We all like to think we can have a perfect life. We dream and scheme and execute intricate plans over long periods of time in the pursuit of things that we think will make us happy. Homes. Cars. Jobs. Even relationships. Why? Because these things are attainable. We have some semblance of control over them. And because of this, we pour our idea of happiness into these concepts – empty moulds waiting to be filled. The more we control, the…
Until I was 18, I never lived above Interstate 10. My idea of a New Yorker was everyone I’d seen on television. Guys like Archie Bunker, Oscar Madison, George Jefferson, and Louis De Palma. Angry old men who wore permanent scowls and who lived in a smog-filled city occupied by millions of other angry people. I was 25 when I first arrived New York via a Greyhound Bus from Houston. I landed in Port Authority back when it was still…
My father was completely sliver by the time he was 50. Silver is encroaching on me from every direction. My father was an alcoholic. I took my last drink 21 years ago. My father committed slow, indirect suicide. Tick tock. *** Jim Mitchem
[BEST READ WHILE AUDIO FROM VIDEO IS PLAYING] Twelve years ago I was just this married guy who enjoyed life. It was good. Really good. I didn’t think about world peace anymore, as I’d outgrown that concept. I mostly cared about what I could get out of life. It was all about me. Then we had a child. A daughter. And when she arrived, everything changed. And I don’t mean just because I had to start changing diapers. Or because…
Today, a guy named Felix Bumgartner safely jumped from a balloon in outer space, back to earth. His only equipment was a special suit and a parachute. It was pretty cool. And over 7 million people watched it live online. Red Bull sponsored the jump. So Red Bull basically created its own media event by sponsoring Felix’s endeavor. It was cool. And really good marketing. But that’s all it was. Regardless of how you might justify this event, whether for…
If I were President, there are a few things I’d set out to do. 1. Community Service in Exchange for Government Aid. Service in exchange for aid solves two problems. First, it means that there are more human resources to provide important services to parts of the community that needs them. And second, it provides a sense of belonging to people who may never experience it otherwise. As a recovering alcoholic, I’ve spent a lot of time in the company of drunks. One…
