John Y’s Musings from the Middle: Mom and Dad – Thanks for not Naming me Squidward!

Thought for the day.

Squeeze something of value out of everything you do today.

When scrounging, gratitude for a seemingly small thing is a good fall back. Sometimes those “small things” are really pretty big things.

For example, yesterday I was stuck somewhere and Sponge Bob Square Pants was on TV in the background. I watched several minutes to see what useful life “take away” was coming my way.

Sure, I love Sponge Bob Square Pants as much as the next gu,y but yesterday’s episode Bob was off his usual charming and clever game.

And then it happened.

The next scene prominently features a character names Squidward.  And I had my “take away.” And didn’t even have to squeeze hard.

I am so grateful my parents did not name my Squidward. Even with a cool middle name, having the first name Squidward would have provided challenges and obstacles in my youth I may not have been able to successfully surmount. Even though I am a human being and not an animated cartoon character.

And you can see the toll it’s taken on Squidward himself by looking at his drawn face and vapid eyes.

Yes, mom and dad, thank you. And is so often the case, the “small gratitude” turned into a large gratitude.

And then someone changed the channel to Fox News. And I became grateful my name wasn’t Shep.

Are you beginning to see how this Thought for the Day works?