An Already Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies. Mostly because George

Bailey and I aren't so different. Neither of us realize the goodness, the

wonderfulness, if you will, of our lives. We go about our days with no real

rhyme or reason. We smile occasionally, laugh every once and a while... but

for the most part we simply do. We are duty bound. Obligation keeps him in

his small town, stuck in a boring office at a dinky bank because he doesn't

want to see the place his father built destroyed. His life of adventure and travel

is put on hold... indefinitely. But for a while, it seems okay.

He has a wife, whom he loves. Children who adore him. A town that depends

him. A seemingly adequate life. For all intents and purposes, George Bailey

should be happy. Nothing is really wrong.

And then it happens. Uncle Billy loses the bank's deposit and Mr. Potter takes

full advantage of his mishap. The people begin to panic. The town is in

mayhem. And George thinks the only way to end it all is to end himself.

Enter Clarence.

His guardian angel, the one who would completely change George's

perspective on his already wonderful life. If you think about it, nothing

really changes for George. True, the bank does get out of some serious trouble

and he no longer has to go to jail. But for the majority, his life remains the

same. He is stuck in the same old town with his family. The exciting life he

has always dreamed about is still sitting on the shelf.

But now George is happy because he GETS IT.

As Clarence says, "You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't

you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?"

I had one of those moments yesterday, a George Bailey moment.

My boss praised my work thus far in my internship and said some nice things

about me and it got me to thinking...

For the last few weeks I had been complaining and longing for the day this

internship would finally END so I wouldn't have to continually drop cash I

don't have to drive to a town I don't like to edit song lyrics that aren't even

good to begin with... I was sour and bitter because I thought I wasn't being

taken seriously and well, I was over it.

But I was. I am. My boss noticed me. He saw the hard work, the effort I have

been putting forth the past four months and I impressed him.

It's funny how the little things in life end up being the parts of your day that

REALLY matter.In the grand scheme of things, Curtis telling me that he was

impressed by my work ethic and would like to give me a job after I graduate

may not be like that big of a deal.

But, like George Bailey, my perspective got changed.

I still spend too much money on gas, I still edit some interesting pieces.

BUT now I appreciate it that much more.

For a few minutes, Curtis was inadvertently my Clarence.

So the storal of the mory (as Mr. Madden used to say) is..

Next time you get bored, or stuck, or just plain ol' apathetic,

try changing your perspective and realize that life already is wonderful, you

just haven't realized it yet.