Frank Kaul & thinking

Ok all you readers out there; you 2 or 3 wonderful people who actually take the time to read my blog. You're in luck, I'm not going to pitifully whine about my life today, rather I am going to dispense some actual wisdom.
I had a best friend who I met in kindergarten, named Frank. We went to grade school, high school, part of college and a little bit of 1989 & 1990. Frank never found the profession that he really wanted to be in and spend his enormous intelligence and talent and he never found the love of his life. Instead on Aug. 15, 1990, he came home from church (Assumption Day is 8/15), he went through an unmarked railroad crossing. The corn was high and blocked his view; therefore, he was not able to see the train in time. He slammed into it and died.

I had a dream about him, that he had some sort of respiratory infection and died. & then someone else who was close to me had it as well but it looked like they were going to live. It got me thinking. Usually it isn't one factor that will have a big impact on you but several. Take Frank. When that occurred there was a hazard: the oncoming train and factors: corn was blocking view, there was no warning, no gate telling him he could not pass through that area, the sun could have been in his eyes as it was around sunset. All those things contributed to his death. In the dream, this illness had several symptoms and was called a "syndrome" and he died.

So then I thought about fatal flaws. Each of us can live an inspiring life or a tragic life (with the fatal flaw). It may not be that dramatic for many of us; we are sort of in the middle. But still we are either going tragic or going good/inspiring. When I reflected on my own life, I felt that overall it's good (I have a job, great kids, live in a condo worth a lot of money). But there are things that can trip me up. & it's not one thing but several things working together.

So, when we are reflective enough, we need to ask ourselves what in life is messing us around or messing us up. Don't point to one thing. I would be stupid if I said, "My life would be great if it wasn't for Maribeth pissing me off all the time." First of all, it's not true and secondly, she does more good than harm. Think of certain combinations. For example, we lack money often to make ends meet. What do we do to compensate for that? Does that compensation or supposed remedy help or lead to more chaos? Is there a way out?

Or maybe think of someone you like that maybe you shouldn't really hang out with. What is it that attracts you to them (ie. they're good looking). What personality traits draw you (they believe in God, they are more calmer than some of the other people known). But how do they mess things up? Or are they really messing things up? Is it more a situation that when they are around it's time for you to act a fool? In my life, I think there could be a person in the latter case. They really arent that bad a person (actually I think they're good and thoughtful), but when I'm with them, things happen. I don't want to stop seeing them forever, no way. Just act smarter, that's all.

Are there people that inspire you, do they make you work harder, act wiser, be smarter and generally try harder? Can you be with them more?
What's wrong with you? What's right with you? How could it be better?