A cautionary tale

 Florida Woman Stops Alligator Attack Using a Small .22 calibre Ruger Pistol.

Another good reason to have a concealed weapons permit.

This is a story of self-control and marksmanship by a brave, cool-headed woman with a small pistol against a fierce predator. She acted bravely and without thought, to the dangerous situation she was in at the time. Many of us in Canada would not have reacted with the courage and the foresight this woman had. Read to the end to see why this event was an important life-changing event for her.

Here's her story in her own words:

"While walking along the edge of a pond just outside my house in the Villages discussing a property settlement with my soon-to-be ex-husband, and other divorce issues, we were surprised by a huge 12-ft alligator that suddenly emerged from the murky water.

It began charging us with its large jaws wide open.

I and my husband that the “gator must have been protecting her nest because she was extremely aggressive. We were surprised by the ferocity with which the alligator came for us. We were very frightened.

"If I had not had my little Ruger .22 calibre pistol with me, I would not be here today!

Just one shot to my estranged husband's kneecap was all it took.

The gator got him easily, and I was able to escape by just walking away at a brisk pace.

The amount I saved in lawyer's fees was really incredible and his life insurance was also a big bonus!”

Those who are right vs those who are wrong

 The world is divided into people who think they are right. ~Tara Brach

If I divide the world into those who are part of my group, however, I define the group and those who are not part of my group it becomes easier to malign those not part of my group. It is easy to make the others out to be liars, bad people and evil. Having this view of others is easy because it requires no thought, to need to think for oneself and no need to grow and learn.

When I was young, we lived in a small farming community that did not welcome change or newcomers, after a few years I was accepted by the group and for a time became suspicious of those not part of the group and part of our image was that our world outlook was the only one that was correct.

I soon outgrew that position but when I look around, I see too many buying into the idea that their world view is the correct view. The quote emphasizes what could be at the root of many of the problems that range from the personal and professional to the political to horrific acts of violence and cruelty among peoples and nations.

As humans, we need to understand that “our truth” is not “The Truth”. My truth may be wrong or only partially true. It is important for us to help others understand that we are eager to hear other views and that we open to being influenced by them.

G. K. Chesterton said, “There's a lot of difference between listening and hearing.” In society today we need to hear more and remember that our truth begins with a lowercase “t”, not an Upper case “T”. and that difference is meaningful.

Bloody Puns

February in the heart of winter can make one sad and dissolute, so here are some bloody puns to raise your spirits.

You know what really makes my blood boil? The vacuum of space.

I hate going to the doctor because all he does is suck blood from my neck. Do NOT go see Dr. Acula!

Son: What happens when white blood cells fail to protect us from an infection? Dad: Their effort goes in vein.

What do you call a barbecued, blood-sucking insect? Mesquite-o.

A monk, a priest and a rabbit walk into a blood bank. The rabbit says "I think I'm a type o"

Don't you just hate it when it's 212 degrees outside? It really just makes my blood boil.

Did you know you can hear blood flowing close to the skin? You just have to listen varicosely.

What do doctors use to draw blood? A needle? No, a red crayon!

My doctor forgot to document my blood type. It was a typo.

I took a blood test today It was easy. I got A+, and I didn't even have to study!

Grandpa died because we couldn’t figure out his blood type. At least he told us to be positive.

What does goblin's blood consist of? A hemogoblin

What do you say when two red blood cells get married? Coagulations!

What did the patient say after that gave blood? I feel drained.

So, my blood test came back positive. Turns out I’m full of the stuff.

What did one deoxygenated blood cell say to the other? We're all in vain.

What do you call a blood vessel that's mad with power? A Megalovieniac.

Donating blood can be A-positive experience But sometimes it can B-negative.

I'm so Midwestern, it's in my blood I'm type Ohp!-ositive

What do you call a glass of pig’s blood? Swine.

Why are blood physicians so rich? Because blood cells.

Why did the blood-sucking insect learn Latin? It wanted to be a Roman-tic

What do you call a fraternity member who likes to drink the blood of goats?

A chupacabro.

My friend has an insect parasite that can't stop fidgeting as it sucks blood. He has a nervous tick.

What do you call a crazy blood-sucking parasite? A lunatick!

What do you call a deer that feeds on the blood of others? Vlad the Impala. I went to the Red Cross to donate blood. They threw me out and said, "We don't want your type here!"

I was terrified by the results of my blood test But, my doctor just said B positive.

What blood type does a pessimist have? B Negative

My son was injected with poisoned blood from a person from Finland He said, "I am finnished."

My son asked me why our sailboat is named Blood I yelled back: "Because it’s a bloody vessel!"

Before I became a dad, I was terrified I wouldn't know how to be a good one. Oddly enough, it turns out, it's in my blood - I come from a long line of father

What is your favourite decade?

So, my question is: If you had to pick a favourite decade in your lifetime, which one would it be? The question was asked by Bob Lowery over at Sightings over Sixty and he got the idea for the question from Apache Dug.

This is a great question and one that all of us may have a different answer to for many different reasons. I liked the question because it forced me to recall the decades and consider what I liked and disliked about those times.

Reviewing the decades is also a good way to start on your story, or if started to refine your story. I have a friend who every year spends New Year's Eve reflecting on the events of the past year. She tries to put everything into perspective so she can face the new year unburdened by the mistakes of the past year. It also allows her to refocus on what is important and what needs to be done to make the upcoming year better. 

I looked back over the decades I have lived, starting in the 40’s moving through each decade from the 1950s to the 2010s. The first decision I had to make was, did I review the decades as decades of my life, i.e., 0 to 10, 10 to 20, etc. or do I review the decades as normal decades i.e., 1950-1960, 1960-1970, etc. 

If you are tweaking or writing your own story then the former is a way to start, but if you are just answering the general question then the latter is the way to approach the question.

I decided to answer the general question, so I reflected on what each decade brought to me. In taking that approach I then had to decide about how I dealt with what life brought to me, the good, bad, and ugly. I did this by dividing my review of the decades by looking at my family, my career, opportunities (taken or not taken), my impact on the people around me, and the societal impacts on my situation.

There are many ways to focus on the question and both the blogs I mention took a different approach. Apache Dug looked at one decade the 70’s and said, "for me, the '70s are gold." In Sightings over Sixty, he took a similar approach to me.

After a timeline that took longer than I thought it would take, I think my favourite decade was the 70’s. The decade was filled with adventures, settling into married life, buying a house, losing my father, having a daughter, meeting my best friend. There were many opportunities at home for change, and growth, and many opportunities at work for challenge. There were also many opportunities to change and to renew. 

What I found when I examined the decades is that each helped me become a better person and helped shape how I looked at life.  I hope at some point to organize my review of the decades and write the history of each decade down, so I can pass it on to my grandson. My hope is that someday he will read it and gain an understanding of how my life helped shape his mothers' life and his life. I hope that he finds my influence has been, for the most part, positive.