Sunday 28 April 2013

Y as in YES (A-Z Challenge)

"Yes" is a delightful but troublesome word. Especially for those of us who suffer from linguistic di-polarity. That means we say "Yes" when we mean "No," whereas we say "No" when we mean "Yes." Linguistic di-polarity. Remember that. 

Being agreeable, saying "yes," is good. It is an attitude which builds harmony and community when people are working together on a common cause.

The other side is when you say "yes" so often, that people feel they can roll right over you; they can get you to do whatever they want. And believe me, they will. I've had that happen to me. Major problem.

I was reading an A-Z Challenger (as in Challenge participant).  I cannot remember who it was. There was a post linked to something from another year. It has big red "Y" on what looked like a piece of yellow Post-it note. I was going to praise the piece, and link to it, so you could read the wisdom. But when the time came, and Bear wanted to set up the link, he couldn't remember where it was. (Sometimes my mind goes on an excursion, and leaves me behind.) So, if it is yours, or if you know whose it is, please let me know. Thank you.

Y is also for yellow, young, yell, Yucatán, and yeoman.

Blessings and Bear hugs, friends!


Addenda (as in more than one Addendum)

1. IT SNOWED TODAY! The sky was dark, the wind was bitter, and the snow accumulated on the ground. "GRRRRR!!" said the Bear, who was not amused by those developments.

2. I've just discovered April has been National Poetry Writing Month. And I missed it. Sigh. Well, one cannot do everything. So, by way of compensation of the misadventure of missing the important occasion,  next month will be Bear's Poetry Writing Month. You'll be able to follow all the action at Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog).

3. Fran at Broken Cookies Don't Count has done a lovely piece on "Yes." I think you'd be inspired if you checked it out.


43 comments:

  1. Sorry cant help you out with the blog-post it thingy. I like your "Y" post though. Compromise with flexible fences = the best "yes" out there.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thanks, Dr. Zoe.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
    2. i like that message! thank you!
      kj

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    3. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. We all learn from one another here.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
  2. And tell me again "Y" you decided to participate in this challenge?
    I know. I am too funny.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, no, no; W is for why. (I know you Americans use some "unique" spellings, but this isn't one of them.)

      Actually, you ARE a very funny one. As Bugs would say, you're a maroon. As in "Ehhhh, what a maroon!"

      But Bugs is a unique rabbit. Wanna know how to catch a unique rabbit? Simple. You neek up on him.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
  3. We all have trouble with the word, Yes. Sometimes I ask myself why I say it too often, especially when I have gone beyond my quota for saying yes, and I find myself in a pickle. However, most of the time, I get through it and have been glad for the experience it gave me.

    Sorry I can't help you, Rob-Bear in your search. Hopefully, someone can come up with the post you lost.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your thoughtful comments, and attempt at assistance. I appreciate both.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
  4. i've gotten better at this. way better. and in the learning, i give more freely now.

    :^)
    love
    kj

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    Replies
    1. Way to go, kj. Two gold stars (or whatever)!

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
  5. I have always been a "yes" woman, very much to my detriment. I finally learned that it's better to under promise and over deliver than the opposite. This really helped me curb the number of "yes" answers I give. Good luck on your quest to find the "y". I have been trying to answer that one my whole life. ;) Jennifer a.k.a. Urban Gypsy Girl

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jennifer, for sharing your experience. So very sensible!

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
  6. So sometimes Bear's mind goes on an excursion without him? Not to worry. It leads to wondrous places that you sometimes share with us. And I, for one, am most grateful!

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    1. Thanks, Lydia; that's very sweet of you to say.

      My mind occasionally leaves without checking out, so to speak. Whereas at the Hotel California,

      You can check-out any time you like
      But you can never leave.

      Yup; it's going to be one of those days.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
  7. I've always had a problem saying no. I have learned the hard way that I can't say yes to everything and I certainly cannot make everyone happy!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing that, Megan. Hope you have a great Monday!

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
  8. You are definitely an opposite kind of Bear, it seems. I am really a bit sad that the month is coming to and end and I won't get to visit with you as often. You could help me out here by posting just to make me happy, Bear. I won't tell if you do. :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the kind thoughts, DJan. You jump out of perfectly good airplanes; I post things on my blog (as in this one). What could be more natural? Looking forward to seeing you after the end of April!

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
  9. Great post! Sometimes you just gotta say yes.

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Well, um, "yes." It's the "gotta" that is the problem. I understand it, but it's sometimes very frightening.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (My poetry blog)

      Delete
  10. I used to have that problem and got taken advantage of too many times, so I probably don't say yes as much as I used to. My husband on the other hand says it too much for my liking and some people like to take advantage of that nice 'yes' nature he has, which in turn irritates me to no end. But it doesn't seem to bother him..I wish I could say the same for me...

    Dark Thoughts Blog

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    1. I can certainly understand that, Mary. I've been "all over the map" with my "yes" responses. I prefer to say Yes, but (more and more) to save it for really important things.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)

      Delete
  11. You are a champ, Rob! Thank you again. I knew it was National Poetry Month and didn't do anything about it. I have said before that I'll post some of my poetry and I never do. Maybe I'll tag along for May and add some poetry. Thanks for the nudge ol' Bear!!

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    Replies
    1. Well, I hope we can inspire each other! See you, poetically, in May.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)

      Delete
  12. Another enlightening post! Thanks for the websites. I will give them a visit. I would like to repost your post if I can figure it out. :)
    #1197
    A to Z April Blogging Challenge
    http://mauldinfamily1.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/y-is-for-ylang-ylang-essential-oil/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the kind comments.

      I feel truly honoured by your idea of reposting something of mine! To repost, probably the easiest way would be to copy mine, and paste it in one of your own blog post pages (as if you were writing it yourself.)

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)

      Delete
  13. Another enlightening post! Thanks for the website links. I will give them a visit. I want to repost your blog post, if I can figure out how to do it.
    #1197
    A to Z April Blogging Challenge
    http://mauldinfamily1.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/y-is-for-ylang-ylang-essential-oil/

    ReplyDelete
  14. There is a point in life where saying "No" is ok. We can't do everything, but those few "Yes" responses can make the world of difference not only to the recipient but to yourself as well.

    Linguistic di-polarity--LOL

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    Replies
    1. Those are the important "Yes" moments Julia. Well said. Somebody also noted that "No" moments can be very positive, too

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)

      Delete
  15. Saying "Yes" as often as possible was listed as part of good parenting. Then when "No" was said, it had more meaning. At least, that was what the parenting book said.

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    1. Good point, Susan. Thanks for sharing it.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)



      Delete
  16. Wonderful post. I like this: Linguistic di-polarity. It is so easy to say yes, but can so hard to follow through. In the end, there is often resentment. Yep, best to say what we really mean. :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for dropping by, Teresa, and leaving a kind note. I thought that linguistic di-polarity note would catch someone's attention.

      "Say what you mean; mean what you say," says my son. I'm with him.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)

      Delete
  17. I can't help but think of the last words of James Joyce's Ulysses in which Molly Bloom says,

    "yes I said yes I will Yes."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Personally, I would trust neither Joyce nor Ulysses with much to which I could say yes.

      Thanks for your note, Amanda. Have you recovered from you Portuguese adventure?

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)

      Delete
  18. glad you found the "yes" post you were looking for...You were right,it WAS really good.

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    Replies
    1. Actually, I have not found it, Zoe. It's still out there in cyberspace, somewhere.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)

      Delete
  19. Evil Twin does not know this word "yes".

    Sigh.

    Yessiree, Mr. Bear, one can certainly by run right over saying that too often.

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    Replies
    1. Evil Twin doesn't understand "Yes"? I'm sure she has heard it often enough.

      I trust your note about the "run right over" bit does not come from personal experience, Reffie. Especially with Evil Twin. If it comes from personal experience, you have my condolences.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)

      Delete
  20. I think Bear and his wife need to move south! YEAH! sandie

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    Replies
    1. Me and Mama Bear move south? I very much doubt that will happen. I'm sure some other might like that, but not us! Because if we move, the whole family will probably move together.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (my poetry blog)

      Delete
  21. And there I was thinking my other half was the only one who suffered from linguistic di-polarity. I think I may have to borrow your phrase: Sometimes my mind goes on an excursion, and leaves me behind.

    Pauleen at Tropical Territory
    A to Z 2013

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Pauleen; you're right into the swim of things here. Wonderful!

      But I trust you're in a pool; the river is terribly cold right now. No even comfortable for a Bear.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

      Delete

So glad you've dropped by the Bear's den. Please leave a note -- getting notes is such fun, and often informative. I'll get back to you, here or by e-mail, as soon as I can (or, if it's winter, after I wake up). 'Til then, please Bear with me.
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