J E E – R H A L

We need emotional content…

As I said in my previous note, 2011 was a whirlwind. Apparently, I was so busy I didn’t even write any resolutions or even wite up an outlook.  Shame on me.  2012 is here, for all cultures, so back on track.

As busy as 2011 was, last year was not about change.  My life seems to always cycle through three phases.  Change, rebuild, maintain, and then the cycle repeats itself.  Maybe I’m dilusional, but last year was a maintaining year.  That means if history is going to repeat itself, and I think it will, 2012 will be a year of change.  No, I’m not trying to take a page from Obama. haha.

So what does that mean?  Frankly, I’m not quite sure.  I have plenty of ideas on how things might play out, but for now, I’d say there are three major things that are good candidates, and I’m of the opinion that more than one, if not all of them may happen this year.  I’ll be honest and say I enter into it without a specific plan, without a rigid goal but with the hope that things will work out.  Let’s say it’s the “Art of thinking without thinking”

Without further ado, my 2012 resolutions:

- Visit my parents more:

- Visit Chicago: I haven’t been back in what seems like forever.  I’m surprised my Chicago friends still talk to me.  Haha.  This is on the books.

- Be more positive:

- Let go of some of the things I keep from my past:

With that said, the year of the Dragon is supposed to be prosperous.  Oddly, I do feel a sense of optimism for the upcomming year.  Change, optimism, and hopefully a little luck.  I look forward to the next 343 days and all that will come with it.  Have a great year everyone.

What a year.  Where did the time go?  2011 passed like a blur.

Squinty-eyed wanderer – I thought I traveled a lot in 2010… boy was I in for a surprise.  I did a LOT of traveling in 2011.  Im just glad it wasn’t all business and some of it was for fun.   I’m really glad I was able to see another one of my sisters get happily married.  May Grace and David grow old in happiness together.

The year of the hermit – Actually it was the year of the rabbit, but for multiple reasons it felt more like the year of the hermit for me.  There was a trifecta of reasons, but at times I definitely felt like just keeping to myself and being alone.  With that being said, the funniest thing happend this year.  There have always been a few people that I’ve known about for years, heard thier names, shared DOZENS of mutual friends, but never actually met in person.  Somehow I got to actually finally meet several of these strangers this year.  I don’t know why I find that interesting, but I do.

Great introspection – It’s been a while since I’ve been so introspective throughout a year.  I’ll be honest, there were times when this was hard, especially combined with the aforementioned habit of being reclusive.  The more I live life however, I realize that sometimes your mind is it’s own worst enemy.  A combination between a bad dream and the mirror match level from Mortal Combat.  Come to think of it, I’ve also had quite a few very unusual dreams this year too.  Haha, no, I haven’t been smoking anything illicit.

Angel of mercy – I’ve said it in the past and I’ll say it again.  I swear there’s a force out there that’s looking out for me, watching out for me and constantly keeping me safe or bailing me out.  If you’re reading this, thanks.  There were several instances in the past year where a certain situation could have gone very wrong but an interesting set of circumstances made everything work out.

Forever and a day – I somehow got through 2011 without changing phones! Very unusual, I know. haha.

Final thoughts – So, I guess I forgot to write out my outlook and my new years resolutions at the beginning of 2011.  Shame on me.  I’m looking forward to 2012 so there’s definitely going to be an entry to set the tone for next year following this post.  With that said, 2011 was a monster.  It was an 800lb silverback gorilla of a year for me and I honestly can’t believe I made it out alive.  There are two thoughts that echo in my mind as I look back in the wake of last year.  The first is “the road to

perfection is paved with disappointment”.  The second, I’ll keep to myself for now.  As I wind down the last few days of this year, I’ll say that although it was an immense experience, I can’t say that I’ll miss it, or would want to step through it again.  Farewell 2011, I bid you, adieu

Is this thing on??????? Check, check, check.  Haha.  Wow I haven’t written a note in a WHILE!

For some reason there’s been something on my mind lately and oddly enough it came up in a pretty deep conversation I had with a buddy.  Flaws.  Imperfections.  Depending on how God fearing you are, it’s the very reason why life exists today.  It’s theorized that the beginnings of life started from a mutation born from lightning striking a sea of nutrients and protiens.  Why are flaws so important?  It’s because sometimes flaws are what make things special.  Sometimes, perfection is actually not desirable.

Some of the most expensive and treasured things in the world are inherintly imperfect.  The Mona Lisa, arguably the most treasured painting in the world, is a portrait of a person with no eyebrows!  Maybe da Vinci just forgot…. maybe not.  The Liberty Bell, a symbol of this great country and what it stands for, has a big crack in it.  One of the most famous landmarks in the world, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, is obviously a little less than square.

I feel like my close friendships are like this.  I’m talking about the really close friends.  Those people you feel comfortable farting around, and if they ask you a question, you answer them brutally honestly, just because you can.  The more I think about it, I appreciate my friends, not only because of thier merits, but also because of how thier flaws, thier imperfections, make them unique.

As many of you know, my parents are always pushing me to find a girl and hurry up and get married.  One day, my dad and I were talking, and for some reason the marriage talk didn’t really bother me that day.  I’ll never forget a part of our conversation.  He told me to think up of ten traits I want in my future wife.   He then told me that if I found a girl with two or three of those traits, I should marry her.  HAHAHAH.  I’m going to call the old man out and say he just wants to see grandkids.

In modern times, I think we forget that life is inherintly imperfect.  Flawed, from the beginning.  Even “identical” twins are often times just a liiiiiiiittle bit different from each other.  I remember as a kid someone telling me that no two snowflakes are ever the same.  I’m not sure if that’s really true, but it’s something to think about.

Now, I’m not saying we should all go out and be crazy people.  All I’m saying is that to really appreciate something, you’ve got to be able to appreciate it’s flaws, as much as it’s perfections.

me: WHY do you keep giving me these 12′s, 13′s, 14′s, 15′s and 16′s!?!?!?!?

blackjack dealer: You seem to handle it better than the other players.