What I've Learned

They run this series in Esquire magazine called 'What I've Learned.' It is my favorite recurring article. One issue of the magazine was filled with 'What I've Learneds'. These are from a wide variety of people, star and non-stars, and are always entertaining and enlightening. The archive is here:
http://www.esquire.com/search/fast_search?search_term=what%20i%27ve%20learned&click=try&srchtyp=system&link=whativelearned-try

So I thought I would try to figure out what I've learned. With all this chemo hammering away at me for 5 years, I should've written 'What I Forgot,', but that is too hard, and ongoing to boot. I hope I am still learning, but here is what I have:

What I’ve Learned: John Fiore Ill at ease, 55, San Luis Obispo

· Learn how to deal with your anger and save yourself a lot of misery.
· If you have a problem, admit it, then you can start to fix it.
· Never smoke that first cigarette.
· Love your country; fear your government.
· Get in on the ground floor of a new business if you can. If the company has a good idea, take stock options in lieu of salary.
· Work at what you love, forget about the money.
· You can fix many appliance breakdowns yourself with a simple part. The people at the parts store can guide you, and the internet can help quite a bit.
· Read the manual.
· Tell your wife how beautiful she is every day, and how much you love her.
· The egg came first. The hen was almost a chicken, but the egg had a mutation that was the next step to what we genetically define as a chicken.
· Shit doesn’t just happen; you have to eat first. So watch what you eat.
· Forgive your parents for their mistakes, and make fewer of them yourself.
· It doesn’t hurt to ask.
· It’s OK to have crazy thoughts, as long as you recognize they are crazy and let them slip out of your mind.
· Most drivers are distracted. Watch out.
· You can’t judge a book by its cover, or by its author for that matter.
· You have to laugh at yourself when you screw up. Just don’t screw up too often.
· When you are really tempted to violate a major trust, remember your core values. Realize what will be lost if you choose 15 minutes of fun over a lifetime of love.
· The more friends you have, the more hands there will be to lift you up when you need lifting.
· Tell your kids that you love them, unconditionally. Hug them and encourage them to follow their dream.
· The most painful thing you can endure, physically, is second-degree burns.
· We all will die eventually, so find a way to face death without fear. Don’t dwell on death, but enjoy each day as best you can.
· Cherish the ones you cherish.
· Offer support when you can and it will come back to you when you need it.
· Tamp down the ego; listen more and talk less. Be interested in other people’s stories. · Driving is an act of faith, faith in the other drivers.
· Music lightens the soul.
· People are very diverse in how they perceive the world. Very few things are black or white, so don’t assume what you see and believe is the same as what others see and believe. Respect other viewpoints.
· Blood is thicker than water.
· In the end, all your physical beauty and prowess will leave you. You must still love that person in the mirror.
· Travel light.
· Being a savant at Jumble is worthless if you can’t get on Wheel of Fortune.
· Do what the doctors tell you.