My mom dragged me away from my home when I was in junior high. She took me from Chicago to a horrible place called Indianapolis. Everyone talked funny and everything was spread out.
I wanted to go home the whole time. I hated every minute I was there and because of that I became a problem child.
Going back to yesterday’s theme of how age brings a different aspect towards life. I look back now and realized that my time as a Hoosier wasn’t as bad as I thought.
That was the one time in my life that I had the most family around me. The whole time that I was pissed at my mom, her family was at my disposal. Cousins and second cousins, aunts and great aunts, uncles and great uncles and my gramma. I even had a great gramma who lived in an old house in a town called Greensburg.
I was never alone, but that was the only time in my life that I was lonely.
….And here comes today’s quote into play.
The whole time I lived in Indianapolis, happiness was under my feet. I finally realized it after most of those family members left Indianapolis for heaven.
The other day I received a text from the kid I bullied in eighth grade. Yes, I was a bully. Remember… I was a problem child who just wanted to go home. Through the years we have become dear friends. The first thing I did when we became Facebook friends was apologize for being an asshole.
In fact, I had to apologize to a shit ton of Hoosier classmates as Facebook made rekindling old acquaintances easy to do. I apologized to my history teacher. My creative writing teacher and even a priest.
What I realized was that most of us were going through the same turmoil at that age.
Yesterday I learned that I didn’t have to strive for perfection and today the lesson is happiness.
Happiness isn’t miles away. It’s all around you….
Life takes us across an emotional journey that mostly teaches with hindsight.
Life might be a pain in the ass right now, but in ten years from now…
…it should be a fond memory!
It better be!!!
I’m going to get up and make George his lunch. I won’t be doing that in 2034. Later today, I’ll be picking up Fritz and Hazel at school. I won’t be doing that in 2034. Later today, I’ll ask Fritz if he has his homework done, I won’t be doing that in 2034.
Tonight, at night night… I will be asked to sing three songs and rub a back. I won’t be doing that in 2034.
Happiness is under my feet. Even though I worry about bills. I argue with my ex-wife. My parents aren’t around to bust my balls. I don’t travel like I used to. I don’t have a big house or a new car.
Happiness is under my feet and I sure as fuck hope that happiness is under your feet as well.
Wow…. These last two Chalkboards have been very therapeutic for me.
How many of you will be watching Bill Murray tonight?
First weekend in February and the temperatures will be mild and the sun should have a smile.
One last thing…. Happiness is all around you. Go smell it. Go taste it. Go hear it. Go see it. Go hump it.
