Some of my favorite things to read online are the things people say when they’re commenting on stories! I am always amazed at how ugly, mean-spirited and downright awful some people can be when they communicate behind a wall of anonymity provided by the computer.

Here are some comments I found on a few sites:

You are a FOOL--with a LOT of company.

3 crap articles in a row.  Youre on a roll Doyel.

Obviously Ravens fans can't speel, no surprise.

Trent is a weak minded fool. Probably beats his wife and kicks puppies when he doesn't get his way.

Do you think any of these people would actually make those comments if they were standing in front of the people they directed them to? I don’t. (And BTW-I love that the comment about someone not being able to spell has the word “spell” spelled wrong.)

Some people say, "How are you?" Others say, "It's been a long time, nice to see you again!" Still others may say, "Wow, we've missed you! How have things been?"

Any of those would have been nice. 

Let me back the train up a bit. Kacy and I had been attending a church for a few years, when she started to attend less frequently. She has a couple of chronic health conditions that can make mornings really difficult for her. So she often had to miss attending Sunday morning services, especially after our daughter was born.

Manti Te'o was the darling of the college football world this past season. When he announced that his grandma and girlfriend both died on the same day and then went out and played an incredible game in front of a national audience, the legend grew. He became the symbol of all that is good in athletics. Proof that the "good guy" can finish first. Te'o was a Heisman Trophy finalist and led the Notre Dame football team to the BCS Championship Game, where they lost to Alabama. 

A bombshell article on Deadspin.com broke the story that Te'o's girlfriend did not pass away from leukemia...she wasn't real.  The story also alleges that Te'o may have been in on it. 

In fairness Te'o and Notre Dame have stated that he was the victim of an elaborate hoax. So where is the truth in this?

I originally wrote this post in 2008 for a marriage ministry blog...and I think the principles apply to all of our relationships, personal and professional, today. Enjoy! 

This afternoon I received a call from my wife at work. She was not having a good day and I could tell that she needed a little cheering up. While I had planned on leaving the office at 4pm, I was still there at 4:45 and really had some more work that I wanted to get to before leaving for the day. 

I suddenly got the idea to buy her some flowers...something which I hadn't done in a long time. Yet, I admit that for a few moments I was torn about what I was going to do. Would I drop everything and pick up some flowers, or would I remain at work?

Have you ever heard the statement, “Customer service would be easy if it weren’t for those customers?” Sometimes that is just too true, isn’t it? 

After all we know that sometimes customers:

• Don’t read the fine print
• Don’t think the rules apply to them
• Cause the problem then get mad at you for the problem
• Can be unreasonable
• Can be dishonest
• And on and on and on and on
  

I don't know what happened to me, but I just don't like seafood. The funny part is I'm originally from Hawaii, I'm of Asian ancestry and I somehow would rather have some fried chicken and mashed potatoes or a good steak rather than any type of seafood...including sushi. 

Being from Hawaii, it’s not that I haven’t been exposed to world class seafood. Believe me when I tell you that I’ve tried some of the freshest fish, crab, lobster, calamari etc. in the world. Yet each time the results are the same...I don’t like it! 

I just found out that Huell Howser passed away on January 7th at the age of 67. 

For those of you who didn't know of Howser, he was the host of a long-running program on PBS called "California's Gold." The show found Howser traveling up and down the Golden State uncovering treasures (such as places, towns, cities, attractions, parks, and people) that viewers may have never  heard of. 

You know what I really enjoyed? In every episode I watched, Howser seemed just as enthused about finding a small general store that sold some type of unique honey as he was about walking on the original path of the El Camino Real or walking among the splendor of Yosemite. 

Howser demonstrated you could find "gold" anywhere...and not always in the most obvious places. This held true not only about the actual places he visited, but in the people he met and introduced his viewers to. Howser would usually interview the locals or anyone visiting the area and find out what their stories were and their attachment to the places. Sometimes I'd almost "hold my breath" as I saw some of the people he picked to be on camera (don't judge!) and then I'd usually find out that they had a lot of valuable insights to share. 

I think there is a lesson here...Huell Howser made a living finding the hidden treasures that were always around us here in California, if we just took the time to look for them. Well, there are hidden treasures in your life, in your work, your home, your family, your friends that are already there, ready for you to find and uncover, if you'll only have the motivation to look for the "gold."

Thank you for sharing California's Gold with us, Huell! Happy trails on your next journey!

In Part One of this series, I encouraged those looking at starting a social media program for their communities to see if they had the right people in place to do the job right. 

The next step to consider is whether you have the TIME to do the job right. In other words, simply creating a Facebook page, uploading pictures from your last event, and writing a post to let everyone know that you have a sale coming up is NOT enough. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Even amidst all of the excitement of a brand new year, with all of the wonderful possibilities in store, I have to admit that I always feel a sense of sadness at having to say “goodbye” to the Christmas season every year. 

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. We try and have the house all decorated for Christmas by the end of Thanksgiving weekend so that we can enjoy every minute of the season! Yet, as I now pack away the decorations, I am reminded that what makes the season so special is that it isn’t Christmas everyday.

Isn't that how life seems to be as well? Don’t you find that you tend to appreciate things more when you haven’t had it in your life for awhile? In the middle of a hot summer, I can’t wait for cooler weather and to see the changing colors of leaves during autumn. 

After I’ve had my fill of Thanksgiving turkey, I can't wait for it to feel like winter! And then after a few months of winter, I get tired of having to run the heat every night and long for the warmer spring and summer. When our Indian Summers hit I am really ready for the cold weather and the cycle begins again. 

Our relationships work in much the same way don't they? The different stages of our marriages, our friendships, our family relationships, our work relationships build on each other; and if we allow ourselves and our relationships to go and grow through the stages, we will find ourselves exactly where we wanted to be all along, with the people that we care about and who care about us. 

Although Christmas is over, I take comfort in knowing that it’ll be here again! Until then, I look forward to experiencing and appreciating all that the seasons have to offer; knowing that no matter the stage of the year I’m in, the season I love the most will return, and that everything always comes full circle.

What are your New Year's relationship resolutions?