Memoirs of a Soon-to-Be Former Fat Guy

A rare evening post… there’s not a lot going on up here in The Jerz, so I thought I’d do something productive. Mainly, try to write an entry that’s somewhat coherent.

You’re probably wondering what the deal is with the title of today’s post. See, I’ve recently started watching Scrubs. I find that while it’s stupid sometimes, there’s a lot of truth there. Well, on today’s viewing, Season 3, Episode 19 “My Choosiest Choice of All” introduced me to a song I’d never heard before. It’s called Section 9 (Light & Day/Reach for the Sun) and it’s performed by a group called The Polyphonic Spree. I immediately shot over to iTunes and downloaded it and have been listening to it nonstop.

The lyrics are not terribly deep, showing here: 

Light
And day
Is more than you’ll say
Cause all
My Feelings
Are more
Than I can let by
Or not
It’s more than you’ve got
Just follow the day
Follow the day and reach for the SUN!
You don’t see me fly into the red – one more you’re done
Just follow the seasons and find the time
Reach for the bright side
You don’t see me fly into the red – one more you’re nuts
Just follow the day
Follow the day and reach for the SUN!

Like I said, not terribly deep, but it makes sense, and it applies to what I’m trying to accomplish with my life. Trying to get past all the medical issues that have plagued me in 2010, trying to be more positive about life in general. Trying not to regret the myriad mistakes I’ve made over the years. All the times I took the easy way out and resented people who got ahead and bettered themselves. It’s so easy to sit on the ivory tower and pass judgement on everyone else’s life while totally ignoring your own shortcomings. It’s also easy to forget that everything you do has consequences. I figured out long ago I could work my butt off and get good grades, or I could do as little as possible and make Bs and Cs. I took the easy way out and as a result, I never really learned how to study. When I got to college, it was more of the same. Add on to that the fact I was way too immature for college and it was a recipe for disaster. That could be the reason it took me 10 years to get through. The smartest thing I ever did was to take a few years off and get my head screwed on straighter.

I don’t want to chronicle all of my errors of life, but if you ignore mistakes you’ve made in your life, you’re setting yourself up for a repeat. As George Santayana said,

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

It’s a true sentiment. If I believed it years ago, who knows what would’ve happened? Maybe my wife and I would’ve taken better notice of each other twelve years prior to our first date when I sold her a camera. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to deal with getting a good hunk of my toe amputated if I had worried about my eating habits years before. Life is full of what-ifs, but it’s recognizing what got you to those moments that’s important.

The lesson to take away is that while we should never lose sight of where we are headed on our personal journey, we should always remember where we’ve been. Recognize the landmarks and maybe you’ll realize that you’re getting lost again before you get in too deep. Learn from the mistakes… we all make them. No one gets life exactly right on the first try. If it seems that the Almighty is dumping on you, it’s not personal. You’re just lost. Swallow that pride and ask for directions. Remember, life isn’t equipped with a GPS.

Going to leave you with the video for the aforementioned song. Hope you enjoy.