Life offers many valuable moments, memorable days and rewarding opportunities if we choose to take advantage of them. Many of these moments, days and opportunities are not without hard work and some conflict, nor without some blood, sweat, tears, joy and gratification. These situations may come our way or may have to be sought after and worked toward. Some may come with doors on which we need to knock numerous times. Some may already have the doors opened and red carpets rolled out. The thing to remember is however we receive those moments, days or opportunities, we need to take advantage of them and give as much as we can to make them work.
Robin Williams' movie ''Dead Poets Society'' made famous the saying ''carpe diem'' (''seize the day''). After a Google search, I found the Latin translations for ''seize the moment'' to be ''carpe articulus'' and ''seize the opportunity'' to be ''oblatum occasionem tene.''
Life offers many good things, some bad things, lots of happy things, some sad things, many exciting things, a handful of frustrating things, things that are given to us, things that are taken from us, things we get easily, and things for which we have to toil long and hard. It also offers times when - to quote The Rolling Stones hit - ''you can't always get what you want.'' This causes some to temporarily feel sorry for themselves and either causes them to think that they never get anything, or motivates them to realize that one chance has passed but there will be more along the way and if they're wanted, people need to be ready to do whatever they can to try to get them.
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There are no guarantees that anyone will ever experience any of the aforementioned moments, days or opportunities, so that makes it that much more important to seize those moments, days and opportunities if available to us.
Sometimes, when we're given or we earn special moments, days or opportunities, we'd love them to go smoothly, without conflict or controversy. We want everyone to like or agree with what we're doing, but we know this is far too idealistic and all too unrealistic.
My life's been filled with many moments, days and opportunities, some which have encountered ''potholes'' in the road, dead ends here or there, and occasional bumps on the head, but many which have traveled smooth roads, four-lane highways, and came with hard hats to cushion those head bumps.
Though I'll admit I'd prefer the smooth ride, I think the moments, days and opportunities found along the potholed roads, the dead ends, those resulting in some bumps on the head, and requiring the most work are the more memorable and special ones for me, and I've had many special ones in my journey of life.
I've had the honored opportunity to have been a teacher. I've seen many young people grow and achieve much success in their young lives, and I can predict many will continue to achieve great things in their futures. My opportunity to teach them came with lots of hard work, some disagreement, some differences in philosophies, some frustration, but with lots of reward, pride and satisfaction. The reward, pride and satisfaction came, in my opinion, from the work that had to be spent, working through disagreements, differences in philosophies, and the frustration.
I've had (for many years) opportunities to umpire youth, high school and college baseball in my life journey. The moments, days and opportunities to do this never traveled totally smooth roads, as I've literally been ''loved'' by some, ''hated'' by others. It's been worth it, though, as it's been much fun and very rewarding.
I've had moments, days and opportunities to have coached youth league and travel baseball, high school baseball, modified football, and modified softball for many years of my life. Those opportunities also included some disagreement, differences of opinion and frustration, along with reward, pride and satisfaction. Those experiences also meant more because of the combinations of ups and downs, and because they didn't always come off without a hitch.
Recently, I've seized another opportunity to be around young people, as I'm proud to coach some wonderful young ladies, members of the Falconer Central School varsity softball team. It's yet another road I'm traveling requiring hard work on my part (and theirs). This experience, too has some potholes, dead ends and head bumps here and there, but enjoying coaching as much as I?do, I'm glad I?seized this opportunity.
And what have been my most memorable moments, days and opportunities have come from my experiences with my family. My marriage and raising my children have presented so many exciting moments, days and opportunities, complete with ups and downs, bumpy roads and smooth ones, all of them needing much love, dedication and hard work, but expending those things in these situations, or any endeavor of which I want to be a part, makes it all worthwhile and gratifying.
This is how you seize moments, days and opportunities. I've done it often in my life and it's paid huge dividends. I hope everyone can carpe articulus, carpe diem and oblatum occasionem tene, and they bring big returns for them too.