Do you have a spiritual goal?

In response to last week’s imponderable question, “Do you have a spiritual goal?, my podcast friend Jason shard, “I used to say, ‘Inner Serenity’, and being there became boring.”

My writing and sailing friend Rich advised, “To follow the golden rule, it keeps the karma is a bitch rule from being invoked.”

My dad’s beach buddy Bob wished, “At this point in my life, I believe I have paid my dues and am ready to receive the dividends.”

My equestrian friend Royce asked, “Is this a metaphysical question or a soccer one?” and my temple friend Richard replied, “If a player from the New Jersey Devils hockey team scores, would that be considered a spiritual goal?  Or if a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels baseball team says he hopes to win 20 games this season, would that be a spiritual goal?”  Richard continued, “My spiritual goal is that the ghosts of Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell return to the baseball team of my youth, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and return them to respectability.” 

My cycling friend Ted replied, “I don't know if I personally have one, but I think you find one on G-d's hockey team; or would that be spiritual Goalie?”

Please send me your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

What is better the second (or third) time? (In honor of the movie Groundhog Day)

Live well...laugh often and heartily.... have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

This Friday is one of my favorite holidays (and sailing friend Cindy’s birthday).  Here’s to hoping General Beauregard Lee forecasts favorable weather for the South.  FYI:  General Lee has moved from his longtime home at Yellow River Game Ranch, which closed Dec, 2017.  General Lee is now at Dauset Trails Nature Center in Butts County, which is about an hour south of mid-town Atlanta.  http://www.dausettrails.com looks like a nice place for seeing wildlife, hiking and mountain biking with free parking/free admission.

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration for Hmmm.   I invite you to call or email me to catch up.

f you type "hell" into a GPS, where does it send you?

In response to last week’s imponderable question, “If you type "hell" into a GPS, where does it send you?,” my managed IT friend Kosol documented, “Hell is exactly 597miles away (from ATL) according to WAZE.  Tread lightly.”  My birthday bud Jon expounded, “Hell, Michigan, which does, in fact, freeze over every year.”  My PR friend Stan added, “This is northwest of Ann Arbor where I worked with a fellow reporter at the Bay City Times who said that whenever his editor told him to “to go to hell,” he turned in an expense report for 160 miles.

And my hiking friend Kelly recalled, “I saw a collectible, ‘Miracle Jesus’ action figure with glow in the dark miracle hands in the Hell, MI General Store once!”

My sailing friend Norm recalled, “On a sandbar when the tide is going out!  Then you scream, ‘Oh Hell!’ "

My adjunct executive friend Lindy lamented, “For Georgia sports fans, hell sent you to the College Championship game with UGA and then the Falcons playoff game 5 days later.  This coming baseball season, hell will probably send you to many Braves games.

My college roomie John replied, “New Jersey” without commenting about former Gov. Christie and my dad’s beach buddy Bob declared, “A cheese factory.”

My interfaith friend Ann noted that unlike Waze, “Google Maps says "no results for Hell." So if Google says it doesn't exist, then we can safely say it doesn't exist.  Hmm, has anyone goggled Google?”

My cousin Greg responded, “I work with lawyers so does that send me to the 9th circle of hell, (as referenced in Dante's Inferno)?”

My equestrian friend Royce called out, “The White House,” to which my temple friend Kevin concurred, “Currently, the Oval Office in Washington, D.C.  And yes, that was lay-up.  Given my basketball abilities, I have to take as many lay-ups as possible.”

My social media friend Mark quipped, “It slipped into ‘time travel mode’ and took me back to election results night” to which my cycling friend Ted added, “The same place Donald goes when he types "Sh—hole."  (Unlike NPR and others, we can retain our couth while providing clear information).

Please send me your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

Do you have a spiritual goal? 

Live well...laugh often and heartily.... have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

Many thanks to my friends who were so compassionate about my hernia surgery last Thu (and thanks for the chuckles from those who thought compassion was unnecessary).  Recovery should take 2 more weeks and I’m only so good at taking it easy for so long.

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration for Hmmm.   I invite you to call or email me to catch up.

If you give more, do you get more?

In response to last week’s imponderable question, “If you give more, do you get more?,” my equestrian friend Royce challenged with “Naaaaaa!” to which my neighbor Al explained, “Nope.  I've gotten the same lap dance with a $10 tip and I did with a $20.”

My interfaith friend Ann observed, “Uhm, only with STD's? Seriously, of course you do if you're not expecting monetary remuneration.”

My managed IT friend Kosol shared, “I think the universe balances itself.  If you give to others what they need, you get in return the things you need.  ‘You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help o this, my cousin Valarie added, “Those who give more ‘get it’ more--that living generously generates generous living.”

My dad’s beach buddy Bob observed, “Only when you are not looking for something in return,” to which my temple friend Tracey offered, “You tend to get more personally, but usually not from others. That goes under the that goes under the heading of no good deed goes unpunished.” 

My cable friend Bruce replied, “When you give to yourself.  :-) ”  And my sailing friend Norm counseled, “The law of attraction is the belief that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts people can bring positive or negative experiences into their life. When you give more, you are focusing on the positive, so you will get more good positive things in life when you give more good things.”

And my social media friend Mark observed, “Off course, which is exactly when they ask you to give even more.”

Please send me your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

If you type "hell" into a GPS, where does it send you?

Live well...laugh often and heartily.... have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

And thanks to Mark for sharing that our dog Sarah “looks like the sweetest dog in the world.”  And today, we welcome another foster dog into our home as part of our volunteering with www.GRRA.com.  Hope Sarah is again as sweet as Mark says.

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration for Hmmm.   I invite you to call or email me to catch up.

f people don’t like change, why would you make a resolution?

In response to last week’s imponderable question, (and see below for more answers about “dark” from the week before) “If people don’t like change, why would you make a resolution?,” my birthday bud Jon concluded, “Your question assumes that people intend to carry them out.  Eliminate that assumption, and the inconsistency disappears!”

My neighbor Al replied, “Your message was not just "How to start your week," it was how to start your year.  And who says a resolution is to change?  Maybe I want to keep this overweight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, beer drinking, overeating, couch potato lifestyle that I have spent 62 years trying to perfect!”

My PR friend Stan suggested, “Resolutions aren’t about changing ourselves; they’re about getting back to something we liked about ourselves…like being 20 pounds lighter. Can’t get back the height, hair and eyesight we lost as we try to make ourselves great again.”  My dad’s beach buddy Bob advised, “It is only to create a perception for those who may not particularly like you the way you are.  For me, take it or leave it!”

My equestrian friend Royce related his personal interest, “It's the herd instinct.”

My cycling friend Ted challenged, “Nobody says we have to like our resolutions-we just suck it up and do what the doctor/wife/boss says!”

And my temple friend Richard cautioned, “Because change doesn’t cover the cost for you to eat.  You need dollars. Lots and lots of dollars.  Even more if you want to live indoors and/or wear clothes!   And for some reason, I am reminded of the old joke about the prison warden addressing the prisoners.

Warden:  “I have good news and bad news for you.  First, the good news. You will each be given a change of clothing tomorrow.”

The prisoners cheer loudly.

Warden:  “Now the bad news. Prisoner 18392 will exchange clothing with 265491, 379226 with 482659, 276382 with ….”

ALSO:  Our editor was ‘in the dark’ last week, overlooking several worthy replies to the Dec 21 Winter Solstice question, “what is dark good for?”  So here are the additional answers:

My college roomie John called out, “dark chocolate!” while my Alabama-loving temple friend Tracey added, “Chocolate, coffee, romantic interludes, and stargazing, just to name a few things.”  

While my observant and insightful sales friend Paul wrote, “I do some of my best work in the dark,” my dad’s beach buddy Bob replied, “a good night’s sleep, and developing pictures,” to which my sailing friend Norm agreed with “Sleeping."

 My cycling friend Ted listed, “Vitamin D Deficiency, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and of course the remedy-- Nookie!” to which my social media friend Mark expounded, “Dark is good for sex depending on what or who you are doing.  I didn’t see the new Star Wars movie so will avoid any dark side puns.”

My adjunct executive friend Lindy replied, “Some would reply chocolate, although I prefer milk chocolate over dark chocolate.  Others would vote for coffee or nocturnal activities.  For me, contrast.”

Please send me your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

If you give more, do you get more?  (in honor of MLK Day of Service on Jan 15)

Live well...laugh often and heartily.... have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

Happy 11^th birthday to one of the best of the breed, our dog Sarah.   And happy birthday Elvis and Ellie.

Here’s more info about MLK Day of Service

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration for Hmmm.   I invite you to call or email me to catch up.

What is dark good for?

In response to last week’s imponderable question, “What is dark good for?,” my writing and sailing friend Rich boasted, “Making me look more attractive.”

My videographer friend Ivan explained,

• “DARK is heavier than light, which is why it sinks to the bottom of the pool/lake. I don’t know what that is good for though.
• DARK is sneaky, you will never see it coming.
• You could never bring things to light were it not for DARK.
• Light bulbs are really DARK absorbers.  The closer dark is to a dark absorber, the less dark there is in that area as it gets absorbed.

My attorney friend Phil recalled, “developing film (old style), growing mushrooms (legal variety of course), and seeing the northern lights (one day, I hope),” to which my birthday bud Jon added, “Fireworks and meteor showers, as they kind of suck when it’s light out.  P.S: Amy Schumer does a bit about a boyfriend who said to her, “You know, you don’t have to turn off the lights every time we have sex.  I think you look fine.”  She thought it was so cute that he thought she was worried about how she looked.”

My production manager friend Ray shared, “A better understanding and appreciation of light. Not unlike recognizing the first moment of dawn, that moment when you look into the eyes of another human being and see yourself. Namaste.”

Please send me your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ":

If people don’t like change, why would you make a resolution?

Live well...laugh often and heartily.... have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

Happy New Year.  Wishing you a year of health, wealth and great friends.  Best suggestion: Live intentionally.

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration for Hmmm.   I invite you to call or email me to catch up.