It’s so strange that TV viewing is on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 a year. Basically it’s the norm of our society.  If we don’t like something we see, a simple click of the remote control helps us to peruse the several hundreds of channels our cable company or satellite dish has to offer.  Who would’ve thought that technology advanced to the point where we can watch TV at all hours of the day.  I often contemplate what would have been if this was available to us forty years ago.  If I grew up with this type of TV viewing would I still be the same person as I am now?  And if this was available way back when, just think how much more advanced TV viewing would be at the present.  Completely mind-boggling.  I’m glad at the fact that I grew up at a time when there were only three channels to watch on a black and white TV screen that had sign on and sign off times.  It made me appreciate what I have now and the experience of seeing the evolution of TV is priceless.  I try to explain this to my children but the concept of even a black and white TV has their mouth agape with a dumbfounded stare to boot.  I like how TV viewing is progressing and can’t wait to see what the next thirty to forty years will produce.  Now if we can just get a flying car produced during my lifetime, I’ll be most happy.

It’s a wonder that everyone, and I mean everyone, is knowledgeable about a variety of things yet not a true expert on all of it. I’m not talking about math or science or history or even english, I’m talking about the everyday things like plumbing, electrical, carpentry, auto mechanics, computers, pets, movies, comics, books.  The stuff that we deal with day in and day out.  Sure we know just a little bit about these things just to get by but we’re not completely and precisely well read on it.  And why should we?  If we know the right amount to get us through whatever we’re going through then that’s fine.  Me, I like the idea of knowing just enough to carry on a conversation but not to the point where I need to know everything to write a dissertation.  What’s interesting about me is I like learning new things even if it’s just a small portion, but I noticed that I tend to try to learn the most inane things…especially from movies.  I learned to roll coins between my fingers because it looked cool when Val Kilmer did it in “Real Genius“.  I learned to open a Zippo lighter very stylish like how George Clooney took out his lighter in “Out of Sight” and even learned how to do hat tricks like the way Andrew McCarthy did in “Mannequin“.  The “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles“, the old version and not the remake, taught me how to twirt a nunchaku in a way that I’ve never seen in all my martial arts training.  The point is, we all say the phrase, “Jack of all trades, master of none” like it’s a derogatory thing but the truth of the matter is that it’s great.  It shows us that we are all willing to be enlightened on a cornucopia of subjects and not limited to one thing.  There’s a whole world out there that we don’t know about and it’s good that we’re trying to explore it a little at at time.

Change is inevitable, that’s a fact of life. Some are for the better and others for the worse. With so many changes occurring in our lives you would’ve thought we’d be used to it by now. I for one should be more accepting of change. I grew up in a time when I saw the evolution of video games going from Pong, to Donkey Kong and finally to Batman Arkham Knight. The game systems went from Atari, to Sega, to Dreamcast, to Nintendo, to XBOX One and PS4. I grew up in a time where I watched TV on a black and white screen and then to color, tv tube transistors to flat screen, from three network tv stations to thousands on cable, sign on/sign off to 24 hour viewing. Phones went from rotary, to buttons, to cell phones and to finally Apple watches. I even saw the evolution of computers on a grand scale, from the big clunky Texas Instruments model on down to the ultra thin HP and Apple laptops. With so many changes I’ve witnessed, you’d think I’d be used to it by now. But I’m still like everyone else when it comes to change. I’m apprehensive about it because of all the unknowns that come with it. We all like to be in control on some facet of the changes that occur to us but most of the time we just have to let the dices roll. The reason I’m talking about this is because I’m going through a change at the moment that will impact my life. Yeah I’m scared but I’m way more energized and encouraged at the endless possibilities that may come from it. For me it’s not a question of “if I should make the change” but more of “how soon can this change take effect.”  For the first time in my life, I welcome the chance for a change regardless of the outcome; I think that when life presents you with opportunities and your intuition urges you to seize them then you’d better listen. So with my faith in God, here’s to more future opportunities to come and hopefully a change for the better.

When a family decides it’s time to bring a pet into the mix, the energy and excitement levels go through the roof. We try to figure out what type of pet that we want, a dog, a cat, a bird, etc… Once we determine that, then we go into breeds; all of a sudden we become top notch researchers and read up on all the possible breeds that interest us. We take into account, the size, temperament, ailments just to name a few. We look at all sorts of pictures on the internet and in books and even go out of our way to try and meet people that own the pet that we are looking to buy. But when all is said and done, this is all for naught. In reality, when we go to the pet store, pet show or pet swap meet, our eyes initially train on the breed we want but suddenly get pulled in every which way. We get bombarded with other various breeds along the way and all that research goes down the drain; I’ll even wager that every family member will be drawn to a different breed that somehow piques their interest.

Eventually there is one breed that all the family members can agree upon and that is the one that instantly catches our hearts. It’s a feeling you can’t describe; we all see something special and we know that this is the “one” for our family. Now did we initially go looking for a new pet? Yes. Did we do our homework before acting? Yes. Did we go with the intention of purchasing our intended pet? Yes. But what it all boils down to is that the pets are really shopping for new owner to love and care for. They put on a show for the family that they feel best matches their personality. They are the ones doing the shopping, not us.  So when you think about it, when you really think about it…we don’t choose our pets, they choose us.

In this day and age we all tend to be cautious; we’re hesitant on trying new things, splurging on the stuff we want or letting loose and being silly. Let’s face it, most of us “play it safe” and that’s okay, but I’ve learned that sometimes you just gotta take a “leap” of faith and dive into the unknown. The phrase “Look before you leap” was stricken from my somnolent memory, that was in auto-cruise mode driving down the freeway of life, and replaced with “Take a leap of faith, who cares what happens.” Etching this new motto into my subconscious was extremely liberating; I soon realized that the results could yield unseen rewards or terrible outcomes but that’s the dice I roll. Being content was not a way of living for me, it felt like I was dying inside. There’s too much out there that’s yet to be explored and the only way I could become alive again was to jump into that mysterious abyss and see where I end up. I was reluctant to make this move but my inner gut was the driving force that helped me go forward. I liked the fact that the steps that I’ve taken this year to better my life, my career and my family is out of my hands. Placing my trust in God and seeing where He takes me is truly invigorating and quite frankly scary as hell (no pun intended). So far there’s been a snowball of activity occurring when I least expected it; and it’s all positive. Now hopefully the rewards will produce the desired outcome. Life’s just way too short and full of unpredictability; I took a chance, will you?

When I hear stories of parents living vicariously through their children, I chuckle inside and a big smirk appears on my face. I do this because I know that for some reason, whether it be circumstance or choice, that those parents did not have enough time in their younger lives to attain their desired dreams. As a parent, I’ve learned that what we don’t accomplish in our lives, our children will be able to do so…how do I know? Here’s my crazy theory that’ll explain everything.

We all grow up in life wanting or desiring something so bad that we dream about it everyday…for example like being a rock star, a famous actor or professional athlete. But like most cases, we’re all unable to satisfy that goal. When that happens, that unfulfilled trait (I’ll call it UFT) gets coded into our DNA and stays there laying in dormant. The longer that UFT stays in our system, the more complex and stronger it gets; it almost becomes like a “super gene.” For those that have children, this “super gene” gets passed onto them; as they get older they tend to gravitate on a path towards that dream that we were deprived of.

Now if you only have one child, then it’s a crap shoot because your child has 2 “super genes”; one that is yours and the other your spouse’s. The more children you have, the better chances of your dream being achieved. Your child will have all the strengths and characteristics needed to be one step closer or even lucky enough to grab that brass ring we so desired. If they don’t satisfy that goal, then that UFT stays dormant within them and gets passed onto their children. By this time, that UFT becomes a “magnificent gene” and their children will finally be what we so desired. So take heart, I know that we live our dreams vicariously through our children, but if it doesn’t happen…eat right, exercise daily, visit the doctor regularly so that we can live long enough to live vicariously through our grandchildren.

Ever had one of those days when you just say “Why me?!”  or “When will something good ever happen to me?“.  It always seems that some people have all the luck and things just fall perfectly into place for them. They put up no effort and it easily falls into their lap while the rest of us claw our way through the muck just to get a sample of what it could be like if we were blessed with good fortune.  Yes I’ll break down every once in awhile and have a “pity party” all to myself; I’m entitled to one.  Life’s unfair, I get that…but does it have to always be the case for the things that I dream of or for things that I truly want.  Working tirelessly with grim determination toward my dreams can be a reward unto itself…at least I have a dream.  Some people go through life content with what they have and where they are, that’s fine.  But don’t you think that striving for something, heck anything, makes life worth living for. Maybe all of my trials and tribulations will make me appreciate everything when I do achieve my dream.  Yes, I did say “When I do achieve my dream“; that was no mistake.  I’m an eternal optimist when it comes to my dream; you have to be otherwise what’s the point.  So I guess when my life starts to go sideways and veer onto that rough terrain; I just need to “cowboy up” and go along for the ride.  Like that saying goes, “When life hands you lemons, make chocolate cake and keep them wondering!”

Normally I don’t take stock in what my daily horoscope has to say.  Usually it’s just a footnote when I peruse the internet, but lately for some reason that is the first thing on my daily agenda.  Be it coincidence or divine intervention, I’m hoping it’s the latter, those words hold meaning.  On March 2nd, 2015, there was nothing interesting on the internet…yep, nothing earth-shattering…so I decided to take a glance at what my horoscope had to say.  I click on Capricorn and the advice that was given pertained to what was going on in my life.  I chalked it up to mere coincidence and explored my usual sites.  The next day, I checked out my horoscope again and the words once again reflected true to nature, “Nah” I thought just pure dumb luck.  The following day my eyes shot past important things and straight to…yep, my daily horoscope.  The advice for that day once again pertain to all the goings on in my life; I looked over my shoulder just to make sure that I wasn’t being punk’d by Rod Serling.  Since then, my daily horoscope is the first and foremost thing that I have to check out first thing in the morning.  As of this writing, as zany as it may sound for some strange reason…no scratch that…some divine intervention, my daily horoscope reflects what is currently happening in my life.  Something inside me doesn’t want this to end because it’s as if I have my own private therapist guiding me on my life’s journey.  But like all journeys, this’ll come to an end and I’ll go back to being cynical about horoscopes;  until that happens, I’m just going to enjoy the ride and hope that what my horoscope says comes true in the upcoming weeks.

When we’re growing up we all saw our parents as invincible; nothing could hurt them, they’ll never age, they’ll live forever. As we got older they became a little worse for wear but still kept going strong. The years rolled by…hours turned into days, days into months, months into years; and just like that, 10, 20, 30 years have passed. Our parents now showed signs of age and every little ache, injury or illness became that much more life-threatening to their well-being. Their invincibility demeanor had now dwindled in status and our perception of them changed.  As their offspring, it was hard for us to see them as anything else other than “Super Dad” or “Super Mom”.  Eventually the roles became reversed and we became their support, their protector, their care-giver.  We worry for them non-stop, 24/7; and it’ll never end until it ends. But that’s the journey we all endure for our loved ones, our family…it’s a thankless job that comes with a priceless reward…and we would do it all over again if we had to.