The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, by Michael Davis – Straight No Chaser #110
April 3, 2009 Michael Davis 11 Comments
The last two weeks have been two of the worst of my life. My cousin Linda died and believe it or not it went downhill from there. I felt better a few days ago when I left comments on the site, then something else bad happened and I felt like shit again and did not want to write anything for today. I was going to blow-off today’s column because quite frankly it didn’t seem that important to me. I’m just not feeling at the top of my game. I even was going to have Tatiana run a clever picture with a one sentence caption which would have served as my column.
When I called to inquire why it was not up, I realized (after sufficient yelling and screaming) that whatever my issues were I still should honor my responsibility. Yet I have a very good excuse why I shouldn’t but excuses are like assholes, everyone has one.
Or when it comes to the republican party, everyone is one.
As cliche as it sounds-
What does not kill you, does make you stronger.
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.Badges we don’t need no stinking badges.
Who’s your daddy?
I’m your daddy, bitch.
A true professional honors his deadlines. After you have done whatever you can to address the problem, self-pity although warranted, should not be a note from your mother excusing you of your responsibilities. I’ve told plenty of people in my life who have asked me for advice, to raise their game and I’m raising mine. Yes I have a very good excuse why I’m late and an extremely good excuse why I haven’t finished certain assignments. But you can bet they will be finished today. If something tragic in your life happens and you need to take the time to deal with it in your way, then I support whatever that is.
To each his own has been a recurring theme in the more than 100 articles i have written in the last 2 years. I am not suggesting on any level if you or your family were a victim of the many mass shootings that have taken place recently, that your grief should not take precedent over your other responsibilities- hell yes it should take precedence. As a new, but I’m sure he will become a long time, friend of mine just told me “family first.” For me this column and the feedback from those on the site, can be therapeutic and I feel good writing this.
It’s easy to meet your responsibilities in your life when everything is working for you. It’s hard as hell when stuff isn’t going your way. I heard a story that when Michael Eisner was being wheeled in for emergency heart surgery, he was giving instructions to other Disney executives on his way to the operating room about what to do in the event of his death and who should succeed him. That is hardcore!
If I’m ever being wheeled in to surgery where it may appear that I may not make it, I’m confident that this is what I’ll be saying to those around me. DON’T LET ME DIE!
Hey I’m not quite as hardcore as Michael Eisner.
I’ve got the greatest job in the world. I wake up in the morning and make up stories, I work with some of the greatest people in the world and like it or not I’m writing this column from now on through the good, bad, and the ugly.
Martha Thomases
April 3, 2009 - 8:01 pm
Well, as Scarlett O’Hara said, “Tomorrow is another day.”
I hate that bitch.
Mary Dee
April 3, 2009 - 8:48 pm
GOOD FOR YOU!
ed zarger
April 3, 2009 - 10:11 pm
No words of wisdom from me.
But keep putting one foot in front of the other, just like us old guys jogging on really down days.
And you’ll keep inspiring us.
Thanks.
Mike Gold
April 4, 2009 - 7:05 am
One foot in front of the other, moving forward with friends and family. That’s what life’s all about.
Tony Isabella
April 4, 2009 - 7:43 am
Just a quick note to say that a week without your column is a week without something not unlike sunshine.
Russ Rogers
April 5, 2009 - 12:42 pm
Michael, I’m sorry for your loss. You have my condolences. I wish I could say that in a way that didn’t make me sound like a cold, overly formal dork. But there you have it. If I walk like a dork…
As for the rash of mass murder crazies this country has been plagued with, I’m sick and tired of it. I want to sentence these nut-jobs to obscurity. I don’t want to see another jail cell interview with Charles Manson. In my opinion, once you go on a mindless killing spree, I don’t care how charismatic or profound your insights on Society might be, you are not only worthy of being locked up forever, you are worthy of being IGNORED forever, forgotten! Utter Social and Historical Ostracization.
This goes for the kids at Columbine, the disgruntled Postal Workers, the paranoid bigoted shit-heads who shoot up students studying for Citizenship Test, I don’t want to even hear speculation on their motives. I don’t want to KNOW their NAMES. Fine, the event is news, the people themselves should just be referred to as, “Another Sad Nut-Job.” Don’t give any of these Cretinous Loonies the Front Page or the Top Story. That’s what they want, their little “moment of infamy!” Because I’m convinced that the more publicity you give events like these and especially the people who commit them, the more you encourage these events to happen again.
I’m not saying that we should forget tragedies like 9-11 or the victims of those tragedies. Make memorials. Honor the victims. Remember our outrage. But I don’t need to know the names of the perpetrators. I don’t need to speculate on their motivations. The more the media tries to explain that IRRATIONAL act as anything more than the work of a bunch of whacked out nut cases with terms like “Radical Muslims” or “Islamic Fundamentalist Terrorists” gets used; the more twisted and bigoted people become toward Muslims.
Michael, thank you for your column. I enjoy reading it. And I miss it when it’s not around. Thanks for finding the time, energy and courage to write and publish it again this week.
Keu, The Talent
April 5, 2009 - 12:54 pm
It’s like Dolemite said: “When I see a ghost, I cut the mutha fucka.” I know that might not be relevant, but Dolemite did say that.
You’re too strong to stay down, Michael. Let’s go.
Reg
April 5, 2009 - 2:15 pm
Props for that old school drop to the mOTu. And fo sho’… Dolemite did indeed say that.
Hold strong, hold true, brother M.
Kai
April 6, 2009 - 5:51 am
HUG!
Vinnie Bartilucci
April 6, 2009 - 2:09 pm
The Wife is right now working on a chapter in her second novel about an ex-girlfriend to the hero who basically told him to “get over it” about his mother dying in the WTC on 9/11. This is all we learn about her, but it’s all we need – so heartless is her act she is immediately hated more than Billy Zane’s character in Titanic.
No matter how bad it is, certain advice will ever be offered over and over again by well-meaning people who are usually much more understanding when you’re not as depressed as you are and over-analyzing everything they say. These nuggets of love include:
“There’s more fish in the sea”
“It’s only a game”
“They wouldn’t want you to be sad forever”
They all boil down to “you should at some point accept the bad thing and move on”. This is perfectly valid advice, but the main problem is that the advisor is usually suggesting that the “at some point” is usually right now, or at least imminently, while the advisee is more likely considering a longer period of upset. There’s no set period of time. It’s not like in college where there was a standard interval you would wait for your teacher before you declare the class cancelled, depending on their position and whether or not they had tenure.
As time past the event passes, the ability to wave life off as a result of it becomes harder to justify, yes, but until you, the eventee, are ready to move on, then people will just have to wait. Usually you start asking people if you should get up and go out at about the time you’re ready to get up and go out.
I got a good chinese cookie fortune the other day – “Advice is what you ask for when you already know what to do”.
You usually know what to do.
Chris Derrick
April 8, 2009 - 5:39 pm
Michael!
I’m terribly sorry to hear about your cousin, it’s always a bleak day when a loved one passes away… but as you did with your sister, you can immortalize Linda in graphic novel project!
I hope all is going well with you … no need to tell you to stay strong, because while you might not be Michael Eisner-tough, you’re still hardcore!
Peace… and Love and all that Jazz (underscored by Miles’ All Blues).