2015, you kinda sucked.

2015.  Let's be honest, you kinda sucked.

 In the first week, we had Uncle Harold's funeral.  That was closely followed by Aunt Win's, and Cousin Tom.  Wasn't a stellar start by anyone's standard.   Then, it was sad to say goodbye to one of our karaoke pals, Karen. Lastly, but effecting me most, my father's months of hospitalization and eventual passing.
  I'm writing this, to try and remind myself it wasn't all bad.  So much of it hurt, and still does.  I found myself changing.  My default went from a happy guy with sad moments; to a sad guy with happy moments.  Don't really like that.  Just have to keep reminding myself, that I'm surrounded by my wife, family and the most amazing circle of friends I could ask for.
   I recently heard Rick Springfield say that nothing is all good or all bad. It's both.  Sounds simplistic enough, but I'd never heard that before.

   So, here is me focusing on some of the cool things about 2015.

 - Leona's sister, twice & Jack Russell three times!
 - My wife and friends threw a fun 50th birthday for me where I actually played my harmonica while Carla sang!
- Surprise birthday party in a hotel outside of Chicago with Jack & Heather Russell, Robby Lochner, Tony Montana, Dicki Fliszar and Chris Tristram and a dozen or so of the rocking-est friends from the Pirates Page!
 - Vegas vacation with my wife and her family, and seeing my cousin Tina for the first time in over 25 years!
 - M3 Festival with 'road warriors' Marysia, Dave & Kim!
 - Family Fireworks!
 - Weird Al concert, complete with backstage meet & greet & photos. Loved buying Jim & Steve's music directly from them!
 - Other truly awesome and entertaining music concerts like...Beth Hart, Rick Springfield, Van Halen, Killer Dwarfs & Headstones!
 - Little Piece of Heaven Weekend with some of the best people I know!
 - I'm going to add my nephew Jeremy & my 'oddson' Nicholas to this list, as watching them grow into amazing kids is incredibly uplifting. Their parents are an inspiration!


  Of course I don't really know what 2016 will bring.  No ones does.  I guess I'm just hoping for less illness and death.  I'll take care of the positiveness.  I've got another M3 festival on tap, and I've got to help plan my mother-in-laws 90th birthday and my 10th wedding anniversary. That's positive.   ... and drop the mic right here...

Success at 50?

   So, today I turn 50.  Cool.  Feeling good.  In relatively good health.  I’ve surrounded myself with the most amazing group of friends & family I could ever imagine.  To me, they're truly cool and gifted people, from all different walks of life.   Authors, Chefs, Musicians, Educators, Drivers, Artists, Doctors, Nurses, Retirees, Sales Reps, Small Business Owners, Photographers, Ex-girlfriends, Childhood friends, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Nieces, Nephews, Actors, Managers, Co-Workers, to name a few examples …and even Facebook acquaintances from all over the world with something similar or compatible with me to keep life interesting and enrich my life.  People I love having in my circle of family & friends.  

  Growing up, I knew early on my focus was not going to be on a specific career path.  I’d learn skills of interest to me and apply them as I moved forward and evolved as a person.   Somehow I knew at an early age, for me personally, my focus would be elsewhere.  I wouldn’t be measuring my personal success against a specific line of work or income.  To me success would be something else completely. 

   Within the first year of leaving high school.  I’d introduced 2 separate sets of close friends that got   married (and still are to this day).  I thought that was pretty cool being the match-maker; I could do it for them, so I could do it for me.  But then years and years went by and I was still officially single.  The brief thought of ‘why wasn’t I married?’ had to leave my mind as quickly as it entered.  I had to realize pretty quickly that it’s different for everyone.  My father at 35 years of age, had a long-term/stable career and 6 kids; but that didn’t mean that was going to be me.  Growing up, most of us are taught, somewhere between parental guidance and peer pressure that; you go to school, when that’s done, you get a job, when that’s stable, you get a life partner, a place to live, maybe have kids, maybe not, and live happily-ish ever after.   In ‘the greatest generation’, that’s how we were brought up.

   Well, that sure ain’t set in stone!  Most of the people in my circle know that now, through their various and very personal life experiences.   To me, success was not going to be defined by the terms of my surroundings or even by society.  No, I would do that for myself.  

  Success to me, is to be happily employed.  Hold a decent job, for a decent wage, keep a good work ethic and leave most days with a certain level of ‘job satisfaction’, that I made a difference in that workday.    

   Success to me would also mean, I needed to have good relationships with my parents and siblings.  Not perfect, it rarely is, but good & civil.  My family is awesome and we get through what comes our collective way.  It's not always easy, but ya do it.   

  I also needed to surround myself with quality fun people with like-minded interests and values.  I’ve got the nuttiest wackiest group of friends, and I love ‘em!  They’re such a huge part of my life. 

   Most important of all, to me, success would mean a happy home life.   At the end of the day, a place to live and a partner to share my life with.  It's that simple.  My wife doesn't define me, she compliments me.  She still has her life with her friends, and I still have my life with my friends, and then we have our life with our friends.  It's really cool and it works. 

   So, reflecting on 50.  I haven't massed monetary wealth, but I'm perfectly ok with that.  My wealth, and yes to me it is wealth, is my circle of family, my wife and my friends.  They rock!  Amazing people that help and encourage me on this wild ride of life experiences.  Moving forward through life’s ongoing challenges (and ya gotta keep moving forward).  I'm lucky and blessed to have them in my life; and THAT makes me feel damn successful!