Are We Having Fun Yet&;#063;

Remember when you were a kid, and you had those one or two people in
your life that stressed "having fun". Well, I remember that most
vividly from my days playing Little League Baseball. My Coach, a fine
man named Greg, used to promote having fun over technique and skill. As
I've grown older, it seems that the premise of "having fun" has become
lost on most of us. We toil at our jobs and struggle within our
lives....mostly looking for a brass ring that is either very tarnished
or will not fit upon our finger. We think in "technique" and
"skill"....we are judged and judge ourselves against those
"barometers", instead of living a life and not just existing an
existence. Oh, the lot of us talk a good talk...."stop and smell the
roses", "just be happy", etc. But those comments and inspirations are
usually lost on others, instead of being a prophesy placed upon
ourselves. We forgot the lessons of old, and live lives that are mired
in the quagmire of frustration and regret. How then do we recapture the
innocence of old, and recall the days where having fun was paramount? I
believe it starts within each of our hearts, and then can be brought
into the forefront of our minds. We must remember those who have
touched us and made us smile, even for the briefest of moments, and
live out those "smiles". Even more that our greatest diseases,
happiness is the most contagious. We will always have our
responsibilities, but when that overcomes our joy for life, we cease to
be what we not only should, but what we can be. So envision yourself as
a ball-player, or a dancer, when you were young and trying so hard to
succeed. Remember that voice and that gentle reassuring touch....the
one that said "just have fun". That touch is still upon your
shoulder....and that voice is still resonating within your ears.