Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, the Hallmark event of the season is upon us and hopefully you've all spent absurd amounts of money on gifts for people and so on and so forth. Because, as you know, you don't really love someone unless you present them with a talking bear or some pink ice on February 14th. Now, you may be saying to yourself, "oh, Cory's just bitter because he doesn't have a valentine." That's simply not true. I've been sending Jenna Bush heart shaped cards for a month now (she's so cute, she sent me a secret service guy... right to my front door!).

But anyway, I just thought that now was as good of a time as any to remind everyone that reads this that despite our differences we're all one big family... that seems to fight constantly. Now I'm certainly not trying to tell anyone how to run their railroad, especially since the Chinamen that built mine took a break from about 2002-2005, but I've learned a few things in the last year that I thought I'd share. Why do you care what I think, I dunno, but if you're still reading then my talons are in!

With all of the squabbling that goes on in day-to-day life we're all very fortunate to have friends surrounding us. From time to time we're bound to irritate each other and various clans will war, but I have faith that in one way or another everything will work out. I've most certainly wronged people in my life, done things that I'm not proud of and hurt people around me. On the flip side I've been hurt, been wronged and so on and so forth. But what matters is perspective and forgiveness. I think we'd all be served pretty well by remembering three really good things that someone has done for us before we react in anger.

The time they helped you move
The time they drove your drunk ass home
The time they picked you up from the airport
The time they were a concerned ear when you had a problem
The time they loaned you that twenty bucks and never asked about it again
The time they quoted you
The time they bought you a Christmas/Birthday present
The time they complimented something you'd done
The time they shared something with you
The time they forgave you

None of these are directed at specific people, so don't think they are (even if they sound very familiar). These are just ideas, things that I know people do for one another. So before you get angry, think back to the past and whether or not that person has ever been there for you, because no one is "all bad."

For the record, I can safely say for the first time in my life that I don't hate, dislike or curse anyone under my breath. If you wonder where you stand with me, you're in fine shape. I don't have any animosity to direct at anyone.

Essentially this is just me getting that out there, getting this off of my chest. I certainly don't expect everyone to kiss and make up overnight, or even over ten years. But I do think that it's important to remember that as mad as you get at someone in the present, you couldn't have done without them in the past, and that has to be worth something.

Note: I'll be the first to admit that this is rambling and poorly written, but I didn't really feel like it was appropriate to edit the hell out of it. I wanted it to feel more like one of those three or four minute rambling soapbox speeches that I go on from time to time. Happy Valentine's Day! And now, a monkey with a baseball bat.