Minor epiphany in Church today: I'm going to die soon.
Hopefully not that soon, but soon enough. 50 years, If I'm really lucky. Probably less. Which means it's time to get off my ass and try and do a better job at being less of a dick. I'm pretty much halfway done, lifewise, so if I'm going to start making some serious changes, the time is now.
I'm not talking about work. I work pretty hard. Shit, by age 37, I have already started a company, sold it, become a liquid millionaire, lost most of my money the stock market (my former broker thought Corning was a great investment in 2000), started another company, and took that one to a seven figures in sales within three years.
No, I'm talking about the fact that I can be a petty, small-minded, quick-to-anger dickhead with those I love the most. I need to change that. Little things like: instead of getting annoyed that my 9-year-old wants to drive by the skatepark (which would take us a whole three minutes out of our way) I just say... are you ready...
"Yes."
I'm getting better at intercepting and countermanding my inherent dickishness. But my goal is to not have to reverse myself, but to intercede before the initial response leaves my mouth.
This dude I know... a smart, hilarious, Irish ex-priest, told me his philosophy on marriage: "Say 'yes' at all times, unless you have a VERY, VERY good reason." Which dovetails with: "Would you reather be right, or happy?"
This is a good time of year to act on these things.
Love to all. Even you, the fucking scale.
3 comments:
I have to thank you for this post, because several minutes after reading it, my youngest daughter walked in with a book and asked if she could read to me.
I managed to get "No, not righ..." out of my mouth before I realized that I did not have one damn good reason to NOT let her read to me right that minute. So I told her ABSOLUTELY read to me... and she read. And read and read and read and read.
Thanks for helping me not be a dick today. Or whatever the female equivalent might be.
I'll second the thanks, because I think your epiphany has a contagious quality to it and das ist gut!
That's a very good question, to be right or happy. And, unfortunately, I haven't found out the answer to that yet... .
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