Reality snob

My wife and I were talking last night about the difficulties life seems to foist upon us almost constantly. To be more accurate, we were whining about it and lamenting the fact that it isn't easier and happier. In the midst of this I was reminded of a statement from Don Miller's book "Searching for God Knows What". At some point he (Don) is speaking with a very successful business man and for whatever reason the conversation turns to gambling. The business man very kindly states that all of the successful people he knows never gamble, but instead work hard, accept the facts of reality, and enjoy life. "But," Don says, "the facts of reality stink." His friend responds, "Reality is like a fine wine; it will not appeal to children." Don then goes on to say he's become quite snobby about the subtleties and nuances of reality.

I don't know that I'm quite a reality snob, and sometimes it feels like my reality comes out of a box someone got at the local gas station, but I will admit that considering life in this way helps me a good deal. Instead of operating on the premise that life is supposed to be heavily sweetened lemonade, or maybe at worst an Arnold Palmer so it has just a touch of tartness, considering it a wine allows me to notice its boldness, its complexity, its potency, and of course my wife would mention its strong chocolate undertones...which sometimes turn into overtones.

As a child, one taste of a good wine would have sent me running for the Coca-Cola. But, we all know that stuff is just killing us slowly.