And it’s almost New Year’s Eve. We’re hosting one of our movie nights Wednesday: When Harry Met Sally. Plus appetizers, wine, discussion, and Jacqi desperately wants to play a game called Wits and Wagers. Looking forward to the New Year. Jac really wants me to put the past behind me, and move into a bright, happy future, unfettered by things that happened years ago.
I wonder, today, how many of us are bound by things that happened years before. The prime example is Israel, I suppose. For uncountable centuries people have been trying to blow her up, to erase Israel from the map and from history. It is in vain: despite the murder of millions of them, they rose from the ashes and are now the most successful nation in that area.
The point is, they are living for the future. They learn from the past. They study what happened. Yet they do not stand in the fear of the past–continually looking over their shoulders. No, the task is a tool. They say, here is what we were, where we were, what we learned. Then, they push forward. Let’s do that: Hold on to what is valuable; discard the rubbish; banish the nagging memories.
The Chicago Bears have, at least, a lot of ‘splaining to do this year. I haven’t been to a game in some time–four or more years, since my son Tim got tickets from someone at work. Tickets were available for the game last week. The cheapest I could find were over $100, and they ranged upward to $500+.
Now, having been in show business, I know that you don’t charge people money for an inferior, miserable performance and expect to be in business long. But there seems to be an attitude among several local teams that they will make as much money as they can as long as they can without pursuing excellence. The Chicago Cubs are another prime example: charge a ton of money, but say ‘to hell with winning,’ since the same number of people come year after year without having them win. The Bears are the same way: always sold out despite outrageous ticket prices, inconvenient crummy stadium, and uninspiring players and coaches.
My business is writing. When I write a book, I don’t write it once. I write it 30 times. I keep looking for ways to make it better. I’m not happy unless it is the best it can be, the best I can make.
Pursue excellence. Demand it in yourself.
God Bless.
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Jeff Lovell 