Tuesday, April 19, 2016

How's Your PMA?

Well I could make myself crazy by skipping two letters in the A-Z Blog Challenge or I could make myself crazy trying to go back now and write three posts. I choose option one.

We had a busy day on Saturday filled with company and going and doing, and then I wasn't feeling well Sunday-Monday, so I'm going to settle for N + O =NO post for those two letters, and jump back into the alphabet with today's letter-P. Believe me it's better this way. You get 1000 words instead of 3000. Something like that.

Also, a reminder there will not be a Wednesday Hodgepodge link up this week, because obviously I need a break. The Hodgepodge will return next week-April 27th.

Okay, jumping back on the A-Z Blog Challenge train now...

P is for Positive Mental Attitude

I have camp friends who read my blog, and no matter where those friends may be when they read my post title, they're all responding with the appropriate Boy Are We Enthusiastic! 

Way back when I worked as a camp counselor, and even before that when I was a camper, if there was some activity we might be less than excited to take part in, the staff member in charge would shout into the megaphone-'How's Your PMA?' and we would reply with, 'Boy are we enthusiastic.' 

Generally said the first time without a lot of enthusiasm.  

If we did not show enough enthusiasm in our response the person with the megaphone would ask again, a little bit louder, 'HOW'S YOUR PMA???' and then again a little bit louder, 'HOW'S YOUR PMA???' and we'd get louder in our response, and before you knew it you were laughing and feeling a little bit excited about something you didn't want to do five minutes before. 

This mantra has come in handy in home building and in life, even if I only say it in my head. A positive mental attitude helps when you're moving or you think you're moving or you're wishing you weren't moving or you're building a house and it's taking a sweet forever. When it rains buckets and you need dry land or your builder calls and says your bathtub selection is too wide or your accountant calls in the middle of it all and says you need to send another bajillion to the IRS. 

How's your PMA? 
Boy are we enthusiastic! 

Building from scratch isn't all fun and games. There are parts of the process that could be described as fun, parts of the process where you feel a tremendous amount of excitement. And then there are a good many parts of the process where you feel something less than enthusiasm for all you've taken on. Where you question why you didn't just buy something already built and move in. 

Where you spend a full day debating whether you need more dirt less rock or more rock less dirt and should the driveway come another 1/16 of an inch to the left or the right and at the end of it all you kind of want to snap at the person you love best. It's precisely that moment, when you're frustrated or tired or overwhelmed by all the decisions all the time that it helps to ask, 'How's my PMA?'. 

In my head I shout. 

And I smile because summer camp is good for lots of things, but one thing for sure it teaches you is doing things that are not your favorite with a PMA makes those tasks more pleasant. True when scrubbing a toilet, and just as true when you find yourself spending four tedious hours with an electrician making 1001 small decisions. 

Whistle while you work. 
The sun'll come out tomorrow.
Put on a happy face. 
A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down. 

BOY ARE WE ENTHUSIASTIC!

12 comments:

  1. Now, I just loved this! And, I just know that in the end you will think it was worth it all to get the house you wanted. Hang in there, this too shall pass. :o)))

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  2. Keep smilin' sweet girl....it all be so worth it in the end! We built our house 30 yrs ago when my babies were babies and my husband said....Will you move there if I let you build the type of house you want?? Man, oh man....no sweeter words! We are still here on 360 acres in the house "that mama built" and I love it as much today as the day we moved in. (2 wks before baby #3 was born) It's home and built thru blood sweat and tears and my boys LOVE it. They already argue over who will get it....HEY!! Mama ain't gone yet!
    And I had to comment today because JUST yesterday I taught my middle daughter in law all about PMA!! They are moving into new house now too and she needed a shot of the PMA in the worst way!!!

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  3. It is really hard to keep a PMA all the time. I have to work at it. And I am not always successful!

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  4. PMS reminds me of W. Clement Stone, a millionaire insurance salesman in the Chicago area who got that way by working himself into a frenzy before he went to see a prospect and wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Guy was crazy, but very successful, because he would go in with the attitude that he was going to sell a policy. I used to see him driving himself to work every morning. There is something to that PMA...

    John Holton
    Blogging from A to Z Challenge Co-Host
    The Sound of One Hand Typing

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  5. Some days are better than others. The SACs Accreditation team has been here since Monday...are leaving this afternoon....and my attitude has been one on the low side. I second guess myself on everything. Great post.

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  6. NO. Did you have that planned in advance cause I think it is really clever. If I hadn't had all but the last four letters done before the challenge started, I would be back at ABC.

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  7. I had to chuckle because I work at PMA...Polk Museum of Art. Now I have YOUR PMA to think about when my attitude needs an adjustment (especially at work!). I thoroughly enjoyed your post, Joyce!

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  8. Hah! You make me laugh. My husband Mike and I are in the beginnings of building another home...a plane ride away from where we live now in northern NJ. Long distance decision making is not a ton of fun, but I will remember your PMA.

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  9. Well I'm glad to say my PMA is a lot better than it used to be. Some days it still needs some work but generally it's better. But then I'm not trying to build a house! Chin up!

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  10. This cracked me up. I can just hear the drone of camp counselor so trying to drum up enthusiasm with this chant...till you're laughing yourselves silly. I'll have to remember to chant my way into willingness next time I'm not feelin it. ;)

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