Finishing the sentence XLVII

One of my unfinished sentences and some responses it elicited in late 1988:

When you aren't looking, it creeps into your conscience and causes you to perceive things as you wish them to be.  It is...

...the unfelt state between a sleepy, dreamy area and being awake. (Chris E.)

...lust. (Fran H.)

...contentment. (Betsy B.)

...sugar-free chocolate pudding. (Cherice L.)

You're welcome?

In the '80s, I remember reading about a local sign that had to be removed.  It read, "Welcome To...," followed by the name of the town.  The sign had to be taken down, however, because the greeting appeared on both sides of the sign. 

We all make mistakes.  Not many of us have made that one, however.

One of the best compliments...

...you can give people, in my opinion, is "Thank you for being you."  It summarizes a wide-ranging appreciation of a person's positive qualities effectively and concisely.  During a prayer after someone has passed away, it express gratitude for the positive way a person lived his or her life.

This thought is especially appropriate for Memorial Day, I believe.

Recurring workplace humor

Once, after noticing how hard a co-worker at a previous job was working but not always receiving credit for it, I told him, in a deadpan monotone, "Whatever you're doing, it's not enough."  The co-worker picked up immediately on my deliberate irony, and for years after that, when either of us tackled the work of three people, one of us would tell the other, "Whatever you're doing, it's not enough."

I still think that's an effective way of saying, "Not everyone realizes or acknowledges how hard you work, so I will."

Time for a delicious, hastily improvised lunch...

There's nothing like an impromptu lunch of strawberries, yogurt, and a bit of cheddar cheese. 

When a storm is about to hit, perishable food suddenly seems as precious as gold.  I might get pelted by hail and have to drive through a monsoon tonight, but I'll be damned if I don't get to eat my 50 cents worth of that cherry vanilla yogurt...

Thanks for the pity?

Years ago, after conducting a long survey over the phone for a market research company, I thanked the participant for her time.  I still remember her response.

"Well, I wouldn't have done it," she said, "but everybody's got to make a living."

Looking back, I wonder how many other participants felt that way but didn't say so.

"We must be adults. We're shaking hands."

One of my high school teachers observed that when people visit their high school while they're in college, everyone shakes hands more than they ordinarily would.

"It's as if everyone thinks, 'We are grown now, and shaking hands is what grown people do.'"

I hadn't thought about that until he mentioned it, but he's right.