Election Oddity

Today's runoff election put Republican and Democratic voters from our area precincts in a location where Edgar and I have never before voted.  Though we've voted in countless elections in the past many years, the new location was not the oddity that struck me.  The oddity was that for my first time as a voter, Democrats and Republicans were voting in the same room during a primary election, and the party election divider placed Republicans on the left and Democrats on the right.

Though I have no idea if the placements were intentional or random, it was interesting that Republican voters, typically identified as right-leaning had to go left to cast ballots and Democratic voters usually tagged as left-leaning voters had to veer right.  Perhaps this was a subtle message that we all need to be a little less partisan.

Ask and You May Receive

Recently I entered a large department store and read the sign detailing additional savings on sale items.  As I was paying for my items I asked the sales clerk about the additional discount on my purchases, and was told that the sale ended the previous day.  She was surprised when I showed her that the sale sign was still displayed at the entrance I'd used.  She agreed to my request to ask her manager to honor the previous day's sale price.  Before completing my special purchase, she followed her manager's order and removed the outdated sign from this little used entrance.  I smiled and thanked her for granting me the additional discount.  As she handed me my bag, she let me know that no one else would be receiving the additional discounts. 

This incident reminded me that by reasonably asking for what we want, we may receive what others don't.

Everyone's Insecure About Something

Watching the Olympics reminds me that even the most accomplished people have some insecurity.  No one is 100% confident in every situation.  Insecurities include the possibility that someone is:

• better
• faster
• stronger
• smarter
• prettier or more handsome
• better prepared
• more well-rounded
• more stylish
• better connected
• more popular

Or that we will say, do or wear something inappropriate.
Or that we will be too early, too late or not welcome.

The list of insecurities is endless.  Knowing that everyone has at least one insecurity makes being human less stressful.

Multi-tasking Perils

I'm fine!  However, that wasn't a foregone conclusion after I missed the last stair and fell this morning, when I was trying to do too many things before a very early meeting.

Looked easy enough to pick up the happy bird-day message for Gar that I'd placed on each step on his birthday eve.  However, my hands were filled with my morning Diet Coke, evening water glass, newspaper and cell phone.  And I was backing down the stairs in heels. After picking up the last letter, my brain thought "finished" and I missed the last stair.

Though I'd tried to save time by combining tasks, my departure was delayed, rather than accelerated when I had to change my Diet Coke-stained clothes.

It's easy to think we're immune from the multi-tasking perils until we experience a multi-tasking fall (literal or figurative).  Fortunately, my fall was only inches. 

No doubt this cautionary tale was to remind you and me to focus on one important task at a time.

Highlighting Impact

Last week we sent simple personalized notes to our 2012 blood donors with a Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center highlighter pen, thanking them for their donations and highlighting  their impact.  There are so many quick, easy and inexpensive ways to say thank you - you make a difference.

How Full is Your Glass?

One of the classic differentiators between optimists and pessimists is whether they see the glass as half-full or half-empty. I was born and raised as an optimist and see the glass as full and overflowing.  However, I know several folks whose glass is half-empty, cracked and leaking.  This week I learned of the ultimate pessimist who asks, "What glass?".

Lucky Penny Experiment is Working

With three weeks to go, the last lucky penny in the experiment was shared today and the first lucky penny made it back from a friend unmet in Portland, OR.  It traveled from Houston to Austin to Denver to Portland, hopefully spreading happy cheer across the country.

Many thanks for the positive, encouraging feedback and for enthusiastically sharing good luck and great cheer with others.

We all need encouragement and my hopes are that this little experiment will touch several lives as the luck is passed from friend to friend.