5 pieces of advice to the world

[monarch64]

Oh, Nicrez, you have brought back such wonderful memories for me with your latest post!!! I, too, was on my mother''s last nerve with staying up too late reading every last thing I could get my hands on, only she had encouraged my patronage of our local library from the time I was very little so I always had lots of material. In fact there was a 10 book check-out limit at our library and my mother and I used to check out a fair amount over that and absolutely get away with it due to knowing most of the librarians so well (small town thing, lol!) I was a total bookworm, and still am.

My mother is so the letter-writer...I still receive a weekly card or letter written in her beautiful penmanship to this day. She sometimes emails back and forth with a couple of my best girlfriends who''ve gotten to know her since i was in college and they always comment on her writing style, she has a knack for evoking nostalgia and romance with her prose. I tend to roll my eyes at it, but that''s only because she''s my mother and I grew up with her "dramaticism." She was also an actress in her youth and a pageant participant and at present still a public speaker, boy she leaves a huge shoe to fill! Back to my original point, she loves hand-writing letter still and I am always on the lookout for nice stationery to send her. in fact, thank you for giving me a great idea for a Mother''s Day gift, I think I will visit the Crane store here and get her something special. Letter-writing is such an art and emailing and all the other forms of electronic communication these days leave something to be desired for anyone who can appreciate a piece of mail which isn''t a bill, addressed in a loved one''s handwriting which begs to be opened at once and savored for a few indulgent minutes at the end of a stressful workday!!!

how interesting to know your grandfather was published in 5 languages and his library sounds exquisite, did you inherit any of that? Books, I mean...oh, it is getting late and I have to work tomorrow, I will definitely check back on this thread, I am so interested to hear more wisdom and more of your input as well!

 

[diamondfan]

Monnie, I was an under the cover flashlight book devourer, I am sure this does not help my insomnia!

I also love love love to write nice note to people, I think it is so nice to get a lovely written note and my mom taught me that as well. I wish my kids would love reading as I do. My youngest adores to be read to and middle devours books too, my oldest is rebelling a bit but I think he is coming around!

Another piece of advice?

I do not believe in boredom. There is so much out there to do, and one can always improve oneself. Pick uup a book, take a lovely walk...enjoy the solitude...we cannot always be entertained and occupied in life. Loving to read is a gift you will always use.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 4/25/2007 2:13:05 AM
Author: diamondfan
Monnie, I was an under the cover flashlight book devourer, I am sure this does not help my insomnia!

I also love love love to write nice note to people, I think it is so nice to get a lovely written note and my mom taught me that as well. I wish my kids would love reading as I do. My youngest adores to be read to and middle devours books too, my oldest is rebelling a bit but I think he is coming around!

Another piece of advice?

I do not believe in boredom. There is so much out there to do, and one can always improve oneself. Pick uup a book, take a lovely walk...enjoy the solitude...we cannot always be entertained and occupied in life. Loving to read is a gift you will always use.

Ha ha, DF, no wonder we''re insomniacs!!! My mother also taught me the etiquette and courtesy of writing a greeting or thank-you note, so glad that has stuck with me to this day...at Christmas this year my dad was absolutely ELATED to tell me his cousin Scott told him we were the first he''d received a Christmas card from, and I have friends who never write thank you''s who always comment on my prompt correspondence whether it be to thank them for a birthday gift or their presence at a party. I certainly don''t want to pressure others, but do have some female friends who are a couple years younger who didn''t have mothers who were quite so diligent as mine in instilling that particular habit, and they are the ones who always say to me, "thanks, I will make sure and send out my TY notes ASAP!" It''s funny, and sweet to know I''m keeping my mother''s dream alive in a way, lol!

Oh, and getting boys to read is tough! DH is much like my father (and Nicrez'' father for that matter)in that he and my dad only like to read magazines/journals/stock reports instead of novels or non-fiction. DH will read maybe one entire book per year over 40-50 flights, ha ha. I could name every book he''s read in the 6 years I''ve known him and they would total every digit on one of my hands, and he probably doesn''t remember reading any of them. But if you ask him what his favorite book is, he will say Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls every time. 4th grade, go figure. My brother became more interested in reading after my mother read us J.R.R. Tolkien and The Neverending Story and other action sort of books...maybe those are something your sons would enjoy as well, although I''m sure you''ve already tried those! I think they just have to figure it out on their own, my brother is not an avid reader, but when moved to, he will "devour" as you say, a book within one evening. My mother''s always refused to believe he''s anything but gifted, but has mentioned to me before that she fears he might have Asburger''s or ADD or something. Who knows, he is doing great now at 33, married to a great gal who is my age (29) and they have made a very good and prosperous life together.

Ahh, anyway, I am off to bed, DH is OOT for the next few days and I have the dogs to take care of in the morning before work...

 

[bujiatang]

- Keep track of your passport and keep it current.

- Saying the same thing rephrased can sometimes oil gears for getting what you want.

- Cater to your audience, keeping in mind sometimes the person you are talking to isn''t the person in front of you.

- Always keep something up your sleeve. Spontinaity can be engineered in the delivery and people like happy surprises.

- If you ask a question, know an answer.

My aunt Virginia passed away many years ago now, but she always had her passport on her. She loved to travel, and if she got a chance to travel on the cheap, she always would jump on it. My wife had her passport stolen in Italy. And I have had a current passport since I was 10. Keep it current so you can travel when the opportunity arises, keep it close so someone else can''t take that right away from you. But perhaps this goes beyond Indentity cards, maybe being on top of paperwork will help for lots of things. When my Inlaws in Montana were selling a rental property, they noticed the buyer had not been paying property taxes and the deed was almost put to public auction. Better= Watch your interests.

It sounds pedantic, but words have connotative and denotative meaning, by just saying something in a different way the person you are talking to might be impressed to follow your direction.

I am firmly of the opinion that any speaking in a public place is public speaking. So every time someone is in earshot they are also responding to what you say. If you''ve ever worked the complaint department you know the line can turn against you or become very sympathetic.

I like to have 3-5 things to talk about, either from the paper or whatever; a cool plan on a back burner; or some evasive/defensive move planned. Just because I play it off as just occuring doesn''t mean I didn''t expect it.

An answer doesn''t mean anything if you are in complete dispair of a topic (I use despair the way Kierkegaard did, tabla rassa). You can also test the other''s answer against your own and maybe have an options analysis.

I don''t like draconian advice like "carry a toothbrush" becasue it is too specific to be widely useful; but, something like the boyscout''s "Be Prepared" is so oblique to be helpful. I suck at advice. Avoid shellfish in land locked cities and know where your towel is.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/25/2007 2:13:05 AM
Author: diamondfan
Monnie, I was an under the cover flashlight book devourer, I am sure this does not help my insomnia!

I also love love love to write nice note to people, I think it is so nice to get a lovely written note and my mom taught me that as well. I wish my kids would love reading as I do. My youngest adores to be read to and middle devours books too, my oldest is rebelling a bit but I think he is coming around!

Another piece of advice?

I do not believe in boredom. There is so much out there to do, and one can always improve oneself. Pick uup a book, take a lovely walk...enjoy the solitude...we cannot always be entertained and occupied in life. Loving to read is a gift you will always use.

Lots of great ideas and advice from everyone, this really strikes a chord with me.