The 50-Percent Theory of Life I believe in the 50-percent theory. Half the time things are better than normal;the other half,they are worse. I believe life is a pendulum swing. It takes time and experience to understand what normal is,and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises of the future. Let’s benchmark the parameters:yes,I will die. I’ve dealt with the deaths of both parents,a best friend,a beloved boss and cherished pets. Some of these deaths have been violent,before my eyes,or slow and agonizing. Bad stuff,and it belongs at the bottom of the scale. Then there are those high points:romance and marriage to the right person;having a child and doing those Dad things like coaching my son’s baseball team,paddling around the creek in the boat while he’s swimming with the dogs,discovering his compassion so deep it manifests even in his kindness to snails,his imagination so vivid he builds a spaceship from a scattered pile of Legos.