Get Off My Lawn!

I am more and more convinced, as I read (and as I age) online articles, blogs, social media posts or whatever you want to call them, that these lists and advice the so called authorities post, giving the reader the impression they are experts on certain subjects, are simply wannabes and blowhards trying to impress and get more clicks. For the most part, I must admit, they succeed in that respect, regardless of how faulty and baseless their claims. It goes to show, historically, how much more convincing an argument is when it is in print. If a person just says something, it is percieved as less authoritative than something that is printed, be it on paper or digital. 

Recently, I read an online post about habits of baby-boomers that millennials find annoying and I found it amusing that, being a proud  member of the boomer generation myself, (1945-1965) I discovered my millennial offspring are more guilty of themselves. The list was 15 bullet points long and if anyone bothers to read this post, I wont bore you with all 15, most of which were erroneous anyway, but I want to address a few mentionables.

Things boomers do that millennials find annoying and my rebuttle:

1. Boomers showing up at a home unannounced-

Personally, me and my fellow boomers have always instilled in our kids good manners, good behaviour and how improper it is to arrive at someones house without first calling for approval. My wife and I would never consider arriving somewhere unannounced and we urge our own, now adult kids, "call first before coming over". 

2. Boomers eating at chain restaurants-

What? First of all, there are hundreds of chain restaurants in any relatively small area, so the chances of anyone eating at a chain restaurant, no matter what their generation, is very good. 

Another argument about this laughable argument, is how our own millennial kids eat at chain restaurants several times a week; Olive Garden, Applebees, Chile's and their most frequented chains, pizza and fast food.

Also, our fellow boomers and I know not only how overpriced restaurant food is but also how it includes toxic amounts of salt and artificial flavors that would kill even cockroaches. On the contrary, we love eating at private, family owned restaurants and we activly seek them when the time comes to eat out.

3. Boomers dismissing younger generations-

The very subject of the article was millennials dismissing boomers so claiming the inverse,  boomers dismissing younger people, is self incriminating. 

4. Boomers playing slot machines-

This one is also funny and random for two reasons because 1) not only have I never played slot machines in my life but I've never known anyone who played slot machines.

 2) if boomers playing slot machines is so annoying to millennials, it might be an indication that they, themselves, are spending inordinate amounts of time in casinos. Maybe they have gamblers anonymous on there contacts list.

5. Boomers think millennials are still children-

Another funny one. I say this because the opposite is true. It isn’t us who think our "kids" are still children, it is they who think they are still children. They love to call us everytime they have a slight problem and they are more than happy to whine to us about every little thing. "Mom, I dont feel good today", or "Dad, could I have some money?" 

The other funny thing about this claim is how they whimper to us about every little problem they have, but when we give them suggestions on how to maybe do things differently the answer is "don't tell me how to live my life" or "stay out of my business".

There are also the times when they rely on us as a sounding board and then blame us for their problems because we were bad parents. It's all so unjustifiably ironic, and also comical but I admit, I love comedy.

6. Boomers complain about neighbors-

This one is also ironic because we are friends with most of our neighbors and rarely take issue with them. Even my elderly mother speaks highly and sweetly about her neighbors. As we age, our generation has learned the value of good neighbors and who knows, we may need them one day and vice-versa.

To the contrary, our kids often tell us about the ongoing Peyton Place (a boomer reference) drama going on between them and their neighbors; young parents vs other young parents pitting their children against each other.

And finally...

7. Boomers make everything political-

Again, I must say, my wife and I know the importance of avoiding certain subjects with our millennial kids, namely politics and religion. I, myself, avoid the subject with anyone, all together. 

Additionally, it is they who broach the political line most of the time and it is they who become quite offended and indignant when we don't subscribe to their political stance.

In summary-

So, as I said earlier, the nature of print tends to convince one of the inerrant qualities of the info it espouses, but its viability is obviously not so.

In support of my fellow baby boomers, we are offspring of The Greatest Generation and our accomplishments are steller. Our generation turned America into a world leader, pioneered the American space program, landed on the moon, ended the cold war, invented the internet and the cell phone, invented the artificial heart, DNA identification, broke the four minute mile, climbed Mount Everest, and too many other things to mention that paved the way for the millennials. 

A Contended Fisherman

 

The Fisherman and the Businessman

A gratified fisherman whose name was Jaime, lived in a modest town on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, and every morning he would push his small, one-man boat into the calm, Pacific waters, and row a couple of hundred yards into Gonzaga Bay, and using a simple cane pole, would catch a few fish. After a while, happy with his catch, he would calmly row back to shore, stow his boat, and stroll home, humming a simple tune, to share his quarry with his family and he was a very contented man.

One day, a vacationing, successful, American, businessman, walking along the beach, spotted Jaime and interested in him, asked about his routine.

“You know,” said the American, “if you spent a couple of more hours fishing, you could sell your catch to the market.”

“Why do that?” asked Jaime.

“Well, then you would make more money and save up to buy a bigger boat with a net.”

“Then what?”

“Then you could sell more fish to more markets and make lots more money.”

“Then what?”

“Then you could buy more boats", the American continued, "hire more people, catch more fish and start your own cannery.”

“Then what?”

“Then you could export canned fish to markets all over the world including America, Asia, Europe.”

“Then what?”

“Why, then you would be a successful businessman and finally you could sell your cannery for many millions of dollars.”

“Then what?”

“Then you could retire a wealthy man and do whatever you wanted to do”, concluded the American.

“Hmm,” said Jaime while rubbing his unshaven chin in thoughtfulness. 

Finally, he said, “But I’m already doing what I want to do now.” He then gathered his pole and string of fish and began his way home, humming a simple tune because he was a very contented man.

The Reluctant Artist

I often get comments while drawing cartoons at events that go something like, "You have a real gift for drawing" or "I wish I could draw like you, but it has to be a natural talent". 

I always thank them for their kind words but they're very wrong. I'm not gifted nor naturally talented, not by any stretch of the imagination. 

In an unrelated incident...

Ludwig von Beethoven had just finished a performance of one of his own compositions and was surrounded by a crowd of his many admirers. Each person was generous with the outpourings of praise and admiration in the direction of the famous composer. 

One woman gushed "If only God had given me such a gift of genius." to which Beethoven turned an unfriendly look in her direction and said coldly, "It isn't genius, madame. Neither is it magic. You can be as good as I. All you have to do is practice on your piano every day, eight hours a day for forty years."

Mad Magazine was my preferred literature of choice

It may be odd for many people to hear this, but I never had an ambition to be a caricature artist. It has never crossed my mind in all the years prior to finding it to be a profitable venture. At the same time, no one should make the mistake of thinking I didn't like drawing and making my own gags since childhood, but it was somewhat of a personal thing that I kept mostly to myself. 

A hungry Pauper

However, the possibility of drawing caricatures of others, live and in public, with dozens of people watching me do so, was the certainly not on my list of things I wanted to do. Without going too deeply into it, I decided to give it a try only when unemployment compelled me to do so. 

It didn't just come to me, though. It's taken many thousands of tries to get to the point where the public will pay for it. I sometimes tell people after receiving their gracious comments about my "natural gift" that it's no gift. It's lots and lots of practice.

I Must Confess

 I'm a veteran of the U.S. Marines and I'm very proud to have served and honored to have been chosen as a Marine. The times, good and bad, were unforgettable and the victories and failures I experienced were monumental.  I love the men I served with, and we developed bonds that were among the strongest possible.

You can take the man out 

of the Marines but...

Can you take the Marines 

out of the man?

Even after being honorably discharged, I was so attached to those days that they became spectacles through which everything I experienced was filtered. It was as though I was still living as a Marine many years afterwards and I didn't want to betray that perceived loyalty. I thought that by not remembering and honoring my days of service in everything I did as a civilian, I was somehow being disloyal to the U.S. Marines and to the men with whom I served. We kept in touch by social media, and I committed to a reunion I could scarcely afford to attend and was consumed with keeping in good standing with them. 

I ain't alone

Many veterans do so, and it is like being frozen in time and worst of all it's paralyzing to one's mindset as it was to mine. It's as though an anchor and chain were attached to my ankle and has prevented me from making any real progress. It affected my decisions, my opinions, my work, my business, my marriage, my family, my friendships, everything. As I aged and the distance between the present and the past grew, the anchor became bigger and heavier with each passing year. It kept me worse than a failure. 

It kept me mediocre. 

But then, one day recently, I was hit with what seemed like a cold bucket of water when, through a series of revealing circumstances, I realized these men with whom I served, and the U.S. Marines, have nothing to do with me presently. The VA facilities I've been a part of for years are full of men living mediocre lives at best, and some on the verge of suicide because they have chosen to come under the dominion of ghosts from their past. Even though I never saw myself as one of those poor souls, I see now I was one of them, chained to events of long ago that I have allowed to taint everything I came into contact with. 

Where were they?

But now I realize the men I served with didn't go to my wedding, they weren't present at the birth of my children, weren't there to console me when my father died, nor have they been with me at any other time in my life. In fact, they show very little interest in what I do, and I must admit, I feel the same way about them. 

All of me

But there are others in my life now, today, who have been with me through those times, and it is they who deserve to have all of me. They are the ones who want all of me. Those are the ones where my loyalties should lie. 

As I mentioned, my unit has reunions from time to time and for me to attend would be an unjustifiable expense and anyway, all it amounts to is a bunch of us getting drunk and talking about old times. These men I had little in common with then and the same is true now. 

Yes, my time as Marine was truly special and unforgettable, even unmentionable, but it doesn't define me. It's only one ingredient in what makes me who I am and there were many other adventures that also make me who I am, but I am not chained to a single event or time period. Trying to flavor my meal with one ingredient makes for a bad dish.

I have finally broken loose from the anchor and said, 

"Men, I love you and I'll never forget you or those times, but it's long overdue for me to move on." 

Oh, I'll still wear Marine hats and T-shirts with documents, awards and photos on my wall and desk, but no longer will they dominate the space, and they are accompanied by photos and memorabilia of other unforgettable people and events in my life.

"Maybe we'll see each other again in the future, men, but good-bye, for now. "

Spring in Spring

Spring Fling in Spring in the Spring

On Thursday I had a job at Hewlett Packard in Spring Texas for there annual spring fling complete with a live band, games, and plenty of food. I've always said the hardest part of my job is smelling the delicious food catered at these events. I'm always invited to fix a plate for myself but who has time when I have a line of people waiting to get made fun of with pen and ink. 

This was an event for only the employees so there were no kids (and since I'm on the subject), I prefer an all adult clientele. I also find it interesting that the "adults" sometimes act more like children than the real children do. 

For example, I was there with two other artists and, needless to say, we all have different styles of drawing, and some artistic styles, being a subjective endeavor, are preferred by the client. The artist next to me drew more in a portrait style so a lady wanted to be drawn by him and not me, but as circumstances would have it, she ended up sitting in my hot seat, and I must confess, I really let her have it with my exaggerations. 

The styles of different artists are often striking. I mentioned my constituent to my left draws in more of a portrait style, still a caricature, but the exaggerations are mild whereas my style is more bold and I often discover at least two types of customers. One may be the type that is easy going with a healthy sense of humor knowing a caricature is supposed to be funny looking. The other type wants a drawing that makes them look like a cute, Disney-ish, cartoon, which isn't my style. So sorry.

I do drawings on an individual basis and to see more examples or order one of your own click here.

Whats Your Tomato? By Bob Doll

The Dark Side of Sunday Morning

Things losers say

• I hate Mondays.
• It's not my job.
• I'll do it tomorrow.
• It's okay if I'm late.
• I can't afford it.
• It's too hard.
• It's not my fault.
• It's not fair.
• I'm too tired.
• I love weekends.

It may seem strange to think "I love weekends" is something losers say, and seems out of place, but putting emphasis on the weekend, detracts from the other days of the week and is a kind of backdoor way of saying, "I hate Mondays".  Maybe you really do like Saturday, because that's when you get to do things that you don't do any during the week but isn't that true of any day of the week? There are things I do on Wednesday that I would not dare do on Sunday.

"To whom much is given, much is required."

When we receive blessings and responsibilities, we are called to a higher standard of accountability, and accepting responsibility is a blood tenet of people in a position of leadership or influence. The words we use reflect our thoughts and attitudes and I often imagine what the students in my drawing classes would think of me if I told them "Drawing is too hard" or if I told a client of mine "it's okay if I'm late". 

My leaders in the Marines Corps (at least the good ones) drilled into our psyche at every opportunity...

"Your mindset is your greatest weapon".

It didn't matter how well trained we were, how fit, energetic, well fed, or well-armed we were. Winning or losing battles begins and ends between the ears. The same is true no matter what we do, whether we're Marines or not. 

If words are a reflection of our mindset, then it stands to reason that changing our words also changes our minds, then naturally our circumstances change.

• I'll make this a good week.
• How can I do this better?
• It's important to be on time.
• How can I afford this?
• I want to learn how to do this.
• How can I help?
• I'll try again.

I'm Not a Tree

 

Why do I do my own cooking, grind my own coffee beans and bake my own bread? Why do I have a business of my own and write my own books? It has something to do with creating my own environment; one that I can not only have better control of but also one that suits me better than others can. I don’t want to live in someone else’s realm. I want to live in my own.

I was created in God’s image, in his likeness and God is creative and orderly. He has given me the ability to be the same, and it’s already in me, in my possession. I don’t have to ask for it.

When I was young, everything was new to me, and I savored the uniqueness of everything. Life was a learning experience, fresh and original but as I aged, I noticed how new things slowly began to grow further and further apart. I began hearing the same stories repeated like so many re-runs of old TV programs. There's nothing new under the sun and often, I discovered, people tend to repeat common knowledge as if it’s new information.

As time goes by, it’s not unusual for adults to grow complacent and even depressed from being bored from many days being a duplicate of the day before. Being in business for myself allows me to learn new things about earning money I would not have otherwise known. Someone also said, in fact I think it was me, “when I want to read a good book, I’ll write one”, so the same goes for the learning experience of drawing and writing which are never ending learning experiences.

I’ve also been known to say, “my favorite food is my own”. Learning to cook delicious food is also a learning experience as well as the proper grind of coffee beans for certain applications and the different flavors of coffee from around the world.

I make my own bread because not only is it better tasting than the stuff supermarkets and giant bakeries churn out, but also for how therapeutic it can be. It takes patience and experience to learn how to make the perfect loaf of bread. I love making plum pudding and it’s become a Christmas tradition for my family.

Jeffery Gitomer’s book, The Little Red Book of Selling, and in many other books, as well as some of the world’s greatest minds, touts creating an environment conducive to my life’s objectives and intentions. If I don’t like the way things are then I can change it. I can change where I live, who my friends are, my job, my attitude, my philosophy, my health, my relationships. As I age it becomes more important to me.