Tuesday, December 02, 2008

50 Things...



I turned 50 this past Sunday.

There were no fanfares, no parties, no whizzbang hootenannies to usher in the milestone birthday.

The only two people that wished me a Happy Birthday were the only two people on the planet that matter to me... my daughters.

Just a quiet day, mostly spent in thought, and then off to work later that night... just like any other day.

I didn't feel any older, any wiser or any different than I did the day before.

As a matter of fact inside I feel younger. It's just my body that bursts the bubble of that illusion.

But over the years I did learn a thing or two along the way. It hasn't been a total waste of time.

Here are 50 random things to name a few.


I've learned that...

1. It's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I'm not there yet... but getting closer.

2. It’s 10 times easier to fall in love than to stay in love. And no matter what the sad songs say about romance, broken hearts do mend.

3. The singlemost solitary thing that I've ever done, that is to this day a neverending, constant source of happiness, pride & joy for me... has been to have children.

4. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a
laxative on the same night.

5. No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

6. Two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.

7. It isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

8. Never feed hamsters beer.

9. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

10. If you love them, cherish & tolerate your parents even with all of their quirks & faults. You'll never know just how quickly they could be gone. And no matter how much you think you may be... your never ready for it.

11. We don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

12. Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

13. Books are overrated.
Books are fine, but this is the new millenium & information age. And how you get your stories, information, data, news, etc. can be from various sources. Whether it be television, radio, movies, documentaries, books, magazines, or the internet is entirely up to you. Don't ever listen to pseudo intellectual snobs who act as if books are the only "proper" way to get a story or information.
The only real plus side of books over other media is that it's an easier way to increase your vocabulary.
It's all just a matter of preference and your prerogative.
And people who would have you believe otherwise, are full of shit.

14. The same goes with personal taste.
Don't ever let someone dictate to you which movies, art, music, books, clothes, food, activities or any other thing in life are somehow better, cooler, more refined, classier or more enjoyable than what your own personal tastes and favorites are. Shakespere isn't necessarily any better than a Superman comic book. Classical music isn't particularly any better or more enjoyable to listen to than the Ramones. (Just maybe a bit more complicated) A film like My Dinner With Andre isn't any better a movie than Howard the Duck. (As a matter of fact it was an extremely disappointing BORE. Not Howard... but Andre. But then... that's just ME.)
It's all just a matter of taste.
Whatever you like and enjoy is up to... you.
And people who would have you believe otherwise, are full of shit.

15. I can squirt snot out my eye when I blow my nose. Probably milk too if I had the guts to try it.

16. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe Daylight Saving Time.

17. Money is a lousy way of keeping score.
It also doesn't dictate the type of person you are.

18. Credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
(Or particularly intelligent for that matter...)

19. Given my past history & experience, I find I'm an amazingly stronger a person than I ever thought I could be.
The expression "If it doesn't kill you, it'll make you stronger" is in fact very true.

20. Cheesburger + milkshake = Uncertain danger for me and anyone in a 5 mile radius of me.

21. Alcoholism & addiction is a disease for which there is no cure yet.
A recovering addict or alcoholic isn't a bad person getting better,
merely a sick person getting well.
And they aren't responsible for their disease... just their recovery.

22. It doesn't matter if people judge you, people who judge you don't matter.

23. Mental illness is as real as diabetes, arthritis or any other disease, and no more disgraceful. It’s the stigma that’s disgraceful.

24. It’s never a shame when you admit you don’t know something, and often a shame when you assume that you do.

25. Nobody is "normal".

26. Most "all natural" & folk remedies are nonsense. Never listen anyone who wants you to use garlic suppositories for a cold.

27. 1000 sheets of good old fashioned Scott toilet paper wins hands down over any of that expensive, fluffy & extra soft crap everytime.
Trust me on this the next time your stuck on the toilet when that fluffy stuff runs out on you.

28. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity,
He will not use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

29. The Bible, The Koran and similar "Holy Books" are nothing more than collections old stories, proverbs, fairy tales and morality lessons written by MAN not by God. Though meant for good, they have been the cause of more of man's wars, hatred & misfortune than anything else during our brief history on Earth.

30. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

31. The further you get away from New York City is directly proportional to the degree that pizza sucks everywhere else.

32. Sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

33. Never try to make your own firecrackers.

34. You should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

35. Relationships come & go. Friends,lovers even family members come in & out of your life. But the best person to develop a relationship with is yourself.
Because no matter what... your stuck with you.

36. Laughing, crying, joy and anger… All are a vital. All make us human.

37. Never compromise your own reality.
What's true for you... is true for you. And nothing should ever shake that.

38. Cough syrup doesn’t work.

39. Keeping an open mind is as big a challenge as you get older as keeping a consistent waistline.

40. My biggest source of fear, anxiety, sadness & depression... is loneliness.

41. It's better to keep your mouth shut and have people think your a fool, than to open your mouth and confirm it.

42. The older I get, the less I find that I really know.
I used to think I had it all figured out years ago, but I find that there is just so much out there to learn that it boggles my mind and makes me sometimes feel as though I don't know anything. Things that I thought were certain aren't, and things I thought I was unsure about I now find that I actually was sure about all along. I never stop asking questions. I never had it all figured out, I never will... and I never stop learning.

43. Love completely & unconditionally.

44. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is: age 11.

45. I'm a lot better person than I have ever allowed myself to believe that I was.

46. Never regret yesterday. Life is in you today, and you make your tommorrows.

47. My life is a Gift. One for which I am and always will be eternally grateful for and humbled by... especially the last 12 yrs. Which has been when I've learned the most about Life... so far. As much as I'd like to complain about things... I can't really. I'm grateful for everything that's happened to me, including the bad... which has been what I've learned the most from. My life has been charmed. Everyone should be as lucky as me and to have experienced what I have.

48. Never lick a steak knife.

49. I don't suffer from insanity... I enjoy it.

50. Readers love lists.

(You got to the bottom of this one, didn’t you?)



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