Trains, Planes, and Automobiles (with apologies to John Hughes, Steve Martin and John Candy)

In my view, trains win, hands-down. I love trains! Trains are romantic. Think Orient Express. OMG - think Casablanca!!

On a train trip, the time from here to there is still lengthy, but it passes pleasantly. I like to stare out the window. First I try for the umpteenth time to figure out the optical illusion. You know - stuff closer to the train looks like it is moving in one direction and stuff further back looks like it’s moving in the opposite direction. If you can explain this visual perception to me so that I can make sense of it, I will buy you an ice cream cone.

But then, I settle into what I call my train reverie. We click-clack and chug-chug through farmland and small cities and suburbs and towns. Who lives there? What kind of work do they do? What are their families like? What are their struggles; what are their joys? How do they spend their days? It seems rude to just speed through, not stopping to see how everyone is doing.

Trains make me wonder. Is there someone in that town who I would enjoy being friends with? What could I learn from the farmer? What is the story of the person who owns that small shop?

As I stare out the train window, I always feel wistful. I am a stranger passing through, missing the richness of whatever is happening in all these places. But the wistful feeling is not altogether unpleasant….the journey on the train at least shows me that these places exist, as I head to my own destination.

And although the ride is long, the train will get me there relaxed since it is the one doing the hard work. I think of my favorite children’s book: The Little Engine That Could. You know – “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can……I knew I could!!” What a great mantra for life.

A plane is different though. A plane is not wistful. A plane is efficient. I just flew from Washington DC to Boston. I can’t get over that the time in the air is just one hour. I think of all the 8 hour car trips I have taken over the same terrain. Really, it is amazing that humans have figured out how to whip around the world so quickly. I am never relaxed on a plane though.  Relinquishing total control over my life is difficult for a control freak like me.

Automobiles. Hmmmm. Does anyone out there like the way your spouse or partner drives? You do?! You are in a miniscule minority, I am afraid. Anyway, I love my car and think of it as my second home. But long car rides on turnpikes are tiring and tiresome…..unless of course, you Notice! Still, I prefer Noticing and imagining on trains. And of course, there are so many @#$%^& idiots on the road. You have to be on high alert at all times. Now that is not a very kind thought is it? And how can I reconcile not liking planes because I have to give up control with not liking driving because I have to be in such tight control? It’s just hard to please some people I guess….

But give me a window seat on a train anytime, and let me be wistful. Is that Humphrey Bogart standing on the station platform?!

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U 

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

A Little of This; A Little of That

Today I was lucky. I got to take a couple of lovely walks on a perfect fall day. (Yes, I live in a climate with four seasons.)

I started to think the weather was quintessential in-between. In between summer and winter. But then I realized it wasn’t in-between at all.

In the sun, it was as warm as a summer day. But in the shade, it was quite chilly. So it wasn’t in-between. It was a little of this; a little of that. A little of June and a little of November.

Nothing to average out. Just some this and some that. Sort of like a day in the desert. Hot as Hades in the day. Cold as a meat locker at night. Not averaged out. So fall is more a little this and a little that than it is an average of summer and winter, isn’t it?

I began to think that the best things in life are not an average either. I really like a little of this and a little of that.

I like to go to the opera at least once a year. I also like to dance (when nobody is around) to Maroon5. A little of this and a little of that.

When I read, I prefer to read the classics. But I never end the day without reading the comics in the newspaper. A little of this; a little of that.

I love to host dinner parties. I can’t decide if my favorite dinners are the ones where I have prepared elegant courses and served on fine china, or when I have thrown a blanket on the floor and ordered pizza, and we have a pizza picnic.

I am sure you too have preferences for a little of this; a little of that. It makes life so interesting to Notice what makes you happy in such disparate ways.

You may know that the The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing is divided into three sections. The first one is Amazing Things to Notice and the second one is Annoying Things to Notice. A little of this; a little of that.

So I wish you many happy fall Noticings! Or should I say, happy June-November Noticings!

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U 

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

The Crankypuss

I am a great, big crankypuss at night.

This is because I am a morning person. I love to get up early and bound out of bed, ready to greet the day.  (Listen, 50% of you who are night owls, I feel the daggers in your eyes. You wouldn’t be hatin’ on those who are different from you now, would you be?)

But as summer draws to a close (boo, hiss, moan) and fall falls upon us, knocking us out of our flip-flops, I have been thinking.

Maybe bounding out of bed as soon as I open my eyes is not the best way to start the day. Maybe before I do anything else, I should Notice.  I am thinking I will just lie there for an extra minute or two. Take inventory. Listen to my breathing.  Gently stretch each muscle group. Notice the light in the room. Has the sun risen yet? Is sunshine streaming through the drapes? Does it seem to be cloudy? Do I hear rain? What else do I hear? The heat or AC? Birds outside? Fire engines? Do I feel chilly or warm? Do I smell anything? Coffee, maybe?

Yes, I think this would be a good idea. Slowly rev up my Noticing engines before I even move. A nice way to get into the Noticing mindset.

Then….Bound! Leap! Spring out of bed!

There is a day’s worth of Noticings to be discovered. Every day is a treasure hunt! Will I stumble onto a new Zipper? (You may remember that a Zipper is what I call a simple solution that works.)  Will I recognize a Broccoli that could be replicated somewhere else? (Remember, a Broccoli is what I call a repeating pattern.)  Will I recognize a new Human Idiosyn-Crazy® that will bring me a laugh?

There are huge numbers of new things to Notice every single day. This is the excitement of being alive!

So as a new season draws near, will you join me in starting each day with a minute or two of quiet awareness, even before getting out of bed?

Let me know if you are going to try this. And let me know what you Notice.

But don’t tell me anything after 9 pm. After that hour, I don’t care about zippers and broccoli. I am cranky. I am bad-tempered. I am irritable. I am grouchy. I am ornery.

I am a crankypuss.

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

They Thought the Sky Would Be Green

Nhoj and Eus slowly lowered their craft to the ground. It had been a long voyage and they truly hoped not to run into any people too soon. They just wanted to quietly celebrate their safe arrival, and then rest.

Fortunately for them, they landed in the Australian Outback, one of the least populated places on Earth. The first thing Nhoj and Eus did upon landing was don their helmuts so they could breathe properly. They just wanted to take a few steps in this strange world.

They climbed down the ship’s ladder and were immediately stunned by the sky. This planet, that their scientists had so carefully researched, was supposed to have all the elements to support life. They expected the sky to be a beautiful green like their home planet – a calm and sparkling green from the boron, chlorine, thallium and copper that floated above their heads at home. But this sky was so different….and OMG….it was changing as they stood there. It was blue but different shades of blue and as they watched, the sky moved! White puffs came over them. What are those?

And then, the sky blackened and huge white globs started to take over! Was the sky disappearing??

Nhoj and Eus were mesmerized. But as time passed, the sky turned blue again but began to darken and pink, red, and orange appeared. The visitors could not pull their eyes away from the sky. They didn’t know whether to be frightened or to just enjoy the show. They squeezed each other’s tentacles (which they had made to appear like hands so as not to scare the natives.)

Just then two people appeared. “Hello! I am John and this is Sue. Are you lost? Do you need help?”

“Hello”, said Nhoj and Eus, through their translator voiceboxes. “We are visitors and are amazed by the sky!”

“Indeed”, said John and Sue. “The sky and the clouds are amazing. And now we have the beautiful sunset. This is nothing to ho-hum about. It’s amazing how many people don’t bother to Notice the sky. They are too busy checking off their to-do lists.”

John boldly added, “So I Notice your helmuts. Are they a special kind of motorcycle gear? Very cool!”

“Indeed they are”, said Eus. “Why don’t we meet here tomorrow and we will tell you our whole story? We are quite tired now. What do you think the sky will look like in the morning?”

“Get up for sunrise”, answered Sue, “and you will see a beautiful sight”.

“Thank you, Sue” said Eus. “Goodnight, John”, said Nhoj. And the two couples parted ways for the night.

My dear Noticers: Do you need visitors from a planet in another galaxy to remind you to look up? No, surely not. My fellow Noticers would never take the beauty of the sky for granted!

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U 

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

Need To Figure Out My BATNA

He: “Awoo!  Awooooo! Awoooooooooo!”

Me: “Shut up. Shut up! Shuttttt!!!!! Uppppp!!!!!

I have lost a lot of sleep over these awoooo’s. And this awoo-producer is my sworn enemy:

Why? Why me? Why has this creature taken over my beautiful balcony, my oasis of fresh air high above the sounds of the city, my private little dining room, my perfect office?

My beautiful floor tiles are covered in white, disgusting “debris”. I read that black pepper would get rid of them, so I spread pepper everywhere. The pigeons didn’t mind, but every time I went out to scare them away, I had a sneezing fit.

I have conducted a month long war with these creatures. They are not afraid of the fake owl hung to frighten them. And they are certainly not afraid of me.

I am afraid of them, though. One time when I got too close to the nest, this creature flew up and away so fast I thought he would take my head off. Sheesh!

About that nest.

Yes, he built a nice nest right in the secluded corner next to the drain. And in that nest, two perfect eggs one day appeared.

Awwww. I feel bad now. Surely I could put up with a few awoo’s  of a pregnant mom.

Then one day, pieces of eggshell were strewn everywhere (all over the once-clean tiles of my balcony floor, I might add).

Then I saw the chicks. Awwww. How cute.  Can’t we all get along?

So I did some research. It seems the male builds the nest and then coos to attract a mate. Hence, “Awoo. Awoo! Awoo!!” Then the male and female take turns sitting on the eggs. And they take turns feeding the chicks. What a sweet family! So egalitarian.

How about a deal, Mr. and Mrs. Pigeon? How about next time you find another place to build your nest, so I don’t have to be kept awake by awoo’s, and I can use my own balcony again? In return, you can show me absolutely all the baby pictures you have on your phone. What do you say? That’s more generous than my friends and I are with each other. We limit each other to one or two photos of the kids or grandkids at one time. But you, Mr. and Mrs. Pigeon, you can show me everything in your camera.

That’s silly, you say? I don’t think so. Pigeons are among the smartest animals on the planet. They can find their way home from thousands of miles away, they can recognize the letters of the alphabet, and they can recognize themselves in a mirror. That’s better than I can do. I always stagger into the bathroom when I wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and say “Jeez! Who the heck is that scary-looking creature?!”

So the pigeons are smarter than I and I am sure they can be deal-makers, if only they will discuss it. They probably will get the best of me though. I guess I better figure out my BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement). Maybe earplugs?

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

It’s All About Tinkertoys

I think we are hard-wired from earliest years to play with Tinkertoys and Lincoln Logs and Legos and plain old wonderful wooden blocks. We just love to build up and later knock down, only to build up again.

We do this as preschoolers and we do this as adults. As adults we like to tear down what we consider no longer attractive, no longer effective, and no longer fitting with our values.

Right now where I live there are five construction sites within two blocks. Buildings existed for years at these sites but now it was decided that they were not good enough. Where I work, a new subway stop recently opened, so all the buildings are being torn down so that better, taller buildings can be built. I now work in the last building standing. It is, to tell the truth, somewhat disconcerting. Tinkertoys being knocked down all around me.

All around me better buildings are being built, buildings that are more architecturally pleasing, buildings that are more energy efficient, buildings that fit better with the values of the community. This is all good stuff.

But thank goodness for the stodgy old folks at The Society for Historic Preservation. These good people remind us that there is value, historical value and cultural value, in preserving the good of the past.

Getting rid of what no longer works is good. Replacing it with something better is good. Moving forward is good. But keeping in mind that we must preserve – either in reality or in memory - the best of the past, is also immensely important.

I wonder. Did I just write an allegory on how to lead our lives?

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U 

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

Lucky to be Sweating on the Hilltop

On good days, days when I don’t have to be at an early morning meeting, I start my day by working out. First I do all the exercises that decades worth of physical therapists have taught me. I have quite a repertoire because not too much time goes by before I injure myself yet once again. Now many of you know that I really value laughing at myself. I also value cheering myself on. Here’s my cheer:       

                  Give me a K! Give me an L! Give me a U!

Now you know how this is going. Yes, I am quite the klutz.

I am currently doing physical therapy exercises for a sprained ankle and for an old neck injury. I have many stories about how I end up face down on concrete on a regular basis, but this being a G-rated blog, I will not relay the story of The Purple Boob.

Anyway, after I go through all those exercises, I set out for my morning power walk. One of my routines is to march uphill for a half hour, and when I summit the mountain (ok, the top of the hill on Connecticut Avenue isn’t really Everest, but still), I am quite proud of myself. I am also sweating bullets.

But I am also feeling so very lucky. By the time I reach the summit, I have walked through lovely neighborhoods of huge trees, townhouses of character, and old mansions. I have passed people running and people walking their dogs. Early commuters are weaving their way through the streets. Café keepers are sweeping and hosing off their sidewalks. I cannot think of a more lovely way to start my day.

I simply am in awe of my luck.

Last week I heard Immaculee Ilibagiza give a talk about how she survived the Rwanda Genocide. I have been thinking about the Holocaust survivors I am acquainted with. I also know that right this minute, there are about 20 million war refugees in the world. Yet I live where I don’t have to worry about bullets being shot outside my window each night. I know where my next meal will come from. I have a terrific bed to sleep in each night. Yes, I am in total awe of my luck.

And that is why, as I stand in my sweaty teeshirt on the hilltop and look around me, I catch my breath. Not because I have trotted uphill, but because I am aware of how lucky I truly am.

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U 

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

Don’t Ho-Hum: Here’s a New Zipper

People often ask me what The Did Ya Notice?® Project is all about. I have said a number of things about it, but I have now come to a succinct response:

Refuse to ho-hum your way through life!

Do you agree that that’s the key? If you Notice the little things, and those are the things that are often really meaningful, you will be able to capture everything life offers you.

Don’t leave anything on the table. Refuse to ho-hum, and capture everything you can on the table of life.

So with that reminder….I will tell you what I am very excited about now.

You may remember that I have a great love of zippers. A zipper is a simple, satisfying invention that works. I am truly crazy about zippers. Zip, zip! What could be more fun?

I like to use the word “zipper” to refer to anything that is simple, satisfying, and works. People have told me things that they consider “zippers”, like their old hand can-opener, or a clear subject line in an email, or of course, the great zip-lock bag. I bet you can think of tons of “zippers” if you give yourself a minute.

Oh dear. Hang on. I just dumped cereal all over the floor. Aha! My little handheld vacuum is a terrific zipper!

Ok, so here’s what I have been thinking about today:

There is a “zipper” that we all use every day (I hope.) In the winter, it warms us up. In the summer, it cools us down. If we have an achy arm or back or shoulder, it makes us feel better. If we feel yucky and gross, it fixes us right up and makes us feel like serene royalty. If we are tone deaf (like me), it turns us into spectacular singers. If we clear our minds, it sometimes allows great ideas to appear.

Yes, my friends, I realize now that the shower is the greatest zipper of all!

Do you agree that the shower is a fabulous zipper? Have you thought about how lucky we are to have showers? Thank the Greeks. They invented a pumping and drainage system that enabled showers to be used widely.

So Notice the zippers in your life every day, and remember:

Never ho-hum about a zipper!

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

Grapes

There are but two ways to enjoy the succulent green grapes of summer.

If you are a goddess, lay your head in the lap of a worshiping male and have him peel back the fragile skin and delicately place a single grape on your tongue.

Move your tongue slowly around over the moist orb and let the juices flow. Enjoy it slowly, slowly, until it is gone. Then have your supplicant repeat.

If, on the other hand, you are a mere mortal man or woman, then:

Stuff your mouth with wild abandon! How many grapes can you fit in there at once? 6? 8? 10??

Shove them all in and bite down! Juices squirting every which way in your mouth – sweet, a bit tart sometimes – dripping out the sides of your lips? Wait, don’t laugh!! Oooo! What a mess! Swallow! Swallow!

Hah! That was fun!! Repeat.

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

A Life of Service

I just feel really lucky.

I provide comfort to anyone who comes by. And I also get to be in the middle of everything.

Now sometimes it does get lonely. There are days when I am all by myself the whole day. But even then, I get to look around at my lovely surroundings and I am truly content.

So much happens around me. The best times are when there is a party and I am surrounded by people eating, drinking, talking, laughing. Other times just a few people around me are talking. Sometimes movies are watched. It is all fascinating.

I have also been a key part of sad times, and I think people are glad I am there. They kind of collapse around me and find solace with me.

One person is particularly attached to me. She calls me “hers”.  A little too proprietary, maybe. She often comes to me at the end of the day with a huge, loud “I am done!” But I am used to her by now and am glad to help her relax, although, if I might complain just a little….she snacks around me and sometimes leaves crumbs on me.  And then, would you believe, she takes this little hand vacuum to me! Would you like to be vacuumed off? It is humiliating.

Ah well. I do believe in counting my blessings. I am quite good looking and people seem to enjoy my shape. I am usually in the middle of the action. And hey, really…what could be better than a life of service?

Yes I am blessed.

Now hold on! Who is this stranger? Aiiii! He is getting ready to flop down with his big dirty shoes on!

“Sir! No!! You can’t put your dirty shoes on the ottoman!”

“Sir, please understand. Shoes are not allowed on the ottoman!”

“What? You are asking me who am I to tell you what to do?”

“Well, sir. I will tell you who I am.”

“I am Margery’s Big, Comfortable, Living Room Chair! And you, sir, are now in a lot of trouble.”

“Uh oh. Run, sir, run! Here she comes! And…aiii! She has the vacuum!”

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U 

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

Why It Doesn’t Matter That My Hair Frizzes in the Humidity

The orbiting Hubble Telescope has found evidence of a huge salt water ocean under the ice layer on Ganymede, Jupiter’s biggest moon! The ocean has more water than all the water on Earth. It is 60 miles thick, which is 10 times thicker than oceans on Earth, but it is buried beneath 95 miles of ice.

How do they know? Scientists know that Ganymede has a magnetic field because it produces aurorae (just like Earth), and it is also embedded in Jupiter’s magnetic field. So, by studying changes in the aurorae, they figured out the ocean thing. That’s all I can tell you. NASA’s website is awesome. You can read it yourself and then maybe explain to me how they know this. By the way, Ganymede is the only moon in the solar system known to have a magnetic field.

In any case, it is amazing.

Also quite amazing is that the four largest moons of Jupiter were discovered in 1610 by Galileo!

Another of these four moons is Europa, which is also thought to have an ocean – maybe twice as much water as Earth underneath a surface of water ice.

These moons have their own internal sources of heat. Heat sources and oceans….will we find life forms there? It’s entirely possible.

So when you look at the stars at night do you think….wow! We are on one planet in a solar system with many other planets and moons and asteroids and comets. And this solar system is in one galaxy with so many stars and planets and quasars and black holes. And this galaxy is only one among so many, many other galaxies. And all these galaxies make up the known universe…but are there other universes as well?

Go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U

This is a 6 minute video called The Known Universe produced by The American Museum of Natural History.  It really shows how vast the known universe is – and this is only what we know for sure right now – and what an extraordinarily tiny piece of real estate Earth is within this vastness.

So, realizing all this….does it make one iota of sense for me, or any of us, to be arrogant? Does it make any sense for me, or any of us, to indulge our prejudices?  Does it make any sense at all for me to worry that my hair frizzes on a humid day? 

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

Life is a Balagan

My life is currently one big balagan.

Isn’t that the most awesome word, and can’t you guess what it means? To me it is amazingly onomatopoetic. It sounds like what it is.

A balagan. A mess. A big mixed up, tangled up, riotous mess.

It can be good, as in, “I heard there is a balagan in Tel Aviv with free beer. Yala! (Let’s go!)

It can be bad, as in, “What a balagan the Middle East is.”

Or it can be what it is, as in, “My life is currently one big balagan.”

You remember my Noticing last week? I wrote about great words I discovered during my recent trip to Israel. I wrote about “haval al hazman” – a great compliment which means “a waste of time”. Well, balagan is another great word, which I will endeavor to use as much as possible now.

So about my life as a balagan. My day job, running a non-profit, now runneth over. At least my annual gala took place this past weekend. Yay! I love the past tense! Took place. As in, done, finished, over! However, I am still putting dishes away after hosting my Passover seder – 5 course meal for 12 – and that was a week and a half ago. Plus, I really need to get back to publicizing my future bestseller, The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing. Oh, and by the way, I sprained my ankle. And no, it wasn’t a result of skiing in the Alps…which would have been worth it. It was a result of falling off a curb in New Jersey.

Aaii! What a balagan!

But see, just saying that word cheers me way up. Try it. Life is a balagan!

Hey! Let’s have balagan parties! Have a mess of food and drink and lots of people and conversation and laughter and Noticings of all kinds.  I can see Chinese food mixed with Indian mixed with tacos. I can see people wearing cocktail dresses and sweatpants. I can see CDs piled up for playing - Beethoven, hip hop, and Mary Had a Little Lamb. Balagan parties!

C’mon over. Are you in?

©2015 Margery Leveen Sher

NEW BOOK! The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing…..Change Your Life Without Changing Your Routine is available on Amazon, Nook, and iTunes.  Read the reviews and purchase here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZTM73U

Here is a 50 second really cool video about the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGWMsUUPPeA

MARGERY IS AVAILABLE TO KEYNOTE YOUR MEETING OR CONFERENCE with a motivational talk filled with both startling wisdom and humongous laughs:

“Notice What You See and Be a Hero at Work”

My True Confessions

One of you told me some months ago that I am her psychiatrist. She explained that she found my Noticings uplifting and that they helped her recognize what is important in life. Obviously, I have not forgotten that comment because it really made me happy to hear that my writing is worthwhile.

Truth be told, that person and others who agree, are my psychiatrists.

I have spent the last week or so really having a hard time writing. I keep thinking of the wars and atrocities that humans inflict on each other, and wonder how I can write about such small things – trivial things? - when the world is such a mess.

But, truth be told (again), the world has always had been a mess. There have always been atrocities committed. There have always been horrors inflicted by some against others.

But there has also always been music. And there have also always been flowers. And there have always been sunrises over the ocean and sunsets down the mountains.

Do you think we humans absolutely need these counterbalances to be able to forge forward with our lives?

So maybe it is, indeed, important to Notice. I have come to believe that we don’t do life and living justice if we don’t Notice all the little things that really do make up the texture of life.

The repeating patterns in a head of broccoli, the amazing inventions that I write about like the zipper and the trashcan, the exclamation points to our day that are happy surprises -  running into a sweet dog on the street or being offered some rosemary by a neighbor gardening. Maybe it really is essential to Notice these types of things.

And of course it is essential to Notice our own Human Idiosyn-Crazies ™ and laugh at ourselves. This is what I always tell my audiences when I am speaking: Laughing at ourselves builds up the fuel to be kinder to other people.

The biggest truth to be told of all is that the world really needs a whole lot more kindness. Don’t you agree?

I am about to leave for vacation. I will be back with more Noticings when I return in a few weeks, but meanwhile, do keep Noticing. It would be great if you post your own Noticings at /are-you-a-noticer-too/ so we can all join in.

When signing The Noticer’s Guide to Living and Laughing, I always write “Happy Noticing!” I do this because Noticing is surely a path to greater happiness and appreciation of the richness of life.