Friday, March 18, 2016

50 Thoughts at 50

My life span has reached a half century. This really isn't a great accomplishment. Literally billions of others  reached this plateau ahead of me and billions more lurk behind me waiting their turn to hit the big 5-0. So in the vast array of human history my having been able to avoid dying up to this point oozes with insignificance.

 But it feels important to me, therefore, that makes it important. It only makes sense then that I should do something to mark this momentous occasion.

They say with age comes wisdom. I don't know if that's true in my case but whatever wisdom I may possess is about to be shared. What follows are 50 thoughts, little nuggets of what I have observed and learned through my 50 year journey through life. Interspersed will be some songs that have aging related themes.
 

  • I thought I would be smarter than I am.
  • Walnuts are disgusting and people who put them in perfectly good cookies and brownies should be ashamed.
  • Some of my biggest regrets are things I wished I had said but didn't.
  • Some of my bigger regrets are things that I actually said.
  • There are two kinds of people. People who pick their noses and people who lie about it.
  •  Really, if God did not intend for us to pick our noses, why are our nostrils and fingers the perfect size for each other?
  • Bacon is delicious.
  • My children are raised but they will always be my kids and my personal happiness is hopelessly tangled up with theirs.
  • Being a grandparent is the coolest thing ever.
  • Smoking cigarettes makes you stinky.
  • I have never looked back on a conflict and thought, "I wish I had been meaner."
  • Treat people with the respect you think you deserve.
  • The bravest thing a parent will do is let their child get behind the wheel for the first time.
  • I wish I could remember where I put my memory.
  • Marrying my wife was the smartest thing I ever did.
  • Being able to laugh at yourself is an underrated skill.
  • Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and hoping the other guy gets sick.
  • Who coined the phrase, "coined the phrase"?
  • Why did I hate broccoli so much when I was a kid? It's pretty tasty.
  • If I could go back and tell my childhood self one thing I would say to keep playing Little League baseball.
  • Why are farts funny? They are, but why?
 

  • Pretty much all of my best memories include people who share my last name and/or bloodline.
  • I don't understand why some people have such a hard time simply being decent.
  • I also don't understand why some people choose to root for the Dodgers.
  • Unless you're in active military service, in the act of hunting, or under the age of 12 leave the camo clothes in the closet.
  • Circumstances are mostly the result of choices. I had to learn this the hard way too many times.
  • Does anyone find Kathy Griffin funny? Somebody must but I can't imagine why?
  • I really hate excuses, especially my own.
  • Nothing can make me smile faster than thinking about my granddaughters.
  • If you are going to drive under the speed limit get in the right hand lane.
  • The best things in life might be free but you can still buy some really cool stuff.
  • One of the best and worst gifts I have given my sons is being an avid sports fan.
  • Rocky V never happened.
  • When I remember events from college and then realize that they took place 30 years ago, it kind of freaks me out.
  • Can we just pause for a second and give thanks for Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner?
  • The fact that Steve Carrell never won an Emmy for his portrayal of Michael Scott in The Office and that one note hack in Big Bang Theory has won several is a unbelievable.
  • I don't know why I care about that kind of stuff.
 

  • I have to face facts, I'm never going to be very good at golf.
  •  I've never had a bad day in Hawaii (Granted, I haven't spent that many days there but I am    willing to risk spending more)
  •  Having extended family that all get along is a true blessing.
  • When it comes to when, where and into what circumstances I was born I pretty much won the Triple Crown
  •  I probably should have accomplished more with that.
  • Wouldn't it be great if there was a baseball season where the Dodgers lost every game?
  • Who figured out that it's better if you peel the bananas first?
  •   I don't believe in reincarnation but if I did I think I would want to come back as some rich person's housecat.
  •   Today in the car my wife and I started laughing uncontrollably about something silly. I am glad we still do that after 28 years.
  •  I am a bit of a grammar Nazi which makes living where I do quite painful at times.
  • A sense of entitlement is one of the worst traits an individual can possess.
  • I miss performing. I would love to be in a play or sing in a group again sometime.
  • All in all I have it pretty good.
Thanks for reading. Below is maybe my favorite song ever and I think it fits the theme of this post pretty well.
 
When I was young, the smallest trick of light,
Could catch my eye,
Then life was new and every new day,
I thought that I could fly.
I believed in what I hoped for,
And I hoped for things unseen,
I had wings and dreams could soar,
I just don't feel like flying anymore.
When the stars threw down their spears,
Watered Heaven with their tears,
Before words were spoken,
Before eternity.
Dear Father, I need you,
Your strength my heart to mend.
I want to fly higher,
Every new day again.
When I was small, the furthest I could reach,
Was not so high,
Then I thought the world was so much smaller,
Feeling that I could fly.
Through distant deeps and skies,
Behind infinity,
Below the face of Heaven,
He stoops to create me.
Dear Father, I need you,
Your strength my heart to mend.
I want to fly higher,
Every new day again.
Man versus himself.
Man versus machine.
Man versus the world.
Mankind versus me.
The struggles go on,
The wisdom I lack,
The burdens keep pilling
Up on my back.
So hard to breathe,
To take the next step.
The mountain is high,
I wait in the depths.
Yearning for grace,
And hoping for peace.
Dear God...
Increase.
Healing hands of God have mercy on our unclean souls once again.
Jesus Christ, light of the world burning bright within our hearts
forever.
Freedom means love without condition, without a beginning or an end.
Here's my heart, let it be forever Yours,
Only You can make every new day seem so new