What's Up With That?

by Tom Kuzeja - July 15, 1999

What's Up With That?

Another Year, Baby!

Yeah, Baby... I've survived another orbit around the sun and am celebrating today another birthday! And does it feel good? Oh yeah. So good. What have I learned in the past year? Please, let me share.

I've learned that not everyone believes or practices in honesty and integrity. I've also learned that it shouldn't matter what others do... my stuff is my stuff.

I've learned that I am not a descendant of anyone on the Mayflower. Nor am I a relative of anyone whose nickname is "Prickly Rascal". I've learned that spaghetti sauce is best served hot over pasta and not cold over ice cream. I've learned that the letters "zeja" should never be pronounce "lugen" as in "Kalugen". I've learned that my friends will still be my friends even after I eat an entire McDonald's hamburger in one bite while in public with them. I've learned that I can still be friends with people who pour alcoholic beverages up my nose at parties.

I've learned that regardless of what anyone else thinks, I enjoy listening to the same music now that I enjoyed listening to all through my youth. I've learned that it just doesn't matter whether or not I write in short, concise sentences or long run on sentences because the points I am usually trying to make are not lost in the words, they just aren't there in the first place. I've learned that everyone deserves at least one special friend in this world, and I'm not talking about a conveniently labeled body part here. I've learned that there are things more important in life than money like health, self respect, happiness and the power to blackmail. I've learned that some people just don't get it and that others apparently get it all the time and feel like they have to rub it in the rest of our faces.

I've learned that I like to call my friends "Noodle". I've learned that beer tends to look the same coming out as it does going in. I've learned that you can make people really uncomfortable by staring at them for 15 minutes or so.

Yes, I have learned many things over this last year and I'm looking forward to learning many more new things on this next orbit... I hope I don't have to learn how to survive a nuclear firestorm. In the meantime, I plan to have a great day. Hope you do too, Noodle.

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