Odd Thoughts of a 50 Year Old

Music. The simple thought of a song, or hearing a song for the first time, in what seems forever, can lead to some remembrances that fill our heads and hearts with joy.

The first time we heard a Van Halen song as a teenager. The first time we heard the bass line to My Sharonna. Or the first time time we heard Ridin’ the Strom Out…All of these, for me, bring back a memories of my teenage years. A time when I thought I was cool, and those that didn’t get it, weren’t cool.

We all want to fit in, belong, feel like we matter. especially at that age. Our teenage years are full of awkwardness, doubt, and fear. Music for me was a way to overcome those feelings. Friendships were started over music, and most grew from there (unless they didn’t like the Who). It was a gateway to feeling like you belonged.

The arts do this for all of us. Music, theater, dance, etc. Most all of us have been touched at some point in our existence by something beautiful that someone else created or performed. Each day, we get to escape our lives,if only for a minute, by listening to music on our radio, our phones, computer, or turning on the TV. These are all a form of art. We need to support the arts, all types, so our children and our children’s children get to have their own memories as they grow old.

After all, who could ever take away the first time you heard Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?

The Superbowl is the consummate championship game in all of sports.  It sucks up our entire day. From the 12-16 hours of pregame shows, the countless entertainment acts, the drinking, laughing, and yelling. Until finally the kick off! By then who cares about the game?

As a nation that for the most part has no rooting interest in either team, we embrace this Sunday as a way to shake off the winter blues. We know that spring is around the corner. We enjoy talking about the game, certain plays, the commercials, the half time show, etc. To me its the biggest event in sports. No other game, playoff or championship, offers the excitement of this one. We forget everything else going on in the world. For this one Sunday in February, all is good.

Sports get us through life. We depend upon them to help alleviate the daily  trials and tribulations of life. We watch ourselves, our children and grandchildren try to challenge themselves in a wide array of sports until hopefully, one clicks. We must not ever shy away from physically challenging ourselves and our children. If we ever accept defeat, do it after you have given it your all. Don’t ever give up. Sports, and the Superbowl, teach us perseverance. We can use it in everything we do in life. We must always try to be the best. Most of us will never find ourselves in a Superbowl, or World Series, or anything close. But our daily lives have a causation and results that still matter, to ourselves and others.

Make each day your Superbowl. We have to, or as a society, we will fail.

Bullying. This relatively new term that seems to be a widespread problem in our schools, jobs, and government. Why has all of this happened? How can we change things?

The largest problem with bullying is the fact you can no longer fight fire with fire. Or can we? When I was a child, or a tween (which didn’t exist in the 70,s), or a teen, and a bully began to make waves on the playground or in school, it was dealt with differently than it is today. Back then, if someone was causing issues, you asked them to meet you in the alley after school and you fought it out. You may not have won the fight, but generally just the fact you stuck up for yourself, eased the situation. The bully may have asked himself, maybe there were others that felt the same. Will the next guy kick my ass?

Today, we rely on the teacher, or school admin, or government, to defuse the situation. While this seems great, generally it doesn’t solve the crisis. Kids (and some adults) run in packs and they want to be popular. They want to fit in! While I don’t condone fighting, maybe we need to take the gloves off and push back a little more. Take real action!

This goes for everything our children, or ourselves face. Fight injustice! Do not normalize it as a passing act…things will change…any day now. Stand up against bullies, maybe there are more of us that feel the same. Maybe the next guy will kick his ass!

There seems to be news every day of the changes our government is making towards immigration, security, the media, and more. And while I can understand pieces of the changes, and actions, what I cant wrap my head around is this “fear” we apparently are living with daily. I mean, what are we afraid of?

Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, we were never afraid. We would spend every day of our youth playing outside, riding our bikes all over town, coming home for dinner and then back out til our curfew. We didn’t need to worry about anything. Sure there has always been crime, shootings, threats to world peace. But none of it seemed to matter how we lived our daily lives. What has changed? And why?

Perhaps while we remain more connected via emails and media, we are actually more disconnected in reality. Our lives our wrapped around our phones and tablets. Maybe if we spent more time one on one, learning about other cultures and religions, rather than what we pick up from the internet, we could again become less fearful of others. We could let our kids play without always worrying. We could live in an America, that once again was fearless.

Saturday I had suffered an injury, which I had mentioned to an old friend. I had stated that I hadn’t had a serious injury since I cut my finger off 20 years ago. He thought it would be a good story.

While I often think about the injury and the pain and damage it inflicted, I cant help but think how much safer it has caused me to work since. We learn from our mistakes. Some cause pain and permanent injury, while others are fleeting.

The most important thing is learning from them. No matter how big or small. We learn to deal with pain and we move on, but always aware of the pain we experienced. Sometimes it becomes a reflex to avoid it again.

We need to keep these in mind in our daily life, when its possible to hurt ourselves or others. Caring for each other must become the reflex action. Imposing harm on others is not why we were placed here. But rather to help each other. To be there for someone. To stand up for them. To insure everyone’s safety. If there is a higher power, I firmly believe, he or she would want this from us.

I know that 50 years isnt a lifetime, but it is an age that during my youth seemed unattainable. Would I see 50? What would I be doing? Where would I be doing it at?

I hope to tell stories of my life that have had a profound (somewhat) or lasting (for now) effect on my existence. You may find this to be the ramblings of some guy with an agenda, false hope, or a mid life crisis. Quite the contrary…I hope to gain nothing from this experience except to maybe inspire thinking, open positive discussion, and perhaps share life examples, for others, on things to do and not to do.

In the end we all want to leave this earth with the hopes of making a difference in some small way. Sometimes its just a smile or nod to the right person at the right time. Little things mean a lot to people whom are going through daily struggles. Maybe, just maybe, this is my nod or smile to you.