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The Ups and Downs of Life
17 years ago
General
Sometimes, you just want to growl and snarl at things! Let me give you a few examples that I think most folks can relate to:
People being late to appointments - or not showing at all - when you’ve set time aside for them when you could have - or much rather would have - been doing something else.
People who drive 40 in a 55 zone on 2-lane country roads, where there’s no way to pass, and it’s /miles/ to the next intersection or junction.
Terminal procrastinators whose lack of planning somehow always end up being /my/ problem to solve, especially when they think such lack-of-planning should constitute an emergency on my part.
Dealing with people who are just (filter filter filter) ...er... unreasonable just for the sake of being such, which ultimately cause a lot of problems for everyone!
Don’t ya just /hate/ all those things?! Yeah. Me too.
And sometimes, I /do/ indeed growl and snarl and vent about it all. Of course, sometimes, I catch myself, and try to think about things in a different light.
I always try to keep in mind that life is a strange journey, with lots of ups and downs, ins and outs, and sideways jaunts. Occasionally, we get back onto the same track again, and sometimes, probably more often than we like, we have turned away from those old roads forever, never to travel them again.
Different people react in different ways, to different things. I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older, I don’t like change. I like being where I am, doing what I do, where everything is routine and comfortable. I don’t like surprises, and I don’t like the topsy-turvy unpredictables that Real Life (TM, Patent Pending) tends to throw our way at the least opportune moments. But of course, the reality check is “That’s just life! Welcome, and enjoy your stay!”
Life can be a fickle thing, and time, unfortunately, is always fleeting, especially when you think you’ve got all of it in the universe. I know this all too well. It might be surprising to think about things that seem like they happened just yesterday, but when you /really/ think about them, you realize that it /wasn’t/ just yesterday, but (gasp!) two /years/ ago now. My how time flies, huh? Tomorrow comes so very quickly, and flies right on past, making way for the new tomorrow that’s still to come, leaving today and yesterday forever in the past and indelible.
I know all too well that life can sometimes be overwhelming. Sometimes, we have so many proverbial irons in the fire at once, that things can seem impossible to keep up with. Loved ones pass away. Friends and relatives get married. Others get divorced. New job opportunities come up. Old ones close. Moving is /always/ an adventure! Where the /hell/ is the coffee maker?! And when we stop and take stock in where we are and the roads we’ve traveled recently, it’s sometimes a bit surprising to think of all the distance we’ve traveled, and all the windy roads, hills, dales, and even those long straight-aways we’ve traveled. How many bridges have we crossed? How much water has passed below them? How many bridges have we come up on, that were “out”, and we had to turn around and fine another path, a detour, to get us back onto the track that we’d planned for ourselves? How many times do we simply get caught up on the /new/ path, and never manage to get /back/ to the original road we thought wanted to go down? But as I said, life is a strange thing, and the only thing for certain, is that you seldom end up where you planned on being. That too, I think, is just part of life.
So, by now, you’re probably asking: “What the HECK does all this have to do with the ‘Growls and snarls’ thing that you started with?!” I guess it’s all about perspective. Sometimes, you have to try and keep in mind that while /you/ are going through all of your life’s ups and downs, that /other/ people are /also/ going through their own ups and downs.
Those people that’re late? Maybe a loved one got into an automobile accident, and are in the hospital now.
Those folks that’re driving 40 in a 55 zone? Maybe their house is in foreclosure, and they’re thinking about how to pay the bills as they’re driving from their night job to their day job.
How about those terminal procrastinators? Maybe it’s not “procrastination” at all, but rather, organization at its finest, prioritizing the hottest fires first, and the largest alligators first, and struggling to keep up with everything, and sometimes, they reach out for help.
And dealing with unreasonable people? Who knows. Maybe, they’re just in that low hump of a “down cycle” of their own. We’ve all been there, I think. Sometimes, I think I’ve had more than my share, but I’m probably biased.
A rather famous Native American proverb always sticks in my mind: “Never judge your neighbor until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” I am, so very often guilty of doing just that - judging people - when I have /not/ stopped to consider their situation.
Life can be crazy. I don’t think there’s one among us that haven’t been /there/ more than a few times during life. But if I may, I’d like to offer some wisdom for those of you out there, perhaps reading this, who might indeed be on one of those Life’s Downsides.
1) Stop and look around often. In the go-go-go, hustle-and-bustle, gotta-get-it-done-right-now-now-now world that we live in, we sometimes forget that we /need/ to stop and get our bearings. We /need/ to stop and do the Sanity Check, to see where we are, and to take a moment to plot that position on the proverbial map, and take stock in where we’ve been, and where we still need to go. Usually, I find that I’m a /lot/ closer to the destination than I thought, and that all those detours I’ve been taking, were just /not/ necessary. So, by stopping and taking that look around, we can get our bearings again, and perhaps see that some of those things that were so overwhelming, only /seemed/ important, but in fact, /weren’t/. Then, we can plot a new course, and perhaps leave out all the superfluous and unnecessary detours.
2) Embrace those things that bring you peace. Life /can/ indeed get very overwhelming. Sometimes, if you feel that you’re just trapped in a blizzard, and don’t know which way is up or down or sideways, then just stop, put /everything/ on hold for a moment, and take some time - perhaps only a few minutes or an hour - to do those things that you /love/ so very much. Sketch some non-sensical thing that’s in your head. Play through a piece that you know and love on the piano. Write a poem about your very first love. Go into the bathroom, turn off the lights - or anywhere that’s very quiet - put on your headphones, and listen to your very favorite song a few times. And because I’m weird, go outside and mow the lawn, as I find so very often that there’s monumental peace to be found in hard work. You would be surprised how much better things will be, even after just a very few minutes of peace and tranquility, how that blizzard that was wailing away on you just moments ago, has calmed down a whole lot by the time you’re ready to trek out into it all again.
3) Remind yourself of the Important Things in Life. Sometimes, if you /really/ stop and take stock in the situations around you, you might be shocked to realize that so much of what you do, everyday, that consumes so very much of your energy, is really very trivial and unimportant. You worry about things that you cannot change or cannot effect in any way. You constantly fret about the “what if” when, for the most part, things are never that bad, and you didn’t /need/ to plan for every contingency. For me, my reminders are all in picture form. I have pictures of my cats. There’s Dagger, and Drifter, and even the Macumba-Monster. Looking at pictures of them reminds me that /they/ are what make me happy, and that everything /else/ in life, is just a “means-to-an-end”. They are what’s important, not all the mundane vagaries like “job” and “money” and “bills”. Sure, all those other things play a role, but they are “necessities” vice “important”, and there’s a big difference. Sometimes, we can lose sight of that.
In my own life, I’m subject to all the same things, no differently than anyone else. I still have a job that takes me effectively off-planet for months at a time. I still have the ongoing Battle for the Animals which continues, although I think there is finally the light at the end of the tunnel. I have a facility in CA and a few days ago, a very possible facility in FL opened up, so that's now a third option on the table. Now the /real/ battle will start, as the person who’s holding my animals hostage has the singular intent of never letting me take my animals from their possession. From their perspective, damn legalities, damn the laws, and damn ownership! They live in their own little world, and play by their own rules, and for whatever reason, feel they are neither subject to, nor accountable to, the laws and “rules” of Society, just like everyone else. I deploy in November - it's been a busy year - and won’t see the US again until January. Such is my life.
So, those are my words-of-wisdom to share. Whenever you feel like growling at someone, don’t forget to consider that maybe there’s more going on behind-the-scenes than meets the proverbial eye. When you’re ready to snarl at someone, try to be understanding of what /they/ might be going thru. Are they so different from you? Can’t they /also/ have issues going on in their lives? As the cliche’ goes: “A little understanding can go a long ways!”. I think that’s very true.
Wherever you are, in your own Journey of Life, I wish you well. Stop every now any again to have a look around. Get your bearings. Take stock in who and what you are. Sometimes, taking a deep breath and holding it for just a moment can let you see that things aren’t always as bad as they seem. Things aren’t as hectic. Remember what’s important, and what’s /not/, and /embrace/ those things that’re important.
Think Happy Thoughts. You /will/ make it through all the rough times.
With Warm Sincerity,
Neon-Hyper-Spasti-Kitty
People being late to appointments - or not showing at all - when you’ve set time aside for them when you could have - or much rather would have - been doing something else.
People who drive 40 in a 55 zone on 2-lane country roads, where there’s no way to pass, and it’s /miles/ to the next intersection or junction.
Terminal procrastinators whose lack of planning somehow always end up being /my/ problem to solve, especially when they think such lack-of-planning should constitute an emergency on my part.
Dealing with people who are just (filter filter filter) ...er... unreasonable just for the sake of being such, which ultimately cause a lot of problems for everyone!
Don’t ya just /hate/ all those things?! Yeah. Me too.
And sometimes, I /do/ indeed growl and snarl and vent about it all. Of course, sometimes, I catch myself, and try to think about things in a different light.
I always try to keep in mind that life is a strange journey, with lots of ups and downs, ins and outs, and sideways jaunts. Occasionally, we get back onto the same track again, and sometimes, probably more often than we like, we have turned away from those old roads forever, never to travel them again.
Different people react in different ways, to different things. I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older, I don’t like change. I like being where I am, doing what I do, where everything is routine and comfortable. I don’t like surprises, and I don’t like the topsy-turvy unpredictables that Real Life (TM, Patent Pending) tends to throw our way at the least opportune moments. But of course, the reality check is “That’s just life! Welcome, and enjoy your stay!”
Life can be a fickle thing, and time, unfortunately, is always fleeting, especially when you think you’ve got all of it in the universe. I know this all too well. It might be surprising to think about things that seem like they happened just yesterday, but when you /really/ think about them, you realize that it /wasn’t/ just yesterday, but (gasp!) two /years/ ago now. My how time flies, huh? Tomorrow comes so very quickly, and flies right on past, making way for the new tomorrow that’s still to come, leaving today and yesterday forever in the past and indelible.
I know all too well that life can sometimes be overwhelming. Sometimes, we have so many proverbial irons in the fire at once, that things can seem impossible to keep up with. Loved ones pass away. Friends and relatives get married. Others get divorced. New job opportunities come up. Old ones close. Moving is /always/ an adventure! Where the /hell/ is the coffee maker?! And when we stop and take stock in where we are and the roads we’ve traveled recently, it’s sometimes a bit surprising to think of all the distance we’ve traveled, and all the windy roads, hills, dales, and even those long straight-aways we’ve traveled. How many bridges have we crossed? How much water has passed below them? How many bridges have we come up on, that were “out”, and we had to turn around and fine another path, a detour, to get us back onto the track that we’d planned for ourselves? How many times do we simply get caught up on the /new/ path, and never manage to get /back/ to the original road we thought wanted to go down? But as I said, life is a strange thing, and the only thing for certain, is that you seldom end up where you planned on being. That too, I think, is just part of life.
So, by now, you’re probably asking: “What the HECK does all this have to do with the ‘Growls and snarls’ thing that you started with?!” I guess it’s all about perspective. Sometimes, you have to try and keep in mind that while /you/ are going through all of your life’s ups and downs, that /other/ people are /also/ going through their own ups and downs.
Those people that’re late? Maybe a loved one got into an automobile accident, and are in the hospital now.
Those folks that’re driving 40 in a 55 zone? Maybe their house is in foreclosure, and they’re thinking about how to pay the bills as they’re driving from their night job to their day job.
How about those terminal procrastinators? Maybe it’s not “procrastination” at all, but rather, organization at its finest, prioritizing the hottest fires first, and the largest alligators first, and struggling to keep up with everything, and sometimes, they reach out for help.
And dealing with unreasonable people? Who knows. Maybe, they’re just in that low hump of a “down cycle” of their own. We’ve all been there, I think. Sometimes, I think I’ve had more than my share, but I’m probably biased.
A rather famous Native American proverb always sticks in my mind: “Never judge your neighbor until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” I am, so very often guilty of doing just that - judging people - when I have /not/ stopped to consider their situation.
Life can be crazy. I don’t think there’s one among us that haven’t been /there/ more than a few times during life. But if I may, I’d like to offer some wisdom for those of you out there, perhaps reading this, who might indeed be on one of those Life’s Downsides.
1) Stop and look around often. In the go-go-go, hustle-and-bustle, gotta-get-it-done-right-now-now-now world that we live in, we sometimes forget that we /need/ to stop and get our bearings. We /need/ to stop and do the Sanity Check, to see where we are, and to take a moment to plot that position on the proverbial map, and take stock in where we’ve been, and where we still need to go. Usually, I find that I’m a /lot/ closer to the destination than I thought, and that all those detours I’ve been taking, were just /not/ necessary. So, by stopping and taking that look around, we can get our bearings again, and perhaps see that some of those things that were so overwhelming, only /seemed/ important, but in fact, /weren’t/. Then, we can plot a new course, and perhaps leave out all the superfluous and unnecessary detours.
2) Embrace those things that bring you peace. Life /can/ indeed get very overwhelming. Sometimes, if you feel that you’re just trapped in a blizzard, and don’t know which way is up or down or sideways, then just stop, put /everything/ on hold for a moment, and take some time - perhaps only a few minutes or an hour - to do those things that you /love/ so very much. Sketch some non-sensical thing that’s in your head. Play through a piece that you know and love on the piano. Write a poem about your very first love. Go into the bathroom, turn off the lights - or anywhere that’s very quiet - put on your headphones, and listen to your very favorite song a few times. And because I’m weird, go outside and mow the lawn, as I find so very often that there’s monumental peace to be found in hard work. You would be surprised how much better things will be, even after just a very few minutes of peace and tranquility, how that blizzard that was wailing away on you just moments ago, has calmed down a whole lot by the time you’re ready to trek out into it all again.
3) Remind yourself of the Important Things in Life. Sometimes, if you /really/ stop and take stock in the situations around you, you might be shocked to realize that so much of what you do, everyday, that consumes so very much of your energy, is really very trivial and unimportant. You worry about things that you cannot change or cannot effect in any way. You constantly fret about the “what if” when, for the most part, things are never that bad, and you didn’t /need/ to plan for every contingency. For me, my reminders are all in picture form. I have pictures of my cats. There’s Dagger, and Drifter, and even the Macumba-Monster. Looking at pictures of them reminds me that /they/ are what make me happy, and that everything /else/ in life, is just a “means-to-an-end”. They are what’s important, not all the mundane vagaries like “job” and “money” and “bills”. Sure, all those other things play a role, but they are “necessities” vice “important”, and there’s a big difference. Sometimes, we can lose sight of that.
In my own life, I’m subject to all the same things, no differently than anyone else. I still have a job that takes me effectively off-planet for months at a time. I still have the ongoing Battle for the Animals which continues, although I think there is finally the light at the end of the tunnel. I have a facility in CA and a few days ago, a very possible facility in FL opened up, so that's now a third option on the table. Now the /real/ battle will start, as the person who’s holding my animals hostage has the singular intent of never letting me take my animals from their possession. From their perspective, damn legalities, damn the laws, and damn ownership! They live in their own little world, and play by their own rules, and for whatever reason, feel they are neither subject to, nor accountable to, the laws and “rules” of Society, just like everyone else. I deploy in November - it's been a busy year - and won’t see the US again until January. Such is my life.
So, those are my words-of-wisdom to share. Whenever you feel like growling at someone, don’t forget to consider that maybe there’s more going on behind-the-scenes than meets the proverbial eye. When you’re ready to snarl at someone, try to be understanding of what /they/ might be going thru. Are they so different from you? Can’t they /also/ have issues going on in their lives? As the cliche’ goes: “A little understanding can go a long ways!”. I think that’s very true.
Wherever you are, in your own Journey of Life, I wish you well. Stop every now any again to have a look around. Get your bearings. Take stock in who and what you are. Sometimes, taking a deep breath and holding it for just a moment can let you see that things aren’t always as bad as they seem. Things aren’t as hectic. Remember what’s important, and what’s /not/, and /embrace/ those things that’re important.
Think Happy Thoughts. You /will/ make it through all the rough times.
With Warm Sincerity,
Neon-Hyper-Spasti-Kitty
I don’t get annoyed that much. I’ve always been one to care more about myself than anyone else. I don’t really care what other people do, even if it’s bad. I’m prolly like them myself, so it’s never been anything I care about. In my mind, there’s only me and those I love the most. Everyone else are just... Well, they prolly have a sec or two now and then, but they’re all mostly annoying anyway so I don’t really focus on them much at all...
Actually, I lied. I /do/ get annoyed. I get angry, and sad and depressed a lot:p But only because dealing with those I love the most can be very frustrating. I won’t claim to be very smart. There are very few things about life and living that I understand. I don’t understand how families are supposed to work, or how to maintain a good relationship, or how to keep those around me happy and healthy. I feel like I /suck/ at all these things! I don’t understand other /people/! That’s my problem I think... I just want everyone I care about to be happy and alive, but I’m not very good at the first one there:s The latter one, I guess maybe I am, considering nobody I know are gone yet:p
But anyways, I’m babbling here:s My point is that I try. I try really hard to “walk a mile in his moccasins”:p I try really hard to understand those other people in my life, and I try even harder to understand the ones I love the most, but it’s not as easy as it sounds... I think you need to be an expert in psychology and human behaviour in order to make everyone around you happy:s I wish I was even close to that...
I’ve mentioned to you before how important my dad is to me, considering that in my family, it’s only me and him... So, well, I wanted to write him a poem, but I realized that I’m not very good at writing poems... But I’ve been wanting to give him one for the longest time, and now, with your post here, it’s a good opportunity to give him one^^, So I spent some time looking up a poem online that I could let speak /for/ me!^^, I found a great one, and I’ve edited it slightly to make it fit directed at my dad. It was written by an “Unknown Author”, so I can’t give credit to anyone for it:s But whoever wrote it, they have my thanks, cos this poem is exactly what I wanted to say^^,
You've been everything to me: a father,
mentor, conscience, hero, and even best friend.
Sometimes I'm not certain why you bother
if your feelings on my words depend.
I know I haven't been the kit I should:
far from it, and I really can't say why.
I know exactly what I'd label good,
but in the real world something goes awry.
Underneath my actions there is love,
gratitude, respect, and admiration.
Sometimes I don't know what I'm thinking of,
but I thank the Gods that you're in for the duration.
I'm sorry, sorry for the things I do,
but please believe that in my heart, I cherish you.
I love you Dad.