"Rose's Little Lessons" is a section about trying, and trying again, to make things work. Her lessons are full of wisdom and humor, read on and enjoy!
Lesson #1
CANDLES ARE VERY TIPPY.
Especially when one decides that, for some unknown reason, she doesn't need candle holders, because she won't ever bump into her altar, because she wouldn't ever be that clumsy. Uh, huh, not her. Yeah, right. I gave up this mindset after about the third time (in one rite) that my candles tipped over and then scorched (among other things) my dresser-top, my hand and my previously-written about fake flowers.
Beging the intelligent girl that I am (uh-huh) I decided that, well, it wasn't mu fault the dang things were so tippy, and I should do them a favor and get them holders. So I did. And my dresser top, body parts and (ahem) plastic flowers have been thanking me profusely ever since.
Lesson #2
The phone will ring.
Maybe its just me, but it seems like every time I settle down to pray, meditate or just plain ponder, something happens. The phone rings, my dad decided that it's time to have a talk, or my cat will wander into my room, meawing hungrily (15 minutes between feedings is apparently a very long time, too long from what he tells me). From past experiences I have learned that slamming down the receiver, telling my father to shut up and depositing my cat outside my locked bedroom door just doesn't work. Plus, you feel rotten. So I came up with a plan: I unplug all phones, give the kitty some cat chow and announce to one and all that I will be BUSY and to please not disturb me. And it usually works. But, there are times when concerned friends have been trying to call me all night and ask me questions about where I was the next day. What to say? (unless I feel the urge to describe in detail what I was doing)
"Oh, that dang phone. The ringer must have gotten switched off again, the silly thing."
It works.
Lesson #3
You will get duplicate copies.
I love getting Wiccan/Pagan magazines and catalogs in the mail. I mean, they're so fun, and pretty, and full of stories and tips... but not when you get the same one over and over. A few months ago I ordered a new catalog made by a very well-knkown New Age spirituality publisher. I got the first one, the spring issue, in December, which was all fine and dandy. I liked it, I really did, and when a new (or so I thought) one came a few weeks later, I was even happier. Until I realized that it was now January and they had just sent me last November's issue.
Okay, I thought, maybe they just didn't want me to miss out on a special deal or story in the November issue. So I didn't think any more of it, until two days later when they sent me the SAME EXACT ISSUE. Apparently they must do this often, because on each catalog they have the eco-friendly message of: 'Getting duplicate copies? Help conserve our natural resources by calling our 1-800 number and reporting the duplicates. Thank you.'
So I did. After all, I hate wasting resources as it is, and I wanted it to end. I gave a copy away (to you, Chantrea, tee-hee-hee), and was perplexed a week later to find another copy hiding in my mailbox. It was like a bad movie: Return of the Mail-order Catalog. So, I again called the publisher and very politely informed her of the situation. She apologized profusely and told me that "the computer thought you ordered another back issue, it makes mistakes all the time". (Bad computer, bad, bad, bad!)
Does it indeed. Well, apparently it got it's act together, because I haven't gotten that issue again. But I still check my mail suspiciously to make sure it's not lurking around in there.
Those naughty computers, I tell ya.
