Published: July 18, 2008 11:27 pm            

ANDY LASKY | A view from my world

Why am I writing this column, you might be asking.

Well, I’ve never been very mechanical. I was not much of an athlete growing up. My memory isn’t the best. And by no means am I the smartest guy in the room.

My dad was all of those things.

My brother Stan inherited dad’s mechanical skills and athleticism. My sister Jeanne makes beautiful jewelry by hand.

My sister Kathy can recall for you everything that ever happened to everyone in our family and when, date and time.

My brother Mike also is gifted with memory, only his is for everything sports; he’s the walking encyclopedia-type of guy.

So, what gifts did I receive? We’re all gifted in some way, right?

When I turned 50 years old last year, I began taking stock of just what gifts I’d been given.

My mom and dad were both really good at sizing up a situation. My father always was observing the world around him, and my mom was and is a really shrewd judge of character.

I believe these are some of the gifts I was given.

Everything that catches my eye immediately goes into my brain for analysis. Why is that thing there? What if it had not been left there in that way?

How does its being there change the things around it?

If it is a good thing, what can I learn from it? If it’s a bad thing, what can I do about it?

When you are younger and your mind works in a particular way, you tend to think that everyone’s mind is working the same way. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that’s not necessarily so.

We all tend to view the world a little differently. Often, your view is based upon your particular gifts.

My gifts would appear to be a keen sense of observation and analysis, and a natural sense of curiosity.

I love being able to share my observations, and I’ve burdened Katie, my wife; Emily and Adam, my children; and my family and friends with this gift long enough.

Now, I hope to lift some of their private burden and share my gifts with the readers of The Tribune-Democrat.

Sorry, folks!



Andy Lasky and his wife, Katie, own and operate City View Bar & Grill and Westwood Plaza Theatre, both in Westmont. You can reach him through The Tribune-Democrat at tribdem@tribdem.com.

        

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