Just Rambling...

A really nice thing happened to me last week. I was walking down my hill and passed a boy of about 8-10 years of age, pushing his bike up the hill. Out of the blue, he stops and says to me, "I hope you have a REALLY nice day!". This kinda stopped me in my tracks. Most kids nowadays are, as most of us know, little assholes. This kid wasn't. He was genuine. I thanked him and hoped that he too had a good day and enjoyed riding his bike, and we went our separate ways.

OK, so this probably wasn't as monumental as you thought it would be...but sometimes it's the little things, the smallest gestures, that make life good. Mind you, this happened almost a week ago...and I'm still smiling from it. I hope that kid knows how contagious his happiness is. I hope YOU catch it too!

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So, I was looking on Facebook (aka Big Brother) and saw where a neighbor had posted about "woodland critters". Seems she was up at her camp and had left the shed door open overnight. A possum got in and a wren started building a nest. This reminded me of something an old, old man taught me once. He told me that we are just guests here. The human species is more of a parasite than a host. We destroy more than we build. But when we leave things alone...even if for only a day, nature takes over again and works her magic to make things right. Given time, the smallest of weeds will tear down the greatest walls built by man.

The old man in question was one of Dean Martin's school teachers. He lived not far from the house I grew up in. Most days, as I walked down his street, I'd see him out in his garden. He'd always wave or say hello, and being raised with manners and respect for my elders, I always returned the gesture. He seemed a lonely old guy. He had to be in his late 90s, at least! It seemed that most of his family and friends were gone. He was always friendly. Over the course of my teenage years, I had a number of brief talks with the old guy, and he always had some bit of wisdom to impart. I hope he realized that I tried to remember all of it. Like I said, he used to be a school teacher and was apparently a very wise man.

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Friends come in all shapes and sizes. I was reminded this yet again this past weekend, as my friend Nichi came for a visit...all the way from Allentown, PA. That's a 4 or so hour drive folks! She wanted to hangout, learn some guitar stuff, and of course...sample some of Pittsburgh's cuisine. (we know how to eat around these here hills!)

Nichi, for those who have never seen her, could easily be mistaken for a supermodel. Tall, well built, pretty as a picture, and just all around good looking, she caught the eye of just about everyone we passed walking down the street. Being a smart ass, when asked a couple of times who she was, I answered, "My daughter" or "My sister". This is especially funny as Nichi is African American (OK...technically Jamaican/Trinidadian). Yep. I caused some looks of my own with those answers. That said, Nichi and I had a blast visiting. Can't wait to do it again!

OK...enough of my rambling. Just felt like getting those things out of my head. I hope YOU have a really nice day too! And kid...wherever you are, I hope YOU have a GREAT day!