Read the one below this first

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to post the other one...I wrote a semi-long lost friend a facebook post about our lives back in our twenties, mentioning my friend Dennis whom she dated and who died a few years back, and she wrote back "What you sent is truly a gift — a look back at a time and a place when things were ripe, and all seemed possible." She's a writer, can you tell? And a really awesome one.

But upon thinking about it further, I thought, No, back then, all things seemed Impossible. NOW all things seem possible...or at least all the things I'd really want to do. Or maybe my list of things I'd want to do has narrowed. Or maybe I've done many of the things I wanted to do back then. Or maybe I'm just thinking in terms of women.

Or maybe if I worked at it as hard as I've been thinking about it...

I've often thought of starting a website called aphorisms.com. It would be a compilation of aphorisms - truisms about the things in life we learn as we grow old. Not about life necessarily, but about practical things too. Like, the easiest example that everyone knows: What are the 3 things most important in determining the value of real estate - location, location, location. But there are many others having to do with so many things, of course none of them are currently popping into my head. They could have to do with sailing, cooking, drinking (wine before liquor, never sicker? I can never remember that one!)

But along those lines, I've heard two things in the past few days that probably fit into those categories that I just don't agree with. Something I've heard many, many times and was repeated by a friend on Sunday afternoon when we were giving relationship advice to some 20-something year olds: "Marriage takes a lot of hard work. You have to work hard at it every day." I immediately thought, but for once, didn't say, I don't work hard at my marriage! And then as I've thought about it more, I thought, Wait, does that mean I have a bad marriage? Or does the person who said that have a bad one? Does Cheryl work hard at it? And what does that say about me if she has to work hard at it? Does she wish I would work harder at my marriage?

So I asked her last night, and luckily, she agreed with me. Whew. But wait, could it be better if we did? Couldn't be any better from my standpoint, but how would I know if I don't try?

My Own Personal Orienteering

We all need, or should have, a person who serves as a moral compass to help guide us in our decisions in life. For me, that person was always my dad. Would dad approve of and be proud of my decision on some matter?

This morning I realized that Trev - 9 years old today - is now that person for me. Well, and my dad too.