". . . they too have their story."

An old friend, via Facebook chat, shared this poem with me today. I came across parts of this poem years ago, and had forgotten about it until now. I figured I'd share it with you, lovely reader, for two reasons. First, it's too damn good to keep to myself. Second, one part reminded me of why I like to blog and read the blogs of others: "Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others . . .  they too have their story."

As I discussed in my last post, I've been considering that blogs like mine are somewhat narcissistic. Upon further rumination, I've decided that this isn't too problematic for me. Here's why: blogging is more socially acceptible than talking to myself out loud all the time, and maybe some of my readers will find a little bit of themselves in my stories. Isn't that why we update our statuses on Facebook and follow total strangers on Twitter? It's fun to relate! Especially to strangers! And in the privacy of your home, possibly wearing nothing but tube socks. It's fine, I'm not here to judge.

Enough rambling.  Here's my favorite poem, "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann. I've highlighted my fav parts in purple because, after all, this blog is still all about me.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain or bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Don't Name Your Kid After Tony Danza Unless He Got You Pregnant.

I was browsing the web today for some parenting tips because James, my angelic 3.5 year old, has been unbearably uncooperative for the last 2 days. I googled "parenting" and clicked on the most reliable-looking option: Parenting.com.

The homepage offered such a wide variety of insightful headlines that I kinda forgot why I was there. "11 Super-Cute Baby Names for Boys" caught my eye, because I like super-cute anything, and I also believe that expecting parents of baby boys are kind of fucked when it comes to finding an original-but-cool names for their future sons. As a self-proclaimed baby name expert, it was necessary for me to see what they came up with.

Everything was cool until I got to #10 on the "super-cute" list.

Anthony.

Really? That's what we're working with?

Imagine holding your freshly birthed 8-pounder for the first time and thinking, I will call you... Anthony.

Parenting.com went to great lengths to make this one work. With each name suggestion, they include an example of a  current pop culture icon. Picture and bio included.  For this gem, they chose to use Anthony Hopkins, NOT KIDDING, because that's a great selling point. The picture, in my opinion, would be really effective for new parents of elderly men. Check it out for yourself, and while you're there, notice some of the other famous Anthonys mentioned. My favorites are "Tony Danza" and "Anthony 'Tony' Soprano."

If I'm sounding too critical, then let's pump the brakes. I'm not saying Anthony is a bad name.  I think it's an appropriate choice if it's a family name, or if you just happen to really like the way it sounds, or whatever. I take issue with Parenting.com, though, for creating this unimaginative "Top 11" list. Why couldn't they have omitted Anthony and called it a Top 10? I'm suspecting the person who compiled the list is pregnant and hoarding all of the good names for herself and her pregnant friends. Just a thought.

When I was pregnant with James, I would have looked at the Parenting.com website as some sort of authority on parenthood. Pregnant women are a susceptible breed, and picking out your son's name is a huge deal. I remember wondering, what if I pick a name that makes him a doofus? What if all the bad kids in his class have the same name? Is the name I like too ethnic for an Irish kid?

Moral of the story? Baby name lists are kinda cool to look at, but I think they're about as useful as yesterday's Pisces horoscope in my local newspaper, or a $20 replacement warranty for a $30 cordless phone. So until I come across a really good name list, I'd suggest that you run potential baby names by me first, or check with some other rational person that loves you.

For Moms of Thomas Freaks

Despite the show's unusual language and less-than-climactic plots, my shorties looove Thomas and Friends. Naturally, they also love the wooden toy trains from the show. Cece likes throwing the trains around, and James never puts his down. I mean that literally. He sleeps with a train in his hand almost every night. The only times a train is not in his hand is when he has lost it somewhere, which happens more often than both of us like. I'm not even going to describe the panic I have when we can't find his trains. So for Christmas, James will be getting a bunch of new trains to ease my grief and warm his heart.

For those of us who need Thomas crap PRONTO but can't manage to ever get out of the house, there's a great site that should be bookmarked: www.trainsgalore.com

The selection is huge and their prices are better than Target's. I've done lots of price comparisons online (like I said, I never leave the house) and found that I've saved a few bucks on everything I've bought from them. The shipping is $6 (flat rate) and free for orders over $55.

This wisdom is my Christmas gift to frantic mothers of train-loving toddlers everywhere.