Yesterday I read on Rachel's Facebook page: "I've officially become my mother. I've adopted her habits, her mannerisms, the way she talks, and several of her mantras."
Wow! I was thrilled. I called her and told her I was putting my little finger to my mouth right then. My own Mini-Me!
But I didn't even know I had mantras! She pointed out that my "let's make a spreadsheet" mantra is one that she has down. Good one. Every party I host has a spreadsheet. Christmas cards have a spreadsheet There are spreadsheets for birthdays and anniversaries, house projects, Daddy's funeral arrangements, medications. I mean, I can't imagine how people live without spreadsheets.
What other mantras do I have, I wondered. It would be fun to make a list. But first I should look it up. "Mantra: A mystical formula or incantation. Also, watchword." "Watchword: A motto that embodies a principle or guide to action of an individual or group; a guiding principle."
OK, that works. Here we go:
1. Always make a list.
2. Always look up the definition of words you're not absolutely sure of.
3. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
4. There's no point in owning a car that's not red.
5. What the world needs now is love. (I adopted that during the Vietnam war, which coincided with the first release, by Jackie DeShannon, of the song by Hal David/Burt Bachrach.)
6. Use beautiful postage stamps, not the boring ones showing the flag or the liberty bell.
That's enough for now. What are some of your mantras?
I got 1, 2, 3 and 6 down! I refuse to participate in that #5 nonsense. I've also been focusing on ways I am different from you. I am not a vegetarian. I like football (and basketball). I believe that the #1 factor in where you choose to live should be the weather. I am not afraid of snakes. I think that's about it. Otherwise, I'm Marian 2.0
ReplyDeleteI'll make a spreadsheet of individual mantras.
ReplyDeleteAnd #5 is definitely not nonsense, young lady. It is why I always signed my chronicles "love to all." We need all the love we can get. Think how much better the world would be if people like Dick Cheney had some.
This is a really good one! Thanks to Rachel for her facebook entry. However, if she would have asked me, I could have told her 17 years ago, how much she and her mother are alike. What else could explain the regular fights about nothing ... Anyway, back to the mantras: #1,2,3, 4 and 6 are REALLY familiar, I must somewhat agree with Rachel on #5. Not that it is nonsense, but that this is some kind of other category than the other ones. It just doesn't really fit in the list and it's the only one I wasn't aware of.
ReplyDeleteIs "there are no strangers, only friends we haven't met yet" a mantra? Or is it an adage? Maybe it's a dictum.
ReplyDeleteHad I a mantra, that would be it.
My mantras:
ReplyDeleteNever vote Republican
Travel whenever you can
Sing out loud
Never give up (until you have to)
Kisses and hugs...can't live without them
I love your mantras! They are also some of mine. I didn't really flesh out my published mantra list cuz I wanted to keep the Chronicle short and also not have it look so totally self-absorbed.
ReplyDeleteNever vote Republican is an inviolable mantra.
Who are you, ellinu?
In that last blog from me, I was commenting on ellinu's comment, not on the original post. Geez this is complicated
ReplyDelete