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Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Last month would have been Fred Rogers', (of
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) 77th birthday, and as many of you know, I
became a huge Mister Rogers fan when I became a parent in the early
eighties. My two older sons watched his show every morning and we loved
to sing along to all of Mister Rogers' songs. I recently bought a CD of
Mister Rogers' music and my two daughters (ages 9 and 14) will sing the
songs in the car, as long as there are no other friends around to hear
it and I agree to change the music within three quarters of a mile from
the desired drop off point. I comply...most of the time!
This past week was another anniversary that we paused
to remember. It was the sixth anniversary of the Columbine shootings,
where our son was a freshman at the time. It was such a bizarre time,
with news crews camping out on our street, calls coming in trying to
get us to give them access to our son's yearbook. We had six Columbine
students that lived on our little street alone, and we discovered that
one of the teen gunmen lived on the street behind us and we never knew
him. We found ourselves outside hugging and crying with neighbors we
had barely waved to in the past.
Kirk and I had a friend who was a police officer and
he introduced us to a program called WINN: We're Involved Neighbors
Now! We decided to become neighborhood ambassadors and get involved,
pulling our neighbors together. We designed maps of our neighborhood
and invited everyone out to a block party. The object was to go around
and meet as many of our neighbors as possible and as you met them you
labeled their house on the map with their names. Our mail carrier,
Donna was there and she sat and labeled every single house on her own.
I told her that was cheating! We had a great time and some very close
relationships were born. Sadly, many people moved away over the next
few years looking for fresh starts, including us, and some
relationships broke under the pressures as we saw several couples
divorce.
We have been in our new house for almost three years
and I have made it a goal to get to know my neighbors without needing a
tragedy to launch my mission. We have a neighborhood map with
everyone's names and addresses on it. Everyone got a copy of the map as
I met them and any new neighbor that moves in gets a copy of this along
with some homemade cookies (okay, they are actually from the grocery
store bakery...but I practically live there) and a welcome card.
Not everyone on our street is as enthusiastic as I am
about this neighborhood love-fest. There are some nuts that are tougher
to crack, like Rex, who lives right next door. He doesn't wave, or even
acknowledge us when we go past his house. When he is outside, he wears
the giant noise-blocking earphones so he can ignore the world. I ran
into he and his wife the other day at the home improvement store and as
I was leaving they were entering the store. I said, "Hi there! I guess
it's that time of year again to get the house looking spiffy!" They
just kept walking as if I were some loony-toon taking to myself in the
lumber department.
Of course it didn't take long for this neighbor to
complain about Bob and his barking and once when Arwen got out, she ran
over like Clifford the Big Red Dog (she's our 90-pound German Shepherd)
to greet them in her friendly manner--a lick and a doggy pile on their
grass. We went over and apologized, but this relationship may take some
extra TLC before we are "feelin' the love!"
I wonder if Mister Rogers ever had a grouchy
neighbor. He always said, "I like you just the way you are!" Perhaps I
need to watch a few more re-runs of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, before
I am ready for Rex.
WISE CRACKS!
Just be yourself...unless you're a jerk, then be someone else. ~Larry Winget
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. ~Barbara Johnson
Those who insist on keeping an orderly home will
never know the thrilling sense of glee at finding something they
thought was lost forever. ~Barbara Johnson
The famous Olympic skier, Picabo (pronounced
"Peek-A-Boo") Street is also a nurse in an intensive care unit at a
large metropolitan hospital. She is not permitted to answer the phones
there however; it causes too much confusion when she would answer the
phone, "Picabo, ICU."
TRIVIA
1. What is the average lifespan of a human being's taste bud?
A. 24-30 hours B. 7-10 days C. 5-7 years D. A lifetime
2. Approximately how many pounds of dung does the average elephant produce daily?
A. 5 pounds B. 50 pounds C. 200 pounds D. 2,000 pounds
3. What earthly creature has four "noses" and 3,000 tiny teeth?
A. A sloth
B. An octopus
C. A slug
D. Your Uncle Harry
4. How many bones are in the human wrist?
A. Eight
B. Twenty eight
C. Two
D. Zero
Did You Know...?
Warner Brothers' famous little bird, Tweety, was
originally a pink featherless baby bird. Censors forced the character
to put yellow feathers on so he didn't look "naked." Apparently the
censor never noticed that Porky Pig was running around in the buff!
The Barbie Doll (named after creator, Ruth Handler's
daughter, Barbara) was first created in 1959, and sold for $3.00. Ken
was created in 1961 and named after Ruth and Elliot's son.
Talk about an over achiever...Barbie has had over 80
careers in her lifetime--ranging from a rock star to a paleontologist
to a presidential candidate. You go girl!
Live Like You Were Dying!
In January I began this focus of living like you were
dying, after hearing the song of the same title. I was excited to hear
that NBC's, Today Show is doing a similar segment starting in May--Live
for Today! As I have been outside doing some early gardening, I
realized that this new growth within us has become the new blooms in
our life that will become a beautiful fragrance in our history. Don't
put it off any longer. If you knew you were dying, what would you want
to do, learn, or try before it was too late? Come on...Go BIG!
I started piano lessons the first week in April and I
am loving it--I think I sound like a concert pianist already. I love to
play the chords real loud, but Bailey, my eight-year-old tells me to
play softer. She and I are playing a duet for a recital in May! This
should be interesting. Here are some other folks we can cheer for:
- Mark in Minneapolis has started Karate with his son Seth! Awesome job!
- Kevin in Colorado is going skydiving for the first time with some friends next month--Way to go BIG!
- Brittany in Wisconsin has signed up to begin tap lessons. You're never too old to dance Brittany! Exciting!
If you have been putting off learning something new
or doing something you have always wanted to do, send me an e-mail so I
can cheer you on and help to hold you accountable by letting the world
know what you are doing. If you are new to our "random" family, go to
my website www.SchreckTalk.com read January's Random Thoughts, and then send me a message.
 Tony the Toenail & Other Stories to Inspire
A collection of favorite stories like Tony the
Toenail, "Beauty in your own backyard" along with plenty of new stories
like Unc and Tale with Two Sides. If you are tired of chicken soup but
love a good story, this will hit the spot!
Marriage Mechanic 
Does your relationship need a "Tune Up?"Get ready for
Sparks with Marriage Mechanics Marriage Mechanics: A Tune Up for the
Highway of Love
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ASK BOB 
A Regular Column on Relationships by Man's Best Friend
Q: I have a neighbor
problem. We moved into a new home with no landscaping or fences yet,
and when we approached the neighbors on our sides and the one living
behind us, about going in together to get fences up, everyone agreed to
split the cost and labor...except for the neighbor behind us. He said
he didn't think that was a priority right now. Well, after seeing him
"sunbathing" in the back, I think it is a TOP PRIORITY! He has a dog
that is locked up in a dog-run and we also have a little dog, Max, that
has to stay on a leash until we get a fence. I don't think I helped
matters much when I yelled at him to "keep his flabby body covered up
if he was not in his own private yard." Of course he said his yard was
private and for me to shut my blinds if I didn't like the view! This is
not how we wanted to begin a relationship with new neighbors. What's
your advice?
A: First I would buy
Max some very dark, protective eye-wear, since he is the one who has to
suffer the "view" when you are not home. The next
thing you have to do is address this as two separate problems--one is
about getting a fence built, and one is about repairing the
relationship with this neighbor.
The first problem is rather easy. You will have to
pay for the fence and put it up yourself. The good news is, you can
have the "good side" of the fence facing your yard.
The second problem is a little trickier. First take a
bit of time to write down your response before going over to speak to
this neighbor. Remember your goal here is to repair the relationship
with your neighbor. It is not get him to change his mind about the
fence. This would be a great side benefit, but it should not be your
initial goal.
You will have to begin with a good apology. A good
apology does not have the word, "BUT" anywhere in it. A good apology
sounds something like this, "I want to apologize for loosing my
temper the other day and for saying the things I said. It was
inappropriate and said out of frustration. Please forgive me." This will not be easy and it may take some practice, but it will help start back on a good note.
The next thing you must do is tell him that your goal is form good neighborly relations and ask what it would take to start over and make things right .
This puts the ball in his court (or yard) and if you wait, he will
respond. You may want to offer a cold beverage as an added bonus and
don't forget a dog treat for his pooch!
Bob "Barker" is the faithful companion to the
Schreck family and resides in Littleton, Colorado. Like most dogs, Bob
is a relationship expert and would love to answer your questions. Just
send mail to Bob@schrecktalk.com
HELPFUL HINTS
From America's Favorite Domestic Diva
1. Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately.
2. Honey can cure blemishes. Cover the blemish with a
dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria,
keeps the skin sterile and speeds healing. Works overnight.
3. Try some Elmer's glue (or similar type of glue) to
remove small stubborn splinters. Pour a drop of glue over the splinter,
let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter should
stick to the glue.
4. Rainy day cure for smelly wet dogs. The next time
your pooch comes in smelling like...well, smelling like wet dog--take a
fabric softener sheet and rub it over their fur. Spring-time freshness
will fill the air immediately! (Well at least it will smell like a wet
dog in the spring time!)
5. If a bee, wasp or hornet have you trapped indoors
and you don't have any insecticide handy, grab some Formula 409. One
spritz of this formula and they will drop like flies!
Get a Job!
If you don't want your teenager spending the
summer melding into the sofa, here are a few more tips to help them get
a head start on that job hunt and have an advantage over their peers.
(See the March issue of Random Thoughts for more.)
- Ask about paid-internships! Many businesses
offer temporary jobs that fall under the category of summer
internships. Even if they are not officially hiring, they may have
these part-time, temporary positions for young people. Look for
positions in areas of interest and passion.
- Always ask for the manager! Don't settle
for speaking with another employee who will hopefully turn over your
application to the manager. If the manager is not available, ask when
he or she will be in and come back.
- Send a Thank You! If you get in to speak
to a manager, a tip that will set you apart from the rest is a
hand-written thank you note dropped off later that day or the very
next. There is a lot of competition out there and you want to be
remembered.
- Go it alone. This one may seem obvious,
but many young job-seekers go out in packs. Don't even go with a buddy.
This makes you look as if you are more interested in hanging out with
friends than putting in a hard day's work.
You can also help your teen set a few goals regarding
number of applications to submit, amount of money to save, etc. Now all
you have to do is practice stretching out on that vacant sofa!
P O W
(Pearls of Wisdom)
"There isn't anyone you couldn't love once you've
heard their story." A quote by Mary Lou Kownacki, carried around in the
pocket of Mister Rogers for years
"The child is in me still...and sometimes not so still." ~ Mister Fred Rogers
"If you could only sense how important you are to the
lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may
never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at
every meeting with another person." ~ Mister Fred Rogers
"Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if
each of us offered just one kind word to another person. There have
been so many stories about the lack of courtesy, the impatience of
today's world, road rage and even restaurant rage. Sometimes, all it
takes is one kind word to nourish another person Think of the ripple
effect that can be created when we nourish someone." ~Mister Fred Rogers
Monthly Challenge!
Become an involved neighbor now! Draw up a map of
your neighborhood, starting with your street and moving out one street
at a time. Your goal is to see how many names you can fill in. Make it
a point to go and introduce yourself to your neighbors. If you have
lived in your neighborhood for many years, tell your neighbors that you
felt it was about time you got to know each other.
Don't wait for a tragedy to draw you out and bring you together.
Answers to Trivia
1. B 7-10 days
2. B 50 pounds of dung a day!
3. C That scary salt-fearing slug
4. A Eight bones in the human wrist
© 2005
Feel free to forward this to all of your friends, family members and even those you don’t particularly care for!
It may not be sung in a high school play, written in
sand on beaches west of Belize or photocopied without our permission
though, so for reprint permission, please call 303-978-0887.
"Random Thoughts" is a monthly email distributed by The Pinnacle Group & SchreckTalk Keynotes. www.Schrecktalk.com |