Die like you were living.....

Tim McGraw had a big hit with his song Live Like You Were Dying. It was a very good song and I liked it because his dad was a pitcher I admired growing up. But I think he had it backward. From the moment we are born we begin dying. Not a cheery concept at all but still true. We have a finite time on this planet but what makes it so tricky is we don't know the end date. As the great quarterback Bobby Layne once said, "If I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself." Or "I hope my money and my life run out at the same time." I agree. Who wants people to say "He looks good in there". Not me. I want folks to be shocked I made it as far as I did. So, with that in mind, how do we die like we were living?


Savor every moment. Good, bad, boring, it doesn't matter. Just try to enjoy it and find the positive in most people and situations. I will never ride a bull and I don't care what his name is. He will be steak for me someday. I won't be skydiving either. If the plane is still flying, I'm not going anywhere. I've already climbed Rocky mountains and that was no big deal. Nice lyrics but thanks but no thanks. With no expiration date I'd just as soon pass on stunt tricks.


The rest of the song may have it nailed though. Why not love a little bit more. With less conditions. Doesn't everyone want to be be a dependable, reliable great friend? Then make it happen. And if you know you are dying why are you sad about anything? You don't have time to waste here. You can spend your days down in the dumps or thinking of whats wrong or what could be better. I'm not willing to give them up. You are not happy. Go fix it. Clock's ticking.


And what is the biggest waste of time for all us mortals? I would have to say it is resentment. If just one second is spent being angry because someone has more than you it is stupid. Some have a better jump right out of the starting gate. That's their fault? Good for them. For everyone who thinks how unfair it is that people are rich, how do you feel when people who are much poorer than you feel resentment towards you? Or do you spend time resenting an ex whatever. For what? Is your resentment going to hurt them? Highly doubtful. Grow up.


It's time to start dying like your living it up. Smile and get out in the world. Then make someone else smile. Now that's living. Or dying with style anyway.





Till next.....

Does this make me look fat?

I actually had that question run through my mind today. After gaining 30 pounds of non-smoking sexy blubber the last 4 months I have found myself in a position I have never encountered. I am trying to lose weight. Yes that is correct. I have a weight problem for the first time in 49 years. Until now my major concern with weight was how much my steak weighed pre-cooking. The times they have a changed. Calories matter now. Gone are the nights of a half gallon of great divide Blue Bell ice cream disappearing under the relentless assault of my spoon. Gone are the days of the apple pie dessert. Not a slice. The pie. The whole pie.
My metabolism slowed once I quit smoking. I am a little more deliberate in all my movements except toward the refrigerator. Gazelle's envy my speed heading for food. My appetite has increased to a point that may not be healthy. If it moves slower than me, and can be covered with a condiment, it will be eaten. The smaller kids in the neighborhood have become a little quicker lately. I may have eaten my pillow during a dream about marshmallows. I may start eating the garnish on the side of the plate. Things are almost out of control.
All this extra eating and slower metabolism has led to one thing. A stressed wardrobe. The size I normally wear has been replaced by a size bigger and the phrase "relaxed fit" which is a Greek term translated "this should be a whole size bigger but we don't want to shattered your fat arsed fragile ego". Loosely translated of course. You get the point. When I tried on my regular pants this morning I think I heard "put us back on the hanger please" in a very strained voice. If you have ever tried to pack a suitcase for a trip and had to sit on it to close it you know how I feel getting dressed. It's not easy finding someone to sit on you at certain times of the day.
So now I am reduced to thinking about what I am wearing and how it looks. Most of what I am wearing looks like a duffel bag filled with pumpkins. My main concern now is to keep the wardrobe from splitting completely apart. Belching has become a critical tool in not popping a button or two off my shirts. Don't ask about the pants. Time to eat some carrots....

Till Next.........

Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill ya....

Butch Cassidy was letting Sundance know he really didn't have to worry about not being able to swim. When they were about to jump off a seventy foot high rock outcropping into what could be a shallow river the fact he couldn't swim was not the primary problem to be focused on. It could be landing in a river with no water. Or the people who were shooting bullets at them.


It does bring up an interesting question though. Why do we focus on our shortcomings instead of the problems at hand? It is our nature to be fully aware of what we can't do. And if it is something that most people are good at ,then rest assured we will fixate on the fact we are not. Much like Sundance worrying about swimming we will worry about what we can't do and completely forget what we can do. How do I know this true? Personal experience.


Most human beings that have a penis attached are supposed to be somewhat handy. Drive a nail or change the oil in the car. The more developed handyman types convert garages, build decks, assemble Christmas presents, hang fixtures and a bunch of other tasks I hire people to do. I will twist myself into a pretzel to avoid doing any of these things. Because I suck at it. And I will buy presents that never have to be assembled. Because I am scared to death someone will ask me to assemble it. And then I will be forced to admit that there will be leftover parts that play a critical role in the proper functioning of the present. Instead of just hiring a handyman to do the work, I will force myself to make a feeble attempt. Why would I worry about it all?


Why do beautiful women obsess with the slight imperfections they may have? Or why women who look great will not hesitate to tell you about the 3 pounds they have left to drop. And that is in line at the grocery store. Why do we put those things front and center in our minds instead of things we can actually change that might make a difference? The reason I ask is it kind of dovetails into one of my New Years resolutions. To focus on only positive changes.



So what might those be? I have 3 things that I am focusing on daily and all are positive. All are somewhat selfish and all can be measured. So they qualify under a previous post. The first is to do one thing each day to benefit someone else. "But how is that selfish?" you ask. Because the minute you do something for another person you forget about your problems. Nuff said. Second on my list is to spend one hour a day with something spiritual. Some days I read the bible. Some days I watch a preacher on line or on tv. They have a tendency to be positive as well. And the third thing I am devoting daily time to is my dreams. We all have them and then life gets in the way. They are still there. They never left. So I decided it's time to chase them. This blog is a large part of one of my dreams and I thank you all for being a part of it.



So don't worry about the swimming part. Just go ahead and jump because the fall kills us all in the end...



Till next.....