Kudos to your parents for teaching you to look at things from a different perspective. I’m sure my parents did the same, but I was such a hateful child I doubt any of it really took at the time. lol

I wish I’d be able to spend more time instilling this thinking process into my son.

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this to you before, but I was fortunate enough to grow up with a dad who was constantly saying to me “You don’t know what’s going on with him/her/them” whenever I’d get mad or get in a fight with a friend or classmate, or if I’d come home and relay some story about some outlandish thing someone in my school did or how some kid made fun of some other kid for something (bad clothes, bad behavior – whatever). “That kid might have a bad home life.” “That kid might have had a fight with his parents this morning before school.” “That kid’s parents might not be able to afford anything but those clothes, or might not care enough to buy new ones for him.” You get the idea. Eventually, that way of thinking took root and *I* became the friend who was saying to other friends, “Wait a minute. Calm down. You don’t know what might really be going on. What if…” AND, that way of thinking trickled over into the kind of better story writing in the kinds of situations you’re talking about.

Too, another way for someone to help him/herself have more control over thoughts and write better stories is to pause long enough to think, “What if it were me? What if *I* were the one standing on the corner asking for money? How scared would *I* feel if I knew it boiled down to whether or not someone believed me? How crushed would *I* feel if they shunned me, or grateful if they didn’t?” Putting oneself in another’s situation (as closely as possible, that is) is a big eye-opener. Sure, there’s always the chance it (whatever “it” is) is a scam, but there’s always the chance it’s not.

kind of reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

“Paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions. Most emotions are responses to perception — what you think is true about a given situation. If your perception is false, then your emotional response to it will be false, too. So check your perceptions, and beyond that check the truthfulness of your paradigms — what you believe. Just because you believe something firmly doesn’t make it true. Be willing to reexamine what you believe. The more you live in the truth, the more your emotions will help you see clearly…” ~William P. Young

You can come visit us in NZ after we become bi-local. Hoping to do that within a year or so. Will probably buy a bach (small bachelor cabin) on NI for the 4-6 months we plan to be there every year.

Expect lots of crowds in NOLA that weekend before – all the parents send their kids there as part of spring break or some such – that’s what they told me anyway. Tom & I were talking about going back – we were there at different times before we met each other. Have fun and let me know how it goes!

I took a look at your photos and that spot in New Zealand looks amazing. I wish it was a shorter travel… but, sigh. It sounds like y’all had a blast, too. Glow worm caves! I bet that was an AMAZING sight to see.

I’m really looking forward to NOLA. And you’re so right; I would hate being to crowded. I’m glad we decided to go the weekend before. And by “we” I mean “I”. hahaha
Anyway, inebriated will be the word of the weekend, I’m sure. April is a blast to hang around. Though, not a partner-in-crime, so much.

Again, sorry about the twitter thing. I was trying to keep all the automated accounts from following me while I travel, so I went private. I didn’t realize it would keep you from seeing my tweets. that’s kinda odd. Anyway, back to normal. I’ll just delete the auto-accounts later.

If you want to go Bungy jumping, I’d suggest the home of Bungy just outside Queenstown in New Zealand. You can see my pictures on my facebook acct. We saw another bridge on South Island at Hanmer Springs – also very cool. No, we didn’t jump. A friend wrenched her back jumping in San Jose (Silicon Valley), and I guess I’m chicken. We did go black water rafting on North Island, though, down through the caves with full wetsuits and miner’s helmets. It was amazing jumping off the rocks backwards into icy cold water below in the glow worm caves!

New Orleans is a zoo at Mardi Gras – it’s way crazy and solid-packed with people! I was there the week before and it was lively and fun. By the weekend all the college kids had shown up and it was just a drunken brawl. I was there to teach a week of classes and half the people came in late everyday because they had been out all night partying. My advice is go just before Mardi Gras – it’s still a lot of fun and not the mob scene it becomes during that week.

Have fun!!

This was exactly what I was thinking about as I read this post.

I also think you’re right; I think it’s a double-edged sword of sorts, Too, I think that the results can go either way for both situations. Whether we’re assuming the worst (like you did regarding “the list”) or looking through rose-colored glasses (like the people entering an industry ignorant to how it works), there’s the chance that something “bad” or something “good” could happen.

For example, assuming the worst and then acting on those assumptions could end up hurting your job, BUT, if “acting on those assumptions” means stepping up your game because you’re afraid you might get fired, then that could end up helping your job.

At the same time, just as assuming the best and acting on those assumptions could lead to favorable results, the ill-preparedness could also lead to disaster.

So, maybe it all boils down to an intricate blend of self-fulfilling prophecy and…luck? Haha.