Was there ever a time in my growing years where I envisioned talking to my friends instantly without a phone receiver cradled by my ear, or watching a video of a virtuoso playing a Mozart Sonata without a television, or even researching a crippling disease without a textbook? Even when I was the first employee back in the 80's to have my own "desktop PC" at my company did I ever envision the future magic of a world-wide communication/information system at my fingertips.
The Internet is a powerful tool. It is the bread and butter for the entrepreneur, the companion for the lonely, the inspiration for the downtrodden, and the amusement for the bored. It brings instantaneous connection, constant entertainment, frequent laughter, intermittent enlightenment and sporadic glee. It is hard to control and impossible to ignore. It is creativity at its best and addiction at its worst.
Though I spend way too time posting, blogging, chatting, researching and keeping up with my friends on a daily basis, I have never been much of a fan of Internet e-mail "junk". You know what I am talking about - those forwarded messages that threaten great harm and impending doom if you don't pass it on to 50 of your friends. Or the You-tube clip of some political hypocrite who puts his foot in his mouth for the hundredth time. I'll admit that I am a sucker for the messages which promise inspiration - these you know too - the harrowing story of courage and impossibility with the happy ending. But even then, I remain pretty confident that the writer made it up just to get me. Some of this stuff just can't be true!
Despite my skeptical nature, some messages have Truth written all over. Those are the ones to savor, to take in and let them stew a while in your heart. Those are the ones I wish that I had written myself. So the following is not my creation, but it is inspired Truth. An uplifting message passed across the Internet from a friend, instead of on the inside page of a funeral announcement...The 23rd Psalm.
The Lord is my Shepherd -- that's Relationship
I shall not want -- that's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures -- that's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters -- that's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul -- that's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness -- that's Guidance!
For His name sake -- that's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death-- that's
Testing!
I will fear no evil -- that's Protection!
For Thou art with me -- that's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me -- that's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies-- that's Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil -- that's Consecration!
My cup runneth over -- that's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life-- that's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord -- that's Security!
Forever -- that's Eternity!
Can I get an Amen? AMEN!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
"So you've had a bad day..."
Some days were just born wrong. There's no rhyme or reason for a bad day, and there's usually no one to blame. You can just be minding your own business, making plans to go here and go there, do this and do that, and wham! it comes without warning. Okay, maybe I did pull a little over the line before I stopped to make my right turn, but did it have to be at the same intersection where I ran a red light a year ago? Talk about a crush of reality when you suddenly realize what you just did...do I have to go to felony community service..again???
And what's with that Alhambra water guy toting 4 huge bottles in the middle of the intersection when I am trying to make a left turn...scared the ---- out of me...he was not supposed to be there. So by the time I actually arrived for lunch in midtown, I might have been a little rattled.
Now you know you have to "plan" when you go to midtown...you need the proper change for the meters and you need cash to pay the bill, which I never carry. Assuming you go the autoteller first, it's a piece of cake. And don't forget to memorize your stall number or you will have difficulty completing your parking transaction. Need I say more about how my lunch date started???? The food was good though, so I was sure my Karma was changing for the afternoon. Not so, little grasshopper.
My car keys (I was using my hubby's), which I left at a friends house last night (is that when this bad streak started?)were to be in another friend's mailbox so I could pick them up...I had the address scribbled on a scrap of paper in my purse, which didn't seem to be there as I was leaving lunch for the parking lot. No problem...I'll just call her and verify the address. Is that my worthless piece of ---- cell phone beeping in my purse, denoting "NO Battery"?? Of course it is! Luckily for the world, I eventually found the scrap of paper...otherwise I was beginning to feel some sort of psycho rampage about to emerge right there in front of Crepeville.
I located the elusive scrap of paper on my car seat and drove to the stated address, parked in the ally, and you'll never guess what...you're right!!! NO keys in mailbox. Strike five, Laurel. I remembered that I had her work address...on the 20th floor of some building downtown, so I headed back downtown. I find ANOTHER place to park, but I don't have the appropriate coins for the meter, so I scrounge in the bottom of my purse to find one lousy quarter. I can already feel ticket number two for the day comin' on. But if I run fast, I figure I can get back before the meter reader comes.
Not knowing the name of a company does impede one's ability to locate a person who's last name you don't even know cause you just met her last night...and the 20th floor of a building sounded a little ominous..but I tried the first office in a long corridor and indeed, they had a person by that name working there. But alas, no keys were left at the front desk. Two very helpful women were able to contact my new friend by phone, and she swore the keys were back uptown in her mailbox. Nope, I swore. But I'd go back and check again.
Just so you won't think I'm making this up, I will cut to the chase...my keys were magically in the mailbox this time, and I sat in my "parked car" in the ally again and thought I must be losing my mind. If this is what's it's like to get old, I can see why Kevorkian has a booming business!
But hey, not all was lost....I made it home in one piece to the music of some Powter guy who sings "So you've had a bad day..." You know, the one they played every time some poor guy got kicked off American Idol... I just smiled.
And what's with that Alhambra water guy toting 4 huge bottles in the middle of the intersection when I am trying to make a left turn...scared the ---- out of me...he was not supposed to be there. So by the time I actually arrived for lunch in midtown, I might have been a little rattled.
Now you know you have to "plan" when you go to midtown...you need the proper change for the meters and you need cash to pay the bill, which I never carry. Assuming you go the autoteller first, it's a piece of cake. And don't forget to memorize your stall number or you will have difficulty completing your parking transaction. Need I say more about how my lunch date started???? The food was good though, so I was sure my Karma was changing for the afternoon. Not so, little grasshopper.
My car keys (I was using my hubby's), which I left at a friends house last night (is that when this bad streak started?)were to be in another friend's mailbox so I could pick them up...I had the address scribbled on a scrap of paper in my purse, which didn't seem to be there as I was leaving lunch for the parking lot. No problem...I'll just call her and verify the address. Is that my worthless piece of ---- cell phone beeping in my purse, denoting "NO Battery"?? Of course it is! Luckily for the world, I eventually found the scrap of paper...otherwise I was beginning to feel some sort of psycho rampage about to emerge right there in front of Crepeville.
I located the elusive scrap of paper on my car seat and drove to the stated address, parked in the ally, and you'll never guess what...you're right!!! NO keys in mailbox. Strike five, Laurel. I remembered that I had her work address...on the 20th floor of some building downtown, so I headed back downtown. I find ANOTHER place to park, but I don't have the appropriate coins for the meter, so I scrounge in the bottom of my purse to find one lousy quarter. I can already feel ticket number two for the day comin' on. But if I run fast, I figure I can get back before the meter reader comes.
Not knowing the name of a company does impede one's ability to locate a person who's last name you don't even know cause you just met her last night...and the 20th floor of a building sounded a little ominous..but I tried the first office in a long corridor and indeed, they had a person by that name working there. But alas, no keys were left at the front desk. Two very helpful women were able to contact my new friend by phone, and she swore the keys were back uptown in her mailbox. Nope, I swore. But I'd go back and check again.
Just so you won't think I'm making this up, I will cut to the chase...my keys were magically in the mailbox this time, and I sat in my "parked car" in the ally again and thought I must be losing my mind. If this is what's it's like to get old, I can see why Kevorkian has a booming business!
But hey, not all was lost....I made it home in one piece to the music of some Powter guy who sings "So you've had a bad day..." You know, the one they played every time some poor guy got kicked off American Idol... I just smiled.
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