Anniversary of V-J Day

Today is the 80th anniversary of V-J Day, or Victory Over Japan Day. After the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August of 1945, Japan announced its surrender, leading to widespread celebrations globally. This led to the official end of World War II.

Many of the images that Americans associate with the end of the war were taken on this day (8/14). In the United Kingdom, however, the following day—August 15—was formally declared as V-J Day and remains so to the present day. Japan commemorates August 15 as the end of the war as well.

While the initial announcement of surrender led to immediate celebrations, but the formal signing of the surrender documents happened on September 2, 1945. That is what solidified the end of the war and is officially recognized by the US as V-J Day.

One of the most famous photos taken on August 14th was of a sailor kissing a woman in the middle of Time Square.

The sailor in the iconic “V-J Day in Times Square” photo was George Mendosa, and the woman he kissed was Greta Zimmer Friedman. The photograph captures the moment of jubilation in Times Square after the announcement of Japan’s surrender.

Many people think that the photo depicts a “nurse,” Friedman was actually a dental assistant, and the white uniform she wore was standard attire for dental assistants at the time. Mendonsa, who was on leave from the Navy, got caught up in the celebratory atmosphere of the day. He later stated he acted on instinct, grabbing and kissing the woman in the white uniform. A truly iconic moment captured on film forever.

Just to be clarify, the identities of the two in the photo has been a topic of controversy for some time. Carl Muscarello (a retired NY policeman) said the soldier was him in 1995. In 2007, Glenn McDuffie made the claim that it was him. A woman named Edith Shain claimed to be the woman claiming to be kissed by Muscarello.

Whoever is in the photo, it remains one of the most famous photos of World War II. It inspired a bronze statue of the moment called “Unconditional Surrender.” Copies of the statue have appeared all over the country. On June 18, 2016 a copy was installed in my home state of Michigan in the city of Royal Oak. It went on display in the city’s Memorial Park on June 20. The city manager expected that the statue would increase tourism and help raise money for the Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial, a permanent World War II memorial in the park. It remained there until December of 2016.

The statue was located on Woodward Ave, which I drove daily to get to work. It was an amazing sight to see up close. I was sad when they moved it to its next destination.

Book Recommendation: The Secret Book of Flora Lea

Every once in a while a book on my “to read” list will sit on there a bit. Usually this is because I’ve read a negative review on Goodreads or maybe someone on one of the book related Facebook groups I belong to said they couldn’t finish it. I need to keep in mind that all book reviews (like music and humor) are subjective and that what I like, others may not and vice versa. That being said, I finally sat with The Secret Book of Flora Lea.

The thing that kept bringing me back to wanting to read it was the description listed on Goodreads and Amazon. There was something about the premise, the questions surrounding the mystery involved, and my curiosity about how it would end that kept peaking my interest.

Here is that Goodreads synopsis:

When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed.

In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.

But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars . Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance. An astonishing twist ultimately reveals the truth in this transporting and refreshingly original novel about the bond between sisters, the complications of conflicted love, and the enduring magic of storytelling.

A tagline for the book reads, “A world war and a fairy tail collide…” and in a way, they do. However, the war is merely the setting and the catalyst that sets the story in motion.

I found that I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated I would. I really connected with the characters and found myself feeling for them. Without giving you spoilers, let me give an example. I could not imagine living in a place that was being threatened by enemy attack and having the government telling me that I needed to send my children away to stay with some other family until it was safe. That tore me up!

As the story progresses you pick up pieces along the way from the past and present to help solve the mystery. The make believe land of Whisperwood was a story that was only shared between the two sisters, so you cannot help but wonder how another author wrote about it in great detail. You wonder if the author is really the sister. You wonder if the sister told the author the story. Maybe the sister told somebody who told somebody else, etc… I wanted to know!

Not so much a spoiler here, but I will tell you that one of the things I loved about this book was that shortly before the book is over, the mystery is solved only to bring about a second mystery which brings you to the conclusion of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. I went back and read some of the negative reviews again and I laughed. I had finished the book and these reviews were saying what they didn’t like about the book and I thought, “that couldn’t be farther from the truth” and “that’s being so nitpicky.” Lesson learned – let others opinions stand alone and don’t let them influence you.

Am I saying that you will love the book? I don’t know. All I can tell you is that I liked it and I feel that others, including you, might like it as well.

Book Recommendation: The Book of Lost Names

I am finding that there is no shortage of books set in World War II. What is really fascinating is that despite the number of them, they all seem to have a unique story line to them. That was the case with the book today.

This was a book I kept seeing come up on Goodreads as well as on a page of Historical Fiction recommendations. There were many rave reviews and positive reactions to it, so when it became available, I grabbed it.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, is shelving books one morning when her eyes lock on a photograph in a magazine lying open nearby. She freezes; it’s an image of a book she hasn’t seen in sixty-five years—a book she recognizes as The Book of Lost Names.

The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War II—an experience Eva remembers well—and the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago. The book in the photograph, an eighteenth-century religious text thought to have been taken from France in the waning days of the war, is one of the most fascinating cases. Now housed in Berlin’s Zentral- und Landesbibliothek library, it appears to contain some sort of code, but researchers don’t know where it came from—or what the code means. Only Eva holds the answer—but will she have the strength to revisit old memories and help reunite those lost during the war?

As a graduate student in 1942, Eva was forced to flee Paris after the arrest of her father, a Polish Jew. Finding refuge in a small mountain town in the Free Zone, she begins forging identity documents for Jewish children fleeing to neutral Switzerland. But erasing people comes with a price, and along with a mysterious, handsome forger named Rémy, Eva decides she must find a way to preserve the real names of the children who are too young to remember who they really are. The records they keep in The Book of Lost Names will become even more vital when the resistance cell they work for is betrayed and Rémy disappears.

An engaging and evocative novel reminiscent of The Lost Girls of Paris and The Alice Network, The Book of Lost Names is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery and love in the face of evil.

I really enjoyed this one. It was a good story that had things I figured out and a few surprises. As the story wrapped, I was left wanting to know more. Perhaps a sequel? I dunno.

4 out of 5 stars

Book Recommendation: The Air Raid Book Club

My latest read wasn’t a mystery, believe it or not. While that tends to be my most read genre, this historical fiction novel came up as a recommendation on Goodreads and it was really just a good story.

The Air Raid Book Club is the first book I’ve read by author Annie Lyons. Unlike many of the World War II stories I have read, this one takes place in London.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

London, 1938: The bookstore just doesn’t feel the same to Gertie Bingham ever since the death of her beloved husband Harry. Bingham Books was a dream they shared together, and without Harry, Gertie wonders if it’s time to take her faithful old lab, Hemingway, and retire to the seaside. But fate has other plans for Gertie.

In Germany, Hitler is on the rise, and Jewish families are making the heart-wrenching decision to send their children away from the growing turmoil. After a nudge from her dear friend Charles, Gertie decides to take in one of these refugees, a headstrong teenage girl named Hedy. Willful and fearless, Hedy reminds Gertie of herself at the same age, and shows her that she can’t give up just yet. With the terrible threat of war on the horizon, the world needs people like Gertie Bingham and her bookshop.

When the Blitz begins and bombs whistle overhead, Gertie and Hedy come up with the idea to start an air raid book club. Together with neighbors and bookstore customers, they hold lively discussions of everything from Winnie the Pooh to Wuthering Heights. After all, a good book can do wonders to bolster people’s spirits, even in the most trying times. But even the best book can only provide a temporary escape, and as the tragic reality of the war hits home, the book club faces unimaginable losses. They will need all the strength of their stories and the bonds they’ve formed to see them through to brighter days.

This was one of those stories that I could see as a movie. It was a nice change for the book to be set in England and see how they prepared for war and still have the German/Jewish elements involved with driving the story along.

I will certainly check out other Annie Lyons books in the future, as I found this to be a nice read.

Book Recommendation: The Little Liar – Mitch Albom

I’ve known the name Mitch Albom since I was 15, when he started writing for the Detroit Free Press. He started with sports related columns, but eventually started writing a second column that focused on … well, “life.” I’ve always enjoyed reading his columns, even when he and I disagreed on a topic.

As an author, his big breakthrough was in 1997 with his book Tuesdays With Morrie. That was followed by The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, Have a Little Faith, The Time Keeper, The First Phone Call From Heaven, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, Finding Chika, and The Stranger in the Lifeboat.

I have read a few of his books in the past and enjoy his style of writing. He has been able to take much of what makes his newspaper columns so popular and do the same with his novels. Last year he published The Little Liar and after reading the synopsis, I knew I had to read it.

From Amazon.com

Beloved bestselling author Mitch Albom returns with a powerful novel of hope and forgiveness that moves from a coastal Greek city during WWII to America in the golden age of Hollywood, as the intertwined lives of three young survivors are forever changed by the perils of deception and the grace of redemption.

Eleven-year-old Nico Krispis has never told a lie. His schoolmate, Fannie, loves him because of it. Nico’s older brother Sebastian resents him for both these facts. When their young lives are torn apart during the war, it will take them decades to find each other again.

Nico’s innocence and goodness is used against his tightly knit community when a German officer barters Nico’s reputation for honesty into a promise to save his loved ones. When Nico realizes the consequences of the betrayal, he can never tell the truth again. He will spend the rest of this life changing names, changing locations and identities, desperate to find a way to forgiveness—for himself and from the people he loves most.

Albom’s extraordinary storytelling is at its powerful best in his first novel to confront the destruction that lying can wreak both on the world stage as well as on the individual lives that get caught up in it. As The Stranger in the Lifeboat spoke to belief, The Little Liar speaks to hope, in a breathless page-turner that will break your heart open and fill it with the power of the human spirit and the goodness that lies within us all.

Narrated by the voice of Truth itself, The Little Liar is a timeless story about the power of love to ultimately redeem us, no matter how deeply we blame ourselves for our mistakes.

I have read my share of books set in World War II, Concentration Camps, and that era in general. I suppose that is why it popped up as a recommendation on Goodreads. I really enjoyed this book. While the setting and situations involve sadness (the Holocaust, the War, etc…), it was more about the characters and their stories that really grabbed me. The innocent child who believed he was doing right; the hateful German officer and his terrible thoughts, the family members who fought to survive and those who never had a chance; sibling rivalry, jealousy, and a drive for justice – all of those characters and how their stories intertwined made this book a memorable one.

If you love historical fiction, you will enjoy this one.

Friday Photo Flashback

It is time for another Friday Photo Flashback. This week, it is a bit different. In the past installments, I have picked on photo and written about things in it, or the memories connected to it. Today, however, is Veteran’s Day and I have a few photos that I want to share. The camera at the top of the blog is a 1967 Polaroid Land Camera. I chose this particular camera because of the context of the photos below.

Veteran’s Day is a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Veterans Day celebrates the service of all US military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who have died while in military service.

I’d like to especially thank my dad, and all of the great Vietnam veterans I’ve had the chance to meet because of him. Here is a photo of him either just before or just after basic training.

My dad served in the 9th Infantry.

He sent many photos home from Vietnam. He sent them to my grandparents, and my mom (long before they were married).

These photos were in albums for many years and there was a time that my dad didn’t talk much about his time in Vietnam. It was war after all, and he saw things and witnessed things I cannot imagine.

I knew from a shadow box that held his name tag, bars, patches, and his Purple Heart that he was in the infantry and was wounded. It was years later that he told me about that.

The above photo was one I don’t really remember. It is possible that this was one that my grandma had at her house in her albums. I’m going to guess that my dad is 21-23 in this photo.

The title on this scan was “R&R,” so my dad might be on leave in this picture. It is another one that I have a vague recollection of.

A father will usually boast about being proud of their children, but I would like to turn the tables and say that I am proud of my father. I am honored to be this hero’s son. Thank you, Pop, for your service to our country.

Before wrapping up, let me remember my grandfather, Henry Davidson, who fought in World War II and my Uncle Tom (my Godfather), who also served in Vietnam.

I love this picture of my dad and my uncle. There were friends since childhood and remained friends until my uncle passed away. What an amazing friendship they shared.

Today I thank those who have served in the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines and all branches of the military. Thank you for your service to this country and thank you for the freedoms that I have, the freedoms that my family and friends have, and for the freedoms of every American citizen. You make me proud to be an American.

Friday Photo Flashback

Its time for another edition of my Friday Photo Flashback. I stumbled upon a photo that brought back many memories making me happy and sad at the same time. Take a peak:

If I was going to put a date on this, it is probably around 1996 or 1997. It looks like it was taken at a home I lived in with my then girlfriend and future ex. It is a terrible picture of me, as I am obviously caught by surprise here. I still have hair and am still wearing glasses. I’m also sporting one of the T-shirts I had made for my DJ business. But it is not me (or the big honking computer monitor) that catches my attention – it is the stuff I can see in the background.

A lot of it I can make out just by looking at it. However, I viewed it by zooming in and a lot caught my attention. The bookshelves alone are full of fantastic memories! The book shelf on the left side of the picture holds a boat load of VHS tapes. On the top shelf I can make out some Soupy Sales Show videos and some videos we must have recorded off TV (hand made lables). On the shelf below that I can make out the VHS tapes of the Three Stooges shorts, Jack Webb’s Dragnet movie, and the Jack Palance version of Dracula. Each shelf would hold two rows of VHS tapes. So I can only see the front rows of what is on the shelf. It seems like the third shelf down is also holding video tapes, but the three hole punch on top of the computer monitor is blocking it.

This photo is obviously taken after 1994. That is when Honey Radio went off the air. Honey stuff is all over this room! Right above the three hole punch, you can make out a black and gold Honey Radio coffee mug. On the top shelf of the right book case, I can see the the Billboard Top 100 Chart book and Pop Singles book. These were part of the Honey on air studio. Behind me on the wall is a chalk caricature that was drawn of me while I was out doing a remote broadcast. I LOVED that thing, and it is long gone now. (This may be the only photographic evidence of it). Next to that is a wooden sign with the Honey Logo on it. Below that sign are two frames. One contains one of the last Honey Happenings newsletters (which has my picture in it) and the other is a shot of me and my old morning show partner.

On the wall behind me in the photo is a beautiful framed photo of the Three Stooges. I received that for Christmas one year from my parents. Under that is the top of a Blues Brothers concert poster. At one point, I used that when my partner Steve and I would don our Blues Brothers hats when we DJ’d. And right below that are the Three Stooges dolls I wrote about in a previous Friday Photo Flashback. You can see the tag on the Curly just behind my ear.

Heading back to the bookshelves. The bookshelf on the right has SO many books that I wish I still had. There is a book on Bugs Bunny, a book on World War II that I had given my grandpa, a few books with Three Stooges scripts, an amazing biography on Curly, and the wonderful Ted Sennett book on the Art of Hanna Barbera.

On the second shelf, I can make out the Milton Berle Joke books I used when I was on the radio, biographies on Stan Freberg and Jackie Gleason, and books I had forgotten about. One example of this is when Thomas Chastain offered up a new Perry Mason novel –

Another example is the books by William Harrington series with Columbo as the star –

The next shelf contains books about movies and TV shows. I had books on Get Smart, Batman, Perry Mason, The Munsters, and more. The coolest of the TV show books were two with trivia and scripts from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

There are other little trinkets and treasures on the shelves I can see, but the ones on the top of the book cases are ones I wish I still had. I can see my prom glasses up there (yes, they gave high school kids in 1988 wine glasses!), I had two because I went to prom with a gal in my junior year and then my senior prom.

On the left, you can see the boxes that contained limited edition Blues Brothers dolls. I had both Jake and Elwood.

Also on the top of the shelf are Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton figures – limited editions, as well.

I had no idea there was an Alice figure that went with those two until I was searching for pictures.

Finding the photo with all of these memories was such a treat to me. I am sad to remember so many great books and things that are no longer in my possession, but the memories of them remain.

Back in Time?

All writers get writer’s block. I am hardly a “writer”, but sometimes stare at the blank page and wonder what to write about. Since I began blogging, I have stumbled on blogs written by others who share some of the same interests as me. I have followed blogs that feature movies, TV, music, nostalgia, positive thoughts & quotes, and more. There have been many instances where I read another blog and an idea will pop into my head. My friend Max and I tend to “borrow” ideas from each other often.

Many ideas I adapt from those blogs. For this blog I am literally stealing the idea, and giving credit, and creating some rules for it. The Anxious Teacher wrote a blog after watching Back to the Future III. You can read it here:

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/94480307/posts/2458827458

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What a great idea for a blog! If you had a time machine – where would you travel? As I thought about this, I wanted to limit myself to a few things. First of all, because I have watched the Back to the Future movies, I know that if you go back and change something in the past – it will affect the future. So Limit #1: If I go back, I am simply there to observe. Many of the things I thought I would like to go back and witness happened over a period of time, so Limit #2 – no real time limit. Limit #3 – wherever I go, I will be dressed appropriately as to not raise suspicion. I know, it’s silly, but it’s my blog and my rules.

I actually thought about adding what I would call the “Ebenezer Scrooge” element to this. What is that? Well, remember when Scrooge was transported into the past, present & future? He could witness everything, but he could not interact with anyone. Those events happened and the people were not aware he was even there. Perhaps that would be the best thing, right? That way, if I went back in time, I would not be tempted to change things.

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General times and places

As my blogger friend said, I think it would be very cool to visit the old west. I have watched many westerns on TV and in the movies. I have read many books set in the old west. I think it would be pretty cool to walk through one of those western towns. How cool would it be to visit the saloons, or the general store? I think it would be cool to don a cool cowboy hat, boots & spurs and ride a horse to get from place to place.

I also think it would be cool to visit the ancient times and watch the building of the pyramids, or buildings like the coliseum. Those historic buildings are still standing. How awesome would it be to see just how they put them together?

As someone who has been a huge fan of the 1950’s, I would love to live a year or two in this decade. It’s fun to see how the ’50s are portrayed in movies like Back to the Future, and I would love to see it in person. I would love to hear the old radio stations playing those early rock and roll songs. I would love to see those classic films in a theater. I would love to have a meal at a real 50’s diner or drive a classic car!

I would love to visit the 1940’s, too! The music of the great band leaders, the early music of Sinatra, and of course, those great old radio shows! Of course, World War II was going on, but it would be interesting to see how life in America was at that time.

Everyone wants to visit the future … that peaks my interest, but is it something I would do? I don’t know. I’d be tempted to come back to the present and use the information for personal gain, or to alter outcomes. I’m not sure visiting the future would be something I’d want to do – unless I knew it was something specific I wouldn’t be able to see.

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General People of Interest

I would love to watch Beethoven or Bach (or any composer, really) writing and composing a piece of their music.

I would love to watch someone like Edgar Allen Poe or William Shakespeare writing a poem or story.

I would love to sit on a set and watch them shooting a Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy film.

I would love to be in the room where the First Continental Congress held meetings and watch men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others in action.

I would love to attend a taping of an old episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson or a taping of the Dean Martin Show.

I would love to be in the audience at a Rat Pack show in Chicago or Las Vegas. Come on! Dean, Frank and Sammy!!

I would love to be an extra in one of my favorite movies.

I would love to watch Elvis in the recording studio.

I would love to watch Thomas Edison working on the phonograph or the electric light.

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Specific Events

I would love to watch the moon landing (on TV or from space).

I would love to watch the first flight with the Wright Brothers.

I would love to see JFK’s inauguration.

I would love to see a Beatles concert.

I would love to see Lincoln deliver his Gettysburg Address.

I would love to witness the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I would love to witness the launch of Titanic on her maiden voyage.

I would love to be in the stands at Tiger Stadium at the final game of the 1984 World Series.

I would love to be in the crowd at 1985’s Live Aid concert.

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Personal Things

I know I put some limits on what can or cannot happen if I went back in time, but if there were no limits there are a few things I would like to do with that time machine.

I would love one more conversation with my mom.

I would love one more pinochle game with grandma and grandpa.

I would love one more Christmas Eve with grandma and grandpa.

I would love one more radio show with Rob.

I would love one more cribbage game with my grandpa.

I would love to play my trumpet in one more high school band concert.

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Just One Day

For whatever reason, writing this blog made me think of the Nat King Cole song, “That Sunday, That Summer”. The lyrics of the song say:

“If I had to chose just one day, to last my whole life through, it would surely be that Sunday, the day that I met you.”

With a time machine, you could go back to one day. You could pick the day. You could relive whatever happened that day. What day would that be?

I don’t know that I could pick just one.

What I do know is that there are plenty of days that I am looking forward to that haven’t happened yet – the birth of my daughter, the graduations of my sons, etc…. I am perfectly content moving forward and experiencing the days to come.

Here is sit, remembering the past – loving the present – and looking forward to the future.

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A good book, a great compliment, and bad dreams.

Intro

5-Days

It’s been 5 days since I have had a chance to sit and blog. I have been able to jot things in my notebook, but just never had the chance to write. This blog, like the last one, is a collection of thoughts from the past 5 days.

A Good Book

I have a habit of going to that store and snapping pictures of books that I want to read in the future. Every now and then I have to scroll through the many pictures on my phone to remember them. I need to add them to my “Good Reads” app, so they are all in one place, but I never seem to find the time to do that.

My wife and I tend to read very different books. I read a lot of history themed books, as well as mysteries, thrillers, and biographies. She reads more Jodi Picoult type stories. I had received a Barnes and Noble gift card some time ago, and my wife and I took a walk through the store to see what I might want to spend it on. While walking through the “New in Paperback” section, I saw one that caught my eye.

I have read a few books that used World War II and German Concentration Camps as a setting. Some were true stories, some were fiction. When I saw the book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I picked it up to read what it was about.

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While the book is a novel, it is based on the true story of a man and woman who met and fall in love while imprisoned at the camp Auschwitz-Berkenau. The author, Heather Morris, wrote the story after many interviews with Lale Sokolov. The novel is based on his story. After his wife, Gita passed away, he wanted to share his story. The result was this book.

I read it knowing that it was a “fictionalized” version of their story. The author stated that she wrote the story that Lale intended her to write. Late last year, there was some controversy saying that there were things that were incorrect in the story. The author again said that she wrote what he told her to write. None of that takes away from a very powerful story of love and survival. While I wished for more of an after story, I am excited to hear that there is a sequel due out next month based on one of the other characters in the book – Cilka’s Journey. I will definitely be reading that one, too.

A Great Compliment

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It’s always great to catch up with an old friend. It’s even better when you catch up and can talk about the good things going on in your life, instead of the bad. My friend and I last chatted shortly after I got remarried, so it had been a little while since we chatted. I was able to talk about my newfound happiness, the positives and positive changes in my life, and, of course, the news that we are expecting a baby in February. After chatting for some time, my friend said, “Please don’t take this the wrong way. I don’t mean to sound mean or rude, but it is like I don’t even know you anymore!”

How could I take this as mean or rude? I knew exactly what my friend meant. I was a different person, a couple years ago. It always seemed like I was complaining when we talked. I was forever venting about the misery and worry in my life. I was in a very deep depression. I was SO unhappy. I was struggling with everything and anything. I was blaming myself for so many things! I took the blame for almost everything. I had given up.

“It’s like I don’t even know you anymore!” No – you don’t! I am NOT that person anymore. I don’t focus on negatives. There is a smile in my voice when I talk about my life. I have been blessed with an amazing soul mate who has changed my life in so many ways. I don’t think you are mean or rude – instead, I thank you for the amazing compliment. A compliment which proves that it’s not just me who sees the positive changes in my life – it’s others, too!

“When someone pays you a compliment – don’t disagree. Accept it with grace, and most importantly, BELIEVE what they say!”

Bad Dreams

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It has been some time since I have had a nightmare. Last night, I had a few! I probably should have wrote them all down, because I have forgotten some of them. I know I woke up at least 6 times in a 7 hour period. With every wake up, I got more and more annoyed.

I often try to think about why I dreamt about something. Sometimes, I can make a connection to something from the previous day. For the life of me, I have no idea why I dreamt about what I did. In the first dream, I was standing in a house looking out a window. I was staring outside at an older car, possibly a Chevy Caprice. Someone is standing next to it about to break into it or something and I am trying to yell out the window – I was doing everything I could to try to scream something at the person – but I could not make a sound. I woke up in the middle of those non-existent screams. I had only been asleep for about an hour.

In one dream, I am watching TV and I hear gunfire outside. The windows around me begin to shatter as bullets break through them. On the TV, I see the house I am in (it’s not my current one) on the news with “Breaking News” about a standoff in a local neighborhood. I can see police outside the one side of the house and when two men jump through the window into the house I woke up. (This dream may have stemmed from a radio show I heard on my way home.)

The final dream I remember involved me being chased by someone. I don’t even know why I was being chased. It was weird because the scenery around me changed often. I started running through a neighborhood. I then was running on a dirt road, through a shopping mall, and eventually I was running on the beach. As I was running through the sand, I could feel myself sinking deeper into the sand until I couldn’t move my legs. I was struggling to get my legs and feet out of the sand and they wouldn’t budge. I woke up with Sam’s leg on top of mine.

On days where I have to work, I hate when I keep waking up. I only had two cups of coffee last night and I was done with them by 3am. I hadn’t eaten anything out of the ordinary (which has led to weird dreams in the past) and was tired enough that I should have been able to sleep right through. I didn’t. I know better than to let it bug me, because the more you focus on how you need to sleep, the more it keeps you awake (at least that is the way it works for me). Hoping that tomorrow’s sleep is a whole lot better.

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