If I Had to Teach the Alphabet

I was laying in bed night before last wondering what I'd write about this week.  Unlike some, I allow my mind to wander to strange places.  I just make sure I give it a slice of bread so it can make a bread crumb trail to find it's way back.  Like a lost dog, it always seems to know the way home.  Here's what it found this week:

A - A is not for apple; you'll probably end up choosing the Doritos anyway.  A is for attitude.  Bad things happen in this life; in many ways it is not fair.  How you let it affect you is up to you.  If you have the right attitude, then things will always fall into the proper perspective.  If you have a bad attitude, then life's burdens will magnify exponentially.  Pass the apples please.

B - B is for book.  Put down the remote or Playstation long enough to open one.  I taught myself how to change the carburetor on my first car by reading one.  I learned how to build computers by reading one.  I caught clues to life mysteries by reading several. I finally learned how to control stress by reading one.  I escape into the mind of the author when I read one.  You'd be surprised at how fulfilling that can be.

C - C is for consequence.  Life is a sum of decisions that you make.  Take the time to think things through before you make them.  The world is full of "if I'd only known then what I know now" cliches.  

D - D is for diversity.  There is no one way things are supposed to be.  People are created differently; respect them for it and lose the "if it's not like me.." biases.  

D - OK, we have a tie here.  D is also for desire.  When we have feelings of regret and stress, it is because we desired something we didn't get.  If you let this grow too much, you will end up in a cyclical pattern of disappointment.  As Sheryl Crow sings: "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got".

E - E is for education.  Education is the single greatest tool to protecting yourself against life's hardships.  Whether it's learning to cultivate your mind, body, or soul; education will allow you to make informed decisions, many of which could permanently change your life.

F - F is for friendship.  Friendship is a lot like marriage in that it's a two-way street.  If you stop maintaining your side, then potholes will eventually make passage impossible.  

G - G is for good.  When in doubt, do the thing that makes your conscience feel good.  Even if it goes against the flow, you'll be able to live with yourself later.

H - H is for happiness.  I can find no other single word that would describe my goal in life.  Do what makes you smile.  Just make sure it's legal.

I - I is not for igloo.  Why teach someone a word they'll use maybe 5 times the rest of their life.  I is for ignorance.  Ignorance is one of the top maladies of our lifetime.  If you don't know enough about something then see "E" above.  

J - J is for judgement.  Use good judgment when making decisions, and don't judge others based on your biases.

K - K is for kindness.  A little goes a long way.  If you're kind to people you build friendship capital.  You may receive kindness in return; you may not.  But odds are you won't receive a slap in the face either.

L - L is for listen.  This means you take the time to actually ingest what people are saying.  If you're formulating your response before they finish (or rudely talking over them) then you're not listening, in which case it's a one-way conversation.

M - M is for manners.  Using manners is a lost art.  Say please, thank you and you're welcome.  Say yes mame and no sir.  

N - N is for nurture.  Bring something to life, and then help it grow.

O - O is for observe.  Watching how things and people live and interact can be a very pleasant activity.  You may even learn a thing or two.

P - P is for pulmonary hypertension.  We have to get the word out someway don't we?

Q - Q is for quiet.  Step out into the forest or on a riverbank and quiet your mind of all of civilization's noises.  It's true therapy.  

R - R is for responsibility.  A powerful word, responsibility is a noun you want associated with your name.  Responsible people get rewarded, become role models, and are respected for their trustworthiness.

S - S is for sex.  You'll probably end up having it at some point in your life.  Have it responsibly and with someone you spend quality time with.

T - T is for teach.  Want to rid the word of ignorance? Take the time to explain something to someone who could benefit from it.  Making people around you smarter will only improve your life.  (I'll go first, T is for two is for too is for to.  Learn the difference).

U - U is not for um.  If you don't know what you're saying, then pause long enough to think it over.  Don't worry, we'll wait.  U is for useful, as in make yourself useful.  You don't have to wait to be asked to do something beneficial for another.

V - V is for vision.  Learn to see things as they could be, and then make it so.

W - W is for wisdom.  One of my favorite words, wisdom is the sum of intelligence and experience.  It could also be described as the sum of knowledge and common sense.  Strive to be wise, not a wise-ass.

X - X is for xenial.  Also know as being hospitable.  Scroll up to see friendship capital.

Y - Y is for youth.  You only get one.  Make sure you enjoy it.  If you're in an abusive situation, seek help.

Z - Z is for z's, as in time to get some.  Everyone take care.