UNDERNEATH WE ARE ALL THE SAME

They say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. How about we don't judge a book without reading it first? Forget what it looks like or what you may have heard about it and just read the damn thing. Critique it afterward. If you discover it's not your cup of tea, then regift it to someone else and let them enjoy it. Always remember one man's trash really is another man's treasure! What goes for books, goes for people and relationships also. A wise man (my nephew, aka Pauly Glasses) once said, "We all bleed red, we all live, love, and learn. The little differences do not matter!" The exception to that is when someone tries to force those little differences down your throat. Acceptance is ours to give, but true acceptance is not forced. It occurs naturally. It's given freely from the heart. Let's face it, we all have preferences, but don't base your preferences/opinions on some preconceived notions. Learn what really speaks to you and then go one step further. Learn why something speaks to you. Form your preferences and opinions based on YOUR life experiences and not based on what some hate-filled, narrow-minded bandwagon dictates.

WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS

This photo was taken in Jackman, Maine during the summer of 2007.  I spent two years in the early 1970's in a drug rehab located in Jackman that was more like a concentration camp at times than it was like a drug rehab. This quote describes exactly how I feel about that whole experience.  Just for the record, my choice was to let it strengthen me.

FOR EVERYTHING ELSE THERE'S DUCK TAPE

merijane muses is written by a "salty Maine chick" and encompasses her "musings on life's joys, heartbreaks & curveballs."  Her latest post, Forgive Yourself, Mama covers motherhood's trials and tribulations.  Merijane's outlook on life and subject matter is refreshingly honest and aimed at things most of us can relate to in our own lives.

The following is the comment I left in response to her heartfelt post and after rereading it,  I realized that my words to her is my own philosophy about life summed up in one short paragraph:

Too many of us never learn how to forgive ourselves for anything. It's as though we never hold ourselves to the same standards we have for everyone else. We don't expect perfection from anyone but the person staring back at us in the mirror. It's really sad we do that to ourselves...life would be so much easier and way more pleasant if we just exhaled and relaxed. It's okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from the mistakes we make. What I've found in life is that most things can be fixed with love and for everything else there's duck tape!