LAFOLOT

In honor of all the amazing work and awareness brought by MARTIN LUTHER KING, his family and others of his time period –

I wanted to Honor this day by bringing awareness of my book: LIFE IS A SONG IN THE KEY OF LOVE or Growing Up With the Embarrassment of Prejudice

The ‘thought’ for the book came to me back in 1999 during a New Year’s Church Service – ‘Start the New Year Fresh’ – church prayer/meditation regarding – our New Year focus. I was sitting quietly when the thought: ‘Growing Up With the Embarrassment of Prejudice’ came to mind.

I progressively started to write thoughts, notes, and quotes, etc. as I planned the book. It took me 9 years to write the book – because I wanted it to come from a POSITIVE space and not seem whiny nor negative. In my own growth and awareness – I found MY SINGING VOICE! In the process of finding my voice – I discovered the song from the 30′s: LIFE IS A SONG

There is a line in the song: Let’s Take Our Hearts and Dip them in Rhyme

THAT WAS IT! I thought! THAT’s how I can TURN THIS AROUND!

I wrote this book based on comparing LIFE to SHEET MUSIC! That a prejudiced/biased world would sound MONOTONE!

By Appreciating Life in ALL its forms of EXPRESSION (as well as showing RESPECT) – we can MAKE LIFE A SONG!

My book is available at: www.lulu.com/hszollosy or locally from me at: www.lafolot.com/books/
It is also available on www.AMAZON.COM – books – search on Helen Marie Szollosy.

I know some of you have already read it and given me WONDERFUL feedback! Thank you so much!

The book deals HEALTHILY and CREATIVELY with treating ALL LIFE Expression with respect … noting my oldest sister with brain damage as a result of being hit by a drunk driver … or think of a child from a challenged household – with hygiene issues – being bullied at school for BEING DIFFERENT… or a person with dimentia – not aware of the present … it’s more than just religion, culture, skin color, gender bias …

IF YOU FEEL SO MOVED – PLEASE SHARE MY BLOG … it’s OPTIONAL …

I have seen so much in the news about racist comments, bullying, brain damage, and other bias. I feel there is a stronger need for me to promote my book – and I don’t currently have the funds.

Thank you for any support. Again, it’s OPTIONAL … whatever works for you! IN ACCEPTANCE AND PEACE …

Highlighted Helen Marie Szollosy
Living BOLD and in ITALICS!
Make LIFE a SONG!
Be in AWE of it ALL!

I wrote a book called: ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love’. It’s ultimately about ‘appreciating life in ALL its forms of EXPRESSION.’ It’s about ‘being in AWE of it ALL!

What type of art do you like? Traditional, Impressionistic …

What type of music? Classical, Jazz, Contemporary, Rap…

Just as music, sculpture, oil paintings, pencil sketches or any other creative expression can take many forms; so does LIFE!

I mention, in my book, that I was talking to a woman at Bethany Towers one day. I encountered her in the lobby. She was having a little trouble opening a jar lid. She also happened to be in a wheelchair. She also happened to be fairly young. I smiled and started a conversation with her. I was there to conduct my HEALTHY HAPPY HOUR – Laughter Club.

I told her that ‘if she wanted help opening the jar’ – I would certainly try to assist – but that I was also AWARE to ‘allow her to ask for help’ rather than my ASSUMING that she needed it, just because we were physically diffierent in our abilities.

She smiled, we talked a bit – then she gave me the jar to see if I could open the lid.

I was talking to her about a Star Trek – Next Generation episode where: One of the crew had ‘fallen for’ an alien woman who was wheelchair bound. The reason she was in a wheelchair on their spaceship, was because her planet had no gravity; hence the occupants had no muscle mass. So, when he went to her ‘cabin’ – HE BECAME PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED, because she had no gravity in her cabin quarters – to suit HER needs. HE became AWKWARD – floating around awkwardly. On the OTHER hand – she became GRACEFUL – floating FREELY in air space – moving easily about.

It was an interesting episode – causing awareness in – ‘what is normal’? ‘what is average?’ ‘what is accepted as handicap or different?

As I talked to this woman who expressed life with physical and speech limitation in ‘our world’ – I told her I considered her A PICASSO.

I told her I feel we all express life SOMEWHAT LIKE ART! Some people are Traditional paintings

i.e., 2 arms, 2 legs, 1 head, all the basic body parts that we consider THE AVERAGE or THE NORM.

Then – there are those who express life as: PICASSOS! Daring TO BE DIFFERENT! Some folks ‘fade into the background’ as IMPRESSIONIST paintings, and it takes a BIT to FOCUS in on them. Some express as WATER COLORS, living a quiet, soft existence. Some are POP ART – with BRIGHT, LOUD COLORS – saying: I’M HERE! I’M ALIVE, NOTICE ME!

So what are you? How do YOU express life? I don’t need to know. I don’t need or mean to label -

my point is: It’s ALL just LIFE EXPRESSION – and we are ALL ‘magnificently, created WORKS OF ART!’

Step back, let go of the instant judgement and take a gander at the GALLERY OF ART walking around you today.

BEAUTIFUL! isn’t it?

Helen M Szollosy – expressing herself as Singer, Writer, Speaker, Author, OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!, Laughter Wellness Facilitator

Author: ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love’ or Growing Up With The Embarrassment of Prejudice www.lafolot.com/books/

While at a ‘quick checkout’ at the grocery store, after a young gentleman noted to his buddy that he needed a penny to finish his payment, he said: ‘Pennies don’t have any value any longer, I wonder why we still use them?’

Being openly friendly when out in public, I turned, smiled and said: ‘Ohhh! But they have GREAT value! When you FIND a LUCKY PENNY, and you give it away to someone else the penny becomes PRICELESS!’ The gift is in the giving.

He smiled, agreed with me and repeated as he wheeled his cart out past me, PRICELESS!

Value, worth, of ourselves or an object – it’s all in how you LOOK at it.

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Specializing in rePHRESING thoughts and New Outlooks!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live Life in AH! Mazement!
www.lafolot.com

It’s not only OK to be a ‘Charlie in the Box’ it’s GREAT! Be YOU and be Proud of It! re: Land of Misfit Toys – Rudolph the Rednosed Rheindeer – story. WEAR YOUR RED NOSE PROUDLY! Be a PICASSO Painting! Be a PEER POSITIVE no need for Peer Pressure – let the ‘air out’ of the pressure… *whoooosh!

Coming from a ‘challenged’ family with 7 children and being ‘kid number 6′, I had the freedom to ‘be me’ early on. No one was really paying attention. As a result, later in life, I had a few very good friends tell me: ‘I admire that you dare to be different, to be yourself.’ I always remembered those compliments as PRICELESS GIFTS!

I call folks that dare to be different: PICASSOS! Whenever I get to personally know and talk ‘deeply’ with a person who life ALLOWED to be different – for whatever reason – I PRAISE THEM for their PICASSO-nature! re: physical or mental differences – their INNER-SPIRIT daring to ride agains the NORM!

I wrote about this in my ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love’ Book and continuously bring this to my own attention as well as others. I coined a phrase: PEER POSITIVE as a result. I am very much against going along with the PRESSURE of ADs and MARKETING to ‘BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE.’

Personally, I feel my eyelashes are long enough, thank you. I’m OK as I am – and if I choose to BE A PICASSO rather than the STANDARD LANDSCAPE OR FRUIT BOWL painting, than so be it. I don’t give in to Peer Pressure, I’m a PEER POSITIVE.

There’s no need for a LAND OF MISFIT TOYS – No Need for a Sad ‘Charlie in the Box’ –

I SALUTE the differences and let out a SIGH OF RELIEF for the REFRESHING NATURE of these beautifully, daring expressions of LIFE SPIRIT!

WOO! HOOOO! FOR YOU! and ME! *weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Have fun on this RIDE OF LIFE!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Living Life in A-MAZE-MENT!
Living BOLD and in Italics!

Never underestimate (the person standing next to you), never judge a book by it’s cover; and as I talk/teach/write about: Look Out! It’s LIFE, with a Fresh Outlook! You are in the presence of ONE AMAZING WOMAN! Ha! Ha!

I parked my car in a busy hospital parking lot this afternoon. It has my LAFOLOT business display on the side of the car; so people instantly don’t take me too seriously. Imagine that!

I was getting some ‘SILLY STUFF’ out to wear and take into the hospital with me, while going in to visit my mom. A car pulled in next to me – and it ‘wasn’t just WHISTLIN’ DIXIE!’ let me tell ya!

I had to laugh when the high-pitched tone/squeel was coming from the engine under the car hood. The mid-Eastern looking man was puzzled. I said: I think it’s in the ‘KEY OF E’ and I perfectly matched the tone with my voice. HA HA! I know THIS wasn’t what he wanted. LOL!

He said: ‘It just started this morning, I don’t know what it is!’
I said: ‘I’m pretty sure it’s the FAN BELT. ‘ All you need is some wax or soap on it and it will probably stop squeeling.’

He LOOKED at me, but didn’t question. [SMART MAN!]
I said: ‘I used to help my dad with his car fix it stuff, that’s an EASY one.’ I said: ‘Open the hood while it’s running and we’ll be able to tell right away if that’s it.’

He didn’t question and SURE ENOUGH – I said – ‘Here, see – this is the belt and LISTEN TO THAT! THAT’s where the sound is coming out!’ He was thrilled! He closed the hood.

I said: ‘You could just go to PEP BOYS car parts, pick one up and they’ll put it on for you in their garage bays at the store. Low cost!’ I said: ‘Now if your car were to just SHUT OFF – that would be ELECTRICAL – maybe the spark plugs.’ ‘I know THAT much.’

He said: ‘My Air Condition hasn’t been working.’ I said: ‘Is it working at all? thinking Freon’ He said: ‘No, not at all.’ I said: ‘Then I’d think THAT was part of the electrical circuit area, too – I would focus on taking it to an auto electrician.’

He shut off his engine and closed his car door saying: ‘I NEVER THOUGHT A WOMAN WOULD KNOW THESE THINGS!’

[I'm 5'2", 51, overweight, menopausal and heterosexual - just FYI] I responded: ‘I write and talk about not labeling and judging people. You NEVER KNOW what’s beneathe the surface!’ He smiled as he walked towards the hospital entrance.

I finished putting on my: Tinsel Deely-bobber headband, Smile Badge pinback button, gathering a couple Spread Smiles by the Miles Flags and Stress Reliever Pinwheels and headed for the main hospital entrance. OH! and wearing a SMILE on MY face, too!

OOH! WAH! DARN, I’M GOOOOOOD! HA HA!

Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
only BEGINNING to skim the surface of my AMAZING CAPABILITIES! Hee! Hee!
www.lafolot.com
Appreciating LIFE in ALL its forms of expression!
Author: ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love!‘

I had a big AH! HA! ha ha moment at age 49. At that point, I stopped EXISTING and HIDING and chose Life! I chose to start Living! Hence, my motto: Live Life! Laugh Often! [there's a lot more meat to my motto than meets the eye!]

I wrote a book called: ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love!‘ It’s about appreciating life in ALL its forms of expression. I no longer have a fear of insects; where once I would have screamed and hit the person nearest me just to get away from a bee or spider – I can now allow a Bee to buzz near my ear, as I smile – and I can allow it to walk on me freely – to allow it to BE. I can rescue a spider or thank it and appreciate the work it is doing to remove other bugs from my home. I am in AWE of all Life! [keep in mind, I'm still human and still make a fool of myself on occassion!]

I awoke this morning and was inspired to write these words. May you be blessed this day and always with a life filled with Peace. Be Aware of the PRESENT, it’s a GIFT!

LIFE!

I am in AWE! RESPECT!

by: Helen Marie Szollosy 11/9/2010
Living Life in a-MAZE-ment!
Living BOLD and in Italics!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com

Even with the collllld, chilllly, brrrrrr 50 degree F and below weather – I set up my LAFOLOT MOBILE HEALTH-HAPPY-HOUR event
along the road from 4-6pm – rush hour traffic

PURPOSE: HA HA Helen’s DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY Campaign – to motivate/inspire and UPLIFT folks driving by. To bring drivers ‘back into the PRESENT moment’ as they drive home after a busy day at work. To SHARE A SMILE or LAUGH; because of the silliness of the moment and the signs that read: MOTOR-VATION and *SMILE! YOU’RE GREAT!

Well! I’ve been doing this for a couple weeks now –

WOW! I HAD A WAY! MOTOR-VATED DAY!

From the START at 4:00pm – just starting to put out my SMILEY balloon and signs – I got BEEP! BEEP! WAVE! from several vehicles driving by!

I have a buddy who drives by in his sports car every time – keeps his face straight ahead and limply waves at me as he drives by. MAKES ME LAUGH OUT LOUD! He’s consistent! ahahahahaa

I even had several Lonnnng Beeeeeeps and Waaaaves from vehicles driving by on the OPPOSITE side of the road! One guy gave a LOUD BEEEP BEEEEP! AND a *hand crank! ahahhahaa

Wow! How em I doin’? HA HA!

About 5:15pm – I heard a voice call from behind me: THANK YOU!
I had on a scarf and earmuffs; but could still hear her.
I got up out of my chair and saw she had pulled into the parking lot.
I went back to talk to her.
She wanted to THANK ME for what I was doing to MAKE PEOPLE’S DAYS!
She is a nurse, had formerly done hospice work.
She gave me a DONATION towards my LAFOLOT Roadside Ministry ;o)
….people keep telling me I have a ministry. I THINK it’s because I’m not making any money! AHAHAHAHAHAA

She said she’s noticed me several times and purposely came by today. She wants to drive by next time and ‘give me more’. She was sorry she didn’t have more to give today! I SAID: YOU’VE GIVEN ME MUCH MORE THAN YOU KNOW!

I told her about GOOD HEARTED LIVING (Steve Wilson) and the gift of KINDNESS and COMPLIMENTS. I gave her my:
TIME 2 LAUGH and HA HA HELEN’S SMILE CAMPAIGN sheet (which also has Steve Wilson’s Good Hearted Living noted on it)

I gave her a couple smiley bookmarks.

SO – It was an ABUNDANTLY PROSPEROUS DAY! Filled with SMILES, WAVES, BEEPS and APPRECIATION!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live BOLD and in ITALICS!

Wow! What an unexpected TREAT, yesterday when I decided to stop in at Olive Garden for their soup/salad deal! I was sitting in my booth when I heard the server say to his other table: ‘It’s your birthday, today?’ MY EARS PERKED UP! I happened to know that the restaurant had stopped their policy of Servers Gathering to Sing to Guests on their Birthdays.

WELL! I just COULDN’T allow this soul to not be SUNG TO on their birthday, while dining out! *tee hee Super HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT jumped out of her booth (okay, slowly slid out). I had on my: ME! t-shirt. I took one of my HA HA HELEN on a stick “STICK WITH LAUGHTER” items out of my purse as well as a SMILEY FACE bookmark.

I smiled and said, ‘I’m sorry to bother you (as I held up my GIFTS), but I heard it was your birthday and wanted to sing the HA HA Happy Birthday song to you! It turned out to be two, ‘grey haired women’ out having a fun birthday lunch – one treating the other.

Luckily! They both smiled. My intention had been to just give the gifts, sing my little ditty and let them be. Well! They started asking me all types of questions in excitement about what I did! The other woman didn’t want to be left out – so I got HER a Ha Ha Helen on a Stick and a bookmark! She took it ‘hungrily’ even though they had just eaten.

She told me she had COPD, asthma and Depression (as her eyes teared). I jumped in and said: Well, then! Let’s get you laughing! (I told her about the precaution of laughing and asthma – she noted she was OK with laughing.)

I explained the physical/medical benefits and started telling them about my TIME TO LAUGH gimmick: Looking at the clock at 7:07 and seeing it as upside down and LAUGH OUT LOUD, the 4:45 (Shh) quiet laugh, and the 3:34 (hEE) mid afternoon giggle. They both loved it and she was laughing and giggling. I got to hear about her bird bath, and rabbits in the yard, etc etc. Her birthday friend said: THANK YOU, ME! – I laughed.

I ended up giving them a LAFOLOT pamphlet I had on me as well as my FULL BELLY LAUGHTER – Free – donate food item event. Turned out the one woman lived nearby the event!

Sometimes I’m told I’m too forward which has caused me to not approach people as much. But when I TAKE THAT RISK and discover that I:

1) not only got to sing the HA HA HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG (they were surprised I knew all the HA HA words!) to the Birthday Girl!

but

2) got to help a woman, teary eyed over depression, have some HEALTHY LAUGHTER as DESSERT after the meal she bought to help her friend celebrate her birthday –

I find that I am doing the right thing. These moments are priceless – I keep them in my golden heart pocket – where they warm me when I’m feeling the cold effects of criticism.

My lesson – FOLLOW MY HEART. Never know when my heart will lead me to another soul in need.

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
Live Life in A-MAZE-MENT!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

I have been having a lot of people share with me lately:

1) I was sitting at a funeral for my mother. They started to play a church song that my mom, disliked. They reached one particular line that she especially hated – I BURST OUT LAUGHING!

2) I was in a very serious situation, I had not been dealing with it well, it’s not a situation where you would normally laugh; and I BURST OUT LAUGHING!

3) I was working on a mechanical problem, lying flat on my face, trying to unscrew a difficult nut and bolt and, suddenly, I BURST OUT LAUGHING UNCONROLLABLY!

As a trained, certified laughter leader – I am required to keep abreast of new studies on laughter and smiling benefits and impacts on the body and mind. I also do a lot of my own observations and testing when I am out and about in public. When I give my laughter wellness talks or motivational-inspirational speaking, I share information and experiences people have shared with me.

When my father was dying, I was blessed with being with him at his last coule breaths. I was also blessed to be from a large family. My mother or other siblings would be with him, at the hospital, during the day; then I would come in the evening. My dad LOVED to joke around, clown around, with kids as well as adults. He had his standard set of jokes. When a non-denominational minister came into intensive care to visit, she started out serious and my dad made a joke. She was so focused on the ‘Here’s a dying man with a family member, I better show respect…’ she didn’t realized he had joked with her. I let her know he was joking. She stopped and looked at me. I said, my dad loves to joke around, and I smiled. ‘WELL THEN, SHE SAID! I CAN STAY RIGHT IN THERE WITH THE BEST OF THEM!’ The rest of her visit was LITE and FLUFFY and my dad had a smile on his face at the end of her visit, giving her a thank you.

When my dad passed on, I went to tell the nurses. They were ready to console me. I said, ‘Oh No! I’m great! It was wonderful to be here, see him let go so peacefully.’ We started to talk about a funny fishing story where my dad had put a safety pin on the end of a string so I could FISH at the canal near our home. We were laughing out loud when my mother arrived. She was also at peace that he had been able to let go and pass on peacefully.

EVERYONE GRIEVES and LETS GO of their own life and of their loved one’s lives in a different way.

I have had more and more people tell me how they laugh and smile when they MISS and GRIEVE their loved ones. I have a minister friend tell me a woman said to her: ‘IF YOU’RE HERE TO HELP ME DIE, DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE A** ON THE WAY OUT! IF YOU’RE HERE TO HELP ME ENJOY LIFE WHILE I’M STILL BREATHING, COME ON IN AND PULL UP A CHAIR!’

I had a representative of a Hospice, at a networking event, tell me yesterday (when I was at the event wearing my tinsel deely bobber headband): ‘YOU CAN’T WEAR THOSE AT THE HOSPICE!’ I was instantly shocked. I told her the story I noted above.

I respect everyone’s wishes and beliefs in grieving. Everyone’s wishes and beliefs are different and personal. I know MANY people that would be THRILLED to have me show up wearing Tinsel Deely Bobber Headbands if they were wanting to LET GO LITELY!

I heard of a family who lost their mentally/physically disabled son. They had a PARTY with BALLOONS at his viewing! Why? Because he LOVED PARTIES and BALLOONS! I wore PINK to a friend’s husbands funeral. He was a FUN LOVING FAMILY MAN and HUSBAND! He was KIND and CARING and FULL OF LIFE! He knew how to make you feel better when you were down, just by a kind word. I celebrated his LITENESS by wearing a LITE, BRIGHT COLOR to his funeral.

As for me – I want to LET GO LITELY and be seen with a SMILE on my face as I’m going to my next exciting adventure!

It’s OKAY to LAUGH at a funeral. Laughter isn’t all about responding to a joke. It’s OKAY to SMILE at a funeral. I tell people all the time – GRIEVING sometimes gets STUCK inside your body. Sometimes – planting a SMILE on your face or OPENING your MOUTH and LAUGHING allows the STUCK GRIEVING FEELINGS to SPILL OUT! I have had this happen to me on many occassions. When I feel STUCK – I open my mouth in a grin and sometimes start a tone to help my body let out, whatever it needs to process. Some cultures call this WHALING. It’s a healthy thing, to LET IT OUT and LET IT GO LITELY.

It may not be for everyone, but for those that wish – it should be allowed.

One of my favorite writings is by S.H. Payer: ‘Live each day to the fullest… be yourself, but be your best self… look forward with confidence and back without regrets…’

Another writer I like is: Don Miguel Ruiz who notes: Each day do you best. Each day your best is different, based on how you are feeling. So there are no regrets, because you are always doing your best.

If you need to LAUGH, laugh. If you need to CRY, cry. If you need to make a crack in your face with a smile to start a process, do it. No regrets – it’s your way of processing your feelings.

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! until your breath stops -
May you live till you LET GO LITELY with a smile on your face –
May you have the chance to make all your amends, forgive freely and know that you have done your best – and when you are ready to LET GO – LET GO LIGHTLY in the brightest of light with that smile emanating even after your spirit has left your body.

…with peace and a smile Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life in A-MAZE-MENT and make them wonder WHY you were smiling when you left.

[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blogger name: Helenoflafolot]

Did you know there is a ‘Law of Average’ or Standards? It applies in Interior Design, when drafting and indicating counter heights, seat heights, ceiling heights, etc. It applies in school systems, noting whether we fall above or below average on a grading scale. It applies when a child is born, relating to their height, weight or mental/emotional capacity.

I write in my book, ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love’, that we may tend to unknowingly show bias or prejudice, and the best way to deal with it is talk openly. I suggest asking questions and becoming more familiar with cultures, non-average folks so that we may educate ourselves and break down barriers.

Yesterday, I had another ‘OOOPS I DID IT AGAIN!’ moment relating to making an ‘Assumption’ about another human being. Luckily, I was able to talk openly and educate myself, thank goodness!

I was sat at a booth at a local restaurant. About 6 feet across from me, in another booth, was a family consisting of the mom, dad, and two young boys. I already knew what I wanted, so I was just staring off into space. I suddenly noticed ‘more movement’ out of my left eye. The one boy was ‘playing peek-a-boo’ with me! I LOVE playing with kids when they initiate play out in public, being bored with their families. Babies do this a lot, by looking away from their parents and observiing with big, wide eyed looks as they absorb all the ‘new stuff’ they are seeing and experiencing.

So, my first thought was: ‘this boy seems too old to be playing peek-a-boo, but I’ll go along since he is having fun!’ So I put some silly grins on my face, he ducks and hides behind his daddy.
He pops his head out again, and I give him a wide open-eyed look! He ducks and hides.
He makes another appearance and I hide my face with the menu. He is giggling, hiding, popping up, and smiling.
Life gets too serious, too fast – so I love doing my part to allow kids to be kids and have fun!

All the while, I’m thinking – FOR THIS KID’S HEIGHT (here I go with my assumption and LAW OF AVERAGE), he seems to be a 7 or 8 year old playing PEEK-A-BOO like a little two year old!

Well, I’ve had many opportunities to assist parents with crying toddlers by offering them one of my SMILEY Face bookmarks. When the child sees it, their face lights up and they get curious. It usually stops them from crying.
So, in this case, even though this was a happy BOBBING, PEEK-A-BOO child, I offered him a SMILEY Face bookmark (actually my business card), and gave him an extra for his brother. The parents thanked me, and we went back to our own table space.

A little later, I asked the boy (who I ASSUMED was about 7 or 8 years old), ‘did you READ the back of the bookmark?’
[It has wonderful positive statements about having a fun, healthy outlook on life.]
The mother looked over and said:

HE’S ONLY 4, HE DOESN’T READ YET. [There's the LAW OF AVERAGE!] I ASSUMED he was older, even though I thought his behavior a bit juvenile! This child was almost 4 feet tall and was 4 years old!

I could have smacked myself. I said to the mother: ‘My he’s tall for his age!’ [COULD SOMEONE STUFF A SOCK IN MY MOUTH!]

We are all so unique and beautiful, but we have this LAW OF AVERAGE on which everything is based. I got treated differently because I was short, fat and female – when I worked in a technological environment. My age also came into play due to the field in which I worked. I talk a lot about this LAW OF AVERAGE in my book, by giving examples of scenarios experienced by friends.

I am making a judgement about myself. My book is about AWARENESS and Appreciating Life in All its Forms of Expression. I just had another dose of, ‘step out of your Law of Average awareness and open your mind to other possibilities’ Helen. I’m glad the mother was comfortable enough to talk with me. I’m glad the boy was COMFORTABLE enough with himself to feel free to PLAY LIKE A FOUR YEAR OLD even though people may see him as a seven or eight year old.

Like Forest Gump said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates’ – there’s a wide variety, full of wonderful flavors. Life is a Song in the Key of Love, full of wonderful variations on musical themes, with a wonderful mix of musical notes.

I got to HEAR THE SOUND of a TALL FOUR YEAR OLD while he MOVED FREELY in life, BOBBING up and down, around his daddy, feeling free to play PEEK A BOO with an over 50, menopausal women.

He held no bias towards me! He just saw a PLAY PAL – not a short, fat, 51 year old, menopausal woman!

Thank you beautiful four year old boy for accepting me as I am and showing me how to do the same. Angels come in ALL SHAPES AND SIZES!

Highlighted Helen of LAFOLOT
Be in AWE of it ALL!
Make Life a Song!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog may also be seen at Vibrant Nation under blogger name: Helenoflafolot]