Wednesday, November 11, 2009 9:28 PM CST
COLUMN: When the refrigerator keeps you awake, you
just need a new attitude
By Penny Weaver, News Editor
pweaver@jg-tc.com
My sister says that when my nephew, Tyler, who’s 4, tries to take a nap, how soon he gets to sleep all depends on if he really wants to take a nap or not.
I heard his little voice in the background as I talked to Val, his mom, on the phone the other day about 1 p.m. “Do you want me to go downstairs?” she asked him. Turns out, he said he couldn’t sleep since she was making all that racket: talking to me on the phone.
Ever the wise mom, Val explained that he does that sometimes when he’s not really wanting to nap. Sometimes it’s the dryer running in the basement that disturbs his sensibilities at nap time. Sometimes it’s a lawn mower in the neighborhood.
Once, she said, he even exited his room to complain he couldn’t fall into dreamland because the refrigerator was running.
See? It’s all about attitude.
Just how much in life goes back to our own attitudes? Positive, negative, liberal conservative, silly, staid — attitude can be everything.
I got a kick out of this being illustrated, apparently inadvertently, on our Web site, www.jg-tc.com, the other day. One commenter rebuked another, saying, “...it is Congress that passes the laws of this nation not the president.”
In the same breath, he added, “and now we have mr. nobama bin laden that has already spent us into oblivian(sic), with no chance of ever seeing daylight again.”
That gets an LOL from me. So it’s Congress that controls what becomes law (and, in fact, controls the nation’s purse strings), not the president. But it’s Obama who is solely, completely responsible for the national deficit.
Now that makes perfect sense.
You see, it’s about attitude. That commenter’s feeling is completely anti-Obama, to the point of directly contradicting himself in the same posting. He’s blind to simple facts due to his attitude.
Certainly, pro-Obama folks do the same thing. Don’t think I’m biased just because I gave an anti-Obama example. But then, if y’all think I’m intent on being either conservatively or liberally biased, that’s your attitude — so, enjoy; far be it for me to dissuade you.
This newspaper often is accused of being a Republican stronghold. It also, and sometimes on the same day, is accused of being a “liberal rag.” I hate to break it to you, but the newspaper doesn’t change that much in one day or one week or ever — but some people’s attitudes differ from others, and that affects their perspective.
Now, that’s not all bad. Bias is in the eye of the beholder, oftentimes. And, we all can help — or hurt — ourselves a lot via our attitudes.
I’ve sighed a number of times in recent weeks as I read about Congress extending the first-time homebuyers tax credit. You see, this calendar year, anyone who bought a new home for the first time could receive up to $8,000 in a tax credit — cash direct to them from the IRS, with no expectation of repayment. Merry Christmas!
That’s a nice way to encourage home sales. I personally would have considered it nicer if it was effective, say, October 2008.
That’s when I bought my house. I qualified on that year’s taxes for up to $7,500 in a tax “credit” — that has to be repaid. I opted to do it for a cushion against unforeseen emergencies, since I’d never owned a home before and I like to “be prepared.”
About two months later, Congress made that tax credit “non-repayable” — essentially, a cash payment for those who buy a home for the first time.
Ah, so close — and yet, so far.
Now, I guess I could get all angry about this and wring my hands: “Why me? Why me?” But I actually think it’s kinda funny. I don’t think I’d know what to do if I got THAT kind of “deal” from the government.
I’m like most people — I work and I pay my taxes, and I’m not one of the “lucky” ones who gets some “free” government handout. Of course, all of us taxpayers actually DO pay for such “help” — nothing’s really free.
But my attitude is that I’m grateful to have a job, be able to work and pay my fair share of taxes. I don’t need government “welfare,” and I honestly don’t mind helping out the guy down the street if he’s having a rough time at the moment. If government can’t be there when a person is down and out and needs a bit of assistance, what good is it?
I know, I know — that’s only my attitude. Some folks say we should all take care of ourselves and never give “handouts” to anyone else. Others say we have a moral obligation to help those who need it. I suppose attitudes are also like opinions, which are like ... you know ... and everybody’s got one.
I try not to let my attitude contribute negatively to my life. There’s enough in the world to bring a person down without that coming from within. Sometimes, you can laugh, or you can cry, and you might as well laugh.
I was making cookies one day with my nephew Cooper, years ago, when he was about 4, I think. He asked to stir the dough — so I let him, and he promptly lost control of the spoon and flour flew everywhere.
We laughed and laughed. There’s no point in getting mad about it.
Try giving yourself an attitude adjustment sometime. You might thank yourself later. If nothing else, we can each gain a bit more perspective on the world by looking at things differently.
It’s like Superman’s Bizarro World, or Opposite Day! Up is down, black is white, good is bad ... that could be some real fun.
And if the refrigerator is running next time you are trying to go to sleep, don’t let it bother you.
At least you don’t have to get up and chase it.
Penny Weaver is the night news editor for the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier. Contact Weaver at pweaver @jg-tc.com or 238-6863.
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Mama says wrote on Nov 12, 2009 4:57 AM:
I have visions of the JG "night shift" laughing as writing. The night-shift INK PARTY with snaks and soft drinks?
My son says,"never do for us to be in public as we have same personality and humor". I said, "We at least would make people smile or p-oed." Can't tell you how many times asked him, "Is the refrigerator running?" When answered, "Yes", told him to catch it.
Or Prince Albert in a can, works too.
Lets face it, Penny, not boringggg. lol. "