The Procrastinator
When it comes to getting things done, I’m one of those who believe in the adage “let’s leave for tomorrow what doesn’t have to be done today!” Throughout my school years, I would wait until the last minute before working on assignments. I think it’s because I work better under pressure. As a teen, one of my weekly chores was to cut the grass every Saturday but my father still thought it necessary to remind me to get out and do it. There was many a time I’d be lounging around on a Saturday and would hear the lawnmower starting up. This was my father’s way of dropping a hint. My dad was military and when he wanted something done it meant doing it NOW, not when you wanted to.
You’d think that my upbringing in a military family would have influenced me differently but basically I’m a lazy person and it takes a lot to get me motivated. Maybe it’s a form of rebellion - my story and I’m sticking to it! At my age, I know that I should be doing more exercise but the way I look at it, I’m in pretty good shape (for the shape I’m in). And, being stuck in some form of regimen would bore me - see, there’s the rebellion to military influence again!
In four weeks time, I’ll be off to the Dominican Republic for a holiday. I think the reason I love this place so much is because in the DR when someone says they’ll do something “tomorrow” that could mean anytime in the next week or so! I know I need to get out and buy some gifts for the boys I sponsor in the DR but will probably end up doing this at the last minute. Hell, there’s no “probably” about it - I KNOW it will be the last minute.
At the very least, I can say that I eventually get things done. For example, my spring cleaning was completed this fall! Those things that have a deadline (like paying bills, filing taxes etc) get done on time. Other things get done when I have the time.
I’ve been this way all my life and I doubt very much if I could change or even if I want to. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!
that’s the way I see it.
Memory Lane
Months ago my friend Eileen started a project – a scrapbook containing photos of family as they grew up and events in her life that she could send to her mother in England. It started out simple enough, but nothing is ever simple with Eileen and the scrapbook grew and grew to the point that by the time she finally finished, it weighed several pounds and sending it to her mother in England cost over $300!
This scrapbook that details the lives of her children, her grandchildren and several vacations is the most amazing thing I’ve seen because Eileen is not only creative, but obsessive to detail. Her mother was ecstatic on receiving it and several other members of her family have been round to marvel at the scrapbook that is now becoming famous! I wish I had the talent and patience to be able to do something as unique.
Instead, I’ve decided to start a weekly posting on this blog that will be dedicated to “a trip down memory lane” in which I will write about the many memories cluttering this old fart’s brain!
We all have memories. Some people are better at remembering things from long ago. Still others, because of bad experiences, suppress their childhood memories. The memories of my early childhood are now mostly forgotten or are very vague in detail and are mostly only recalled when triggered by an event or someone saying something that brings the memory back to life. Or when one of them “deja vu” instances occur. I’ve had a few of those in my time, when you’re doing something, or being somewhere and it all seems vaguely familiar. Of course, I could be just having one of them “senior’s moments,” better described as “oldtimer’s disease.”
In any event, I hope you’ll enjoy taking this trip down memory lane with me every week and perhaps this will trigger some unforgotten memory in your past.
that’s the way I see it.
Beer & Taxes
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7
The eighth would pay $12
The ninth would pay $18
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59
So, that’s what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. “Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.” Drinks for the ten now cost just $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers?
How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his “fair share?” They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each would pay.
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings)
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings)
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings)
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings)
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings)
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings)
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
“I only got a dollar out of the $20” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!”
“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I.”
“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two?” The wealthy get all the breaks!”
“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four in unison. “We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!”
The nine men surround the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man (the richest) didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
that’s the way I see it.
It Didn’t Take Long
When it comes to Christmas, I am NOT a Scrooge. But, there are some things about this time of year that really annoy me. It’s as if the stores couldn’t wait for Halloween to be over before the Christmas decorations started to appear. This past weekend in Kanata (a suburb of Ottawa), there was a Santa parade! Christmas ads are starting to appear on TV. I still haven’t heard a Christmas song on the radio, but I’m sure it won’t be long. As a final bit of icing on the Christmas cake, our staff Christmas party will be held on November 23rd.
Reading some blogs, some people are in a panic because they haven’t started their Christmas shopping yet. May I point out that there IS plenty of time left. My friend Eileen is one of those who shops early. In fact, she shops all year long. She even has a closet at home dedicated to Christmas gifts. I think she panics when she can still open the closet door and see some space!
What would Christmas be if it weren’t for wives and mothers? If left to us guys I’m sure it would be a mad panic on December 24th. I don’t know too many guys that actually do the shopping. On Christmas morning, whatever the kids get is as much a surprise for Dad!
Whether you shop early or wait until the last minute, this year we should all do one thing - leave the credit cards at home!
that’s the way I see it.
Imagine That!
Now that the election is finally over in the US, there’s one thing that was confusing me and that was concerning the time there is between the election and the inauguration in January. Here in Canada, and in most other countries, the person who wins assumes office the day following the election.
What I found out is very interesting and I wonder how many people actually know this fact:
When Obama won on November 4 he did not become the President-elect as so many are calling him. He actually became the President-designate. He doesn’t become the President-elect until after December 15 when the Electoral College actually votes for the President. Then on January 20 he becomes President.
American politics is very confusing!
On another matter, I received two awards this week that I would like to acknowledge:
from Communication Exchange:
from Signesays
“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”
Thanks! It’s very much appreciated.
that’s the way I see it.
Who is to Blame?
A young boy of 15 has an argument with his parents when they take his X-Box away because of the excessive amount of time he spends playing video games. On Thanksgiving Day in Canada (Oct 13) he runs away from home. Three weeks later, his body is found. At this point, foul play is not suspected.
This unfortunate incident once again raises the issue over the influence that video games, TV programs, movies, music etc have on people, particularly young people. When I was growing up, we didn’t have video games or computers. But we did have TV and comic books. Talk about violence - wow! Poor Bugs Bunny was forever having to fight off Elmer Fudd and Wylie Coyote is still trying to get the RoadRunner! I used to watch these and I don’t think I was adversely affected by the experience. Even when going out and playing “cowboys and Indians” it never occurred to me that one of my friends would ever decide to use a real gun!
I’m not trying to make light of the situation. The point I want to make is that I think the blame is misdirected. Watching violent movies, playing violent video games, listening to certain types of music is NOT, in my opinion, the main reason why some people react the way they do. There are more underlying reasons - a bad home environment, peer pressure etc.
Kids who have parents that take an active interest in what their kids are doing, who they are mixing with and ensuring that their spare time offers more than just watching TV, playing video games etc won’t be influenced by violent movies or video games.
that’s the way I see it.
What’s Your Passion?
Interesting question, isn’t it? Your “passion” could be a love for something (music, food, pets) or a desire to do something (sing, dance, climb a mountain) or even a cause that you believe in. But, the fact is, we all need something to be passionate about. Without it, we end up going day by day not thinking about why we do the things we do or not being sure what really excites us anymore.
When I was younger, it was commonplace for people to take a year off after finishing school to travel or do nothing that might be considered constructive in an effort “to find yourself.” I wondered what exactly that meant because I never considered myself “lost.” To me, they were just dropping out! But, what they needed was a purpose - something to get them excited. It wasn’t until I’d been working for about 10 years, that I decided to take a year off “to find myself.”
Whether I eventually did or not is open to debate, nevertheless, I have several passions that now keep my life from becoming a boring day-to-day existence. I love to travel. Years ago, I set a goal to travel to every State in the USA. I’m almost there - Alaska being the only one left to visit. My friends Dave and Eileen have accompanied me on several of these trips and on a Friday night, sitting at their kitchen table having a few drinks, we often find ourselves talking about these trips and reliving the memories. It doesn’t matter how many times we do this, there’s always some new detail that is recalled or embellished.
My passion at the moment is planning for my retirement. It’s still 3-4 years away but the planning is an enjoyable pastime. I want to move to the Dominican Republic, become involved doing volunteer work and never see snow again! The good part about this - it involves my other passion - travel, as I look for “my place in the sun.”
So, what’s your passion? Playing music? Gardening? Photography? Reading? Writing? Politics? What concerns preoccupy your mind? What one subject can you enjoy talking about for hours?
Having a passion for something makes it a lot easier to put up with daily routines that make us feel uninspired.
that’s the way I see it.
