Desiderata: A Timeless Inspiration

By Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann c.1920

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I was watching the OWN network and Oprah's Masterclass was interviewing Morgan Freeman who spoke about providence and how it guided his life. This poem/writing he sites as an inspiration and a motivation. I was not familiar with this poem; but it adds to the empty space left by a poeticly-inspired father-in-law who enjoyed reciting poetry with me. He will always be missed; not for the poetry, but the understanding of our sameness inspite of obvious differences. As we watched the sunset sipping his favorite on-the-rocks drink, we could recite Poe and Kyan and any other classic poet. He had an amazing memory and mind that always sought to understand everything about the how's of anything.

Falling Into Winter

Photo By The Praying Life

One of my favorite poems still to this day and particularly with the change in the weather from Fall to Winter is this short poem. This poem says so much with so little that the crisp air fills in the blanks. My third grade teacher was a true dynamo — Mrs. Phillips who never stopped inspiring my love of so many things. The words almost paint the picture for you in some immortal portrait that temperature immediately conjours up. There is a smell and sound of this transition in seasons.

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SOMETHING TOLD THE WILD GEESE

Something told the wild geese
It was time to go.
Though the field lay golden
Something whispered "Snow".

Leaves were green and stirring,
Berries, lustre-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
Something cautioned "Frost".

All the sagging orchards
Steamed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
At remembered ice.

Something told the wild geese
It was time to fly -
Summer sun was on their wings,
Winter in their cry.

Author: Rachel Field

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_you_give_me_the_entire_poem_something_told_the_wild_geese_it_was_time_to_go#ixzz1bENT0rop

Friday Free'rs: Liberty of the Bugs

Spontaneous Quote: You cannot buy wisdom at the drugstore; only prevention....©maximusdoom 2011

The media is piping with things people are talking about. Needless-to-say, the watercooler is empty. As a kid I always wondered if I would listen to someone who knew more than I did or if I would listen to me if I came back from the future to give me some insight. Obviously I cannot truthfully answer that; only speculate. Our morning was a fluster of conversations. In all of them existed some content that would lend itself to several blogs from each topic. BYU is the easy one; but not as easy as Charlie Sheen — which is too easy; so I'll pass.

The other end of the box. Every now and then you see a roach big enough to rid you of any transportation expenses should you strap youself to them like a cowboy or rope them to the back, front or bottom of your vehicle. Today was one of those such days. I saw a cohort get up suddenly out of the corner of my eye. I see his mouth moving as he rolls up a magazine. With my iPOD deep in Prince classics; I dismiss as an extended bathroom embarkment and keep working on my layout. Then he comes back to his desk still looking somewhere ahead. Removing one earplug, I hear instructions to look ahead. As some of you know, I HATE bugs; particularly ones that might crawl or land on my face or chase me. There it was. A bionic roach half the size of our convertible VW Beetle. He appeared to have the power of flight as well. After some scrambling and mobilization, an office of 4 men; really 3 cause I was only going to be taking pictures, came up with the plans of removal.


The pensive recycler Andy decided to use a long box. To my horror, his great plan was to capture and release! Whatever happened to all the great lessons in history — kill them all! In his most statuesque Statue of Liberty pose, he does not use the closed end of the box to crush the guts out of the behemoth but the open end to capture. Of course it was on the ceiling. Of course it made a run for it. Of course it never occurred to him to smash it with the closed end. YES, Im a smasher! I not only kill them for this life but any possible ones after this one. In fact, you can work up quite a sweat stomping a good bug. I know some spiders, snakes and bugs are good for us; but I dont waste time interviewing them to find out. He who hesitates is lost.


Apparently I will refresh some memories about survivors and what to do with them.

Real Life
The Alamo, The Battle of Thermopylae, and several other Last Stands where the defenders were so effective (and/or annoying) that the victorious attackers finished off whatever survivors, wounded, or captured noncombatants they got their hands on afterward.

The Massacre of Glencoe was ordered by King William of Orange with the line:
"You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, the McDonalds (sic) of Glenco (sic), and put all to the sword under seventy".
The part about leaving those over 70 was not mercy; in those days it was rare to find anyone much over 50 and the understanding was that anyone 70 or over would probably die on their own without someone to provide care for them.
This is frequently applied by a force that manages to defeat one much larger than them - they can't maintain so many prisoners, so the logical thing to do is to kill them all.

Famously happened during the Albigensian Crusade against Catharism in southern France. Asked by a soldier how to tell the difference between Cathar heretics and good Catholics, the Papal legate Arnaud Amalric replied:
"Kill them all. The Lord will recognize his own."
Though it's debatable if he said any such a thing, as there doesn't seem to be any record of him saying those words until about 50 years afterwards.

Arguably the result of any protracted siege in history. The soldiers, after watching their mates getting killed in various horrific fashions over a period of weeks or months, work out their frustrations on the defenders and civilians inside.
The Jolly Roger. In real life, the Jolly Roger was a good thing (assuming you were being attacked by pirates), as it meant that the pirates would accept prisoners. However, a blood red flag meant "death to all".
Both flags and their respective meaning are used in the flashback segment of the Tintin book The Secret Of The Unicorn.
In Roman Conflicts, once the battering ram was deployed, it was the signal that no prisoners would be taken, even as slaves. The Rome episode The Ram Has Touched The Wall explains this.

To extend the explanation: when a (Roman) army approached a hostile city and the city surrendered before arrival, the city's inhabitants and possessions were sacrosanct, and there would be no (official) looting or pillaging. If the city held out, but surrendered before the siege engines were in place, the citizens who fought (those of fighting age) were taken as slaves and the city looted, but no (official) rape or other destruction would take place. If the siege continued to the full, and the city overrun, the invaders could do as they pleased, and the commanders either looked the other way or actively encouraged their troops. This even applied to Roman cities, such as those on Sicily, after they rebelled. There are accounts of Legionaries who expressed the hope that the city would not surrender, so they could get some good looting and rape in.

The city of Carthage was completely destroyed by the Romans at the climax of the Third Carthaginian War. The Carthaginian citizens were either slaughtered or captured as slaves; none were spared.

Roman deserters were always killed if captured by Rome. There were accounts of ex-Roman soldiers at Carthage building a great bonfire in the Basilica before it fell, and leaping into the flames to avoid mandatory crucifixion for their desertion.

Shown in Spartacus: Blood and Sand: The Thracians who deserted the Roman forces were killed or taken into slavery, along with those of their villages.
The Battle of Little Bighorn.

Well that's a lot said in very little. Yes, opinions are like ...; everybody's got one. Like the release of said gasses; weighing before the release is paramount.

..and what is Friday without a couple of good haikus as a send off. Perhaps good is being presumptuous of me. Today's subject is one I hold near and dear; bubble baths! It is invaluable for creatives to revive themselves by escaping and harmonizing the internal energies. Failure to do so always results in the most conflicting of emotional and collateral of damages.

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Photo from adnamaotupac

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Fridakus — haikus on Friday

Below the Chaos
Deep breath in, breath out;
Hot bubble bath, smooth jazz, rain;
Stressless incense burns.

Bubble Talk
Popping bubbles shhhh,
Burying me in warm pleasure,
Unity and peace.

Self Therapy
Rain, jazz and bubbles
Alone, candles, insence, bath
One person, one soul.

Fitness Friday

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Its no secret that I dont typically do heavy weights, if ever. I prefer to keep all my parts attached and functioning just like they are. Thats not to say that fitness doesnt take a bit of work; it does. Pills will never get what can only be earned. I have taken off from gym time for almost a month; now its time to pay the piper. I like taking a break — it fools the body. But dont be fooled; ease back into activity and make sure the machine warms up slowly before you gun it. Go hard or go home. Dont give advice about something you've never achieved. It it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks; its probably a duck.
Top 8 Exercises to build the body of a Greek God

Nuts About Friday Haikus!

By the graces of the Lord God and the pensiveness of Andrew Lewis Stanfield, another Friday greets us and bows away. Saturating us with the promise of the joys to come and distractions of pleasure, the most important moments for some approach on the giggling feet of anticipation. Yet before we embark upon a most ambitious weekend, what would the close of Friday be without a haiku; and how far much better with several....

...but first things first...Friday Fixins for all you nuts out there.

Boiled Peanuts
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 quarts green uncooked peanuts
1/2 cup salt
2 1/2 quarts water

Wash Peanuts until water runs clear. Put clean peanuts in
crockery pot, add salt and water; stir. Cook, covered, on
high for 5 to 7 hours. Add additional water during
cooking, if necessary, to keep peanuts covered.

mmmmmm....tasty and even kinda healthy unless you have a nut allergy. But hey, just because I am sooo wonderful; here's something extra for my beloved Louisiana and all my cajun friends. ayhieeee!!!!

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And now on to the haikus of Friday: Fridakus. Thanks Andylicious for keeping the torch alive!


Smoldering Visions
Sticky summer duel
Melting inhibition's rule
Less being more cool.

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Happy Cohorts
United laughter
All for one and one for all
Breeds joys multiplied.

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Friday Haiku
Friday haiku;
Uniting thoughts from two minds
One chord harmony.

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Fridaku
Arrive at week's end
Write haikus on friday
5, 7, 5 read.

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The Seeing Unseen
One layer away
Desperately close, we watch
Oh voyeur delight.

5 Crazy Reasons We Ain’t Crazy Yet

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I was on Facebook and one of my friends had this quote that stopped me in my tracks. It was so profound I had to read it twice. That’s when I knew what my blog topic was going to be today. Thanks!

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“I've heard that it's possible to grow up - I've just never met anyone who's actually done it. Without parents to defy, we break the rules we make for ourselves. We throw tantrums when things don't go our way, we whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark, we look for comfort where we can find it, and we hope - against all logic, against all experience. Like children, we never give up hope...”
Meredith Grey

We break the rules we make for ourselves: I don’t know about you; but I have a few rules over the years that I made for all time that if broken, I believe I deserve whatever I get. Luckily I don’t typically have to learn the same lesson more than twice…but I guess there are always that one or two that seem to haunt or repeat. Why do we live to break the rules? Maybe we inherited it from our parents, Adam and Eve.

We throw tantrums when things don’t go our way: Honestly, I confess to being a bit upset if I don’t get my way. Depending on what the situation, my reaction is minor or major. I’ve gotten better at keeping the demons at bay when its major. I know what hides in the closet and it ain’t pink or pastel or cuddly. I try to focus on how funny the story will be later. In addition, I ask myself, “what can I learn about this or from this event?”

We whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark: I think every sane person has a BFF. These people know so much that your life might surely end if there lips parted. Even more amazing is that they remain your friend. We tend to have to tell someone in spite of or addition to God. Im not sure why, but some level of confession or empting has to happen to feel better at least for a little while.

We look for comfort where we can find it: That might answer a lot of “why” questions that we all seem to get stuck on. Even in the worst of situations that we wish we didn’t care about, we still hate admitting that the why matters. We still seek to understand how or why something we didn’t see or couldn’t imagine happening occurs, especially if we are all human and created equal.

We never give up hope: Hope is either a dessert or an addiction; I’m not sure which. We have all seen or heard stories of someone who had survived some horrific situations only through the strength of hope. Mothers and grandmas have gone to the grave hoping for the safety of their children. In such times as these, we all hope it will get better or that trouble don’t last always. When we are away from our loved ones, we hope someone is looking out for them. The world is suffocating under pressure.

FRIDAKUs and Reading Moments…

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Fridaku: Winter Days

Cool breeze, gentle air
Cuddling winter's presence
Delaying warm days.

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Spare Time What doest that really mean?
Do you need a spare watch to tell spare time? Does that mean you have 2 sets of time and do they co-exist? Is it the one you use in case of flats? Does it hang out on an overweight watch/clock?

In searching for some great pics for another blog, I found these fascinating sites. My best resources are happy accidents. I am sure there’s a great blog in there somewhere. If you beat me to it, let me in on the funnies too and link back. Everybody loves a good laugh.


Some really great sites to spend more time reading….

Prints Old and Rare

Mississippigarden

Tip Hero

Create and Smile

Clown-Politicians

Past Is Present

TIME, FRIENDS, LOVE, SEX and Groovy Old Couples

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They say love covers a multitude of sins. Though I have often wondered who they are and how everybody else knows who they are but cant identify any of them is a continuing question crawling along the lines between light and shadow in my skull. Nonetheless…for all that love does and is; it is common ground. With a commitment to this common ground, other decisions and issues pale to its statue. In our deepest love, we find ourselves lain naked before someone whom we trust not to destroy us and love not to hate us. I have watched issues divide people every since I was the youngest of children; even when people no longer remembered why they were at odds. Hence, the oldest of friends is worth my personal ego sacrifice to continue a prolonged story of endurance.

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Old friends are some of the very best. Old friends have more credibility because you know that they know the good and the bad and they remain. That is something I value. The same is true for great marriages and I suppose most other unions / relationships. Old friends also understand their own lack of blamelessness, increasing the commitment from both ends to endure beyond the safety of comfort and venture into the forest without weapons drawn. They always say, “dance with the one you brung,” and that’s just good policy, if not law. I always look forward to meeting some groovy old couple on every trip we take. It’s easy to tell when two people like each other, as well as love each other. The twinkle in her eyes when she looks at him; the grin in his smile when he winks at her are marks of this enduring story that typically is or has been a never-ending adventure. I love to hear the stories of how old couples got together. One always has the facts and the other the dates and details — and the devil is always in the details.

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Groovy old couples are fantastic people. Some say nobody else would put up with either of them so they stay together. I don’t discredit that statement; but I would be inclined to add that perhaps they are so intuned to each other, anything else would be out of order. The other common factor of groovy old couples seems to be great sex. I have heard it come up more than once. One is typically grinning and nodding and the other is all-too-happy to use comical euphamisum to tell some funny story. We were at an IMAX in Chattanooga by the aquarium when this couple who must have been in there late 70’s sat behind us. Their snickering gained our attention; their age earned our shock. We immediately began conversating about happiness and marriage and how long and how they met. Of course, he comes out with be careful, she’s a screamer. After a sock in the arm from her and our laughters, we watched a great show on Creatures of the Deep…no pun intended. Happiness is a contagious thing. It’s also hard to hide.

Becoming a groovy old couple has its costs. Love, patience, trust, respect, gentleness, understanding, endurance, kisses, holding hands, sacrifice, selflessness, selfishness, forgiveness, smiles, tears and embraces are all part of the recipe. A coin is incomplete without a heads or a tails. Without bread on both sides, is it really a sandwich? I am looking forward to becoming a groovy old couple. I don’t mind and am certainly not offended by the marks of age. That’s reality. I don’t care about looking good in the coffin. I prefer a restored classic to a hot new corvette. Other cars are only for glancing, my classic is just for me. To infinity and beyond!

Fridaku Birthday Weekend and Antics

It’s Friday again and it has been a very busy but fast week. Sometimes you have those weeks you wouldn’t mind doing again but only if you had to pick one—this was one of those. Friday we have implemented a new tradition — Fitness Friday! Yep. We will start out slow with 10 pushups for a month and then progress from there. So far all the guys jumped in and it felt great. I am planning on having a killer workout this afternoon as soon as I can get out of here.

Of course, the weekend will go quickly. Luckily its also Birthday Weekend for my nephew Christopher and my brother-in-law Mark. Birthdays are fun; especially since they are not funerals. It adds a sunny outlook to a weekend rumored to be nasty weather wise. At least with birthdays we are reminded of our strength and that sometimes we do win; otherwise we wouldnt be here. If you feel like you have a lousy life or that things are always bad; it serves as another small amount of evidence that perhaps you should be looking for somebody to help. There’s always somebody doing worse than you are. Sometimes you see people with incredible spirits who really could easily pick a reason to not be happy. On those days, you know you dont have any legitimate excuses. All your parts are there and functioning...surely they could be put to better use than complaining. This week I have talked to several people who have been evaluating their lives. I think that’s healthy to take assessments often. In doing so, it always means change—which we rarely are willing to make; especially drastic change immediately. One of my favorite podcasts Dan Miller is loaded with common sense solutions that we have to constantly be reminded of by some stranger.

Friday! Oh, that means its time for Fridaku too! I met the Pensive One at our favorite coffehouse for a chat with the chattables. Since he’s from Louisiana, he reminded me that its Mardi Grais weekend. I suppose I will be rooting for the Saints only because that region has had a long rough time and could use as much sunshine as possible. Meanwhile, I still like Payton; so its ok either way for me.

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Cold Rain on Bald Head

Cold spikes on my head
falling tiny and sharp,
Plop the raindrops fall.

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Cars on Wet Streets

Thwack four times make one
Cars passing on the wet street
Tires kissing the road.

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Waning Friday Workday
Fingers tapping keys
Hours slipping politely by
Friday slips away.

Titan Weekend III: Death of Fall

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The weekend is finally here. The morning was cool and rainy until the sun finally relieved the sky of its dullness. The day slides by like fresh pancakes on a butter-coated plate in the hand of a limp-armed waitress not paying attention. My lunch was soon over after a SuperSonic Cheeseburger and a Milky Way for dessert. I'm not sure which was better. the burger or the bar. The sun was gently warm as I rolled along with the window down and the wind chasing through the open windows of my vehicle. I sipped hot green tea that I had gotten at my favortie coffee shop prior to eating. It was a great combination; besides it was green tea, so it's good for you too. Most folks at the office are out of place today. That only adds to the ease of a day shuffling away until I get back to my dearest Pickle.


It's another TN Titans weekend. That anticipation, if any, can be positive or negative given the lack of success thus far. Not that I care much about such things; cause I don't. Sure if its on or down to the end of the season, I am more inclined. So is the way of the geek. I would rather be drawing, reading or cooking. (yeah, I know, but its not really as lilly as it sounds. I would just rather be in the game than the sidelines or spectating) I anticipate that the Jaguars will be victorious by a field goal; but we shall see. Good luck, Titans! The best part for me of watching a game (if I must) is stroking my woman's hair as we sip wine or eat popcorn and chocolate. Popcorn and chocolate or ice cream and Ruffles Potato Chips are hard to resist...but that's another story like melted Chocolate and Chopsticks.


That's all the rambling I've got till the next moment of more. With hopes of a great workout and quality time with the queen; perhaps we meet some strange new folks to laugh with.


Fridaku!
Sumer's Last Breeze

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the warm yellow sun,
the cool casual breeze mild
grass, trees, leaves browning.

Friday is special for a lot of reasons. Get more for your Friday with even more Fridaku. Want more haiku?

Uplifting Gravity

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I was watching my Sunday night show Defying Gravity and I heard a line that was memorable. The show is set in the year 2052 (with flashbacks to five years earlier in the story's continuity), the series follows eight astronauts—four women and four men—from five countries on a six-year space mission through the Solar System, where everything they do is monitored. In this episode (105), the doctor of the ship had saved over 3500 patients' lives while serving in a war. He was asked who he remembered. To the shocked listener, he replied no one. He explained that he only remembered the lives he didn't save. Why? He only remembered the situations he learned from -- which were his mistakes, i.e. the patients who died.

Somehow that made sense. I prefer to think of my mistakes as my scars — the undeniable badges of some hopeful wisdom gained by some hopefully educational mistakes. It would seem that our humanity is a never-ending struggle against our very DNA for darkness. In the end, our scars determine the altitude possible.

Why Strangers May Be Your Best Friends

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Growing up, I recall being constantly told not to talk to strangers. I’m sure I would have heard it even more had I been female. Anywho, we are taught from a very young age to be wary of strangers, people we don’t know or don’t look like us. Growing up in the South, I was very accustomed to being told where not to go and what not to do because of my color; but not from folks who didnt look like me, from those who did. I am certain it was out of safety and concern. Afterall things are much different now ... right?

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Anywho, I rented this movie called the Visitor. Of course I was thinking SciFi; but this was none of the sort. The plot is as follows:

The Visitor is a contemplative drama filled with subtle humor and a lot of humanity/passion for its characters. Walter (Richard Jenkins, "Six Feet Under") is a widowed college professor that meets two illegal immigrants - a Senegalese woman (Danai Gurira) and a Syrian man, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) -, living in his apartment in NYC. After the initial discomfort of the situation, Walter decides to help the young couple and an unlikely friendship is born.

"The Visitor" deals with human relationships and discusses post-9/11 America socio-political issues (the plight of immigrants, xenophobia, etc.) with no hidden agendas. Director McCarthy has proved himself as a sensitive director/writer, and he extracts an astounding performance from Richard Jenkins, a character actor who gets his first leading role at the age of 60. Jenkins is rivoting to watch as an ordinary man trying to find himself while being confronted with his own conceptions about the world around him.

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This is a terrific movie that really transforms your ideas of the things that really make the human race the better animal. Tiny moments of greatness will hurl you through a string of emotions that will leave you wanting more by the end. I don’t know that this movie or its participants ever got their just due; but they should have. It is a very tender story about some very prickly issues that we would just rather glass over and tip toe out of the room on before being asked to comment. In the end it is still a love story. In the end, love conquers all. In the end, what are we without it?

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See the trailer...

There are at least ten incredible points made in this movie. I will only pick three.
1) In our hearts, we are all the same. No matter what race, religion, orientation or etc.; we all crave to live out loud and be accepted. Each of us wants to be of some value to someone — to have a purpose that we were created for performing. In this our hope is that our lives arent meaningless meanderings from one reaction to the next.

2) There really is no “them;” just “us” next time. This movie does a wonderful job of showing diversity and singularity. Sure some of us a great at music, painting or calculus; but that doesn’t mean that we all have to be good at the same things. Sure we may go through life pretending that we are so much better than “those” people; but we all cry, we all bleed and we all die. Thus, are we really what we think of ourselves? I don’t know that you understand what it feels like to be profiled until you’ve experienced it. I don’t know that one understands someone else’s tradgedy until we have experienced our own. I do know that at the point of death, there is the most deafening silence I have ever heard. I don’t know that I could explain it to anyone who hasn’t heard or been there at the very last moment between life and death.

3) Love conquers all. It is that moment that we actually leave ourselves or open ourselves to be vulnerable to another living soul that we begin to go beyond feeling love to experiencing love. There is a point in this movie that you see the moment of switch and the subtle shift of emotion that goes from empathising to experiencing. You see some very different looking people who unite in their experience of love/suffering and become one race — human. I dont know why it takes tradgedy to distract us from our irrelevant differences. I dont know why chaos unites us when peace never could. I dont know why one man dies and another does not. I do know that all humans die and that makes us all equal.


Once love even conquered the grave so that others might live. Perhaps that alone shows the value of the human race; not the races of humans...but that was another Visitor.

Afterhours Musings!

Lofty Observations
the cars come and go
beneath my gaze from above
without permission.

Thoughts to Myself
the silence my kin
alone is my fortitude
solace my own peace.

Morning Dove T.A.P.S.
Morning dove watching
Peace surrounded by unrest
Mate dead on the ground.

Maze of Discontent

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The snow is gone but its energy still resides. We spend our days chasing a dream, some say "the American Dream;" but can a country claim a dream? Are all the rats in the maze aware that all the paths but one are dead ends? Its funny odd because everybody is selling the "one" way and any logical mind knows there are at least several ways to a destination. In America, at least for the moment, it's very easy to see that the BIG companies have let us down. Jobs that people thought were infinitely secure are gone. The system appears to be killing off the little people, the mom and pop companies and farmers that are truely the backbone of this great country fall by the hundreds. Radio shows (some) seem to be focused on FDR, the Great Depression and WPA when they aren't cramming down our throats how BAD the future is and what a mess the President is going to make.


Can he really make it any worse than the "know it alls" that got us here as they ran away with the loot have done? How do you do a job that bad and still get to keep your jobs PLUS get MORE money to manage again? Sign me up! Oh the billions flowing down the hill, long dried up before they reach the backbone. Skeletons without a spine fall from their own weight. Sure, lets give em more money and slap their hands for just being American.... And what stupid idot would boldly say "I want the president to fail!?" Are not all our destinies linked and bound together? That reminds me of the story of the frog and the scorpion. If we cannot change our private thoughts, our public displays will always be a disgrace.


There won't be any shortcuts and before its done; we'll all have to roll up our sleeves and push the car out of the mud. Yes, we're gonna get muddy, dirty, sweaty, testy, exhausted and probably sick of one another; but we won't be defeated! You can pick your career but you can't choose your family. Somehow this country typically prevails in spite of itself. While that shouldnt make us sigh with relief and complacency; it should make us endeavor to be that much more steadfast at accomplishing restoration of strength, unity and stability. No house stands divided. Surely things will be better; even if we all choke on hope.

Exceptions are the spice of life!

This is a phrase I am "borrowing" from the Prelate of Pensive," in his latest blog. It never fails to jar something lose in the background of my dull mind and inspires some few short words to kickoff a new blog. Today is a day no different from another.

I think about the spice of life and remember so many times that the spectacular happened from the most ordinary of circumstances. Some of them happened simply when I did what I thought was right and the other times were just gifts. I could spin you some fabulously entertaining stories; but really you would have had to been there to believe it. So I won't insult your absence.



It is these exceptions, that really make your eyes sparkle and your spirit leap inside your skin. Have you ever been in a situation that couldn't possibly be real or true? Then without reason or promise, it's all real and right there surrounding the moment that encasees you. It would seem most days that everything around me is some sort of exception. They say you attract what you are....thats pretty terrifying but not short of terrific. I guess that also counts for all the strange set of characters whom I call friends and aquaintances.



I can only wonder if part of the grand design is for us not to be perfect. Wouldnt perfect really be quite boring? Exceptions keep us laughing at ourselves, as well as others. Dont we crave the moments that really aren't that perfect; especially if it is happening to someone else. Perfect is best served like the eye of a hurricane. or perhaps you prefer an oasis in a smoldering desert. Granted, none of this is to say that there arent occassions, situations and timespans that you are more than happy to have perfection visit for some continuous stretch of time.

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The Monkey Always Follows the Banana

I like simple truths. Whether its the old country guy sitting on the front porch, the blue collar worker who just supports his family without any fanfare or the occassional idiot who is indescriminately showered with a moment of nirvanna, the simple truth is the essence of whats left at the bottom of the pot of boiling water. One of the things I have always admired about my father is his ability to cut to the chase, wrap it up short, hold the lettuce and mayo, etc. He has an artform to being brief but enlightening.




After an accident that was not my "fault" due to someone running a red light, he responded with "just cause the light's green, don't mean go." Yeh, at first that wasn't met with any joy, thrill or approval...but upon further examination; it was potent. This day's reflection comes from a coworker asking me about a project that has been looming for a year on my back, occassionally even taking food from my very own hand; an oversized monkey not nearly worth all its trouble. Today I threw that monkey onto someone else's shoulders with some foundational questions — tossing the banana, if you will. What do you know, I'm 50lbs lighter for at least a couple of days.

Yesterday in Disguise

In my mind I know its a new year; but it feels the same! Does anybody else feel that way? I didnt make any resolutions, I didnt care. For the most part, I have what I want, very few things I would change, maybe improve, so whats the fuss? Its "Resolutionary Time" at the gym; the right people already know what that means so I wont bother explaining. I enjoy 60 minutes with Andy Rooney...he just says it like he feels it. Maybe I am getting old; but I just dont care so much about political correctness and just going along not making waves. People tend to get in a tizzy about holidays, occassions and events when its really the same day with the same amount of hours and minutes, the same possibilities, losses and hopes. Its the same day yesterday they wasted today. Whats the fuss? Seize the day! ANY day is a good day to start; dont wait for a holiday, birthday or whatever; do it NOW!

The UP to All the Downs

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A great deal of life is about perspective. It is defined as follows:

n. per·spec·tive  (pr-spktv)

1. a. A view or vista.
b. A mental view or outlook: "It is useful occasionally to look at the past to gain a perspective on the present" Fabian Linden.
2. The appearance of objects in depth as perceived by normal binocular vision.
3. a. The relationship of aspects of a subject to each other and to a whole: a perspective of history; a need to view the problem in the proper perspective.
b. Subjective evaluation of relative significance; a point of view: the perspective of the displaced homemaker.
c. The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance: tried to keep my perspective throughout the crisis.
4. The technique of representing three-dimensional objects and depth relationships on a two-dimensional surface.

We can easily find ourselves very stressed or worried if we dare watch the evening news for more than three minutes. There might be a thin slice of good news in a $5 footlong news segment; but they are way over-shadowed by the doom and gloom of the current state of affairs. I could only imagine walking into a job knowing before I got there it was in a mess and probably not going to be better for some time. I would never want to be president. Anywho, the heat of the moment can often enview the deepest of our darknesses. Whether its the heat of an arguement or heat of the game; things can happen pretty quick.


Pastor Rice Brooks did this sermon about perspective once that was very picturesque. He held up an ordinary penny between his thumb and forefinger tips. Look at it. Its nothing big or special, just an ordiary penny barely worth a cent. Then he began moving it toward his face. If I stare at this penny moving closer to me, it seems bigger. He continued moving the penny until it was right in front of his eyesocket. As small and insignificant as this penny is, when focused on only can seem pretty big. In fact, its so big that I cant see anything or anyone in this whole room. Most of our fears arent worth a cent if we could ever get a glimpse of them with the right perspective. Point made I thought. I continued scribbling down notes from his sermon. I couldnt help but think about the times I thought I was really in deep “gumdrops” for something I had done, overlooked, mishandled or worse time and again. I remember how many times I’ve laughed at myself on the other side of things I thought were impassable and the end of life as I knew it; but here I am.


We have just gotten our first snow in the new home since leaving Murfreesboro. The main benefit that sold us was the view, aside from the master bathroom. Stunning! As great as it is, to see it again from another perspective — draped in the softest white snow changes or maybe enhances the experience even more. It was more than difficult leaving for the office but perspective also said I must, so I did. Its not hard for us to become overwhelmed by life’s circumstances. Dont panic! Check your perspective and find reliable measures to recheck your perspective against.

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Happy 60th Birthday, Steve!
It only gets better.

Imagine having a 230lb man on your back. To say the least, the weight might be intrusive, perhaps even laboring. I doubt many of us would enjoy carrying around another 230lbs. Perspective says, “hey, this weight is pretty light since I’m falling down. He's got my back......what a view!”

Turkey Talk: Simple Gobbles

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Its Tuesday in the Music City and there's no snow. The world moves by at a frozen pace with streams of white smoke spewing from the nostrils and lips of the people walking by. Another Thanksgiving gone; truely one of my favorite holidays. I love how it freaks out the retail market....they dont know what to do except put up Christmas stuff. Thanksgiving is probably the only time that really makes people pause to give thanks. I hate to watch people get their food and just start eating whether its a restaurant or fast food. There's a lot I dont know and even more I dont understand about the grand scheme of things; but at least I can be thankful! No I dont own the world or a private helicopter or a remote control helicopter; but I can give thanks. Everything we have comes from somewhere else and can easily return from whence it came. I dont have any of it because I am so great or have any superhero powers or saintly qualities. I was just blessed to be born in America in such a time. I didnt get to choose family, skin color, location etc but what little I have; Thanks God! I hope I serve it well. Love covers a multitude of sins....thats my saving grace mixed with just saying "thank you" at every good and bad thing.

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What is it with people who are always complaining about something? Everybody knows one. They cant enjoy the simplest things in their lives for complaining about what didnt go right, or didnt happen or dont have.... Change happens, life happens, then death happens and then change happens again. That is the nature of man. (Note: yeah, I know how loud what I didnt say speaks.) There is no question that with money you can do more; but rarely can you "be" more. That's something beyond money; something deeper than what people think of you. I am always for the underdog, for the nerd, for the forgotten and the downtrodden...they have the stuff of heroes. They have the "hero" spark waiting to ignite in its due time.

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Meanwhile, I sit snowless in Nashville rambling about much ado of many complaining about people complaining and being thankful simutaneously. It could ALWAYS be worse. No Job or Abraham tests for me please...Faith, Hope, Love, but the greatest of these is Love...that sums up my state of mind today in its many translations.

1 Corinthians 13

Love
 1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.

 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

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Get some faith from the Faith Shoppe

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Get Your Big Funky Chiken ON!

Tennessee Titans 10-0!!!!!!