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I just bought some “big boy” dress pants and a jacket that make me feel like The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit. True, I am going for more of a “big boy” look than I have in the past. But the really exciting news is as I am closing in on turning 51 years old, I actually feel like a bona fide grown up man about 49% of the time now. And that is a personal record. But the other 51% seems to have the momentum today.
I am reminded of a perfect example for present day, my beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats. Currently we are preparing for the Final Four in Dallas, something that was expected before the season started and anything less would of been considered a failure. However, what happened after the season started and how the regular season ended you would called someone crazy if they thought this would come to fruition. The Wildcats hit a rut. They were immature, made poor decisions and didn’t play well (that is putting it lightly). They had succumbed to the pressure. Their talent was high but there performance was lackluster. They were in a funk. After an exhilarating win against LSU, UK dropped their next two games against non-tournament teams including a jaw-dropping loss to SEC bottom feeders South Carolina. To the fans, the season was over. Many gave up on the young Cats. Their on and off funk had taken over their season and it showed. Miraculously, the team entered SEC tournament play on a mission, prove everyone wrong. After a few “tweaks” the Cats blitzed their first two opponents and nearly knocked off the best team in the country, Florida. A month later and four big time victories later the Wildcats have gone wild and “shot” themselves out of their funk and are two games away from a National Championship, the school’s ninth. How did it happen? How did they get out of their funk? If you are in a funk, in any part of life here are three steps to “shooting” your way out of it: 1. Simplify don’t complicate Life is easier when you isolate a situation and simplify it versus throwing your hands up and over complicating it by letting your frustrations impact your decisions. Every situations has it’s own set of legs, do not let one frustration creep into other aspects of your life. Had the Cats let their turnover issues creep into their passing, the season would of been a loss. Thankful, with help, they isolated their problems and improved collectively. 2. Keep going The old saying goes, “if you are going through hell, keep going” applies here. It is easy to quit, it’s easy to let your funk get the best of you but you must keep going. Miss a day at the gym? Go back tomorrow. Slip up on your nutrition today? Eat better tomorrow. Life not go the way you planned? Keep pushing and never look back. 3. Be consistent If the shots are not falling, keep shooting until they start dropping. Consistency during a rut is key because your first reaction is to change something and sometimes drastically. Changes maybe necessary but you must evaluate each individually and game plan for what needs to change. UK is who they are, they haven’t changed. They have just changed their perception and the way they approach the game. It has worked. Nothing is perfect and nothing will go as planned. How we react to failure and frustration dictates our success pattern moving forward. Like the Wildcats have done, shoot your way out of a funk.
It seems that nearly everyone has a different opinion about what is and is not funny. One common definition is that “comedy equals tragedy plus time.” Another explains that “when I fall into a sewer, it’s bad, but when someone else falls in, it’s funny.” And you can find thousands of websites purpoting to explain why The Three Stooges are hilarious to men but not to women. Humor is frequently used as a coping mechanism, to release anxiety or to vent frustration (this explains the huge number of Jewish Mother jokes). And some of the most insightful comedians have used it to vent – think of George Carlin’s rant about the 7 words he couldn’t say on television, or Rita Rudner’s jokes about relationships (e.g., when she wanted to dump a guy, she just told him she wanted to have his baby, and “usually he would leave skidmarks”). But it can be touchy – what about when you’re dealing with highly sensitive or politicized issues? (Although I am still impressed by the first Saturday Night Live show after 9-11, when we all wondered when it would be okay to laugh again. After a moving tribute to New York’s first responders, producer Lorne Michaels asked Mayor Guiliani, “Is it okay to be funny?” and Guiliani responded, “Why start now?”, totally diffusing the tension and making laughter okay. I hope I can write a line that perfect someday!) Writing political humor frequently means tackling subjects that provoke strong feelings. Sure, every now and then completely neutral stories pop up like the crack-smoking Mayor of Toronto, or the scndal involving oh-so-aptly named Anthony Weiner. But it can be difficult to find humor in an issue that makes me angry – which is why it’s also so important. Laughing at a challenge makes it easier to deal with – even if that challenge involves not screaming at C-Span. Which explains the enormous popularity of programs like The Daily Show (not to mention the fact that it’s the primary news source for most millenials . . . ). Irvine, my home town, is in Orange County, which I like to think of as ‘the red state’ in the middle of California (in the ’60s and ’70s, there were even fewer Democrats than Jews . . . cue rim shot). But many of my uber-conservative high school classmates have seen my videos and will send me messages like “that was really funny, even though you’re totally wrong” or “cute song coming from a commie pinko.” So when I write my songs, I aim for a tone that even those who disagree with me could enjoy. Normally. (As my father used to say, “Moderation in all things – including moderation.) Sometimes it doesn’t work – and this week may be one of those times.
Get old! Just think about it, if you are young anyway. If you are already old, you may be on medication that affects your short term memory and be unable to think through a complete thought. If that is the case, just smile knowlingly, like we do with other things we don’t understand but don’t want others to know we don’t understand. It’s very important we older folks at least keep up appearances. Trust me on this one. In fact, if you remember nothing else from this “Thought for the day” post, please remember that part–too keep up appearances. In fact, write it down –especially if you are on medication that affects your short term memory– and leave it in a prominent place so you can see it often. === I am just overwhelmed with so many nice birthday wishes and kind comments and want to thank each of you for taking the time to say something to me on my birthday. But it all worked out –in fact, better than I could have ever hoped and despite concerns I would “nice my way” into oblivion. So if you are like me and worry you will always finish last or be viewed as weak or simply harmless, there is some truth to that–but only a little. And it gets better as you get older and people begin to prize pleasantness over posturing. So keep being nice anyway. Eventually a good woman will appreciate you and others people, also eventually, prefer working with nice people. And best of all are your birthdays on Facebook. For an entire day it will feel to you like “nice is the new black.” Don’t miss out by giving in to your inner-jerk. Stay nice. Get up close and personal to whales, icebergs and flying penguins…what’s not to love about an Antarctic zodiac ride? A certain highlight of any Antarctica expedition are the zodiac rides cruising between massive icebergs, having whales swim up to check you out and seeing the unexpected beauties of Antarctica. While the view from the ship is great and the landings incredible, the zodiac rides provide an opportunity to get close to key parts of the Antarctic ecosystem. .
. How often do you get to be in a boat that is dwarfed by an animal? Not just an animal, but a curious animal that wants to see what you’re all about? The sealife’s interest in the zodiacs is unforgettable, especially if you get to have a leopard seal try to eat your zodiak (it can’t, but that doesn’t stop them from taking a bite). .
Icebergs are beautiful from a distance, but stunning up close. Often I found myself just staring, mouth agape, at the array of colors, textures and angles of the icebergs. What my mind tells me should look like giant ice cubes are really so much more, acting as kaleidoscopes, coloring everything nearby. Read the rest of…
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