Happy Holidays from the Land of Smiles, a land where Christmas is acknowledged for no other reason than it's commercial properties. People might wish you Merry Christmas once in a while, which is nice, but Thailand is a Buddhist country and Christmas is not recognized as a holiday. I guess I should be happy that it is acknowledged at all. The truth is, I have been living abroad or traveling during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays for the past 27 years or so and neither day means much to me anymore.
My sons were into Christmas in a big way until they learned Santa Claus is actually Mom and Dad. Of course, they continued to love the gift-giving aspect of Christmas. Who doesn't love getting gifts? But learning Santa Claus isn't real is one of life's early tragedies. If only Santa were real and reindeer, led by Rudolph and his shiny nose, actually did fly through the air, delivering gifts like an Amazon drone. The extreme joy Alex and Nick once felt, and I felt, has dwindled now. Instead of waking up and tearing open presents, we now simply tell one another Merry Christmas.
My sons were into Christmas in a big way until they learned Santa Claus is actually Mom and Dad. Of course, they continued to love the gift-giving aspect of Christmas. Who doesn't love getting gifts? But learning Santa Claus isn't real is one of life's early tragedies. If only Santa were real and reindeer, led by Rudolph and his shiny nose, actually did fly through the air, delivering gifts like an Amazon drone. The extreme joy Alex and Nick once felt, and I felt, has dwindled now. Instead of waking up and tearing open presents, we now simply tell one another Merry Christmas.
Our lives are stable and for this, we are grateful. There is no major drama and for this, we are also grateful. At the end of the day, if more people were tolerant and realized life is short, they might be more apt to say a kind word or let life's little anoyances pass. What is important is we keep on living a fruitful life, striving to reach our goals and enjoying life's daily rituals.
When I was 25, I worked in a print shop with a 70-year-old man. I remember many of his phrases and to this day I still remember when he hired me.
"Yea, I'm gonna bring him on. The kid is green, but I think he'll work out fine."
After a year or so he was forced to stop working because of a heart condition. When I asked him what life had taught him and what did he think was most important to remember, he gave me a short, succinct answer.
"If I knew then what I knew now, I would not have worried so much," he said. "Worrying never gets a man anywhere because one way or the other, things have a way of working out."
Over the years, humans build up a lifetime of memories. To this day, I always remember to stress less. Worry not. Sometimes to my detriment, sometimes to the dismay of my wife. But I will tell you what I do just like I tell her.
When you are worried, truly worried, make the attempt to put that worry in a box in your brain, and file it away. When you are relaxed and thinking more clearly, take it out and determine what more can be done to solve the dilemma. If your concern is not easily rectified, put it away again until the mood to take it out strikes you once again. This method of dealing with issues that worry me has worked for me, or so it seems.
If the above method does not illuminate you sufficiently, I suggest using another method...I believe it is the Turkish method, but I could be wrong. Think about your problem long and hard. Down several alcoholic beverages (I prefer Tequila), enough until you are sufficiently intoxicated. then attempt to think about your problem once again, long and hard. Upon sobering up, go with your gut. If this method is unsuccessful, at least you will have tied one on and temporarily forgotten about your troubles.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
When I was 25, I worked in a print shop with a 70-year-old man. I remember many of his phrases and to this day I still remember when he hired me.
"Yea, I'm gonna bring him on. The kid is green, but I think he'll work out fine."
After a year or so he was forced to stop working because of a heart condition. When I asked him what life had taught him and what did he think was most important to remember, he gave me a short, succinct answer.
"If I knew then what I knew now, I would not have worried so much," he said. "Worrying never gets a man anywhere because one way or the other, things have a way of working out."
Over the years, humans build up a lifetime of memories. To this day, I always remember to stress less. Worry not. Sometimes to my detriment, sometimes to the dismay of my wife. But I will tell you what I do just like I tell her.
When you are worried, truly worried, make the attempt to put that worry in a box in your brain, and file it away. When you are relaxed and thinking more clearly, take it out and determine what more can be done to solve the dilemma. If your concern is not easily rectified, put it away again until the mood to take it out strikes you once again. This method of dealing with issues that worry me has worked for me, or so it seems.
If the above method does not illuminate you sufficiently, I suggest using another method...I believe it is the Turkish method, but I could be wrong. Think about your problem long and hard. Down several alcoholic beverages (I prefer Tequila), enough until you are sufficiently intoxicated. then attempt to think about your problem once again, long and hard. Upon sobering up, go with your gut. If this method is unsuccessful, at least you will have tied one on and temporarily forgotten about your troubles.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
