The Equation for Life

In school I am sure at some point I learned every equation imaginable. The one equation that can't be taught but learned in parts is the equation for life. How much simpler would it be if we just had to plug in numbers? At some point in every week, we aways seem to be solving for x.

I think I need to get one of those big chalk boards and loads of chalk and continually be adding and subtracting. I've seen the mad scientist do it in movies and that stream of thought always in front of you reminds you of what you are working towards, which is x. In the movie, "City Slickers", with Billy Crystal, he was looking for the one real thing. Which is all we are all really looking for.

More often than not, we already have it. Our family and friends aren't variables but constants in our lives. These things don't change. Sadly, we focus on the things that we don't have and think that we need. I already have x and need to stop trying to solve for it.

I adore my x's,

Michelle K. Perkins

Vocabulary - Then There are Actions

All of those words your English teachers ever taught you were very useful. We had to learn to spell them, pronounce them, and use them in a sentence. Often times we were taught the action form of the word. Maybe that was the real lesson in learning all of those words. Since actions speak louder than words, we are able to translate other's actions into our own words. This leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation.

How many times have we thought that a quiet person was standoffish, when really they may have been sad? It is much easier to figure out a person when they are talking. Simply by looking at body language while they speak gives us big clues about their sincerity. "I'm so glad I'm here," while one looks all around the room really means, "I would rather be anywhere but here." I could give endless examples and would love to hear some of yours.

During one of those vocabulary lessons, maybe very early on, say maybe 5th or 6th grade, when apology was the word of the day; we should have all been taught how to apologize. Three of the most important words we ever learned were "I am sorry". I hope I never forget these three words and always use them when I know I was wrong.

All of the most important words we know, we learned in kindergarten.

Michelle K. Perkins

Enough - A Huge Word

Yes it is time for some therapy which means it is time to do some writing. This summer has been filled with the total spectrum of emotions. I didn't know I could cover so much emotional ground in such a short period of time. That made me start thinking about the word enough. We have all said "that is enough" or "I have had enough". This is often said when we have come to the end of our rope. How did we get to the end of the rope? I can tell you.

There were plenty of red flags before we had had enough. Those red flags consisted of statements like "this is good enough for now" or "this is just enough of what need". Let me tell you, if it is just enough, it is not enough. Why should just enough be enough? It shouldn't. It never will be enough and so don't kid yourself into thinking that it will.

I'm sure you have had enough of this, as have I.

Michelle K. Perkins