What Would You Take?

In the movie "Leap Year", the question is asked, "If your house caught on fire and you only had 10 seconds to grab what's most important to you and get out safely, what would you take?" Think about it. What would you take? In this world that we live in, where possessions sometimes seem to be our most important assets, what would you grab in those 10 seconds? If your brain starts to sift through photos, memorabilia, and heirloom baubles, stop and ponder .... why is your first thought not living creatures? Have we as a society become so attached to what can be purchased, that we've lost track of the importance of humankind? Is the possession of "things" really that important?

No matter what the item, whether it's technology, favorite photos, books, or furniture, a handed-down heirloom, or one-of-a-kind memorabilia, it is, at base level, a Thing. A possession. An inanimate object that could ultimately be bought in some form. While we may have emotional attachments to some of these objects, they are still, in fact, objects that will reside in our memories whether they are next to us or not. Why do we put so much stock into these possessions that our mind would go to those things first in a "grab and get out" situation? At what point did we, as a society, become so brainwashed, that our immediate thoughts would go to saving objects first?

Life. Love. Friendship. Laughter. None of these can be a two-way relationship with an object. A shoulder to lean on. An ear to listen to your worries and triumphs. A source of pride in another's achievements. None of these happen with an inanimate object either. All of these only exist with living, breathing, people. Family, friends, pets (they're family too!) .... shouldn't they be first on the "grab list"?

For me personally, my two children, the love of my life, and our dog & cat are the first and foremost to save. Yes, there are objects in our home that hold a special place in my heart, but they're just objects that can be replaced in some way ..... to me, the living creatures cannot.

Food for thought.

~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress

Humanity At Its Most Fascinating

Yard Sales. Whether you call them "yard" or "garage" or "estate" sales, they're all ultimately the opportunity for "one man's trash" to become "someone else's treasure". There can be so much more than just selling off possessions to those yard / garage / estate sales, though!

We had a "yard sale" this past weekend. I say "weekend", because what was supposed to be just all day Saturday, ended up being both Saturday and Sunday. People who found furniture that they wanted on Saturday, couldn't pick it up till Sunday, so we simply continued the sale through Sunday. It made logical sense to us at the time, so why not? Over the course of those two days we met many neighbors, some awesome couples and families, and a number of random interesting people that we might not have had the opportunity to meet had we not decided to delve into such an adventure. To me, that's always fun, and never a bad thing. Personally, I did learn some valuable humanistic lessons, so I'd like to share my Top Five.....

Lesson 5: That old adage that talks about "Momma is always right", is true no matter what the relationship. From every form of couples that meandered through, to groups of people who "checked with their significant other" before purchasing, if SHE has her mind set on having whatever "It" is, then she shall ultimately have it.  I actually had one guy text me via his wife to say that the pictures looked great, but it didn't matter what he thought anyways as he really didn't get a vote! (I found that hysterical)

Lesson 4: Just because you list a time frame on the sale does not mean people will pay attention to it. Granted, knowing that hard core Saturday yard sale fanatics will show up early, we were ready at 6:00am, which at this time of year, was before sunrise. We had people actually show up, and purchase, via flashlight, before the sun rose that morning! Go figure!! Seeing as there's a whole demographic of people who are night owls, I'm wondering if we should hold the next one beginning at dusk!

Lesson 3: Just because someone appears to be "browsing", doesn't mean they won't buy something. This is where the getting to know others part comes into play. Striking up conversation & finding common ground creates a friendly trust of sorts, which creates bargaining, which leads to sales. Don't knock it till you've tried it!

Lesson 2: Chatting with neighbors that you've never met is a positive thing (regardless of what other neighbors have said about them previously!). Not only can sales end up happening, but it also creates a safer feeling of the neighborhood atmosphere as you end up getting to know each other. That, and just because someone may have a "reputation" in the neighborhood, doesn't mean you can't get to know a different side of them .. which is not a bad thing!

Lesson 1: There are some seriously interesting humans that attend yard sales. From the elderly woman speaking Creole that couldn't count without assistance, to the couple in their 20's who bought a set of luggage ala 1980 that they swore was "vintage", to the 7 year old kid that borrowed money from his buddy's foster mom to purchase a video game (He was too excited and adorable, so I gave him a discount) .... there are monumentally fascinating people all around you that, if you simply take the time to talk with them instead of wandering away because they're not whom you'd normally chat with, become even more monumentally fascinating. I love that! Goes back to the old saying "don't judge a book by its cover". Just because someone doesn't appear to be who you'd want to talk to, doesn't mean they aren't!

To sum it up, the yard sale weekend went great, and what was left over we've sold almost all of on Craigslist or donated to Salvation Army.  In many ways, getting rid of the unused stuff was way less exciting than the getting to know the mass variety of people who came through. And, while the accidental upper body workout via the entire process had me feeling like I would never be able to use my arms again for 24 hours afterwards, I look forward to the next opportunity to do something similar. People in general are so incredibly fascinating!

~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress

Opinion or Judgement .. who decides?

The world is an opinionated, judgemental place. Some of this is in good fun, like friends getting together, sharing stories, & ribbing each other good-naturedly. Unfortunately, much of it is not that way. From political ads on television slamming the opponent for views of opposition, to "talking trash" about the beliefs, actions, attire, and/or life choices of others, to simply sharing unasked for and unnecessary opinions that smack of negativity .... are we so egotistical as a society,  that constantly playing the eternal judge & jury of others' choices is a necessary component of living?
Opinions are a fact of life. We all have them, we all share them via conversation, or social media, or electronic communications. We are all entitled to our opinions, whether others agree with them or not .... hence the rights of a "free society". Where, though, does the line begin between what is an Opinion & what is a Judgement? When does an opinion become a judgement?
To my personal understanding, an opinion is something that is important to someone for their own reasons, and, if shared with others, is shared on the level of discussion that incorporates give and take with those others.
There seems to be a lot of "opinions" out there being shared that are put forth more so as "judgments". Not open for discussion or exchange of ideas, just a pure, hard-headed way of looking at any situation without room for other viewpoints .. aka  Judgements. Do people not understand that this tactic only brings about negative feelings and harsh replies to the sayer? The most brilliant minds over the past two-hundred years in our societies had many opinions that they put forth as discussion points .. because of this we now have a better understanding of the human mind & body, the Earth, and the universe as a whole. In my humble opinion, that should be taken into consideration with our communication on a daily basis.
No two people have the exact same beliefs, opinions, and/or viewpoints on any level or subject. To put an opinion out into whatever form of the universe that one chooses, in an effort to foster communication, is a wonderful thing that should be done. To judge without the consideration of all the facts or a lack of knowledge of the other parties involved is simply rude.
Imagine hanging out at any establishment and seeing a person who has an unfortunate case of alopecia. Have you talked with them & realized that they're going through chemotherapy, or genetically they have a predisposition to this,  or do you just laugh at them behind their back?
Imagine hanging out at that same establishment and seeing a person who is clinically obese or, on the flip side, skeleton thin. Do you chat with them and get to know them as a person? Maybe they have a glandular disorder. Maybe they have an eating disorder. Maybe they've been going through an immensely emotional trauma that has caused one of those extremes to occur. Do you take that into consideration before making snide comments?
Imagine seeing a photo on social media that isn't the most flattering of someone. Do you automatically assume they're being stupid or totally trashed? Or do you give them the benefit of the doubt that not all photos are flattering?
Opinions versus Judgements. The line is thin and gray at times, but in the interest of a society that works together, should we not think it through before speaking in any form? Food for thought.

~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress