​I watched a young man pull a three-foot-wide stingray to the shore. He fought the hard fight, and after about sixty minutes, the animal was beached, only to take a quick picture, receive applause from the group that had gathered, and let it loose. I thought this might be the highlight of this guy’s life. He seemed to relish all the attention and the feeling of accomplishment. Had he ever caught something so significant before?
I believe that summer is the time to try things that you might not have done before. Let’s face it, what happens on vacation stays on vacation (unless it becomes the story of the big one that got away)? Maybe it is time to throw out your proverbial fishing line and see what you catch. Perhaps you will grab a new hobby. When was the last time you rode a bike? Or, after hearing about this new game, pickle ball, should you give that a try? The best part of doing something new away from your usual friends and neighbors is that you will probably not see these people again, and therefore you should not fear making a fool of yourself. No one even has to know if it is an epic fail. On the flip side, if you love it, you can tell everyone that you discovered your new passion while on vacation. This is something to explore further. Look for the completed story soon.

I saw a recent facebook post where a woman was asking for advice for her daughter who was being bullied at the end of the school year. Her story really hit a home for me because I, too, was bullied when I was in 7th and 8th grade. I remember the horrible feelings of fear and anxiety when I watched my clasmates pass around  a note that said "I hate Judy" and every single perosn in the class signed it. I was lucky in a way becasue this was before social media, so when the paper was thrown out, there was not lasting record of it. I am so glad I am not a child anymore. There are just so many ways to use our words to hurt someone over social media.  We have all heard the stories and have been insensed, but since it wasn't our kid, it's easy to move on. Years later my son was also bullied and we had to shut down his social media and keep him home from school until the matter was settled.  It was a terrible time for our family and many hateful words and rumors were spread. Anyway, I was thinking about what I would tell this young girl from facebook. Obviously, the older me could say that moments like this build character. But I wouldn't want to hear that in middle school and I am sure she doesn't either. I could also tell her that the bullies are weak and lack self-esteem, so they try to make other poeople feel bad so they can feel superior. You should feel sorry for them. Again, useful at 50, not great at 13. 
I want to expand on this idea and maybe shed some valuable light on the issues. If you have an idea, go to my contct page and send it to me. I am sure we can all agree that each child deserves to live thier best life every day and maybe together we can offer words of wisdom and change the path of just one young person. 

 As I was walking today I saw the sweetest thing. There was a older couple walking their dog. That was not the sweet part. She was holding the leash and he was pulling the wagon on top of which sat said dog. I loved that they were doing this together and they had found a way to incorporate their fur friend with them. I don't know if the dog was old or it was just easier for them to pull him, but either way it made an adorable picture. It reminded me that sometimes you need to think outside the box to accomplish something you really want. We can find plenty of excuses (think I'm too tired, the dog is too old, he pulls on the leash), but with a little ingenuity the most difficult obsticles can be overcome. 
I was thinking of those people who spend their life complaining or focusing on the negatives. They are not thinking outside the box. Negative reinforcement is not going to give you the same feeling as an accomplishment. Let's use our couple as an example. When the mountain seems unmovable, put on bettter shoes and go a different way.