Not Everyone Appreciates Your Creativity

 Being creative is fun. Whipping out some excellent work while others trudge along in mediocrity is exhilarating. But be prepared to not be appreciated.

When others see you have gone beyond the minimum requirements, you might expect some positive notice. But all too often, it brings negative feed back.

When you let your light shine, some friends celebrate the event, others tell you to knock it off. It's hard for people to enjoy the light that shines on your achievements when it casts a shadow on theirs.

Some reasons for this are legitimate. A higher level of excellence and effort may draw the attention of those in authority. Bosses may then require everyone to put out more and better work, all the while leaving the pay grade and working conditions the same.

Don't expect a lot of appreciation if that happens.

Some folks have a life strategy based on the philosophy of doing as little as possible, learning as little as possible, and thinking as little as possible. Passing folks that travel in the slow lanes of life's freeway makes them angry. They don't want to speed up, so they insist that you slow down.

It is an important life skill to live in peace with those around us. Maybe our moments of excellence should be celebrated in private with those who we feel might appreciate it. The "Pearls before swine" parable comes to mind. Pearls are better than garbage. But you'll never convince certain creatures to share your esteem of their value.

Another parable presents another option. We could let our light shine in this dark world regardless of the commotion and negativity that it produces. Why hide a light under a bushel basket? Put it up high. The light will attract some bugs and complaints. But it may lead others to a better path. Just don't expect a lot of "thank-you's" right away when you flip on the switch of excellence.

Humming Bear

Sadly, there seems to be no lack of those who steal a lunch, rob the fridge, or eat that last donut in the box you were saving for yourself or a friend.

For some, when the stomach growls, it drowns out the voice of whatever fragments of conscience that may still exist.

When Choosing Pain is Sane

When a bad place to be  suddenly becomes the best place to be.

This bobcat was chased up saguaro cactus by a cougar. He stayed up there for six hours, until he was sure the cougar was gone.

It's amazing what can be done when the right kind of motivation comes along and how it can suddenly change a former negative to a present positive.

Ignorant Helpers Can Still Make a Difference

There are those friends who pitch in to help that have no idea what is going on. While their help might be less than useful, their will to help and enthusiasm are appreciated.

That is, until they totally mess up what your are trying to get done.

When Friendships without Bounds Should Get Some.

Boundless friendships know no bounds. Often, they don't know much about boundaries either. Maybe they should.

Unimpressed by Your Science

Sadly, after living many years with jerks who tormented her with inexplicable phenomena,  Ginger had become jaded to the wonders of science.

Do we really know who's the biggest chicken?

Bob always suspected that he had joined a chicken outfit. 

Today, his worst fears were confirmed.

Photobombed

Everyone has that one friend who loves photobombing
 or otherwise wrecking every photo.
Yeah, it's funny. But after a while,

 not so much.

Time-Sensitive Terms of Affection

There are those who beg to get what they want, until they don't want it anymore.

Sometimes the turn around time on that is very, very, short.

Boredom Enhanced Skill-Set

Bored out of your mind? Most vegetate, but a few meditate and come up with ideas to use their down-time in a helpful way. They use it to develop physical and mental skills that will be useful later on.

Otters gamify learning to get skills that can help them put the food on the table or oysters on their furry chests, anyway. If doing so can help an otter, maybe it can help you too.

Awkward Argument Embarassment

The awkward feeling you get when you are unwilling witness to another family's fight.

Unexpected That Kiss Was

The power of an unexpected kiss: It can freeze and then either begin a thaw, or a prompt a sudden exodos, all withing seconds.

Love Language Syntax Error

When different love languages are spoken, a translator may be needed.

What Scientists Learn from Animal Experiments

A scientist was studying reaction responses in frogs.  He took a frog and put it on the floor.  The floor was marked off in feet and inches.  Standing behind the frog, the scientist clapped his hands and shouted loudly.  The startled frog jumped about 4.5 feet.  The frog was retrieved and sedated.  

The scientist proceeded to remove one of the frog’s front legs, cauterizing the incision, and then left the frog to recover.  A few days later, the scientist repeated the experiment, noting that this time, the frog jumped about 4 feet.

Over the next several days, the surgery, recovery, test cycle continued with the scientist noting the decreasing distance the frog jumped after each amputation.  Eventually, the frog has no legs.  

The scientist puts the frog down at the starting point, claps his hands, and shouts loudly.  The frog doesn’t budge.  The scientist repeats his actions with the same result.  The legless frog is just sitting there.  

The scientist picks up his test log and makes the following entry:  “Frogs with no legs are deaf.”

Hard being paranoid, hard not to be.

Maybe cats sleep all day because, when they do sleep, they are constantly on guard for others who might take advantage of them. Probably because they know they would do the same if they could.

In today's world. some people really are out to get us. But losing sleep over it won't help much. But a clear conscience might.

Bird Brains Smarter Than Some

Even small creatures rise to the occasion, risking everything and doing everything they can do to protect their defenseless young from powerful predators.

It's a shame that our government, who we count on to protect our young from predators, does not do dare to do all it can do.

Having a small brain is OK, if it is filled with common sense and accompanied by courage. Those with supposedly bigger brains should take note.

Tech Smart, Horse Smarter

When I was driving in the mountains of Puerto Rico yesterday, I drove past a man on horseback and saw that he was texting on his phone.

At first I was impressed by the contrast of modern tech and his mode of transportation. I also worried about him being in danger, but then realized he was probably a lot safer than most people who text in traffic.

Unlike even the most advanced cars, his horse is self-steering and capable of accurate and safe navigation without a GPS. It probably cost a lot less than one too.

Humiliation and Headaches

Having friends is great, but when they take advantage of you, not so much.

Some find that it is easier to annoy you than to suffer minor discomforts or to make any effort to achieve goals they are capable of achieving themselves.

Others find it easier to become a doormat than to lose their annoying friends.

Life might become lonely if you demand respect and lose the losers, but this is usually a temporary condition.

But those who do so remove themselves from a major source of their humiliations and headaches.

Sofa Security

When you find that special spot on the sofa and won't move, no matter what.

Sofa security comes from out-stubborning the stubborn sofa-seat-stealers.

Making Passive the Aggressor

A good defense is never totally without merit. Even if the fight is lost, if enough harm is inflicted upon an aggressor by a well prepared defender, it tends to make the contemplation of any further attacks a much less attractive option.