The Big Three: Oh, the Places

The world can be a crazy place. Sometimes it helps to step back and list a few of the things you’re grateful for. I’m making it a habit each week to list three blessings. Here’s what I’m grateful for this week, June 15 – 21.

What I’m grateful for:

—Power when we need it. Scotty, the chief engineer on the science fiction franchise Star Trek, knows a thing or two about power. I get this image of Scotty pushing the limits of the Enterprise’s engines to the limits, shouting to the bridge, “I’m givin’ her all she’s got, Captain!” 

We all sometimes need that kind of power. Electrical power especially becomes critical when Mother Nature pushes the heat and humidity to the max. I looked at the weather for next week for the East Coast in the U.S. Hello Summer! Temperatures will be in the high 90s (Fahrenheit) for the first time this summer. When you mix in the high humidity, the word that comes close to mind is: “Disgusting.” It will be dangerously hot. So yes, thank you for electricity . . . and, well, air conditioning.

—Scaling new heights. Before his death, Dr. Seuss published “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” The book is designed to inspire a sense of wonder and encourage readers to embrace their own unique adventures. For me the line that hits home is this:

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.”

—Simple things. Clean clothes fresh out of the dryer or off the clothes line.

What gave me a smile?

Dun . . . dun . . . dun. Fifty years ago this week, June 20, 1975, crowds lined up en masse outside movie theaters to see Jaws. The film cost anywhere from $9 to $12 million to make and made about $7 million the first weekend. It went on to earn as much as 470 million dollars in cinemas across the world and became the first major summer blockbuster.

If you’re a Jaws movie fan, I would suggest you check out John Bieber’s trivia filled piece, Jaws Turns Fifty, that he ran yesterday. So many great nuggets on Bruce. In addition, Disney and Hulu will be releasing a Jaws 50th anniversary documentary on July 11. The documentary includes exclusive new info about the film from Steven Spielberg & members of the original cast.

And oh yea, I’m still not going into the water.