82&85-365 View (and good advice)

Once again I realized I forgot to post a day. I took this the day Vince and I got back and meant to have it as a companion to the Dogwood tree picture but oh well. My brain's bin a bit out of town lately.

This is a Bottlebrush tree in our front yard, a few days past its peak. I've always loved these flowers (actually bracts) because they are bright red AND it does this several times throughout the summer. 

As I came down the stairs yesterday afternoon this was the view out my front door. You can't tell in the photo, but the sun sets over a large lake that you can see through the houses on the far street.

Like everyone else I've collected good and not-so-good advice throughout my life from various sources. There are a few items, though that I've come to think of as absolutes. They never fail me. And every time I ignore their little nugget of wisdom, I get bitten in the ass.

This little jewel was from my paternal grandmother -- "Never forget, if they'll do it to someone else, they'll do it to you. It's only a matter of time." At the time, she was talking about gossipy teen-age girls but I've found over and over that it holds with pretty much anything else. Bullies, liars, cheaters, thieves, back-stabbers and the like. But also the easily offended, overly indignant, hyper-defensive, etc. Everyone has a bad day and everyone, including yours truly, has sore spots and nerves that can be touched, but some people are just too damn prickly. Anyone with whom you must constantly and vigilantly guard their feelings over your own are a fuckin' pain in the ass.

Hence, my recent Facebook purge.

I also cut people for other reasons -- too many "I just had lunch" updates; or a constant litany of unasked for and unappreciated and more importantly insipid spiritual advice; or constantly trying to sell me Lia Sophia Jewelry or whatever other damn thing they were hawking FB page-to-FB page rather than door-to-door.

For those folks my grandmother's applicable advice to me would have been "Remember, people are exactly who they reveal themselves to be. Folks don't suddenly improve themselves just because you wish they would." For the love of Pete, post something funny every once in a while, say something thoughtful; hell, just say something positive or cool! Reveal some intellect, education, compassion, or integrity. But if all someone's going to do is spread nastiness, ignorance, and anger into my home via my computer, then they can't be invited in any more. They ain't gettin' any better just 'cause I wish they would.