Category: joy

Happy Birthday! No, today is not my birthday; my birthday was actually back on Christmas Day! But I have this great friend that was at my surprise party for my birthday. He told me happy birthday numerous times that evening and vowed to tell me every time he saw me or thought of me from then on. Just because he can. That was back on December 21st and I hadn’t seen or heard from him since then.

Then out of nowhere, I get this singe text. “Happy Birthday!” It made me laugh and smile, and made my day, as I saw who it was from and remembered what he had said.

I have been after myself for some time, but really seriously since New Year’s to reinvent my blog and start writing again. My problem is inspiration and ideas just seem to elude me. At least when I am seriously trying to find then anyway.
When I can’t allocate time to them then there they are. I t is like they know I cannot address them due to the current situation. Usually by the time I can pursue them they have disappeared. Happily hiding in some corner of my brain laughing at me I am sure.

Write it down right away is the common advice. Well it’s hard to write in the shower. Or while you are driving or doing other activities that do not allow for writing at that particular moment. Chanting it until I can write it down can work in some situations, but usually not at work or public. People tend tilt their heads and look at you sideways a lot like your dog does when he is unsure. The difference is then these head tilting people call other people to come take you away.

As it has been for a while now, it seems I only have inspiration to write during rocket season. If it is not high flying, explosive projectiles, the teenagers that develop them, and the thrill of the hunt, I lose interest quickly and cannot find ideas.

I do find fascination and some inspiration in nature. I post pictures almost double daily on Facebook of things I see. It is just when I want to write something of interest it does not always come. Some days the picture inspiration does not come either. Hence why there are so many of the same windmill. By the way I love windmills!

I was pondering this as I listened to John Maxwell‘s Maxwell Minute for the day, entitled, “Fresh”. He was talking about surrounding yourself with people that encourage you to stay fresh. People that encourage your new ideas and do not allow you to grow stale. There in was my problem, I was growing stale. I have known this for a while. I even feared losing my craft all together.

Although, rockets are my most favorite thing to write about these days. They cannot support my writing needs all the time. And many of my ideas I was dismissing because I did not think other folks would have interest or they did not support my ideas. I was allowing myself to throw out every option and grow stale.

So as I thought about this. I was determined to find something to write about and begin finding fun in my favorite talent and craft again. Writing and pictures have always been who I am. The problem was I still did not have a writing prompt or idea to get me started.

Then the text arrived. “Happy Birthday!”

My first thought was who saw my pictures on Facebook and is sending late congratulations? My second at seeing the name only at a glance at first was what is my son up to with this? Then I realized I had not read the whole name and it was not my son. The light went on and I started laughing and responded in kind.

Another John Maxwell tidbit is to find value in others by just being nice to them. Say hello, hold the door, smile, compliment them and through these things both of you find value and feel better. My friend had just helped me find value in myself and what I was trying to do, whether he had intended to or not. As for him, my whole family has found much value in him and his friendship for years. He is a blessing and an inspiration. That being said, I now had an idea.

This day was not my birthday, but suddenly it was a Happy Day! Either way it was still my Un-Birthday as the Mad Hatter from Alice and Wonderland says. And guess what, I have 364 of those so why not enjoy and celebrate them!

Then I thought about Frosty the Snowman, and every time someone puts the magician’s hat back on his head and he comes back to life he says, “Happy Birthday!” After all every time you wake up, it is a “birth” into a new day. So now, I am back to having 364 new “birth days!” Thank the Lord you only have to count 1 day for each of those, and no I am not counting them in total. Years are enough, if you want to feel old, which I do not, then count days of life in total! Yikes!

The point is each day is new! A new day! A new opportunity! And yes, chances for new ideas, new actions, new freedom, new inspirations, new experiences, new attitudes, new friends, new fun with old friends and family, and new life!

So, no, today is not my birthday! It is my Un-Birthday, a “birth” to a new day, and a Happy Day if I so choose to believe it and continue to follow my dreams, no matter how large or small. Because it doesn’t have to be big million dollar ideas, but all of those started somewhere, probably with a small idea.

So who knows what ridiculousness I might put out here for you to read, Ii will just have to run with whatever ideas come my way. I am a little bit silly, goofy, crazy and impulsive at times so just go with it if you will.

Remember that you probably have a gift or talent you may not be fostering at the moment. Don’t you think it might be time to start? Do not let your dreams die! Follow them even if you have to start them much smaller than you think they deserve. Something is better than nothing, and something can grow! Nothing just becomes stale.

I have come full circle in this little thought game. This is how I am starting fresh! What will you do?

“Happy Birthday!”

P.S. This is actually the second writing of this article. The first one was eaten in its entirety by technology! I told it to SAVE and it said, “Cannot perform this task at this time please refresh page!” And it made all my work go away.

The first piece was off the cuff and perfect (at least to my thinking). Recreations are never as perfect as the originals. Sometimes they are better, sometimes they fall way short. If you are lucky, then they are different but just as good. I think this one turned out well. I just wish it could have been the first one. Who knows, by the time I would have edited it, maybe it would be this one.

Biggest lesson is never trust technology and always have either a second version on another platform, or my old trusted, never disappears unless you personally destroy it, paper copy!