Life

First of all, I feel this blog needs a bit of an introduction... I could have just as easily written an angry blog, spilling out all of my frustrations with people and society, but what good would that have done? No one would care to read it, and most would probably disagree with what I had to say anyway. Instead, I'll reflect on what I've learned today. I had what seemed like a terrible morning, and then spent a good hour thinking, and this is what I've come up with. Hopefully some of this can help you too:

I was having a bad day today, for reasons I don't feel like listing here, so I open up iTunes as I always do when I need a quick pick-me-up. I was feeling as if nothing was going right for me today when, by chance, this song started playing:

Turn on the tube and what do I see
A whole lotta people cryin' don't blame me
They point their crooked little fingers at everybody else
Spend all their time feelin' sorry for themselves
Victim of this, victim of that
Your momma's too thin, your daddy's too fat
Get over it
Get over it
All this whinin' and cryin' and pitchin' a fight
Get over it, get over it

- Get Over It The Eagles

It makes me realize what a great life I really have. Sure some people suck and piss me off and do terrible things, seemingly to only piss me off, but I have a lot to be grateful for. I get lonely sometimes or depressed or stressed, and start to feel sorry for myself. The truth is that it doesn't help anything.
Sometimes we all just need to put things in perspective. I know I'm not the only person who feels this way from time to time, but it doesn't make me feel any better about it. I feel guilty for feeling bad for myself, when I have so much to live for. I hate to get too sentimental, but there are some people in this world with nothing, and even more people with less than me. I live in a wealthy suburban New Jersey town. I have a loving family and great friends. While I get upset and aggrevated sometimes, my life for the most part is pretty damn good.

"Few players recall big pots they have won, strange as it seems, but every player can remember with remarkable accuracy the outstanding tough beats of his career"

- Rounders, 1998

I know this quote is in reference to the game of poker, but sometimes that's how life is. Sometimes only the really bad things stand out in life, while the good is suppressed. Today I realized how pointless some things are in the grand scheme of life. From now on I'm going to try my hardest to let those happier times shine through and instead suppress the bad.
I've learned to be more reserved. I've learned not to try to be everyone's friend. I've learned not to trust everyone. I've also learned, however, that it's important to be able to trust some people and to not just give up. After all (another Rounders quote), "You can't lose what you don't put in the middle. But you can't win much either." You've either got to put it all out there or keep everything to yourself, but whatever you do, make the decision carefully.

I've always been the kind of person who enjoys a good quote. As Derek in American History X says, "someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong." Thank you for reading this, it was as much for me to express myself as it was for anyone else to read and enjoy. Going along with this, I'll end my blog with another great quote:

"So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned - my conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it."

- American History X, 1998