Terrible Analogies

I remember, as a child in sixth grade, our teacher asked us to draw the house we were going to live in thirty years from now.  With pencil in hand I began sketching a ten-story house, complete with a helicopter landing pad on the roof, a fully stocked arcade room, secret tunnels, a diving pool on the third floor, a race track in the back yard, a movie theater, a track and field complex separating the kitchen from the dining room, elevators, fireman poles, and a pizza parlor on the balcony.  

Thirty years later, here I am quietly sitting at home, sick on a Sunday, watching a movie while typing up this blog post and thinking, “Man, that house would so totally be structurally unsound.” 

Forgive me for sounding as if I’m brooding, but there’s not much more I can do in my weakened condition other than think about what is and what could have been.  I’m also thinking about how I envisioned my adult life to be as a child, and the reality that it is…and I have to say that I’m not too terribly disappointed.  Sure, I’m not a movie star, a rock god, or a famous athlete.  I don’t have a trademarked catchphrase, my face on a billboard, or an “as seen on T.V.” product to sell you, but I do have a great house, a terrific family, a good job, and an incredible wife.  

As for the ten-story house and all its accruements… well, I certainly didn’t get the helicopter landing pad or the fireman poles (damn!), but I did get the arcade machine, the movie theater, running trails around my house, a Honda S-2000, and a brand new Pizza Nova just one block away.  5 out of 10 ain’t bad.

Then I think about how lucky I’ve been.  Sure, nothing came easy, but I found my way through the proverbial forest, emerging on the other side with just a few scratches and a black eye or two.  And I wonder how many people are happy with their lives?  How many people came to that fork in the road and were lucky enough to continue down the correct path?  I’m not talking about ending up with fame, riches, or glory, but rather being happy with who they are and proud of their accomplishments.

So, as I sit here on the couch with a 101° fever watching Batman & Robin on blu-ray (die, Joel Schumacher, die!), I have to say that I have very few regrets in life thus far, and I have to count myself lucky to be where I am today.  I’m curious how many other people out there in the world feel the same?

Of course I could be over thinking this whole topic.  Life isn’t a straight shot by any means, and when the fit hits the shan, what are you gonna do?  Perhaps it’s a combination of my illness and being hopped up on medication that’s skewing my world view tonight.  Ahhh, who can say…