It Took 49 Years

My birthday is next week and, in 49 years I have learned:

That money really doesn't grow on trees;

That your parents usually are right;

That DOWNHOME beats the fire out of UPTOWN;

That what you want is unconditional love, no matter what you THINK you really want;

That your bad hair days do not really effect your life or the lives of others that much;

That life is too short for FAT FREE Mayonnaise;

That your major appliances have a union, and they strike!

That your kids' friends do NOT think you are cool, no matter what you think;

That a human's sense of smell does not recognize their own body odor;

That Reality TV might not be real, but it helps you escape reality;

That the Television News might just be TV;

That Most people, if given the choice, would choose rich and beautiful, but weren't;

That things can be replaced, and people can't;

That Homes are made of family, feelings, and memories, and they can't foreclose on that.