Question of the Day...

How do you store your glasses in your cupboard?  Up side down so dust won't go inside them?  But the lip of the glass is now resting on the shelf and won't it get dirty?  Or right side up and run the risk of something falling in.  Maybe either way, but put the glasses in sandwich bags.  I think that is something Adrian Monk would do.  Hmmmm, a dilemma....

One's Vocational 'Groove'

  Recently my service manager passed away.  When someone you work with and is close to your age dies, it reminds you of your own mortality.  But I spoke enough of death in my last entry.  Today I want to talk about the activity in our lives that consume a very large part of our time, our jobs.
  Bill had been my boss for seven years and was a great guy, firm and unwavering about how things should be done but a good friend, too.  We would often share 'war stories' about the POS/Cash register industry.  The marvelous thing about Bill, besides a stint in the Navy, this was the only job he ever had and it lasted 43 years!  Nowadays, that is very unusual where the average length of employment is a little over four years.  My longest employment was 13 years.  Of course, another factor besides changing employers, is changing industries.  I changed industries once for four years and tried the semiconductor industry, and then went back to cash registers.  I guess once the ink gets in your blood, you can't stay away.
  Of course there are many circumstances that would require changing jobs, but in Bill's case, everything stayed in harmony for 43 years, wow!  After all that time, you aren't with a company, it is more like an extended family.  Something to be said for that kind of stability.  We will miss you, Bill.

When Time Is Finite In The Most Uncomfortable Way...

  First off, I have to make a confession, I am a fan of Grey's Anatomy. When it first came on, I watched a couple episodes and couldn't get into it.  However, when my wife and I were visiting Germany for her son's wedding, it was the only thing to watch in English while we were in our flat.  Lesley would have been fine watching anything since she is fluent in German, but I was not.  Anyway, after a few episodes of GA, I became a regular viewer.  The only catch is, I am about five seasons behind and trying to catch up via Netflix.  But, as usual, I am getting sidetracked here.  On an episode I watched, Meredith (main character and intern) woke up one morning thinking she was going to die and wanted to stay in bed to avoid such an event.  It made me think (oh-oh), what would it be like if I knew I only had one day, or one week, or one year, or whatever, to live?  I have seen movies on the subject.  Many of us have even known people who are terminal.  But, ultimately, if such a fate should befall us, it is our own personal choice how we handle it.  In my case, my reaction would depend on how much time we are talking.  If I had only a day, I think I would go into a mental meltdown.  It would be too much for my little mind to process.  But if I had, say, a year, then I think I could come to some reckoning.  I say that, but in reality, who knows what I or anyone would do.

  In most cases, I think, our demise usually comes relatively unexpected.  Of course an accident is always unexpected, but not so much if it is a long term and fatal illness or simply the end of our longevity.  In that situation, we might have a rough idea that the end draws near, but not always for sure.  Often times we just go to sleep and not wake up.

Artist:  Hyatt Moore

  I know this hasn't been a particularly happy subject I chose today.  But I think my message is a familiar one,

we should live our lives to the fullest as if it was our last day or last week above the green grass.

Don't fear your mortality, because it is this very mortality that gives meaning and depth and poignancy to all the days that will be granted to you. - Paul Tsongas