First of all, I don’t consider myself to be overly intelligent. I like to think that because of past grades and certain standardized test scores, I believe that I am above average when it comes to the old noggin but not too high up the charts to look down on other people. However, rather than getting my learnin’ solely from books and education, I learn a lot from popular culture. And I am confident enough in my self-esteem to admit it. (Yes, I learned about Coriolis Effect and Occam’s Razor from The Simpsons.)
And I had an event yesterday that immediately registered in my mind both of which happened to involve the wonderful actor Sir Ben Kingsley. In the movie Sneakers (with Robert Redford), Kingsley talks about how life is not based on reality but on the perception of reality. (This is also detailed in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave if you want to go the highbrow route.)
And in Lucky # Slevin, Kingsley’s character The Rabbi has a monologue about luck. A brief sample:
The Rabbi: The unlucky are nothing more than a frame of reference for the lucky. You are unlucky, so I may know that I am not. Unfortunately the lucky never realizes they are lucky until it's too late. Take yourself for instance; yesterday you were better off than you are off today but it took today for you to realize it. But today has arrived and it's too late. You see? People are never happy with what they have. They want what they had, or what others have. The grass is always greener on the other side.
Now, I bring all this up because I recently had an epiphany about luck, circumstance, and perspective. Because I was entertained by the stories of a co-worker yesterday morning as he regaled us of his time spent in the Craig County Jail after being arrested for driving with a suspended license. Now, I am by no means a goody two-shoes. However, I can proudly state that:
I have never been in jail.
I have never been in prison.
I have never done drugs.
I’ve never been unfaithful to my wife.
My wife has never been unfaithful to me.
I’ve never beaten my wife.
I’ve never beaten my kids.
I’ve never defaulted on a loan.
I’ve never gotten an angry “final notice” letter.
I’ve never had anything repossessed.
I’ve never had to pawn anything to pay bills.
I’ve never been fired from a job.
I write all this out because I think at times we get so caught up in the rat race and the rigmarole that we often lose perspective. We lose sight of what is really important. A friend of mine (Hi, Ray!) sent me an email one time that had statements like if I’m overweight, it means I’m not starving. If I’m complaining about gas prices, it means I have a car. It is kind of one of those moments like, “I complained because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”
So when I complain and say, “I have to work until 5:00 today…” I should really be celebrating saying, “I get to work today!” which means I’m making money and that I have a job. Okay, granted, it’s not a great job and the it is not a lot of money, but still I have a job that does pay money.
Honestly, when my biggest problems involve not being able to find the latest wave of Marvel Legends action figures, not getting enough “relations” from my wife, and shaving my head because I’m going bald… suddenly my situation doesn’t seem that bad.
Yesterday, after coming home from an eight-hour shift at an inside job where I stock fruits and vegetables and more often than not laugh with my co-workers, I watched my kids play the latest Mario game on their Nintendo Wii. Then, when they went to practice for their Christmas program at church, between working on my latest comic book project, watching the new Beowulf trailer, looking at boobs on the Internet, and playing Tomb Raider Anniversary on my X-BOX 360, I watched part of a Schwarzenegger movie for story research. Then, when the wife and kids got back home, we watched our DirecTV satellite-fed programs on a 55” Widescreen TV in a house that is completely paid for with no mortgage to speak of.
Then to cap off the evening, I slept in a warm bed with a loving wife in a dark bedroom with a belly full of food.
The biggest problems of the day?
Luke and I missed working with Aaron M. (Sniff, sniff)
I need to get a quart of oil for my car. (Solved today.)
I’ve got too many running backs and not enough wide receivers on my fantasy football team. (Yeah, that’s life and death.)
I need to start saving up money to buy Assassin’s Creed. (That may take a month or two. Oh no, I have to wait a month or two to play a game…)
And I didn’t get to do the hibbity-dibbity last night. (Again, problem probably solved tonight—unless she reads this entry.)
It really all comes down to perspective, boys and girls. Honestly, look around and take stock of your life. In doing so, things may not be as bad as they seem. At least you didn’t spend last night LOCKED in a brightly illuminated jail cell with a paper-thin mattress, no pillow, an open public toilet, and a crappy meal while spending time with a multiple-murderer and a drug-trafficker who are awaiting trial and are probably considering sodomizing you…
It all comes down to perspective, kids. Remember those words.
Yesterday you were better off than you are off today but it took today for you to realize it. But today has arrived and it's too late.
Hopefully, by you reading this, I have made you realize how lucky you are without you having to go to jail or be drug before a crime boss with a shotgun to realize it…
Have a great day. I sure will.
And I had an event yesterday that immediately registered in my mind both of which happened to involve the wonderful actor Sir Ben Kingsley. In the movie Sneakers (with Robert Redford), Kingsley talks about how life is not based on reality but on the perception of reality. (This is also detailed in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave if you want to go the highbrow route.)
And in Lucky # Slevin, Kingsley’s character The Rabbi has a monologue about luck. A brief sample:
The Rabbi: The unlucky are nothing more than a frame of reference for the lucky. You are unlucky, so I may know that I am not. Unfortunately the lucky never realizes they are lucky until it's too late. Take yourself for instance; yesterday you were better off than you are off today but it took today for you to realize it. But today has arrived and it's too late. You see? People are never happy with what they have. They want what they had, or what others have. The grass is always greener on the other side.
Now, I bring all this up because I recently had an epiphany about luck, circumstance, and perspective. Because I was entertained by the stories of a co-worker yesterday morning as he regaled us of his time spent in the Craig County Jail after being arrested for driving with a suspended license. Now, I am by no means a goody two-shoes. However, I can proudly state that:
I have never been in jail.
I have never been in prison.
I have never done drugs.
I’ve never been unfaithful to my wife.
My wife has never been unfaithful to me.
I’ve never beaten my wife.
I’ve never beaten my kids.
I’ve never defaulted on a loan.
I’ve never gotten an angry “final notice” letter.
I’ve never had anything repossessed.
I’ve never had to pawn anything to pay bills.
I’ve never been fired from a job.
I write all this out because I think at times we get so caught up in the rat race and the rigmarole that we often lose perspective. We lose sight of what is really important. A friend of mine (Hi, Ray!) sent me an email one time that had statements like if I’m overweight, it means I’m not starving. If I’m complaining about gas prices, it means I have a car. It is kind of one of those moments like, “I complained because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”
So when I complain and say, “I have to work until 5:00 today…” I should really be celebrating saying, “I get to work today!” which means I’m making money and that I have a job. Okay, granted, it’s not a great job and the it is not a lot of money, but still I have a job that does pay money.
Honestly, when my biggest problems involve not being able to find the latest wave of Marvel Legends action figures, not getting enough “relations” from my wife, and shaving my head because I’m going bald… suddenly my situation doesn’t seem that bad.
Yesterday, after coming home from an eight-hour shift at an inside job where I stock fruits and vegetables and more often than not laugh with my co-workers, I watched my kids play the latest Mario game on their Nintendo Wii. Then, when they went to practice for their Christmas program at church, between working on my latest comic book project, watching the new Beowulf trailer, looking at boobs on the Internet, and playing Tomb Raider Anniversary on my X-BOX 360, I watched part of a Schwarzenegger movie for story research. Then, when the wife and kids got back home, we watched our DirecTV satellite-fed programs on a 55” Widescreen TV in a house that is completely paid for with no mortgage to speak of.
Then to cap off the evening, I slept in a warm bed with a loving wife in a dark bedroom with a belly full of food.
The biggest problems of the day?
Luke and I missed working with Aaron M. (Sniff, sniff)
I need to get a quart of oil for my car. (Solved today.)
I’ve got too many running backs and not enough wide receivers on my fantasy football team. (Yeah, that’s life and death.)
I need to start saving up money to buy Assassin’s Creed. (That may take a month or two. Oh no, I have to wait a month or two to play a game…)
And I didn’t get to do the hibbity-dibbity last night. (Again, problem probably solved tonight—unless she reads this entry.)
It really all comes down to perspective, boys and girls. Honestly, look around and take stock of your life. In doing so, things may not be as bad as they seem. At least you didn’t spend last night LOCKED in a brightly illuminated jail cell with a paper-thin mattress, no pillow, an open public toilet, and a crappy meal while spending time with a multiple-murderer and a drug-trafficker who are awaiting trial and are probably considering sodomizing you…
It all comes down to perspective, kids. Remember those words.
Yesterday you were better off than you are off today but it took today for you to realize it. But today has arrived and it's too late.
Hopefully, by you reading this, I have made you realize how lucky you are without you having to go to jail or be drug before a crime boss with a shotgun to realize it…
Have a great day. I sure will.
