Cranky people are very hard to tolerate.  There are so many words to describe the crankiness of humans.  Many more than I had imagined.  In one reference I found, which described  ill-tempered or irritable as the first definition of cranky, there were 55 synonyms referenced.

They all “fit” the meaning that I would use to describe the temperament of a person who was cranky.  That leads me to form the conclusion that cranky people are indeed very difficult to understand.

Now, I expect every one of us has periods in our lives in which we behave in a cranky manner.  But that is not what I mean by a cranky person.  Cranky people tend to exhibit behaviors that chronically describe their behavior by using the following synonyms.  Words such as:  bad-tempered, irritable, irascible, techy, testy, grouchy, peevish and cross, are some of them.  There are so many other descriptive words and phrases, as I said, 55 of them in just one dictionary source.

I wonder if such people were born that way, or were a product of their environment and the people around them.  But, as I am sure most people have experienced, there are babies who are happy and smiling soon after birth, and that it is just in their nature to be that way.  If so, it would seem to follow that a person could be born cranky. Could it be that a characteristic of crankiness could start soon after birth as well?

Anyway, I find it so sad and difficult to understand that one could be destined to carry the attitude and demeanor of a cranky person from the very beginning of his or her life.  But even if that was so, couldn’t a person decide that they want to react differently?  I can not fathom a life so dismal that one sees things through a negative lens their whole life through.  Maybe a positive way to approach a cranky person is just to be so ridiculously positive and happy that they begin to consider changing the way in which they behave.  Maybe not.  But even if the effort is unsuccessful,  I think it is worth a try to give cranky people a reason to smile.  So, that’s my plan.  Want to join me in this effort?  It can’t hurt and it could be a small step to help a fellow human be more positive.  All one can do is try.  But be prepared to duck! 

What is virtual reality?  Really?  I mean we know, according to Merriam-Webster it is:  an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (such as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one’s actions partially determine what happens in the environment.  

Artificial is the key word here.  That means that “virtual” reality isn’t reality at all.  Therein lies the problem.  The realness is non-existent.  The reason I am pointing this out is that we already have so much that is “unreal”, so to speak, in our daily lives.  If we continue to add more behaviors that take us away from physical contact,  we won’t have the close ties we need to have healthy, strong relationships with one another.  Close relationships require healthy communication.  Even if it is long-distance, it need not be artificial.   

I can’t conceive of having an artificial life.  What meaning is there, when our reality is artificial much of the time?  Real people, real relationships, getting to know each other, all suffer as a result of life in an artificial world.  Maybe I am making too much of this to some of you who are reading this.  But, I think it is becoming a real problem when people don’t interact as much in person as they used to do.  Texting instead of talking,  even when people are sitting together, is making the act of typing more relevant than face-to-face conversation.  That can be considered a virtual experience too.

Today, we have face time on phones which is real.   Writing letters is real.  Even talking on the phone, instead of texting, is very real.  Texting is great for letting other people know specific facts.  But trying to have a conversation is burdensome, and shortcuts, such as abbreviations and letters that are supposed to mean words, can really take away from the experience.   The less we depend on “things” to communicate in our daily lives, the more our reality is enriched.  It is no longer virtual, but a true reality. 

I don’t think we need to do away with any of those things we use in our lives, as long as they don’t diminish our human relationships.  We must remember that death is real too.  Death will come to all of us.  Living should be at least as real as death, don’t you think?  Well, I do.  Enough said.

It has become a common phrase to refer to a person who has an overwhelming amount of things to deal with, as “having a lot on his or her plate”.  I often wonder how these phrases get started.  Of course it is easy to see why this phrase has become so ubiquitous.  We are often overwhelmed by all the things we need to do and be.  It seems to be a part of our culture anymore.  Being overwhelmed has become a way of life for many of us.

Some of this is due to the fact that most of us have so many roles to take on just to survive.  Work issues, family problems, having too many responsibilities of different kinds have made this condition commonplace.  But the most difficult things on one’s plate often have to do with the people we are closest to, and for whom we care deeply.  

For many of us, taking care of our loved ones is the challenge we deal with on a regular basis.  Taking care of children, parents and other family members can sometimes be the source of having a full plate.  Work and all the pressures of deadlines and dealing with people can add to the daily stress which can easily fill one’s plate.

But most of us have some or all of these things on our list of responsibilities.  And if physical or mental health of the person dealing with all these duties are considered, it puts a great deal of added pressure into the mix.  I think that most of us feel like we have too much on our plates at some time or another in our lives.  The only thing I can think of to help this situation is to get help when one needs it. 

If we can remember that we are not the only ones who have to deal with having a full plate, maybe there can be a way of getting the help we need to quell the feeling of being overwhelmed.  If we can find comradery and support from others who are dealing with their own full plate, maybe it could help another person to know that they are not the only one.  And if so, it could help to lighten the burden of carrying a full plate alone.  Finding the courage to seek help when one needs it, is always a good way of finding the support that will make the plate less full.  And that is always a good thing to do.

“Enough” is an interesting word.  It means different things to different people within the context of what is being said.   First of all, it can function as a pronoun, adjective, or an adverb.   It is defined as: being adequate, satisfactory, sufficient or suitable.  It can be used as a one-word exclamation.  “Enough!” 

“Enough” is “enough!” is another interesting sentence.  But, what I think about the most is what enough means to me in my life.  I have enough food to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear, and a decent place to live (shelter).  I have enough knowledge and skills to provide employment.  I think that I have always had much more than enough.  Compared to many people in the world, I have everything.  

However, “enough” can have a different meaning to some people.   It can be impossible to comprehend this, however, if one cannot tell the difference between a “need” and a “want.”  While working with freshmen in a high school English class, the teacher asked about whether different things were “wants” or “needs.”

The students almost unanimously thought that cell phones were a need and not a want.  Even if one might say that having a cell phone is necessary for a particular job, or for a specific activity or situation, that is not what we were trying to communicate to them, nor were they getting the concept.  We wanted them to understand that people lived good lives without the conveniences of telephones for centuries.  What I had learned in school was the basic needs people had were food, clothing, shelter and most important of all, water.  Even after explaining this to them, most of the students still insisted that phones were not only needed, but an essential part of their very self.  That makes it difficult to understand what “enough” is.

Today, in developed countries all around the world, cell phones have become a job necessity,  and addiction to cell phone usage is rampant among young and old alike.  I feel that it is extremely helpful to ask the question, “What is enough?” to myself.  If I am honest, I have always had more than enough.  This is not true for many people living around the world.  And for these blessings, I am so truly grateful that I know what “enough” is for me.  

There’s just something satisfying about getting your hands dirty.  I mean, actually getting your hands in the dirt.  I had forgotten all about how that felt until today, when I was helping my sister-in-law pot plants.  I have never been into gardening and usually enjoy having clean hands.  But I couldn’t get over how good the dirt felt going between my fingers.

I was going to wear gloves, but that would have been a mistake.  It would have robbed me of the memories I began to recall of getting dirty when I was outside playing as a kid.  I also loved playing in the sand.  I have wonderful memories of sand boxes and playing in the sand at the beach.

There is an innate, natural feeling that draws one into the textures of dirt and sand.  And then there is clay.  I love playing with clay!  You can make stuff with clay and keep it.  Dirt and sand wash away, but clay stays!  

It must seem like I’m a little kid writing this.  But you know what?  That’s what is really terrific about getting your hands dirty.  When we are young, discovery is how we learn.  Touching is one of the basic ways we discover things.  We can literally get in touch with nature by getting our hands dirty.

Getting your hands dirty is really a great way to learn.  It is also a part of many occupations that are necessary in our daily lives.  If we were to take out the professions in which people get their hands dirty, our life as we know it would fall apart.  

Therefore, I intend to incorporate playing or working in the dirt, playing in the sand and making things with clay.  I think this will bring about a new awakening and appreciation for physical work and play in my life, all because I got my hands dirty today!