Congratulations to the winners, but, please: somebody clarify. Are the captions supposed to humorous? Or perhaps just clever? Or simply “mind boggling”, as many recent entries seem to have been? Just asking, so most of us can be aware of how to approach the challenge next time we are persuaded.

Dear Dr. Larsen: You are right again, and I am only one of the many who appreciates the wide and varied diagnoses you helpfully offer to so many of us here on WOW. Actually what I experience is only now and again, and is no indication of a permanent state of being. As you say, my life is wonderful and has always been interesting to say the least. However the spells are more prevalent since retirement. I miss the activity of a busy world because I am out of it, compared to before.

Some days I awaken and I’m reminded of the children’s song, “So Early In The Morning”.

You must remember it. It goes - “This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth, this is the way we brush our teeth - “So Early In The Morning”.

Or - this is the way we wash our hands. Or - this is the way we make the bed. Or - this is the way you boil an egg. Or - this is the way to pet the cat - and so on - and so on, - “So Early In The Morning”.

I thank Heaven for my computer which at least gives me the opportunity to skirt the edges of the world I used to participate in so vigorously. So don’t fret about what I wrote. Nothing serious here Joan. I still do dream. (Don’t Cry For Me Argentina) ???

What I wrote about was only to respond to Ruth Charny’s interesting article and only with the intention of perhaps being helpful to someone else who may feel a little let down once in a while. I’m sure it happens to many of us, and having your welcomed comments always gives us that sometimes needed “shot in the arm”.  So, just keep doing what you’re doing Joan. We love it.

kermie b - Great ideas. Very ingenious; - and I found your little vignette to be quite delightful. Would make a lovely little movie scene. Very nice !

This is a great article by Ruth Charny and her comments have managed to stir a spirit within that sometimes wavers, but mainly, as she states, only because of age. Certainly dreams are not what they once were and true, many are regret. Consequently I do as Ruth suggests and enlist the help of the technicians and designers to spruce up my outlook and point me in the best and most life-enriching direction.

There are days when I allow things to put me down which in earlier times I would have simply shrugged off as annoying and distracting nuisances, if in fact I even noticed them at all. I don’t like feeling discouraged and I shouldn’t be, because my life has been a very interesting and certainly worthwhile one… and still is, actually.

However, every now and again, I forget, and that is when I must re-awaken myself to continue to appreciate where I’m at. To replace the dreams that once were, thankfully there have been many words spoken and written over time which I have collected and which I can depend on to freshen my outlook and promote and re-ignite my needed re-awakenings.

From my precious collection of encouraging and inspirational words that I can rely on to cause continued positive thinking and energy renewal, I often turn to the thoughtful lyrics of many or our contemporary songs and one of the more recent works I refer to very often for inspiration and spirit enlightenment are the beautiful lyrics from one of Alan Jay Lerner‘s memorable and moving songs, which I offer here to anyone who may sometimes feel the need for a little inspirational pick-up. I hope they may inspire and affect others in the same positive way they reach me.

On a clear day
Rise and look around you

And you’ll see who you are

On a clear day
How it will astound you
That the glow of your being
Outshines every star

You’ll feel part of
Every mountain, sea and shore
You can hear from far and near
A world you’ve never, never heard before

And on a clear day
On that clear day
You can see forever, and ever, and ever, and ever more

by

Alan Jay Lerner.

When I was a child, my mother owned a “Dream Book” which she got after sending in a great number of box tops from RINSO. This magic book explained dreams, and we three kids loved sitting quietly for our breakfast while mother would listen to our dreams from the night before, and then reading from her treasured dream book, would proceed to explain our dreams. No matter how bizarre or silly or frightening our dreams were, she always gave us a lovely explanation of what our dreams meant. We would then happily head off to school, always well pleased that the dreams we dreamed foretold of something nice, or even great, was going to befall us in the future. My brother knew he would grow up to be a flier and a great explorer. My sister was absolutely positive she would sing on the Saturday radio broadcasts from the Metropolitain Opera. I was to be a great actor like my father‘s cousin. She read to us, from that book, during hundreds and hundreds of breakfasts through our early school years.

After my mother died, going through her things, I found the book. I guess there must have been the explanation for a couple of hundred dreams.; but, certainly not hundreds, and the explanations were far from being the simple and pleasant and happy explanations she read to us each day. That wonderful mother was the greatest story teller I ever knew.

We didn’t grow up quite as she tentatively promised, but the three of us grew to successful adulthood and lived generally very happy lives.

Oh Joan, it was great tennis; and don’t ask me why I am just sick over the result. Roger is my hero from way back being that he is Swiss and all that. My affection for anything connected with Switzerland is very strong having spent a lot of time there working and living. Del Potro will be around for a long time I think. He is terribly good at it and, thankfully,  he appears to be a very good natured fellow. (and at the moment it doesn’t hurt to see people with nice natures in the game)???

I overheard a friend speaking about me to other friends, “Since he’s found out what it’s all about, he’s gone completely bananas about tennis“. It’s a fact. There was a time I would not give you the time of day about tennis. Such a quiet sport; just batting a ball back and forth. So little action. That all changed once I succumbed to retirement and found time to join my beloved wife to watch matches of “her favorite sport”.

I can’t believe that I could have been so bone-headed for so many years not to realize and appreciate that I could have joined her in participating in this delightful sport. If there is a match to be viewed on TV, you can bet I will be watching it. Wimbledon, The French Open, The U.S. Open, or any of the other tournaments, are times I am to be considered, “hors-de-combat” for anything else that may be going on in the world. I just love the sport. (it’s such a shame I am not able to play the game now, but then, neither is Frances, and I much rather be with her anyway - we can watch the matches together).