Grateful For Being Late

“Each day brings new opportunities, allowing you to constantly live with love—be there for others—bring a little light into someone's day. Be grateful and live each day to the fullest.”
― Roy T. Bennett


I might be late but at least I'm here to be late.

One could say I am being a bit obstinate if you were to read the above statement without context. Not having or not reading the full context of a statement seems to be an issue in our politics these days and more importantly in how we communicate with each other. But I will hold off on that subject for another time.

What I really want to talk about is being thankful or grateful for what I do have in life. I hear many times whether at work, in the store or generally hearing people talk regarding just how rotten their life is. Or it might be this went wrong or that is never right and on and on. In simple terms, everything is a negative.

Now do not misunderstand me. I have those same thoughts from time to time and have on occasion struggled with "woe is me" type of complaints. But in every instance of doing so, it never solved the problem. And when I sat down and examined what was happening, it really was not as big of a deal as first thought. Most definitely there are circumstances in peoples lives that are truly mind boggling in pain and suffering.

That is not what I am talking about.

Recently during a thunderstorm near our home, it came close to me. As the thunder cracked and the lightening lit up the early morning sky I made a decision. As the rain was coming down, I walked onto our covered back porch deck to move cushions from the chairs so they would not get wet from the blowing rain. As one would ask, what could go wrong? As I peered to my left, I could see my trees bending to the east nearly 45 degrees. In an instant I realized the wind was increasing at a dramatic rate and then I heard a loud crack.

My instincts told me that was not a good sound.

Into the house I rushed just as a large portion of a tree came crashing down onto my porch deck. Did it come close to hitting me? Sure, I could have wildly told of a near death experience like others with a microphone and camera pressed to my face. The "Lord Almighty shouted out to me and said son get in that house right now" coming from my lips could have been on the nightly news. But it wasn't and no, it was not all that close to harming me.

Stepping back and thinking it over without the exaggeration of the moment or the need to be heard above all the rest, I simply realized it could have been a lot worse. It could have slammed into the house and hit the windows where our daughter was sleeping. It could have been high winds ripping the roof from my house. It could have been a lot of things but it was not.

One could go on for days about the trivialities of life spending all of our energy on the negative aspects of such things. But I choose to look at the positive side as much as possible. To be grateful for what did not happen and how I can learn, grow and use the experience to make life better. If I apply that kind of thinking in everything I do, life really is pretty good.

And if you should happen to show up late, at least you are still here to be late.

Stay inspired my friends!

Dogs Are No Different

“When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche


We have a very cute and lovable dog in our household. This dog goes by the name of Snickers due only to the coloring she has which reminds us of the candy bar of the same name. Plus with nuts inside, she kind of matches that persona as well.

Snickers is a Fox Terrier who believes her backyard world and anything within two miles is her domain. Another dog walking by, someone talking too loudly across the street or the UPS driver delivering a package are to be barked at. Even an early morning run out the back door can elicit a shrill bark just because. My neighbors were none too happy about that going on.

She is also a dog who can jump over fairly high fencing or finding a perfect spot to dig under in order to go figure out why others would be so bold to come near her territory. And it is this battle back and forth at which I firmly believes she toys with me.

This week it is the perimeter collar. Next week will be the bark collar. Both work to perfection but she figures out which collar it is and decides it is the other she can pursue. So if barking is out of the question, she knows the fence is her's for the taking. When I put on the perimeter collar, well the barking begins as she deploys her tactics to keep people, animals and noises away.

What is interesting is she learns only by being reminded.

As humans, we are very much the same way. We only remember if reminded. The past seems so distant we forget what lesson was learned and the shock of repeating the same mistakes brings the reminder home. So we toy with the jolt to see if it were real. And by golly it was! Our politics, our jobs, our relationships, our health ... so soon we forget.

Just be comforted in the fact that dogs are no different.

Stay inspired my friends!

Walk In The Park

"Reality is hard. It is no walk in the park, this thing called Life." ~ Patty Duke

Most of my days are spent working and not taking much time off from that work. It is a habit instilled in me from my days growing up on a farm in eastern Nebraska. At sun up before school, the chores had to be completed summer or winter. After school, after basketball practice or homework, the chores were to be done. All of this seven days a week, every day of the year.

When I went off to college, I had thought I no longer needed that discipline and into my second year of college that lack of discipline failed me. Poor grades and easing off on my own expectations gave me no choice but to leave school. It was then the reality of LIFE hit me hard. Much harder than if I had applied my father's work ethic from those years on the farm.

I was newly married and now a child on the way, no degree and in need of a paying job. It was at this point where I went back to those old learned habits of hard work and perseverance. I would say that opportunity and others taking a risk in me also played a part. So many years, now counting at 38 years which includes a most influential six years at the Nebraska Typewriter Company.

Typewriter repairman?

I say yes these days because to do so is much easier then the real explanation of what opportunity was afforded me by the Beaurivage family. It was these early days in which I applied myself the way my parents had taught me. But I did miss a few things along the way which is why the map is shown above. For many of those years I forgot that one must also take time to relax and enjoy LIFE.

This is not to say there have been no vacations or times of relaxing. What I am saying is that I failed to learn HOW to relax and enjoy. There are reasons for that and you would know of those reasons. Reasons you probably experience and reasons that simply cannot be unexplained in a logical sense. But I am learning and I am trying to figure out how to enjoy the LIFE given to me.

The map shows a part of that learning. It shows a boat ride from a marina to a state park where we spent three days. In earlier times I would have said that is a waste of time, too far and too crazy to take a boat nearly 25 miles. But we did it and what I experienced was the awe of how large this man-made lake is. A lake that hydrates nearly every person in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Our learning never ends.

It is an experience I could not have had driving the freeway or simply flying over on my way to another meeting. To feel the bump of the waves, the mist of water as it sprayed the air nor the excitement of finding your way. This was my few days of learning how to walk in the park. It was another step at finding ways to enjoy LIFE and all it can offer.

When I reflect upon the path we took on our boat journey, it reminded me of how I had gotten to where I am today. The twists, turns, ending up in the wrong inlet. Having to find my way back and to re-chart a way knowing all I had to do was keep looking, keep moving, and keep enjoying the ride.

And just maybe I am starting to learn how to enjoy a walk in the park.

Stay inspired my friends!

Where Has The Time Gone

"Why do we waste our time worrying about it when we should be using time to enjoy life?"

I have been asked on several occasions, where have you been? You have not written your blog for several months, why not? Have you given up on writing?

My answer is that I have been here all along.

It is correct to say that I have not been writing my blog for quite some time. Neither have I been working on my next book much during this time I've been away being here.

Time passes quickly that is for certain.

I sit here observing nature after a passing rain fall. The leaves are glistening with steam rising from the neighbors roof top with the sweet conversation of my wife filling the air.

These are the places in time to capture in memory.

In the everyday of life, we divide ourselves taking sides that keep many of us, a great nation, a great world, a great gathering of humanity apart.

And time keeps passing us by without a care of its own.

I am sure to keep voicing opinion and trying to leave a legacy that is good and decent for generations to come. It will only be time that knows if what we do in life has been impactful. And when my portion of the clock has passed, the memories I have created for others will have to suffice.

Stay inspired my friends!