The Anti-Post

I’m sorry. I did not have time to write a new blog post this week. I have been far too busy watching Olympics and ugly crying.

I am crying sentimental tears for the athletes who are realizing their brightest dreams.

I am crying for the shattered hearts of the athletes who compete, but disappoint themselves and wonder what might have been.

I am crying for the proud parents, spouses, siblings, children, and everyone who should have been at Tokyo in the stands watching their loved ones compete because they can only send support from the other side of a television screen.

I am crying for those athletes who are sitting home, missing their Olympic opportunity because their golden moment would have been a year ago.

I am crying because the opening ceremonies, though stunning, reminded me of the isolation and brokeness the worldwide pandemic continues to force down our collective throats, even now.

I am crying for the people who have suffered and died too soon.

I am crying because I am tired of grief, after seventeen months of mourning.

I am crying for the beauty of the spirit- challenge, endurance, selflessness, love, creativity, inspiration.

I am crying because I feel my own spirit eroding. The Olympics usually fill me with warmth and hope and belief in miracles. I was looking forward to these games as an infusion of positivity at a time when the rock of COVID seems to be sliding down the hill again, negating all the strides we were making towards getting back to our communal life. It isn’t working.

Have an inspiring day, even if I am not!

Terri/Dorry 🙂

Okay, throw a girl a bone, please! What Olympic moments have touched your heart with joy? Please share your perspective by leaving a comment. In the alternative, you can email me at terriretirement@gmail.com.

Flying Lessons

My friend and I decided to take a trip to the beach the other day.  We have both been craving saltwater and ocean breezes.  We decided to hop to it when we saw a day that weather.com decreed would likely avoid rain. 

We ran into a few snags as we made our way to Clearwater Beach, but we were having a good time and enjoying each other’s company.  We stopped at a Christmas shop in route, which is always a plus in my book.  We inched our way across the 10 miles or so of causeway to get to the beach area.  Circling around several blocks several times, we finally found a parking structure.  We drove up, up, and up before we found a place to park.  The elevator did not work, so we climbed down, down, down four flights of stairs to the street level. 

Maybe we should have stayed in the car.

We had not walked ten feet on the sidewalk, when my foot caught on a raised square of concrete.  That was when I learned how to fly.  I am convinced that I did fly.  I was airborne for long enough to have the sensation of soaring across stopped time.  It was like those commercials for paper towels when someone spills a drink.  The film goes into slow motion.  I was flying in slow motion.  I even had enough hang time to realize what was happening, analyze whether I could right myself, and maneuver my body into the most viable, least harmful way to fall.  What is weird is that I even felt kind of graceful.  I am absolutely positive I did not look graceful.

Yes, I did learn to fly.  The problem is that I did not learn how to land.  Nobody told me where the landing gear lever was.  I came down on my undercarriage with more force than a flying machine should.  It took me a few minutes to figure out that I was still in one piece.  Getting up was also a challenge.  Several nice people stopped to see if I needed help.  My friend also tried to help.  All I could see was me pulling all these nice people down right along with me.  I sat on the ground for a few moments and then I figured out a strategy for getting back on my feet.  A few feet in front of me, there were some metal chairs cabled together.  I crawled over to them on my battered knees and steadied myself on one of the chairs as I carefully moved myself into standing position. 

We walked over to the beach.  Before we even set our things down on the sand, it began to rain.  Lesser women would have turned tail and gone back to the car.  Not us.  It is Florida and it is summer.  We waited a few minutes and the rain stopped.  I do not know if I decided to wait because of my fortitude or because I was afraid to face the scene of my unscheduled landing quite so soon. 

Luckily, I did not sustain any significant damage.  I attribute that to my general physique.  Sometimes it is better to be shaped like Winnie the Pooh than like Tinker Bell.  My fluffiness certainly saved me from serious injury.

I do have some impressive bruises on my thighs, elbows, knees, and toes.  I did not do a lot of kneeling during the church service this week.  Jack and Jill, the twin bruises on my left and right knees were not happy about putting themselves under that much pressure just yet.  The bruises look way worse than they feel.  There is very little tenderness now.  I have been wearing a lot of navy blue to match the bruises.  Now that they are starting to fade, I guess I am going to have to clash.  Yellow is not my color.

I am going to try to avoid flying lessons in the future.  Orville and Wilbur might have been Wright, but Terri LaBonte is definitely wrong!

What new skills have you learned since retirement? Please share your perspective by leaving a comment. In the alternative, you can email me at terriretirement@gmail.com

Have an earth-bound day!

Terri/Dorry 🙂

Special

I have never thought I was anything special.   In fact, I think I may be the most unextraordinary person I know.  I go through life trying to simply fit in, while still trying to be true to myself.  It is not that I go around martyring myself to other people’s preferences.  I have worked hard in my life to learn to ask for what I want.   If I really, really want something, I will ask for it.  On the other hand, I usually do not feel strongly enough about things to assert myself (except on my birthday… then, I am selfish and self-absorbed!).  It is pleasant to go with the flow.  I often find myself enjoying life more when I ride whichever wave happens by than if I had insisted on putting my choice first.

Even though I truly do not think there is anything terribly unique or wonderful about me, I do find that I blossom when someone else finds me special.  It baffles me…but delights me. 

Let me tell you about something that happened recently.  I must explain the backstory for it to make sense, so please bear with me for a few seconds.

A few weeks back, I went to a lovely outdoor restaurant with a group of friends.  The restaurant was getting ready to close for the summer (remember, I live in Florida where outdoor restaurants sound a whole lot more appealing than they actually are from the Memorial Day to Halloween.)  It was a bit of a zoo due to crowding and we waited a long time for a table.  Also, they were out of most of the menu items by the time we ordered.  When we were finally finished, they were closing the place down.  The food was yummy, though, and the server was excellent.  Besides, there was a friendly German Shepherd Dog roaming around looking for diners to give him hands to pet and hand-outs to eat.  All in all, it was a lovely experience.  As we were leaving, the manager approached our table with eight boxed desserts that were leftover.  She gave them to us. 

I did not take one.  As I explained to my friends, I must carefully consider priorities when eating, especially desserts.  As a person with diabetes, I should not be eating them at all, so it has to be something I know I am going to love if I am going to indulge.  I am a very unadventurous (read picky) eater.  Neither peanut butter chiffon pie nor pistachio cream pie sounded like a certain winner to me.  One of my friends mentioned that they had blueberry pie the last time she was there.  I pointed out, very adamantly, that if there had been blueberry pie, my friends would have needed weapons to beat me out for a slice. 

A week or so later, I was getting ready to run some errands when I received a text from one of my friends.  She said she had a surprise for me and wanted to arrange to deliver it.  I agreed to meet her near her house when we finished our errands. 

The surprise was a piece of homemade blueberry pie.  She was playing bridge with some friends the night before and the friend had made the pie for her guests.  My friend asked if she could have hers “to go” and brought it to me. 

This thoughtfulness of hers tickled me more than reasonable, I suppose.  I was so surprised and delighted!  It was not just that I love blueberry pie (and it was very yummy, by the way).  It was more because my friend remembered me and what I had said in a very out-of-context situation.  The surprise was the pie, but the surprise was also that she thought of me.  My friend seemed surprised at the exuberance of my reaction.  She probably did not think it was any big deal to bring me a piece of blueberry pie.  It was.

The pie is long gone.  The thought will be with me for a very long time, I know. 

The next time you think about doing something nice for someone, don’t talk yourself out of it.  Go ahead and do it.  You may not think it is something special, but I bet the person for whom you do it will think it is special… and it will make you both feel special!

I truly am not writing this to fish for compliments that I am extraordinary and special.  I really am not, except in the way everyone is extraordinary and special to those who love him or her.  I would like to know, however, what you do to make the people in your life feel special and how do you feel when you do it?  Please share your perspective by leaving a comment.  In the alternative, you can email me at terriretirement@gmail.com.

Terri/Dorry 😊

Happy Historical Hunting!

Last week, I offered you a concert.  I gave you a list of proud historical dates in the history of the United States and asked you to identify what happened on each of those dates.  Thank you all for playing. 

Because inquiring minds want to know, here are the answers to this historical scavenger hunt:

On this date in United States History…

6/21/1788- The United States Constitution went into effect.

4/30/1803- The Louisiana Purchase geometrically increased the land within the boundaries of the United States.

1/24/1848- Gold was discovered in California.

4/9/1865- The civil war ended.

12/8/1865- The 13th amendment, which abolished slavery, was added to the Constitution.

8/18/1920- The ratification of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was completed.

7/2/1964- The Civil Rights Act of 1964, probably the most all-encompassing civil rights legislation in history, went into effect.

7/20/1969- Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon.

7/7/1981- Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to be named a Supreme Court justice.

1/20/2009- Barack Obama, the first person of color to be elected president of the United States, took office. 

Congratulations to Sharon Salcedo, who is our winner.  Congratulations also to our runner-ups, Mary Sorenson and Mary Ann McGinley.  Fabulous prizes will be forthcoming!

What dates or events would you include in a list of “proud moments” in U.S. history?  Please share your perspective by leaving a comment.  In the alternative, you can email me at terriretirement@gmail.com

Have a historic day!

Terri/Dorry 😊