Monday, April 27, 2009

If you can't say anything nice....

As my mother used to say, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Actually my mother never said that, but it is a saying usually attributed to mothers. And maybe my mother did say it and I don’t remember.

But it is good advice. Not that I’ve taken it this weekend. I’ve tended to grumble a lot. I’ve grumbled mostly under my breath and out of hearing range of anyone who might hear me and throw the motherly quote back at me. And I didn’t feel like grumbling in my blog. The old popular “Bloggrumble”. Sounds like something that would have lunch with a Slithy Tove. In a cave somewhere with low lighting and Bauhaus prints on the wall.

But I want to post something tonight so when I get up tomorrow, I can simply catch up on the blogs all of you have been writing. I think, tomorrow…although when I play catch up tomorrow will be today…I will start with Dan who always does gratitude things.

I don’t feel much like Dan tonight…although when I play catch up tonight will be last night…Time is such a confusing thing. But if I were Dan, talking about the weekend, I would be grateful for:

1. My neighbor, Steve, who loaned me his battery charger so I could charge up the battery on the riding lawnmower even though it still didn’t work after the battery was charged.

2. The fact my push mower finally started after 5,761 pulls of the starter rope which not only gave my back exercises in pulling but then allowed my legs to get exercise in pushing.

3. Advil.

4. …

And now you can be grateful because that was all that was “autosaved” when the computer went into super slow motion mode last night…which really was last night because I couldn’t post this last night because Blogspot wouldn’t let me in my own Dashboard saying either my account or my password were wrong…

GARRRAGFFDG$AAARG!!!

So items 4-10 in my list of sarcastic gratitude are now missing. Probably Blogspot’s way of enforcing what my mother used to say….

And it wouldn’t let me in again this morning so I had to reset my password….

By now, since it is this morning and I still haven’t posted it yet…As my mother used to say, “If you can’t say anything nice, be as confusing as possible.”

Grrrr.

23 comments:

  1. i always feel gratitude for your ponderings x

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  2. Damn shame! Well least you got your grumbling out of the way.....didnt you?

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  3. I sooo agree with that sentiment. Our pastor was talking about that to the kids in Awana last Wednesday night. He told them words are like bullets........once you fire them you can't take them back - EVER!!
    Why can't you take up blogging as a full time job B&B? Your writing and posts are so awesome someone will probably notice and you WILL become the nest Hemmingway. Who knows??? Could happen....
    And dude.........you're soooo on for the race in the little red cars but be forewarned....I have a heavy foot and no fear of speed.

    Call me dude..........seriously.......

    Steady On
    Reggie Girl

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  4. Hahah I'm grateful you made me laugh right across the other side of the world.....you did.

    It's dark here 9.25pm Monday ...I'm tired did a 12 hour work day but ok. Yes I am. Going to bed very soon.

    You made me laugh and smile.

    You know my friend, as not all my friends would know ....sometimes you gotta fake gratitude until you make it.

    Breathe in .....breathe out ...do the dishes, and let God move the mountains.

    Sarah Lulu VIII

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  5. Bagman,

    Sounds like you had one of those adventure-packed nights which spilled into morning.

    For me personally, I always think I have a resolution, a work around and the ultimate answer but I too often find myself sprialling down the shaft.

    You're a better man than I Bagman, because what often leaves my mouth would not qualify for the Saying something good category.

    I will try to remember this post the next time I spin uncontrollably head first down the dark shaft of my own doing. I know it's dramatic but what would you expect from one who calls himself "a writer".

    U

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  6. Mark, wonderful post! It's like that.

    I've learned to grumble mostly inaudibly, but I grumble mentally a lot.

    The reason I do the gratitude thing every day is because the gauzy veil between me and calamity is so permeable.

    Gratitude practice helps me notice the non-calamitous things that are simultaneously happening as I muddle through my days.

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  7. Maybe that's why I am both so confusing and so confused?? Because I actually never have anything nice to say at all...?? Now I'm really confused. Help!

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  8. Gosh, you managed to make my day sound wonderful. I have found a huge wasps nests inside the wall, just outside my living room door and window -- but nothing like your da.

    Don't you just love spring? :-)

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  9. I meant day. But you knew that.

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  10. ROFL - you have such a great way of putting things. :D

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  11. Grumbling is necessary sometimes. It can help us sort through the debris to define what it is we're really bothered by and it just means we're human. Grumble, grumble away especially if it makes someone else laugh...

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  12. I say bad things when I drive... I am sure when Camillo rides with me he gets - I don't know - but he takes a lot of deep breaths. Anyway I say really bad things about other drivers and even throw some sign language at them - but when I blog I try to keep it nice - this is why I would say no one really knows the real us out in cyber space.

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  13. Go ahead and say thiongs that ain't nice. It's ok if that's how you feel, right? As long as you doesn't hurt anyone. (Like my last post-maybe? Unless I hurt you by part of what I said) Sometimes things just can't be stuffed.

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  14. If you don't manage to go full-time fab blogging, or even bloggrumbling - both are great coming from the B Boys, then you should try full-time photographic portraiture - I love the silhouettes, I love the fact that you've captured your son and grandson on the same quilt and in the same romper suit - Incroyable, Sirs - You have such talent - Mutter ye not as the much missed English comedian, Frankie Howerd would have said!

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  15. Thanks to your computer break down, you text was just short enough to let me conclude my blogging tour tonight not too late! Always something positive to be found, also when things go wrong!:-)

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  16. Hey, you did a good job. I'm confused! ;)

    Computers suck doo doo when they don't let you have your way with them when you want to.

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  17. Dorothea says: Gjerlrhr hre haljrr. Hehar, hgher, thwr!

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  18. LOL!!! You sound like my husband after a fight with our lawn mower. In fact, that entire post sounded like one of his rants. That was funny.

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  19. Mark we haved loved what u have written lately we felt so sorry for u lol that day but we are happy u got at least one of them started me and brian now have a blog go cheak our first page out not as good as yours but idk us writting helps relieve stress we love ya

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