The Lemonade Stand

Today as I was driving along, I spotted some young girls and moms and a lemonade stand. I made a U-turn and drove back to where they were. Lots of smiles, probably because they had a customer, but mostly I think because of Pink. One of the moms said, "We all love your Barbie car!"

I rarely carry cash with me, but today I was really happy to have some dollar bills in my wallet, so I could buy some lemonade. Most customers at the store where I work use debit cards for purchases rather than cash. The world has changed a lot since I was a kid, but it was nice to know that some things haven't, like children making some money by running a lemonade stand on a summer day.

One 6 oz. cup of warm lemonade: 50 cents.
Generous tip: 50 cents.
A pink "Barbie" car pulling up to your lemonade stand: priceless.

Susan

Another Earworm

I have loved this song for a long time, and just had to share it with you. Have fun!

"Punk Rock Girl" written by Rodney Linderman, Joe Genaro, Dave Schulthise and Dean Sabatino

Susan

Amor Fati

"Did you ever say yes to a pleasure? Oh my friends, then you have also said yes to all pain. All things are linked, entwined, in love with each other." Friedrich Nietzsche

We have so much power to create the kind of life we want. With our thoughts, beliefs, words and actions, we choose the way we want to be in this world. As I look in the rear view mirror of my life, I see that where I am today is a sum of all the choices I have made.

That being said, there are some things that we can't control, so what do we do with that? Those painful things we can't change; what do we do with that? Fight and protest, kick and scream? Sigh heavily and simply resign ourselves to our fate? Make our peace with it, find a way to accept it? Or do we actively embrace it and practice "amor fati," Latin for the "love of one's fate"? Do we love our fate? Do we love our life, all the parts of it, even the sad, bad and icky parts, knowing that whatever is happening at the present time must be something we need to become more of who we are supposed to be? That can turn it into not just something we need, but something we actually want.

Here is what I have begun to do. When I start to feel impotent or victimized, I remind myself how much I love my life. I love my fate, all of it. Not just the good parts. I stretch my arms out as far as they will go, and I scoop up everything in my life, including the pain, and give it a great big hug. I embrace my life.

I wrote a post a while back  here about how "I have everything I need." But you know what else is equally true? "I need everything I have."

Susan

Michael

We grew up together, although we never met. We were born the same year, 1958. Most of us just knew him as "Michael," first name only. I was a teeny bopper when he and his brothers were making hits like "ABC" and "Rockin' Robin." He was one of the most brilliant people of my generation, gone much too soon. Today as I was looking through the artichokes at the grocery store, one of his songs played over the intercom and it occurred to me that it was three years ago today that he died. I was in the middle of some of my own personal drama then, so while I knew he had passed, it really didn't register as much to me at the time.

The world is not kind to the brilliantly talented. Like an insecure schoolyard bully, life likes to knock people like that down a few pegs. Would we be happier if everyone was mediocre, like us? Artists as gifted as Michael Jackson don't have the luxury of living ordinary lives. If they are to be true to themselves, they can never fly under the radar.

And Michael didn't. To call him eccentric is an understatement. He was at once a shrewd business man and a fun loving child. He changed the world of music forever, yet never found any lasting peace in his own personal world. His music lifted us to joyful heights,  yet the man himself was so unhappy he had to find stronger drugs just to ease his pain.

Sadly, Michael and I will not be growing old together, but his music lives on forever.

Susan

"Rockin' Robin" written by Leon René.

Getting it Right

I was born in Pennsylvania, and lived there for the first twenty-four years of my life. This morning I am very proud to tell you that is where I am from. Earlier this week, William Lynn, a Roman Catholic bishop from Philadelphia, was convicted of child endangerment. He was in a position of oversight of priests in his diocese, and he took the pedophile priests and moved them from one parish to another and another and another, never mentioning that the new priest liked to rape children. For the first time ever, a church official has been convicted of a crime for the way he handled sexual abuse claims. This ground breaking case sends a strong message, that those who are shepherds (that's what "bishop" means) had better start doing the right thing, or they will be held accountable.

And then there is the conviction of child rapist Jerry Sandusky, on 45 of the 48 counts he had against him. Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said, "A recurring theme in this case has been, 'Who is going to believe a kid?' and the answer is, we here in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, would believe a kid."

One in every three girls is sexually abused. One in every six boys is sexually abused. So much wrong. But right now I'm not thinking of the wrong. I am thinking of all that is right in the world. It's late, after midnight, and I am going to go to bed now. I'll lay my head on my pillow, close my eyes and remember those people on Lynn's and Sandusky's juries, those folks who got it right.

I hope they sleep well. Good night.

Susan

33 Dresses

Anya Sostek of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Elissa Ashwood, who got "all dolled up," as my grandma might say, to go to her cancer treatments. It's a great story. Ashwood has a wonderful blog called "33 Dresses." Check it out if you need something to brighten your day.
www.33dresses.com

Susan

Give Them Back Their Souls

The jury is sequestered as they deliberate the fate of Jerry Sandusky, the former Notre Dame coach who is accused of raping young boys. I wrote about him here. Because they are cut off from the world, they don't know that Matthew Sandusky yesterday publicly accused his father of molesting him as well. Last fall, Matthew Sandusky's ex-wife obtained a restraining order keeping their children away from their grandfather.

While the evidence against Sandusky seems overwhelming, what it comes down to at least from my point of view, is whether or not the jury believes the testimony of the alleged victims. As I write this, the jury is still out. In closing arguments, prosecuting attorney Joseph McGettigan asked those twelve people to do right by the victims by finding Sandusky guilty and "give them back their souls."

I don't know if Sandusky committed the crimes. I have never suffered sexual abuse. I have never been raped.  So I can only imagine how those who have might feel. It seems to me that McGettigan used the perfect words. Give them back their souls.

Susan