Done!

 

I got lots of writing done.  I was supposed to be working on my 2018 income taxes.  Normally I procrastinate with writing.  Given the choice between writing and taxes, I chose writing.  I posted some of the writing on my blogs the past few weeks, but most of the writing was private.  It may be public one day.

Today, April 30, is the tax deadline.  It was like being back in high school.  I had all weekend to do my homework, and I waited until late Sunday night before starting it.  Yesterday, the day before the deadline, I finally tackled my taxes.

I still file the old way of using paper.  I could file online, but I am still not sure of what I am doing using the paper forms.  When I am confident using the paper tax forms, and understand income-tax procedures, then I will file online.  Filing online now would be like using a calculator when I am still learning how to add.

If I figured it out correctly, then the government owes me a billion dollars.  I will settle for less if paying me a billion dollars will be a financial burden.  I would not want our politicians giving up the perks of their jobs so I can get my billion dollars.

Now that my taxes are done, I can go back to putting off writing.

The Ring

 

When I was in my final year of high school, my older sister went to Mexico for a vacation.  She returned with gifts for the family.  She gave me a silver Aztec ring.

I imagined that human-looking aliens had dropped this ring off somewhere in Mexico many, many years ago.  The aliens would return one day to find the person wearing the ring and make him or her the ruler of their planet.

Wow!  I would rule a planet in a galaxy far, far away.  I would not have to worry about studying for my final high-school exams.  Why would I need a high school diploma when I was going to rule another planet?

Within a week of me thinking that the ring meant I would rule another planet, I lost the ring.  Thus, I lost my opportunity to rule on a planet in a galaxy far, far away.  I had no choice but to study for my final exams and graduate from high school.

Was It A Sign?

 

It rained rats and logs on Saturday.  And the weather people said that it would rain into the evening and overnight.

I needed to go out late on Saturday afternoon to buy some things I did not need.  I could not find my umbrella.  I knew I had left it somewhere with my mind, and I could not find that either.  I had to go out so I bundled up and ventured forth into the rats and logs with no umbrella and no mind.

I walked by a discount store on Bloor Street near Bathurst.  I saw that they were selling umbrellas for five dollars.  I thought, “Why not?  I’m rich.”  I went in and bought a five-dollar umbrella.  There was no lineup at the counter.  I was in the store for less than two minutes.  When I came out and started to open my five-dollar umbrella, it stopped raining.  It stopped raining!  But the weather people said that it would rain into the evening and overnight.  And it had stopped raining.  The clouds cleared a bit showing blue sky and the sun appeared.   I stood and watched the sky while holding my almost-opened-five-dollar umbrella.

I like to make meanings of the things I experience to help me to believe that there are no coincidences, and that I am not living a meaningless life in a meaningless universe.  I saw the rain stopping as a sign that I would not need the things I think I need.  And, it was part of the Master Plan that on Saturday April 20, I would get rained on until I bought a five-dollar umbrella.

It was not long before the sky started to cloud over and the sun disappeared.  But it did not rain for the rest of Saturday—at least where I was with my five-dollar umbrella.

Was the rain stopping a sign?  Is there a Master Plan?  Am I living a meaningful life in a meaningful universe?

I might be able to answer these questions as soon as I find my mind along with the umbrella I no longer need.

Then and Now

Then, 481 Bloor Street West, in Toronto, was Ye Olde Brunswick House, a place that sold booze.

 

Now, 481 Bloor Street West, is Rexall Pharmacy, a place that sells drugs.

 

An improvement?  Yes.  People could only buy one drug at the Brunswick House, and they had to enjoy it on the premises.  Now people can buy many drugs at Rexall Pharmacy, and take them home to enjoy.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunswick_House_(Toronto)

 

Some Thoughts After April Fools’ Day

 

Several friends said that they wanted to pull April Fools’ pranks, but were afraid of the backlash.  Anything anyone does these days is bound to offend someone.  My friends worried that they would be harshly criticized for the pranks they wanted to play.

We are so serious about everything these days.  This applies to me, too.  I can only take something seriously if I can joke about it.  My ex-wife did not understand this.  I suppose this is why she is my ex-wife.

My intention is to evoke laughter and not to offend.  I agree with Dr. Madan Kataria, who invented Laughter Yoga, that human beings laughing together are not going to kill each other.  However, I cannot control how someone will choose to react to a joke I tell.  It always comes down to choice.

If someone chooses to be offended by one of my jokes, then I will be sorry that he or she chose that reaction.  I will not apologize for the joke itself since my intention is always to evoke laughter.  Of course, I have to consider my audience.  I cannot expect to cause no offense if I am telling perfume jokes at a stink bug convention.

This is where Laughter Yoga is superior to telling jokes.  In Laughter Yoga, people start by faking laughter through some physical exercises.  Soon the laughter becomes real, and people end up laughing sincerely for no reason.  No joke topic to cause offense.  No religion.  No politics.  Just laughing for no reason.  But that still does not stop people from choosing to be offended.

The Laughter Yoga exercises are harmless and fun to most people, but there are some who choose to be offended by some of these exercises.  When it comes to human behavior, there are no guarantees.

Some Thoughts on April Fools’ Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No doubt these thoughts will offend the politically correct crowd.