By Ron Signore
With the current climate politically to people who are engaged, it is easy to let the dichotomy impact your mental health. It is easy to let that cloud hang over you. There is a daily reminder of the question asking if we are better off now than we were four years ago. That question angers me for several reasons, but none more importantly than the idiocy of people who really question that based upon falsities. Four years ago, we had a deadly pandemic that faced the world, not just our country, that impacted supply chain needs that ultimately created policies that added to the national debt and sparked us into a whirlwind of inflation that would need to be battled as power transitioned in 2020.
That part is just common sense to being better off. But one thing that really is an eye opener for me as I self-reflect is how this administration battled against rising inflation and solidified a top tier economy by adding jobs, thus dropping unemployment, and the greatest stock market rises we have arguably ever seen. This has led to strong retirement plans, and a consistency to the travel industry to regain strong life. People are spending money…for leisure. I am sure in some of that same breath, there are moron MAGAs traveling and enjoying family fun, then complaining about where certain supply chain or fuel costs may be. Which, spoiler alert, are not controlled by the President. But I digress.
This is where I wanted to stop and smell the roses. The worst thing in my life is politics. If I take the character flaw of letting politics stress me out, my life has been awesome over the past four years. The past four years, professionally, I have made the most amount of money I ever have in my career. Business has been good in so many markets/arenas. I have always made good money, that is to say as a sales professional, you have ups and downs that cause typical financial stresses; however, the past four years have provided arguably an exponential boost to securities.
The biggest blessing in my life is my family. I have several hobbies and efforts to support the community, but my family is the center of my universe. My oldest daughter is on a path in music that makes me believe wholeheartedly that she can have a career focused on her passion. I have supported that passion this past year with thousands of dollars’ worth of guitars and other instruments. Why mention that? Four years ago, during the pandemic, I essentially promised her that I would sign her up for lessons for guitar and piano. I failed to do that. Not because I didn’t believe, or couldn’t afford it, but rather the time and availability of our family obligations across the household. She taught herself how to play each instrument herself. It is an incredible sight that astonishes me at what she has accomplished.
My middle child has the same passion level for soccer. She works herself to a point that exhausts me to think about. She has a drive compared to my drive with baseball as a kid growing up. I was good, but it is clear to me she has more drive than I ever did, and the potential ceiling is unparalleled. It is very odd, she loves practice. It doesn’t matter if it is solo around the house or yard, or with her teams, or in individual training sessions. It is almost freakish. In 2020, she was 6 and just starting to play rec ball soccer. It became obvious how well she picked up her responsibilities in the game that allowed us to consider allowing her to get involved with travel soccer. If any parent has a kid in travel soccer, they understand the financial commitment (not to mention time). That financial commitment for soccer only gets bigger as skills develop and playing opportunities become present. There are home training accessories like nets, cones, balls, rebounders, and other things. Then there are opportunities for training sessions and camps that I can assure you are not cheap. Add fuel and hotel for traveling, plus at least my mouth for food…ma’don. But then you see the joy on her face, you honestly forget there was any costs associated to achieve that. At least until she gets in trouble for pestering her sibling, then my Italian parental nature comes out and reminds her how spoiled she is.
Then there is my youngest at 5. My son was born a few months prior to the pandemic. During the pandemic, my wife noticed some things of concern with our son that prompted a consideration to autism. Long story short, she was right. Four years ago, aligning to get the help my son needed/continues to need was a nightmare. Just getting the necessary evaluations was an unbelievable struggle. As a parent learning and dealing with that scenario, it was arguably one of the greatest challenges, which directly correlated to mental health and stresses. Then you throw insurance coverages in the mix with treatment needs, I can only thank any higher power for my wife who was able to get what needed to be done, done, leveraging public and private options to get our son what he needs. I am further blessed to be in a position to get him that needed help.
Outside of the individual needs or passions for the kids, this year is a poster year for the memories of happiness we have been able to make. Now, it is hard to do things all together as a family very often. A 5-year-old on the neurodivergent spectrum is not easy to take places. My wife and I have been lucky to have a babysitting option near by if there is a rare chance the two of us get to go out on a date-night, or if there is something reasonable to do with the girls. A great example was taking the girls to an Indiana Fever game at the beginning of the season. We were able to go the four of us. The noise would have been hell for our son, er go, us.
But there have been so many opportunities for just one of us to do something with one or both girls if possible. This summer alone, my oldest and I saw 7 amazing concerts. Two DMB, two Brandi Carlile, at Red Rocks in Colorado mind you, two Stevie Nicks shows, one of which was with Billy Joel at Soldier Field, and one Pearl Jam show that I was able to have both girls with me. That was before adding myself flying solo to see Foo Fighters and two more Pearl Jam shows. Do not forget the associated merch and supplemental costs for travel and food. I also acquired season tickets for the Chicago Red Stars (women’s professional soccer) that my middle child and I enjoyed when she didn’t have soccer commitments herself.
I get it. I am giving you a perception of a very blessed life, which is correct. It is not to brag, but rather to realize how good life is and can be. It is understood that not everyone has the opportunities I have had the blessing of having. But as I look around as I go through these experiences, I am not the only one experiencing joy. There is definitely parts of the population that either do not have the opportunities to have these experiences either by socio-economic reasons, or by their own choice not to pursue happiness, meaning they choose to sit and dwell in the negative. There are some that maybe have these possibilities but lack the education to take advantage of the times to prosper. If your investment portfolio is not experiencing what many of us are, you are doing something wrong or trusting the wrong people. If you are complaining about gas…you are just an idiot. If you are complaining about groceries or other supply chain items, learn to shop the sales or change the venue you are shopping it. Maybe make a change from Whole Foods. Maybe take some of those “conservative economic” practices you preach about and focus on needs as opposed to wants. The reality is that throughout our history, there has always been poor people, middle class, and essentially the upper 2%. Middle class has had the same struggle throughout time. Poor people have had the same struggles throughout time. Some self-control, self-accountability, and an understanding of reality can help with your victim mentality and help you live. Stop wallowing and blaming the government, at least specifically the administration that has helped correct a poor trajectory the Orange Turd put us on 4 years ago and would damn us more if back in office.
Life is good. You just need to worry about your own life and focus on living it to the best of your ability. Drop the victim act. Wise man, Ferris Bueller, once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Enjoy it once in a while at the very least.
Vote Blue.
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