As you review your resolutions this month (you know, lose weight, work out more, etc.) maybe this thought will help: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways — Chardonnay in one hand, chocolate in the other — body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming: ‘Woo Haw, what a ride!?
That really didn’t help, did it?
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My one remaining brother-in-law, (I started with four) is a retired Teamster. Before Christmas, the Flint union had a major dinner for retirees. Bro Ron invited me.
It was a fine feast, and as I went to my car I couldn’t help but notice the lack of foreign cars. No Hondas, Toyotas, BMWs, Audis, etc. With my interest perked, I spent some extra time in the lot.
It was refreshing to find those Teamsters agree with my thinking. Our WWII foes tried to kill us. Why give them any of our money?
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Sports Illustrated named Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre 2007 Athlete of the Year. The demand for that issue was so high they had to up their initial 3.2 million press run printing by 50,000. Then they had to up it 100,000 more for Packerland. Proving again, everybody loves sportsman winners. Brett Favre tops the list, and has for many years.
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One of my 13,000 resolutions for 2008 is to write at least one Jottings column without mentioning ma’dog Shayna. But, not this one. Veterinarian Marty Becker says, ‘Surveys show about half of all car-buyers consider the comfort of the family dog when buying a new car.?
I drive a minivan. I bought it without considering Shayna’s comfort. Mostly she jumps into the car, sits upright in the passenger seat and sets off that damnable seat belt siren and can sleep through the noise.
She’s not going to be considered on my next car either.
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Grandson Dan, 22, spent his 3-week break between semesters at Michigan State skiing and teaching skiing in Utah.
He called me December 30 from his car, on his way to work. I told him ‘work? was the only 4-letter word I thought he didn’t know.
He ignored me to say how many Brazilian women and men are at the resort, and how pretty the women are. At least his mind is off cars, sports, and cribbing — if only temporarily.
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I’m going to end this week’s column by giving you something I gleaned from Richard Milliman’s ‘Almanac? year-end writing. He wrote of the difficulties our forefathers had in the beginning of the United States. He quoted this from a Chamber of Commerce campaign some 25 or so years ago.
‘Consider that 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. Five were captured or imprisoned in the war that followed. Nine died of wounds or hardships. Twelve lost their homes. Seventeen lost everything they owned. Every last one of them was hunted. Most were driven into hiding. They were offered immunity, rewards, return of their property or freedom of their loved ones if they would desert their cause. Not one did. Not one broke that pledge.?
Milliman then asks, ‘Would the leaders of our nation today, and the rest of us, for that matter, have the mettle and the resolve to persevere as our founders did? One must wonder.?