You know it seems that every time I look in the mirror this old guy keeps jumping in front of me. I know that I am only 18 but this dude is persistent, and kinda fat! LOL
I always try to bring some sense to my vacation and this year is no different I have learned much over the course of the last week. Every Vegas cliche is true, actually Vegas is a cliche itself and that's what makes it wonderful. Adults are not so different than kids and given the opportunity to let loose they act just like kids. This can be good or bad, you be the judge on this point. I find that I love my wife more every day and am one of the lucky guys who get to mean this when they say it. We grow closer the longer we are together, the more we know each other, the more we care for each other. I had the privilege of seeing a young couple just starting out on the trip and it makes me excited for them, hopeful that they will share everything as Dezie and I do, making their relationship stronger. Remember folks, its not only the happy times that make a marriage work, its the tragedy as well.
I learned that even though my roots are in the desert, and I love that part of the country, Florida is my home. I looked forward to not only returning to my family but to the area as well. I love the smell of the salt on the air, the humidity, the trees and the way "home " feels. When I am old and crusty you will find me on the Sea Shore somewhere in a backwater bar nursing a beer, listening to Jimmy Buffett, and dispensing free advice to anyone who will listen.
Learned that you only truly know people when they are put in stressful situations. This goes for adults and kids alike, no one can ever truly make all the right decisions every time but its how we handle the mistakes we make that define our integrity. As a former (very relieved that I can use this label) liar, take this from my whole blog, The truth is what it is, good, bad or indifferent it changes the facts not at all. Do not change the truth to spare someones feelings, or make yourself look better, it never works and always makes you look more stupid than you ever did before. The further removed I am from that way of life, the more it annoys me., kind of like someone in shape who used to be fat has no tolerance for folks who do not take care of themselves.
You can judge me for this if you knew me in the past, or not, it changes nothing about who I am now or who I used to be. I have learned that you can set ideals in your head and if you believe them long enough they come about and you can truly change who you are and your character can be redefined, but its more work than most are willing to put into it.
I learned that being a father is a million tiny decisions every day, not one big one. I have learned that you do not get to choose who your kids become, you shape them, teach them, lead them, and love them. It is up to them to define their life. I love my kids, no exceptions, no qualifications, and no restrictions but I do not blame myself for their choices and do not accept responsibility for their actions should they prove to be more than learning experiences or mistakes. I will however be here loving them once the consequences have been paid and support them as they pick up the pieces of their life. Yes this is directed at my older kids but it proves true no matter which kiddos we are looking at.
If you made it this far then here is a treat for you. Admire life for what it is, enjoy where you are at while moving to where you want to be, let your anger go, and spend as much time away from technology as possible.
