No More Free Rent

Most of us learn pretty early on that not everyone is a going to be a good friend and that not all who pledge to be there will be.

Things happen, people change and they move on.

Sometimes you understand why and sometimes you don’t and are faced with a question of whether to just accept you might never know.

I tell the kids it is better to pick and choose when you try to understand why people behave as they do because many times the person you are trying to understand can’t tell you why they did what they did.

Or if they try to you discover it is illogical and unreasonable but they’ll never admit that so you’ll end up being stuck trying to figure out something that doesn’t deserve all that time and energy.

Some people don’t deserve to live in your head…rent free.

Strange Days

When I look back at birthday number 48 I’ll remember it as having been ridiculously busy and somewhat stressful.

I’ll think about how I was surprised by how much I was bothered by spending it alone and how that didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Why?

Because I have spent the majority of the last 9 months living alone. I eat almost every meal by myself, unless I am at a work function.

There have been some social events but I have been so jammed up I haven’t attended many. I probably could have done more about that, but many days I just haven’t felt like it.

Didn’t have the energy to make small talk with strangers and clearly was comfortable enough not to push myself beyond that.

But that is not anything new, I enjoy my own company and don’t mind the quiet.

Still when I heard Trump fired Comey I thought about how this could be a turning point in his administration and how it started on my birthday.

Speaking of my birthday, I got my annual greeting from Joe Cocker.

I kind of wish I had made that video, subtitles are pretty good.

Dumb Arguments

A younger colleague engaged me in a debate again about the NBA.

I have about 15 years on him so he likes to claim that I am a grumpy old man who doesn’t understand how good the modern player is.

What he tried to claim is that the Warriors and the Cavaliers are good enough to have been champions in any era.

I disagree.

First, if Draymond Green hadn’t been a fool and gotten himself suspended the Warriors would have won.

They dominated the Cavs, a team that played in the leastern conference and then in one fell swoop choked it all away.

LeBron is rightly given credit for leading an incredible comeback, but it did come during an incredible choke.

The dominant Laker/Spurs teams of the late 90s and early 200os would have never choked and easily handled either one of the championship teams.

So would the Lakers and Celtic teams of the 80s. They had more depth, were better defenders and had a ferocity that was unmatched.

And let’s not forget Michael.

Jordan and the Bulls destroyed the opposition.

There are some great players on the Warriors and the Cavs, but they’re not the match of the past.

Lebron is probably a top 10 guy now, but he couldn’t have stopped the teams I mentioned because they had too many other weapons.

Kareem, Shaq, Duncan, Parish–those guys would have owned the paint and stopped the easy lay up.

Some of the current players would get their share of points, but they wouldn’t be enough. Too many other weapons to contend with.

Exhaustion

Given the current state of affairs and general craziness I welcome the ridiculous sports banter because it is harmless.

Doesn’t matter whether we agree or disagree about great teams/players, there is nothing of import hanging upon it.

But politics, well that is different.

We are living during a time when people seem unwilling and or incapable of agreeing with others. A time when obstruction is a virtue if your side is doing it and a sin if the other side tries it.

Add the chaos to the craziness I am currently dealing with and I am worn out. Exhaustion has hit.

I am kind of sort of taking a break from some of it because I need to clear my head and focus on some critically important things, but I can’t entirely walk away.

Not just because I like being informed but I am concerned about what happens if I join those who rely upon their reps to be informed.

I can’t sit back and do nothing. Can’t just watch and wait. Have to do something.