JUST ANOTHER DAY
Thursday Aug. 7, 2014
For inspirational reading this morning – I found this gem:
“Time is the coin in your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” – Carl Sandburg
Sometimes the weather is fine, sometimes, stormy.
I work for myself.
I shave the boss, shower the boss and sleep with the boss.
Inseparable, 24/365¼.
That really means – self-directed, without a boss. Self-employed is vewwy vewwy hard some times. Except when it isn’t.
It is incredibly free, liberating and a life I so much enjoy. Many wouldn’t like its risks, its ups and downs – to say nothing of erratic cash flow, unpredictable clients, great ideas that don’t work out, bad ones that do, confusion, distractions and every temptation to mess up, goof off and wander off in tangents of delusion without partner, boss or spouse to pull you back from the brink of disasters …
Hard because it is so easy to get side-tracked, distracted.
Easy to lose focus, make choices which are less-good than other possibilities.
In some moments, a lonely way to make a living and run a business.
It is, in all the other moments, freedom and autonomy that allows lots of time for pursuing dreams, purpose and mastery.
Yes it does.
It also allows me to give myself a day off when I want to.
Today is my birthday, and I want to.
I’ll be leaving soon for golf with dear friend CM who is taking me out for dinner après-golf.
I am looking forward to the day, to the whole day, whether or not the weather cooperates. I am looking forward to the whole day.
It occurred to me last evening – I was sitting alone, and it hit me then this is the first birthday I’ve ever had without my dad around. I’m not sad, but I really miss him. I’m completely confident, if he was still alive, that he would look at me, look at how things are going in my life, and he would smile.
My day will not be pure or trouble-free.
They rarely are.
We have no choice.
Every day comes at us with whatever we don’t expect, in forms we don’t expect, and often we don’t like parts of it, or some days … all of it.
What happens, happens – events, people, weather – and has little to do with us, our wishes or choices.
Every day arrives, just as another day. What distinguishes that day, this day, or any day – what makes it just another day or just another day in paradise is our attitude. Not my attitude, not your attitude – but our attitude.
In everything we do we are, at best, one-half of an equation.
Simplicity is lovely, but not as common as would be convenient.
Lives are complicated.
Transactions are complicated – and, as we all know, communication is complicated.
I’ve been having an e-squabble lately. No real conversation. Just a series of e-mails between me, an editor and the editor’s boss. The ‘just call me Sally’ piece. The squabble appears to be over. In the wee hours of this morning an e-mail arrived on my computer. A note. A very nice note. Attached (ouch) another even shorter version of my piece as it will be published and a commitment of publish my piece elsewhere in its longer-form. I could tilt at that windmill some more to no avail, of I could say “OK”. Or I could say “yes”. I could say “thank you”.
I’m OK with that. I know, a few weeks ago, I would not have been.
Shortly after that e-mail came in, another. A happy birthday wish from CR. While I was drafting this, a text arrived from SB … a birthday wish at 5:51AM.
Not a bad start to any day.
A very nice start to my birthday.
Just another day in paradise!
Then I checked my e-mails – I see the weather in paradise(Hawaii) is uncertain as two hurricanes are due to hit those islands soon. Having friends and readers there, having memories and dreams there – it seems to me, especially today, that paradise can have many meanings, different for everyone and every location.
Then I went to Google something – and I got one of those graphics pages that Google put up, when you let your cursor hover you find out the explanation it tells you who they are celebrating on that particular day. This one was cake+candles, so I put my cursor over it and read this: Happy Birthday Mark!
That’s very cool.
Thank you Google.
Thank you world.
Thank you friends.
Mark Kolke
column written/ published from Calgary
morning walk: 14C/57F, light clouds .. Gusta elected to crap in the Nissan dealership’s driveway to the chagrin of two customers who had to wait before the could enter – otherwise just a happy normal romp and a little (ouch) jog-trot up the hill. Time to take a Tylenol and go golfing (I think we’ll need a ride-em cart today).
Reader feedback / comments always welcome:
Mark, August 7 is my wife’s birthday. Also Garrison Keillor’s. More good company! Happy Birthday, JM, New York, NY
Happy birthday Mark! Wishing you a healthy, joyful and happy birthday Mark! Take time to think of all that you've accomplished and look forward to new endeavors to come! Be happy and enjoy your day! CR, Victoria, BC
