It’s been a rainy and cool fall week in New England and I ended up with a Camaro for a rental car… a convertible Camaro. This is a big Brett dilemma! OK, not really, that top is coming off at some point faster than a... well never mind, but as I had the lovely and talented Steffan King in the car for the first few days, I wanted to at least be a conscientious (and non-frostbite educing) host. We did manage to go French Beach mode for a few minutes when the sun slipped out from behind the clouds, but otherwise, the car had a roof most of the weekend. Once it was just me in Vermont with a clear sky and no clearer head to stop me... that sucker came off, despite being 30 degrees outside (yes that was Fahrenheit). I hit that gas and blasted across the Vermont interstate.
Yah, I was a little cold, despite the heater being on full
blast, but I was ALIVE! I could feel
the wind in my hair, smell the autumn in the air and I head bobbed (the only
dance move I have) to Fall Out Boy’s Disloyal Order of the Water Buffaloes. I had colored leaves floating from their
lofty treetops into my car and a 360 degree view of the autumn colors. I had the sun pouring in on me and I loved
it.
It was my moment of peace, my me time, my moment of Zen,
whatever you call it. Now I have been told (or accused… Steffan…) of
always being happy. That isn’t quite
true. The last few years have feature
plenty of days where considered picking up kerosene chugging and cigar smoking
on the same day. Yet, over all I am
happy and upbeat fellow, even on day when should be curled up in the fetal
position sobbing uncontrollably. Why is
that? I really have no idea. But not knowing something has never stopped me
from blogging about it before.
What is the recipe for happiness? I can’t say, but I think I
know one part. Every single day is full
of stuff you NEED to do. Work, clean,
drive, cook, parent, save the world (if you are a Time Lord, Superman, Al
Gore). It seems like there is always a
place to be now and you have to be at the next place before you are done with
where you are now. Life can make it feel
like you are just letting the days go by and letting the water hold you down,
but there are moments in all of our control that can bring a smile to ours faces;
moments to recharge, to connect with nature, to hold a child, to each something
delicious (one of my favorites). And
these moment usually only take… well moments.
The time it takes to drop the top down on the car and feel the sun or to
step out on the balcony to hear to the rain are but mere fractions. Those few seconds to scoop up a squirmy child
and hold him before he grows old, the short phone call to someone you love are
so easy to pass over. It is these moment
that we [should] live for. It is when
the maintenance of life BECOMES our lives that we lose that spark.
That spark, however, is not that hard to maintain. It is realizing that in pursuing the things
you have to do does not mandate that you forget the things you love to do. Now I am not suggesting dropping everything
in your life and running off to Europe (hmmm, that does sound fun), but I am
saying that we should lift our heads up a little more and notice the beauty and
fun all around you. Create at least a
few small moments every day to live the life you want to. Crank up the music and dance around like a
fool (particularly if that is the only way you know how to dance). Gather the family around and make dinner
something special. Walk away from you
chore or put down your smart phone engage with the moments about you. Savor the kiss of the one you love. Each day is unique and not repeatable, so
make a memory of a moment each day.
Never just live life, be alive in your life and capture the happiness
that is all around you... especially in convertible Camero.
Alright, enough sunshine from Brett, I will return with tragic
Tinder tales in my next post.
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