Problems arise now and then in our lives… at least, we call them “problems,” and after we have found resolution we can look back and see them as bumps in the road. I love hindsight. It’s always accurate.

Spring is usually a very busy time for me, and this year seems to be even more busy than past years. Of course, having another birthday may have something to do with not accomplishing things in a timely manner. There seems to be more things on the “to do” list… and less time to accomplish them..

So, I’m taking my own advice from the poem, and thinking things through a little better. I’m determining just how much I need to accomplish, and how much can wait its turn… really putting some good thought into it. Learning to prioritize is one of life’s important lessons, and it certainly makes problem solving easier.

You can do the same… Oh, and ease up on yourself. You’re terrific!!!!!

Remember, whatever the question, love is always the answer.

PROBLEM SOLVING

To clear the air about the subject of problem solving,
Some people think it takes a creative mind,,,
Know first of all that problem solving is not creating…
It’s picking up the pieces when the creation has misaligned.

If you keep talking on and on about your problems
They’ll likely increase, and not go away.
You need an objective approach to solve them.
Have an overview, and do not dismay.

If at first you do not succeed,
Then approach your problem with a new guideline.
“You cannot solve the problems with the same line of thinking
That created them.” — so says Einstein.

(There are the idle passersby who offer their two cents.
They wax on and on with the “perfect solution.”
When one doesn’t know much about the problem
It’s much easier to take a stab at the problem’s resolution.)

It’s said that a problem that is well-defined
Is a problem that is already half-solved.
You can’t fix a problem until you know what it is.
Define it correctly and it’s soon to be resolved.

Problems aren’t necessarily obstacles,
But opportunities for growth and for learning.
Tackle the root cause, not the effect.
Take your time, think it through. Be discerning.

Please indulge my curious brain for May 2025’s Poem of the Month. I admit, it strays a bit from the usual subjects, and tends to want to go down some darker path, but again… perspective to realize the way things are, and then learn from them for the future seems to be the way we people learn how to survive. Just be sure you come back from that darker part of the forest… wiser and more fulfilled.

And you can and you will.

Whatever the question, love is always the answer.

…AND THE BAND PLAYED ON…

“Casey would waltz with the Strawberry Blonde,
And the band played on…
“He’d glide ‘cross the floor with the girl he adored,
And the band played on…”

A simple tune from my childhood
Entered my brain and become stuck there.
So, for nearly a month, or maybe more,
When I woke up it would be playing, I declare.

I wondered why, so decided to explore
More about the song so I could understand.
It seems it first appeared in 1895,
And was inspired by a German street band.

In 1941 a movie with Hollywood stars 
Called “The Strawberry Blonde” was made; 
A rom-com story set in the late 1890s.
(The boy gets the girl, and the music is played.)

“His brain was so loaded, it nearly exploded.
The poor girl would shake with alarm!”

In 1913, the Titanic set sail
For New York with the passengers enjoying the ride.
But near Newfoundland in Canada the ship fell apart
After an accident. With an iceberg it did collide.

The orchestra on board continued to play
As the ship broke apart and went down…
Lifeboats were filled with women and children,
‘And the band played on…’

A book by Randy Shilts, “And The Band Played On,”
Revealed in 1987 how AIDS was allowed to spread.
The most trusted institutions ignored or denied
The tragedy that left too many people dead.

“And the band played on…” So many meanings…
Some positive and some not! Isn’t that true?
Life does go on… The band plays on,
And how it goes depends upon you.

“He married the girl with the strawberry curl,
And the band played on!”

Where did the time go????

I’m a little late with this month’s poem… sorry… time has a way of getting away from me; does that happen to you, too? 

Maybe I’m trying to cram in more things at this time in my life???

Whatever it is that gets in the way of my being able to meet my self-imposed deadlines causes me to worry, and worry is one thing I am trying to eliminate in my life.

So, as I was going through some of the poems that I’ve written which have not landed in any of my books or in the Poem of the Month mail-out, I came across one that I wrote initially in a sort of tongue-in-cheek style about how difficult our own language is to learn. I tried to put myself in the mind of someone faced with trying to fit in and learn English as an adult.

Here goes: Hope you enjoy it.

And, remember, whatever the question, love is the answer.

LEARNING ENGLISH AS AN ADULT

Penmanship with a pen…
Sportsmanship with a sport…
Brinksmanship with a brink?

What is a foreigner to do?

I wear a suit.
I play cards with four suits.
It either does or doesn’t suit me!

And I stay in the hotel in a suite.
(Sweet!)

The terrain is rough.
Life can be tough.
I’ve had enough
(stuff)

This poem is through.
(Whew!)