Day 305 - Memories Are So Odd

source

Today is day 305 of my mission. Yesterday 304, tomorrow Lord willing will be 306. Now that I have the math out of the way allow me to entertain myself, and you, with why the number 305 is bouncing around my head like my niece bounced around my family room this past weekend.

How often does 305 pop up? OH it does at times when channel-surfing the TV, or when the amount to be paid is $3.05, or when a crash in the race I'm watching occurs on lap 305; the number really does pop up more often that one would expect. Whenever I see the number 305, my mind instantly reminds me that my 3rd grade classroom number was 305. I cannot tell you what my 2nd grade, or fourth grade classroom numbers were, or any other grades room number.

What happened in room 305 that burned that number into my memory so?

Dumplings. Anytime I see Chicken & Dumplings on a menu, on a buffet, or served at a dinner party; where ever it may be I almost always pass up on it. I know there is no way, NONE, they could be better than the dumplings my Great Grandma Bella used to make. When I hear the word dumpling, I think immediately of her. I'm sure she'd appreciate knowing that is how I remember her best.

We're her dumplings really that amazing that passing all other dumpling opportunities is justified?

Pencils, you may recall for Hanukkah I shared this story of my encounter with Sheldon Reese with you. To this day when I see a freshly sharpened pencil, or hear a pencil sharpener doing its thing; I instantly am reminded of Sheldon and look upon anyone armed with a pencil with a cautionary glare.

I have other memory triggers which I find odd. But those are enough to give you sense of how my mind looks backwards as well as forwards. We do need to leverage our past experiences, our memories, to help us forge better results ahead. But for the life of me I cannot figure out how 305, Dumplings & Sheldon popping in my head as they do does much for forging anything more than a smile and occasional chuckle.

Got Odd Memories?

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 229 - Happy Hanukkah to 13.1



source

Happy Hanukkah to all of my friends of the Jewish faith. This year the Festival of Lights runs from sunset December 1 to sunset December 9. I am not Jewish, but as a young boy I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in Chicago. I have many vivid memories of that time, one of which I will share here...

Sheldon Reese was king of the play ground. He would threaten kids with sharpened pencils to force their submission to his crown as the play ground bully. I was the new kid in school and I didn't care much for pencils, they were needed for school work and I didn't like school work. Thus one second-grade morning when Sheldon pointed one in my face in effort to kick me out of 'his' end of the play ground, well my Irish came out and I brought his reign to an end. The next day he returned to recess with his older brothers from the Hebrew high school 1/2 block away. Long story short they thumped me and Sheldon was reinstated king. That was my first experience with my Jewish neighbors and it imprinted my seven year old mind with prejudice. Soon enough the 4th grade rolled around where I met a cute Jewish girl. Sheldon also took a liking to her, Anna P-something-or-other, but his brothers could not help him win this battle; she simply was not impressed with his pencils I guess. Her father probably would have liked Sheldon, to Mr. P~ I was pure evil and he banished her from talking with me. Good for me that she didn't mind her father well. She as much as my time in that neighborhood reformed me, by the time I moved again after 6th grade I had matured enough to leave such prejudices where they belong, in my wake.

I believe I commented on this a month or so ago, shame on me if I did not, but this Sunday is the day that Christine over at Phoenix Revolution is going to walk, jog or crawl her way to 13.1 miles...


click for her original post announcing this opportunity

A few of her faithful followers have committed to doing the same, myself being one of them. I have a busy day planned Sunday, so I may end up getting in a mess of those miles early a.m. and then the rest later in the evening. Christine is good with that, so if needed that is what I will do. One way or another I am getting her those miles!

How about you, interested in joining us?

Off to a great start with December Go The Distance. Ate fantastic and drank enough water to swim. Put down a half dozen servings of veg & fruit combined as well. Wednesday was planned off day for me exercise wise, and I succeeded and executing that plan and not exercising. I do have exercise planned for Thursday - do you?

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!