I remember the day
so well,
young little me
standing patiently
in a long line
of other ice cream lovers.
I had my heart set
on a vanilla-filled
sugar cone
sprinkled
with chopped nuts.
I finally made it
to find
no nuts,
no sugar cones,
not even vanilla,
they were all out.
Can you imagine
my dismay,
the feeling
of dessert
rejection.
Heart-wrenching...that feeling.

We blame beauty for all our societal issues.

The problem in our society
isn't
beauty
:|ˈbyo͞otē|
noun
a beautiful or pleasing thing or person

It is
conformity
: |kənˈfôrmitē|
noun
behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards

For Sally, who loved this the best*

Be forever young n humble;
Feel ancient and royal;
Ride tall in the saddle;
Do something nifty;
Take someone's hand unexpectedly.
Drive home in the slow lane;
Do the minimus;
Do the maximus;
Leave a book on a park bench;
Use pen n paper, write a letter;
Take a chance, make people laugh;
Barrel into contention;
Show mercy to the confused,
Show anger to the abusers.
Bless a child with both hands;
Grasp your soul, throw it down,
Raise a child to the sky
Straight up,
A continuum, you and they,
A ladder to heaven