One Day at a time.....


[Follow Ups] [Post Followup] [Dodge Power Wagon Forum]


Posted by Jonas on Friday, August 08, 2003 at 1:37AM :

In Reply to: Why is life so complicated? posted by Jon in Mississippi on Thursday, August 07, 2003 at 1:11AM :

It's easy to get wraped up in things and events in our lives that we have no control over. Up front, they seem like major setbacks, but in the grand scheme of things, they will pass, as long as you let them and dont hang on to them.

When I was 17, I learned the power of perseverance. I was going nowhere with my life, I was lucky to graduate High School. Family??? yea right, I was in and out of the house worse than a stray cat. Alcoholic and drug abusive parents, and just plain mean step parents. Luckily I had enough intuition to know that I was going nowhere. I did have good friends that had thier heads screwed on pretty straight and I think they helped me in the right direction a bit.

It was the summer I graduated High School that I decided to change my life somehow. I joined the Marine Corps.

BIG CHANGE!!!

"Set attainable goals"
The first 13 weeks of my Marine Corps life on Parris Island S.C. gave me tools that I still use everyday. I learned that when you are faced with a overwhelming challenge, if you set small goals that work towards the final solution, you will eventually overcome the problem.

I did'nt know how I would get through the 1st week of boot camp, much less 1st phase, much less the whole thing.

I just told myself, all I need to do is make it to morning chow. Then I focused on getting what I needed to do, done. Make it to the goal, set your sights on the next... Lunch! Same Strategy to Dinner and so on for 13 weeks. Sure I screwed things up along the way... Everyone does. I was standing tall before the man as much as any one else. And I've spent more hours in a front leaning rest position with a 80lb pack on my back (or on one glorious occasion, my senior drill instructor was standing on my back!!!)reciting the code of conduct, General Orders for sentries, And the Marine Corps Hymn than I care to remember. But everytime I reached a goal, and started working on the next, I got to feeling a little bit better about life.

I got to the point where I said, " Hey, I can do this!".

And I did.

I went on from there doing the same thing, on a gradually larger and larger scale.
I'm not trying to recruit you into the Military at all. It's not for everyone, and that's a good thing.
Wars suck, friends die. When your packing up your buddies gear to send back to his wife and newborn son, because he went and got himself killed for a piece of dirt in East Africa, you realize that no matter how bad life is... it's still pretty dang good, because you are alive to enjoy it.

I have a friend in town who spent 2 years in a 3x3x3 bamboo cage in North Vietnam. You know what, He's the happiest guy I know. Why? I would imagine because he's not in that cage anymore getting poked with a stick!
Seroiusly though, He realizes thet every day (good or bad) you wake up is a gift. He dosent waste them thinking about what has happened in his past, depressed about this or that. He literally gnaws every day of his life down to the bone and savors every sound, color, taste that there is to enjoy.

I try to live my life that way, and it's not easy... (Bluegrass music will put a smile on anyone face!) but I do my best, and try to be the person my dog thinks I am.

Listen Jon, I dont have the answers by a long shot, I just know what works and dosent work for me. If things get wrapped up tight for you or if you just want to talk truck, or whatever, give me a call anytime.
509-674-6840

Jonas





Follow Ups:



Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:
Subject:
Message:
Optional Link
URL:
Title:
Optional Image Link
URL:


This board is powered by the Mr. Fong Device from Cyberarmy.com