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.