Open Letter to All of You

[taxguykarl]

For the second, when did they taste it? Were they here at my bar, or did I give you the recipe and you made it for them?

The answer to the first query is at various times. The second is the later.

[monolayth]

Continuing in that vein, I would like to offer some more advice today, to all of you. And that is simply to enjoy life. Do not let the bad things in life bog you down. Bad things happen. They happen to you, they happen to your neighbor, they happen to everyone. It's how we react to these things that determine how our lives will be. You can ask why this thing happened to you, and it's a normal thing to wonder. But you can also make a conscious choice to stop wallowing, stop pitying, stop crying, stop whining, and get up off your butt, pull your head out of your ass, and DO something about it. You can be passive and wonder why good things don't happen to you, or you can actively seek out those good things and make them happen. You will still experience failure, loss, and pain. But you will also find that you experience so much more. More joy. More happiness. More laughter. More LIFE.

.

Thanks I needed that today.

[tollbaby]

I'm not sure what to say after what everyone else has so eloquently added, but I will say this:

Jester, you've always been a fair, kind and encouraging person, quick to help your friends and just as quick to put yourself in harm's way to defend them. You are loyal, honest and generous, intelligent and witty. I have greatly enjoyed the few times I've managed to talk to you away from the board. (sadly, IM programs don't get along with my computer, so I deleted them all). I admire you greatly and think you're honestly one of the most fantastic people I've ever met online.

Thank you for sharing bits of your life with us, your experiences, your stories, your thoughts.

~ me

[Jester]

Amusingly, it's been harder to take my own advice this last week.

Not only is my beloved Jestermobile temporarily out of commission with a problem that may end up costing me up to a thousand bucks (ouch!), but for the first time in...forever?...I got my taxes done early, only to have my accountant tell me that I owe more than I've ever owed before, despite her attempts otherwise. (Double ouch!)

(For anyone wondering, my accountant is a lovely and reputable accountant here in town, one of the two heads of her company, and there are no shenanigans going on on her part, especially since her fee didn't change, just the amount I have to send in to the government, which I'll be sending directly to the IRS.)

Jester, you've always been a fair, kind and encouraging person, quick to help your friends and just as quick to put yourself in harm's way to defend them. You are loyal, honest and generous, intelligent and witty.

You forgot "charming" and "devilishly handsome." Just kidding....and thanks.

I have greatly enjoyed the few times I've managed to talk to you away from the board. (sadly, IM programs don't get along with my computer, so I deleted them all).

You can always PM me through this board, TB.

I admire you greatly and think you're honestly one of the most fantastic people I've ever met online.

Okay, stop that....you're going to make me actually blush.

Well, that, or blow my ego up even higher than it normally is, which would require FAA approval.

Thank you for sharing bits of your life with us, your experiences, your stories, your thoughts.

Thank you for listening.

[Seshat]

Even if you have anhedonia (a variation of depression in which you can't feel happiness/joy), you attitude can still make life worth living - or not.

Fortunately, anhedonia is rare. Unfortunately, it seems to be one of my problems; we're sure of it, because my medication regime has permitted me to actually feel joy/happiness for fleeting moments. It's an emotion I can't remember feeling since early childhood - until now.

Even for the anhedonic, Jester's advice is good. Just substitute 'make the effort to enjoy life' with 'make the effort to make your life worthwhile'.




(Sorry Jester. It can just be very bitter to have someone say 'just try to enjoy life' or 'try to be happy', when it's not possible.)

[Lindsey]

Jester, you're awesome. Here's to your dad. And to you.

[Jester]

(Sorry Jester. It can just be very bitter to have someone say 'just try to enjoy life' or 'try to be happy', when it's not possible.)

Oh, I totally understand. It's like someone telling you "Smile!" when you feel like taking an axe to random strangers, babies, puppies, the Easter Bunny. (That damn rodent had it coming, leaving all those freakin' eggs around!)

And while I cannot relate directly, I CAN relate indirectly: when my ex-fiance dumped me, I was, to put it simply, a mess. And when one of my coworkers made the (well-intentioned) mistake of telling me that there were "plenty of fish in the sea," I snapped at them, "Yeah, well I don't really feel like fishing right now...and most of them are piranhas and barracudas anyway!"

Yeah, I didn't get much advice from that coworker again for awhile!

Jester, you're awesome. Here's to your dad. And to you.

Thank you!

[hinakiba777]

Amazing advice as always Jester. I will do my best to remember it.