachers. She argued that this was not the case. She was more or less writing as Douglass had in his book.


Long story short, the teen was harassed by teachers, threatened with suspension and other punishments for this paper. Her mother ended up pulling her out of school and is in the process of moving to a new district. She would later win an award for this insightful paper by the Frederick Douglass Foundation of New York and recognized by the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, a member of President Obama's Cabinet.


While I was researching this incident, I found a copy of her essay and it blew me away. Yes, there are mistakes that one would expect from someone her age, but reading what she got from it and how she was able to relate it to today's education was brilliant!


There are a few reasons why this bothered me.

1. This happened in Rochester, NY. Years ago, I went to a couple of the schools in that area. This may seem trivial, but whatever.
2. The pettiness of those teachers took away the love of education from a young teen. Something that should never happen. What gives them that right to tell a child that they can't voice their opinion in their writing when its a constitutional right?
3. She was 13 years old and it was not intended to be a racial issue. If any of those teachers had read this book, they would see that that is how Douglass wrote and the teen was just following his lead.

A fact that I ran across while I was reading this article was this:

"Given that only 19 percent of School #3's eighth graders were proficient in language arts last year (and just 13 percent in math)—well below the state average of 60 percent—it's clear that the school and its teachers need to change their approach."

I'm not a parent, but if I were, there is no way in hell I would send my child to a school with those scores.


Who would have ever thought that this 13 year old could cause such an uproar?

Maybe Change Would Be A Good Idea

Over the past two weeks, I've talked to two of my closest friends who know me better than almost anyone.  Sometimes even better than myself.  Friends that I often feel blessed to have because they are often the ones to push me out of my comfort zone.  


In the last month or so, I've gotten to the point where my job may not be the best place for me.  That I am, more or less, paying work there and that's kind of defeating the purpose.  So, one night, I spoke to my parents and suggested that maybe it would be a good time to maybe look for a new job and really focus on my writing...like looking into the new publishing program that Amazon now has. Shockingly, they were insanely supportive, throwing me off guard.  It made me realize that maybe I had underestimated their feelings toward my desire to write.  What an amazing feeling!


Back to my point...


Last week, I had a chance to have lunch with Amy and her little one and I brought this up.  Not only did she agree with me on my decision to move on from this job, but also really consider a change of scenery, which has been an idea that I have been toying with for the past few years.  When I came back from lunch and talked to Katie, another of my closest friends, she agreed wholeheartedly.  


Being a few hundred miles apart, they still managed to tell me the same thing.  If I could step out of my comfort zone in little ways, why not finish the year off with a new job in a new city and state, living for me?  


How is it that the next day, my brother and I were having the same conversation?  He had been feeling like now was the best time to change things up and really branch out on his own.  Coming from a strong and supportive family, we both have realized that if we are to stand on our own two feet, that it was time to leave. Even if it means moving in the opposite directions.


How is that something as minor as a single conversation becomes something so drastic and exciting?  Something as big as possibly leaving everything that I have ever known for a city that I have only been to for days at a time.  


So, here's my idea:
By the end of August, I want to out of Lansing and into an apartment with a new job in the Chicago area.


Am I terrified of this big leap?  Hell yes, but that means that you're about to do something great.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

– Victor Frankl

Have a great weekend!  

Hmmm...

It has been a while since I've written anything here...


And even longer since I have written about my latest food attempt.


Since the last time I've been here, my two favorite characters have not let me forget that they have made a home in my heart and mind.  I'm either thinking about how to make my second book better or how to humanize them even more.  Or is that even possible? 


Tonight, I decided to try making a spinach lasagna with a cream sauce.  On and off for the past few months, I have been craving it.  As usual, I cheated a little when I used carrot matchsticks instead of shredded.  Then accidentally forgot a layer of lasagna noodles.  All in all though?  It turned out great and I'll be making this again.


Now to finish the week!

Tyranny is No Match for Liberty

As I watched the President Obama's State of the Union Speech tonight, I kept getting chills for several reasons.  I mean, the speech was amazing.  The entire speech seemed as though he was talking to the public, the common people who are now thinking about whether or not he is still serious about the job.  From what I saw and heard, he is.  He wants to hold the banks and lenders responsible for their actions, hold the auto industry to a higher standard since the bailout years ago and remind the American people as well as the rest of the world that this country is still strong.  


I love that he touched on a lot of the major issues that are and will probably always be on the minds of the American people.  Education, jobs, JOBS, government spending, Jobs and energy.  He wants it to be mandatory for students to remain in school until they graduate or reach 18, for teachers to be rewarded for their work, for universities to be held accountable for their raising tuition rates that are making it hard for students to continue their education.  For community colleges to be in a better position to train and educate people as they retrain for new careers.  Each point would lead into the job market and growth.  Keeping jobs in the States and rewarding companies who bring jobs back or to the States.  


How energy needs to be another big concern...


Now that this "war on terrorism" is over, let's spend that money on repaying the debt... That would be nice.  Maybe when that's done, it could free up funds for research for alternative energy sources, education and other possibilities.


I loved that he called out everyone...not just Republicans or Democrats, but everyone.  Even people on his team.  In order to do what needs to be done, the party lines need to be forgotten.  He told the Republicans that they may not like what he's doing and that he could still get the job done.  That it would just be easier with their help.  In layman terms, "I really don't need you."  (ha!) 


One of my favorite lines was said towards the end when he says, "No one built this country on their own.  This Nation is great because we built it together."


Were there flaws in his speech?  Probably, but he answered the People's many questions.  Yeah, he pointed fingers, but he also made it a point to include himself in that as well as suggest possible solutions.


This country still has a long way to go, but maybe, just maybe, he could be the right person to get us there.

Even the Little People Matter...

I tend to forget the different opinions of the President.  Maybe its because most of the friends and family are like me and see him as a breath of fresh air since he is so normal, I guess.  Some people don't and that's okay.  That's how this country was founded and I love that.  I was reminded of what made me a fan when I saw this picture.  I think you'll agree no matter your political views.

Have a great weekend!

First Weekend Thoughts of 2012

As the first week of 2012 comes to a close, I finally got a chance to think about my goals, not resolutions, for 2012.  There are a few things that I would really love to do that I have more or less slacked on in the past.

• Put myself first and consider re-evaluating my list of "friends".  If that means making cuts, then so be it.  I just don't understand why I should be the one putting in the effort to hold the so called friendship together when they aren't.  Also, knowing when to say no to obligations when I'm not feeling 100% with my friends and family or need some 'me time'.
• I said this last year, but I need to put more effort into my writing and so far, I feel that I have.  Right now, I am sitting on 2 books, a short story and a desire to do what needs to be done.  I feel like if a former coworker can write a book and have it published, so can I!  Once this is done, I feel like MAYBE the people closest to me will take my love for writing a little more seriously.  (You know who you are.)  
• Become the person that the people that I care about can be proud of.  Last year, my moods were all over the place.  I think part of it was because for a third of last year was so unstable and for the rest of year, I didn't know where I stood with with the people around me.

So far, I have gotten my second book where I want it and am not patiently waiting to hear back about my first book.  (I gotta admit, I wish I had been able to submit the second book. I liked the first book, but love the second.)  I've rewritten the ending and am still pacing back and forth about whether or not I should keep it.  KT Mac probably thinks I'm crazy with my rambling emails, but that's okay! 

I'm sure you're thinking that I'm being selfish with my goals, but I feel like its necessary.  I love the people that I have around me, but I feel like if I'm going to stay sane and achieve my goals, it has to happen and will later benefit the people around me.

To 2012:  

BRING IT!

Last thoughts of 2011...

As I was waking up this morning, thinking about the events of last night, it finally hit me that after tonight, this year is over.  That we will be welcoming 2012.  Maybe it's just me, but that's kind of crazy.  


Anyway, I got to thinking about how this year changed my perspective on life and the world around me.  

• A year ago, I was mourning the loss of a great job and would soon find out what it meant to unemployed.  How my amazing family and friends refused to let me get discouraged when I thought that I would never find a job.  I have an even deeper love and appreciation for each and every one of them.
• How, in those four and half months, I was able to finish writing the first draft of my second book.  (And haven't stopped writing.)
• After saying over and over that I would never work for a government entity again, but did when I got a job with Meridian Township and somehow finding a new quirky work "family".  
• Being able to go on two trips when many people couldn't afford to take one.
• Being healthy

As we welcome in the new year, don't forget about all the lessons, rises and falls of 2011 and remember how those moments have changed your life for the better.  

Carrying with you the good....

As I get ready for my day, I leave you with the words of William Arthur Ward:  

Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!

Remember This Everyday...

I had to borrow this from my sister's page...Thanks, Hill!

An Honest Moment

***Look, I am going to be so honest right now.  A tad bit more than I ever have and if you're not ready for it, then keep on moving.  If not, keep reading.***

On my first Friday night at home in a while, I got a chance to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, one of those shows that requires a box of Kleenex to get through it.  Each episode tells a family's story and sometimes, it's one that anyone can relate to.  Tonight's episode was one of those.  This episode was one where a young boy committed suicide after being pushed over the edge by bullying.  He was 11 years old...his life hadn't even started.


Instead of focusing solely on the lose of her son, his mother has traveled all over Massachusetts and to Washington DC to fight against bullying.  Her oldest daughter is following in her footsteps, even as she starts her freshman year of college.  Her sister battles depression from losing her nephew.  I can't even imagine how they feel or what they're going through, but I spent the entire episode in tears.




Everyone that was on the show had been bullied at one point or another and I'm pretty sure you were.  


I was.  

The guests on this show included the Kardashian Sisters and Demi Lovato, a newer artist.  Khloe tells the family that because she looked different, thicker and taller than her sisters, she was bullied while she was growing up.  The sisters took the college freshman on a shopping spree...yeah, it was Sears, but it was the idea that they took care of her.  Then they helped the show organize an event with Demi, who was also bullied, to promote anti-bullying.


I'm not going to lie and say that it didn't help shape me into becoming the person that I am, because it did.  All for not being in the popular crowd and for being quiet or looking like everyone else.  Unlike this poor child, I didn't give up and I'm fairly certain had they known, that my family and friends wouldn't have let me give up.  


My point??


Bullying is a real problem....a deadly problem that is affecting the children around us.  What's ridiculous is that it's usually over something as minor as looks, race, opinions, jealousy, anything.  So let's think about how this affected us at one time and consider joining the fight against bullying.  


I leave you with these words: 

Some people won't be happy until they've pushed you to the ground. What you have to do is have the courage to stand your ground and not give them the time of day. Hold on to your power and never give it away.”
― Donna Schoenrock

Thursday Thought

"Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together. 

~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

As I was leaving Beaners, or should I say, Bigby, earlier this evening, an older woman who was with her daughter made it a point to hold the door open for me.  Something as simple as this stuck with me for one simple reason.  Not because some people are just like that, which I can understand, but because of the season we have officially entered into.  Twenty days from now is Christmas. 


I'm sure you're thinking "And....you're point being?"


I'm getting there.


This is the time of year when people are a little more patient with perfect strangers.  It's the little things like holding the door open, that smile or nod hello, being a little extra generous with our change when we see the bell ringers outside of the stores.  The list goes on, but I think you get my point.  I have always wondered why we do this as adults.  Is it because deep down inside, there is still a part of us that feels that maybe one of those deeds will make you look better in the eyes of others, like we did as children when we believed Santa was watching to make sure we were good.  That the better we were, the better our gifts.  In a way, it would make sense.


Or could it be that this is how we would like to be the other eleven months out of the year and that it is just a little more convenient or accepted during this time of year?  


Regardless of the reason, I wish that this attitude would continue all 365 days of the year, rather than just the month of December.