A friend and I were talking yesterday about one of our favorite movies: The Straight Story, with Richard Farnsworth. I can only think of one other movie with him: The Gray Fox, and I enjoyed that movie thoroughly, too. Farnsworth had a career as a stuntman and in very minor roles, other than those two movies. Shortly after the release of The Straight Story, Farnsworth committed suicide: a tragic ending to a life that I admired. That got me to thinking of all the gifted, creative, wealthy, powerful, beautiful, charismatic people who died tragically. Some died from suicide, some from drug overdoses or when their bodies just shut down because of years of abuse. Some were murdered. If the "good die young" then I give thanks that I'm only "pretty good." Sometimes being pretty good ain't half bad. So often, being greated talented can be a curse. There are so many instances of people with a special gift who are thrust into positions that end up destroying them. So, here's to all of us who are pretty good. Not great.

"Pretty good" is a recognition of the glass half-full.

Jerry