Well, you know . . . . .
(sorry, I couldn't resist)
We all know that they're tough to keep, but here are a few of mine:
(1) I will try to do for others "just because," and not because I expect something in return.
(2) I will try to concentrate on others' positive attributes, and not look for reasons to criticize and malign.
(3) I will try to organize the world and the space around me to accommodate my priorities, and not complaint about a supposedly insurmountable pile of obligations.
(4) I will try to be quick with my humor and my smarts, and not with my temper and my fault-finding.
(5) I will try to create a diet that fits my tastes, my time, and my running endeavors, and not complain that none of my jeans fit because I just "had" to have an extra dessert and couldn't say no.
(6) I will try to focus on this blog I've created for the good it can do, and not give it up because someone decided to tell me that "nobody makes money from these things," and that the source of their knowledge is that "everybody knows that."
(7) I will try to research the ways that my wife and I can acquire wealth, legally and substantially, by our own talents and work ethic, and not merely "scrimp and save."
(8) I will try to accept criticism and graciously, with the wisdom to know the difference between criticism and bullying, and not look to attack anyone who says something that is not sugar-coated and wonderful.
(9) I will try to find the time to everything for my marriage, my job, and my extended family, and not say later that I did not have the time.
(10) I will try to respect everyone, regardless of whether they think or act like me, and not merely condemn and reject those who don't as "annoying" or "weird."
I say try because I'm only human -- I can't guarantee that I will stick with all of these in 2011, but I sure would like to aspire to them.
Anyone else got some resolutions to share? Feel free to place them directly below.
A Happy and Healthy New Year 2011 to all! :)
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
A White X-Mas!
Yes people, we're now in the midst of the Blizzard of 2010. Here in the NYC area, we're getting POUNDED! And on the Jersey City side of the river, the wind gusts we get off the Hudson River is blowing the snow sideways! I can only imagine how my friends in my native heath of Nassau County, Long Island, are dealing -- I just hope everyone is indoors, safe and sound!
So sad, really. When I was a kid, I would clamor for snow days, as they were so few and far between. I can remember in particular a blizzard that happened when I was in 10th Grade, in the 1987-88 school year. Every SINGLE school district on Long Island closed their schools, but NOT beautiful downtown Baldwin! I remember looking longingly at the high snow drifts outside the window in Ms. Siani's biology class.
(um, Dave, you just admitted you weren't paying attention in class -- Ah, so what, I got a great grade on the Regents anyway!)
Nowadays, as an adult, we dread the snow. Since I'm currently using all my vacation days now in December, since I can't recycle them in 2011, I certainly don't have the chutzpah to wish for a snow day now. Moreover, the managing partner at our firm has repeatedly indicated in mass e-mails that he would never close the firm in situations like this, because these storms tend to pass, or not even happen, when the business week begins. I'm just glad that I have no court appearances tomorrow, and that it's dress-down for the rest of the year (week).
Which means I need to pose a question to you, my faithful readers. My dear wife thinks that it's a good idea for employees with paid vacation time to deliberately take less than the alotted vacation days, otherwise the employer will think the employee is lazy or unmotivated. I think the employee should take them all or most of them, or risk burnout. After all, if it's being offered, take it! Am I right, or is the lady?
COMMENT, as Lionel says, as you see fit.
So sad, really. When I was a kid, I would clamor for snow days, as they were so few and far between. I can remember in particular a blizzard that happened when I was in 10th Grade, in the 1987-88 school year. Every SINGLE school district on Long Island closed their schools, but NOT beautiful downtown Baldwin! I remember looking longingly at the high snow drifts outside the window in Ms. Siani's biology class.
(um, Dave, you just admitted you weren't paying attention in class -- Ah, so what, I got a great grade on the Regents anyway!)
Nowadays, as an adult, we dread the snow. Since I'm currently using all my vacation days now in December, since I can't recycle them in 2011, I certainly don't have the chutzpah to wish for a snow day now. Moreover, the managing partner at our firm has repeatedly indicated in mass e-mails that he would never close the firm in situations like this, because these storms tend to pass, or not even happen, when the business week begins. I'm just glad that I have no court appearances tomorrow, and that it's dress-down for the rest of the year (week).
Which means I need to pose a question to you, my faithful readers. My dear wife thinks that it's a good idea for employees with paid vacation time to deliberately take less than the alotted vacation days, otherwise the employer will think the employee is lazy or unmotivated. I think the employee should take them all or most of them, or risk burnout. After all, if it's being offered, take it! Am I right, or is the lady?
COMMENT, as Lionel says, as you see fit.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Yet Another Rebirth!
Yes people, Xmas 2010 has arrived, as the tail end of yet another year of life! I'm happy to take a little trip out to Long Island to see my godson's family & share the holiday with everyone.
Interesting note I didn't put in the last entry about my godson -- the fact that I happen to be Jewish, but was given the honor of being named his godfather according to the customs of the Presbyterian Church. When his parents gave me this honor, I thought to myself briefly, "Is this OK? Am I abandoning something that's part of me? Am I flying the flag of a foreign nation? Is something not right about this?"
I answered myself, NO. This baby's christening is not about me. That day is HIS day, and not mine. It is he who is being baptized in the faith his parents chose, and I'm just agreeing to lend some long-range moral support. And so I did lend it -- at the church, I can remember bellowing my part of he ceremony, so they could hear me in the rear pews, "I WILL, WITH G-D'S HELP!"
(those of you who were at my wedding would witness my continuination of the tradition of bellowing at the altar, when I said "I DO!" and followed up with passionate exhortations of the Hebrew vows.)
And so it goes with tonight's holiday. Growing up as the sole Jewish family on a quiet street in Baldwin, our parents had us share Xmas and Chanukah with neighbors and friends. This year, Chanukah did not directly conicide with Xmas, but the feelings of that holiday extend to all Americans, regardless of faith or stripe. I'm going to play with a bunch of kids who've always made me happy, make them laugh, and remind them that this is a fun, magical time of year!
Down the road, I hope to do what other godparents do -- try to remind him to stay on the straight and narrow. Right now, he's only three, so the only morality he needs to understand is to not fight with his older brother too much. As time goes on, I'll send him a Bible, and sit him down to talk about basic decency & respect. This may be as simple as telling him not to do something just because all the stupid kids at school are doing it, or reminding him that Mom & Dad are not out to get him. Or maybe just lending an ear if he's really got some issues that he doesn't want to tell anyone else. We shall see . . . .
Anyway, I want to plug a common-sense self-help blog that a really admire. Go to howtogetagrip.com, and you'll be astounded! This guy has the best way of saying things, and it's something many of us forget. Definitely check him out, and tell him I sent you!
In the meantime, next week I'll blog about New Year's Resolutions -- the ones I want to keep, and the ones we all should!
Peace on Earth, and Goodwill Towards Men!
Interesting note I didn't put in the last entry about my godson -- the fact that I happen to be Jewish, but was given the honor of being named his godfather according to the customs of the Presbyterian Church. When his parents gave me this honor, I thought to myself briefly, "Is this OK? Am I abandoning something that's part of me? Am I flying the flag of a foreign nation? Is something not right about this?"
I answered myself, NO. This baby's christening is not about me. That day is HIS day, and not mine. It is he who is being baptized in the faith his parents chose, and I'm just agreeing to lend some long-range moral support. And so I did lend it -- at the church, I can remember bellowing my part of he ceremony, so they could hear me in the rear pews, "I WILL, WITH G-D'S HELP!"
(those of you who were at my wedding would witness my continuination of the tradition of bellowing at the altar, when I said "I DO!" and followed up with passionate exhortations of the Hebrew vows.)
And so it goes with tonight's holiday. Growing up as the sole Jewish family on a quiet street in Baldwin, our parents had us share Xmas and Chanukah with neighbors and friends. This year, Chanukah did not directly conicide with Xmas, but the feelings of that holiday extend to all Americans, regardless of faith or stripe. I'm going to play with a bunch of kids who've always made me happy, make them laugh, and remind them that this is a fun, magical time of year!
Down the road, I hope to do what other godparents do -- try to remind him to stay on the straight and narrow. Right now, he's only three, so the only morality he needs to understand is to not fight with his older brother too much. As time goes on, I'll send him a Bible, and sit him down to talk about basic decency & respect. This may be as simple as telling him not to do something just because all the stupid kids at school are doing it, or reminding him that Mom & Dad are not out to get him. Or maybe just lending an ear if he's really got some issues that he doesn't want to tell anyone else. We shall see . . . .
Anyway, I want to plug a common-sense self-help blog that a really admire. Go to howtogetagrip.com, and you'll be astounded! This guy has the best way of saying things, and it's something many of us forget. Definitely check him out, and tell him I sent you!
In the meantime, next week I'll blog about New Year's Resolutions -- the ones I want to keep, and the ones we all should!
Peace on Earth, and Goodwill Towards Men!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
My Godson
The next step for the Lady and I will be bringing children into the world. However, we both need to wait some time to have them. My schedule has me working in the office about 12 hours a day every day, since I have to handle and manage all of the cases we have for one particular client. Her schedule has her all over, working 24/7. We need time and room to bring little ones into our lives.
So where can I go to fulfill my paternal impulses and aching need to act silly and goofy? To my godson's house, of course! Those of you who saw my profile on MySpace and Facebook may remember a shot of me carrying a baby -- well, that was him! Now Reigny's 3 years old and he's tons of fun!
First of all, anytime you have a chance to play with a 3-year-old kid who has a mohawk, you know it's gonna be a good time! Now that he's developed a definite personality, and is able to wrestle with his older brother (despite what he gives up in age and size), it's even better! I can teach him to sing the "I'm sorry" song, so he can always get out of trouble with Mom ("I'm sorry, so sorry, please accept my apologies"), and he repeats everything I tell him!
He even outsmarted me! He kept pointing towards the top of the entertainment center his folks have in the living room, saying he wanted "paper" to draw on. So I look through all of these boxes and containers up there, can't see any paper anywhere! After a while, his Aunt Korri starts cracking up and tells me, "He's trying to play you soooo bad! Those are all the toys that are banned in this house!" Oh well, that's part of my role here as the godfather/unofficial uncle/friendly grown-up -- because I don't make the rules, and I'm not the parent, I can let them "play" me a little bit.
Just makes me wonder what I should do when I am the parent. I want to be someone they'd love and respect, but it's not easy for me to be the bad guy. I still hear plenty of yelling and screaming at that ranch -- it has to be done because kids that young have to be taught right and wrong with some harshness and some discipline. I just don't want to go overboard. A traumatized and emotionally wounded child is a high price to pay to be "in charge" and "in control."
Probably something to look at another day -- but I would like to have one or two little folk while my parents are still alive and can be grandparents. We shall see . . . . .
So where can I go to fulfill my paternal impulses and aching need to act silly and goofy? To my godson's house, of course! Those of you who saw my profile on MySpace and Facebook may remember a shot of me carrying a baby -- well, that was him! Now Reigny's 3 years old and he's tons of fun!
First of all, anytime you have a chance to play with a 3-year-old kid who has a mohawk, you know it's gonna be a good time! Now that he's developed a definite personality, and is able to wrestle with his older brother (despite what he gives up in age and size), it's even better! I can teach him to sing the "I'm sorry" song, so he can always get out of trouble with Mom ("I'm sorry, so sorry, please accept my apologies"), and he repeats everything I tell him!
He even outsmarted me! He kept pointing towards the top of the entertainment center his folks have in the living room, saying he wanted "paper" to draw on. So I look through all of these boxes and containers up there, can't see any paper anywhere! After a while, his Aunt Korri starts cracking up and tells me, "He's trying to play you soooo bad! Those are all the toys that are banned in this house!" Oh well, that's part of my role here as the godfather/unofficial uncle/friendly grown-up -- because I don't make the rules, and I'm not the parent, I can let them "play" me a little bit.
Just makes me wonder what I should do when I am the parent. I want to be someone they'd love and respect, but it's not easy for me to be the bad guy. I still hear plenty of yelling and screaming at that ranch -- it has to be done because kids that young have to be taught right and wrong with some harshness and some discipline. I just don't want to go overboard. A traumatized and emotionally wounded child is a high price to pay to be "in charge" and "in control."
Probably something to look at another day -- but I would like to have one or two little folk while my parents are still alive and can be grandparents. We shall see . . . . .
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