Good Thoughts

[HunterDan]

I had a good xmas with my wife over here in NZ.  I'm working over the festive period with the key days off. The weather over xmas has been great.  I got to spend the statutory days off with my wife, so we drove 3 hours  to visit her mother and spent a few days with her.  Nothing like a good road trip with great company,  amazing scenery (which is pretty abundant over here!) and some sing-a-long rocking tunes.
You got to savor moments like these.

The big day itself was good, spent an hour on the beach reading vol 2 of the Sinestro corps war,  and ate well.
Boxing day - I took part in a running race in the heat of the day up a volcano and back down again. A good endorphin rush with an added bonus of my wife cheering me on from the sidelines.

I always have reservations regard NYE, the expectation is that you will have a good time no matter what.  For the past few years I've avoided the big night outs, and choose to spend it with friends.  The plan is to get home from work, crack open a cold one with friends who by this time should have appeared and head down to the beach to play some beach cricket.
Take the good stuff while you can.

"Happiness comes in small doses folks. It's a cigarette butt, or a chocolate chip cookie or a five second orgasm. You come, you smoke the butt you eat the cookie you go to sleep wake up and go back to fucking work the next morning, THAT'S IT! End of fucking list! " Denis Leary

[MOSDEF]

Wow Navaree that is pretty damn impressive. Good luck with that bro. and the good part was that i got to get drunk with my friends lol. and duty is duty, what can ya do about it. im used to it. Plus it makes a pretty good story 

[Navarre]

Yeah, when we get old we don't have that much left except stories of our life. So make some good ones for yourself and don't let anything hold you back, man.

When I was down I actually thought about what Steve Rogers would do and he wouldn't give up or become bitter about it. So I forged on and it seems to be paying off, despite the challenges in getting there.

I am also now convinced that if the Red Skull has my girlfriend shoot me and I'm trapped in the time stream of my own life, I can make it back. ... I sure hope the Skull doesn't take over my body; that'd suck.

[morpheus11]

I would like to add some more good thoughts here.  But before I start I need to throw in some back story.  I am not what people would refer to as a social butterfly.  If I was given a choice of between staying at home by myself or going to a party I would choose staying home.  This was really part of the reason that I stopped purchasing comics b/c I didn't like going out to the store to get them.  But, my wife, who is a great people person, has gotten me more comfortable talking to strangers and this (with a strong dose of Major Spoilers) encouraged me to find a LCS.  I found one and was immediately turned away by the lack of interest by the owner in comics.  He preferred card and table top games and so his comic collection was small and unimpressive.  Then I found Elite Comics.  I walked in on a Saturday and immediately the guy behind the counter, Andy, asked me if he could help me find anything.  I then ended up talking to Andy for about 30 minutes about what I liked and how to set up a pull list.  He told me that the guy I really should talk to was the owner, William, and that he is in the store Monday-Friday from open to close.  Once I left the store I knew that this was the place I wanted to get my comics and I have been there ever since.

Now on to the real reason I wanted to post this.  Elite Comics had a big party/sale last night to celebrate being around 16 years and for surviving when other comic shops couldn't.  So, I wanted to come and post how my LCS has really made me feel good.  When I go pick up the new comics on my lunch break I end up being late going back to work b/c William and I and anyone else in the store at the time are talking about comics or sports or movies or whatever is the topic for the day.  William has created a great place and last night when I was there for the party with a large crowd of people I was more comfortable than I have ever been.  I might not have known everyone but I felt like I was among friends.

So, I wanted to share this to everyone so if you are ever in the the Kansas City Metropolitan area I would hope that you would visit my friend William and his great comic shop.

Elite Comics
11842 Quivira Road
Overland Park, Kansas 66210
913-345-9911
www.elite-comics.com

[Navarre]

Ah, great post. Nice plug for Elite Comics too. Sounds like they deserve it. I am always pleased when I see people brought together by a commonality instead of divided by our differences.

Comic books are, like any book I suppose, a universal medium of imagination that can create connections. Unlike most books however, the ongoing series format of comics is incredibly powerful, as it can continue to capture interest over generations.

My son loves Captain America. Not only are new issues available but he can thrill to the exploits of Cap and the Falcon from way back or read about the Avengers when they took on Graviton or Count Nefaria or Korvac.

In so doing, not only is the medium perpetuated but it provides an ever-increasing way for us to bond. The same thing has happened with my girlfriend, who'd never read a comic before me.

Now she is a huge fan of Astonishing X-Men (Whedon's run, anyway) and Guardians of the Galaxy. She also is a big fan of Kitty Pryde (shhh...her competition)  

Morpheus, I am glad you have found personal growth, recognize it, and continue to develop it. I too have had severe social difficulties in my life. Finding places where we feel unconditionally accepted gives us security and strength and lets us shine as the people we truly are.