Sometime Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks

For those that know me or have known me for any period of time there is the awareness that I don't, excuse me didn't like holidays.  Didn't care for them at all.  Just another day of the week that someone attached an excuse to so that people could get off work or get all mushy.  This is a guy that would be at work when no one else was.  That was what you were supposed to do, work!  I always volunteered to work holidays, because holidays, to me, were a farce.  When I drove over the road I would not hesitate to take a run that would have me out over Christmas or would cause me to not be home for Easter.  Let's face it, if it weren't for the gallant efforts of my loving wife of over thirty two years (how did she make it that long?) we would have never put up a Christmas tree and goodness knows we would have never celebrated Easter, come on, a rabbit that lays eggs!!!  What a joke!
Of all the holidays I guess I probably hated Halloween the most.  Grown people dressing up and looking stupid, and for what?  To me it was a day of freebie hunters, give me candy, give me, give me....  
I'm here to tell you that there are ways to re-train the way us old dogs think.  Sometimes it is as simple as trying something and realizing that you were wrong.  Life can be fun, you can dress in a ridiculous costume and laugh.  It's okay.  This approach did not work on me.  It took getting knocked on my ass and realizing that every moment should be special.  Maybe it was a combination of my accident and the consistent urging from my grand kids that finally got me to let loose and have a little fun, to realize that it is okay to dress stupid and have some fun. 

I will remember Halloween of 2009 for the rest of my life as the Halloween that I dressed stupid and had fun doing it.  My grand kids loved having Roger Rabbit sitting on their front porch handing out freebie candy to little munchkins and actually having a smile on my face while doing so.  Now I want all you doubting Thomas's to look at this picture, yes that is old sourpuss me with that get up on and I was having FUN!
I guess the whole point of this ongoing of gibberish is to let you in on a lesson I have learned, live while you are alive, enjoy every waking moment, and let those that you love know how you feel. 
I am already planning this year's charades.  We recently got a young pug named Dozer.  Cindy bought Dozer a bee costume for Halloween.  I am going to be a bee keeper, escorted by my lovely wife, the Queen Bee!  I'll post some pictures so that we can all get a laugh after the party, yes I said party.  That is another thing I never did, go to a party, waste valuable time being bored looking at stupid people in stupid costumes.  Well this year I intend to be one of those stupid people in a stupid costume having some long over due FUN!
Gee, I think this year and the years to come I will enjoy Thanksgiving, I will actually put up a Christmas tree and enjoy doing it, I will share a toast with friends and family to welcome in the new year, I will most definitely take my sweetie out for a Valentine outing, I will hide those eggs that a bunny left behind for the grand kids to find, I will learn some new tricks and exercise those lesser used muscles in my face that create a smile, I will have some fun!!