Woke up Breathing

     I woke up this morning and without actually thinking about it, I walked into the kitchen and started making some coffee. Turned the television on FOX News, then feed my dog. Simple tasks that we are so used to doing, we do not even think about it, as if hard-wired into us. Except for a simple math problem, I would have continued to slide through the days doing what I was hard-wired to do.
     Think about this for a moment. We count everything in our lives. We measure ingredients and we count calories. We count the days till Christmas or the weekend. Heck when a commercial comes on, we are trying to guess how long this intrusion into your personal television bubble will last. Seriously, would you buy insurance from a Bird with glasses? And the bird's partner... well he isn't the smartest kitty in the litter box. But I digress.
     Now I know some of you all are asking, what did a math problem have to do with whatever you're talking about. Well slow your roll, I am getting to it. But I warn you, the rest of your day is going to be shot. So if you need to grab a beverage of the alcohol nature, feel free. I can wait. Ok, here it goes. Now, remember, we tend to stroll through life trying not to bump into too many walls. Hell, we have enough stress in our lives we don't need to add "paint the wall" to it.
     The average life span of a man is 77 years. Single men live longer, don't ask me why. Buckle up because here is where depression will set in. We all know there are 365 days in a year, (Don't bother me with that leap year crap). Settle down and follow this. 77 years is 28,105 days. I know some of you all grabbed your calculator on your phone. Trust me, it is 28,105 days. Now in my case, just turned 50; actually in a few months but if you all get technical I will stop this ride and head back home.
     50 years old means I have burned through 18,250 days. Now, here we go. 28,105 minus 18,250 leaves 9,855. Yup, that is correct. 9,855 days left, on average. I know, I know, some poor fools live much longer. However, standing in front of a mirror and I am ready for that giant rock from space to give us the dinosaur treatment.
     Now I am not all doom and gloom. I can say I have no regrets over the past 48 and a half years. That's right, 48 and a half years. because seriously, I could have done without messing my diaper when I was a tiny little tax deduction for my parents. As for the incident the day after eating some damn good Mexican food and drinking to excess..... well let's just thank the good Lord above for the 24 hour Walmart and eight pack of drawers for 2,96. But moving on to the point I was aiming for, we cannot stop the sun rising or setting, it is going to come and go as it pleases. We cannot press a pause button and get some extra time. So if we are on this ride and trust me, we are on this ride. We didn't ask for it. We sure as hell cannot slow it down. What we can do is, come to the realization that every morning when the sun comes up, we have been essentially given a fresh 24 hours to continue to improve and grow. To smile even when the day is a shit show. Why? Well for me, it is because I only have 9,855 days left. Wake up breathing every morning and those 9,855 days will be better than the past ones.