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Everyone gets a little spam in their inbox every now and then. But, if you don’t list those e-mails as spam, the same company will send you countless e-mails over and over. It’s time to put a stop to it.

Even on this site, people are allowed and encouraged to make comments on our articles, even providing constructive criticism, if need be.  But, on occasion, a spammer will go out of their way to make useless comments and then they think that somehow their comments will spark the attention of others, and their bogus websites will be visited.

Well, didn’t they notice that no e-mail or website addresses are listed on this site (in the comments area)?  All we can see are their names and if we deem the comments inappropriate or feel that they are attempting to advertise for free, we can always alter their usernames or delete their posts altogether?

So, before you SPAMMERS go out of your way and try to spam this site, think twice or else, expect to be deleted.

People are made up of a combination of complicated things.  Personal character, the way in which they were raised, the culmination of their life experiences, and the country that they grew up in, that in essence has molded them into the person they’ve become.

No where was this theory more evident than when I recently went to a party. It occurred to me, as I was lost in thought while scanning the room, just how many cultures were present there. One thought led to another until I was thinking of the origins of a persons character.

Every culture has different levels of respect, that much can’t be argued about.  But, for arguments sake, America is a very casual country where almost everything goes, but there is also several types of ways that you can disrespect an American.

So, people who come from other cultures and countries may say something or do something that may be viewed as disrespectful, when in fact they had absolutely no intention of doing so.

I think it’s important to remember when dealing with foreigners that they have a different set of rules that they go by, so if they do something that may have offended you, take time to think things through and then when you find the time, you can further discuss it with them.

Try not to speak with them while you are still irritated by the whole thing, make sure you let them know that what they did is not acceptable in American society and is in fact viewed as disrespectful and offensive.  If you do it in a nice enough way, you may convince the person to behave differently in the states.  It may be news to them, because it was the norm wherever they originally came from.

So, when meeting and dealing with foreigners remember that some things they may do, may be totally differnt than the things we do here (in the states), but we need to adjust to their personal character, and enlighten them on how their behavior is perceived.

After all, who has time for bickering and fighting?  Why don’t we all try to understand those around us, and better yet be proactive in trying to get along.

When I used to live in Southern California I met an adorable, lovable, kind, warm, sociable person, who grew up in a similar background as I did, and we soon became the best of friends.

Unfortunately, we rarely got a chance to see each other because we both worked and attended college at the same time, so we had very little time to drive to see each other. So, we mostly chatted by phone, on occasion.

Once I moved back to Washington State, I felt as if I would POP if I couldn’t speak to her at least once every few weeks.  I prefer to speak with her more often of coarse, but I don’t want to become a burden, especially with her busy schedule.

It’s the strangest thing, but we still speak on occasion, and I still feel as if we’re as close as we ever were, even though we’re going though different things in our lives right now, and are separated by different states.

It’s like the minute I hear her voice on the other line, she gives me immense energy and warms my heart. I’ve had many friends over the years, but I honestly don’t remember feeling this way towards anyone before.

If I am talking to her, and I was originally depressed or tired, all of the sudden I have energy to clean the entire house while we’re talking.  I usually take advantage of that and try do everything I feel I need to do, while talking with her.

The reason why I bring this up is, I think that every person needs to find that certain someone who brings joy and happiness into their lives.  It does something to relieve the soul.

As much as we may love our family and want to be near them, there’s just something about having that close friendship with someone, that causes our minds to forget about all the struggles we are going through and remember that there still are good people out there, even if you’ve only met a few.

So before you give up on all humanity, due to your bad experiences with people, remember that somewhere out there, there is a person that wants just what you want.  Someone to start a wonderful friendship with…

**So to my Best Friend out there, I don’t tell you enough- but I love you!**

I was pondering this very issue, not that long ago…

A relative and I were discussing a real life circumstance that recently happened and I mentioned, “How stupid can they be, believing only one side of the story? Don’t they know that there is three versions of the truth?”

See, there isn’t one version of the truth, or two versions of the truth, in all actuality there are three versions of the truth.  Three versions, you ask?

Well, let me break it down for you incase you haven’t figured it out on your own:

1. One persons version (of what the events that took place)
2. The other persons version of the truth (in their own personal view)
3. And the actual truth (something that may not please both parties, but it’s 100% accurate)

It may not be that both parties are going out of their way to lie and make themselves look good, but they may have forgotten pertinent information that they are leaving out, “unintentionally”.

So, without sounding like a broken record, I’d say, “Never take one person version of the truth, always wait to hear all sides of the story before assuming anything.”

Because there are quite a few tale-tellers out there that wish to look good and have people believe them, so they can look like the victim; but on the other hand, the other person involved in this dispute may feel the same way, but that they are the true victim in all this.

And then there are those times when you’ve heard all the versions and they just don’t add up, so you can just tell the other parties that you weren’t there and would prefer to stay neutral and an impartial person, and would rather not get involved. That’s usually a safe bet.  Both parties may not like to hear this, but it’s the best way to keep your nose out of things that just aren’t your business.

If you’re an American you are familiar with the term, “Keeping up with the Jones’”, if you’re from outside the USA, you’re probably not as familiar.  Well let me quickly catch you up to speed, the term refers to keeping up with your neighbors and in essence trying to beat them to the punch, so you’re always one step ahead.

Example- Your neighbor pulls into his/her driveway with a brand new vehicle, and you feel the green gills of envy come your way, do you:

• A) walk over and congratulate them on a great purchase
  
• B) run inside and tell your spouse about your neighbors recent purchase
• C) stand there and feel your blood pressure soar through the roof because YOU should have had the money to purchase something nice for yourself? Just then, you are struck with the thought that, “I’ll show them, I’ll purchase something nicer!”

Well, if you’re a nice person, you’d probably pick A, but all too often people tend to choose C.  What does that say about you? It is really a shame because people can’t seem to be happy for others anymore.  If you like something that someone else has you may tend to feel jealous or envious of it. Remember that if it’s that important to you, you just need to work hard for it and you can attain it too.

But, honestly- my husband and I must be from the minimal population of people who honestly don’t care what other people have.  Good for them.  Their life is their life.
Most people think that if they get the newest cell phone, ipod, gps system, computer, laptop, car, house, boat, jewelry, or whatever, they’ll be at a higher class level and will in turn be somewhat more important. But, NEWS FLASH, it’s a never ending cycle of chasing something to give yourself value.

Every person has value within themselves, they don’t need to do things to keep up with others in order to become complete and whole human beings.  They just need to decide what things are important to them, and work towards attaining those goals.

Because, there’s a really great proverb that I often remember, and translated it loses some of its power, but still it’s so good that I must state it or else I’ll burst.  It goes something like this, “A monkey with money, is nonetheless a monkey.” Basically stating that if you have money or don’t, you’re still a human being and how many things you own, or how much money is in the bank, or what type of status you hold in society, you’re still a human being that puts your clothes on one leg at a time (unless you choose to jump in with both feet, which I never really understood).

So, the next time you feel that you want something that someone else has, remember it may not be as life altering, as you may originally perceive it.

The things we take with us from this life is our kindness and love towards others, the family and friends we have left behind, and above all else no matter how successful we were,  or how much we attained during our lifetimes, the ultimate justice is that we will all eventually return to the earth from whence we came, with nothing.