Bigger and Better

"Now with twice the calcium!"
"Home of the largest airplane in the world."
"More horsepower than our competitors."

I’m struck by society’s need to out-do everyone. We want “new and improved.” We have to have more capacity. A large soda isn’t enough, we have to upgrade to an extra large.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that technology allows us to create more for less money in less time. I’m aware that innovation spawns growth.

But sometimes I wish that we could all just enjoy status quo. That keeping up with the Joneses would mean staying in touch with them as individuals, not trying to buy a better boat or a bigger lawn mower. How can I make “bigger and better” refer to my relationship with people, and not with things? Is it possible to connect with people without having to compare ourselves with their things or their status?

I hope so…

A Hard Act To Follow

When I started this blogging adventure, I had grandiose ideas of documenting my thoughts on a daily basis. But to be quite truthful, I’ve found it difficult to come up with anything interesting to say the past couple of days. I long for the skill to be witty and clever and to change the world with my thoughts [insert maniacal laugh of Dr. Evil here].


I have been inspired by several folks who blog nearly daily. These people write about their observations, feelings, and opinions.

My favorite is a second cousin whose nearly daily entries are succinct, entertaining, and thought provoking.

I also enjoy reading the thoughts from our music pastor and church secretary (yes, they are married… to each other).

My goal is to be more aware of my surroundings and document the things I care about. I think that means taking a more active, intentional role in my day-to-day activities.

It's OK...

.... to be in a bad mood.

You know, growing up I thought that bad moods were supposed to be pushed down inside and covered with a fake smile. Being upset was a bad thing. My parents never really taught that in words, but that is what our family did in action. I've lived under that motto for nearly 3 1/2 decades.

Then I met the woman of my dreams. And she explained... no encouraged me to own my bad moods. All I have to tell her is that I'm mad, or grumpy, or sad. And I'm free to vent that emotion. I can't tell you how freeing that is. I'm no longer an emotional pressure cooker, shoving more anger and frustration inside, waiting for the top to blow. Now I just express my moods and let them desolve away. At least that is the goal. 35+ years of stuffing practice is a hard habit to break.

That being said... I'm in a funky mood. And its OK.

MMMM

So, I've been watching several of my friends’ blogs and they have inspired me to attempt a daily routine of documenting some of my thoughts. I've been impressed by some of the clever names people give their blogs, and I knew I had to come up with something clever as well.

Problem: I don't consider myself to be very creative. In fact, I'm a numbers guy and do better with the constancy of numbers. (You only have to count to 10 as an accountant, you know.) Not necessarily part of the standard creative mind.

Solution: When I was a kid in high school, I published a monthly newsletter that I sent to all my friends as a way of keeping in touch (this was way before the advent of e-mail.) One of my friends came up with the name Mischievous Maurer's Miscellaneous Misquotes as the title of this weak attempt at communication. As I contemplated the name of this small space of internet real estate, I thought the title would fit here as well.

Finally, I decided to create a blog category called MMMM for the completely random and uncatagorizeable drivel I will spill on these pages; very miscellaneous, slightly mischievous, and largely misquotable.

So, I've succeeded in a couple of things today. I've created another entry into the public online diary that is my blog. I've been ever so slightly creative by giving homage to a historical burst of creativity (unfortunately not mine). And I've given myself yet one more opportunity to elaborate effusively on inconsequential topics.

Boy, isn't that a hook to keep you coming back for more!