why limit happiness to just one hour?
—
note: happy hour began as an event in the military.
it is believed that the term comes from events organized
by a club called the happy hour social for the United States Navy in 1913.
—
“fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you.”
-william shakespeare
—
image credit: google images
“our insignificance is often the cause of our safety.”
-aesop
—
the field museum of natural history, chicago, il, usa
surprising how frogs can be found most everywhere, each of them unique.
—
“you can’t tell by the look of a frog how far they’ll jump.”
-paul doiron
on a tired evening after a long day at school
i arrived for my hair appointment
already ready to be home
a stylist new to me
was running late
quite a patient person by nature
i felt myself becoming impatient
really wanting to be done and home
and on and on about me
finally she was ready
we took the elevator and headed upstairs
thinking about waking up at 4:30 the next am.
i sat down in her chair
sensing she had been through something
while she worked we began to talk about our lives
she shared things with me:
she can only work 3 days at a time and then needs 2 days off
due to a chronic illness that has affected her leg
(ah, the elevator)
she is one of eight children raised by a single mother
she was a very young mother years ago
she loves her daughter, granddaughter, and mother dearly
she is sharing rides with a co-worker as her car is not working
she doesn’t always have dinner or time for it
this was her last week at the salon
she needed some down time to recover
she would love to have her own little salon one day
she spoke of other joys and challenges in her life
determined not to give up and make the best of things
such a strong soul
i felt ashamed for my impatience
happy i had waited and not expressed it
i had nothing to complain about
she was an incredible person
still kind and happy
still in the midst of overcoming hard things
i tried to offer encouraging words
wished her well
gave her a restaurant card i had in my wallet
as we parted ways
i was reminded to always consider the other person
wait before reacting or rushing to judgement
we really have no idea what someone’s life is like
i thanked her
so very grateful for the lesson.
—
“let the first impulse pass, wait for the second.”
-baltasar gracian
“that we find a crystal or a poppy beautiful means that we are less alone,
that we are more deeply inserted into existence than the course of a single life would lead us to believe.”
-john berger
—
anna scripps whitcomb conservatory, belle isle, detroit, michigan
According to the United Nations, there are currently more than 370 million Indigenous people spread across 70 countries worldwide. In total, they belong to some 5,000 different Indigenous groups and speak more than 4,000 languages. Many of these groups have distinct social, economic, and political systems, as well as distinct culture and beliefs. Sadly, they are often marginalized or directly threatened by more dominant powers in society — despite having been the original inhabitants of the land they occupy.
Indigenous peoples often have a strong attachment, understanding, and respect for their native lands, be it the great plains of the United States, the Canadian prairies, or the Amazon rainforest. This connection is frequently apparent in the wise words of Indigenous leaders both past and present. Today, with many Indigenous communities on the frontlines of the battle to protect our natural world, this wisdom is perhaps more important than ever.
—
“Even though you and I are in different boats,
you in your boat and we in our canoe,
we share the same River of Life.
What befalls me, befalls you.”
-Oren Lyons, Onandaga Nation Chief
and member of the Indigenous Peoples of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations
—
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors Native American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. On October 8th, 2021 President Joe Biden signed a presidential proclamation declaring October 11th to be a national holiday.
—
– credits: Penobscot History Museum, United Nations
with so much going on in the world
and all around us
it’s vitally important
to keep an open mind.
—
“our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction.”
quote credited to both : alan ginsberg/francis picabia
—
image credit: busybrain
happy things left behind after someone’s day at the beach on lake michigan
—
“there are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
-c.s.lewis
holland, michigan, usa – fall 2021
I didn't have my glasses on.... 