Living On The Edge…And Outa The Bubble

Categories: Commentary, Community

It’s cool knowing inspiration is always out there if only you’re looking for it.

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Don’t know about you, but I physically, mentally, and emotionally require food, coffee, and some tree-slaying reading material everyday to start the day.

And my AM ritual might turn out being tamer than Ben Carson on Quaaludes but that’s the way it is when you roll with oatmeal plus assorted colorful anti-oxidants, de-caf, and the Sports Page.

A practice advisor once cautioned against leaving the “bubble” that excludes all the troublesome stuff you can’t control; he reasoned talk radio and a newspaper alone could do some terrible things, even before the morning huddle roll call.

But what can I say? I’m a sucker for Mike & Mike on my ESPN radio drive-in and the Sports Page is totally the Toy Department (especially when my beloved USC Trojans take three straight from the basketball bruins.) By the way, I’m smiling right now…and still in the bubble.

And who would wanna miss out on the latest wacky high jinks coming outa those purple-faced lunatics vying for the Republican Presidential nomination? And when I read about the debates, I can only sigh and visualize the Marx Brothers…before I go out and create an awesome SoCal smile that might even bring a tear to the likes of former VP Cheney or real lips to Senator Mitch McConnell.

Today, over my Mexican Scramble (it was Saturday,) I chose the LA Times Sports Page (the Clippers lost), Letters to the Editor, and finally my fave columnist, Pulitzer finalist Steve Lopez. Time to leave the bubble and maybe I just couldn’t see the mine field.

First letter up: “How Millennials should deal with Baby Boomers at Work.” And maybe I was just being my old school out-of-the-bubble Baby Boomer self because just reading the title kind of pissed me off. But reading the op-ed was not beneath me…so I read it completely. Turned out, the author was responding to a column titled, “Millennials, you literally cannot call yourself Adults until you take this (47-point) Pledge.” Sure felt like I was back in the bubble again.

The Pledge included stuff like: (1) I am entitled to nothing (2) Just once I’ll try eating without texting (3)Each year, I will pen at least one thank-you note using what’s left of my cursive writing skills (4) Nothing is beneath me (5) I will force myself to finally make a phone call (6) In high school or college, I will get a part-time job, even if it’s beneath me and (7) Again, nothing is beneath me and finally (8) I promise to never ever again misuse the word “literally” as in “I’m literally dying of hunger.” And having read the pledge; I was in the bubble and loving it, but not “literally.”

And finally it was time to turn to Steve Lopez. Steve and I are both products of the Cal State University system. Lopez graduated from San Jose State; his Saturday column was all about his first teaching experience…at my alma mater, Cal State, LA.

Lopez had presented to countless students at every level but had never committed to teaching; his piece paid tribute to teachers and students alike. Lopez noted the Cal State system annually turns out tens of thousands of graduates who make a major difference for California’s economy when they go into a variety of fields, including healthcare, business, technology, social sciences, engineering, law enforcement, communications and teaching.

Many students come from humble circumstances; many hold full-time jobs and raise families as they pursue the dream of earning a college degree. Lopez referenced some of the moving stories shared by his class of twenty undergraduate and graduate students. I couldn’t help but reflect upon my own Cal State journey.

Without my parents’ complete support (food, lodging, listening, and love) and my almost 4-years at Cal State LA, I would’ve never had the fulfilling 40-year career I seem to love even more every day. And without my full-time warehouse job, I would’ve never fully appreciated the dignity of every job well done or the over-time commitment it takes for dreams to come true.

Having finished my date with the sadly ever-shrinking LA Times and the last delicious morsel of scrambled eggs, green chile, and chorizo, I wasn’t so sure whether I was in or out of the bubble…but I was indeed enjoying the afterglow of a perfect Saturday morning.

And who cares? It’s impossible (and boring) living or even working in a bubble; the reward is always worth the risk when you find inspiration and it’s cool knowing it’s always out there if only you’re looking for it.