"WHAT I'VE LEARNED..."

With apologies to Esquire Magazine, here are my "What I've Learned" items. It will invariably be added to over time. So, here goes:

• TRUE FRIENDS: Your true friends, those that would do anything for you (and those for whom you would also do anything), will be the ones at your going away party. Exception / Benefit of the Doubt: those who live out of town, those whom you had already seen right before leaving and / or those that had unbreakable plans that would keep them from coming to see you.

• 25 AND HOLDING: When asked their age, anyone under the age of 25 will always answer, "I'm almost..." whatever their next age is. As in, they will be X age at their next birthday. Anyone over the age of 25, will always give their current age, never rounding up.

• TO ALL RESTAURANT OWNERS EVERYWHERE: The cleanliness of a restaurant's kitchen is directly indicated by the cleanliness of that same restaurant's bathroom.

• WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH MY LIFE: If you're having trouble figuring out what to do with your life or what your strengths are, go back and read the signatures / notes your classmates entered in your high school yearbook. Usually, your friends noticed your gifts before you did and made mention of this in your yearbook pages. "You're great at music. Stick with it." "You're a funny guy and a great writer." And so on. This seems exceedingly simple, but most of the time we make things too complicated anyway right? This is why we need to keep good, trustworthy people around us for accountability and to be able to speak into our lives if they see something we are doing that is to be encouraged (or discouraged as the case may be). Perhaps you have some to submit?

Lets discuss.