Here is my question: Are you making any New Year's resolutions?

New Year's resolutions...they start out innocent enough, but I often end up feeling disappointed as I inevitably don't stick to them.  I don't know if my resolutions have been too grand in the past...or if I did not...do not...have enough discipline to make them happen.  I have taken a break from making New Year's resolutions for a few years.  But I have really been thinking about renewing this New Year's tradition.

I may be making a short list of things I would like to remain focused on this year, but in addition to that I have found a mantra that I hope to refer to every day.  It reminds me of everything I want to keep close to my heart and everything that gets lost in the hubbub that is everyday life. 

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What are your thoughts?  Are you making any promises to yourself this year?  Do you have a mantra that you wish you could live by...if only for one year?

Here is my question: Do you laugh when someone falls down?

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The other day, I completely got off balance and fell into my bedside table.  My bum took most of the hit, and I knew instantly that I was going to have a huge bruise.  As I was rolling around on the bed moaning, Jason was laughing...hard.  This is what happens every time I fall, trip, take a mis-step , etc....I wish I could say it happens very rarely... but I can not.

Maybe because I am the one who is usually doing the falling, I do not laugh when people fall.  I instantly think "Oh, that poor person.  I wonder if they are ok".  Needless to say, Jason does the opposite.  So...as I was rolling around on the bed moaning, Jason thought it was a good time to reminisce about the time I fell down the stairs..."Hey, you remember when you fell down the stairs and broke your tailbone...you were making that same face...See you WERE laughing".  To which I said "No...no Jason this is not a laughing face...this is a grimace of pain."  To be fair, I can see how he could confuse the two...they looks so similar (sarcasm intended).

I do like to give him a hard time about laughing at me when, it turned out, I had broken a bone... a bone that could not be located in a more uncomfortable place.  And I know that he would never laugh if he actually thought I was hurt, but just as my first reaction is embarrassment and the hope that no one saw me, his is to laugh.

The difference is that people who laugh at you, would probably laugh when they fell themselves.  Maybe the ones who don't laugh are the ones who take themselves and life too seriously.  I know I have been guilty of that on many an occasion.  I do not tell him this, because I love giving him a hard time as much as I think he looks forward to another exhibit of clumsiness on my part. My many displays of ineptness and his coinciding laughter have become these moments that we love to reminisce about.  I do the re-telling in the hopes of shaming him for his callousness towards his wife's pain, and he laughs harder than he did when the event actually happened.

Jason has made me not mind being clumsy.  And he has taught me one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned- You have to be able to laugh at yourself.


So, here is my question: Do you laugh when people fall? Do you laugh when you fall?
  

Here is my question: Has the presidential election affected your relationships?

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The other day, I was listening to "This American Life" on NPR.  The show was an hour long look at how elections change relationships...and as I listened to the story of a lifelong friendship being destroyed by a one-time conversation of how they were voting, I began thinking about how my own relationships have changed in the past year.

I have always limited my conversations about politics to my closest family and a couple friends, but I have found, just like most of the country, this election has brought out stronger feelings and stronger opinions.  And with the rise of Facebook and Twitter, the conversations and "sharing" have hit a all-time high.
   
My favorite person to talk politics with has always been my grandfather- a 94 year old WWII vet who I have utmost respect for.  I would call him after every primary and I would do my research on all of the current events before visiting.  We have had a lot of laughs, but this time, we came down on the side of two different candidates.  And I remember the moment that our joking became less light-hearted and was filled with an almost awkward silence.  It was meant to be, I guess, but I was broken-hearted all the same.  I respect my grandfather, but as I have gotten older and have started a family, I have grown into my beliefs.  I am passionate about them, and I am passionate about being true to myself and voting for myself.  Just as my grandfather is and does. 

Over this past year, I have scrolled through my Facebook homepage and have watched as person after person has "liked" their presidential candidate.  And as the election has gotten closer, there seems to be a war of "likes" going on, and I would assume that some "defriending" has occurred through time.  All of these opinions that we used to hold in our hearts, but now say out loud have been shared with all of our "friends".  And the war began. 

I am not sure if all of this sharing has hurt or helped us, but I do know that on Wednesday morning, I am going to call my grandfather and the jokes will begin again.

How have your relationships changed during this election?

Here is my question: Are you political?

From the children's book "Political Circus" by Brian Ajhar

I acknowledge the fact that to maintain friendships and to live in a safe and fairly happy environment, one should avoid discussing two things during everyday conversations - religion and politics.  And by no means should one combine the two, unless you love confrontation and tense surroundings. 

But here I am, living in a city hosting the 2012 Democratic National Convention...and I find myself breaking one of my own rules. 

When I started this blog, I wanted to highlight all of the things that inspire me on a daily basis, and I have to say that to not write about this event taking place in our city, would not be sharing every inspiration.  Whether you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, Socialist or possibly find yourself in the "fed up with all thing political" party, I daresay it would be impossible to maintain ambivalence in this city in the next four days. 

Having a convention so close at hand is inspirational- whether you are inspired to brave the crowds to show support for the President and be inspired once more...or you are inspired to pick up a sign and protest everything you find abhorrent about the current administration... I say, at least be inspired. 

We live in a country that both of these options are encouraged and respected.  I want to be in an environment full of people expressing everything that I LOVE about this country- freedom of speech, freedom to assemble peacefully, freedom to express your support AND your dissent.

I am excited.  How better to see a glimpse of the passion that created the greatest democracy in the world than to see people with a full spectrum of ideas gathering in one place to have their voices heard- whether they are speaking from a podium, or shouting into a bullhorn in the street?  I expect it to be electric...and inspiring. 

I don't see another National Convention coming to Charlotte...at least in my lifetime.  Another first, but not the last of experiences to be inspired by. 



***I would love to hear from any Charlotteans or Tampa-ians (?) about your experiences at the DNC or RNC this year.  What inspirations did you draw from your experience?