Wish I'd Said It

Weeds are flowers too - once you get to know them.

- A. A. Milne

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Recently Thunk Thoughts (#192)

As many of you know, I embrace new developments in technology like I would a porcupine. But Google, which I use as the home page on my computer’s browser, has some spiffy stuff you can add to your page, like weather reports, sports scores etc. I’ve added quite a few of them and it hardly hurt at all.

My favourite of these (and please forgive if I’ve mentioned this before) is a virtual sticky note. I’m an inveterate note-jotter. My house is chock-full of notebooks, pieces of paper and old envelopes with memos scribbled on them.

The problem with paper notes is they’re so darn easy to lose track of. Not only that, but the mere writing of a task-to-be-done on a piece of paper gives me a sense of accomplishment. So much so, that I often no longer feel compelled to actually do the task itself. Obviously, it doesn’t need to be done immediately, or there’d be no need for a note. Which goes a long way towards understanding why my house looks like it does. Somewhere under all the notes lurks a mess.

But I digress.

I’ve been using the virtual notepad to jot down ideas that might be worth writing about sometime. The beauty of it is, it never goes away. I see the notes all the time. Eventually, I get around to expanding on one and presto - I have a column/blog post!

Recently, I jotted down three thoughts. I’m too lazy to expand each into a column right now so I’ll just toss ‘em out there.

Thought #1:

I forget what prompted it exactly, probably some whining from one of the lads when I asked him to do something. But I got to thinking of what the definition of a “real” man was and came up with this: One who does a job that needs doing* without complaint or expectation of reward or praise.

I’m aware that this could apply to a woman too, of course. So let’s make it a definition of “maturity.”

Thought #2:

If your needs are simple, they’re more easily met - leaving you more time (and probably money) to pursue desires.

I think a lot of folks confuse the two, equating desires with needs. That can lead to all manner of problems, not the least of which are children who don’t spend enough time with their parents. You might need a new car but that doesn’t mean it has to be an Audi. Dial your expectations back to the basics - food, shelter, clothing (which ain’t the same as haute cuisine, a mansion and designer duds). You’ll be happier. And have more time for fishing.

Thought #3:

All dogs are not created equal.

If you believe slavish obedience is an important quality in a dog, and apparently many people do, don’t ever get a Jack Russell Terrier. Different breeds suit different people. Some of the unhappiest marriages I’ve witnessed have been between mismatched pets and owners. In these instances, both parties suffer but the animal more so. Please do your due diligence before purchasing or adopting any animal. Talk to friends and neighbours about their pets. Consult a vet for recommendations.

You’ll be glad you did and so will the new addition to your family.

* The key words here are “needs doing.” If the task wasn't urgent, one might get by with simply jotting down a note.

16 comments:

Sally said...

Frank, once again you're spot on! And I have to tell you yet again how much I enjoy your blog.

Dianne said...

one of the qualities of a really great column/post is when the reader smiles and nods a lot while reading

I was smiling and nodding a lot

especially about the doing what needs to be done - I share a house with my son and his wife and I notice this endless telling me we they've done - you know - I took out the garbage, I locked the shed, I raked the leaves - and it's always with a slight air of suffering

If I mentioned everything I did every time I did it I would never stop speaking ;)

hugs to Benny

Anonymous said...

I love this idea, Frank. So many things slip in and out of my mind when I have NO time to write the whole thing.

Love #2. Wait, no #3 is a great point. Number three, that IS my husband and me!

Reb said...

I thought about putting the sticky notes on my google page, but haven't done it yet. I still have them stuck around the edges of my monitor ;)

#1, I would still whine and complain, but there is no-one around to hear or do it for me.

#2, While I want my mansion in the sky, I am perfectly content in my crappy little apartment and I can afford to eat pizza once a month or so.

#3, Can I add, don't gift pets either? You may not have heard correctly when they said "I would like to have a dog - someday"

Frank Baron said...

Maud, feel free to tell me as many times as you like. ;)

Thanks Dianne. I have a hunch most parents can relate to that one. And at least some of it probably comes from the fact that we did too many things for the little bassets....

You're welcome to borrow the idea Meredith, as long as you return it. :)

Good addition Reb. That kind of gift is often a recipe for disaster.

Thanks all for dropping by. :)

Hilary said...

All great points. I never would have bargained for a JRT but I'm learning a lot from him! Many blog posts worth. ;)

I think Maud needs a blog of her own. :)

Leah J. Utas said...

All good thoughts, Frank.
Time for fishing is important.

Hilary said...

Loved your thoughts on maturity. Ain't it the truth, though?
And dogs....same applys to pit bulls. People who know nothing get them and are overwhelmed, when they are really lovable dogs with the right owner.
And notes, yes, they are wonderful.
Enjoyed your post.....thanks to Hilary....that's how I jumped over here.

Frank Baron said...

Hil, I think you're right. Maud -- whaddaya say?

Thanks Leah.

Hilary, I'll have to thank Hilary for showing you the way. Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for taking the time to say so.

Barbara Martin said...

All your thoughts are dead on, especially with the people owning dogs that are not suited to them. JRTs are like wind-up toys on batteries where there's no turn off switch.

I owned Doberman Pinchers at one time and they are a bit like JRTs, but in a much larger size.

Frank Baron said...

Barbara, the mind boggles at that combination. (And so would the furniture.)

Thanks for the visit.

Ray Veen said...

I've got a really new computer with sticky notes on the desktop. I thought it'd be a really useful feature but so far it only says things like, "I love Cindy", "Cindy loves Ray", "Cindy & Ray", and "Chantze smells like poop."

Frank Baron said...

Ray, you gotta loosen up. You're too darn serious. ;)

Kappa no He said...

Your thoughts are much deeper than mine. My last good thought worth jotting down was:

*Dogs eat the ipod earphones because they smell and taste like ear.*

April said...

I'm a 'note-jotter' myself. I enjoyed your post and your thoughts on life.

Dave said...

Hi Frank
I just came across your Blog today.Really refreshing view on day to day things. I can only confirm your regard for notes in any form. I think my life would have come to a sluggish halt years ago without them.The inventor of electronic notes is right up there with the sliced bread man(woman) in my personal hall of fame.