Thinking Out Loud, Volulme CCCXLVI

I would like to have more money. Have you ever looked at your bank balance and said, "Okay, this is all I want?" Probably not. I make a modest living, but to be honest, there are some nicer things we would like to have that we just can't quite afford. However, when I talk to the people who have those nicer things, they're saying the same thing I'm saying. We always want just a little bit more. Here's why I think we're never quite satisfied: It has to do with that phrase, "just a little bit more." Think about it. It has no end. We've never made "just a little bit more." We've never loved "just a little bit more." We've never given "just a little bit more." "A little bit more" is something we never quite attain. That's because when we make a little bit more and we're asked if we still have the need for a little bit more, the answer is always, "Yes." The richest among us still crave for "a little bit more." Why aren't we ever fully satisfied? Sometimes I wonder if humans are the only creatures who have this void that seems impossible to fill, or if other cultures within the human race have the same issues. Think about the drug addict, for example. Whatever it takes to attain his "high" will not be enough the next time. The same is true for the porn addict. Whatever he views this time won't be enough next time. Is one tattoo enough or do you always want just one more little one? How much jewelry does it take to completely satisfy one person? When the speed limit is seventy, we drive seventy-five; then they raise it to seventy-five, and we drive eighty. Will our leaders in government ever achieve as much power as they crave? What will it take to make us happy? Are you happy now? If you are, is it possible for you to be happier? If it is possible, what will it take to get you there? If you could achieve whatever it would take to get you to that point, would you then be totally satisfied? I wonder if God would say to me, "I'll give you twenty-four hours to give me a list of what it would take to make you completely satisfied, and I'll grant your desires," would I in one week be regretting some things that I left off that list? Maybe God placed within us an unfillable void so that we would always have the urge to progress and move closer and closer to Him, but instead we have perverted it and used it for our own selfish lusts. It's just a thought. I'm convinced that none of us will ever attain pure satisfaction while living on this earth. However, if I channel all my unfulfilled cravings toward Him, I'll someday hear the pearly gates click shut behind me, and at that point, complete happiness will finally be mine. Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXLV

Have you ever heard the old cliche', "Like father, like son," or "Like mother, like daughter?" Have you ever looked around and observed just how accurate those phrases are? Think about it. If Dad is a cowboy, chances are, the son will be a cowboy; if Mom loves to shop, chances are, the daughter will love to shop. That can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing. Today I want to focus on one aspect of that old saying. If Mom and Dad grow up in poverty, chances are, the kids will do the same. I'm of the opinion that if we want to eradicate poverty, we have to start with young children, with the understanding that it will take a generation to begin seeing results. I believe much of it depends on the expectations that parents have for their children. Although colleges and universities have been around for centuries, it has just been in recent years that the percentages of students who attend them have risen to the levels they are today, especially in the more rural areas of our country. As a matter of fact, during the period of time that my parents grew up, not many in their area even received a high school diploma. Neither my dad nor my mom had a high school education. Looking back at my ancestral up line, as far as I know, my generation was the first ones to attain college degrees. I now have two adult children, both of whom have university degrees, but I never thought for one second that they wouldn't...it's what I expected of them. The children of educated parents are highly more likely to receive a degree than those from uneducated parents. What about those who live in poverty, depending on the government for survival? More than likely, the majority of them will grow up the same way, mainly because it's the only life they know. Until we figure out a way to intervene in the lives of these children so that we can teach them that EACH ONE of them can have a better life, that cycle will never be broken. That will be a major undertaking, due to the fact that a child's home life has the biggest impact on his/her future. Every parent who loves his children will want to see them become more successful than he has been, and in the cases where that wish comes true, those children were taught basic work ethics and the basic principle "Where there's a will, there's a way." It disturbs me when I hear school teachers talk about some of their students, and the type of atmosphere they have in their homes. All I can do is shake my head and say, "Those kids don't have a chance at life." And the trouble is, when they grow up, their kids will be in the same boat...just one big vicious cycle. I wish I could tell you that I have the answer, but I'd be lying. However, I'm thoroughly convinced that more government handouts are not the answer. In fact, in my opinion, that's part of the problem. Since today we seem to be stuck on using old cliche's, let's end with this one: "There ain't no free lunch." Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXLIV

She was a beautiful lady. As a matter of fact, she still is. With some of my friends, I can still remember the day we met, especially if there was some type of unusual circumstance associated with that meeting, and others I don't recall at all. With her, that circumstance was there, so I remember it. We ended up with adjoining booths at a trade show and on that first morning of the show, we had introduced ourselves and then each of us went back to work. She then received a call from her husband and walked out of the area for the conversation. She came back just minutes later with tears in her eyes, and said to me, "I have to go home." There had been a tragedy back home, and a family member was not expected to survive the next twenty-four hours. I still recall how my heart went out to her as she packed up and started out on that long seven hour trip back home. In the three or four years after that first meeting, I would see her at various trade shows about four times a year, and although we never became close friends, I guess you could say we were friendly acquaintances, never having more than five to ten minute conversations at a time. Then our paths went different directions, and I never saw her again....until yesterday. As in the old days, it was at a trade show. I was sitting in my booth when she walked by. I looked up, and we recognized each other at the same time. She stopped for a chat, and we had our normal five minute conversation before she moved on. So, what's the big deal? Why is this worth talking about? Well, it has to do with what was going on in my mind during our brief dialogue. I hope it wasn't apparent that I was somewhat distracted while we were talking, but I definitely was. It was light conversation, mainly about business, but when we had been chatting about a minute, the thought occurred to me that if I had just been meeting her for the first time, I would view her as an older woman. My next thought was that if we hadn't gone a few years without seeing each other, I wouldn't have noticed how much she had aged. I have no doubt whatsoever that she had the same type thoughts about me, but I don't notice it so much on myself, because I look in the mirror every day and gradual changes are not as noticeable. The thing that gets my attention the most is when I look at a picture of myself from about ten years ago and see how much younger I looked back then, but it's easier to accept anything as long as it's brought about on a gradual basis. I'm not gonna mention my friend's name for obvious reasons, but I have to wonder if those changes in her that I saw are as obvious to her as they were to me. Now, please refer back to the first two sentences of this article. I always viewed her as a very attractive lady, but here we are years later and I still do. That may have something to do with the fact that as my body has gradually aged over the years, my tastes have too. One of the main things about my wife that attracted me to her when we first met forty-two years ago was her beauty, but I've seen her most every day since then. I feel certain that she has aged over the years just like I have, but if she has, I haven't noticed. Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXLIII

Today's article is as much a conversation with myself as it is a message to others. I guess you could say I'm "Thinking Out Loud." It's just that I have a decision to make, and the time to do so is now. Although this is being written specifically for today, and will give the impression that I'm writing it the same day that you're reading it, in actuality, it was written more than two weeks ago. They say you're not supposed to shop for groceries when you're hungry, and you shouldn't discipline your children or have family discussions when you're angry; so if that's true, I probably should not try to make decisions about physical activity while I'm sick...like I am at the time of this writing. I have severe sinus congestion and a sore throat, and all I want to do stay in my recliner, so the thought of any type of physical activity sounds horrible to me right now. Back to the present: Hopefully I'm feeling better by now, and I'm excited about the fact that we're about to board a plane to Chicago for a fun-filled weekend with friends and family. We do this on a regular basis, and it's always so much fun spending time with people that I love, but it's the primary purpose of the trip that's putting me in this decision-making mode. We're going to run a marathon (26.2 miles). Here's my dilemma: I just don't know how many more marathons I want to run. First of all, I'm not even considering quitting running or discontinuing these trips...that's all a part of who I am and what I love. I've told you before that there will probably come a day when I'll decide to cut back to half marathons (13.1 miles), and I think that time may be now. When Mark Twain was born, Halley's Comet was making its appearance, and he once said "I rode in on Halley's Comet, and when it comes back, I'll ride out on it." That turned out to be a true statement. My first full marathon was Chicago, and it just seems fitting that it also be my last. It's amazing to watch people and their range of emotions as they cross the finish line of their first marathon, with many of them bursting into tears. I can only say that I felt a mixture of pure elation and touch of disappointment because, although my wife and a few friends were in the crowd watching for me, there were so many runners crossing the line at the same time, they couldn't pick me out of the crowd and didn't see me finish. The elation came because I had accomplished a goal that I once thought was out of reach. I no longer had to wonder, "Can I do it?"....I had done it! Since then, it has been an awesome ride. This journey has taken me to places such as Nashville, Washington, DC, Dallas, New Orleans, Jackson, Mobile, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis/St. Paul....and some of these cities multiple times. If I count half marathons, I can also add Ft. Worth, Oklahoma City, and Portland, Maine. As I look forward to next spring, I see half marathon trips to Little Rock, Arkansas and Fargo, North Dakota. Training for and running a full marathon is a commitment, and it's something you have to WANT to do....because you have the desire and weren't just talked into it by someone else. Who knows? I may change my mind a dozen times over the next few years, but as of now, this Sunday will be my last one. I no longer have that desire. Preston