I Am A Relic, But Not for Long

I fear my brain is old. No, I'm not making a comment on my physical age. I fear my brain is old because I can't seem to grasp the so-called post-modern age. I am locked into the old institutional thinking of the past. I watch NFL Football on Sunday afternoon and I hate that the NFL season is soon to be over. Yet, I find fewer and fewer other football fans with whom to banter. There are still those that wear their team image on their jackets or in the front window of their small business, but I can't seem to find anyone to watch a game with other than my wife. I have two adult sons and neither one is a football fan. They never played the game and they could care less about it. My oldest son was never interested in team sports. He skied, snow-boarded, rock climbed, and hiked. I am a sport watcher, he is a sport doer. Fortunately we do hunt together. My second son participated in team sports until injuries ended his athletic career. He no longer participates or watches.

I did participate. I played three sports in high school and did well. I went to college on a full athletic scholarship. Since then I watch more than I participate. I need to rediscover how to participate.

I don't understand reality television. It has no appeal to me. Yet, literally millions watch and participate. I have a Blackberry. To me it is a telephone with a huge directory of names and numbers. I get email on my Blackberry and even send some now and then. Occasionally someone sends me a text and I can answer it (very slowly). I even have a Facebook page, but hardly appreciate its full potential.

When my Dad died my Mom did two things immediately. She bought a new car with leather seats. Dad would have none of that foolishness. She also bought a computer and got an email account. She could not stand it that life was passing her by. She was not happy being a relic.

I don't do self-learning easily. I prefer that someone show me. Well, no-longer. I am not happy being a relic either. I do know some people that understand the post-modern age and I need to go to school on them. I am on a mission, "understand and participate fully in the post-modern age."

Life is an interesting adventure. It does not always go as we plan or hope, yet it moves forward at a constant pace. How we deal with the events that we cannot control measures our character and our level of happiness. Many rail against the events of life. Crying, "Its not fair!" Life is never a matter of fairness, life is neutral. There is no "fair" or "unfair" it just is. Our response is everything.

Many people are positive thinkers and respond to life at its best and worst with grace and joy. Others are negative thinkers and find fault with every event in life. They are constant victims. Who are you? it is your choice. Abraham Lincoln said that most people are just about as happy as the choose to be. Are you happy? Happy is not something that you strive for, it is a state of being during the trials of life. "Happy" is who you are during the journey.

Recently I spent some time in Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter Florida. We were in the midst of a family health crisis and it was stressful. Yet, we were able to maintain a level of joy and happiness regardless of the circumstances. As we went about our days I noticed how unhappy so many people were. We were in the most beautiful place in the country with extraordinary weather and people were grumpy. It didn't matter where we were, the grocery, a restaurant, or Starbucks. People were grumpy.

Grumpy is a hard way to go through life. Are you grumpy? Sad? Angry? Aggressive? Happy? Polite? Pleasant? It is your choice. As for me, I choose Happy!