A Perfect Day

Life seems so simple when we are young.  I recently found a Monday Morning Report I had written in Second Grade titled "My Perfect Day":

I woke up and mom made pancakes.  Then I went with dad to the gas stashin and they gave me a toy turtle. Latr I rode bikes with Mike Perone.  We went to see the movie "George".  It was about a bad dog and a dam dog too.  Then my parents went to play brige and my brother Bob drove me and our dog to my cousins house.  We walked the dogs to the park.  My cousins dog is also white.  We stopped at the store and I got Pixie Stixs .  They invited us to stay for dinner but Bob said no.  We ate at the Sizlur.  

Note, I misspelled the words "station", "later", "dumb" (which I wrote as "dam" and there was a red circle saying "SEE ME" from the teacher... as she thought I was being inappropriate), "bridge", "Stix" and "Sizzler".  There was no spell check in 1973.

That was a busy Saturday for a seven year old.  And when you think about it, what could be better?  Pancakes, a free toy turtle (gas stations do not give away things any more, but it was not uncommon back then), riding bikes with best friend, movie (and I assume popcorn and a Coke?), a ride in my brother's 66 Mustang with the dog, some time with my Aunt and cousins, Pixie Stix, and dinner at the Sizzler.  WOW.

I am not sure that I could recreate that day at age 45.  First, there seemed to be a lot of activity, which might be exhausting.  Mom passed away in 1984.  My dog is long gone. The food intake does not sound healthy.  Mike Perone lives too far away to go ride bikes (we do not really keep in touch much, but we are friends on Facebook!).   And the Sizzler?  I used to get so excited to order steak from a picture menu on the wall.

This got me thinking....  What would be the perfect day for me now?  I know it would involve my wife and kids (they are great).  Would it involve speaking to a client's audience? (I do really enjoy my career, but should it include work?).  I wonder if I can count a day from a vacation? (We did have a magical day in Venice this summer). But that day in 2nd Grade was just a random day at home.  What would be just a perfect regular day?

The foreign part about the day described is I had no responsibility.  Mom made breakfast.  Dad and Bob drove me to the destinations. The bike ride had no purpose or number of miles to cover (I am sure we never left the block).  I needed no money, as others paid for the movie, the candy and the steak. There was no consequences to the calories.  I cannot be that carefree today as I have a family, a business, and a waistline.  

How about you... what makes a perfect day?

Have A Great Day.

thom singer