My Return to the Field of Play, The Power of Laughter, Saturday Perspective

“The truth is life is full of joy and full of great sorrow, but you can’t have one without the other.”

— Andre Dubus III 

Well, you made it to Saturday. How are you going to spend this time? Any plans, any community service planned, are you helping your neighbor with chores? If not, welcome to the 99% of humanity that doesn’t care or bother with the needs of others; if you are a 1% er, good on you. We’ve got a full house today, our kid, her man, her man’s sister all made their way here last night. We ate, then turned them on to Yellowstone, our current binge show.  

I played golf for the first time in two years yesterday. I used to be a country club kid, short hair, khakis, polo shirts, that was me; I seemed to have evolved or, as some have suggested, devolved. But yesterday, I took a step back in time and now with a ponytail, grabbed my sticks, and went to battle. I did not fare well, gone are the days of sub 40 rounds; I’m not a mid 50’s kind of guy, but I had a blast, and I think that is all that matters.  Thank you, Nick, Robin, and Dave, for the memory; I’m sure we will hit the links again!

Today we will go down the hill and take 1000 tie-dye koozies. We will move our bus to highlight our firm, and we’ve ordered a photo booth to be delivered to BPT. BPT stands for Brooks Place Tavern, and a couple of friends own it. They bought it one year ago, and we are helping them celebrate their milestone. It will be a day of celebration, and we can get our name out there to a few hundred folks in the community.

We are co-sponsoring 4 hours of live music; it’s a medicine, you know, music is just as crucial as vitamin D and other natural cures.  I saw a friend yesterday, and he commented I was tan.  I live on top of a mountain; the tan comes with the territory. Understand it’s been snowy here for the last three days, but today the snow is gone, the sun is in full force, 20 minutes on my deck and bam, I’m tan.

My Queen is sitting next to me; we’ve laughed all morning, she’s funny, but I’m funnier. We have a way of poking each other; it’s humorous to us, we like to laugh, laughter is medicine as well.  Do you laugh with your mate? If not, you might need a new mate. Life is supposed to be lived with smiles, laughter, and silliness.

One of my favorite quotes if from my Uncle Hunter when he said: Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

When I die, my body will not be well-preserved, it will be fine, but I’ve got a few dents. I’m coming up on the first anniversary of my 25-foot fall, an embarrassment to most, but for me, a defining moment of purpose. A man does not fall 25 feet and survive with little or no injuries; I’m here for a reason, and between you and me, I’m still seeking why I did not perish or end up in a wheelchair, maybe I have a purpose?

I guess at the end of the day, we all have a purpose; we are here for a reason. I think I am here to procreate, check. Raise our offspring to add to society and not diminish the experience for others, check.  My Queen just refilled my coffee and reminded me she would outlive me. That’s her sense of humor; I advised we would probably die together in a fiery crash in our helicopter. I don’t yet own a helicopter, but it’s on my list of things to buy. Traffic sucks, we’re looking for a pilot if you know of any? Wait, let me buy said helicopter first, and then we will secure our pilot.

Oh, the dreams of this old white guy, how dare he, it’s not fair, why do he and she get to do x and y? Well, folks, the key to success in life is to work your ass off; some say I had it easy, I was born with a silver spoon, but between you and me, it was a wonderful plastic spork.  I lived in Ward and June Cleavers home; I had a Wally named Paige; we got along and didn’t cause too much trouble in our small community. 

After graduate school, I went to work with my father; I had no idea what I was doing; I just got up every day and headed to an office and slowly began figuring work-life balance. I was a good husband for a few years, a great father for more, but after 17 years got divorced from my wife.  As my daughter likes to say, “Dad, how did you and mom ever get together?” Well, back in the day, we were a fit, but as time passed, we grew apart. We’re both where we need to be; life has a way of working out.  

I’m writing these words from the top of a mountain.  I’ve had my share of wins and losses, but for now, I’m content with my life and have a beautiful family and a bevy of friends. I don’t worry about money, I’m not rich, but I am wealthy beyond measure; I learned being wealth has nothing to do with money; it’s a mindset you earn with clarity.

I hope you take this day and use it as a gift. Every day is a gift, and this is lost on most people. The fact you are reading these words is a miracle. Every breath you take, every move you make is given to you from something bigger than yourself. You are not all that; you are a piece of sand on a massive beach; your goal is to shine amongst the other thousands of grains of sand. That is your directive, happy Saturday.

“The truth is life is full of joy and full of great sorrow, but you can’t have one without the other.”

— Andre Dubus III