My attitude? Pretty simple. Don’t take life too seriously and everything else falls into place.
I always make time for those close to me and consider myself lucky for what I have. My family always comes first.
My job is easy as long as I keep everything simple and trust my instincts and common sense. I try to treat people the way I feel I should be treated. Most of all, I am thankful that I come home after each shift and not get shot at or hurt.
And everytime I come home, the first thing I do is hold my wife and kid. Then you go on to the next day.
ChiefScott, I need to add one thing. I know what you do, and how hard it must be, after all, I was raised in the military. I, along with many on this board, recognize and appreciate all that you, and others like you, do to keep us all safe and free. Thank you very much!
You sing in my consciousness like a counterpoint to my life.
L.L.
That’s my name, not a description. I am neither purple nor a bear. Okay, so I’m purple.<a true Wally original!>
If you can accept this one simple truth, it will be easier to deal with the fact that life isn’t always a joyride.
More and more people are lead to belive that life is all about happiness and good times. This results in a lot of depressed people because life is a bitch, and they have in effect been set up for an unpleasant suprise when it’s not.
If one can hope and work for the best but be prepared for and expect the worst than all suprises will be pleasant.
No one seems to want to accept responsibility for their own happiness, everyone is so eager to point the finger at someone else or something as the reason for their discontent.
I don’t think that everyone should start out depressed, I do think that people should accept the things they have control over and cope with the things they can’t and find a little calm.
If I had to sum all this up, I couldn’t do it any better than Buddha did…
Life is suffering.
And that pretty much sums it up, for me.
“Winners never quit and quitters never win, but those who never win and never quit are idiots.”
When I was active duty I felt exactly as Chief does. (except the sex part, being a landlubber). Now that I’m retired, I look back on that period with pride and satisfaction.
My basic philosophy is Hold on to what really is important, and don’t sweat the small stuff. And it’s all small stuff.
Life’s too short to be grumpy.
Also, nowhere is it written that you
must go through life alone.
You’ve got two hands; One is to hold out to the Man up there, and the other is to hold out to others.
VB
Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well.
Since there seem to be a fair number of the depressed TMs out there, I thought you guys might fancy a good John Cusack quote: “When your born depressed, everything else is just a pleasent surprise.” - Say Anything. I LIVED by that in High School.
I try to have something to look forward to every day, in a small routine kind of way. For example, on Fridays I like to buy a fish we haven’t tried and cook it and eat it while watching Dinner and a Movie on TBS. Meet my best friend for lunch once a month. Do something especially fun with my daughter on Sunday afternoons. I like routine, I don’t like chaos any more. Find something to enjoy every day. Also - bad things happen, and so far I have lived thru those bad things. I am always aware, however, that in doing so, I have dodged another bullet. There is a bullet out there with my name on it, yes, there is a safe that is going to fall out of a building directly onto my head, and time is running out. But so far I have only been slightly nicked by the metaphorical bullets . I would guess I am about halfway down the long and winding road, so I will try to enjoy life and be a good mother and all that, because what else would I have when I come to the end of that road? Relax, find joy in life, try to do the right things, and be glad every day you have dodged another bullet.
BTW, you people have given such wonderful wonderful answers! I love reading this stuff, you are all very eloquent and deep!