Educate Me Three

one I hope that by the time you are able to read and understand this, the tide has turned in America and it will not be a punishable offense to be smart, but just in case it hasn't - know this: You are going to need an education. Your job as a child is to go to school. You have to go sometimes when you don't feel like it. You will have to go even if you think your teacher is unfair and your classmates are mean. I need for you to wonder and be curious. I want you to question everything and come to your own conclusions. I know you are strong and clever and brighter than most of the other stars in the sky. This matters as much as anything and it may not make you look cool, or allow you entry into whatever cool-kids trendy club you think is important, but it will last forever and is one of the only things nobody can ever take away from you.

two Don't make excuses for anything. Accept the consequences for whatever choices you have made. Life is still not fair (I'm guessing this one truth will never change) and I believe you have been given the skill-sets to make good decisions. People can be just as ugly and disappointing as they can be full of life-changing bliss, and that's just the.way.it.is. (Worth noting as a parent: Don't teach your kids to blame everyone for their failures. You may not expect them to practice kindness and consideration but we live in a world where they will, ultimately, be held accountable by somebody, somewhere. You won't always be there to hand them a trophy for just showing up and this thing that you do, when you do this, takes it's toll on all of us as a society. So, please don't do that. Just stop it.)

three  Always know that you could be wrong. Sure, you could be entirely right, but stuff shifts and things change. It's a tricky world we live in and it's entirely possible that you have been tricked. Do not take it as a personal offense. It really does not look that good on you when you get all puffy and red-faced about a thing that may or may not be true. Breathe. Call time-out. I'll bet research is a serious slice of goodness, by the time you find yourself here and reading this. Dig it. Do what you gotta do to just, at least, make sure you aren't getting all worked up over something that isn't true.

thesethreethings 2014 © 

Three from the Golden Light

one Take note (when you're in the relationship building part of falling in love with somebody) of people who claim to have no friends. People with no friends can be straight-up scary and way more high-maintenance than your average pal who comes with something that resembles a posse. I've said it before, and I'm absolutely sure I'll say it again, our friends hold us accountable and kinda define us. The older you get, the more intense this truth will be. Tread lightly with the friendless and run as fast as the wind will carry you, away from employers, teachers, counselors - even parents, if it's made you feel icky, who tell you that you are their best friend. You are not and will likely never be. The honesty and authenticity of a friendship is dependent on neither person having more power than the other. True friendships save lives and rock Casbahs and thrive when the playing field is level.

two Run and jump and spin and dance and make yourself get out of breath and dizzy and exhausted. Do this at least once a day. I'll spare you the science, but it is FOR REAL Science (as opposed to Junk Science) that a little exercise every single day will fix some portion of everything. It changes the way your brain works with your heart and will and courage and ability to not say the first thing that comes to your little monkey brain, the next time you want to throw a hissy fit. Look at it like preemptive conniption maintenance. Get up, get out and go stir it up, Sparky. Trust me. Every day. Two or three times would be perfect.

three Be responsible for your own actions and thoughts and choices and words and don't spend much time spinning out over the ones that you didn't get to make. You are a million great things at any given time. You are as self-reliant as you are connected and I expect you to expect the greatness from you, that I expect. It's the fine blend that makes you powerful. You have duct tape, E6000, bailing wire and supportive shoes. You know you are loved. Now show us how that looks.

moemasters 2014 © thesethreethings

Three from The Road

one. Don't stream videos and audios when you're in a public place. It's impolite and it weakens every single other person's ability to just reel in their email, when you do that. Be nice and do what you gotta do, but don't stream in your corner coffee shop (unless they bill themselves as a "Cyber" establishment, then do what you want, I suppose.)

two. Mind your load, you can only keep what you

PapaZ (far left) with the Lears.

can carry. Sometimes the difference between 100 and 110 pounds can break an adventure in half. Not many things are going to go the way you think they're going to go and it's best to manage your resources. There is only so much of you. Don't take on more than you can carry - physically and psychologically. People are a trip; Everybody weighs something. Minimize impact, whenever you can.
(This translates well to a conventional life, too, y'know.)

Papa Zs family

three. Make the effort to stay near the ones you love. We give each other accountability when we have a more unified front, a posse, a tribe... your islanders. You don't have to be, like, all physically up in their space, but do whatever it is that you do to reach out and squeeze your people when you think of them. I'm a huge advocate of the United States Postal Service and can tell you, through extensive personal research, people love to get mail. But, that's just me. Do what you have to do to stay connected. It matters. And, its no fair when you're the only one who knows your story.

© thesethreethings 2014 moemasters