Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLXXIX

Here's my life's story. It's not actually an accurate account of my life, but if things had always gone the way I wanted them to go, this is how it would sound:  Once upon a time down in Alexandria, Louisiana, a handsome little prince was born. He was, without a doubt, the most fortunate child in all of history, since he breezed through an entire lifetime without ever having to face any type of adversity. He always stayed physically fit, yet he never had to exert himself in any way. He never had to experience pain, hurt feelings, sleepless nights due to worry, or the humiliation of losing any game he ever played. His pockets constantly contained an abundance of cash, yet he only worked when he wanted to work, and stayed home whenever he felt like it. His children were just like him, as they were always well behaved and polite. He was loved by everyone he met, and was never misunderstood by anyone. Stress was a foreign word to him, while coffee and donuts were perpetually at his fingertips. Everything in his entire life went exactly according to plan until it was time to tell his life's story, and that's when he realized he had the dullest, most boring story ever told.  The End. Adversity, imperfection, storms, and heartache are all necessary evils that enhance our lives' stories, and without them our stories would be just like the story I told to open this article...dull and boring.  I could be of no help to you nor anyone else if my story was actually like the inaccurate account I gave in the first paragraph, since no one would care to hear any of my advice if I didn't have some experience under my belt that I could share. Yes, we know it's the hard times that shape us and make us what we are, and though we are aware that we need them, we never want them to come our way right now. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we could schedule our troubled times for a specific time and place?  I don't think I would like that, because I would spend what were supposed to be my good, happy times worrying about the hard times on my schedule. In poll after poll, when Americans are asked who was the best President ever, the answer is almost always the same....Abraham Lincoln. If ever there was a man with a story to tell, it was Abraham Lincoln, but it surely would not be about his easy, carefree life. He was an individual who faced real adversity, defeat, and personal loss for much of his entire life. He was hated by many, and had to learn to live with the proverbial target on his back. His multitude of problems and how he dealt with them are what made him great, making him a prime example of the fact that it's not the good times that build character. I love to watch my grandson play ball, and I pull for his team to win every game they play, but they need to lose sometime so they can learn the valuable lesson of coping with defeat. If there's one thing I hate, it's having an unhappy customer, yet they have taught me some important principles concerning my career.  None of us enjoy trouble, but it's trouble that makes us who we are and teaches us to succeed in life, so, if that's the case, I guess we should welcome hard times.....we just don't want them today. Preston