Happy Sunday Everyone:
I love my hometown. I love my friends. I like a lot of the people who are on my outer circle in my hometown as well. That’s my disclaimer statement.
Thomas, our youngest, just graduated from high school. We’ve been to more graduation parties than I count at this point. I’ve been exposed to more people I haven’t met before in a long time. I’ve been involved in some serious surface level conversations. I’ve met some seriously nice people, but I was telling Kim last night at dinner, I met a few serious tools too.
This is pure entertainment but a reminder for me, never to be “that guy”. In one conversation I heard “that guy made all his money in tech; he has 4 homes”. In another “I only drink 25-year-old scotch”, my friend asked, “why is that?”, his response….”because i can afford to”. The topper was the poor guy whose garage door must have been broken, but he sure had a nice Ferrari in there for us all to see.
Real time-Jack-our oldest is home from college and heading to the gym, he just asked “what are you writing about today”, I told him, he said “even at 20 I can see through those guys, it’s pathetic”. Then he gave an example of his college roommate freshman year bragging about how much his dad made.
Why am I writing about this?
- Although sad, it’s pretty funny to watch middle aged people conduct themselves in this manner.
- Although it shouldn’t matter anyway-when you decide to brag, you’re talking to someone who is guaranteed to have more of what you’re bragging about or less than what you’re bragging about. Both people are looking at you like you’re a jackass.
- Bragging is instant gratification; humility is delayed gratification.
Ever sense I lost my dad to a heart attack, every contemplation I have starts with the simple fact that we’re all going to die. I don’t mean for this to be morbid in the least, it’s the most simple and known fact of all time. When that is your guiding light of judgement, I think of how I want to be remembered, rich and successful or humble and kind? Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t take a Ferrari, a 25-year scotch, or 4 houses, but they’re made to enjoy, not define.
One thing for sure, life is too short to hang out with the “that guys” of the world….just don’t ever be one yourself, and if you see me doing anything close to it, slap me.