Thursday, April 5, 2012

Off Season Post 32: DP Thinks Real Hard About Stuff




Hello, Readers.  Welcome back to the day before Good Friday.  It’s incredibly narrow of me to assume that all of you reading this are Christians; however, I’d imagine that the majority of you have some sort of plans for the big Easter weekend even if they revolve around the secular aspect of the holiday.  I sincerely hope the Easter Bunny brings you what you wish for this year.  For me, that’s a tax return now that I failed to procure one of the winning Mega Millions tickets last week.  My room for wallowing in denial is quickly narrowing as tax day approaches and I’ll be forced to dust off the W-2’s and other tax related documents that have been staring at me intently from my kitchen counter for the past three months. 


As I’ve told you in the past, I’ve been running and biking a lot more lately and I’m happy to report that the pain of every sports injury I ever suffered has receded to a manageable level.  In short, the running and biking is no longer an exercise in misery and I’m able to drift off into to dark vicissitudes that wrestle within my subconscious rather then concentrating on the aches and pains.  I’m thankful for that and I feel lucky each time I hit the trial. 


Because of my new found reflection time, Some Guy has been in an introspective mood this week and I’ve taken to jotting down some of the thoughts running around in my head.  Below is a list of the ones I felt were worth sharing.  It’s nice to dust off that Philosophy Minor I earned in undergrad.  My thought is not to share my own “wisdom;” rather, I’m hopeful that by reading these things below that you’ll take some time to put yourself in whatever creates your own reflective state and perhaps come up with a few of your own.  Share them in the comment section if you feel so inclined. 


“The unexamined life is not worth living,” said Socrates.  I believe he also said, “I drank what?”  Nothing like a little philosophy humor to kick off the post.  Here's a picture of me thinking.   


Let’s get to it. 


THINGS I’VE LEARNED


  1. It’s never too early for candy.

  1. True love actually does exist

  1. There are many different types of ponytails

  1. We all have the ability to permanently change another person’s life in an instant

  1. Family matters

  1. Bars with saddle stools and canned beer are worth going to

  1. Hugs feel really good all over

  1. It is not necessary to have a really large door knocker because a small one works

  1. Sometimes it’s ok to let someone park in your space

  1. It’s fun to be happy

  1. There are many things worth working and waiting for

  1. Complicated doesn’t mean impossible

  1. $12 water tastes just like free water

  1. Bad service at a restaurant can be just as fun as good service

  1. Sleep is optional if you love being with someone

  1. Silences do not have to be uncomfortable

  1. The world is nice and peaceful from 4am until dawn

  1. Sharks are pretty

  1. Aquaphor works on chapped lips

  1. Staring at the ocean will never make the waves stop

  1. You have to eat a lot to stay fat

  1. Flowers smell nice even if you’re a man

  1. It’s normal to feel really sad sometimes

  1. It’s not normal to feel really sad all the time

  1. Children are the same no matter where they are from

  1. Old blue jeans are the sexiest thing a woman can wear

  1. Driving a nice car can’t change the person driving it

  1. Simple is better

  1. Beer bottles are good listeners but do very little in the way of solving problems

  1. Money is very useful but the stuff you buy with it usually isn’t

  1. Inside every person is a frightened child hiding in the dark

  1. Chicago will likely always have at least one horrible sports team

  1. The louder an angry person yells the less likely he is to be heard

  1. An education is perhaps life’s greatest advantage

  1. Becoming a football coach can turn a man into an instant as*hole

  1. Infidelity in any context is always more complicated than it appears

  1. Being really nice to people makes people be nice back

  1. Skipping meals to save money for food is a bad idea

  1. The Texas Hill Country is a beautiful place to be

  1. No matter which way it’s sliced, Justin Bieber’s music really sucks

  1. Even people who deserve to be belittled don’t deserve to be belittled

  1. Some people are really mean
   43. There is nothing that is more pure and genuine than the laughter of children


  1. Naps are good but being lazy isn’t

  1. A woman’s attention to detail can be as refreshing as it is annoying

  1. Rob Lowe has been good looking since 1980 and will continue to remain that way

  1. Even Oprah is often full of sh*t

  1. It is far more valuable to know what you don’t know than to flaunt what you do

  1. You will never be able to patch all of the holes you punch in your life

  1. Complacency is a sponge

Well, there it is.  I hope some of these sparked some good thoughts.  Have a wonderful and Happy Easter!  In the mean time, if you need me I’ll be reflecting upon the duality of my character.  DP

25 comments:

  1. Oh DP. Your list is the balance that I love. I especially connected with the children ones and "simple is better". Here is one I will add: Being grateful turns the bad to good.

    Justin Beiber...I don't get it. I sort of get Jason Aldean though...but I am not from Texas so go easy. :)
    ~Cariss

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  2. I adore the off seasons!!

    One I live by: Expectations are preconceived resentments.

    Have a wonderul Easter!

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  3. You reminded me ... I put some candy in my desk drawer earlier this week. Yay!!!

    And Rob Lowe. sigh. Right on.

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  4. Thanks DP, I enjoyed all the children ones as well. Being a mom I think there are times we don't stop and really enjoy what they have to offer.
    I will add: I am making some changes in my life and if you don't hear from me that means you're one of them.
    Happy Easter, I hope you find yourslef in a church pew on Sunday. Kim in NV

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  5. It's good to see some regulars weigh in. DP

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  6. Great list! Lol at the 4th and 7th 29, the 2nd 39, and the 3rd 44! But I disagree with 13...there is some free water out there that has a taste to it. Water should never taste.
    Oh, and I thought 26 was a sundress and cowboy boots or something. I think you've said that before :)
    Happy Easter, DP!

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  7. Great list and I have to say I agree with all of it, especially Rob Lowe! Thanks for a great off season blog.

    Happy Easter!

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  8. hartamber, I need a freaking abacus to figure out your comment! My numbering is jacked up for some odd reason now and it wasn't when I posted. Very odd. Liana, I'm still waiting on an email about your latest trip. Why am I not surprised that you focused on the Rob Lowe comment? Sigh... DP

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  9. I was beginning to wonder where you were for this week, I love the off season posts. Yes, yes to #1 its one of the main food groups. Definite to #2, I do believe. Yet i liked them all. Thank you and Happy Easter...

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  10. Watch the Justin B. movie. It will help you gain new perspective. I watched it with my daughter and he's an awesome kid. There's more to life than Elvis. Baby, baby, baby...oooooh! Even Babyface is on board. I know that your old school, but broaden your horizons!

    -MH

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  11. Oh and buy the way....you forgot one of our all time favorites:

    It's not the car you drive, but the size of the arm you hang out the window.

    -MH

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  12. MH, that is indeed a classic. It was certainly true in college when you drove the geo metro. Nice work! DP

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  13. The laughter of a child really is one of the best things in the world.

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  14. It IS fun to be happy, and if you can be on a patio laughing with friends and The Purple Cowboy (wine) --fun and happiness are just about guaranteed. Happy Easter!

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  15. I do love the purple cowboy, Mary. Happy Easter! DP

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  16. This was a great compilation and I always enjoy your off-season posts. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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  17. Thanks DP, this list provided much needed perspective and reflection during a difficult week. Happy Easter!
    Ann in Denver

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  18. By the way, although I really enjoyed your random thoughts, I forgot to mention that I found the picture of you "thinking" hilarious. I loved the whole Billy Hayes/Private Joker/Gandhi pose of you in a field of bluebonnets attempting to channel your inner thoughts. Like I said, I enjoyed the random thoughts that you posted this week, so it must have worked. Looking forward to this week's post. Until then, a couple of quotes that I can see running through your head when I look at you meditating in the patch of bluebonnets:

    "Anger is never without an argument, but seldom with a good one." ~Indira Gandhi

    "You think you're Mickey Spillane? You think you're some kind of a writer?" ~ Sgt. Hartman

    "Sir, I wrote for my high school newspaper, sir!" ~ Private Joker

    "What is a crime? What is punishment? It seems to vary from time to time and place to place. What's legal today is suddenly illegal tomorrow because society says it's so, and what's illegal yesterday is suddenly legal because everybody's doin' it, and you can't put everybody in jail. I'm not saying this is right or wrong. I'm just saying that's the way it is."
    ~ Billy Hayes

    Apna khayal rakhna (take care),
    -MH

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  19. I often read your columns (your Bach recaps are the best!), but have never commented. Love your posts, thanks for taking the time to write!

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  20. Delightful. Thank you for sharing. Lass

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  21. Hi DP,
    There's a song by an old Athens, Georgia, band "Love Tractor" called "Fun to be Happy."
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtVAoLirA0Q
    This version has a little annoying start but is OK in a few seconds. Check it out.
    Best,
    Clare 2

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  22. Great list. I really enjoyed it. I actually jotted down a note to buy some Aquaphor bc my lips are extremely chapped and nothing is helping. Thanks.

    I'll add: The harder you work, the luckier you get.
    Pressing the snooze button 3 times will only make you feel 3 times worse when you get up.
    The sexiest thing a man can do is be a good dad.

    Looking forward to your recaps of the Bachelorette!
    Maureen in PA

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  23. 1. That reads like a Pinterest Board....in a good way.

    2. Somebody's in love.

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  24. I have to say "ditto" about Rob Lowe and about Children's Laughter...and to add it is the sweetest sound in the world. I have to chime in that you have to try a few other Justin Bieber songs. Go to youtube.com and listen to his acapella version of "One Time" - it may really surprise you.
    Please let me add a couple of my own philosophies:
    1) Don't ever say that you would "never" do something. You may find yourself doing that exact thing later on in life.
    2)It is easier to lift 10 pound freeweights for 10 minutes a day, than to carry those same 10 pounds of bodyfat on your body 24/7.
    3)What I know for sure about God and the Universe is that I really don't know anything and I likely never will.

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