Parachutes, Conversation, Life Jackets - and maybe Some Boots

I saw a news clip video on NBC earlier this week, with snippets of various commencement speakers interspersed with comments from graduates, and while I think that it's a great honor when the President, Elie Wiesel, Ellen DeGeneres or Kermit speaks at your college graduation, I believe that an untapped speaker source is being overlooked.  For real words of wisdom - there should be more four-year-old speakers at commencement.

Four-year-old wisdom is the best - it's simple, straightforward, heartfelt and honest. 

Super-grandson always gives it to me straight.  "Stay put, and no touching my hot wheels, and you will be very very good.  And then you can have a mini-drumstick as a good surprise, ok?" "Monster spray to keep out the bad guys does NOT last for six months - you have to use it every night."  "Eat vegetables or your brain will melt."

So his latest nugget is the following:  when in a touchy situation - say, when you're flying around in a gummy jet piece of candy and you find yourself accidentally eaten, (his scenario not mine, but hey, it could happen) there are three things that will help you out-  "Parachutes, conversation and life jackets.  Because the parachute will help you float into the green stuff in the stomach, and then when the parachute gets wet as you sink, you have the life jacket to help you float again.  And sometimes you need boots.  You know - to keep your feet dry and all."  

So - what's the conversation for?

"Oh - oh yeah.  Because you just need to be nice and tell someone how to get around in the stomach.  And they will help you.  Because really you should be nice to everyone no matter if they're different and they'll be nice back."

How great is that advice?  All said so earnestly and sweetly....

And it occurred to me - as I pass my 128th post - that you fives and tens and sometimes twenties! of readers and commenters and deck hip blogsters - you are all my parachutes and my life jackets.  You help me float into the icky green stuff, you act as my life jackets as I bob around in it for a while, and sometimes, you even act as my boots - either to ground me or keep my feet dry, whatever works.

Plus your conversations!  - letting me know how to get around in the big bloggy stomach and being nice to me.  Or giving me crap, which is really being nice to me.  In a way.  

And you're all very different.  Which is the most important point of this post - see!  You knew I'd have a point eventually, so you stuck around!

I started this blog to get some peeps for my etsy store and then I found - and keep finding - so many different writers and actually getting distracted from the store - oooooo shiny blogs......must read....must comment.....what store? 

I digress.

But I like the fact that I don't have a typical blog to follow - you're all very cool with many different points of view and lots of ways to swear.  Some of you post every day and others....not so much.  You write with unique voices, about a thousand topics and every day, you inspire me.

Or you just let me escape from daily life and make me laugh so hard I blow coffee out of my nose.  Whatever.  It works.  Don't laugh at me.

So 128 thanks to all of you!  Thanks to Mom O Matic, and Yo Mama (and her renters) and What Were You Thinking?!!  Just when I'm Cooking Blind, and thinking You've Got to be Kidding Me, I find The Fifty Factors and remember Libby Logic.  Don't forget WendiWinn and Green-Eyed Momster - they bust me constantly.  Susie Scott and Heart of a Cowgirl and Deb Trotter and Sweet Pea help me get artsy, Married Geeks throw some Bananas and Toddlers into the Little House on the Quarry and get me to A Parent's Life to Behold, through the Eyes of Insanity and Bliss.  The Flying Pinto keeps me up in the air, and Kids and Daquiris keeps me laughing.   Angie and Amber - you were two of my originals so I have to send a special thanks, even if life is keeping you too busy to post.

Here's to finding new bloggy friends - cheers!