It’s the middle of summer in Arizona and I’m hot and frustrated. A walk in nature would help, but unless I pour a bucket of water on my head and time my jaunt from midnight to 4 a.m. I’m likely to suffer heat exhaustion.
Last year I lived in the Pacific Northwest so I thought I’d revisit a blog from my experience there. Guess what? I was frustrated with the rain. After writing the first draft of this story I decided against revisiting the subject, but feel free to revisit my older posts. I have more than 300 of them.
But back to the present.
When it is so stifling hot, the last thing I want to do is go outside, but I really needed a change of scene. So I asked my daughter, Alicia, and granddaughters Rosannah and Briannah, if I could treat them to an afternoon at the movies. They happily agreed. We went to see The Croods. This cave family had to deal with harsh environments as well. It was funny, touching and a visual delight. There are a few scary moments too.
My most frightening observation was not part of the plot. It was the realization that the character I identified with the most was the old grandma (voiced superbly by Cloris Leachman.)
Her famous tagline was “still alive.” She would announce this statement to the chagrin of her son-in-law. I can only imagine this thought is NOT shared by Greg and Jamie (my daughter’s mates) but if it is, they would be too polite (or scared) to admit it. If experience has taught them anything it’s never piss off an old lady.
Anyway, we enjoyed the movie, spent a little time at the mall, and returned safely home. I went back to working on the computer and my daughter said the girls played happily together in their rooms. I think the family unity message had a positive effect on them.
Laughing during the movie, spending time with my family and changing my surroundings did a lot for my attitude as well. In an ideal world, I would have taken a walk, either by myself or with Rosannah and Briannah in tow. However, as in the movie, the outdoors can be a dangerous place (sun stroke anyone?) As also brought to light in the movie, sometimes you have to change the old thought patterns and come up with a new idea. While going to a movie is hardly an original thought, it became a welcome detour from my daily routine.
Whether we live in a harsh desert climate or a soggy forest, we can’t change the weather. However, we do have the ability to change our minds and attitudes. If we need a little help we can watch a funny movie or inspiring messages from self-help lecturers on you tube. In fact if you want to see some humorous insights from me, please visit
http://whttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=208XAm-x3R8
Also, because I like a sale as much as the next person, I’m offering one of my own. You can get my ebook, Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within, for half price. The ebook, normally $6.99, will be offered for $3.50 through July 6. Log on to smashwords.com and find Erase Negativity. When you go to purchase it enter the code LU574. The paperback version will be discounted from $14.99 to $10 plus shipping for those who contact me directly by responding to this blog or emailing me through this blog.
Happy reading.
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