110 Sam I Am

Apparently, I qualify as what our parents used to call a "late bloomer". Well, it depends on what aspect you look at. I got married fairly young, but we waited several years to have kids. We've bought a few houses over the years, but now we have one that we built and it's almost paid for. I resisted cell phones and most higher technology until about 2 years ago. I never really formed a coherent thought until I got on facebook. LOL. Lastly, as I have a class that starts tomorrow morning, it only took me 22 years to finish going back to school and (hopefully) earn some credentials.

A few days ago, Brian Bailey posted a video clip from a teacher begging the question "Who Am I?". I watched it a couple times and it got me thinking: Just who the hell AM I? So, here I go:

I am a husband and father. I am a teacher and a student. I am an outdoorsman and a couch potato. I'm a guy who can watch movies as long as they involve comedy, sex, cars and/or violence. I'm a guy who likes hash and eggs but not lima beans or raw tomatoes, unless thinly sliced on a good sammich. I'm a gun-nut and a seeker of peace. I like cars but only if they're older than me. I like to read, but hate to read instructions. I love to play video games, read comic books and color with crayons. I like squirrels but I hate rats.(field mice are okay) I like the smell of fresh-cut grass but hate cutting it. I like to build things, but I also like to tear things apart.(one of my favorites is breaking glass, there's just something satisfying about smashing glass) I'm a guy who loves snow for deer season, but hates it the rest of the time. I like rain and a good storm...a lot. I like old barns, abandoned houses and eclectic people. I like music, but my tastes change like people change socks. I'm a guy who gets embarassed easily about some things, but not when I FEEL like embarassing myself. I'm a guy who believes in telling the truth even if it hurts, the exception being when dealing with unstable people, the government and family. Ha. I like the idea of cities, but hate being in or driving in them. I love to drive by the way. I love life, but I'm not afraid of death, I've seen a lot of both. I love football, some baseball, a little hockey and women's beach volleyball. I'm the guy who read Green Eggs and Ham, over and over, faster and faster,like a maniac, so the kids would keep laughing. I like the smell of canned dog food and yes, I've tasted it. I like colors in nature, like the sky or a scenic view, but clothes, house paint and fung shui(?) crap are lost on me as I'm really badly red-green color blind. I am a dog person and believe that cats are only good for target practice. I like fans blowing but dislike air conditioning. I like black and white movies, war movies and cartoons but dislike most chick flicks and anything with Miley Cyrus. I like playing with fire and I like watching a good fireplace. Above all, I like how Roz and I have raised our kids and I've enjoyed watching them grow up. I'm the guy who feels like a bank, a janitor, a short order chef, a mechanic, a counsellor, a dictator and a mediator.

After all this, and trust me, this is the short list, I've finally realized that I'm a happy dude. What makes me happy? All of the above and more. I conceitedly look at a lot of people and think that they are empty shells, doing the same thing day after day and only looking forward to a few moments of pleasure doing "their thing" on the weekends. No, there's nothing wrong with that, some would call it stable. I've done so many crazy things because I wanted more out of life because it could end at any moment, but I've also tried to leave something lasting, at least in the kids.

I am your friend, your husband, your brother, your boss, your follower and your listener. I am a hand-lender, a shoulder to lean on and (I hope) an inspiration for some. I am a comedian, a critic, a risk taker, a procrastinator and (again, I hope) an all-around good guy. I am Scott DeWitt.