Sabbatical Reflections: U Jelly?

My hoity-toity hubby casually strolls past a luxury car carrying a loaf of day-old bread, for PBJ's

    We spy a unique eyeful in our Braum's parking lot. The mere sight of it evokes indulgence, excess, diamonds, chauffeurs, elegance and M.O.N.E.Y. It is shiny, taupe-colored, regal, and has a double-R on its trunk.

     Two questions enter our minds which are, unfortunately, never answered: What's a Rolls Royce doing in our modest city's Braum's parking lot? and, What do the owners look like?

     Think of all the worthwhile things that could be done with its price tag! To imagine being in the socio-economic level to even think about having the desire to own one is incomprehensible. At least one worthwhile thing can come from seeing that Rolly. This peanut-butter-&-jelly-raised GenJoneser can seize the prime opportunity to define 2010's then up-and-coming:  "U Jelly?"

     When my husband sets his loaf of bread into the car, I don't say, U Jelly? meaning, "Do we have jelly at home for your peanut butter sandwich?"

     The Urban Dictionary shortens the phrase, "I know you're jealous" to "U Jelly!" That lingo makes perfect sense. Envy is a form of envious. Why not jelly for jealous? It is a phrase that the possessor of a tantalizing object mischievously says to an envious buddy. The owner of that opulent Rolly earned the license plate: U Jelly! IF we were into Rolly's, we would have needed a tres bon mountain-size of God's grace. 

     News stories reveal race horse California Chrome's owner post-race losing his composure. His face is beet red following the 2014 Belmont Stakes. He disregards his wife's brief and desperate calming plea. He rants and raves "Unfair" to the media. His credible point is that horses should be required to run in all of the Triple Crown races; but, nevertheless, he is a sore loser. The gracious winner of the Belmont Stakes controlled himself, but he certainly could have tauntingly said: U Jelly! ... 

    Hmmmm. My "Sabbatical Reflections" identify with each aspect of the Belmont Stakes, depending on my mood, Vitamin B-12 levels, and downer allergy medication. Taking the birds-eye viewpoint, I see: Gracious. Mischievous. And sometimes the sore loser.

Father's Day

     A wise and highly successful father recently said:  "Never let your children win. A truly competitive father never lets his children win, because he loves them. Every time you give your children something that you did not have growing up, you take from them something you did have. So, always compete."

     After chewing on this tres bon advice, I add two footnotes: 1) Never say never or always, and 2) the preface words "A truly competitive father" are key regarding letting your children win. But, basically I tend to agree. Heed the resistant, knee-jerk notion, "I want to give or do this or that for my child because I wished my parents had done this for, or given that to, me."

     Review your strengths in light of insightful Deuteronomy 1. With potentially unneeded coddling or rescuing, would you possess your key strengths? Ninety-nine point nine percent (99.9%) of the Israelites seemed unfazed by God's Almighty Fatherhood.

Sabbatical Reflections: Rhythms & Swooshes

Reflections continue as I think about sabbatical times. A regular job earnestly eludes me, as well as definable purpose. What is an avid do-er to do besides do or re-direct myself? Blogging is my dinghy (a life raft, not to be construed with the word dingy). It is a productive and diverting outlet. The question jabs me: Who am I, naked, with all identities stripped?

I am: Invisible and striving Generation Jones, with a treasured and extended window of opportunity to notice delicate details that others might dismiss. I think about those tres bon delicacies, and I write about them. My signature is to imprint, journal, and piggyback or horseback ride off of the flavorful cuisine of sole relationships (which could be construed with soul).

One light-hearted and personal object lesson helps to demonstrate the 2 years of this sabbatical venture. It is the fidgety dance of two adorable, on-stage pre-schoolers during the recent baby dedication of their younger siblings. For a time they are admirably quiet, but then, that's when their squirmy instincts activate...

• Younger "Joey" stomps his feet, one by one, and milliseconds later, "Nellie" quietly stomps her feet, one by one. 
• Joey catches Nellie's eye and appears to notice her mischievous cue, Let's play the game "Simon Sees." He nonchalantly stomps one foot, just to make sure his read is accurate. 
• Bingo! Nellie stomps one foot, just like he did. The game is on to fill a few boring seconds! 
• Nellie teasingly swooshes the ruffles of her girly, fuchsia-colored dress, inevitably believing: Joey won't be able to mimic this!! 
• Joey takes just two milliseconds to figure a way to manly mime the ruffle swoosh. He grabs his boy attire for an ingenious shirt swoosh. 
• Next, what does antsy Nellie do?

Dogged, daring, diligent, dinghy
B.L.O.G.G.I.N.G.

Joey and Nellie's older sibling duty is finally rewarded with tres bon cake. Their fanciful, quiet game "Simon Sees" demonstrates the idea of mimicking non-verbal cues.

 I, too, have mimicked... the rhythms and cues of organization-STOMPS and grandchild-SWOOSHES. I see, and I blog. I feel like antsy Nellie and ask the mischievous question:

How have I kicked and stomped during this fidgety sabbatical?

The answer...dogged, daring, diligent, dinghy B.L.O.G.G.I.N.G., cuing off of sole experiences:  Worried? See-&-Blog. Fidgety? See-&-Blog. Happy? See-&-Blog. Creative spurt? See-&-Blog. Forlorn? See-&-Blog. Doubtful & questioning? See-&-Blog. Courage & direction -seeking? See-&-Blog, blog, blog!

The Bible's David, just prior to his successful slingshot Battle-to-the-Death with Goliath, responds to years of daring Shepherd Boy "Simon Sees" :

But David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; ... [Generation Jones typewriter "carriage return" emphasis, mine].
...this uncircumcised Philistine [Goliath] will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine' 

(I Samuel 17: 34-37). 

[DAVID SEES. partnering with God & his soulful, sole-seasoned slingshot & stones: 
lion-. bear-. & GIANT- KILLS.]  [Generation Jones, 1990's sitcom, Tim-the-tool-man, growled, "AR, AR" expresses David's mindset during this quintessential nail-biting cliff-hanger].

 

Simon Sees. Adorably.
It's quick, so hold that sneeze.