Interest

by | May 31, 2011 | G. K. Chesterton | 0 comments
Are you bored with life? Don’t know what to do, where to go?  Guess what? It’s YOUR fault.  It’s not where you live, who you are with, what your job is, what your leisure is. It’s not the fault of those things. It’s YOUR fault.  It’s a fault within you.

Am I being too harsh to say it’s a fault?  I don’t think so.  A fault is something that diminishes, detracts, debilitates, and can even destroy a person.  Not being interested in the world, even a small part of it, leads to a small and atrophied life.  Not having enthusiasm, curiosity, open-mindedness about what is happening in the world around you keeps you bored and boring.

Go get a magnifying glass of your own making and look deeper at the world around you. It is fun, interesting, exhilarating and fulfilling.  If you let it be.


Quote by G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English writer

The Legacy of Heroes – Memorial Day 2011

by | May 30, 2011 | Memorial Day | 0 comments

Have you ever listened to a ‘Medal of Honor’ ceremony?  Before the giving of the medal they read the description of what took place in battle that led to its earning.  There is one common theme in all of the descriptions.  It is always about protecting someone.  It might be a wounded comrade. It might be a village under fire. It might be a whole company ambushed.  But the killing of the enemy is never why the medal is given.  The medal is always given for the protecting.  That is what heroism is about.

Why are there no names on these headstones?  Because you get to fill them in.  What great names are in your family’s memory?

Why do all the headstones look the same?  Because the inheritance of great examples are remarkably similar on the outside.  It’s about love, sacrifice, perseverance, courage, mercy, compassion, self-denial.   It’s only on the inside of each family, each person, that those heroic characteristics bloom in individual glory. The world sees the words and the story.  The family sees the individual.  


Who do you remember today?



Quote by Benjamin Disraeli

Sunday in Sunrise, Chapter 6

by | May 29, 2011 | Marty Coleman, Sunday in Sunrise - A short story | 0 comments

Prologue

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapters Ten & Eleven

Epilogue

Chapter 6
Angus and his wife were indeed foster parents. They had been foster parents for more than 35 kids over the years. It looked like they had as many as 7 at one time a decade or so back. “Wow, that’s a lot of kids” I thought to myself. “I have trouble handling three!”  I kept wondering how they would keep all their names straight.
My method for remembering the names of my 3 girls was easy enough. My wife had insisted they all be named similarly. We named our first Caria. She was named after her mother’s great aunt. She was the one who traveled the world and changed her name to Caria from Mildred after a year-long trip to Italy during the 1920s. She left with the name Mildred Smithers and came home as Caria Anastasia. She legally changed her name and would never answer to her old name again.

My wife, Pam, had always loved her great aunt. She had given her trinkets from her journeys, let her play with the incredible clothing and fabric she brought home, and would tell the most mesmerizing stories of exotic locales.

Our second child was named Daria. She was named after a multinational corporation. We went on a road trip vacation to Canada one summer and we found these little bite-sized pieces of chocolate glory called Twigg’s Shortbread Snacks. My wife became addicted to them during the trip. We found out later that she had just become pregnant and it was the first of her many obsessive cravings for the next 9 months.  She would mail order the chocolates once we got home and while the chocolate was from Twigg’s,  the boxes came from a company named Daria, LTD. in England.  So, in true eccentric fashion we named her Daria to rhyme with Caria.  Her nickname was Twiggy.
Our third child was named Maria. She was named to rhyme with the first two. If I ever had to corral all three at one time I would simply yell out ‘CaDaMa, It’s time to go!” or “CaDaMa, Clean your rooms NOW!” It made it easy.About a week later, I was back at the Post Office. I was returning yet another letter that was put in my box to Bettina. This one was a boring business letter and when I handed it to her I said, “You know, if you are going to put wrong envelopes in my box you could at least make them like the colorful one from a few weeks ago.”

Bettina exclaimed, “OH, guess what! That little girl, Melissa, came in just yesterday and gave me the most beautiful envelope to send. She had painted it herself. It was of a sunrise and she was SO proud of it. It was amazing.” I smiled and told Bettina about the watercolor lesson and Melissa’s foster father.

Bettina said, “Yea, I know Angus. He’s been around here forever. He comes across as a crotchety old geezer but he really is a kind man. His wife is even nicer. They have been taking in kids forever.”

“Maria really wants Melissa to come over to play, but I got the distinct feeling Angus wasn’t to hot on the idea.” I said.
“I bet if you talk to his wife she will allow it. Like I said, she is nicer than Angus. He tends to stay to himself and isn’t big on socializing. I am surprised you haven’t seen her before. She comes in every other day around 2:30. Come by then and see if you can catch her.” Bettina suggested.
The next day I was there at 2:30 and Bettina introduced me to Velma Billet. Actually, once I saw her face I realized I had opened the door for her a few times at the Post Office. She had stuck in my mind as having the look of the quintessential farm wife. She was thin on top in a tan work shirt, with a bit of roundness in her jeans below. Her face was tan and deeply lined, made more so by the big smile she always had on her face. She had a rich pony-tailed cascade of brilliant silver hair that fell all the way to her butt.

As we talked she told me all about Melissa’s further attempts at painting. She had gone through 25 envelopes before she finally had one painted the way she wanted. She said Melissa had talked non-stop that first day about learning so much and about the new friend she had made.
Velma loved the idea of Melissa having a playmate and agreed to have her come over later in the week. When I got home I told Maria that Melissa would be coming over on Sunday after church. Maria was beside herself with joy and set about planning their afternoon adventure.

The Pursuit of Beauty

by | May 27, 2011 | John Kenneth Galbraith | 0 comments

Pursuit of Beauty shirt
Pursuit of Beauty – women’s organic t-shirt by The Napkin Dad
Pursuit of Beauty mug
Pursuit of Beauty – Coffee mug by The Napkin Dad
Beauty is ever evolving. Yes, we have certain culturally prevalent inclinations. But they are also changing, they always do.  Look at fashion, furniture, appliances, surfaces, landscapes, decorations, makeup, hairstyles, etc. What is the one consistent thing about all of those? They are always changing. ALWAYS. 

What about the ‘beauty’ you don’t like?  I had a long conversation in a Facebook thread this week. We were talking about some people’s discomfort at how much skin is shown in today’s American society. The other person in the conversation (a woman) thinks most of a woman or man’s body should be seen only by their spouse.  She thinks it demeans and dilutes a marriage for people to show off their bodies in skimpy attire and skimpy bathing suits.  

The two of us have very different opinions about this. BUT what we do have in common is the belief we both have the right to define beauty for ourselves.  She should not be made fun of or pressured to show more than she wants, nor should she be pressured to not state her opinion about what is, in her mind, appropriate to be worn in public.

The flip side is to make sure that, while she has the freedom to express and pursue her own ideas of beauty, she shouldn’t take that idea of beauty and make it absolute for others (and neither should anyone else).


The truth is YOU get to decide what is beautiful, whether in yourself, in others or in the world. You have the right and freedom to pursue your idea of beauty. 

Pursue and enjoy it.



Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Speaking Lesson #1

by | May 26, 2011 | Dorothy Sarnoff | 0 comments

Do you know who spoke BEFORE President Lincoln at Gettysburg in 1863?  It was Edward Everett.  He was the main speaker that day. Do you know the first sentence of his speech? No, of course you don’t. Here it is.

Standing beneath this serene sky, overlooking these broad fields now reposing from the labors of the waning year, the mighty Alleghenies dimly towering before us, the graves of our brethren beneath our feet, it is with hesitation that I raise my poor voice to break the eloquent silence of God and Nature. 

Two hours later he finished his speech.  I bet the audience had stopped listening long before he stopped speaking.


After he spoke, President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address.  Do you know the first sentence? If you are an American (and even if you are not) I bet my bottom dollar there is a great chance you do.  Here it is. 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

9 sentences later he finished his speech. 138 years later and we are still listening.


OVERCOME – It’s A Tornado! #6

by | May 25, 2011 | Anonymous, It's A Tornado! - 2011, 2013 | 0 comments
You know the saying, ‘All good things must come to an end’.  And it is true.  But the napkin quote today is also true, ‘All bad things must come to an end, too.’


We have had a wicked week of weather.  The town of Joplin, Missouri is only 125 miles from my town.  As most of America knows, it got hit a few days ago by the most damaging tornado ever measured in the last 60 years.  There are 123 less people in that town today, all killed by the tornado.  Yesterday the weather situation in Oklahoma was terrible as well.  8 people died in the Oklahoma City area, about 100 miles from Tulsa.


That sort of destruction and life loss is a terrible thing, a bad thing, to live through, witness, experience or just watch.  But just as good things don’t last forever, these bad things are now passed as well.  The damage lingers, but new life and new determination to overcome emerges.


In our case we were very lucky.  Storms passed but didn’t have the ability to suck in enough energy to become tornadic.  We had our emergency plan, which included bolting across the street to our neighbor’s underground storm shelter if a tornado was coming. Luckily that was not the case, though we did spend about 15 minutes in our bathroom with our pets just to be sure.

In the bathroom, riding out the storm.
Emergency supplies!
Our freaked out pets waiting out the storm with us.
Quote by Anonymous

Writing Lesson #1 – Proofreading

by | May 24, 2011 | Anonymous, Writing Lessons - 2011/12 | 0 comments
I have been writing a short story lately. You have probably been reading it as I am posting it as a weekly series on Sundays. I have taken on a new appreciation for proof readers as a result!  It’s hard work, made HARDER by spell check, not easier.

If you ever notice a mistake in my writing, be sure to write to someone else who has read it and talk together about what a bad writer I am, ok? Don’t write me about it.  JUST JOKING, I want you to write me if you have good suggestions!

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Anonymous

One year ago today at The Napkin Dad Daily – I Wonder Whether Art

A Week of Rescues

by | May 23, 2011 | Sathya Sai Baba | 0 comments
This is the true story of my week:
Tuesday – We came home to find a strange cat in our front yard pursuing a baby bunny.  We shooed the cat away and I caught the bunny.  It was not harmed but was vulnerable on our lawn.  I put it in the field next to our house in the high grass for protection.  
Baby Peter Rabbit, saved it from the mean cat.
Wednesday – I was running with a group of about 15 from Fleet Feet Tulsa when we saw a small bird in the street up ahead. We assumed it was dead or would fly off but it did not move as we came upon it, we had to yell out to everyone to watch out.  We ran and jumped right over it.  We could see that it was alive.  On our way back I crossed the street, picked up the bird and placed it under a tree in a yard.
Baby bird as I set it on the lawn.
Thursday – My daughter woke me up from a dead sleep at 2 am.  There was a baby frog on her window sill, under her AC unit upstairs in her bedroom.  I got out of bed, got the frog and put it out in our front yard.  I was actually rescuing my daughter from the frog more than the frog from anything particularly dangerous.

Baby Kermit before we set it free outside.
Saturday – I was a course marshal for the Jenks Aquarium 1/2 marathon in Tulsa.  I was stationed at mile 8.  A woman came up to me and asked if she could get back to the start by going straight down Harvard Avenue. I told her no, the quickest way was the Creek Trail she had just taken.  She started to cry. I asked her what was the matter and she said, “This is my first 5k.”  She had gotten mixed up and started the 1/2 marathon instead and was 5 miles OVER the distance she would have run for her 5k.  I lent her my phone and she called her husband, who came and got her.
Jennifer Lebeda – runner of the longest 5k EVER!
Click here to read her story of the race.
Sunday – We were sitting in All Souls Unitarian Church listening to the sermon when the fire alarm went off.  We all got up and those towards the front went out to the garden on the side of the sanctuary.  I noticed a frail elderly woman 3 pews ahead of us. I gave her my arm, assisted her outside and found a bench for her to sit on (I didn’t get a photo of her).  My wife did the same thing for another woman.

What do they all have in common?  Their plight was brought to my attention in some way.  With the bunny there was was an actual attack taking place right in front of me.  With the bird, it was right in our path, we couldn’t have avoided it if we wanted.  With the frog, it was brought to my attention in a very definitive way by my daughter’s distressed voice next to my bed.  With Jennifer, she asked for help otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to tell she was in distress. In the case of the elderly lady, it was the only instance among the five where it had anything to do with me paying attention to something not particularly obvious.  All the rest grabbed my attention and I responded.


When you need help, do you make sure you are letting people know it?  Are you looking out in the world to see who else might be signaling in some way that they need help?


Drawing, photos and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily


Quote by Sri Sathya Sai Baba, 1926-2011, Indian guru

One year ago today at The Napkin Dad Daily – Choir member partially submerged – I draw in church

Sunday in Sunrise, Chapter 5

by | May 22, 2011 | Sunday in Sunrise - A short story | 0 comments

Prologue

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapters Ten & Eleven

Epilogue

Chapter 5

We worked for the whole 45 minutes on some watercolor basics. I focused the lesson on the colors and subject matter she was interested in, sunrises. She caught on quick, understanding about using less water, not more, sometimes allowing colors to dry before putting a new color on, sometimes letting them bleed together. We only used envelopes.

When we were done I called out to Maria, asking if she would take Melissa into the laundry room to teach her how to properly wash her brushes. Maria jumped from behind the wall separating the studio from the dining room and off they went.

Angus had been looking at his watch for a while and was relieved when the lesson was over. He pulled a check out from his overall pocket and handed it to me.

He said ‘”Melissa hasn’t been happy since her brother left so getting that letter was a big deal. She went crazy wanting to send something back. I hope she has gotten over it now.”

In the background I could hear laughing and giggling from the two girls.

“Do you think she will want another lesson?” I asked. “Even if she does, this is all she’s getting. I can’t afford any more”. He turned and called out loudly, “Melissa, come on, we’ve got to be going.”

Maria and Melissa ran around the corner laughing. Both of their shirts were soaked with water.

“Dad, can Melissa come over to play sometime?” Maria asked.

Angus quickly spoke up, “We have to go, Maria, get your things.”

“Well dad?”

“I don’t know Maria. It’s ok with me, but we will have to ask Mr. Billet here to see what he thinks.”

“Mr. Billet, can Melissa come over to play sometime?” Maria asked.

Angus stopped and stared at the far wall. He stood still. “I don’t know. I will have to talk to my wife about it.”

Melissa’s face lost its happiness as they said their goodbyes and went out the door.

After they left Maria was very excited. “Dad, you have to let her come over and play, she’s really fun.” She said.

I responded, “I think that is a great idea Maria, but it isn’t just up to me. We will have to see what her mother says.”

“Oh, that isn’t her mother or her father. She said they weren’t her grandparents either.”

“That’s weird. Are they foster parents?” I asked.

“What’s a foster parent?” she asked in return.

“It’s someone who takes in orphans, kids who have no parents.”

Maria said, “Well, maybe that’s what they are, I don’t know. She said she just moved in with them recently. Dad, you have to let her come over and play.” She said again.

“Ok, I will work on that. In the meanwhile, it’s time for you to feed the dogs.”

I went in my office and sat at the computer. I searched for ‘Angus Billet’.

Napkin Dad's Encyclopedia of Characters – HOLE

by | May 19, 2011 | Encyclopedia of Characters | 0 comments

I would like to introduce you to ‘Hole’.  She has been around a long time in the napkins.  You never know where she will turn up.  She can be in the sky, in a wall, on a walk way.  She can have something coming out of her (often a hand) or something about to go in her, like a person.

She likes to stay in the background, doesn’t like much attention. It’s funny though, for as shy as she is, she loves visitors, most of whom drop in unexpectedly.

She was raised on the wrong side of the tracks.  As a result she isn’t much for social graces.  She can be rude to her guests and they often leave feeling a bit beat up.  They usually don’t come to visit a second time if they can help it.  That makes her sad.

Her cousins, Window and Door, were raised in the snooty part of town.  They don’t visit often, though sometimes Hole will come visit them. She usually stays in the street in front of their house and surprises their friends. 

Drawing and biography by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
One year ago today at the Napkin Dad Daily – Do not let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do.

Bible Wisdom – Neighbors and Enemies

by | May 18, 2011 | G. K. Chesterton | 0 comments
Actually, I have always had pretty good luck with neighbors. We did have one crotchety, cranky old man a few doors down when our kids were little. He yelled at them for walking on his lawn and ‘climbing’ his chain link fence. By ‘climbing’ I mean touching and holding onto it.   I think I chewed him out one time.  His name was Mr. Wilson. Really. 

But this quote isn’t just talking about real neighbors, it’s talking about people you are familiar with, maybe even were/are friends with.  I mean, when you think about it, how many of us have ever had an enemy who was a stranger?  All the vast numbers of celebrities who read my blog, I understand you can have stalkers and angry people who you don’t know, but for all us non-celebrities, it’s a good chance the enemy is our ‘neighbor’.


How to love them when they are so annoying, that’s the question! How do you do it?

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote by G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English Writer

One year ago today at The Napkin Dad Daily – Sports do not build character, they reveal it.

Vision, Leadership & History

by | May 17, 2011 | Isaac Newton | 0 comments
You know who you never hear Donald Trump talk about?  His father.  Trump Jr. always gives off the impression that he is a self-made man, didn’t need or get any help.  The story seems to be that his father was a low level real estate guy, nothing big.  The truth is Trump Sr. was a very wealthy, very successful commercial real estate developer.  His estate was worth 400 million when he died.  Trump Jr. would never have been able to achieve what he did without the start his father gave him.  
This quote is by Sir Isaac Newton.  There has never been a scientist (yes, including Einstein) who was a more brilliant genius over the course of his entire life.  Nobody during his life could come close to competing with his intelligence and scientific discoveries.  Yet, he says this.  He says his genius existed simply because he climbed up on the shoulders of the scientists who came before him and looked out from there. 
In leadership it is perfectly fine to take credit.  It’s fine to know who you are and what you contribute.  But if you are honest, you will acknowledge that some person, some company, some idea, some invention came before you did, without which, you never would have been able to achieve what you have.  
It’s sometimes called humility.  It is also called self-awareness.  If you are to be a leader, you have to have that at the top of your toolbox of skills.  You can’t use the rest of the tools effectively without it.

Quote by Sir Isaac Newton, 1643-1727, English scientist.  The title ‘scientist’ does not adequately convey all that he did. I highly recommend reading up on him, he had one of the most amazing minds of his or any era. 

Going to Church Doesn't Make You a Christian

by | May 16, 2011 | Laurence Peter | 0 comments
The question then becomes,  If you bring a car into church, does that make it a garage?
Seriously though, the labels and definitions we use for ourselves and others are often decided by what we do.  But what about when the definition of something, in this case ‘being a Christian’, is defined by a person saying and believing they are one, nothing more.

I have a daughter who is soon to get her Ph.D in Neuroscience.  She will be a given the title ‘neuroscientist’ because an established institution says she is one.  But what if, over the years, she never progressed in her field? What if she failed at her experiments, failed at getting grants, failed at getting a professorship and making a career of it.  If she continued to show up at some lab and put on a lab coat, would she still be a neuroscientist?

She would be if her institution said the criteria was that she only had to say, “I am a neuroscientist” and believe she was one to be one.  Then she could go into any neuroscience lab and fiddle around; do good, do damage, do whatever, all because she simply said and believed she was a neuroscientist, and that was good enough.

That is how much of Christianity works.  If you say you are a Christian, then you are.  You don’t have to prove it, you don’t have to act like one, you just need to say you are one.   If you do that you can go in any church and fiddle around; do good, do damage, do whatever.



Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily


Quote by Lawrence Peter, 1919-1990, American Author and Academic.  Author of ‘The Peter Principle”.


The Peter Principle states:

In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence … in time every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties … Work is accomplished by those employees who have not yet reached their level of incompetence.”

One year ago today at The Napkin Dad Daily – I draw elsewhere besides church – The Dental Patient

Sunday in Sunrise, Chapter 4

by | May 14, 2011 | Marty Coleman, Sunday in Sunrise - A short story | 0 comments

Prologue

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapters Ten & Eleven

Epilogue

Chapter 4

Maria never saw the old man; she was staring at the redheaded girl with a thousand freckles.  “Hi, come on in.  My name is Art and this is Maria.” I said as I held open the door.  The old man reached out his hand, “Hello.  I am Angus and this is Melissa.” His hand was coarse and strong.  “Melissa, say hello and shake their hands”.  Melissa, still with eyes wide and unblinking, reached to me, then Maria.  Maria smiled and said a simple “Hi”.  I said, “Actually, Melissa and I have already met.  She stole my watercolors at the quilt shop”.  She squinted her eyes and pursed her lips “I did not, I was there first!”  I laughed and said, “Yes, you are right.  You got there first, fair and square, and the watercolors were yours to buy.” She smiled and said, “I am glad I got there first but I am no good at watercolors”.

I escorted them into our kitchen, and asked them if they wanted some tea, both said yes.  As I poured the tea I said, “So, Melissa, I guess you want to learn how to use those watercolors?”  She responded, “Yes, I tried to use them but I made a big mess and ruined everything”.  “What did you ruin exactly?”  I asked.  “I ruined this.”  She pulled out an envelope from the little bag she had with her. There were some bits of color on the edges but for the most part it was it was grey, muddy and quite waterlogged. It was still damp.

“Well, the first thing we might do is let you use some better paper, that’s one of the reasons this didn’t work out so well.” I said.  “NO!” she exclaimed.  “I need to be able to paint on an envelope because I need to send it to someone.”  “Well, we will keep that in mind, but I still think you might learn more if we at least start on some better paper, is that ok?”  “NO! I want to learn on envelopes.” She squinted her eyes again.  “I know pretty paintings can be done on envelopes because of this one.”  She brought out another envelope. It was the one I had seen in my box the week before.

“Actually, not only have I met you before Melissa, but I have met this envelope before”.  “What does that mean?” Angus asked.  I didn’t think he had been paying attention. He had been looking out the kitchen window at our birdfeeder, watching the cardinals and the blackbirds fight for food.  “Well, I have Box 745 at the Post Office and they put this in my box instead of 845.  Of course I noticed how beautiful it was.  I remember thinking that Melissa, whoever she was, was a lucky girl to get such a beautiful letter.  Bettina at the post office really liked it too.  She said it was ‘love in the mail’.”

Angus didn’t show much of a response, but Melissa smiled wide. “It’s from my brother, he lives in Alabama”.  “Wow, that’s a long way away.  What’s he doing there?”  I asked.  Melissa was just about to say something when Angus stirred in his chair and said, “We should get on with the lesson.  I have to be back home in 45 minutes.”  Melissa shrank just a bit.  I took the hint to not ask any more and we went into the studio for her first lesson.  Angus went outside to smoke a cigarette. I could see him through the large north window of the studio. He stood motionless, head down, contemplating the smoke.

Melissa said, “I want to be able to paint a sunrise to send back to my brother. Can you teach me how to do that?”  Maria who had been by my side the whole time, still watching the redheaded girl, piped up, “He can teach anybody anything!”  Melissa looked at Maria and smiled.  “Good!” she said.  I turned to Maria, “Maria, can you go get some envelopes from my office?”




Being Rich vs Being Wealthy – Well Wealth #5

by | May 13, 2011 | Well Wealth - 2011 | 0 comments
When I was growing up I, like most kids, didn’t really know if I was rich or poor, wealthy or not.  I just knew my life.  But as I grew a bit older I found friends who lived in smaller houses and apartments.  I found friends who lived in big mansions too.  I found friends who scraped by, friends who went to private school and summered on exclusive islands.
But I didn’t really know where I stood until the day we went to our housekeeper Libby’s home (that tells you something right there. I didn’t even know having a housekeeper put you in a certain economic class). All I knew was she had worked for us in Maryland when I was a baby and now was working for us in California after my mother had my younger sister.  

I loved her because she told me some day I would be able to beat up my older sister and that if I ate too many oreos I would turn into one.  I could think of worse fates.  I also liked that she lived in my room with me for a few weeks when my sister was first born.  I had a huge downstairs game room with a bunk bed. She slept on the bottom bunk, I on the top.  It was great fun.

I had never been so dumbfounded as the moment we drove up to her house.  In my eyes it was a completely run down house just this side of being a shack.  I really truly felt like she shouldn’t live there, that it was probably really dangerous and it wasn’t right. I thought we should have her continue to live with us. It was a shock to my 10 year old system.


That’s when I first realized not everyone lived like we did.  It was the beginning of me understanding money and being rich or poor.  But it took me quite a bit longer to even start to learn what it means to be truly wealthy.  I am still learning that one, again and again.

A Man That Hordes Up Riches – Well Wealth #4

by | May 12, 2011 | Richard Burton, Well Wealth - 2011 | 0 comments

I learned a lot from my first father-in-law. He was frugal and planned well. He was able to retire at age 55 and have a long second career in a field he had great passion for. He taught his whole family to be conscientious about money and I appreciated learning how to be that way as well.
 
 
It did bring up some issues however.  When my first wife and I went on our first vacation we had to have a discussion about money. This is what it came down to:  she was worried about spending too much, and I was worried her concern would override our willingness to have fun and enjoy the vacation.    Now, I wasn’t going to go out and buy something expensive and crazy, but I did want us to enjoy ourselves and to do that we would be spending some money. 

I came to realize something on that vacation.  You know the cliche statement ‘I want to get away from it all’ that accompanies planning a vacation? Well, what exactly is ALL? It might include your job, obligations, stress, location, routine, family, weather, etc.  You know what else it might include? A desire to escape worrying about money. That is what I wanted a vacation from.

There is a time to worry about your money and be frugal. There is a time to enjoy it, share it, spend it.  My first wife understood what I was talking about and agreed to loosen up the wallet a bit. I, in turn, promised not to spend $10,000 dollars on a painting of Elvis on black velvet.

 
 
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
 
Quote by Richard Burton, 1925-1984, Welsh actor
 
 
One year ago today at The Napkin Dad Daily – Bullying
 
 
Where in the world is the Napkin Dad Daily?  Everywhere! (well, except Africa, we need to get more Napkin Kin there)
 
 

Money is Usually Attracted, Not Pursued – Well Wealth #3

by | May 11, 2011 | Jim Rohn, Well Wealth - 2011 | 0 comments

What is money attracted to?  It’s attracted to worthy people. Who is worthy? Those that invite money in, give money something to enjoy and appreciate, and appreciate money in return.  Just like personal hospitality with family and friends, right? So, treat money (and the people who have it) with respect and admiration, offering something of value and money will be attracted to you.
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Jim Rohn, 1930-2009, American businessman
One year ago at The Napkin Dad Daily – Manners Are a Sensitive Awareness

Is Money the Root of All Evil? – Well Wealth #2

by | May 10, 2011 | Well Wealth - 2011 | 0 comments



I like this quote because it asks a logical question that I haven’t heard before.  I really haven’t thought about it or researched it long enough to have a definitive answer.  So, help me out, tell me what you think is the root of all money.




Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote by Ayn Rand (Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum), 1905-1982, Russian born American novelist


The Real Measure of Wealth – Wealth Week #1

by | May 9, 2011 | Anonymous, Well Wealth - 2011 | 0 comments
Do you know how much money Einstein had?  Do you know how big Mark Twain’s house was?  Do you know if Florence Nightingale had expensive clothes?  What kind of car did Amelia Earhart own?

Chances are you don’t know the answer to those questions. That is because their wealth and worth weren’t defined by their money and material possessions.  What about you?  Are you under the impression that your wealth and your money are the same?  If your money goes away does your wealth go away?  How can you protect your wealth even if your money and material goods disappear?



Perhaps your wealth is your legacy, not your money.  What does your wealth look like now? What would you like it to look like?


Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote by Anonymous


One year ago today on the Napkin Dad Daily – Political Correctness

Sunday in Sunrise, Chapter 3

by | May 8, 2011 | Marty Coleman, Sunday in Sunrise - A short story | 0 comments

Prologue

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapters Ten & Eleven

Epilogue

Chapter 3

By the time I arrived home it was time to feed my dogs. I have 2 dogs. One is named ‘Flat’. She got this name when we brought her home from the pound 3 years ago. My precocious youngest daughter, Maria, (which her mother insisted was to be pronounced“MAR e uh”) age 7, asked if it was a boy or a girl. When I said it was a girl she said with a snicker ‘Then where are its boobies?’ I said ‘girl dogs don’t have boobies that show unless they have babies.’ Her deadpan older sister, Daria, in middle school and growing unequally in her various body parts said, ‘In other words, she’s flat.’ The name stuck.

The other dog got its name in similar fashion. We found it roaming the streets in a rain storm. We brought it home and before I could dry it, it shook all it’s wetness off, all over me.  That same precocious daughter said ‘It likes to shower people!’  Its name is ‘Shower’.

After the dogs were satisfied, I noticed the little yellow light on my phone was blinking.  Getting a message was almost as rare as getting mail.  The voice on the other end was gravelly but clear.  The man speaking said he was interested in the art lessons I advertised.  He said his kid wanted to learn how to paint and he couldn’t afford the money or take the time to drive to the museum school in the city 30 miles away.  He asked if we could do lessons on Thursday afternoons as it was his only day off.

I called him back and we made plans for him to bring his ‘kid’ over.  He must have said ‘my kid’ about half a dozen times.  He had that type of voice that you imagined had at least 30 years of cigarette smoke behind it. Right before he hung up he said ‘Oh, the kid wants to learn watercolor stuff most of all. Do you even know how to do that type of art?’. I assured him I did.

Maria, asked if I really was going to give art lessons. I said, ‘Yes, why do you ask?’ She said, ‘Because you are REALLY going to have to clean your studio now!’ I was not looking forward to that.

By the time Thursday afternoon rolled around I had done a pretty good job of cleaning up. I had found 3 sets of watercolors I forgot I had, a broken electric pencil sharpener that I put on the large pile of things to fix on my garage work bench, an apron I had used when I was a waiter and, down in the back of the bottom drawer of my art dresser (where I was stuffing the apron) a very old card I had received from my unwife. Yes, I call her my unwife. She calls me her wasbund.

The card was a first anniversary card.  We had been living in a very small farmhouse in Michigan at the time, close to the graduate school I was attending.  It made me tear up to read how happy she was about our first year of marriage and how excited she was for our future. The painting on the front was of a sunrise.

As I wiped away my tears I heard a knock on the door. Maria ran to the front door first and opened it. Walking up I saw a grizzled old guy in a pair of bib overalls, a John Deere hat and boots with dry, caked-on mud. He had a face that matched the voice I had heard on the phone. And next to him, with eyes as big as an owls, was red headed Melissa.

© 2011 Marty Coleman




Self-Conscious vs Self-Aware

by | May 6, 2011 | Anonymous | 0 comments
It’s funny how close being self-conscious is to being self-aware. Actually, aren’t they the same?  One is conscious of self, one is aware of self.  Same.  But that really isn’t the case.  Self-consciousness isn’t really about being aware of self, it’s about being aware of what other’s think of your self.  You are conscious of other interpretations of your self (even if they haven’t ever been thought or spoken by another human).

Having raised 4 girls I can testify to the destructive power of self-consciousness.  The concerns of what others thought of them was, at times, paralyzing.  Would they think I am fat, flat, false, fearful, fatuous, farty, flamboyant, flakey, fanatical, frigid, freaky, flippant, foreign, figidity, fortunate, or maybe fake?

Self-awareness, on the other hand, is not about what others think, it’s about what YOU think about your self.  Being self-aware means you KNOW others will have different opinions about you (when they think about you at all that is).  But you also know that it’s YOU who ultimately judges whether your self is the self you want or not.  

And in the end, the 60 year old has it right, most people are too busy thinking about themselves and worrying about what others think of them to actually think much about you.

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily


Quote by Anonymous

Life in Balance

by | May 5, 2011 | Albert Einstein | 0 comments

Have you ever been stuck in a rut?  As I get older I feel more susceptible to that feeling I think.  Sometimes even going to bed every night seems like a rut. That’s silly of course, we all have to sleep and we have to do it every night (unless you are a college student).   I don’t think it has much to do with thinking about the next day in my case. I think it just has to do with it being the same exact process every day, evening after evening.  

Honestly, that is why I stayed up to watch the Royal Wedding instead of going to sleep, then waking up. I was home alone (my wife was on a business trip) and it just seemed like a way to break up that monotony of bedtime a little bit.

What about you? How do you keep yourself balanced? Does it take breaking up a routine once in a while or do you find your balance in the comfort of that repetition?

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Conspiracy Theory

by | May 3, 2011 | Anonymous | 0 comments
It didn’t take long after news came that Osama Bin Laden was dead for conspiracy theories to come out. They were pretty much what you would expect. It was faked. The military had the body all along and just waited until Obama wanted some political mileage out of it.  He wasn’t really buried at sea but is alive and being held in a secret location.  Many are continuations and mutations of the 9/11 conspiracy theories.

More absurd theories I have never heard and I have heard conspiracy theories all my life. I even believed one for a while.  The JFK assassination conspiracy was one I felt had some truth to it.  That is until I read a number of books, both pro and anti-conspiracy books.  I came away after my reading convinced there was no conspiracy.

What I have learned is that when your theory contains more than about 3 people, it’s VERY unlikely it will be kept secret.  There are too many reporters, citizens, and alleged participants who will want to expose the plot and make a buck off it or use it politically to think it will be kept quiet.  It won’t.

 



Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman with help from Elvis and Marilyn (who are alive, married and living in Costa Rica)

Quote by Anonymous

The Place of Justice Is A Hallowed Place

by | May 2, 2011 | Quote Authors | 0 comments

The place of justice
Today I draw a symbol. It’s not a symbol of hate or revenge or politics. For me, it’s a symbol of justice and peace.   I am not drawing what was done to those buildings and the people in them.  I am drawing what our best response can be to what happened to those buildings and the people in them.

In 2001, Two days after 9/11, I drew the following drawing for my daughters and put it in their lunches.

It’s about freedom.  Freedom comes when you have justice and peace.  If you aren’t allowed to have those things, either from within your country or from without, you are allowed, indeed it is demanded of you, if you want freedom, that you fight to regain those things.


Seek justice and seek peace.  That is where you will find freedom for you, yours and your country, wherever it may be on the earth.

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily


The first half of the quote, having to do with justice, is by Francis Bacon. I added the part about peace.


The quote on the vintage napkin is by Ralph Waldo Emerson