John Sargent was two years ahead of me at Bishop Ireton High School. The first thing I recall about John is that, aside from being a great athlete, he was on the Model UN team. In the late 1970's, our UN team at Ireton rocked, winning national titles. In fact, they went to The Hague and won a World Championship.
John has never shied away from a good debate. His collegiate career took him to the University of Virginia, where he earned a degree in systems engineering. Later, there were three runs for the Virginia House of Delegates. Running against a long standing incumbent in Bernie Cohen, the first two tries didn't go well, but people found John's message and his third attempt was surprising close. Perhaps the fact that John was still in his late 20's scared off some of the older people in Alexandria.
Regardless, John has carved out a successful career, and is now working for the Library of Congress. Today is his 50th birthday. In a moment of reflection, he shared some thoughts. Fortunately, he has agreed to share these here. Being 46 years old myself, they made me think. I hope that you will also. Please enjoy the thoughts of John Sargent, a man reflecting on his 50th birthday.
In honor of my birthday, I've
decided to share...
Some of the Truths I’ve Learned in 50 Years…in no
particular order
(I started to number them, but I keep adding to the
list and plan to continue to do so until the day I die.)
• I am probably not going to get to compete in the
Olympics, the NBA, or the NFL. MLB was NEVER a possibility. I’m still holding
out hope to medal in table tennis. (I’m thinking Gold…maybe Silver.)
• My hair is not getting thicker; my waistline is.
• As you age you discover there are pain receptors in
parts of your body that will surprise you…regularly.
• It’s important to work to live, not to live to work.
• More often than not, ignorant people won’t change.
And because they’re ignorant, logic does not reach them. Life is short. Do not
waste time on the truly ignorant.
• Life is hard. If you accept this, then everything is
a lot easier. If you don’t every difficulty is a mountain. (Okay, I borrowed
this one from The Road Less Traveled, but it’s true.) And no matter how hard I
think my life is at times, my trials and tribulations pale by comparison to the
suffering of so many others. Remain thankful for the things you have --
spiritual and material -- and not covetous of the things you don't have.
• When you tell a schoolmate at graduation or a
departing co-worker at the office that we’ll stay in touch, no matter how much
you mean it, life makes it difficult to enjoy the same level of shared time and
platonic intimacy that being together 8-10 hours a day, five days a week does.
Nevertheless, I always treasure the opportunities to see them or talk to them.
• It is important to set goals, large and small, and to
work toward them. It is equally important to re-assess those goals as life
events and life experiences unfold. Much of what seemed important in youth can
fade in time. Much that was unimportant in youth, can become increasingly
important to you with wisdom. Some goals are worth holding onto your entire
life.
• I am proud of my country, its history, and the good
that it has brought the world. I am thankful to God that I was born here. I am
saddened by some of the things my country allows, and I fear what some would
like to see it become. I will do everything I can to protect it, defend it, and
honor those who made it possible through their blood, their sweat, and their
tears.
• Money can’t buy you happiness, but the absence of it
can buy you misery.
• I am not perfect. And I don’t like to admit it.
• On a similar note, I am a sinner. I ask God’s
forgiveness, am forgiven, and frequently fail again. I expect this pattern to
continue until my death. But I will continue to try to improve during each
iteration. I think this is the human condition. And for better or worse, I am
human.
• I can cause people pain. Sometimes intentionally,
especially when I am hurt or angry. If I have done this to you, I am sorry. I
may do it again, but I will try not to.
• I can bring great joy to people. Often intentionally.
If I have done this to you, I am likely to try to continue to do it. My little
secret is that it brings me great joy as well.
• I don’t really understand why I am here, but I think
there are many good reasons though they remain largely unknown to me. Every day
is a new opportunity to discover these reasons and to make good on the
opportunity.
• Nothing sears the soul more than the loss of loved
ones. The size of the scar is proof of how much love and joy was shared during
our time together here on Earth.
• I had the greatest parents in the world. I am
grateful to them more than words can express. And I miss them more than words
can express.
• I have the greatest kids in the world. They sustain
me (and, yes, sometimes drain me). They are the best things that EVER happened
to me in my entire life.
• Sometimes sad, terrible, and tragic things happen to
people I love. Sometimes I have words of comfort, but sometimes there are no
words. In those times, the only thing I have found to give is my love and
prayers for healing.
• Being there with love is generally the greatest gift
you can give your child. For adult children, it is the greatest gift you can
give to your parents…and yourselves.
• Nothing is more important than the love of friends,
except the love of family. Nothing. Except God, of course.
• There is something bigger and better on the other
side of this plane of existence. And while I am in no hurry to get there, I
know the wonders I’ll behold, the family and friends I will be re-united with,
and the great goodness of His light will bring happiness beyond human
comprehension
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