"It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey!"

It has been a holiday tradition around our household to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart every season.  I have always watched it since I was a kid, I had to introduce it to my wife only a few years ago. (She never watched any of the 'great' movies growing up!) The kids would never watch it because it fell into that category of B&W shows so therefore it must be old and therefore must be boring and therefore "we ain't watching it dad!" Finally I turned them to the light. I believe they think it is a favorite now too.

Last night my wife, daughter and I went to a school musical based on the movie.  It was pretty fun and absolutely different perspective of the story.  We enjoyed it immensely. However, last night I started thinking about the story (probably more of the movie than the play) and how we all have a bit of George Bailey in us.  Well at least I certainly do.....maybe a bit too much. Don't we all sort of wonder what our life would be like if we made different decisions? Not so much if we were never born, but even that is intriguing to know if we really made a difference in anyone's life. It certainly makes you think that you need to do more.  Okay maybe not so much like, prevent the druggist from poisoning someone or saving your younger brother from drowning in a frozen pond.  But I do think we wonder what sort of an impact we DO make. 

We would all like to think that we have made an impact otherwise what is it all worth? Certainly if we got the opportunity to see how things 'could have been', without us, like George Bailey, things are pretty much POTTERSTOWN. "Each man's life touches so many others."
A line from the movie.....has our's touched others? And how so?

I can identify with George Bailey for the shear fact that he came from a small town.  Yes I did get away from that small town. And no it didn't have a mean ogre like Old Man Potter.  There wasn't a Mr. Gower at the pharmacy but we visited the Boulevard Pharmacy across the street from my father's office getting a soda or candy bar (Payday) from time to time. My dad did have a small business and no I didn't take over the family business like my father might have wanted.  Though if I did take it over I probably would have been just as equally dissatisfied with my career as George was at the Building and Loan. My father did pass away when I was just a young man and the doors did close. I often wonder what would have become of it had my choices in life been different. Would I still be there?  My father's business was about as far away from my dreams as was George's and his father's.  My father was an accountant and Peter Bailey was in the lending institute.

My dreams weren't too far off from George's.  He wanted to become an explorer and builder of many great things, bridges, towers, skyscrapers.  I always dreamed of being a great architect.  I wanted to create the great iconic buildings of the future. Nothing really held me back like George did, there wasn't a depression or war or anything that preventing me from going to school.  Yes, I did go to college to become that architect and was awarded one of the highest honors a graduating student could receive from Oklahoma State University, the William Caudill Traveling Scholarship. Several national and international awards for my designs were also received. That award allowed me to travel around the world, or at least throughout Europe, just like George Bailey always wanted to do.

From there, like many of us, we wonder what our lives would have or could have been like. Marriage, jobs, moving away to the east coast. Starting a family has a huge impact of my dreams. So what would it have been like if I didn't get married, I didn't take that first job in Pennsylvania and I didn't have any kids.  I am pretty sure that all those choices I made also made the person I am today.  Without those selections in life, life wouldn't be, nor possibly would I even be asking myself the question, "What if...?"

I guess I can even compare the small business of Ionic DeZign Studios to the Bailey Building and Loan. It isn't my father's business but rather my own creation.  Founded on the thoughts and principals I have gathered (from the decisions and choices I have made along the way).  It is a small business.  We don't get the opportunity to do high rises or community structures, just smaller buildings for clients that have always seemed very appreciative. We never have big budgets nor big profits.  It is always a struggle to 'make things meet'. A small staff slave away at the office with me creating the work that we produce.  A family that I have always loved dearly. George Bailey was always envious of Sam Wainwright and all that he had.  I too am envious of the BIG firms with the beautiful offices and custom designed decor that flaunts their talents. Sometimes embarrassed by the bare entity that we call our office.  Always the dream of a new exciting home, yet seemingly far from our grasps financially.

And yes, George moved into the old Granville House, that drafty old run down building he and Mary called home.  Yes, we moved into a foreclosed upon house that we pretty much feel is the same drafty shack that the Bailey's had.  But we do call it home and there are many memories here. I don't see that changing. Funny, Mary put up posters of all the places George wanted to visit......I have posters of all the places that I did get to visit.

So what is worse, never getting the chance to go do all the things one dreams of and never getting to see if those dreams can be fulfilled or getting the opportunity and failing at all those HUGE dreams.  Again, just like the movie, it goes back to you perspective of things.  It takes a Clarenence Oddbody to have you clearly understand and see that perspective. Yes, my business is small but it is mine and I enjoy the people we work with.  Is is hard and difficult at times? Very much so, but the rewards have been bountiful so far. I look forward to what the future will bring.  There was even a time recently when I wondered if my family would be better off without me.  A thought that many probably had during this recession. My insurance policy made me worth more dead than I was worth alive. (or so I thought at the time) Yes, we drive old clunkers right now, that will change I am sure.  Yes, we live in an old house.....and yes the repairs are never ending, but that is the place where our children grew up and and where we call home.  Many fond memories. I feel like the richest man in Bedford Falls by the shear fact that I have the most wonderful loving wife and some of the greatest children a father could ever have. Beyond that what else could a man really ask for?  At the end of the day, we take the two dollars that are remaining, and put them away and pray that they make like rabbits.

Life is a neverending challenge.  It changes all the time. We must all remember that Life is Living, it is an action not an observation.  Life isn't a destination, it is the journey to that destination.  My friends, always remember the wonderful life that you have and hug the person next to you.  Have a Merry Christmas.