Go Ahead and Smile and Other Thoughts

I really don’t like to smile that often. It’s been that way for a long time—back since I was in my teens or so. This is a problem. You see, I made that resolution to be a kinder gentler Jeff—even if no one thinks I can do it—and I plan on giving it my best effort.

My friend, Chris Perridas, suggested that I smile more, that it actually can affect my attitude and the folks around me as well. So, I thought about it and decided to give it a go.

I walked down the hall this morning and smiled at one of the ladies as I passed her desk. And, yah know what happened? She frowned. She looked at me like I had lost my mind, like I was just a little on the nuts-o side of things. I felt like Wednesday Adams all of a sudden. You know that scene in the movie, Adams Family Values where she is forced to smile and it scared everyone in the camp? Yup, that’s what I felt like.

I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. If I’m going to scare people when I smile, well maybe I shouldn’t do it that often after all.

The good thing is I’m still not being negative about things and I’m still trying to be . . . gasp . . . nice.

Stay tuned.

***

On to other things.

My son likes to wake me up in the mornings—especially on Saturdays, the only day I get to sleep until it’s daylight. He crawls up in the bed between Catherine and myself.

“Hey, Daddy,” he says and smacks me in the head. “Daddy, I want to get up. Can you get up? Can you play with me? Can I have some drink? Daddy. Daddy, get up.”

I usually open one eye and look at the smiling face that is inches from my head.

“Hey, little buddy, lay down and go back to sleep.”

I usually try to get him to lie down between us but that doesn’t work.

“Daddy, come on. Get up.”

He crawls out the bed and tugs on my foot.

“Logan, wake your momma up.”

“No,” he says and lets go of my foot.

“Why not?”

“I scared to.”

Though I’ve heard this dozens of times it always gets me. “What?”

“I scared to wake Mommy up.”

“Why?”

“She’ll get mad.”

I usually sit up at this. “Are you afraid to wake Daddy up?”

“No,” he says but he doesn’t just say no. He says “Nooooooooooooo.”

Yeah, he drags it out like I’ve just asked him a dumb question. So, what do I do? I get up.

I tell you this because I’m the one who took the initiative to try and become kinder and gentler and my son is afraid to wake up his mother. What’s up with that?

***

On the writing front I have subbed out eight stories since the first and have hopes for each one. Now, just to sit back and wait for the responses. Fingers crossed and all.

The writing is coming along nicely as well. I wanted to write one thousand words a day and so far I sit at 15167 and counting. I should finish up a six thousand word story tomorrow and I have a few other things I want to get started in the next few days.

I haven’t started back on the novel yet, but I’m going to soon.

Okay, I’m done for now—the Bull Crap System game is about to start back and I’m pulling for Florida. Though I’m not a big fan of the Gators, I do like Tim Tebow. I’ve been pulling for the Florida Tebows in this one.

For now, I’m AJ and I’m out.