Salt-N-Pepa sings "Push It" but Make sure you Won't Regret it!

"Parasailing Spoonbill" original drawing, matted and ready for framing on Etsy

There’s an old saying: “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Simply put, it means if you have no faults or failings, you’d better not hurl insults at someone else. Your words or the people you hurt just might come back to bite you.

Twitter is alive and well with infighting and outfighting.  It’s not just for advertising. Now it’s interactive. Tweeters throw barbs at one another and side with different causes often before the truth is known. It’s the mob mentality except that the virtual sparring is anonymous. But people still get hurt. Sometimes reputations are ruined in the process as everyone else slinks back into the dark recesses of cyberspace.

It’s easy to hide behind the screen of an alias or a wall of protected conduits. Backstabbers flee. Name callers slither away. Untruths multiply and hearsay is repeated. The media often glorifies the gore that is left behind and encourages more for the sake of news. The truly innocent fall through the cracks and the bullies continue to bedevil those who disagree with them.

It was just a matter of time before this kind of behavior became the "norm." Today news travels faster than fact. People form an opinion before both sides can be heard. Some use a false narrative purposely to promote their own agenda adding more fuel to the fire.

By the time cool heads prevail the damage has already been done. I don’t know if there is a “fix” for this kind of problem. I caution everyone to weigh and evaluate before you make a judgment. Instead of getting caught up in the moment, try to get more information before you blast someone you don’t know just because you can.

Professionalism should govern most of our lives especially those of you who are in business. Employers not only examine your behavior at work when they do your review. Many of them are going online to see what you’re like when you’re not at work. Is this an invasion of privacy? Perhaps; but more importantly, they want to know if you are honest and forthright; a well-rounded person with no secrets to hide or to be ashamed of.

"Dregs of Winter" matted and ready to frame

That’s the reality we live in today. We live and work in a global web of interconnectedness.  We also leave a trail of crumbs behind us that almost anyone can find. If you leave a series of dishonest acts, sexual misconduct, illegal or bad behavior in your wake your clients and customers, your boss or a future employer will find you out. Think before you act. Do not PUSH, send or post unless you’re 100% certain you won’t regret it later.

Are you a Busy Worker Bee, a Drone, or a High Flier?

"The Dance" 9 x 12 pastel drawing

I hadn’t heard the word kerfuffle in years; so when it tumbled from an attractive newscaster’s lips, I chuckled. People of “little import” cause kerfuffles. They try to make a big stink out of nothing, but end up looking foolish themselves.

These kerfuffler's stir people up whenever and wherever they can, but their arguments fall flat for lack of evidence or interest. Afterward they slink away only to come back again and again to stir the waters of confusion and uncertainty. Their efforts never amount to anything more than the proverbial hill of beans, but the resultant anxiety they cause to the target or victim may last long after anybody else remembers.

These trouble makers reside in almost every profession or walk of life. Their voices are usually louder than the rest and their complaints often influence the uninformed or the angry. Instead of contributing positive solutions and inspiring cooperation, they try to divide and conquer. Their agenda is usually selfish and their goal is power and destruction. Sometimes they win and sometimes not.

"Serena Shines" 9 x 12 pastel drawing

I’m generalizing, of course. Most of us have probably caused a kerfuffle or two in our lives. Seldom are things black and white. But there is something to be said for those who do all the work and hold onto their views in spite of the haranguing of others. They plod along faithfully and patiently, and provide input only when their asked or to smooth ruffled feathers. They add consistency and strength to any group or team.

High fliers bring talent and skill to the table, but they can’t be bothered with details. They are long-range planners with a wide overview. Their contributions bring direction and purpose. But as soon as you ask them to roll up their sleeves and help, they are off on another tangent, planning the next big event. Their calendar is always full.

"A Young Ronald Reagan" 9 x 12 pastel drawing

The point is, it takes all kinds of people to run a business, manage a corporation, or provide leadership in our communities and in our world. We can either be the workers who help move things along or we can try to hinder the progress of others. We can be the drones who eat off the fat of the land (or the hive), or we can use our talent and skill to form alliances and shape ideas.

Some people are motivators. They challenge and inspire others to share their gifts and join in the cause. This person is the key to making any combined effort or project enjoyable and worthwhile.

Cooperation ensures a positive outcome. If you have a leader who can motivate others to action, productivity is higher, job satisfaction is increased and success becomes a reality.

"Maestro" 9 x 12 pastel drawing

Strike a Match, Burn a Candle, Light up the World

"Para Sailing Spoonbill"

Ideas are fragile. They come and go. If you don’t lock them down, they can disappear forever.

I used to keep a small notebook in my car for jotting down ideas driving to and from work. The only problem was, I could only write while I was sitting at a stoplight. So I thought I’d get a recorder and verbalize my thoughts, but I’m not a verbal person. I have to digest ideas and chew on them before I write them down in order to give them expression.

Fleeting thoughts are sometimes incoherent, nonsensical gibberish, but the gems within may grow and multiply whereas the losers fester for awhile and then dead-end into Never Never Land.

"Flamenco Flamingo"

When I lived alone, I burned candles in the bath, in my bedroom, and anywhere else I needed a glimmer of hope and light. Even with dinner, I’d fix myself something special and light a candle to make the dining experience last. Then one day, I became dangerous. I struck a match in the bathroom and the tip of it broke off landing on my nightgown. The flames were frightening. Luckily the sink was near enough to douse myself with water and put the flames out.

I decided that either I was getting flighty or the matches were being manufactured differently from before. A few days later, I struck a match in the bedroom to light my bedtime candle, and again the match tip broke off landing on my dresser scarf. The flames ignited instantly, swallowing up everything in sight before I could smother it with a wet towel.

From that point on, I eliminated candles and matches from my bath and boudoir routine. Whether it was the cheapness of the match sticks or my own clumsiness made no difference. I couldn’t afford to burn myself up over anything as silly as a candle.

Poster created from the book: "Inez Ibis Flies Again"

That experience has come back to haunt me again and again. How powerful and unpredictable that tiny light became once it was ignited. Ideas are like that. They shine but for a moment and then like gossamer wings they fly away unless we kindle the flames that brought them in the first place.

Where do my ideas come from? Some are inspired by past experiences. Others by books I’ve read or movies I’ve seen, or simply by the way light shines on a certain object in a new way.

Nature also inspires me. I have a vivid imagination and always think I see something different in my ordinary surroundings: an ugly face created by the stub of a limb or the bark of a tree, a small bush that looks like a huge spider; I’m weird, I know.

(The following illustrations are also from the book: "Inez Ibis Flies Again")

Artists do see things differently. We see shapes and color and because of this, the ordinary turns into the grotesque, the scary, or the fantastic in a blink.

Some of my ideas are so clear I can see them come to life in my mind. Others are mere hints or suggestions that require coaxing and fuel to keep them going. Like the end of a lighted match, I never know where my ideas will end up.

The cartoon illustrations in this blog came from seeing the humor in the way certain creatures move or behave. (Note, this is a repeat of a blog in 2010.)

When Opportunity Knocks, Don’t Let it Knock You!

"Kayla" wrapped in the Stars & Stripes

We recently drove through what other people had described as a “bad neighborhood.” According to them, crime had skyrocketed in “that part of town,” and it wasn’t a place you wanted to stay for long. Since we couldn’t avoid it in order to get to our destination, we forged ahead.

What makes one neighborhood welcoming and pleasing and another one not? Why did people here look for opportunities to commit acts of violence and lawlessness while other communities worked together to improve their lot?

In one community, people preyed on one another and looked for victims they could overpower or subdue. In the other, people found ways to work together to make everyone’s life better. By all outward appearance, I could not tell the difference between them. The houses were similar, the lawns were green; older neighborhoods can be deceiving.

"Welcoming a Newborn"

It reminded me of long ago when I sold Avon products. All the houses were similar. All the doors I knocked on were in essentially good neighborhoods. When the doors were opened, it was another story.

The interiors of many homes were almost empty. People were literally sleeping on the floor. They had scraped money together to buy a house, but they could barely afford to keep it. Some people were rude and indifferent, others polite and welcoming. I hated lifting my hand to ring a bell or knock on a door. I never knew if I’d be greeted by an angry face, a snarling dog, or a slammed door.

Thank goodness we don’t have to go door to door today. The world has become far too dangerous and unpredictable. Why, I wonder? Is poverty too simple an answer? Does ethnic diversity put people at odds with their neighbors or does it encourage cooperation? Does lack of character and integrity influence people’s behavior more than believed?

"Happy Birthday, Quinn" (one year old!)

We all have choices. One person works to improve his or her lot in life, and another seeks to get as much as he can without regard for the overall good. A freelance writer and friend chose to work under her hair dryer so her young children wouldn’t disturb her concentration. I chose to be available for my children and allowed frequent interruptions or I worked into the night.

When the children’s market went from fantasy to realism, I was like a fish out of water. The sleaze market became hot and romance novels were on the cutting edge. I stuck it out in education and because of it, also became an artist. I made less money, but I stuck by my principles.

Pastor Joe Stowell wrote: “I discovered early in my ministry that my children were not impressed with the books I wrote, titles I had, or places I spoke. They craved my time and attention, the provision for basic needs, a love that patiently forgave, and the creation of a safe place for them to grow and mature.”

"Does this hat make me look fat?" (Zoe, 1 yr.)

We all look to others when our neighborhoods are bad, when our schools fail to teach our children, and when our government runs rampant with corruption and crime. We must ask ourselves: What did I contribute to the current problem or situation? 

Have I done all that I could do to change the present and the future? Have I believed everything I’ve been told or did I do my own homework and get the facts? Am I capable of making wise choices or have I allowed my moral compass to slip and my integrity to bend with popular opinion? Am I indifferent?

Are we providing a spiritual foundation for our children to anchor their lives to or are we letting them swim in the polluted waters of self-gratification and an attitude that if it feels good or looks good, it must be all right.

"Emma's 94th Birthday"

Character is formed through the choices we make. Like those empty houses and the doors I knocked on as an Avon representative, our bodies become like empty shells devoid of conscience and discernment . Our nation, our world needs people willing to stand up for truth and goodness. The time is now.