Random Access

Tuesday – 20 January 2015
Day 20: Think about the period of your life in which you have the greatest nostalgia for. For me, it’s definitely college. Staying up late with friends, being forced to be creative with date ideas because I didn’t have any money, doing nothing but learning all day long…it was fantastic. Once you identify that time period, think of why you’re so nostalgic about it. There’s a good chance that there’s something from that time that you’d like to regain or recapture. Maybe you realize the importance of having close friends, or perhaps you’ll come to understand your desire to be a lifelong learner. Nostalgia can be healthy if reflected on and not obsessed over. You may not be able to recapture the past exactly (see Jay Gatsby), but there are elements of it that may make you a happier fellow.

Alright, we’ve hit something that’s given me a bit of pause. I don’t know that I really have an overwhelming sense of nostalgia for any ONE particular part of my life.

College? Sure. There are a lot of things I miss from those days, most of them spinning around the circle of friends I found and our nominal adventures.

But, I also miss some things about being a kid and playing on my aunt and uncle’s… property (because “farm,” isn’t quite right) with my friends. And racing through the halls of schools where my mother taught with other friends. And the freedom from school that summertime brought. And the (mis)adventures my friends and I got into. And traveling around the country – mostly the eastern seaboard at that point. And… and… and… so many other things.

To borrow a few lines from Rush’s Headlong Flight:

All the journeys
Of this great adventure
It didn’t always feel that way
I wouldn’t trade them
Because I made them
The best I could
And that’s enough to say

Some days were dark
I wish that I could live it all again
Some nights were bright
I wish that I could live it all again

That sums it up pretty well.

Monday – 19 January 2015
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (1, 2).

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

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I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

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Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

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An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

This morning, I learned that the place I normally go to volunteer on this day is closed. So, my “service” will be spending time with Sara! and Team DiVa. That’s fine with me. I’ll find a free Saturday and go back. I’d also like to do a little more volunteering through the year.

Please take some time to reflect on what today means beyond a few sales and a day off.

Namaste.

Saturday – 17 January 2015
Okay, three-for-one time…

Day 15: Come up with your own Cabinet of Invisible Counselors. There are innumerable great men from history who we can learn from today. When thinking about your life or pondering some question or problem, yes, go to actual mentors and friends, but also take in the advice of men of yore. Write out who you would have on your list and what you admire about them. Having trouble coming up with a list? The comments in the post should offer plenty of ideas.

I wasn’t sure how literally to take the “take in the advice of men of yore” when I first read this. I decided to take a more “interpretive” stand with it, and thus my list will include men and women.

My list would include:

• My grandfathers – One died before I was born, the other before I was really old enough to go to him for advice.
• Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart – It would be fascinating to talk with them about being pioneers, despite the cultural and societal changes they faced.
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X – I would like to discuss the more mundane/day-to-day struggles they faced that we never hear about.
• Sun-Tzu – The Art of War is one of my favorite books. I would want to talk with him about how he devised the strategies in the book and whether he ever considered them as having viable applications beyond the battlefield.
• Neil Armstrong – C’mon, who doesn’t want to know not only what was it like to walk on the moon!? And he’s the second Boilermaker (Ms. Earhart was the other) list. Win-Win. Also, the challenges of shooting a tin can into space, get it to orbit another astronomical body, LAND on said body, take off from said AND return to Earth have to be many and varied. That’s knowledge and background to which I’d love to have access.

Day 16: Imagine that someone has decided to write a book about your life, just up to this point. What would the cover blurb say? Be honest here. Is it kind of boring? Are you happy with it? Now imagine what you’d like that blurb to say at the end of your life. What changes need to made for that to happen?

Yeah. I’ve been pondering this one and I’m just not sure. I don’t think that it would necessarily be anything out of the ordinary. Would it be boring? Dunno. I think that I live a kind of mundane life, but to someone else, it might be kind of out there. Am I happy with my life? Yep. No matter what I’ve been through, it’s helped to get me where I am.

Day 17: Hop on the internet and search for the biggest news stories in the year you were born. Infoplease is a great resource for this. Think about how these news stories, or even statistics, may have shaped your childhood or who you are today. For example, the year I was born, it was discovered that 98% of American households had at least one television set. I could write about how television influenced my generation, and continues to do so today, either positively or negatively.

• Prime time football – ABC begins it’s long running Monday Night Football
  I came into watching football kind of late: In my early 20s. A friend of mine introduced me to John Madden on the Sega Genesis and fan of the Miami Dolphins. I kind of latched on to the Dolphins as my first football team, despite the fact that I had grown up in and around Baltimore. (This was after the Indianapolis Professional Football Club left Maryland…) It was around this point that I started watching Monday Night Football and started paying attention to games on Sunday.Fast forward twenty years, I’m a fan of the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers)… and the Dolphins still hold a special place in my heart. I watch Sunday games – and Monday Night Football – when I can (and when the Ravens’ games are on).
• World Trade Center is completed
  
  This picture was taken in 1999. And two years later, the towers were gone. This is what I had to say on that day. I haven’t been to New York for more than a layover since then, but I would love to visit the site on my next visit.
  
  
• First F-14 Tomcat Tested – Dec. 21, 1970: The first ever F-14 Tomcat was tested; This led to use by the NAVY for about 30 years.This was one of my favorite aircraft in my early model-building years. Top Gun didn’t hurt my love for it either. While my favorite planes today are the SR-71 and the P-51 Mustang, I still appreciate the Tomcat.

Namaste.

Tuesday (with a little Wednesday thrown in…) – 13 January 2014
Day 13: Perform a mind dump of everything you’re worried about. From the leaky dishwasher to your family member’s poor health — get it all out. Dwight D. Eisenhower did it, and it significantly helped him manage his stress. Just as your body needs to…cleanse itself of waste, so does your mind every once in a while. Getting all your stressors on paper may alleviate some of that pressure. Use David Allen’s GTD trigger list to help you out.

With apologies to Monty Python, “I’m so worried about…”

• Being a good husband and dad.
• Keeping in touch with my family – here and “back home.”
• Making time for friends.
• Making time for me.
• Staying on top of my health.
• Whether or not I’ll be able to fit some travel in this year.
• Projects around the house, now that I don’t have the Train Room as an excuse.
• Becoming more aware of and informed about issues in the community.
• What the Hell is still “not as right as it could be” with my car?!
• Keeping all of the balls that I’m juggling for work in the air.
  • This one isn’t horrible, but there’s just been a lot going on over the past two weeks.
• A proposed project (that’s actually kind of up my alley) – I just want it to go well.
• Cleaning up my queue of work requests.
• Managing to get – and do well in – upcoming training.
• “…the baggage retrieval system they’ve got at Heathrow.”

Namaste.

Monday – 12 January 2014
Day 12: Give stream-of-consciousness writing a try. This is where you basically just write out whatever comes into your head at the moment it comes into your head. It can feel bizarre, and it’s certainly not structured, but it can lead to some valuable insights into what’s going on in your mind. I’ll give you a 10-second example from right now, while looking out my window: “Boy, I have a nice-looking grill outside and the weather is beautiful…just what we need after all this cold and snow. That cloud looks like a ship from Star Wars… it makes me want to be outside.. maybe I need to spend more time outside and appreciate the fresh air. Perhaps I’ll open a window!” Random? Absolutely. Offering some helpful insight about my desire/need for fresh air? Affirmative. Try this out for 10-15 minutes. You may uncover something — no matter how small — you hadn’t previously realized.

And… go!

I really want to get the trim up in the Train Room so I can clean the room and actually use it… Age of Ultron trailer was good; I wonder if that was the Black Panther in that quick shot… I want to get the guys together for a Clix game… I should play Destiny soon…. I hope the girls allow us to have a better night’s sleep than last night… Wonderland isn’t going to read itself… Rocksmith… We need to do something about the storage room… Snow. Rain. Whatever is going on out there now… I need to figure out what I’m going to do about going to Bret’s wedding… Cutting the cord will be good for us… WHERE IN THE HELL DID THIS SCALLOPS CRAVING COME FROM?!… Need to remember to iron my pants before I head upstairs for the night… I should probably cull some sweaters… Scotty Doesn’t Know… I need to get magnetic tape for this window… 2x4s… need to call the ‘rents… SPAAAACE WHAAAAALES!… Figure out what other cartoon themes might catch the girls’ eyes/ears… Ease On Down The Road… Sorry, Sara… Keep an eye on Rush ticket dates… Look for BBVD dates… I’m surprised I’m not more tired…

That was just shy of ten minutes. I guess my subconscious wants me to do some more fun/relaxing things. I’m not going to argue with it.

Namaste.

Sunday – 11 January 2015
Day 11: Memento mori. “Remember that you will die.” Admittedly, this isn’t the most pleasant topic. There is, however, great benefit in meditating on the reality that at some point, you will in fact die. It motivates you to live the life right now that you want to be living. Meditate on this, and write out your thoughts. Does death scare you? Does it motivate you? It’s okay to be honest.

I’ve pondered this at various points in life. My thoughts have kind have been all over the place on it: I’ve thought about it as “the next phase.” I’ve worried. I’ve found solace in my faith. I’ve feared. I’ve tried not to think about it.

At this point, I think that it’s reasonably safe to say that while I don’t necessarily fear dying, I don’t have any intention of meeting The Lady Death anytime soon. Even if she looks like this:

Of The Endless…

That said, I hope to live a long, full life. My prime reason? are these three:

I want to be around for them.

One day, I won’t be here. I hope that when that time comes, those I leave behind can say that I was a good son, brother, husband, and friend. That’s my motivation and the legacy that I want to leave behind. What more can I ask for?

Namaste.

Saturday – 10 January 2015
Day 10: Take a look at the hero’s journey, and identify where you are in that journey. Doing so can help you better understand where you are in life, and help you figure out where to go next. You can take it in the context of your entire life, or you can take it in the context of a certain phase of your life. Either way, you can be sure that you’re part of a greater journey, and knowing what comes next can help guide you along.

If I go with the “entire life” context, then I’d say that I’m somewhere in the Apotheosis and Resurrection phase:

Often, the Hero needs for all of his growth to come to a head and manifest itself all at once in a moment of enlightenment called apotheosis; this realization is the death blow to the old self and beliefs, and the embracing of the new; this is punctuated by a symbolic (sometimes literal) death and resurrection

My moment of enlightenment was learning and accepting that I was ready to get married and possibly start a family. (Fortunately, Sara! was amenable to both of these.) Becoming a husband and father was most definitely the “death” of my being single and whatever manner of “footloose and fancy-free” I may have been. My “resurrection” was becoming part of a greater whole and, later, a father.

It’s been an interesting part of the journey and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Namaste.

Thursday/Friday – 08/09 January 2014
I was so intent on relaxing after work this evening, that I completely forgot about today’s challenge… until I had been in bed for a couple minutes. But, not wanting to skip a day, I got out of bed to do it.

Day 8: Take some time today to reflect on your career. Jot down a timeline of it, including all the ups and downs. What was your best experience? And the worst? What would you like your future to look like, in terms of your career? If you’re a young man and haven’t started in yet, focus on that future part. What do you want your work to look like?

Work timeline (very high-level view)
I have worked for:

• Architecture firm (high school internship)
• U.S. Postal Service (service employee/supervisor)
• A friend’s auction management start-up (IT/Operations Manager)
• A tech startup… that wound up getting acquired by a larger – much larger –  company (IT)
• A consumer good manufacturer (IT)

I don’t know that I’ve had a “best” and a “worst” work experience. There have been good and bad points at each job. There were things that I loved, as well as things that I absolutely hated. Could I name them? Sure, but looking at the breadth of them, I can say this: All of the experiences have served as places and positions of learning and have helped mold me into the employee that I am today. To borrow a verse from Headlong Flight:

All the journeys
Of this great adventure
It didn’t always feel that way
I wouldn’t trade them
Because I made them
The best I could
And that’s enough to say…

I’ve found that I quite enjoy working in IT; it was something of an unexpected and unplanned career path, but it’s also been a good fit for me. I’ve been fortunate to be in positions learn about and work with current and emergent technologies. And, while some of it’s been a lot of “work” – and has had me nearly at wits’ end on occasion – it’s been fun. Besides, who doesn’t love a good challenge?!

I’d like my future to continue to chart an upward course. Would I like to “get out of the trenches” and into a management track again, someday? Sure, if the right opportunity presents itself. For now, though, I’m happy with what I do.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 07 January 2015
Day 7: You’ve made it one week! Reflect on what this newfound practice has been like. Getting through the first seven consecutive days is truly the hardest part. Have you enjoyed it? Has it been difficult? Has it been what you expected?

To quote Barenaked Ladies: It’s been… one week…

I have enjoyed getting back into the habit of writing daily. I had slipped into the bad habit of getting lazy and just assuming that I’d get around to writing later. Occasionally, I would, but more often than not… I didn’t. This hasn’t been difficult. Just a matter of “doing.” As to what I expected? This. Just this. Writing.

All told, it’s been good… and fun.

And now, back to my regularly-scheduled evening.

Namaste.

Sunday – 04 January 2015
Day 4: Via negativia; today, pick a habit that you’d like to eliminate from your life. Bad habits are like armpits, we all have ‘em and they all stink. Whether cutting soda out of your life, or putting a stop to your porn addiction; either way, as with yesterday, think about the steps you’ll take in order to put the kibosh on that negative habit. And again, also think about how you’ll keep yourself accountable to that goal.

This one is easy: I’d like to eliminate my occasional lack of patience with Team DiVa.

They’re three and despite their precocious natures, they sometimes – not surprisingly – act like… three-year-olds. There are times when they do things that are 180 degress opposite of what I’ve asked or told them to do.

At these times, my patience is tested… irritation peaks… and temper flares.

The main thing that I need to do is: Remember that they are three and respond to them calmly… even – or especially – when I want to explode inside. Take a deep breath. Walk away. You know: Be (or at least act like) a mature adult.

Fortunately, Sara! is good about pointing out when my response to the girls is disproportionate to their behavior. I’m becoming more aware of my reactions and and trying to be better about being more even-tempered in dealing with the girls when they’re pushing the envelope.

As the saying goes: The longest journey beings with a single step.

Namaste.

Thursday – 01 January 2015
Today begins a new year.  I hope that you, your families and those special to you have a happy and prosperous year.

No matter what 2014 brought you – good or bad –  you have faced it and made it through. I challenge you to do it again.

Be well and be good to each other.

Namaste.

Monday – 15 December 2014
It’s been longer than I’d planned since my last post. So, let’s get down to business.

The last few weeks have been good. Thanksgiving went well. We managed to host and feed ten people to no ill effect. The girls have been sick. Gotten over it. I’ve been sick. Gotten over it. Sara’s worked a lot – apparently, the end of the year is a busy time for the ballet. The Nutcracker and whatnot. Go figure.

This past weekend, I also got around to installing the trim in the train room. I’ve got three walls done; now it’s just a matter of timing to do the rest. Well, timing and moving a few things. It’s not perfect, but I am proud of  the job. If nothing else, I’ll have a much better idea of what to do – and not do – the next time I have a reason to install baseboards.

Ahead, Christmas. I’m looking forward to it. Not just because “It’s Christmas,” but also because the girls are so excited about it. We started putting up our trees and other decorations a couple of weekends ago. The girls have been going on about “Santa’s going to love our pretty decorations!”

Stray Toasters

• As of this weekend, we have seen Frozen… or, at least, Sara! and I have seen it. We’re not sure if the girls had seen it before. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but it did surprise me in a couple of places.That said, I do understand Sara!’s irritation with Disney’s current marketing of the movie/DVD: All of the marketing seems to be geared towards Olaf (the snowman) and the Sven (the reindeer), rather than making note that the movie has not one, but TWO, strong female leads. Instead, the current wave points to “Hey, look at these funny characters!”
• Speaking of which: When is the last time that Disney – not Pixar or Marvel – made a movie for kids that didn’t have a wacky animal or magically animated object as a sidekick/comic relief?
• Titanfall is still fun… even when you haven’t played it in three months.
• Pinstripes and Polos – because… self-promotion!
• I can’t play “The Little Drummer Boy Game,” considering that one of my favorite Christmas songs is Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth, by Bing Crosby and David Bowie.
• Two of my least favorite Christmas songs are: Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
• [REDACTED]
• I’m about 2/3 of the way through Ace Atkin’s Lullaby, the first post-Robert B. Parker Spenser novel.
  
  It reads very similarly to Parker’s style; there are a few things that seem slightly off – more “slightly out of focus” than “this isn’t even remotely right” – but pretty much reads like I expect a Spenser novel to read.

And that’s it for now; time to finish getting ready for Guys’ Night Out!

Namaste.

Tuesday – 30 September 2014
I was talking with my friend, Dana, earlier. She was having a very human moment, thinking about a loved one who passed away a few years ago:

Sometimes obvious things set you off – sad stories or movies…sometimes it’s less obvious and less sad. Sometimes the Steelers playing the Bucs hits you hard and you are thankful to have a friend at the bar with you. I know happy things seem life an awful silly reason to cry but that’s the way it is.

I commented to her that missing a loved one is never a silly for crying.

Her comment about football reminded me of my friend, Dave., who died a little over four years ago. I always think of him when the Ravens play the Browns. And the way we’d give each other – and our respective teams – pure hell for the duration of the game. And the often-rum/vodka induced “Who can hit harder” shenanigans that often accompanied those meet-ups.  I miss those times. And, I miss my friend.

It also reminded me of Jessica, whose 40th birthday would have been a few weeks ago.

I had been listening to Bill Withers before we started talking and had let it continue to play in the background. A few minutes into our conversation, Grandma’s Hands came on. That song always reminds me of my paternal grandmother and my maternal great-grandmother.

My great-grandmother died while I was in high-school, long before there were “blogs.” My grandmother died eleven years ago; given the nature of my conversation with Dana, I was reminded of this post I wrote when I learned she passed and this, which I drew for my father a few years ago:

I’d like to thank Dana for the opportunity to remember these people and for good reasons to smile.

Namaste.

Sunday – 24 August 2014
There’s an adage about being careful what you wish for.

Saturday morning, I was watching cartoons with the girls and decided to check out what was new and exciting on the Internet. One of my stops was, of course, Facebook. I saw that a friend from college, Mark, was taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. (I’d watched this video a few days ago and it put me over the edge about wanting to make a donation to the campaign.) If nothing else, I figured that Mark’s challenge would be entertaining.

As I got ready to watch it, I remember thinking: I know a lot of people who have done this but none of them have put me up for the challenge…

A few seconds in, I heard him challenge me. Well, then. That’s that.

Not being one to back down from a challenge – at least not a worthy one – I decided to “suit up” as Tony Stark said [indirectly] to Bruce Banner. It was just a matter of deciding what to do.

It went something like this:

Challenge: Accepted
[KGVID width=”640″ height=”360″]http://echopulse.net/misc/Ice%20Bucket%20Challenge.m4v[/KGVID]

.

Namaste.

Thanks to Sara!, Team DiVa, and Steve & Bonne Kelly for helping to have a bit of fun in the name of a good cause.

Monday – 18 August 2014
There has been A LOT said about the situation in Ferguson, MO on the air – and on social media – over the past week. I actually think that far too much of it has been the reporting equivalent of static. I’ve intentionally stayed rather absent and quiet about it, trying to glean facts from all of the information/sensationalization.

The bottom line for me is:

• I am sorry for the senseless loss of Michael Brown’s life.
• It is wrong for a young man – of ANY race – to be killed for simply being suspected of committing a crime.
• It’s sad and disheartening that in an age where we (as a society) pat ourselves on the back for being so educated and enlightened, far too many people are still judged simply for their skin color. Or their religious beliefs. Or, even something as mundane as the clothes that they are wearing or patterns of speech.
• It’s telling when some of the best coverage of the news comes from a news satire show, be it The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, or Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

That said, listen to what Mr. Oliver has to say about the Ferguson, MO debacle and tell me that he doesn’t make sense.

And then listen to this and tell me if it rings true about the state of the media in America, if not the world, today.

Be good to each other. We’re all we have.

Namaste.