I've been alive 43 plus years now.
This means that I have learned a few things in life. I want to list them on Dragon's Hobbies because I want to to share it. I also want this to be a living document that I can come back and modify as things change. I am numbering it, not to indicate importance, but to simply keep count.
You, the reader, likely won't agree with a few of the items here, but that's ok. I welcome you to post your opinions and add your own items to your posts, but please don't modify my work of art!
So here goes:
01) Life is a roller-coaster. Filled with ups and downs. The downs can seem REALLY oppressive and final. They aren't. They are a momentary time period that can be filled with pain that time will heal. Let time pass and the ups WILL be back!
02) Love the one with you're with. The grass might SEEM greener elsewhere...but what you really need to do is to water your own grass!
03) Charles' "Law of Timing" means that people WILL be in your way. No need to get frustrated with them...it is simply "The law of timing". Kind of like Murphy's Law, but it applies to little old ladies in the checkout counter that pull out their checkbook at the last minute...it applies to the lane in the checkout that you picked because it was short but then needs a price check...it's that guy that is walking on the sidewalk that walks right in your path as you want to turn left and there is finally a break in oncoming traffic.
04) Free food at public locations isn't worth the crowd feeding frenzy that you have to put up with to get it. People at these events will push and shove just to get a free sample of food. It's simply not worth the aggravation.
05) Friends are fickle. This is life. When your life changes in a major way, many of your friends will simply fade away. It's amazing when they come back when something changes in their life or something again changes in your life. Don't be surprised when someone you thought was a REALLY good friend suddenly isn't there for you. It's just life.
06) Forgiveness isn't for the person you are forgiving. It's for you so that you can release the pain associated with the wrong they have done to you.
07) Going without eating for more than 5 hours turns me in a real jerk.
08) Losing weight is simple. Eat the right foods and exercise at least 5 days per week. The excess pounds haven't got a prayer...
09) Life has a way of TAKING OVER. Don't let it. We all need time to just relax and do nothing. Doesn't mean you're lazy...it means you are human.
10) Men and women speak different languages. Woman says "We never go out anymore..." Man hears that and takes her literally and says "What the hell do you mean? We went out last week?..." and an argument develops. If Man were to realize that what woman was REALLY saying is "Honey, I've had a really tough week. You know what would be great? If we got a sitter and went out to dinner and some dancing" then the guy could respond with "You know...that sounds awesome..let's do it" and no fight would erupt. We just need to communicate better.
11) Kids ruin marriages. This is due to an inherent difference in the way a man and a woman think about their kids and where they fall into the relationship. A man believes that his wife is number one. And she remains number one until the marriage ends. With woman, however, as soon as the first child is born, THAT child is now number one in her mind. Husband is now number TWO! It's this inherent disconnect, which increases with every subsequent child, that drives a wedge between husband and wife...The kids become their lives and they grow apart...It's sad, really, because the children are supposed to be the product of their love.
12) Too much responsibility can also ruin your relationship. - When a relationship starts out, everything is fresh and new and life is good. But then you decide to buy a car on credit, a house, have pets, have kids, etc. You wake up one day, AWASH in responsibility, and every waking moment is filled with tasks that you HAVE TO DO. In fact, as you get deeper and deeper, your life becomes NOTHING but things you HAVE TO DO...and the fun leeches out of life. Overuse of credit is a key reason this happens and you become a SLAVE to your debtors. That is not the way to enjoy life.
13) Owning your own business is fun. At first you don't make near the money you did when you worked for someone else, but the freedom, flexibility and pure enjoyment you get is far worth the lower initial compensation. Plus the sky is the limit...YOU make your own raises. You want to make 20% more? Then you best get off your ass, market your business, sell the services and MAKE it happen.
14) NEVER lease a car.
15) If you are going to purchase a timeshare, NEVER do it from the resort. But it on the secondary market. The benefits are the same, but at a FRACTION of the cost...oh yeah...realize that you will NEVER be able to sell it and recoup your investment. It's a very nice upscale lodging option, for sure, but it is NOT an investment.
16) Buy Term Life insurance instead of Cash Value. Then invest the difference.
17) The nice price point for a cruise is less than $100 per person, per night. $37 per person, per night is the best I've ever seen. Less than $65 per person, per night is a good price and you can't go wrong.
18)
...To be continued...
