I woke up this morning at 6am (Taylor tried to wake me up for New Year’s at midnight, and the 12-year-old scotch said “go to sleep”) to take out the dogs who were wining and jumping up and down in the kitchen. Dogs, like most people, have a bowel movement schedule, and it’s best to accommodate them. Marley and Mr. Peanut do what we call “7 & 7” – 7am and 7pm, with an hour variance (as early as 6, as late as 8).
Marley/security
I got to Mr. Peanut, who had wrapped his leash around the kitchen table, and as I prepared to take him out, Mr. Peanut took off across the living room floor and tinkled on Lisa. You can imagine that the atmosphere was not good (literally and figuratively). I took Mr. Peanut outside, where he completed his tinky-poo-poo, brought him back in the house, and got to Marley in time to walk him. I don’t walk both of those guys at the same time like they do in those Lifetime “A Dog Walker’s Christmas” movies (the dogs will roughhouse with each other). Marley is the elder statesman at 3 years old to Mr. Peanut’s 8 months, and knows how to “hold it” til I’m done with Mr. Peanut.
This morning’s event had me thinking of today. New Year’s Day. People feel the opportunity for a new start, a revival, a transformation, a reimaging.
Fuck that.
There is no way that you will go through an entire year without pissing someone off, without a major disappointment, without making a huge boo-boo somewhere. Millions of homes with treadmills that were used one month, now functioning as coat hangers. People complaining about their dead end job after the ONE job they applied for fell through. Doing good with the diet until an argument with your spouse made you dive headfirst into the Krispy Kreme “HOT” sign.
D
Daddy D and Taylor, Christmas Brunch 2010
Instead of resolutions, I try to be a better person than I was yesterday. My quick pics:
Maya Angelou was right – “It’s not what they call you, it’s what you answer to.” That person who called you the N-word because you got to the parking space before her. Your buddy who has the new Land Rover while you are taping the armrest together on your 11 year old Camry. Folks sending Facebook pictures of their vacation across Europe while you have a struggle going to the local beach. In the word of Obi-Wan Kenobi (and I love me some Star Wars ), Your life lies along a different path.” You don’t consider the months, years a person spent getting their credit together to get the luxuries they wanted, and keeping things budgeted afterward. I may have not thought about the daily frustrations others may have that may cause them to lash out, or be out of character. I don’t want to sound like some New Age guru, but a lot of things are under OUR control.
Take off that unnecessary burden of thinking one plan you make is going to work for 365 days. There will be bumps in the road – you just gotta keep moving in the direction you want and be prepared for detours or unseen potholes. I WILL REMEMBER TO GO TO SNEAKER CON IN ATLANTA THIS YEAR…
Be thankful – Most of us can walk, talk, are in our right minds (most of the time) and realize that we are not in the journey alone. If you screw up, own up to the screw up and identify where you went wrong so you don’t do it again. If it’s a big Bill-Cosby-Bernie-Madoff-Enron type screw up, if you are a believer, know that God forgives EVERYTHING, even when Man doesn’t, even when Man wants to banish you from the face of the earth (does not mean you will not be punished). Look at the biographies of people like Steve Jobs, Mark Twain, Martha Stewart, Stanley Burrell (MC Hammer), George Foreman – all rebounded from initially crushing circumstances and bad decisions.
Feel you’re not where you should be in your career? Most great opportunities are a combination of 90% proficiency and 10% luck, and without EACH component, you may be left behind. Network, get a mentor, understand that we live in an age of communication where an 11-year-old can become a YouTube millionaire. It begins with one step – wake up, take a shower, put on clothes, start blogging (yuk yuk). And I can not stress enough the simple task of BEING ON TIME when given an opportunity. Life ain’t The Voice or Jennifer Lopez’ World of Dance with folks waiting for you to audition. People don’t know what they want most times until you show them something new that gets them buzzing.
It’s not that you will never have bad days; its that you press on in spite of them. The young people from Stoneman Douglas H.S. took their pain and turned it into a movement that has motivated people around the world.
If you’re not your best sometimes, don’t beat yourself up. Be thankful for another day to get it right (Andrew Vachss). Have a good 2019.
(L to R) Taylor, Lisa, Daddy D and Dawn, Christmas Eve 2018
From the Desk of Daddy D 