Have you ever stuck your finger into a light socket? This is not a pleasant experience, for sure! When I was five or six years old, I stuck a “bobby pin”, into a light socket .Why? I am not really sure. Looking back all of these years, maybe it was just curiosity?

Much has been discussed and published, regarding first impressions. Depending on which theory, or study you believe, consensus tells us that first impressions occur in the first 30 seconds to 2 minutes of a meeting.

We all remember as kid’s people telling us to “Hustle”, or “Hustle It Up”. Usually, it was our parents trying to get us ready for school, or our little league coach telling us to run to the dugout faster. Now as adults, we hustle to move thru our day, as parents, at work etc. Just when you think you can’t “Hustle Harder”, you may need to!

A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak at a viewing and commemoration for a retired priest at my parish. Father John Bradley was retired, but was a substitute priest at our parish for a few years. I did not know Father John that well, but as I prepared a few brief thoughts on Father John ,I thought about a saying I once heard. That saying is ,”Consistently Consistent”

When all of us were children, we had many people of authority looking to catch us being bad! We were constantly scolded in a negative manner about getting caught being bad! As an adult with young children, the grammar school where three of them attended ,developed an interesting program to reward good behavior.

In the 1992, cult movie Glengarry, Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin urged his salesforce on, with the mantra, ”ABC” ,”Always Be Closing” This was a sales reference, for closing sales. That mantra by Baldwin, became a go to line for people in all walks of life. While appropriate for the time period of this movie, this “in your face” sales method might be a little outdated by today’s standards.

In 1998, there was an extremely popular hit song, ”What The World Needs Now, Is Love Sweet Love” This song was written by famed song writer, Burt Bacharach and performed, by Jackie De Shannon. This song was characterized by great lyrics, that are even more pointed in today’s World.

A Backstory, is typically comprised of the key events that have occurred in everyone’s life. A Backstory could be positive or negative events. A Backstory could drive us to great heights, or the depths of depression. At it’s core, a Backstory is a gift!

Most people can see a trend when it appears right in front of them. History is dotted with the trends of yogurt shops, nail salons and most recently Face Masks.