by Mike Giannone

Created on: December 10, 2009

What I have learned from life. First, that it is easier to sleep in than workout. Seldom are there easy ways to get anything worthwhile. All too often it is easy to abandon the effort, even if the obstacles are minor.

 I have learned that people love and hate. That cats will ignore you until they want food or warmth. That dogs will adore you no matter how little attention you pay them.

 I have learned that there is meaning in little things and, sometimes, little meaning in big things. The lost job is not the end of the world. Throughout the 1990s, I had 13 different jobs with 13 different companies. So, in a 10-year span I moved from one position to another to another to another . . . . Not always improving, not always earning more money, but ultimately, surviving. Supporting my family. Enjoying the life and air I am fortunate enough to breathe every day.

 I have learned not to be blindly hopeful, a sort of Pollyanna. I’m not sold on the power of positive thinking, but I’m willing to think positively. I am not an optimist who lights up the room when he enters. Neither do I drown the space in dark shadows of gloom. That is, I am like most people, happy and sad, pleasant and annoying, expectant and cautious.

 I have learned that I am deeply committed to truth – in my faith, in my life, in my work. I have also learned that I am a weak person who has trouble always living out what he believes. What can I say?  I’m only human. Neither a good nor poor example of what a human is. I, just like you, am simply a human. Lower middle class. Caught up on all my bills. Anxious I may lose my job. Confident I will eventually die.

 I have learned that I love my wife and children; that I enjoy a good book and a nice glass of wine; that I enjoy deep discussions about religion, politics, and life. I have also learned I don’t like sitting at a desk every day, driving in snowstorms, eating eggplant, or using most of my paycheck to pay bills or buy necessities.

 I have learned that not all TV programs are evil and not all preachers are good. I have learned that bumper stickers seldom tell the whole story and the History Channel doesn’t always get it right.

 I have learned that a half-empty glass and a half-full glass are a matter of perspective. It all depends on what is in the glass. If it’s something I want, it’s never full enough. If it’s something I deplore, there’s always too much.

 The glass is half-empty if I’m out on the ocean, sailing with my wife and friends toward a brilliant sunset or walking the streets of Paris heading to dinner or a museum. I always want more. If I’m being told off by my boss or being called by a telemarketer or bill collector, there is too much in the glass. (Not to disparage telemarketers, bill collectors, or my boss. They have to make a living too.)

 I have learned that life lessons come in all shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. The trick, I have learned, is to never stop learning.

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