End Of The Line, September '05
I guess maybe this sort of explains why I haven't posted in awhile. Been pre-occupied with a pile of life crap. This is the column from September:
I saw an interesting ad on TV the other day. It was for one of those outfits that sells glasses and frames. And they made quite a startling guarantee: the company will give you a free replacement if you wear your new glasses for two weeks, and “they don’t make you happy.” I wish I had had that guarantee when I purchased my new glasses a few months ago. Oh, I have no problem with the glasses or the frames. But I can’t say that they made me happy. I’m not particularly morose, mind you, but happy? It’s been a rough year, and I’m not sure that “happy” is the exact word I would use to describe my state of mind at the moment. “Cautiously optimistic” would be more like it. “Grimly determined” might be more appropriate on some days.
Life has its ups and downs is one of the more timeworn of our cliches, but an expression generally becomes a cliche if there’s a ring of truth to it. And boy, is that one true. I won’t burden you with a detailed list of the things that have made the past year or so one of the down cycles. They’re the normal grown-up adventures. Just when you think things are going along pretty well, along comes life and smacks you right upside the head.
Lousy business decisions on my part have contributed to it, my wife Sandie and I becoming caregivers for our rapidly aging parents (Here we are in our fifties and all four parents are still living: they must have done something right), a financial downturn or two, and other mid-life things. Like I said, I won’t bore you with the list. But what really gets me is that I look around and see that there are so many people who are either going through the same sorts of things, or far, far worse, and to a person, they seem to bear their situations with equanimity. Hardly a complaint at all. And it makes me realize how strong and resilient most folks really are. It also makes me feel like a real complainer... and then I realize that I don’t moan and gripe about my situation aloud too much either.
Honestly, I’m not entirely sure where I’m leading with this. I guess I’ll find out when you do. But I sat down with my buddy Jeff the other day for lunch (he’s going through his own problems) and I asked, sort of facetiously, “Is it my imagination, or was everything okay a year ago?” And he said, less facetiously, “I think it pretty much was.”
But I think the main reason for the forbearance with which people handle life’s problems is sort of an inbred optimism that seems to go along with being American. As I wrote those words, I swear I could actually hear a snort going up from the more cynical among us. Could see the eye-rolling. So, fine. Be jaded. But I really do happen to think that there’s a feeling abroad in the land that things will always get better. That next time, we’ll be the ones who get the golden ticket. That right around the next corner, there’s a solution, or at least a support group. That we’re not alone. And that at this time next year everything will be okay again. And if it’s not, that we’ll handle that as well.
So if you find yourself reading this on one of those days upon which you feel that you just don’t quite feel up to facing the world, or your current situation is more than you feel like you can tolerate at the moment, then take heart. No matter what happens, the world will continue to spin on its axis, life will go on, and you’ll have an up cycle before you know it.
And if you don’t, just take advantage of that glasses guarantee. That’ll make you happy. If not, you’ll at least get a free pair of new glasses.
I saw an interesting ad on TV the other day. It was for one of those outfits that sells glasses and frames. And they made quite a startling guarantee: the company will give you a free replacement if you wear your new glasses for two weeks, and “they don’t make you happy.” I wish I had had that guarantee when I purchased my new glasses a few months ago. Oh, I have no problem with the glasses or the frames. But I can’t say that they made me happy. I’m not particularly morose, mind you, but happy? It’s been a rough year, and I’m not sure that “happy” is the exact word I would use to describe my state of mind at the moment. “Cautiously optimistic” would be more like it. “Grimly determined” might be more appropriate on some days.
Life has its ups and downs is one of the more timeworn of our cliches, but an expression generally becomes a cliche if there’s a ring of truth to it. And boy, is that one true. I won’t burden you with a detailed list of the things that have made the past year or so one of the down cycles. They’re the normal grown-up adventures. Just when you think things are going along pretty well, along comes life and smacks you right upside the head.
Lousy business decisions on my part have contributed to it, my wife Sandie and I becoming caregivers for our rapidly aging parents (Here we are in our fifties and all four parents are still living: they must have done something right), a financial downturn or two, and other mid-life things. Like I said, I won’t bore you with the list. But what really gets me is that I look around and see that there are so many people who are either going through the same sorts of things, or far, far worse, and to a person, they seem to bear their situations with equanimity. Hardly a complaint at all. And it makes me realize how strong and resilient most folks really are. It also makes me feel like a real complainer... and then I realize that I don’t moan and gripe about my situation aloud too much either.
Honestly, I’m not entirely sure where I’m leading with this. I guess I’ll find out when you do. But I sat down with my buddy Jeff the other day for lunch (he’s going through his own problems) and I asked, sort of facetiously, “Is it my imagination, or was everything okay a year ago?” And he said, less facetiously, “I think it pretty much was.”
But I think the main reason for the forbearance with which people handle life’s problems is sort of an inbred optimism that seems to go along with being American. As I wrote those words, I swear I could actually hear a snort going up from the more cynical among us. Could see the eye-rolling. So, fine. Be jaded. But I really do happen to think that there’s a feeling abroad in the land that things will always get better. That next time, we’ll be the ones who get the golden ticket. That right around the next corner, there’s a solution, or at least a support group. That we’re not alone. And that at this time next year everything will be okay again. And if it’s not, that we’ll handle that as well.
So if you find yourself reading this on one of those days upon which you feel that you just don’t quite feel up to facing the world, or your current situation is more than you feel like you can tolerate at the moment, then take heart. No matter what happens, the world will continue to spin on its axis, life will go on, and you’ll have an up cycle before you know it.
And if you don’t, just take advantage of that glasses guarantee. That’ll make you happy. If not, you’ll at least get a free pair of new glasses.
posted by Steve @ 11/16/2005 05:43:00 PM
0 comments
