Year end ramblings

Some random thoughts as we head into the new year:

There is a proportionate relationship of the increase in my age and my dislike of snow.

2010 has been the least healthy year of my life.

I finished my college courses, and now am the first member of my family to earn a college degree.

Just when I was starting to appreciate some of President Obama's accomplishments, the GOP kicked historic butt in the November Elections. Now nothing will get done, unless it benefits the pharmaceuticals.

Every man needs a good woman in his life. That doesn't necessarily mean he has to marry her...

Creation or evolution doesn't matter. But recognizing the fact we have one mouth and two ears means that however we got them, we are designed to listen twice as much as we talk.

My reading list is getting longer, but my reading time is getting shorter.

Being a misanthrope is easy, but not a lot of fun.

With all the mis-information flying around in the air, it's a wonder there aren't more mid-air collusions...

Why do we celebrate Columbus Day, when in four trips across the Atlantic he never set foot in North America?

Have you ever noticed how many sleep-aids list restlessness as a possible side-effect?

I had to take a written exam for an addition to my license. The woman asked me what language I wanted the test in. I said the same one as the street signs are written in...she thought I was being a wise-guy. I said it must make road test real easy...just take them to a sign that says "Bridge Out"...if they pass the sign they fail the test...among other things.

I don't know when, or how, but at some point watching pro sports just doesn't matter to me anymore. I think it was when I heard a reporter say "He might have to settle for 16 million a year"...

I used to love Kool-Aid when I was a kid, alcohol from 16-26, soft drinks until 40. Now I find nothing better than a good cup of tea. What the hell is happening to me?

It used to be the biggest nuisance with a telephone was a number that had a "9" in it....now it's when you have a slow song download because you're trying to open an attachment in your e-mail while tracking your flight...

Here's hoping your 2011 is better than 2010. Good health and happiness to all my readers.

Take care, friends.

My Reflections on 2009 (and preview of 2010)

2009 is at it's end. Another year has passed me by. But this year was different. This year, I started living again.

My friends who have kept in touch over the years, or have gotten back in touch after a long absence, know my story.After high school, I got married, had two sons,and got divorced in 2005. I refer to the years from 1993-2008 as my "coma" years;I wandered through life unconscious of my surroundings. It took a speeding ticket in 2008 to change the path my life was heading down.

Life, in it's very form, is like a flow chart. When you encounter a situation that requires a decision, your choice will alter the possible consequences. Kierkegaard said to choose one thing or another, either way you will have regrets. So true, as I have discovered.

The speeding ticket was quite expensive, so I chose to go to court. This gave me time to save up for the fine. In court, I actually did real well. I ended up with a bunch of unexpected spending money in my pocket, and, as luck would have it, I needed a new cell phone. The phone I purchased literally changed my life going forward.

You see, it was on this phone I started my Facebook account. In short time, I found myself reconnected with some great people from my past. It was this contact that started me thinking about all the bad choices I had made, and my lack of action in improving my life. Basically, it was the kick in the ass I so badly needed.

I started reading again. I started paying attention to current events again. I started wanting to learn again. I started wondering how I could become a better person. I started by changing some lifestyle habits to help improve my health. I enrolled in college online. I started this very blog. I started becoming more socially active. My circle of friends expanded. I started writing music again. I even experimented with a little poetry. For the first time in many years, I was living life, instead of watching it pass me by.

2010 looks like it could be a fantastic year for me. I know there will be some hurdles, but they wouldn't call them hurdles if you couldn't get over them. I am hoping to reconnect to even more friends this coming year. I find great benefits from being in touch with my old friends. I find laughter. I find encouragement. I find different perspectives on things. I find joy. I find comfort. I guess you could say that I have found contentment, and most importantly, I have found love.

I guess, after all is said and done, 2009 will be remembered as the year of my personal renaissance.

I hope your 2009 was as good as mine, and I hope 2010 exceeds your hopes and dreams.

Take care my friends.