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“I got plenty o’ nuttin’ and nuttin’s plenty for me.”

Most of you know the song, but some may not know the context. The man singing is Porgy. He’s a poor black man living in the tenements of catfish row in Charleston, SC in the 1920’s. He’s a “cripple” and a beggar who has nothing … or so it would seem.

“I got no car, got no mule.” But just as importantly, “I got no misery.”

In part one, I outlined the problem: The undisciplined use of electronic technology takes away from face to face human interaction time … and that is not the path to a happier, more fulfilling personal and family life.

• The trend is clear. 86% of adults own a computer vs. 8% in 1984.
• 75% now have an internet-connected phone.
• 55% have a tablet. 7 years ago, nobody
• Two BILLION people sign on to Facebook and Instagram each month.
• 7% of adults used social media in 2005 … 65% today. It’s 90% among 18-29 year olds.

The rest must be Amish, ‘cause from what I’ve seen, it’s 100%.

That’s the context. Here are the problems … gleaned from Dr. Mercola’s website:

Here’s a riddle for you.

How is it possible to be more closely connected with more people across the planet than at any time in human history and be less connected at the same time?

Actually, it’s no mystery. That’s the very result we should expect now that the majority of our connections are electronic, fleeting, and superficial.

These days, you can be in contact with thousands of people without having a true connection with anybody.

I’m guessing most of you know about the Pig of Happiness, but if you don’t, you’ll find the short video instructive. The Pig’s message is that you have to think and do certain things to keep a positive, uplifting vibration alive on an ongoing basis.

As many of you know, my word for 2017 is Trust.

It’s the thing I want to concentrate on … trusting that things will all work out. No need to fret over things so much or “push the train.” It’s all about allowing things to play out in their own time and their own way, realizing there’s no benefit in getting worked up about things I can’t really control … or shouldn’t try to control.

So, wouldn’t ya know, as soon as I declare my intention to trust that things will work out, I get challenged.

Have you experienced it yet?  The time of your life?

Of course you have.  Take a moment and think about that singular time in your life that you enjoyed more than any other, a time you can look back on and say, “Wow, now those were good times.  That was a wonderful experience.”

But there’s a double entrendre in the title … another meaning there.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

We were just down in Mexico on the Rivera Maya over the holidays. We intended it as a combination of beach time and a time to research areas we might like to live one day … full time or maybe half the year. Until then, any place we bought would be a rental property / beach getaway.

We weren’t really expecting to buy, and we didn’t get “margarita fever.” We just found a condo that was priced well below its true value, because the owner needs to sell.

Hard to pass up. We took a risk. We acted on a vision we’ve been holding for awhile and we made an offer.

“Yes, yes. Come in. Come in.”

That’s how it all began.

This is a story about breakfast cereal, making friends in another country … and a beautiful customer-service mindset.

Her face just lit up. She threw back her shoulders and grinned from ear-to-ear with satisfaction. It was a quiet Sunday morning in the coffee shop off the hotel lobby, hardly anyone around, a kind of sleep inducing atmosphere, and she was working diligently at a low paying job.

“Oh, thank you … thank you … I’m glad you like it.”