A week before Halloween seems like a strange time to start a new year's resolution but I have never been known for my adherence to standards of normal behavior.   I recently caught a surprising good chick flick Julie and Julia which inspired me to begin a more personal blog kind of like top gun inspired me to join the navy. Not that I did once I found out that only like one percent of navy people ever got to fly fighter jets. I also know that the chance of me getting this blog turned into a movie has about the same chance.  So I have decided to use this blog as a way of communicating what I have learned so far in my life to my son as he finishes his last year of high school.

I have a good relationship with my son but like all children there are things he doesn't tell me and questions he doesn't ask.  Also the fact that we are guys which subtracts some acceptable topics of conversation. And finally he is eighteen and I am like . . .  the crypt keeper (at least to a kid in high school). So I figured this way I can espouse some of things I have learned from life, many of them in the hardest ways, and he could read it and would not have to admit that he got it from me.  And this being the 21st century if you're going to do something personal then it has to be on the internet for everyone to see. Then again there might be someone else out there that can learn from my mistakes and avoid some of the hard knocks but not all of them. Hard knocks are good for you in the long run.

Okay so what I have learned so far

Not much

Or I should say not enough

But if I left it at that this would be pretty boring.

Lesson one - Endurance

Some people have faith, some have love, some have margaritas what I cling to in times of trouble is confidence in my endurance. I learned a long time ago that life does not have limits on what it can throw at you.  I would never put in one my stories a mother having a stroke while a father recovers from a heart attack but it happens and I have known people who went through far worse.  When I was younger I used to joke that there was no situation that I could not ether out think, out run or out fight but as the years have gone by I have discovered there are some things you just have to survive. 

I did not know it but I started training myself in college when I would have a couple of hours between classes and would just pick a direction and ride in one direction for half as long as the time I had to kill. This led to more then one day where I out in the middle of Springfield country roads an hour away from civilization and tired and beat. I had no one to call and no other way to get home then just do it.  Now I was not in danger of losing my life or serious harm - except maybe for being ridiculed by some   cows but I still learned that there are days you just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. Hard and bad times end or at least life gets bored with tormenting you in one way and moves on to another. So as long you don't stop and give up you will find yourself in a better or at least different place.