Perspective ( Archived) (91)

I have a friend here at the office, or I should say, used to be here at the office.

We've known each other for some twenty years, and worked together for much of it. Many late nights, projects, new business pitches, etc. Because of the turnaround in the advertising agency world, we are among the few "old-timers" to stay at one place. We've been through a lot.

Last year, he came down with some "back problems." Attendance became less frequent - and soon he was showing up with a cane, then a wheelchair. We would later find that he was in the midst of a debillitating disease.

Last week the call came. He sounded upbeat, and hopeful of doing some consulting in the near future. He also asked that I bring his personal things from his office to his home. There was maybe six boxes, and some pictures. The reality is anyone could have brought them, but this was a friend, one "old-timer" to another. Of course I would do so.

With another co-worker, we brought his things yesterday morning (while there was not much, these things would not fit in my Miata, thus we brought the office manager's SUV). His wife greeted us at the door.

He was upstairs, and apparently in a fair amount of pain. She called for him, but there was no answer. She suspected he was wearing his headphones, and I suggested we not bother him. She spoke hopefully, but I could tell she was holding back the tears. We kept the visit brief.

"Things could always be worse" is a cliche' thrown around often. Yesterday, for me, the cliche' became a truism.

For the most part, I am content with this life, but I am as guilty as the next person of the occasional "Poor Me's" and why is my life not better? The reality is my life is pretty damn good.

I rode the bike into the office today, if for no other reason that I simply could. It will be a stressed-out day, tight deadlines, not enough time, etc. But that is all fine. Again, things could be worse.

I have added him to my prayers, and we are all hopeful for improvement. I remind myself that, despite all the collateral circumstances that I will encounter, I should enjoy the day, and be grateful for it.

It is this perspective that I wish to pass along.

Have a good day.

-Robert

Thanks for that, Robert. You are so right, we do a lot for granted, we are keen to look at what we don't have rather than what we DO have......... there but for the grace of God, go I.....??

My thoughts go to your friend. Thanks again.

I too have been feeling this way in the last few days, this morning i attended the funeral of a family friend, he passed away at only 58yrs of age. this man was always the life n soul of the party, always had time for others even though his own family circumstances were often tough (he had to bury 2 of his own sons, both of whom died at an early age) this man knew how to put a smile on the faces of the men and women who knew him and also those he had only just met.
he hadn't been ill, in fact his wife had just come home from hospital after an operation, so Tommy went to collect a prescription from the doctor for his wife, whilst he was there the doctor said- while u are here I'll give the once over, because it was a few years since tommy had been near the doctor.
he heard something with his heart and told him to go to the hospital... they kept him in, and he was dead within a week. It has just shocked all of us so much, and i guess all we can do is pray for his family, that they can deal with this hard time n painful time.
back to the original topic of the thread- it really does put things into persective for us, we all have bad days, the "poor me" days buts we really should remember to count our many blessings and always remember whats important in life.

Thanks Robert, I too, lately have been doing the woe is me's, and sometimes we all forget to stop an d think aobut what we really have, there is always someone worse off. thanks for reminding me that i don't hve it so bad. My thoughts and prayers go with you and your friend.

Thank you for this...


Makes ya think!

... And there are some of these threads that one reads on by chance, one morning while coming back from the market, and to which one is suddenly as having the heart and the brain explored by their author... I am just able to, in those cases, that to recognize a certain talent and a strong authenticity at last... Thanks to you for evoke me these pictures that I pretend to forget, these aftertastes that I fight to amnesty...

To learn to live.
To learn to not to regret. To learn to become. To learn that the furrow that one draws every day, one day, is a furrow of Life, that is to share.

And to know that every instant welcomes all precedents, that all past moments assemble in the present to construct, and tomorrow to dream.

I wish you all to smile serene to all escaped seconds.

well said frenchgirl

They say that life is governed by the chaos. They say that nothing arrives by chance. They say that all is coincidence. They say that one only has what one deserves.

I say that some beings attract to them the exceptional stories.
The crossings of look, the tender smiles, the disinterested gestures.

Some person are part of these people that makes people and the real better. More beautiful. More tolerable.

The man's world more human.

You have a good day too, Robert...you're a good man.....Regards...Geoff