Christmas is for Everyone

In my younger years, I worked at Hillcrest Golf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. Time spent there included several job descriptions but today, we’ll focus on the busboy/server position. A common starter job, this one included more than most. Of course, we carried 6-8 dinners on trays held high over our heads with return trips including used plates, dishes, cups, saucers, and various utensils that always caused problems. These trays must have, (in my mind) weighed a hundred pounds. 

There were several weekends during the summer when we started working at 7 AM on Saturday and returned home just after dinner on Sunday evening, 34 hours later. Making $0.75 per hour was serious money for us! I don’t remember hearing anything about child labor laws or overtime pay in those days, so all is good.

Between serving and bussing, we re-configured table placements for the next-up celebration dinners, lunch buffets, golfing tournament buffet breakfasts, and dance parties. Many parties required colorful draperies with lace table skirts and under-skirt lighting. This was, after all, an upscale, elegant, and expensive, golf club. 

Everything was expected to be perfectly flawless. Always. 

One Thousand Points of Light

I considered forgoing today's article with all the new 30-second videos being created along with this weekly task. But then guilt popped up for a quick hello. 

I woke up thinking that if I am to write today, I should work on something light-hearted. Perhaps if I needed a laugh or two, you might as well. After a reasonable amount of time, I have concluded that my limbic system is not working properly. Perhaps my humor center needs a reboot.

But there is something on my mind and it’s been there for a couple of weeks. 

Finding Peace - Every Day

There are times in life when calming our spirit is crucial. The world is difficult, and when we experience a shakeup, we automatically seek out our favorite comfort zones. We want peace for our souls, and it's usually found in sensory experiences.

• A warm bath, cozy blanket, or favorite pajamas.
• Lighting vanilla candles, the smell of lilacs growing in a field, or freshly baked cookies.
• A piece of classical music, or the sound of children laughing.
• A photo of Waimanalo Beach or sitting with an espresso watching the sun go down.
• The texture and taste of warm apple pie and ice cream.
• Chocolate, especially when combined with milk cold enough to cause tongue-frostbite. Maybe this one is just me.

Music, art, and architecture also contribute to our inner peace. And let’s never dismiss a calm and peaceful walk through nature.

“Beauty will save the world.” (Dostoevsky.)

Promises > Pink

I’ve been preoccupied this week and have had little time to think about today’s article. When this happens, the post usually becomes more personal. 

This past Friday, the introduction of “concept meeting real world” took place. This notion has been in embryonic form for quite a while now. The incubation period for this exciting, but safely cocooned idea has now been replaced with live hyperlinks, an inventory of creations, and a great deal of apprehension.