passwords, moms and commerce

one Put all your passwords and logons in one place, on your computer. And, put them in your wallet too. Or something. I just spent an hour trying to remember who I was and how I got here. Write this stuff down. For real. That was a ridiculous hour of my life that I'll never get back.

two Call your mother*. If you have one, call her. By the time you are able to read this, it will probably be just as appropriate to text, PM, email or post on your mother's wall, as well. There is a fine line that separates creepy mom-dependence from love ~ so walk it carefully. Her job was to teach you to fly just as much as it is your job to leave the nest. And you still probably need to drop into her orbit from time to time.

three Be Local. Buy local and go to the stores that your neighbors own and buy the goods that come from the people you know. Spend your hard-earned dollars in places where you know the merchants. I know it would just be easier to go to Walmart, but you don't have to. Your neighbors have almost everything you need and they are just as hungry as you are. They will gladly trade you goods and services for money. Keep your money in the neighborhood, y'know? 

* "Mother" in this case does not necessarily mean your mom, but is rather a generic kind of term for whoever has provided maternal nurturing and made sacrifices on your behalf to ensure that you didn't grow up to be feral, thoughtless and embarrassing.

copyright 2011 moemasters thesethreethings

speaking, stuff and sinks

one Learn to stop speaking. Do not over-sell. If you pay attention, you can see the very moment that somebody gets it. You don't always have to have the last word. Quit selling sometimes. Have faith in the fact that every once in a while you really will have the best idea ever and you won't need to dress it up in it's Sunday Best to get others to agree.

two Know that everything could be gone in a heart beat. Look around: All of this that you see could just as easily vanish as not. So, please, try not to hinge your well-being on the things that surround you. They are all transitory. One good flood, tornado, earthquake, fire or hurricane and they are all gone. All Gone. Like, permanently. I know it sounds trite, baby ~ but all that really matters is the people you are able to surround yourself with and the love you are lucky enough to give and receive.

three If your sink starts to smelling funky for unknown reasons (it's not really a mystery, there's probably some funk in the trap) just get your Arm & Hammer baking soda out and shake a couple poofs into the offensive area and follow it up with a slug of vinegar. It can be any kind of vinegar, but not too much of it. It will foam up like a volcano (which is, admittedly, extremely cool) and wash the smell away for a minute or two. You will eventually need to get under there and take that trap out, but this should buy you some time.

copyright 2011 moemasters thesethreethings

honor, discretion and skepticism

one Be skeptical. To be skeptical means that you don't take just everything at face value. Not everybody is telling the truth all the time and some things aren't really what they seem. We all only have this one filter through which to see stuff and we all see different stuff. Just know that if you really want to believe something or trust in someone ~ You need to be grounded in respect for the process. Do your research, don't compromise and never forget that anything can be Photoshopped in and digitally enhanced. Where a picture used to be worth a thousand words, it is now worth about $399.

two Be discreet. You could very well be one of those people to whom complete strangers will walk up and share their most intimate secrets. They will tell you incredible stories full of rich details. These stories will be sensational; they'll make you laugh and cry and laugh till you cry. Sometimes, they'll keep you up at night. You don't need to be sharing what you hear with anybody else. It's an unwieldy power ... this thing that makes us hear stories. Just because you know it doesn't mean you have to share it. (Unless it's especially brutal and could be changed by the telling.) Discretion is the better part of valor.

three Be honorable. Do the right thing. For real. I know I've said it to you here before, but I haven't specifically said this: Be True and Strong. Yes, with capital letters. Do what you say you're going to do and don't do what you say won't. Respect your elders, don't cuss or spit or chew gum in public or talk on your cell phone while you're waiting on somebody. Clean your plate and eat what you're given. Pick up your clothes and help out whenever you can. Make eye contact, smile from your heart and have a good handshake (or handshake/hug combination.) Learn to write legibly and honor your commitments. Think happy thoughts (as much as is possible.) Don't take advantage of people or situations, and know, little baby, that if you don't play nice and I'm up in heaven (when you are an old, old person ... like 30 or 35) - I'll see every little thing you do. I know you know what I'm talking about here. Baby, be good.

copyright 2011 moemasters thesethreethings

honesty, boot straps and that tone

one Say what you mean and mean what you say. If there is someone whom you can just barely stand to be around, find a kind way to permanently excuse yourself from spending time in their company. You shouldn’t have to be a jerk about it, but the longer you allow a relationship to grow, the harder it is going to be to extract yourself from it gracefully.

two No matter how cool and good and thoughtful you may think you are: There are still going to be people who won’t like you. They’re pretty easy to spot, and it falls to you to walk away and avoid the absolutely rancid taste of that drama. Get over it. They may have even liked you in the beginning, or you may have had one really great night where all the stars lined up right and you were with the perfect blend of friends. And, there are still going to be people who don’t like you. It’s just life. Pull yourself up by the boot straps and don’t look back

three If I ever hear you take that tone with your mom or dad, I will gladly be the Momo who steps up with my moderately scary Momo-voice and throws down some old-school discipline that will make your hair curl. And, don’t think I won’t. Understand this much: As I write this you are my perfect grandbabies and I can hardly even imagine you being anything less than perfect. I've just gotten to meet some monstrously ill-behaved, dangerously mean kids. While their parents are responsible for failing to step-up to the parenting plate, I know they haven't been the only grown-ups those babies were exposed to. You know what the right thing to do is. Just do it.

copyright 2011 moemasters thesethreethings

Craig Rhodes has designed some of the finest zoos in the world and helped raise two of the coolest kids I know. In response to being harassed for his "Three Things" for entirely too long, he gives us this:

These three things as adapted by Craig Rhodes from Gary Rossington and Ronnie VanZant’s song “Simple Man”

one 

Don’t Live too fast
Take your time
Troubles will come and they will pass.
you'll find love, and don't forget
there is Someone up above.
two

Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold
All that you need, is in your soul,
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you
Is to be satisfied.

three

Follow your heart and Lord, and nothing else
Don't you worry... you'll find yourself.
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you
Is to be satisfied.

copyright Gary Rossington and Ronnie VanZant 

one.two.three. easy.peasy.

Marlo and her trusty side-kick, Tuna Catinator, are working towards becoming the most powerful attorney-cat team in America. Her insight has provided many valuable things. These three things today are some of my favorite.

Blog Prelude: Sometimes the Universe reaches out and drills a little sumptin sumptin home with repetition. I was on the receiving end of four submissions in one week and every single one of them had at least one recurring theme. My friend Marlo caught most of them here. This is what it looks like when I'm shoutin' out to Marlo Hamrick. I love the way she handles thesethreethings.

one Tell people what you want. Do not make them guess. Some people think it's impolite to speak your wishes. They are wrong. It is impolite and inefficient to not voice your desires. If you remain silent when you really want something, you will be sad, and sadness is contagious. Don't get me wrong ~ you won't always get what you want, but you're a lot more likely to get it if you ask. If you're meeting a friend for dinner and they suggest Asian or Italian, but you really don't want Asian today, don't say “You choose.” There's a high likelihood you'll end up grumbling in to your General Tso's Chicken. If you'd rather Italian, speak up! There's a reason your friend gave you a choice. While the choices aren't usually about dinner, the chance to speak up is often there. Even if it doesn't seem like it some days.

two Those good habits you're starting now? Keep them up. I am especially referring to eating well, drinking enough water, and keeping your body moving. Continue all the good habits, but especially the ones about your health. These things will build a wall of protection around your body. When illness and old age try to sneak in, you'll have your strong walls to keep you going. Really. Exercise, nutrition, and hydration can prevent all kinds of things, like: strokes, diabetes, heart attack, dementia, crabbiness, bone breaks and cancer. Plus, you'll enjoy being here now more, too.

three Always do a pre-flight reality check before you take off. Dream big! Really! Do. But, when you're sitting down to make your plans, don't forget to make room for some reality in there. I dream of saving the world! (How's that for big?) My plans include small steps so I can add my piece to the pile of effort going towards saving the world. There are some things I won't be able to do ever (like pee standing up without making a mess) and somethings I can't change (like the not playing sports as a kid). By a series of reality testing, I have figured out how my effort can best fit my Big Dreams. This doesn't have to be a massive downer, just take a second to check in with what the world is saying to you. Sometimes this means allowing enough time for the dreams. Sometimes it means acknowledging weaknesses. Sometimes it means embracing more opportunities for greatness than you knew of.

copyright 2011 marlohamrick moemasters thesethreethings

3 teeny-weeny digital things

one If something online seems too good to be true, or if it appeals to the most base of all your instincts: Do NOT click on it ... Free airline tickets, "Click here to see who's stalking you," "Look what this father did to make his daughter jump out of a moving car," and generally anything that has exclamation marks (!!!!) should be avoided at all costs ~ all of these, sadly and unfortunately, fall under the umbrella of Shady. Shady, shady shady. Don't even click on them because they will automatically launch little bots that harvest all your info and part of your friends' stuff. So not cool.

two If you have your Instant Message (IM) application open (in facebook and/or Google or whatnot) and you get a note from somebody saying something (anything) about you dancing funny in this video, or the hidden video shot of you in the bathroom or whatever else makes you twitchy: Do NOT click on the link. For real. Just don't do it. Immediately shut down your IM window and send a PM (Private message) to the sender and remember that you are smarter than that. Should it come to pass that someone on your island (among your "friends") is inclined to grab to this low-hanging fruit every single time ~ you may be well-advised to let them off your island.

three  Be sure to take "Digital Breaks" from time to time. Lay down in the sun, on a patch of grass or some white sandy beach, without your shoes and socks on. Don't have anything electronic or satellite-driven near your hands. It may seem unreasonable to be all disconnected like this, but give it up for a minute or two and don't get online. You can do this.


copyright 2011 moemasters thesethreethings