Game of Thrones

For those unaware, the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones is the story of several noble houses fighting each other to determine who should be king or queen of the “seven kingdoms.” That is the most simplistic way of summarizing it.

Sometimes, real life feels like a game of thrones. So many people and things trying to take control. Some things are trying to imprison you while others try to set you free. Both wanting you to yield to their way.

For those unaware, the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones is the story of several noble houses fighting each other to determine who should be king or queen of the “seven kingdoms.” That is the most simplistic way of summarizing it.

Sometimes, real life feels like a game of thrones. So many people and things trying to take control. Some things are trying to imprison you while others try to set you free. Both wanting you to yield to their way.

As children, we cannot wait to be an adult so that no one can tell us what to do. As adults, we realize that never really happens. Someone is always lording over us in some way.

If you are in school, teachers dictate your workload. They decide if your work is good enough to continue with your course of study.

If you are employed, you have various levels of management telling you what to do. They also decide if your work is good enough and how you should be rewarded or held back.

At home, our spouses have things for us to do. Sometimes our children’s schedules dictate what we do. Homeowner’s associations can even dictate what type of mailbox you must install.

We may let our television programs dictate when we do things. There is no shortage of things that want to rule our lives.

Here is the question we must ask ourselves. To whom shall we listen? What if the school, work, home and everything else are all telling us something different? We must decide who or what we will follow.

Often times, we choose not what we really want, but on what will cause us fewer problems. We choose the path of least resistance. It is the safe way to go.

We all must decide who or what will reign in our lives.  We all need something or someone to trust. Some live by a code. Others live by faith in a deity. Many just seem to live according to what is popular at the moment.

No one but you can make the choice who you will serve, but like it or not we all serve another.

Conflicts arise when you try to serve more than one. We cannot please everyone. It has been said that a kingdom divided cannot stand. So, to which kingdom will you yield?

I personally yield to who I consider the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. That is my choice that I freely made. I let his teachings guide my decisions at home, work, and school. That does not mean I do not sometimes surrender to another. However, when I do, it does not take long for me to see the error of my ways.

No one can make the choice for who you serve but you. The person who does not choose becomes unstable in everything they do. Often something forces them to yield even when they do not wish to do so.

Who sits on your throne? Life is a battle for control, but it is no game to be played lightly.

Monday Morning

Seems like every Monday morning people needed more sleep. The first thought I usually have is wondering if there is a time to nap today. Sometimes, I can get one during my lunch break, but normally I began to wake up and do not need it.  Many people feel like they are useless on Mondays.

If only I went to bed at my normal time rather than my “weekend” time. It is not like my weekend bedtime is much later, but it is just not my norm. Some people think that normal is overrated. I am not known for being normal, but I like my schedule to remain as normal as possible.

Today has been anything but normal. I arrived at work and was told I was needed at another office today. This throws my normal into chaos. First, I no longer have access to the building to which I am reporting. Nor do I have access to any of the material that I will need. When they changed security cards, since I no longer worked here, I was locked out.

Of course, I will also be here alone for most of the day. That part I can handle until I need to get into a locked room.

Life can take us on strange twists and turns. Sometimes we are able to adjust quickly. Other times it appears our hands and feet are tied together and are given an impossible task.

However, I do not believe that anything is impossible. This is not because of my ability, but because of the great God I serve. He enables me to get through impossible situations. We all experience at least a few in our lifetimes.

The problem we often face is that we focus on the problem rather than a solution. I trust that everything will work out.

Perspective helps no matter how bad things appear. Today is Monday. My shift will end, and my Monday blues will be over. The end of the day always comes around. Maybe tomorrow will be normal. Maybe I will have another unexpected turn. Life is full of adventure. Some I enjoy. Others I prefer to avoid. Life goes on. Trouble is not the end of the world. You keep on going.

Focus on what you can do. Get help from others for those you cannot. Life does not end today. Even though on Mondays, it may seem like it.

 

 

When Life Hits

Stephen Piscotty is the starting right fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. He accomplished something that I have never seen until now. The ball hit him three times on the same trip around the bases.

A pitch hit his right arm that allowed him to go to first base. Then on a dropped pitch, he went to second, but the ball hit him on the arm during the play. Finally, as he went home, the ball hit him in the head. He laid there for several minutes before walking off the field under his own power. By the way, he did score on the play.

This was just the second game of the Cardinals season. Last year, a pitch hit Stephen 12 times, which ties him for eighth most in 2016.

There are times when life hits us hard. Sometimes it hits us several times in a short period. In tough times, we must make the decision to press forward. When we walk through the fires of life, we may end up with a few scars, but we can learn from those experiences. Even better is that we can teach others how to make it through the flames they face.

Some decide life is not fair and quit. They end up with no great accomplishments. No one benefits from his or her challenges or experience. Quitting benefits no one. Running from your problems does not make them go away. Usually, there is another one lurking right around the corner. Learn to get through one and use that experience to be victorious over the next one.

It is like learning how to walk. You take a step and then fall. You get back up and take another step. Falls will continue to be there for a while. One day, the falls stop. You learn how to stay upright. We need to do this in life.

This weekend, Sergio Garcia won his first major golf tournament at The Masters. This was his 74^th attempt at winning a major.  The lack of a major did not make him a bad golfer. In fact, between 2000 and 2009 Sergio ranked in the top 10 for over 300 weeks. He ranked as high as second in 2008. I am certain he is glad he never quit.

Time continues whether you see success or not. We need to make the best choices. We need to stay in the game. It may seem like you are accomplishing nothing, but you are gaining experience that can be used. You can share and teach the life lessons you learned. You may never win a Masters Tournament. You may never score in a Major Baseball League game. You can win at life.

If you lack some knowledge or skill that helps you to succeed, seek that knowledge or skill. Learn whatever you can learn. Learning may be easier than making the decision to seek the missing components. However, if you do not seek the tools required, you will never find them. Make the decision to continue. Stay in the game until you meet your goal. Never give up. 

Curling

This weekend the 2017 World Women's Curling Championships was on television. Being from the south where football reigns, I do not frequently watch this sport. The game appears easy enough to understand but seems to take a lot of balance, strategy, and an understanding of geometry. 

In an oversimplified explanation, someone slides a 40-pound stone down 150 feet of ice to reach a target or to knock another stone out of the way while two other people with brushes sweep the ice ahead of the stone to control the speed of the stone. 

I see a relationship between curling and everyday life.

We are the stone sliding through life. There is a destination or a goal that we are trying to reach. We rely on others to help us reach that goal. This explanation of life is also an oversimplification.

We do not all have the same goals in life. Goals for which we are aiming may include business success, better relationships, making the world a better place or fulfilling whatever we consider our purpose to be. 

The target is straight ahead of us. We just need to get there. The problem is life is like ice. It is slippery. The possibility of staying on course for the whole trip is difficult. Distractions try to pull us off course or to slow us down. There are things that we do that may stop us from getting to the target. Knock the distractions blocking you from your goal out of the way.

We need assistance to reach our goals. Some people have lists to keep them focused. Others have people around them to encourage them to stay on track. Some rely on God and the scriptures to show them the correct way to go.

Whatever your purpose in life is, be careful not to just slide on the ice without assistance or direction. Let something or someone help guide you. Life is a team sport. Assist others with their goals and allow others to help you fulfill yours. No one reaches his or her destination alone. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” At least, that is how the song goes. Usually, the holiday season is full of excitement and anticipation. The end of the years brings us Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. In my immediate family, it also brings three birthdays and two wedding anniversaries. This year also brought a college graduation. It is normally a great ending to the year. The season is full of good times, but it also has its issues. This year has had its share of the good, bad and ugly.

THE GOOD: Getting to celebrate anything with family is a wonderful time for me. I love my immediate family and my extended family. Not everyone can say that! We celebrate the holidays when our schedules will allow. Celebrating Christmas/Thanksgiving on a weekend before the actual holiday does not take away from the season for me. It is not about the food, the gifts, or the traveling. It is about being together.

THE BAD:  We can always find something about which to complain. While shopping, people shopping can be rude. Traffic becomes a problem. Stress can get to elevated levels. Waiting until the last minute to shop and not being able to get the one gift that would make the holiday better for someone can leave us feeling unaccomplished. We must take the bad with the good. The bad makes the good seem even better. Try to remain calm in any situation. Remember that everyone else around you are trying to accomplish the same thing as you. Treat others, as you want to be treated.

THE UGLY: This year’s Christmas week was not great.  Four days before Christmas, my dad passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Four days later, my stepmom had a major stroke. The holidays brought many tears. My dad was my hero. I loved him dearly. He was funny, smart, always prepared, generous and loving. He was a great man and a better dad. We cry not for the dead, but because we will miss him.

The good that comes from the ugly is that you find out that people really do care about you.

Life does not end. Death is just a part of life. Life continues. The day that my dad died, a baby was born to someone I know from work. The new baby, Claire will never replace my dad. I may never meet her. However, we will remember his life story. Her story is just beginning.

Let us continue to look to the future. Do not be stuck in the past. Celebrate what you have. Remember what matters. Focus on the good even in the ugly times.

May you all have a Happy New Year!

Road Construction

On September 4, 2015, there was a traffic advisory issued by Sewerage and Water Board stating that a one block stretch of road would be closed due to construction. “The expected construction duration is approximately three months.”

This would force me to change my route home from work daily, but this would be tolerable since it was only to be three months long.

Now it is thirteen months, and that one block is still closed.  I assumed the road would reopen once the trucks, equipment, and workers were gone. How wrong could I have been?

I understand the word “approximately” means there is some flexibility that we could expect, but at what point does it mean we will open it when we feel like it.

I know that there is construction and detours everywhere that cause frustration. I am not alone in hating these “temporary” inconveniences.

Construction should be to improve things. Better roads, better buildings, and maybe a better future could result from construction. That is, if it is ever completed.

Just like roads, we are all under construction. We are not the same person we were when we were born. Through the course of our life, we face many changes that could make us better. Some improvements can happen overnight, but some seem to take years.

My desire is to be as close to perfect as I can be when I die, but that will take a lot more “construction” than just a few months’ worth of work. I also recognize that no one else is perfect at this point either. What does this mean to me? It means I need to practice patience with other people. I also hope that others will be patient with me.

Construction is unavoidable. I cannot wait to see our completed future. I will try to be patient, and possibly enjoy, the process of the construction in our lives. 

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

I had a great weekend. I had the opportunity to babysit my nineteen-month-old granddaughter. This was not a chore. It was not work. It was a pure delight. That does not mean it was easy, but things worth having seldom are.

She arrived at my house Friday night, but my son and daughter-in-law put the sleeping princess to bed immediately without my seeing her. (This was to ensure she did not see us, which could result with a tired child staying up much longer than she could handle.)

Then Saturday morning arrived. Over the course of her short life, I have been trying to get her to call me “G-Pop” without much success. I heard her say it one time a month ago, but it seemed to have no connection to me. This time when seeing me, she called out to my delight, “G-POP.”

She did not merely call me by that moniker one-time but all throughout her stay.

We live in a time where things seem to be crazy with an election with seemingly no-good choices, racial tensions high, and people getting news from incredibly unreliable sources.  

The public seems on edge. Countless people get offended so easily. Many are worried about things they cannot control. We concern ourselves with the hustle and bustle of life and the rat race in which we live daily.

We need to refocus our attention to things that matter. Enjoy our loved ones. Reconnect with people. Do something we enjoy doing. The troubles of this life will be there when we are dead and gone so we should take time to stop and smell the roses. Take some time and experience peace and joy. Find joy in the work you do. Remember to play. Look for the good in things.

Eat, drink and be merry.

Life Sucks But I Love It

Since a very recent tragedy took place at work, counselors and social workers came and held sessions to help us through tough times. While sitting in my group, my mind began to wander. Of course, I feel for the people involved and their families, but my mind went much further back in time than this past week.

I love people. I may not always know how to show it and many people have thought that I was detached emotionally. I have been at funerals of loved ones when I heard people say, “Did you see Larry cry? I never thought I would see that.” I often wondered how horrible a person I must be if people do not notice I care. However, I do care, and I care very much.

I may hide my true feelings through joking around with others. Bringing laughter to situations regardless of how bad it may be. I believe laughter is the best medicine, though some may not appreciate it at times. Over the years, I have learned when and to whom I can joke without offending others. (I still may lapse judgment here on occasion.)

The tragedy that happened last week made me think about tragic times in my life. Like everyone, I have lost loved ones like my mom (much too early), my grandparents, and many friends. While the loss of my mom left a deep emptiness in my heart to which I have never recovered, what I really felt was the fact that both of her parents had to go through the loss of a child. While I know it happens, no parent should ever have to witness the death of his or her own child.

Other tragic things I have experienced, as others have, is illness that changed my life forever, a hurricane that destroyed all of my material things leaving me homeless, a tornado that hit my new home causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage, an unwanted job change and an unexpected surgery.

Life sure can suck. However, life goes on.

I have a wife that has been true to her wedding vows (richer, poorer, good times and bad). I love her more than she can imagine, but my showing it sometimes fails.  I have two fantastic sons and a daughter in law for which I would do anything. I have a granddaughter that rocks my world and even seeing a picture of her brings a smile to my face and spirit. 

I have a job that I enjoy (two jobs actually) although I work too many hours and see my family far too little.  I have a few good friends, a nicer home than before the tragedies, a church family that I love, a fellowship of ministers to which I am proud to be a part. I am in a better place than I have been in the past. I can now help others where before I struggled to help myself.  

One thing that I know, life continues and I must continue with it. When I am weak, God is still strong. He holds me up. He also has given me all of the good things that I have listed and many more. Therefore, while tragedy continues to fill lives, I will continue to get out of bed and get moving, and I encourage others to do the same.

This is my life. It is not perfect, but I LOVE IT.