401 - Not So O - K

It does not mean much. Really, when you step back, it does not mean anything at all.

Still, it is hard not to feel ‘three cups of coffee on an empty stomach jittery’ in 2011, right? 

Let’s skip the shallow stuff this week.  Get your water wings on, my friend.  ITB is diving into the deep end.

Start here: Bad things – things at their very worse – are nothing more than inconvenient. Our dysfunctional, tea-stained government, our double dipping economy, the turbulent stock market – nothing more than inconvenient. None of it is all that meaningful.

So your 401K tanked… again.  Listen, we have all been handed the same bill of goods when it comes to 401K. As a Retirement Vehicle it is a ’73 Pinto… rusted and ready to explode at any random moment.  So early retirement is no longer an option. Who cares? You do not look that good in a rocker anyway. Worker bees make the hive a success.

No question, this decade is off to a rather smelly start. Par for the course. We have had far worse decades. The 30’s had that Depression. The 40’s gave us War on a World scale. The 70’s? Leisure suits and puka shell necklaces. Yikes.

What could be worse than that? Death?

Some day –soon or not too soon – someone, something will take your breath away for the very last time. Scary thought? Maybe, but maybe not.

What if the next thing you feel is the breath of God on your face? And you know God’s breath would be incredibly minty fresh. (I hear He is a compulsive flosser –exemplary oral hygiene.)  What if He gives you an A for effort and a meaningful fist bump? That would be a pretty good day.

Sometimes the ‘worse thing imaginable’ turns out to be quite the opposite. Enjoy the ride. There is a potential surprise around every corner.

We are all stumbling our way to a greater good. None of us are very good at this first go around. Those that look graceful are just fooling the rest of us. Good technique, excellent hand / eye coordination, blessed with a good complexion. Yes, I hate those people, too.  But bet on this: The apparent graceful have their fair share of miserable moments. It is a lot of work to keep teeth that white.  They be stressin’.

Stress is good. It, among other things, justifies the early onset of Male Pattern Baldness.  

A little pain is a good reminder that you are among the living. Stress makes you study a bit more, work a little harder. Stress makes you a better person.  Pressure is a privilege. You only feel pressure when something worthwhile is on the line. You, brothers and sisters, were born to fight the good fight.

Put up your dukes.

Just be sure to let go of that stress at the end of the day. Put a second hook up by your door… one for your car keys, one for your anxiety.  You can pick up both and dignify tomorrow with your best effort. Tonight, turn off the news. Tonight, enjoy a cold beer and a little REO Speedwagon. 

Above all, life is meant to be enjoyed. Together we will ride the storm out.