Swimming Upstream Is More Rewarding

I am not supposed to tell you about why the shark in the picture is screaming because it would violate three tenets of being a Danger Man and I don’t want to embarrass him.

But if you insist I suppose you ought to know that I punched that sucker in the nose and it made him cry. I am not really sure why he was such a baby about it because I used my left and did it while scuba diving.

That had to take some of the edge off of it.

Don’t ask me why I didn’t use my right, it is far too powerful and I didn’t want to be written up for killing a protected species.

Ask me what made me think about this and I’ll tell you it is because I made an appearance at an event.

I haven’t followed the mysterious benefactor real closely or ever tried to grab a piece of that pie but when someone posted that tweet on Facebook it caught my eye because it was close to where I was.

So I finished the summer camp drop off and made the 10 minute drive over thinking that maybe because I was so close I might get there before chaos erupted.

I was wrong.

The Treasure Hunter

Ask me to list some of my dream jobs and I am sure treasure hunter is on there but it is probably further down the list now than it was when I was 12.

But when you hear about free cash and you know that it is not a complete scam and you are practically next to it you show up because why not give it a shot.

And then you watch people lose their minds and after three cars almost broadside you because they aren’t watching where they are going. Being a determined sort of fellow and one who has a sturdy disposition I weaved my way into a parking space and proceeded to head in the same direction as the general masses still figuring I might see how it was all going.

A lady pushing a stroller with two kids and an older woman smacked into me three times and never bothered to acknowledge my presence or say excuse me.

Two teens tried to make sure I had matching sets of bruises by slamming into my other side and I decided I wasn’t interested in showing them how to properly box out and or tackle others so I left.

My competitive spirit was engaged and I didn’t want to give up so easily but I didn’t want to fight over a couple of bucks and that is what it felt like to me.

A fight.

Mind you a man who has entertained becoming the next Dread Pirate Roberts doesn’t fear a fight but he also understands the benefits of picking and choosing his battles.

Even though I could have moved through the people there like that shark moves through a school of fish it just didn’t make sense, not for a few hundred dollars or less.

Sometimes you have to be like the Gambler, ya know. Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em and know when to run.

Besides who wants to be like a shark that is a cry baby anyway.

You may say I passed on easy money but I say swimming upstream is more rewarding.

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By Joshua Wilner

Hi, I am Josh Wilner and I am happy that you have decided to visit my corner of cyberspace. I am a writer/marketer/friend and family man. My professional background includes more than twenty years in working with businesses to help them do a better job of connecting with their existing and prospective customers. More specifically I have worked with companies of all sizes from the Fortune 500 to the new start up to help them build, develop and grow their social media and marketing plans. I love spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy music, reading, writing, playing sports and laughing.

2 comments

  1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
    Joshua Wilner/A Writer Writes says:

    Mary Stephenson Hi Mary. I understand your concern about crowds because there are certainly moments where they make me crazy.

    I have learned to pay attention because if something happens when you are in the middle it can get crazy. That is not to say I am constantly worried about it, I am not. I just like to be aware.

  2. Yeah, it is so amazing how people get in such a frenzy over a few bucks.  The old bit about scarcity plays very heavy in them.  Get it before someone else does.  I guess it is those 95% people. 

    That is why I have learned to avoid large crowds as much as possible.  I would be so irritated by people ramming into me without an apology.  The stress is too great for the possible reward.  You should have yelled found it and took off like a flash.  Maybe some would have come to their senses, but probably not.

    Mary

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