>Never Get Into Fights With
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Inside or Out.
Drawing by Marty Coleman, The Napkin Dad
The Napkin Dad Daily blog
Be Careful What You Wear – updated 2017
Then again, why not wear plaids and polka dots and guarantee you will meet someone or something completely fun and cool. I am all for clashing nightwear!
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The Key Is – updated 2017
Have issues with trust and expectations? Maybe this is part of the reason.
Drawing © Marty Coleman
“The key is to get to know people and trust them to be who they are. Instead we trust people to be who we want them to be and when they are not, we cry.” – Anonymous.
A Kick in the Ass – updated 2017
It isn’t always easy to get a clear view of yourself and where you are in life. Most of the time when you look to others to help you out with that you get positive reinforcement; ‘you are doing well’, ‘you are making progress’, ‘you are going to be ok’ for example.
But sometimes it’s a relief to hear someone say something a bit more pointed, like the toe of a stiletto; ‘you are messing up’, ‘your direction sucks’, ‘you don’t know what the hell you are doing’, ‘what on earth were you thinking’, for example.
The knowledge you need to step forward isn’t always connected directly to the action of stepping forward. Sometimes you just stand there even though you know you need to move. The kick, maybe unexpected and maybe unwelcomed at the time, can be the catalyst to take that step.
So, go look for that person with the sharp toed high heel and stand in front of them, maybe something good will happen!
Drawing © Marty Coleman
Measure Wealth Not – updated 2017
Of course you wouldn’t take money for your family, that seems to be a no brainer.
But what about your ‘stuff’. What among your stuff wouldn’t you sell, and why? Want to bet 100% of those things have sentimental value attached to your family or closest friends?
The spinning wheel that belonged to your great grandmother, as well as the photo showing it in the corner of your grandmother’s first home.The quilt your aunt made for your father when he returned from the war. The little sewing kit you remember your mother bringing out whenever a button needed to be sewn back on. The painting your grandfather did. The colorful rocks you collected on the rafting trip with your best friends.
It is the sentiment, the emotional connection to things and people that you don’t want to sell.
What are you doing to continue to create that sort of wealth in your life?
Drawing © Marty Coleman
The Person Who Always Says
There are a lot of people who take pride in being ‘honest’ and ‘saying
it like it is’. There are the positive elements of this in business and in
personal lives.
But there is another type, the random type. It is seductive to think they
are more honest, more real, more truthful than the rest of us and hold
some special place in honesty heaven as a result. But if you really, truly
look at what comes out of their mouth, most of the time it isn’t really
about honesty and some exalted sense of forthrightness.
In those random cases it is about two other things. One, it is about not
knowing boundaries, not knowing when to shut up. Two it is about
enjoying the power to shock and get a reaction.
This is especially important to help teenagers to understand. Verbal
‘honesty’ has a purpose, it isn’t just a lack of self-control, or a weapon.
It is used to help people or situations. You can be honest about your
mother or father or friend having trouble with alcohol. You can be
honest with your spouse about your feelings. That is legitimate. But
to just spout off supposed truths because you are the ‘honest’ type is
an immature and mean-spirited thing to do. Teaching our children
the difference, when to use ‘honesty’ and when to shut up, is one of
the best things we can do for them.
“The person who always says just what he thinks at last gets just what he deserves.” – anonymous
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This is ‘Didchya Know?’ Monday
In the last month the Napkin Dad Daily has been visited by
15 universities from around the world.
- Boston College, Massachusetts – USA
- Georgia State University, – USA
- Harvard University, Massachusetts – USA
- Haifa University – Israel
- Hampden-Sydney College, Virginia – USA
- Lake Tahoe Community College, California – USA
- McMasters University, Ontario – Canada
- Moore College, Pennsylvania – USA
- North Dakota University – USA
- Oklahoma State University, Tulsa – USA
- Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut – USA
- Universidad de Zaragoza – Spain
- University of California, Merced – USA
- University of California, Los Angeles – USA
- University of Missouri, Columbia – USA
- University of Nebraska, Kearney – USA
- University of Tulsa, Oklahoma – USA
Where are you visiting from today?
My Goal in Life
The last in my pet series for the week. While blind cat is gone now, we
still have stumpy dog, wiggle dog and normal cat remaining. I like them
all and look forward to enjoying their company for a long time.
“My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am.” – anonymous
The Only Exercise
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Two of the most destructive forms of exercise there are!
What are some other bad ones?
How about side-stepping responsibility?
Give us a few more, ok?
Be creative!
“The only exercise some get is jumping to conclusions and pushing their luck.” – Anonymous
The Problem with War
I am currently reading a Turkish book (English translation) ‘The Long
White Cloud’ sent to me by a flickr and blog friend, Senay, from Istanbul.
It is the story of the Battle of Gallipoli, where 130,000 young men died.
It has many letters from the two main soldiers on either side of the
conflict. They are filled with small remembrances of home, anecdotes of
the front, admiration for their fellow soldiers and respect for their
enemy. there is more anger at the incompetence of their own leaders than
hatred for the enemy.
How similar are the millions of letters sent home over the centuries from
soldiers. They don’t talk about wanting to kill. They talk about appreciation
for the love of their family, the love of their community. They want life to
be normal again. The romance is a myth, the glory disappears as their friends
die and they are left with a terrible mission. They must kill people. A lot of people.
Remembering who died is important. Remembering what it is we made them do
in our name is important. We are making them kill people. Even if it is a valid war,
we always must remember we are asking our children to kill people, and often
not the right people.
If you have a book that you think would help me understand
your country, I would love to hear about it. I would need an
English translation of course, but if you email me the title and
author I will try to find it.
marty@martycoleman.com
The Greatest Paradox
Call it an paradox, an oxymoron, or just a complete absurdity. Whatever
you call it warfare is not civilized.
It’s Memorial Day weekend here in the USA and I have deep admiration
and humility when I consider the living, heart beating souls who found
they had to fight for their lives and ended up perishing in that fight. I
have equally great feelings for those who fought and returned damaged
and changed. I am sorry that had to happen to you. I hope you find
the positive out of such a terrible negative. I hope your family can as well.
That is the better paradox to consider. Is it possible to find the good in
the brain damage? Is it possible to find value in the lost leg? Is it possible
your calling in life was found when your spine was severed? I don’t know.
But I do know that paradox happens everyday in life. The person stuck sick
in bed for months watching movies realizes that is her greatest desire and goes to
Hollywood to fulfill it. The man who lost his hearing only to find he now leads
a great university because of how hard he worked to overcome that deafness.
A memorial is something of substance that reminds us of something great.
Humans are made of the best substance.