It’s Tuesday and Thanksgiving is almost here. I just delivered my annual turkey load to the food bank (207lbs thank you). I started reflecting on the past year and the changes that occurred and got to thinking about my life. I try not to reflect on my life too much because it just depresses me. Then I looked around the food bank and the nearby homeless shelter and realized how ridiculous I can be. Sticking with the theme of self-reflection I decided to take stock of my life and look for ways to improve and areas to be thankful. When I write I can be wordy and wandering and sometimes get off topic. So I’m approaching it like a college entrance application. The assignment is to describe your life and accomplishments in 500 words or less. This is far easier as an eighteen year old than at fifty one, but it’s still worth the effort. Feel free to play along. Post yours in the response area (if you dare) or share them with your friends (true courage).
In the thirty years of my adult working life I’ve had eleven jobs that lasted at least two or more years. Those jobs were in five different career areas; sales, law enforcement, state government, the insurance industry and marketing. I’ve worked for minimum wage (or close to it) and if I’m honest with myself I’ve actually been overpaid for my performance at least twice. Since I’m being honest, I’ve also been under paid for my performance about four times. It all balances out though, so I’ve given good value. If I were a car I’d be either a station wagon or an SUV. I’m kinda slow, not really pretty, a bit of a rough ride and good for the long haul.
My personal philosophy breaks down into “there are X kinds of people in the world”. For instance there are two kinds of people in the world, dog people (me) or cat people. I also believe that there are three kinds of people in the world “wolves, sheep and sheep dogs (me). My final philosophy states that there are two kinds of people in the world, those who listen to me and those who are doing it wrong (I’m only half kidding here).
Politically I’d say I’m a Demoliberapublican. I believe in personal responsibility and accountability. I think government should be fiscally responsible (there IS more government waste than you can imagine), but provide for the general welfare while simultaneously allowing for certain individual freedoms. That’s not asking too much from our elected officials, is it?
It was only since my son was born that I realized I wanted to give back to the community (or something like that). So, I volunteer in the community when I can and contribute monetarily as my resources permit. I coached youth sports in Tallahassee for eight years, volunteered at my son’s elementary school for four years and now I’m a volunteer firefighter. I also participate in one time volunteer service activities such as feeding those in need during the holiday season and supplying Christmas gifts to less fortunate families.
But what have I really accomplished? That’s a tough question, which I’ll answer broadly. I believe I provided a positive adult role model to kids through my coaching. In my friendships and romantic relationships I’ve given as much or more than I’ve received. I developed the framework and rules for the Attorney General’s Office to fight price gouging in Florida during periods of disaster. I worked hard to instill in my son a strong moral code and high ethical standard for him to build his life on. I rescued two dogs from the shelter, but I believe they’ve given me more than I’ve given them. Finally, I’ve matured as a man and continue to strive in my life without compromising my ethics and principles.
How about you?
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