An acorn or a Catterpillar

If you have ever been in a position of leadership you have definitely given the old "Acorn to a mighty Oak" or "Caterpillar into a Beautiful Butterfly" speech. All of us have been given the equivalent of this pep talk numerous times in our lives. Encouraging and inspiring us to be better. I am reminded of a time I heard this very speech at an educators convention while I was teaching 2nd and 3rd graders in Texas, it was encouraging me to go from fledgling acorn instructor to the mighty oak of a teacher this guy knew I could be. There was a problem with this - I was an awful educator, and I mean terrible in an astronomical way. It came to the place all I wanted to do was look for a reason to spank these children and send them home weeping. That is not good and I realize this, but I hated teaching kids. Don't get me wrong I like children but it would take Jesus Christ in visible, tangible form pleading with me to teach children mathematics and grammar again before I would even consider it.

Point is most acorns end up as squirrel poo, and most caterpillars end up on the bottom of someones K-Swiss. I have several oak trees in my back yard - I hate acorns they mess up my otherwise nicely manicured lawn and are an all around nuisance. I rake them, squash them, and discard them anyway possible. Caterpillars are a blight on our flower beds and back yard gardens cramming their ugly little gobs with all manner of vegetation and ruffage. One out of every 100,000 acorns or caterpillars actually becomes their destiny, the rest are losers.

Truth be told you and I will more than likely never mine all of our unearthed potential. So we are faced with a couple of options, we can a) Decide that when we reach maximum potential we will finally be happy or b) We can be happy right where we are at. I am not asking you to quit reaching for the stars or to aim low, but the problem is we have a nation full of depressed people because they are not the Butterflies they imagined they would be. They turn to alcohol or Prozac or Gambling( you pick the vice) to make themselves feel better and forget their shortcomings.

I say we need to be the best acorns or caterpillars possible - go ahead cram your face full of vegetation and fend off every encroaching squirrel. Do your best where you are, don't rely on thing or success to make you happy and one day just maybe you will become ..... Nah I'm not even going to say it because more than likely you won't. Take heart in who you are and maybe you'll become who you were meant to be. Later. RLR

Lava Lamps, Tape Guns, and Raspberry Candy

This particular post may indeed be an unusual way to begin my blogging career, but as I looked around my desk I found the few things left in life that make me truly happy. Happiness should not be based upon things, this is a fact that I readily admit, but I can not help but be overjoyed when I glance to my right and in my peripheral vision see a glimmer of my newly discovered pink lava lamp. It is exciting and has new and unexpected delights for me on a daily basis - I long to take the same carefree attitude to my desk as does my lava lamp.
After I feel all warm and fuzzy I turn and see my handy new tape gun ( black in color) sitting beside my left paw, it shocks me back into reality. There is work to be done, I can not waste away my time feeling groovy - I must waste my time doing other less fun things that make other people lots of money. Don’t get me wrong I love my tape gun, there is even a standing threat of bodily harm to anyone who messes with said gun. I had a nice red one that had a foam handle that felt all comfy in my hand and it was unceremoniously stolen from me and now blackie(for that is what I call him) has taken it’s place. He urges me to carry out menial tasks for a menial days wage because I was hired to do so, not to stare at a pink lava lamp.
It is the contrast of the ages - the urge to hang out, chill, and take it easy verses the never ending reminders that none of those things get the kitchen painted, the bathroom trim put up, Wednesdays lesson for church typed, or a myriad other things done. I am forever torn by my inner lazy bohemian and my inner restles, driven workaholic. How can there be room for both those individuals inside of my svelte 330 pound body.
That is where my precious raspberry hard candies come in. I work hard, do a good days labor to satisfy the driven side and make sure his needs are placated. Then every once in a while I sneak over to the file cabinet in front of the parts managers office where he and I have stashed 18 bags of Christmas raspberry candy ( I would give Mr. Brach a big kiss if I met him) and I indulge in a little groovy right in the middle of my stress filled day. Score one for the Bohemian/Candy lover.
I guess my point is we all have goals and work hard to get what we have. We are driven and every day as we look around we see the need to acquire more, work more, build more. Tear down our barns and build bigger ones is a phrase that comes to mind. I find my self putting in overtime, working extra jobs and constantly reminded that the things I have and the things I want cost me maybe more than I realize. As I listen to my 160 Gb Ipod classic, driving my new Suburban to pick up my new ‘fridge with ice in the door I ponder all these things and my heart cries out, “curse you tape gun” give my life a “little more lava lamp”. That is when I realize that the candy is the middle ground.
So I advise you - work hard - pay your bills - buy your stuff, but take some time out to relax and enjoy the small pleasures in life. I imagine if you put my tape gun, and my lava lamp in a large blender and mixed it all up you’d have a nice batch of raspberry candy hidden in a file cabinet at work. Later on. RLR