Baby Baby

At the dog park yesterday I ran into Amy walking her black lab Coal. Amy was a part time waitress at the pub for a year or so. She is a beautiful, tiny little thing. She barely comes up to my chest. She is also very pregnant... with twins. She doesn't seem to have gained a lot of weight, but she looks like she is trying to smuggle a beach ball. She was always pretty, but her blue eyes seem to have an extra sparkle now that makes her radiant.

It kind of tweaked my daddy urges again. I'm so excited for her. It was all I could do not to reach out and rub her belly. I know she would have let me... Probably even encouraged me to do so (we have talked about me wanting kids before) but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I wrote a short piece for another former pub employee who was expecting a couple of years ago, I think it bears re-posting for Amy's soon to be offspring... Advice for a newborn:

It's better to try and fail, than to wish later on that you had tried.

If you tell a lie, it had better be worth sustaining, because you will have to tell it for the rest of your life.

Nothing you say can EVER be fully taken back.

Anything anyone tells you is "the worst thing that can happen" isn't.

No, you can't be anything you want to be, but you had better damn well try.

Never hate. Hate takes energy. Anyone you are willing to hate is not worth the effort.

Say what you mean, mean what you say, look 'em right in the eye and never... Never back down from something you truly believe in... Ever.

That's it. The accumulated wisdom of thirty-nine years.
Good luck.

Oh yeah, almost forgot: You don't have to be able to outrun the lions, just be able to outrun the slowest antelope.

Free Advice

I've always heard it said that there is nothing more costly than free advice. Not many people out there would peg me as a wise man, but I've had more than my share of experience. A friend of mine just had a baby, and I just attended the baby shower of another friend who is pregnant.

I was sitting in a bar last night soaking up some blues (and some bourbon) when I decided to jot down a few thoughts for a newborn. Simple things that I should have done, tried to do, and need to remember myself. Feel free to add your own in comments.

It's better to try and fail, than to wish later on that you had tried.

If you tell a lie, it had better be worth sustaining, because you will have to tell it for the rest of your life.

Nothing you say can EVER be fully taken back.

Anything anyone tells you is "the worst thing that can happen" isn't.

No, you can't be anything you want to be, but you had better damn well try.

Never hate. Hate takes energy. Anyone you are willing to hate is not worth the effort.

Say what you mean, mean what you say, look 'em right in the eye and never... Never back down from something you truly believe in... Ever.

That's it. The accumulated wisdom of thirty-six years. Good luck.

Oh yeah, almost forgot:
You don't have to be able to outrun the lions, just be able to outrun the slowest antelope.