Island Sense

Yep!

My car.

My car abruptly left me.

Needed a battery.

Never knew a battery would just QUIT.

It did.

I had no tools, no options.

I bought the tools, the battery and a Snickers bar and change it myself.

I could have waited for a tow truck, but lord only knows what "wrench" that would bring.

I wasn't happy.

I was quite the "wrench" to say the least.

However, $70 and 20 minutes later I was back on my way and we all know that if I were to be waiting for a tow truck, mechanic etc, I may still be waiting.

So inspite of what some may think.... there are other things out there that can be just as necessary.

Well this is going to be pretty much a riddle to most but I have to start somewhere.

Have you ever been called a “wrench”?

Ever had to “wrench”, having no idea what to do but you attempted it anyway.

“Wrenching” because there wasn’t any other solution.

Well Saturday I encountered the masses of the above.

Left Stranded Holding a cell phone and credit card.

The thing that I relied on and cared for every day-for a while, left me.

Just abruptly left me.

Faced with nothing except the real honest to goodness truth.

I turned into a “wrench”.

I had to. I had no choice.

I had to be the “wrench” because there wasn’t options.

Maybe there was an option but I didn’t know how long I would have to wait-didn’t know what I would be waiting for-could have ended up being nothing more than another “wrench” in the gear.

So

I threw on the tool belt

Dug in my heels

And “wrenched” on it.

What am I?

The "beach" season here in Michigan has concluded.

I am almost completely devastated.

As an avid Nitrox SCUBA diver, sun goddess and groupie of the nearest bar bq I shall now seek out antidepressants from the lack of sunshine which the next 2 seasons seem to disregard without a second thought.

This summer has been very eventful all in all though I don't feel I enjoyed the out of doors as much as I could have for some reason.

I truly believe some where in past time, my spirit or soul or whatever you want to call it, was either some kind of underwater life form or an Island Girl as the Summer weather makes me feel so overwhelmingly fantastic.

Within the water I feel complete solitude, peace and comfort beyond definition. I don’t need to be a hundred feet below the surface to feel these feelings, it could be as little as 10 feet with the sun glistening through the water, the sunlight that ripples along the sandy bottom beneath the surface and the bubbles that shimmer like flawless diamonds as they ascend to the surface. Oh these things are priceless.

No children neither splashing around in the water nor building sand castles or chasing each other around barefoot in the warm sand.

It saddens me to see the BEACH CLOSED signs and people walking the beach fully clothed wearing parkas and jeans. I feel I was robbed in a way, working 60 hour weeks and not being able to get to one of the places I love the most more than I did.

As this season ends and Fall and Winter are around the corner I can not help to think what these seasons may bring. Things are changing, the leaves are turning colors, and the weather is getting cooler and pretty soon there will be a different glistening possibly through snow cover trees or lights shimmering on Christmas trees.

These too are the things which bring solitude.

"I'm Free"

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief

Don't lengthen it now with undo grief.

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free

I'm following the path God laid for me.

I could not stay another day

to laugh, to love, to work or play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way

If my parting has left a void

Then fill it with remembered joy

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss

Ah yes, these things, I too, will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow.

I wish you all the sunshine of tomorrow.

I've savored much.

Good Friends, good times, a loved one's touch.

Lift up your heart and share with me

God wanted me now, he set me free.

Author unknown

Time

What would you do with it if you could do anything you wanted with it.

Would you turn back time?

Speed ahead to the future?

Maybe slow it down…a bit so you could accomplish a lot more in the hours of the day, week, month etc.

How about add more hours to the day?

We can hold time, "If I had more time on my hands…"

Would you "waste time"?

How about "Now isn't a good time" or "Its just not the right time" does this mean the same as, "its just bad timing"?

Pray for "better times" or "good times"?

Ever given the "gift of time"?

I would do all sorts of things with time.

I would be the "KEEPER OF TIME".

First I would reverse time to reverse and change the events which were very traumatic for society and for the people I love.

I would make time stand still when I am blessed with the presence of the ones that I love or an event I never want to forget nor to end.

I would speed up time to reach a goal, speed up work time, chore time, so I can finish sooner than later.

I would slow down time or add more time to the weekend or to my vacation.

More sleep time would be nice too.

Imagine if time didn’t matter.

Imagine if it were something that we controlled individually.

Imagine, never hearing, "I don’t have enough time…"

Happiness, independence and success are the fuels of drive and determination for so many, why do so many throw in the surrender towel.

When is enough, enough.

When do you give up.

How long do you fight for something, someone or some belief.

Do you want to keep battling but don't any longer have the strength.

Do you look for support from friends, lovers, family or business partners only to refuel.

If you had the drive, determination and the ability to fight like a warrior...How far would you go before you said you had enough and let it go?

Would you even consider the psychological impact it would make on your self esteem and ego.

What about those who care about you, how would they feel if you just caved in. Would they support you, help you to refuel, or fight you.

Would you let it go because you became weak.

Would you let it go because you knew it wasn't good for you any longer.

Would you let it go because your views have changed.

Or maybe you want to let it go because you just don't care anymore.

Giving up?

Keep going, there is a gas station straight ahead.

Integrity

Does it exist anymore and if it does…where?

It definitely is not with lawyers, politicians, CEOs, managers, teachers nor is it with the young.

Where did it go?

Did we forget to teach it?

On the other hand, did we "sweep it under the rug" because there are other so called important things to teach?

Maybe we are just taking the "oh what the hell-who cares" attitude.

Many believe it is easier to hire that attorney to "sweep it under the rug" rather than taking responsibility for our own actions.

Here is an idea, how about thinking about our actions before we act?

What happened? Have we become so selfish that we do not have any remorse? Is this a sign?

It seems to be an "old fashioned trait" but I have something to say about why, I feel, it is not there as much as it use to be.

I remember my parents telling me and my brothers, "...it may not be the decision you want to hear but it is the RIGHT decision", "we do the RIGHT thing the first time and we take responsibility".

I can still hear my father, God rest his soul-I love and miss you Dad, saying, "T, we choose the path we take, we can do right or we can do wrong... how do you want to feel about yourself...can you sleep at night with that decision?"

My Father was an inspiration to me and still is....he is the reason I choose the RIGHT not so favorable decision. He taught me to hold INTEGRITY to its highest to always be conscience of the decisions I make and to understand the consequences should I choose otherwise.
I don't feel that many people even give a damn about INTEGRITY. Its more like DOG EAT DOG, or ME ME ME.

Its not right.

People doing WRONG because they want to and because they can and don't care.

How do we get it back?

Can we get it back?

Who is going to be the role model and set that standard, because I believe its buried so deep
today that we may see more lies, greed and deceit than ever before.

I wonder if hell is going to be full this year....

So, with my long winded essay, as my boss says about my blog, I leave you all with a few final words to ponder found from Merriam-Webster...

Main Entry: in·teg·ri·ty
Pronunciation: in-'te-gr&-tE
Function: noun

1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : INCORRUPTIBILITY
2 : an unimpaired condition : SOUNDNESS
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : COMPLETENESS

synonym see HONESTY


This is me and I have INTEGRITY do you?

When is it appropriate to offer or give either?

And do you tell it from experience or belief?

Do you know when to shut-up.

Over our lifetime "people will come and people will go". Some making the grandest impact, whether good or bad, and some will just clutter our space.

It is these times when there are some people who enter our lives at the most perfect time and the most perfect place offering the best gifts of all, companionship and friendship.

What do you do with an abundance of wealth which is contained within your heart and soul?

Some see the gift is truly one to be cherished and held to the highest of placement within.

Others might just see it as something to do for now.

Not all mankind seems to think in the past, present, and future...not all mankind even care nor are some capable of carring past unfinished business with newly found treasures.

Do you offer adivce? Or do you offer opinion.

Do you even care? Do you want to care.

Or are you just sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?

Ultimately it comes down to the "how much" of the "do you care" there is.

Advice can be offered and given because there a desire to obtain harmony, solitude and retention of a cherished gift.

Opinion can be offered and given because there is only a desire.

To give advice is to counsel. To offer an opinion is offering a belief.

But the question now is “when” do you “offer or give”?

Do you give/offer “it” when the opportune time rears its head…or do you wait until the perception of the situation is just shy of a World War II fighter plane possibly stuck in a downward spiral about to crash. In either case do you even consider it a worthy cause.

Or do you decide to just pass the time with, “you will be fine” and see where it all goes.

These are the questions which some of us may ask ourselves at selected turning points in our lives with the people or person who has entered our “space”.

Where are you?

Do you care enough?

I do.