Attitude: Bitter or Better!

Rome

Holsum Honey Buns
Upon awakening from a dream early this morning I could not go back to sleep. I decided to start an update on one of my Adware programs for my computer. Turning off the monitor to make the bedroom dark, I laid back down to rest. As I lay there I began to reflect back on some times where things in my life we turned upside down you could say.

Some of which were becoming ill with CHF & having to retire from a job I enjoyed very much. There were burglaries of my home while I was away. Two times my cars were broken into as well. A fire that destroyed my kitchen so bad I could not repair the home. Also, then there is the death of my young daughter from an unexpected illness leaving her son father & motherless. He has turned out to be a fine little fellow in spite of this tragic turn of event with the help & training of my ex-wife (his grandmother), his uncle, & myself.

It was too much for me & I began to weep. After regaining my composure, I thought about after all this I did not become bitter or hateful to anyone. I continued to give & even started an email ministry with about 16 members right now that have been with me since 02-14-03.

Moving into this home back in 05-05, I started to replace some of the stuff I lost, such as the vintage video games & systems I liked. One of them was a Mini Super Nintendo I purchased from the widely recognized auction site. It came with Super Mario All-Stars & other games, but I also bought two of my favorite games for the system, which are World Heroes 2 & Super Smash TV. Super Smash TV is still one of the hardest games I have ever played on any system.

Well, my girlfriend has a brother who is a few years older than me, but he is mentally challenged. One of nicest & energetic people you will ever meet. Every time he visits her, he has to stop by my place & play video games on my systems. He loved the Super Nintendo with the Mario game. Mind you, I had just bought the system & had not had it for a year. On his birthday, I decided to surprise him with that system & game. My girlfriend thought I had bought him one, but after finding out I gave him mine, she broke down. I told her it was OK.

I know this is long, but bare with me a little bit more as I wrap this all up. Since joining AK I have been blessed with friends, help, & blessings. I could have let those negative things turn me into a bitter & dark person, but I continued to move forward in help & encouragement when I could. The gifts from several of the guys here
are just wonderful & they will be treasured always.

Well, on Christmas Day my girlfriend gave me some toiletries, food & a Dell 4500 computer to replace my old Premio. Just too much for me, but wait, she then gave me another bag that had the Mini Super Nintendo with the Super Mario All-Stars game, controllers, & cords I had given to her brother. She said that he wanted me to have it. Now I can use my Asciiware AsciiPad Turbo controller & play my cherished Super Smash TV game once again. Just too much, I tell you!

Guys & girls, don't become bitter when things happen to you, just continue to move forward with giving & blessings in your life. Some call it Karma. There are some sayings that hold true as well, "You Reap What You Sow" & "What Goes Around, Comes Around."


Whatever doctrine you subscribed to, don't become bitter, just become better.

Rome

Ps: Arkay, eat your heart out! :D
 
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Good morning, JJ!
Thanks so much for the kind sentiment, but I am just an encourager! :D

Rome
 
Wow,and here I am bummed that I have to work all day today and am there right now.We have to try to enjoy the time tht we have here because life goes by fast.
David
 
Hi & welcome to AK, David!
Yes, enjoy the day & job you have been given. Indeed, life is uncertain.
Be encouraged & have a good day, sir!

Rome
 
Thanks for reinforcing that the human spirit and kindness can endure despite hardships and suffering!
 
I learned several years ago that things happen for a reason. Sometimes good and sometimes not so.

Its nice when things have a way of working themselves out for the better. Its what we around here like to call karma :)
 
I learned several years ago that things happen for a reason. Sometimes good and sometimes not so.

Its nice when things have a way of working themselves out for the better. Its what we around here like to call karma :)

Good morning, Grumpy!

Indeed, like I stated in the earlier post. Life is uncertain & things can happen to us with unpleasant & pleasant outcomes. Our choice to react in a positive or negative way will have long lasting effects. The negative ones can lead to unsettling spiritual, health, mental, & financial issues.

Thanks so much for the sentiment of thought! :thmbsp:
Rome
 
Good morning Dark!
Hey, I am glad you listened to them, my friend.
Though life throws all of us different kinds of pitches, we must continue to be ready in good spirit for them.

Be encouraged!
Rome
 
Rome you are a great example to us all. So glad you share your wonderful attitude and blessings with us. May you have a blessed 2010.
 
Very sound advice Rome! Whenever I start feeling down about things, I think about this old saying: I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. So, no matter how bad things might be for yourself, there is always someone who is much worse off than you.
 
Rome you are a great example to us all. So glad you share your wonderful attitude and blessings with us. May you have a blessed 2010.

Hi 75!
Thanks for the kind sentiments & also the encouragement to move forward in the loss of my Yorkie Terrier. I appreciate that very much!

Rome
 
Very sound advice Rome! Whenever I start feeling down about things, I think about this old saying: I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. So, no matter how bad things might be for yourself, there is always someone who is much worse off than you.

Hi CW!
Thanks so much for those kind words!

Rome
 
Having been born at the start of the Great Depression (darned if I know what was so great about it) there probably could have been many things to feel bad over. I got lucky in having two parents whose love I never doubted. We were never wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but we were never poor either, at least I never thoght so.

When my first marriage went south I wondered "What next", well what next was meeting the lovely lady who has made my life the happiest it has ever been. She insists that for the first time in her life she is truly happy so there you go, it took 53 years to find her but I have forgotten all the bad bits of those earlier years.
 
Hi ML!
What words of inspiration you have spurned, sir!

My mom was a teacher & my dad worked in a steel mill, until he changed jobs & took a job as a janitor. We did not have many luxuries by today's standards, but like you, we never felt we were missing anything. Our home was filled with encouragement, love & I think I turned out pretty good! :scratch2: :D

My little rant was to just illustrate that no matter what we face or endure, it can always be worse, but don't become sour when things are not as we wish.

The gifts & kind people I have met here on AK reinforces how blessings will come your way when you become a blessing to others.

Rome
 
Thanks for a reminder that tough times pass, and there are lessons to be learned from everything. Just had a relatively minor setback in my life, but I have at least tried to use it as a spur to reflection and recentering my life on what should be my priorities.

I also volunteer for an organization that prepares meals for people whose serious health issues prevents them from grocery shopping and/or preparing decent meals for themselves. I tell you, working delivering those meals helps me as much as it helps the people on my delivery routes, maybe more. Every time I start getting whiney to myself about some little hiccup in my life, all I have to do is remind myself of the hell many of those people are struggling through, and how they still manage to greet me with a smile. That little self kick in the rear sets things in perspective right quick.
 
Rome - my Yorkie is so bad I asked Santa to come and get him on Christmas Eve. My chihuahua was disappointed to wake up Christmas morning and find the Yorkie still here. :D
 
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