EXPECTATIONS

I always had high expectations for my students and they usually came through. That is true with almost everything. You generally get what you expect.

I really expected that the garage door guys would charge more. But they didn't. They got here right on time and they fixed the door and now it is safe and works quietly.

Whenever I drive my car I expect that some bimbo is going to smash into me. I always look at the other car as a loaded gun aimed right at me. And it is getting worse with cell phone drivers and people cutting across lanes when they make turns, etc. My advice - "Be careful out there!" (Anybody who knows where that phrase came from can surprise me by putting it in the comments - but then I have no expectation of ever getting a comment.)

I always expect to be healthy but that doesn't happen either. Now I have to take more medicine and have a procedure I am NOT looking forward to. I don't expect it to be fun. But I didn't expect it to be as much bother as it is turning out to be. So I changed it because I cannot be tied up to the bathroom on a Thursday night. I will miss the soup supper at the Lodge but it has to be done sometime. Patricia Neal (one of my heroes), quoted above, also expected to be healthy and then people expected that she would never walk or talk again. She had expectations of her own and recovered.

I expected the new television season to be better than it is. There is not much on this year that I am interested in. I kind of like the Vampire show but then I have always liked Vampire stories. Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters were good and I am glad to have Boston Legal and Two and a Half men back. But I am not taping much.

I don't expect anyone to be nice to me and it always surprises me when they are. I do expect thank-yous. I gave a wedding present this summer and still have not gotten a thank-you note. My mother always expected that Ginny and I would write thank-you notes in a timely manner. So we do.

I expected someone to give me grief about my comments on Grand Lodge and my calling the delegates myrmidons. I did not mean half of what I wrote. I know the delegates think for themselves and some of them will vote against the Jurisprudence recommendation just to be obstinate. But then I always expect comments and so far they are few and far between. That is all right I'm really doing this for me. You are just along for the ride. I do appreciate my readers however and some of you talk to me about what I write.

I have given up on a lot of my expectations over the years. It hurts to do that but I am better off if I give up and go on. I do expect to keep friends and when they prove not to be friends it hurts. There was one teacher who was nice to me to my face and I thought she was my friend. I found out that she was bad-mouthing me behind my back. (At a time I was having life threatening health problems) I finally told her I knew about it and wanted to have no more contact with her. Someone told me that someone else said that I "hated E.M." - Well that shows how little they knew me. I don't waste my emotions on hate. It takes up too much energy. But I don't forget. And there are people of whom I have no expectations. It is easier that way. That way I can be surprised if they come through.

I expect that people know me but I find out that they really don't - even when they are readers of the blog. I don't show all of me to everyone. Just to a very few people and they probably don't even get to see the real me.

By the way I expect that you may wonder about my new signature. J-bear. I had a cousin who called me J-bird and that got to be my nickname for awhile. The other day I was watching Letterman and someone was on there who labeled himself as a bear. I got to thinking that now that I am older and grayer I am more of a bear than a bird. Besides I would rather get and give a bear hug than a bird hug. So I don't really go by a nickname but thought I'd see if anyone commented. I didn't expect that they would.

There is one guy in Des Moines who calls me "Boy" (funny I am older than he is) - we kind of have fun with it. I expect him to and I expect that he likes me. At least I hope so.

I expect that I have rambled on long enough about this - now I EXPECT each of you to click on the Breast Cancer Site and donate for free. I also EXPECT you all to have a great day. Bear Hugs from j-bear.