It's My Blog and I'll Ramble If I Want To

My post today might not be overly coherent, and I apologise in advance, but it's only a fraction after 9am and I've been awake for... wow... nearly 9 hours already. With a bed-time of 10pm last night, you do the maths on sleep-hours!

Today marks 3 decades of this life for me. I was thinking, at about 4am, of the things I've learned in this time. Sadly, the meaning of life hasn't dawned upon me, nor even the meaning of MY life! There are a few things, though, that I realised I've learned along the way.

The first is that my family mean more than the earth to me. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for them. To me, close friends are also family, so this extends to them. This has meant a few kicks in the teeth in the trust-stakes many times through my life (99.9% of the time from "friends"), but I don't want to be any other way.

The second is that you should never assume anything about the effect you have on the lives of your family, friends, and even strangers. The most random and thoughtless act on your part can have a massive effect, positive or negative, on others. I try really hard to make sure I leave the former. The simplest things, like saying "please" and "thank you" to the check-out chick, or the person who serves you lunch, cost you nothing, but can make a lasting impression. It seems to me that manners and consideration of others are dying habits. Maybe it's because I was raised in the country, by people who taught me that manners were NOT optional, that I feel this way.

The third is that friends are fabulous, wonderful, people to have. But when a friendship becomes toxic, and can not be salvaged, you have to have the strength to walk away, and try to remember the good times. Being any other way is a miserable way to live.

The fourth is that you should always follow a recipe as closely as you can the first time you attempt it. Then get creative.

The fifth is that if you really want something nothing can or will get in your way.

There are possibly quite a few more, but those are the first that leap to my mind.

Now, I'm off to buy myself a red dress for dinner tonight :)