I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about so many things, but most about my place in this world. Yeah, I know, probably too deep for this blog, but it is what it is. Our priest this morning shared his story and it essentially got me thinking about my own journey and I took it as kind of a sign (yeah, I do that kind of thing too). See, for a while now, I’ve been stressed out with work, feeling really overwhelmed, and just hoping things ease up or I find better ways to deal with the things that drive me nuts daily.
Our priest, I figured, was a guy who went straight to the seminary after high school like so many young priests do. But no, not this guy. After high school, he went to college, got a degree, a job, then decided to quit that job and travel the world. He talked briefly about time spent in India working with (and meeting) Mother Teresa, and spending time working with other priests and such, all before he decided to join the seminary. He said it was a journey for sure, and it took him quite some time to decide on becoming a priest. That, I have to say, is one calling I can say I never had.
So what is it I like to do? I mean daily office work pays the bills and I can hopefully retire in nine years, so my time is limited. I like to write, but have always felt like I didn’t have anything interesting enough to keep anyone’s attention or for anyone to really care about. Until today. Why not step out of that comfort zone and just write what comes from my brain and out of my fingertips to this keyboard? Not everyone is going to care or want to give it the time of day, but others might, so here goes.
I’ve never really explained the title of this blog (which I now own the domain for $4/month – baby steps, right?). It’s a two parter, really. Part one – Random Thoughts. This comes from an old friend of my oldest son who when asked what his friends thought of him simply would say one word, ‘random’. I would take the kids to youth group on Wednesday nights, loaded up in my wife’s mini-van. We were often well beyond the legal passenger limit, but those are some of the best memories I have. Middle schoolers say the damndest things. We could all be talking about a single topic and be completely focused on the topic at hand, and out of the blue, this kid would say something that was similar to SNL’s ‘Deep Thoughts…’. We’d often sit there in silence with the most confused looks on our faces, but then we’d all bust out laughing. So I decided one thing I wanted to do with this blog was share some of the random thoughts that come out of my head. For example, when I see a staircase, I often wonder if I can jump from the top to the bottom in one leap. As I’ve aged, that random thought happens less often simply because I think I know the outcome if I actually tried it. Or what guy hasn’t been driving to see a car hauler or a truck of some sort with ramps coming out the back. I don’t know about you, but I channel my inner Bo and Luke Duke and imagine putting those ramps to good use. Although also with age, I realized a mini-van is likely a little to front heavy and I’d either end up in the back on the truck or end up upside down in front of the truck. So there’s the Random part of the story.
On to the Ordinary Average Guy part…
Joe Walsh of the James Gang and the Eagles has always been a favorite of mine. His guitar playing is unique, and I think he won my heart on an episode of ‘Live from Darryl’s House when he was asked what today’s music was missing. He said ‘Mojo’. There are no more guitar solos and the use of computers just sucks the life out of hearing the musician really putting his heart in it. I’d agree. But that’s another blog.
Joe Walsh wrote a song called ‘Ordinary Average Guy’. Back in college, one of my fraternity brothers was a talented artist who could do caricatures of sorts, most often of the school mascot and people important to the school. One Christmas, I was broke and needed a present for my folks, so I asked if he could draw a picture of me. He looked me up and down and simply said, “you don’t really have any outstanding attributes. You’re kind of average.”. He might as well have stuck a knife through my heart. That oddly enough hurt. From that day on, I just keep hearing those words ‘you’re average’. A few years down the line, I heard Joe Walsh’s song and realized maybe it’s not so bad being average. Maybe it’s not so bad not being the center of attention or the one everyone expects something from. I’ve found my niche in this life, and to be honest, it’s been pretty nice. And there it was born, an idea for a title of a blog where I could get my thoughts out of my head and out there into the universe, hoping they reach whoever cares to take the time to read. Random Thoughts of an Ordinary Average Guy.
So today I take the next step of the journey and look for inspiration and ideas to write about for your entertainment and dare I hope, enlightenment? I’m not the most confident guy or the sharpest knife in the drawer. I may be slightly more emotional as I’ve aged. My views of the world I usually keep to myself and will likely continue to do so. I won’t judge and if I’m judged, that’s your right. I will share my story. To quote the Elders song ‘Long Way Home’ (yeah, I quote a lot of song lyrics too), ‘Memories filter through my mind. Pieces of my life frozen in time. Visible to anyone, but useless to anyone but me’. I just hope I can share some other experiences that might be of use to others.
I am the primary caretaker of my eighty nine year old Mom. I lost my Dad five years ago, along with my Brother in law and eventually my Mother in law. My son is getting married in a couple of months. My team is in the Super Bowl…again. My older posts usually focused on things that have happened in my life both good and bad. I’m sure in the coming months, I’ll have plenty to say about being a caregiver and the frustrations and all out nightmares come from that, but I’ll also write about those moments where she’s Mom again, just like I did with my Dad. I’m sure after my son is married, I’ll share all sorts of things about how amazing the wedding was and how I’m so excited for the both of them. I’ll probably share my thoughts on work, marriage, my faith, and whatever else comes to mind. Read at your own risk. It’s your choice.
Thanks for reading this far, and I hope you look forward, like I do, to many more posts coming soon.
Random Thoughts of an Ordinary Average Guy 