My uncle Mike has been a role model as long as I can remember. He has been with the same woman for years, Karen, though they haven’t married. He went to the same high school that I did, and would play the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom video game. I have never seen this stand up classic, but I’m dying to. Until recently he had a mullet, and still managed to look cool. He constantly makes jokes at my dad’s expense, which is always a crowd pleaser.
All through my childhood he would tell me to get a haircut, and to get a job. Then, when I became a teenager, I remember vividly him telling me the secret to life. “Get a haircut, get a job, get a check, get a girlfriend.” Short, sweet, and simple.
Get a haircut. Stay clean, and keep a good appearance. Granted, this came from a man with a mullet, but he wasn’t a slob. Most of the my uncles have long hair, but it’s well kept.
Get a job. Self explanatory. Be responsible. Do your part.
Get a check. Make sure you are appreciated, and that you have some security. Your deeds shouldn’t go unnoticed, nor should they be unrewarded.
Get a girlfriend. Find love. Once you have taken care of the previous three, this should fall in line.
I haven’t felt happier in my life, and I owe it largely to the fact that I have followed uncle Mike’s advice.
I’d like to close with something else he said to me that has also been integral in who I am now. “Tell your dad, ‘I’ve got your christmas tree hangin””
Hangin’, indeed.