Chamblee54

About this time two years ago, PG went on a rules for living binge. Today, as he sat contemplating writing yet another post  about religion, the title that adorns this piece came to him. There will be more posts about man’s co dependent relationship with G-d. The internet will get over it. But a title like that is too good to waste, so we are going to repeat all four posts about rules for living. Pictures are from ” The Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library”. As always, if you get tired of the text it is alright to skip ahead and look at the pictures.
The wallowing in wisdom began when PG got a chain email from a former stupidvisor. The title was 7%. Written By Regina Britt , 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio , it begins : “To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written.” My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more: 1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone. 8. It’s OK to get angry with G-d. He can take it. 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present. 12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry. 13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it. 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; G-d never blinks. 16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. 17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful. 18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger. 19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special. 22. Over prepare, then go with the flow. 23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple. 24. The most important sex organ is the brain. 25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’ 27. Always choose life. 28. Forgive everyone everything. 29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 33. Believe in miracles. 34. G-d loves you because of who G-d is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do. 35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. 36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young. 37. Your children get only one childhood. 38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back. 41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 42. The best is yet to come. 43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 44. Yield. 45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Those of you who clicked on the link for Regina Britt may have noticed that she is not ninety years old. Either that, or she has the world’s best plastic surgeon. This was the spark for the second fire of this cycle, Seven Percent Younger. ( As of today, Regina Britt is still going strong.)
A couple of weeks ago, Chamblee54 recycled an email. It was a list of life lessons, written by a lady named Regina Britt . It was reported that she was 90 years old. As it turns out, the chain email industry got that wrong. Regina Britt is 53. Mrs. Britt survived a bout with breast cancer, and is happy for the life she enjoys. She has a book coming out.
The chain email got a couple of other things wrong. The original list of 45 RFL was printed. In her nifty at fifty column, Mrs. Britt had fifty thoughts. Since PG cares about his reader(s), he has compared the two lists, and determined which five were not included. Maybe it is the email monger who is 90 years old, or living in North Ohio.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying. 17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today. 18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write. 38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion. 48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
The email distributor did not think that what Mrs. Britt wrote was sufficient. The following postscript was added: “Its estimated 93% won’t forward this. If you are one of the 7% who will, forward this with the title ’7%’. I’m in the 7%. Remember that I will always share my spoon with you! Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.” Regina Britt is not a statistician. She tells the truth.
Thank you Capri , for leaving a comment at the Chamblee54 post. Capri gave the correct age for Regina Britt. Its not everyday you can take 37 years off a persons age.

PG has always considered himself an amateur wisdommonger. After the original Regina Britt feature went up, PG started to keep a list of clever sayings. Before long, he posted Forty five more.
Yesterday, Chamblee 54 printed a guide to life . It was written by a lady in Cleveland, OH. PG got to thinking about the list. If you saw a mushroom cloud over Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, that is what it was. He decided to write his own list, inspired by the original, but different enough to avoid copyright issues. As with all speculation, the following list is best read with an open mind and a negative attitude.
01- Fair is when a baseball is hit between first and third base. Sometimes it is a controversial call. 02- When in Georgia, just take a drink. 03-Life is too hateful to waste time on religion.04- Family and friends might help, your job might help, insurance might pay the bills, and the government might bail out the insurance company. 05- Interest on credit card debt is a bad investment. 06- Only argue when it is worthwhile. Don’t argue just to have fun. Better yet, don’t argue. 07-Cry because you are happy. 08- Getting angry with G-d is like getting angry with standard time. 09- You don’t have to spend all your money at once. Save a bit now and then, and think of a reason later. 10-The sugar and chemicals in commercial chocolate covers up much of the taste. The real thing cannot hurt you. 11- Make pizza with your pasta so it wont screw up your salad. 12- It’s OK to let your children see you watch TV. 13- There once was a band called Journey. They played corporate rock and made lots of money. That is not a life to compare yours to. 14-There was a TV game show, “I’ve Got A Secret”. It did not relate to anything. 15- If you turn your back on G-d, she will still be looking you in the eyes. 16- Take a deep mind, it calms the breath. If that fails, use mouthwash. 17- Politicians, like diapers, should be changed frequently. 18- Some sayings should be outlawed. They have been used too much, and no longer mean anything. 19- The trouble is, some people are on the third and fourth childhood. 20-Show compassion for your neighbor. Sometimes what you want is more pain to him that pleasure to you. 21-Burn the fancy lingerie and wear the candles. One size fits all. 22- A river goes with the flow without preparation. The water is still polluted. 23- If you have to ask permission, you probably don’t need to. 24- Elbows, armpits, and neck scruff disagree with claims made about the brain. 25- If you charge your happiness, pay the bill at the end of the month. 26- Your reaction to the disaster cannot wait five years. Act now, using the best judgment you have. 27- Cheerios taste better than Life cereal, and People magazine has better pictures than Life. 28- Jesus Worshipers are like teenage boys…the more they talk about forgiveness the less they practice it. 29-If you don’t want someone to hear what you say, keep your voice down. 30- Time wounds all heels. This is especially true in North Carolina. 31- There was a man from Mississippi who went to New Orleans. He took a ten dollar bill and a white shirt. He did not change either one. 32-Mr. Roebuck did not take his partner Sears-iously. 33-The middle three letters of the word Believe is LIE. 34- G-d is a neutral. She loves and hates in equal measure. 35- Show up, Stay awake, and don’t kill anybody. 36-If youth is wasted on the young, is maturity wasted on the mature? 37-When you make a list like this, don’t worry about contradicting yourself. 38- The hokey pokey really is what it’s all about. 39- Never wrestle with an pig. You will get dirty, and the pig will enjoy it. 40- Be careful when you ask for something, you might get it. 41- A man thought he was green with envy once. It was really gangrene. 42- The pest is yet to come, but she will go away later. 43- Put your pants on one leg at a time, and put on a dress the same way. 44- Smile, and people will wonder what you are up to. 45- Use spell check, and try to use correct grammar. You will sound smarter than you are.

The fourth leg on this table comes from Adam Avitable. Like Regina Britt, he is still in the game.
PG has been on a rules of life bender lately. Today, the facilitator is Avitable. He left ten rules for life . He had 94 comments, many of whom offered their own RFL. PG has read them, so you don’t have to. The best of the best is below. They are in the order in which they appeared.
01 Everyone will disappoint you at least once in your life. Forgive them. It’s when it becomes a habit that you need to cut them out of your life. (Avitable) 02 Words only have as much power as you give them. If you ignore them, they will lose all effectiveness. (Avitable) 03 No matter how bad things are for you, there’s always someone else out there who is worse. Look for the positive aspects first. (Avitable) 04 TV does not rot your brain. If someone says it does, they aren’t watching enough. (Shamelessly Sassy) 05 If someone/life gives you lemons, cut them in half and squirt them in their eyes. Lemons make awesome weapons. (Shamelessly Sassy) 06 While you should respect your elders, you should not respect elderly assholes. (Shamelessly Sassy) 07 There is no room in my life for toxic friends or people without a sense of humor. (Shamelessly Sassy) 08 Be nice to stupid people. They really just have no idea. (Shamelessly Sassy) 09 Being yourself is easier than keeping up with the masks. (harmzie) 10 Even if you’re not stupid or ignorant, you’re going to fuck up something. It’s best to have someone there who will tolerate it. (harmzie) 11 People are more inclined to like you if you make them laugh a little. (harmzie) 12 Respect and likability are not mutually exclusive. (harmzie) 13 Fear and respect are not the same thing. (harmzie) 14 Don’t take yourself too seriously. (Jay) 15 You’re responsible for raising your own kids. (Jay) 16 If you don’t like something don’t watch/read/listen to it. (Jay) 17 If you screw up, it doesn’t make you weak to admit to it and apologize to anyone you might have hurt. (Jay) 18 Buy low and sell high. (Jay)