I have been disappointed, not been disappointed and have disappointed.

Probably sounds like a lot of us, doesn’t it? The best answer I can give you to all those disappointing moments in life is to say that’s life! Welcome to being a human being.

None of us are perfect and, therefore, we will disappoint someone at sometime. None of us get to do everything we think we want to do and, therefore, we are disappointed. However, there’s one bit of life in which I am not ever disappointed – more on that later.

As much as I enjoyed my time in the Navy, I was very much disappointed with it at one point. After being stationed in Bremerhaven, Germany for two years, I was transferred across the world to Adak, Alaska. Why would the Navy push me across the world when it could have simply transferred me to Morocco?

It would have been cheaper for them to do that and I so wanted to visit Northern Africa and experience what it had to offer in culture and cuisine.

I have been disappointed in myself when I didn’t stand up for someone or for something that was being attacked — physically, mentally or socially. Why didn’t I support the young man who was being bullied in the school yard?

I stood by and then walked away from the scene. All these years later, I can still see him and the tears in his eyes. Just because he was a little different than the rest of us was not reason to berate him — I walked away. Ugh!

My Dad never said an unkind word to me. In many respects we were very different but he respected me as his son and I respected him as my father. Then, I did a very stupid thing. My parents had gone on a little vacation and it was my job to stay home and do the chores — milk the cows, feed the pigs, etc..

My cousin came to see me and he talked me into leaving with him for the night to see some of his friends. I asked our neighbor to do our chores and, being the good man, he was, he agreed.

The next day my folks came to get me at my cousins place and Dad just looked me sadly in the eye and stated how disappointed he was in me. No yelling or consequences — just that he was disappointed in me. It hurts as I write this.

I have never been disappointed by the wonderful world of wines. Every since my first sip of decent wine, wines have given me much joy and have taught me a whole lot about the world, topography, people and the environment — all of which are critical to making wines.

With thousands of wine varieties and brands available today, I’m sure I’ll never taste all of the wines made across the globe but, what a challenge! Imagine many thousands of wines standing in a row around the earth’s equator — it would be interesting to see how far around the world those bottles would stretch. Imagine the differing tastes! The rainbow of colors, the amazing aromas –Wow!

During the wine journey, I noticed how the dry reds and the acidic whites attracted me – like a good Cabernet Sauvignon or an enticing Riesling. Then solid Malbecs appeared and sassy Sauvignon Blancs and the parade of wines cascaded into me leaving me, at times, totally bewildered but still reaching for the next new taste, scent and wine experience.

Dry wines are still my go to wine but, for some reason, my taste buds are getting more accepting of the wines on the sweeter side of the taste spectrum.

Not sure why that is happening but maybe the times have something to do with it. Sweetness equals its own type of comfort and today we need all the comfort we can find.

Perhaps that is why I’m never disappointed with a wine. Every wine is unique and has its own voice which is just quietly asking us to sit, sip and chat.

Yes, I’ve disappointed, been disappointed but there’s one part of my pathway that has never disappointed me. My friends…

Over the years and over many a glass of wine, beer or a cocktail, I’ve had magnificent chats with so many good people — my friends. We don’t always agree on everything but, hey, we are friends and that’s a bond that may be stretched but should never break.

So, to all my friends, please know you have never disappointed me and I know you have been kind to me when I have disappointed you.

It’s our friends that help us through this existence so we should never take them for granted. Let’s just never forget that disappointment is a two way street and that the bond may stretch but should never break.

As always, eat and drink in moderation but laugh with reckless abandon!

Cheers!