My Life

by Bill Cottringer

Like a roller coaster ride,

Up, down, and all around,

Full of contradictions,

Inconsistencies and changes.

Some successes,

Many failures,

Wins, joys, and satisfaction,

Losses, tears, and disappointments.

Views from the mountain top,

And from the swamps below,

Once with an ocean view,

Later homeless and penniless.

Some smart choices,

Many dumb ones,

Wanting to speed up,

Now needing to slow down.

Always looking for something,

Even when I already had it,

Entertaining dreams,

Horrible nightmares.

Friends and enemies,

Brocken bones and bruises,

Smiles and laughter,

Loving and hating.

Safe and cautious,

Bold and risky,

Chasing success,

Understanding failures.

Wanting things.

Needing others,

Wanting to quit,

Never giving up.

Expecting the best,

Doubting the rest,

Creating some chaos,

Restoring some order.

Being fearful at times,

But always with hope,

A loss today,

A gain tomorrow.

Being more thankful,

Less selfish,

Less greedy,

More loving.

At the end of the day,

All that I can say,

I get a C for results,

But for effort an A.