In praise of praise
I subbed for Husband this morning on the radio. 6-9am is not my best time of day, but I had a great time. In honor of his style of show I moved out of my usual music and really mixed it up. Blues, jazz, bluegrass, Latin, world; a little bit of everything from French pop to Native American rock to avant jazz. (If you're interested, you can check out my playlist.)

I had a great time and, even better, my listeners did too. Husband said it was a wonderful show and forwarded on to me an e-mail from a friend of his who said some very nice things. All this praise has put me in a very good mood.

What is it about praise that makes you feel so good? It's amazing how just a few kind words or a pat on the back and lift your spirit and make a so-so day into something special. It's so easy to give to other people (and yet so rarely given) and when you are the recipient it's a total high.

Growing up I wasn't much on the receiving end of praise. Which makes it all the more special now when it comes my way. It's such a great feeling to know your work (or whatever) has been noticed and appreciated. So in honor of making people's day, I urge you to praise someone today. You'll make their day, I promise.

In other news, how to make the glacially slow-moving sport of Cricket more exciting? Cheerleaders! Yes, scantily clad, well-endowed women shaking their booties in between innings. Life is weird.