This morning, as I was headed out the door and in the direction of the recycling center, Pete proudly announced, “I brushed my teeth!” I replied, “do you want a medal?” “No,” he said, “I would like a lifetime achievement award.” Sometimes the humor level around here is off the charts. But his comment did get me thinking about the word achievement, in the context of something being noteworthy.

This week, I was awarded a Certificate of Achievement by the seniors at the local senior center. I called it a certificate of appreciation, that is until Glenn, who drew up the certificate, said that it was a “certificate of achievement.” It took me

Sassy on can

a few days, but I finally realized, smart man, that he had differentiated between the terms appreciation and achievement. Appreciation is merely . . . appreciation on the part of the beholders. Achievement, this is acknowledgement that the award recipient has done something really momentous.

So Pete’s having brushed his teeth today was momentous. He does (as far as I know) brush his teeth every day, but this day may have been special, especially if he spent additional time on his molars. I had a dental hyena (no misspelling there) once tell me that most people spend more than enough time on their front teeth, but not enough time on their back molars. I thought that was a very astute observation, since no other hyena(s) had ever said this to me before.

If we considered some of the ordinary things we or others do in a given day to be momentous, the world would be a better place, especially if the ordinary things centered around being on the giving rather than the receiving end of things.

If so, I would have gotten a few certificates today.

Certificate of Achievement: I did dog education with Ryder and Shadow before breakfast, using the bucket lid as a target. Maybe the dogs should also have gotten Certificates of Achievement.

Certificate of Achievement: I ate my breakfast and then brushed my teeth.

Certificate of Achievement: I salvaged books with the guys (Pete, Bill, and Gene); then when I got to the Meeting House, sorted them in record time.

Certificate of Achievement: It’s breakup. I cleaned the horse pen, raking up the crap in the front area.

Certificate of Achievement: I saddled up and took all three horses for a ride. Well, maybe the horses should each get their own Certificate of Achievement.

Certificate of Achievement: I watered all the animals because Pete wasn’t feeling well. He usually does this.

Certificate of Achievement: I had the goats out with me twice, as I pen cleaned.

Certificate of Achievement: I came up with several Certificate of Achievements.

I suppose that our spending time drawing up these certificates would take time away from achieving things. But if they were printed on high quality paper and framed this would be worth the effort. After all, who enjoys looking at blank walls?

Next: 105. 4/16/23: Eulogy for a Chicken named Thelma, sort of