Folks are always talking about love, and how we all need it, want it, and gotta have it. But you know what we really need to do? Show some friggin' appreciation sometimes! Yeah, I know that doesn't fit neatly into song lyrics or Instagram philosophy, but hear me out..I started thinking about appreciation in the waning days of the 2013 NBA season when my hometown NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies, fired coach Lionel Hollins.
All Hollins did was guide the team to their most successful season in Grizzlies history and the team's first-ever appearance in the Western Conference finals. I mean, is a pink slip any way to treat someone who more than exceeded expectations? Yeah, I know there were other issues, but I tell ya, no appreciation.
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| You know this is effed up, right? |
1) Friends: I have my own special brand of crazy. Well, we all do, but mine is like Ciroc, ultra premium. Therefore, I appreciate the friends, both new and old, that have embraced me, without judgment, and have helped me learn more about myself and hopefully become a better person.
2) Family: I have extremely difficult relationships with certain family members for various reasons. However, I'm finally starting to realize that they always wanted the best for me. Consequently, they really tried, in their own misguided way, to do what they thought was the right thing. Problems arose with their ideas, the execution, etc. But, when I think about the times that my family helped me in my darkest hours, I can't be anything but appreciative, despite the dysfunction.
3) The week in racial and legal crazy: Anyone who believes in the fallacy of post-racial America, I appreciate this past week for blowing up the "race doesn't matter anymore" argument to bits, again. Between the George Zimmerman trial, Paula Deen's racist/non-racist (depending on who you ask) shenanigans and the Supreme Court destroying the Voting Rights Act, racism, white privilege and all that goes with it are alive, healthy and ain't going nowhere anytime soon. I mean, Kerry Washington gets it, so why is this difficult for your cousins to understand?
4) The Have and The Have Nots: No, not the TV show (God, no. That's a whole different blog post). What I have, I appreciate it that much more because I didn't necessarily always have it. What I don't have, I'm starting to realize that I'm doing OK without it.
6) Maturing Musical Tastes: I don't have a car which means I don't listen to the radio anymore. Therefore, I listen to Pandora
A LOT and learn about new music from friends and other sources. When I do find out what's hot in the streets, I'm usually disappointed (not always, but enough). Yeah, I may be out of the loop, but at least I have a better appreciation of good music as opposed to...this other stuff. #noshade
5) Something bigger than myself: God kept me out of some things (even though I wanted in sooooo badly), and put me in some things for a reason.
There are obviously other things that I appreciate, but it's a long list, and I know you've got to go grocery shopping for your 4th of July potato salad. So, I'll end by saying, what about you? Who and/or what do you appreciate? Show some love in the comments!
Stay random,
Jay
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