E.M. Murphy

When opportunity knocks …

Summer Fridays were never my thing because it meant I could stop working early. I was not a fan of lunch breaks either, but I did love the post-work social hours that ran way too late into some nights. Work hard, play hard.

Work is something that I grew addicted to at a young age. As a child, I operated a pretend office rather than play with dolls. Accompanying my grandmother to the local stationery store was one of my favorite outings, purchasing sales receipt books and other business supplies. Forget Barbie! Sitting at the cherry executive desk when my father worked part-time delivering office furniture was better than any trip to Disney World in my opinion. I felt a surge of adrenaline and pleasure, at the ready to strike a deal or two in my vivid imagination.

Happy ….

Bringing the Five C’s into our Daily Lives.

There was a time in my life when I appeared uptight, yet I wasn’t. Well, maybe a little bit but I would say reserved, not uptight. Today I’m as outgoing as ever even though I’m an introvert by nature, a walking paradox.

As down to earth as I am, however, I do believe that there is a time and place for certain things. I also believe in decorum and manners, humility and gratitude. I’m not a fan of obnoxious behavior, rude people, or inappropriate heckling – goes back to time and place. I think we should learn to sit with discomfort, afford ourselves the opportunity to build coping skills and well, grow up. I think boasting on social media about your good deeds comes across as attention seeking rather than promoting the generosity of your heart. And as I follow current events and witness how people on all societal levels speak and act, how they treat each other, I find it rather disheartening.

This is certainly not a holier than thou post. It is not filled with piety or judgment, but rather a perspective based on observations.

What seems to be lacking is civility, courtesy, compassion, communication and collaboration.

It’s International Firefighters Day.

Aging – gratefully.

Sometimes I wonder if writers are telepathically connected because often, it seems that we percolate on a like subject simultaneously. Today was one of those days.

Early this morning, I happened past a post about Melissa Gilbert and aging gratefully. How I could relate yet not having had the time to read the message in depth, I perused just enough to plant the seeds of thought at the start of my day.

Mid-day during a stretch break, I had the good fortune of seeing an article published by a fellow writer and lovely human, and made the time to read it. Ironically, it was on aging and how we trade the beauty of youth for sage inner beauty.

Never should we fear, loathe, or regret aging – some are denied the privilege, as the saying goes. Birthdays are a gift and every day is a blessing, no matter what our age.

It’s not without its woes, that’s for sure.

When you keep beating your head against the wall, look in the mirror.

There’s a great meme floating around social media that reads: “When you persist in being bothered by someone who refuses to change, you also refuse to change – truth be told.”

Who can relate?

What a simple, yet poignant, statement.

People show us who they are. People reveal themselves through their actions, not their words. People may invest the bare minimum in a relationship, akin to making sure one has some balance in a bank account, so it doesn’t close, but rarely give more.

Yet we fight it. Whether we are delusional or want to believe the best, we keep trying to make some relationships work. We long for more than we will ever get. And we hope and pray old patterns will change – yet they never do. We fight the inevitable and it’s not a battle with the other person. It’s a battle with ourselves. Continue reading “When you keep beating your head against the wall, look in the mirror.”