Category: Life

One of the best forms of sharing I’ve seen happens at a museum. This carving is displayed at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery.* The American Indian group that owned this carving from an old tree could have kept it for themselves, locked away in a dark room. But they chose to give it to the museum so that people like you and I could enjoy seeing the commemoration of a tribal council meeting many years ago.

My dad bought an old typewriter that he donated to the Smithsonian Museum. It’s one of those events that lives deep in my memory. Sadly, he’s not alive to ask the details. Even though it would be fun to have that typewriter to display on some surface in our home, I am glad he shared it with a larger group of people.

What can you share with others that is tucked away in your dark basement closet? It may not be museum-worthy, but someone may enjoy it more than you do.

* That’s a really fine little museum. You should visit someday, if you’re ever in their neighborhood.

As I was going to empty the trash yesterday, I noticed these amazing tiny water drops on a leaf that fell to the ground. If I had been focused on my task, I would have missed the beauty.

The humidity level, outside temperature and cloud cover provided the perfect environment for these droplets to form. The condensation would only be there for a brief moment in time. I had to savor the beauty right then or miss out.

Today, take a few minutes longer to do one of your normal tasks. You might be surprised at what you see!

“Both liberal and conservative economists agree that, yes, income inequality has increased since the 1970s.” -Andy Serwer, the managing editor of Fortune magazine. That is from a telling editorial he wrote in the September 2, 2013 issue.

Mr. Serwer quoted several statistics from the US Congressional Budget Office October 2011 report, including, “between 1979 and 2007 … [for] the top 1% of earners, income grew 275%, and for the bottom 20% of earners, household income grew only 18%.”

Andy went on to basically say he did not have a solution, except that increasing the value of education is a start. I completely agree with that approach.

A Wells Fargo ad just four pages later was an interesting juxtaposition – touting the value of their customers taking out home equity loans to pay for things like a child’s Tuscan (Italy) wedding.

I have always been baffled by this fact – some of the fanciest neighborhoods in Denver have no sidewalks. Here are some possible reasons why:

1. The residents never walk (which I know is not the case).

2. There is so little traffic that pedestrians need not fear fast-moving vehicles.

3. Everyone who drives in those neighborhoods is a good driver.

4. No pedestrians in those neighborhoods ever walk at dusk or dawn.

5. The city planners were trying to create a feeling of being in a rural area.

6. It’s a secret jab from local governments in recognition of the fact that the residents pay a smaller percentage of their income in taxes than the average sidewalked neighborhood’s residents. “You pay more taxes, we’ll give you sidewalks.”

Now, over to you – what is a reason you can come up with?

It’s healthy to realize that some dreams are not going to happen. The owner of this 1969 Ford Thunderbird may never find the time or energy to turn his rusting beast into a gleaming factory condition sedan.

One way to deal with the loss of a dream is to get a lot of distance between you and that dream. In the case of the old Thunderbird, the owner should sell it to an antique car parts dealer. Then he will not be reminded of his unfinished project – and the massive amount of work ahead – every time he sees the old beast.

Another way to move forward when facing a lost dream is to pass that dream on to someone who can finish your project. You will first need to convince them of the value of your dream. In the case of the old Thunderbird, that may be impossible for the owner. But sharing your dream may bring joy to another!

What once held value is now worth just a little above zero. These two tennis rackets are worth something to someone, but finding that someone would not be worth my time spent looking.

Ebay is a great avenue to sell many things. But the market for old tennis rackets is so small that few are selling there.

I think both of these rackets are beautiful. Sadly, my family does not have the space to store them nor the desire to put them up on a wall. So the thrift shop gets them. And at least a charity will benefit a small amount from the sale.

Here’s another tale of wasted beauty.