One of my
favorite movies of all-time, and I have to say I have several movies that fall
into that category, is Christmas Story. You know the one they play at Christmas
over and over on TNT or TBS. Ralphie. His dream of getting a Red Ryder BB Gun,
even though he’s warned multiple times that he could shoot his eye out.
One of my favorite
scenes is Ralphie trying on the pink bunny suit his aunt made for him. His
father and his little brother laugh at him and the conversation goes:
Mr.
Parker: He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny.
Mother:
He does not!
Mr.
Parker: He does too, he looks like a pink nightmare!
Even writing
this causes me to smile.
There is another
scene in the movie that I alternately smile and laugh at, but also cringe at.
You know the one, right? The “stick your tongue on the flagpole” scene and the
I Dare You! No wait, it’s bigger and badder than that. It’s the dreaded
Double-Dog-Dare and the killer, Triple-Dog-Dare!
Flick:
Are you kidding? Stick my tongue to that stupid pole? That's dumb!
Schwartz:
That's 'cause you know it'll stick!
Flick:
You're full of it!
Schwartz:
Oh yeah?
Flick:
Yeah!
Schwartz:
Well I double-DOG-dare ya!
Ralphie
as Adult: [narrating] NOW it was serious. A double-dog-dare. What else was
there but a "triple dare you"? And then, the coup de grace of all
dares, the sinister triple-dog-dare.
Schwartz:
I TRIPLE-dog-dare ya!
Ralphie
as Adult: [narrating] Schwartz created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping
the triple dare and going right for the throat!
And who among us
doesn’t know at least one kid who didn’t put his mouth on metal during the icy
cold days of winter? Those of us in or from the north surely do. My mind
flashes to Barb on the monkey bars during recess, to Bob on the merry-go-round.
There are others.
Yeah, the I Dare
You!
Can be funny.
Can be sad. Will for sure bring back some memories good and bad for each of us.
But . . . I want
to take you in a different direction on the I Dare You!
When was the
last time you broke out of your routine? When was the last time you changed up,
even a little? When was the last time you pushed and pulled yourself out of
your comfort zone?
Jonas Salk is
quoted as saying, “Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of
those who dare to make dreams into reality.”
And Nikos Kazantzakis said, “A person needs a little madness, or else they
never dare cut the rope and be free.”
We rarely think
of an I Dare You! when it comes to us . . . you and I . . . pushing ourselves a
little or a lot. There is life beyond the ordinary. There is life beyond the
routine. There is a whole world out and beyond the walls we erect for
ourselves. And out there beyond the walls we erect for ourselves can change the
ordinary to the extraordinary, the spectacular . . . if only we give it a shot.
If only we give ourselves a little nudge. A little push.
So my challenge
to you today is to give yourself just one small I Dare You! Just a small one.
Try it out. It doesn’t have to grand or great or glorious. Just think of
something you’ve never, ever done before, but always wanted to try. Give
yourself the opportunity to open a door to something new, something different.
“. . . Cut the rope and be free.” I Triple-Dog-Dare ya! Something to think
about . . .
To My Readers:
I received two
very nice 5 Star Reviews for Splintered
Lives, Book Three of the Lives
Trilogy!
“This book was
well-written just like the other two before. The characters and dialogue go
hand in hand and it was easy to immerse yourself in their journey as the story
unveiled. The plot twists and connections among the characters in this novel
make you feel emotional connections to them as well. A great conclusion to the
story and the trilogy. I suggest you read this when you have a chunk of time on
your hands because otherwise, you will be anxious, looking for a chance to
finish it.”
“Love, love,
loved it! I almost read it in one day but fell asleep! It was my favorite I
believe. Love the characters, the story line, action, drama, humor, sadness, it
was awesome! Thanks for a very enlightening series!”
Book Three, Splintered Lives:
A 14 year old
boy has a price on his head, but he and his family don’t know it. Their
vacation turns into a trip to hell. Out gunned and outnumbered, can this boy
protect his father and brothers? Without knowing who these men are? Or how many
there are? Or when they might come for him?
Look for the
whole series on Amazon:
Taking Lives, the Prequel
FBI Agent Pete
Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys
left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they live in
separate parts of the country, the lives of FBI Kelliher, 11 year old Brett
McGovern, and 11 year old George Tokay are separate pieces of a puzzle. The two
boys become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his
hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their
futures grow dark as each search for a way out.
Book One, Stolen Lives:
Two thirteen
year old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of
FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others-
dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility
exists that one of his team members might be involved.
Book Two, Shattered Lives:
Six men escaped
and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger
and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no
leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them.
Thanks,
JL
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Thank you for your comment. I welcome your thought. Joe