The only thing I've gotten right.

As I see it, life is a constant quest to get things right. And not to get discouraged in the process. It’s more or less a trial and error system. One looks for what works. For what makes one happy. But one has to go beyond the self, too. To make others happy. I don’t mean the entire world. Only a handful. Of people that one respects, and even loves. No way can everyone be made happy. That’s impossible. And no way can anyone ever get everything right. Like everyone else, I was born to make mistakes. Serious mistakes. Minor mistakes. One just hopes that they aren’t fatal mistakes. Early in life, I probably didn’t have a clue. As to right and wrong. And which way to go. But then I discovered this abstract notion of love. Maybe as a kid, I thought love was sissy stuff. That maybe men don’t love. Because it ain’t masculine. But turns out there isn’t anything more masculine than love. Gentle, tender, compassionate love. Gradually, I’ve learned to love. Mostly life. But another, too. That’s my mission in life. Why I was born, and put on Earth. To be a good lover. Maybe that’s the only thing I’ve gotten right. –Jim Broede