Losing Its Luster

Losing Its Luster

Luster

Noun                                                                    A position of exalted widely recognized importance:    distinction, eminence, eminency, fame, glory, illustriousness, mark, notability, note, preeminence, prestige, prominence, prominency, renown.

Luster is one word that I could think of to describe the level of importance to certain holidays growing up.  Consider that the holidays have remained pretty much unchanged, but in our eyes and mind (which have matured) the holidays are losing their luster.

I totally love all holidays, but number one and number two have to be Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Occupying third place would have to be Memorial Day.  Memorial Day has different relevance to a multitude of people for different reasons:  1) a day designated for remembrance of loved ones that have gone ahead of us, 2) a day to celebrate and recognize and honor our military heroes that made the ultimate sacrifice, 3) of great importance to young people in high school and college; the signal to the beginning of Summer and start of school vacation.  Secondary but also important are the wonderful family and friend get togethers for BBQ’s, and just plain ole catching up.

I still remember being young and looking forward to bed time on Christmas eve, because I knew that by Christmas morning Santa would have come by and left me some presents.  My parents always managed to surprise me and exceed my expectations. 

I can only think of one Christmas when it almost ended up being a total disaster, but instead turned out to be the most memorable Christmas ever.  Check out the post:  Unexpected Best Christmas, http://www.being50.com/2013/06/unexpected-best-christmas.html

I wish I could tell you at what age I stopped believing in Santa Claus, but I honestly don’t remember.  I do know that I had my suspicions about whether he was real or not for a few years, but I didn’t dare not believe, just in case.  After that holiday lost its luster for me, it wasn’t until, I was a married young adult with children before I started to enjoy seeing the same look of amazement in the little faces of my children.

Now, once again the clock keeps ticking, and my babies are now adults with children of their own.  In recent years that same look of amazement can now be seen in the little faces of my grandchildren.  The luster of the holiday is never lost it just gets passed on from generation to generation.  It’s up to people like you and me, to continue to encourage it and keep it alive.  You could even say that as grandparents we would do well to look at Christmas through the eyes of our grandchildren and great grandchildren.  The best is yet to come……..

One Amongst Many

05/29/2017 - 11/22/1963

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35thPresident of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. ~Wikipedia

• Kennedy was the youngest man ever elected to the presidency, succeeding the man who, at the time, was the oldest. He symbolized—as he well realized—a new generation and its coming-of-age. He was the first president born in the 20th century, the first young veteran of World War II to reach the White House. John Hersey’s powerful account of Kennedy’s wartime bravery, published in The New Yorker in 1944, helped him launch his political career.

• In shaping his legend, Kennedy’s personal charm helped. A witty and articulate speaker, he seemed built for the age of television. To watch him on film today is to be struck by the power of his presence and the wit and elegance of his oratory. His celebrated inaugural address was filled with phrases that seemed designed to be carved in stone, as many of them have been. Borrowing a motto from his prep-school days, putting your country in place of Choate, he exhorted Americans: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” ~ ALAN BRINKLEY

I am committed to writing about this very special man every opportunity I have for the purpose of keeping his memory alive so that we can at the same time maintain a point of focus for the sake of comparison.  We must never forget what a great and civil society we once were.  Because as long as we remember, we may be able to find our way back.  The best is yet to come……….

Many Years Ago

Many Years Ago

Many, many, many years ago in what now seems like a Galaxy far, far away, exactly on this date I married the most beautiful young lady after only knowing her for two weeks.  If love at first sight ever applied this was the perfect proof of it.  Better yet, after all these years, four beautiful children and presently four gorgeous grandchildren I love her even more today than yesterday.

I’ve said in many previous posts that I am blessed beyond what any one person deserves, and she is the foundation of all my blessings.

One of the best things that I can wish on anyone is to live in a relationship like ours.  Our life hasn’t been without it’s peaks and valleys, but our relationship has always been powerfully strong and healthy.  I’ve always known that someone had my back and that someone was my sweetheart.

I can best tell her of my love for her by sharing with anyone that will take the time to read or listen of my love and devotion for her.  I wish you all love and good fortune!  The best is yet to come………

Ageing Challenges

Ageing Challenges

Facts:  We are not created equal.  Life isn’t fair.  If I’d known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of my body and mind. Arguably; it’s about quality of life.

The question remains compelling:

• What is wisdom, and how does it play out in individual lives? Most psychologists agree that if you define wisdom as maintaining positive well-being and kindness in the face of challenges, it is one of the most important qualities one can possess to age successfully~ By PHYLLIS KORKKI

For those of you not familiar with my blog; I am expressing my perspective as I have learned from experience.  My purpose for writing (first and foremost, I enjoy it) is to give my readers food for thought.  I don’t believe in making all the mistakes myself, if I can learn from other’s mistakes, I will gladly do it.  I am an expert on my own life and experience, don’t profess to know everything about anything, where others are concerned.

With the ever increasing numbers of participants in the social media, there are many people sharing advice with regard to age and health that most of us should take with a grain of salt.  Something as basic and simple as how to prepare the tastiest peanut butter and jelly sandwich, has the potential of making someone deathly ill, could even prove to be fatal.  Not everyone should eat peanuts or peanut derivatives.  For some obscure reason, I don’t recall ever hearing of such thing growing up, but today we know that allergies to peanuts are a fact.

I often see postings on Facebook by younger people that are not yet afflicted by old age, basically make fun of the elderly, and their age afflictions.  Here is where we are not created equal comes in.  We are all raised different some lacking a formal education make their living by using their bodies (backs and knees) with time the tear and wear on the joints and back will cause disabilities that a person making a living professionally (formally trained as an attorney, or medical professional) will not experience.  On the plus side those back breaking jobs are disappearing quickly as mechanical equipment takes over more and more menial jobs.

Laying pipe (for irrigation, natural gas, telephone or cable etc.) used to be labor intensive, at present most ditch diggers are being replaced by mechanical digging equipment.  Once upon a time a young man or woman just starting in life might get side tracked from a formal education because of the seeming easy money provided by labor intensive jobs.  Today’s labor market offers hamburger flipping jobs to the young, but it shouldn’t side track any one away from college or vocational training.

Choices made when young (back breaking work) affects you in later years when even leisure things like gardening or walking for exercise will be a challenge.  Taking medication for back and joint pain can eventually have worst side effects than the back problems (from serious prescription addiction to kidney problems for excessive use of some over the counter pain meds.).  Again decisions made when young will came back to haunt us later in life.

We are not all predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease, but many of us are, and by the time we find out we are well on our way to it.  I have a favorite saying:  Everything we say and do will come back to us, positive, negative or indifferent, but it will come back to us.  This is where, “if I’d known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of my mind and body,” comes in.  Such things as smoking, alcohol, drugs, not taking the time to prepare yourself for a career, not investing on your retirement, etc., etc. will get you in the end. I realize that as individuals we don’t always make a conscious choice, sometimes it’s a matter of playing the cards life has dealt us.

With regard to the social media posting, I try to be considerate, but once again consideration is in the eye of the beholder, I am sure that somewhere along the way, I have insulted or offended someone.  I promise to try even harder.  The best is yet to come…..

A Balanced Life

A Balanced Life

Life seems like it will last forever up until about the age of 30.  Very few of us have the wisdom this early in life to understand that like in the cartoon, where one character is out playing and criticizing those that are working diligently to prepare for a harsh winter, we too will get caught unprepared.  In life, the harsh winter is also known as the Golden Years (50 years of age and older).  Despite the myth not everyone is headed for a comfortable retirement.  Those that don’t make a special effort to prepare for later in life, will find out (way too late) that time runs out for preparing for a life of comfort and security.

Life ideally is a timeline that can be divided into conflicting priorities that must be met timely in order to achieve some sort of necessary balance.  As you have come to expect from me here comes the disclaimer:  This is my perspective and you are not asked to embrace it, after all “balance, and ideal outcomes,” are in the eye of the beholder.

Just to decide where the priorities start and fade is borderline problematic. At the time that we are going through the life stages we don’t see the importance of the moment.  Hopefully we start with the advantage of solid parenting and loving relationship.  These early years can make your life journey easier or harder.  Some parts of the country/world offer varying levels of educational opportunities, from non-existent to triple a premium (the parent’s income level is a major factor).  Besides the opportunities, we individually need to show enough interest to excel.  Few people get a redo opportunity (most of us get one shot at the brass ring if we are lucky).

Since I am writing a post and not a book I shall condense my thoughts and allow you to arrive at your own conclusions (not that you need my permission).  In my instance and with the benefit of hindsight, I am very fortunate to have made some good and some great decisions.  I did make some missteps that with time and extra effort I was able to almost fully recover from.  I will never know how some of my loved ones were affected by my missteps, but I hope and pray that like me, their lives will turn out great.  Already, I can tell that they are enjoying very (apparently) happy and productive lives.

Like many of us in the world I am the product of a very loving and caring but fractured family.  My parents separated when I was six years old and soon after divorced.  Unlike many who blame most everything on their parent’s divorce, I chose to analyze what I could do different.  Unfortunately it took me two tries to get it right.

Enough for background and now to look at what needs to be balanced.  Education is a tremendous foundation to build on.  The balancing act is more difficult but can still be achieved without the formal education (simply requires much more effort and an element of good fortune).  If children are to be part of life’s formula (crucial for me) than we must provide the best of everything that we can; shelter, nutrition, health care, education, learning activities, love and nurturing, not necessarily in that order.  The meaning of that statement is that our maximum effort needs to be exerted.

Social life outside the home should take a back seat, luxury items for the parents as well.  Dependable safe transportation versus luxury transportation in other words a Ford instead of a BMW (unless you are able to afford it without requiring sacrifice).  No eating out if you must sacrifice elsewhere.  Adequate house in the best neighborhood you can afford (safety).  Wife’s and children’s education is also crucial in the first part of life together.  All this wonderful priorities must be balanced while strengthening your relationship with your spouse or significant other.  

My wife and I offered (paid for) our children the first two years of college for the purpose of giving them a head start (incentive) in the right direction.  After the children leave the house, the next priority is to refocus on strengthening the all-important relationship between the parents, to diligently concentrate on spoiling each other (including, if within the budget and Audi or BMW). 

Ideally during the time of shifting priorities the retirement was also a priority that included a pension and social security while it’s still available.  With a lot of effort and a sprinkling of good fortune the sacrifices will pay off when you need it most.  I’ve always told my children, if you take care of yourselves, your mom and I will take care of each other.  The best is yet to come…..

Guilty Until Otherwise Proven 2

Guilty Until Otherwise Proven 2

This post is part 2 to: Guilty Until Otherwise Proven Posted 6/07/2015.  http://www.being50.com/2015/06/guilty-until-otherwise-proven.html

As I entered the principal’s office, I still had no clue for why I was there.  I must admit that my initial reaction was the relief that it wasn’t a uniformed police officer or a detective waiting to interview me.  Not that I was aware of any wrong doing on my part, but I suppose it’s human nature to think of the worst possible scenario. I instantly searched my mind for the connection between me and the Johnson family or their children.  The Johnsons had 4 children with Brandy being the oldest (a junior in high school), her brother Johnny was next in line (a sophomore in high school). The other children were still in elementary school (both girls).  Mr. Johnson owned a fairly large farm, approximately 4,000 acres give or take, their crops were beets, potatoes, and pepper mint, and a large herd of cattle. 

The town where I grew up had a population of under 5,000, and everybody knows everybody.  I was friends with Johnny Johnson and visited their farm not regularly but every once in a while, I didn’t have his sister in my sights because truth be told I didn’t think she was within my range.  She was the daughter of a wealthy farmer, and I was ambitious and a hard worker, but a worker just the same.  I had my admirers at school and in town, but I never felt that she was one of them, no reason, just didn’t think so. 

I don’t mind admitting that my visits to Johnny Johnson’s house in part might have been to catch a glimpse of his beautiful blonde blue eyed sister.  I used to pick up Johnny during hunting season and walk through some farm land looking for Pheasants.  Johnny’s father was always cordial to me and once asked me to come work for him during summer vacation from high school.  I told him that I would consider the offer, but I never gave it a second thought because my step-father was the general foreman at the 10,000 plus acre farm where I worked (and I got paid well with supervisory responsibilities).

Due to my friendship with the family it was natural that I shake their hand the minute I came into their presence in the principal’s office, especially not knowing the reason for the meeting.  The principal closed the door and broke the ice the minute he sat on his chair behind the desk.  I am glad to see that everyone is acquainted was his ice-breaker.

He next addressed me:  I am sure that you are wandering why you are here.  Brandy has explained to her mother that she is pregnant and you are the father!  Mixed emotions ran through my body and mind.  My mind was trying to intake the information, while attempting to formulate a proper responds without calling her a liar.  At the same time I could feel the weakness in my legs even though I was sitting down.  Confusion ran rampant in my mind, on the one hand I wanted to say “I wish!”  On the other hand I wasn’t raised to be disrespectful.  I had never in my wildest dreams even thought of stealing a kiss from her, but to be the father of her unborn child, “WOW!”

Mr. Johnson spoke up next and saved me the trouble of having to respond.  I don’t know why he said what he did next, but in retrospect they were a very religious family, and while I won’t mention the religion by name, this type of reaction was not unheard off.  To every one’s surprise especially Brandy’s and mine the following was his statement (I’m pretty sure, word for word): “The two of you have brought shame to our family, you are to immediately move out of State preferably to Oregon, and not return until the child is born and the two of you are married.  I have $3000.00 dollars for you, and a car that should give you a chance to get established.  We will cover your medical cost, but that is all.  You have 24 hours to say your goodbyes.”

Saved my crown and wings (but barely)

I didn’t even get a chance to react.  When Brandy heard what the punishment was, she confessed that the father of the unborn child was a 20 year old hired hand at her father’s farm.  She apologized to me with tears of regret in her eyes.  She had used me because she was afraid that her father would fire her boyfriend, and maybe even hurt him physically.  I hope she thought that her father had more consideration for me because of whatever reason, and not that she wanted me hurt.  As most of my life has gone so did this incident, within a matter of an hour both my nightmare and possible dream (money/car/good looking girl) all came to a sudden stop.

I remember asking Johnny about his sister on a couple of occasions during the summer, and he told me that his mother was working on mending the relationship, but than just like that I forgot about it.  My reputation and ego both recovered and even improved if that’s possible.  The man above had better plans for me: a gorgeous wife and large happy family!  The best is yet to come………..

Graduation – Bittersweet Outcome

Graduation – Bittersweet Outcome

 

On May 9^th 2015 I attended my grandson’s graduation from Washington State University.  I drove approximately 16 hours roundtrip from my home, and sat through two plus hours of Commencement Ceremony.  I enjoyed every moment of it, and like a good (make that great) supporter of the educational system, happily sat through until all the graduates had their moment in the spotlight.

 

Amongst the many presentations and speeches (every one inspiring) there were so many words of wisdom being shared, that I started taking notes.  In my life I have attended many social events because of a sense of duty or respect for a group or individual.  This was a participation for love plain and simple.  I held that little boy in my arms soon after he was born, and watched him grow, keeping close tabs on his progress as he worked his way through the educational system.  I attended football games, wrestling matches, even graduation from Kindergarten and high school.

So when the time came, nothing short of divine intervention was going to keep me away.  Here are a couple of facts as they relate to the graduating student class of 2015.

• How many students will graduate this year?  The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projects 1,855,000 students at the bachelor's degree level will graduate as the Class of 2015.

• What are the top personal qualities employers look for in college graduates?  The top 5 personal qualities/skills employers seek, according to NACE's Job Outlook survey, are:
1. Ability to make decisions and solve problems
2. Ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization
3. Ability to obtain and process information
4. Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work
5. Ability to analyze quantitative data ~ National Association of Colleges and Employers

As I mentioned above, much wisdom was shared with the graduating class about going into the real word, but something was lacking.  I just couldn’t figure it out right off the top of my head.  Of the wisdom shared two things stood out foremost:

 

·        If you ever find yourself lost and in need of regaining your bearings, please return to this campus, this will forever, going forward be your home.  You belong here, this will always be your home.  It gave me a special feeling inside, kind of like having your parents tell you once you are ready to move out, that you can always return home.

·        If you ever find that all your objectives and aspiration are being accomplished, please stop and re-analyze your goals and objective, because you are not challenging yourself enough.

 

On Monday May 11^th I woke up with the answer that I was looking for at the Commencement Ceremony (that something that was lacking).  The first thing on my mind was my grandson and what must be going through his mind. I never heard anyone at the graduation address this subject.  I messaged him the following though Facebook Messenger (privately):   Good morning son! Welcome to the first week of the rest of your life. I remember when I got done with school, I had a well-deserved feeling of accomplishment, but I also felt a sense of loss. Something so familiar for so long, was now a thing of the past! Enjoy the summer break, and reset your mind for the challenges ahead! We love you and are very proud of all your accomplishments. Hope to see you next weekend.

 

Medical School is next; the best is yet to come……

Shifting of Power

Moved to Californy

On my first effort at joining the corporate world, I entered quite by circumstance through a management training program at a very large corporation.  At the time this corporation ranked third within its industry.

I had moved my family to a different State for a job opportunity that was secured and guaranteed.  Upon arrival and within a couple of weeks of finalizing the plan to accept the job, I arrived to my new State to find that the person who extended the offer had been replaced.  The opening for my position had also been filled.

Within minutes of receiving that life shattering news, I found myself walking into the unemployment office looking for work.  With all my experience (I was raised on the farm and had heavy equipment operator training), there were only two opportunities for me to consider.  At face value both opportunities had equal monetary value.  The choice had to consider the long term benefits and opportunities.  While the financial situation appeared dim, I did have some savings that would carry the family for a couple of months.  We had arrived at my grandmother’s house so shelter and even food if necessary was not going to be a major expense. 

While living with my grandmother, I made sure to earn my way, by doing chores around her property.  One of my uncles had joined the Marines, so my grandmother gave me his car a real nice Mercury in showroom condition.  Now I had two cars, but I didn’t want to sell either one, however, I could as a last resort.  Don’t want to sound ungrateful, but the one negative if there was one, was that I had to transport my grandmother to her church activities with a car full of her friends (church ladies).  The annoyance was mostly due to my youth and intolerance:  the ladies and my grandmother thought I was very good looking, a wonderful young man, and a blessing to my grandmother.  In retrospect, I could use some of that attention right about now.  It’s been a while since any group of ladies told me how wonderful I am.

Back to the unemployment office:  The job choices were; 1) field labor (the bus picked up workers at the nearby corner every morning at 5 am, and they paid cash daily ($1.58 per hour), 2) management training for 8 months also paid $1.58 per hour (anything over an 8 hour day was paid at time and a half).  At the end of 8 months you either got promoted or were let go.  The nice person that gave me the referral, called the people at the management training position and set up an appointment for me the very next day at 4 pm.

I now had slightly more than 24 hours to research the position to prepare for the interview and get a slight advantage over the competition (I was told that 7 applicants had been referred including me).  The industry was a linen supply, and I had not heard of it before.  In a short period of time (less than a day) I had to become knowledgeable if not an expert.

A second post will be required to complete this thought.  Please standby for Shifting Power 2 coming soon to your electronic device.  The best is yet to come…..

A year In the Life

Typical US/Mexico Border Crossing

For some of us every year of our lives is historic, for others the years go by with minimal notice.  I guess it’s a matter of choice and placing the appropriate value and importance on a given year.

For my family 1955 was a very significant and historic year.  We didn’t realize how significant the year would be until Thursday September 15^th when we showed up for an interview at the immigration office (located at the border crossing and on the USA side).  We had anticipated the interview for some two weeks, but over a year and a half we had attended so many interviews with hope in our hearts only to be told that we needed more supporting documents.

This time the meeting was different in that the gentleman that met with us was all smiles, and while we had met with him previously, this time around he wasn’t all stiff and strictly business.  If I had been able to guess at the reason for his happy disposition, I would have to say that he was experiencing a very satisfying and happy day.  What we didn’t know is that we were about to get the best news ever and it was my family that would be having a very happy day. 

He mentioned that we were going to go through one final interview, and if that went well, we would be receiving our Permanent Residency Green Cards on that day.  The final interview consisting of making sure that the adults in the family had not committed any crimes since the last interview.  Also that we were not in the middle of any legal action against us.  Happily we passed with flying colors, and we were handed a government envelope with what would change our lives and futures forever.  I felt like we should just keep going north and leave everything behind, but what did I know, I was just a kid.

We went back home and my father contacted family in Los Angeles to arrange for someone to transport us to our new country and home.  We also had to return the rental house that we lived in, and except for a few items of importance my parents gave away about 75% of our belongings, including furniture and clothing.

 

For my family everything going on in the US during this year was alien to us (no pun intended) for those of my readers that already lived in the USA, this is what was happening that year.

 

• Movies:  The Seven Year Itch –with Marilyn Monroe; Mr. Roberts- with Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, and Jack Lemmon; East of Eden-with James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey.
• Popular Songs: McGuire Sisters, “Sincerely”; Bill Hayes, “The Ballad of Davey Crockett”; Perez Prado, “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossoms White”; Bill Haley and His Comets, “Rock Around The Clock”; Tennessee Ernie Ford, “Sixteen Ton.”  Chuck Berry gained immediate success with his first release, “Maybelline,” which is followed with many more hits including; “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956), “School Day” (1957), and “Johnny B. Goode (1958).”
• On September 30^th Actor James Dean, twenty-four, is killed when he crashes his Porsche roadster.  November 16^th the option owned by Sam Phillips of Sun Records on Elvis Presley’s recording contract is purchased by the RCA Record Company for thirty-five thousand dollars.

 

That was the Pop Culture of that year (1955) that would soon become the pop culture of my new life.  Drastic changes that would tear our family apart awaited us in the years to come.  All those unforeseen changes and turmoil were never part of our plan for living the
American Dream, and yet because of very strong willed and hard working parents, they each individually carved out a share of the American Dream for themselves.  Looking back I can say, that I and my future family would be the ultimate winners of all my parents’ sacrifices.  The best is yet to come….

Contemplating Retirement

Contemplating Retirement

The very first day I contemplated retirement was when I completed my very first day of work (my first full 12 hour day).  Farm work doesn’t punch a clock from 8 to 5.  Back when I started at 12 years of age and the time clock was solar (sun-up to sun-down).  We would get a 30 minute lunch break, not paid for, and no breaks before or after lunch.  The only breaks we got were of the forced type (forced by the call of nature).  I went home from work at the end of the day, I had driven a Ford Ferguson Tractor all day long, pulling a flatbed trailer while three college young men loaded bales of hay on it. After the trailer was filled to capacity plus I would drive them over to where the bales of hay were stacked for year round use.  The farm had so much cattle that all the hay was strictly for in house use.  Sometimes the rancher would even purchase additional hay to make it through the year.  I remember getting done at the end of the day and I was so tired, that I would often go to sleep without eating dinner.  Enough reminiscing about the good old days (and they truly were).

At some point I started loving work so much that I had difficulty stopping at the end of a day to go home.  Back in the day 100% effort was expected from everyone, but to add a 10% extra made you shine very bright and opportunities for advancement almost always followed.  Many of my friends complained that management required more than a 40 hour week.  They were right, but with my work ethic, once I reached mid-management level in the corporate world, the long hours coupled with appropriate wage was like a fine tuned V-8 engine hitting on all cylinders.

I didn’t realize it growing up but learning about life and the struggles that often come along for the ride, made my life much easier.  I learned how to work hard and stand out amongst my co-workers.  Thanks to lessons learned growing up, I’ve lived within my means or below all my life, never cared to keep up with the neighbors, and home has always been the basis of my comfort.

Many workers spend their lives dreaming about the retirement, but the reality does not always meet the fantasy. There are pros and cons to retirement, both in terms of finances and in terms of lifestyle. Understanding the possible negative consequences of calling it a career can help you make a better transition from the role of worker to the role of new retiree.  Keeping busy for the sake of sanity can be as important as adjusting to your new finances.

Time is a precious commodity, and one that retirees have in abundance. Without the responsibilities and stresses of a job, retirees are free to visit their children and grandchildren whenever they want. Retirees can also travel as much as their hearts desire or their budgets allow.  Making the right choices for you and your new lifestyle is where it’s at.  You may have to experiment until you get used to the idea that you no longer have to punch a clock,

I was lucky to retire early thanks to advice from my best friend, and I tried different things before settling to what feels good and fulfills me.  I’ll just say that my new lifestyle has a little bit of everything in it.  This post was prompted by the fact that my best friend’s wife just retired, and I got to thinking of how I was affected, and how I wish them the best in their new found freedom!  The best is yet to come…..

Sports Influence

Sports Influence

My life’s foundation includes a generous mix of scholastic sports participation.  If you break life down to the basics, you will find that life is a competition, whether you want to admit or not.   In the beginning level of life (at birth) if you are a twin, you will start competing from day one.  Whether it be for the next feeding, diaper change, or just mom and dad’s attention.  In my generation, my parents expected me to excel in everything from school work to sports to chores around the farm.

Even friendly family competitions were played to win never to lose or draw.  When I entered school sports in high school, I was expected to minimally letter in the sport.  My parents felt like they were spending money on insurance, and sports equipment. Not to mention giving up my time after school when I could have been performing chores on the farm, so they wanted to hear that I was amongst the best performers if not MVP.

Well I grew up with a very competitive spirit and I passed it on to my children growing up.  To this day you should see how rowdy our board game nights get when the family gathers around the dining room table to spend quality time together.

I remember occasions when I visited my relatives in California and my uncle Frank would take me to Dodger baseball games or my father would take me to championship boxing matches also in Los Angeles.   At the time I couldn’t understand their enthusiasm for Baseball and boxing.  Being from the Pacific Northwest myself, I didn’t have the exposure to professional sports that southern Californians have always had.  However, it wasn’t long after my exposure to boxing in southern California that a young fighter entered the competition (Cassius Clay) and I became a fanatic.  All of a sudden the fights were not boring, here was a fighter that would call the round he was going to knock out the opponent, and actually did it.  I started attending Close Circuit Television viewings in select venues around the northwest with my step-father and step-brothers. I can honestly say that those were exciting times.

 

In 1976 I was very fortunate to get on the fan wagon of my favorite team ever.  The Seattle Seahawks arrived and I have been a fan ever since.  In 2005 the Seahawks made it all the way to the Super Bowl, and were able to compete with the opposing team, but were not prepared to take on the officiating team also.  I already gave full disclosure, I have been a fan from Day One.  This coming Sunday my team, the Seattle Seahawks will once again be competing in the Super Bowl.  This time our team is going against the recognized best quarterback in the NFL.  I only agree to the title because he probably is, considering his accomplishments, and secondly because when my team beats his team, I expect my quarterback to inherit the title.

While my team is well prepared in all aspects of the sport, we are going against the best possible team that we could compete with.  It’s unfortunate that after Sunday, no one will care who came in second place over all.  Having said that, I will admit that, that is the way I was raised, and that is the way I like it.  The second place team will begin the rebuilding process the very next day (Monday), and that is the way it should be.  Like in everything, especially in sports, there needs to be winners and losers.  It’s just how we keep score, and it builds character.  GO SEAHAWKS!!!  The best is yet to come…..

Dream World

Dream World

What are dreams?

• Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation and a subject of philosophical and religious interest throughout recorded history.
• Dreams can last for a few seconds, or as long as 20 minutes. People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM phase. The average person has three to five dreams per night, but some may have up to seven dreams in one night. The dreams tend to last longer as the night progresses. During a full eight-hour night sleep, most dreams occur in the typical two hours of REM. ~Wikipedia

I find, that in my personal life, dreams are triggered most usually by events that take place within my every day activities or within that area that I may have involvement in.  As an example problems or challenges experienced by my family can affect my dreams.  It’s not unusual for a solution to come to me in a dream.

I assisted one of my daughters yesterday in replacing a car tire that was damaged running over a broken side mirror.  We had no idea that it was damaged by a broken mirror until the tire store told me that they had found the culprit that tore the sidewall of the tire.  Fortunately the tire was new enough that the replacement cost of the tire was a mere $12 dollars (thanks to Road-Hazard Warranty).  I am most often the point man for the family when it comes to matters of cars, or warranties (I am considered a great consumer, and near diplomat).  I consider it typical that one of my dreams last night dealt with vehicle problems.

In my dream I was driving a 36 foot recreational vehicle, and while maneuvering in a Mall’s parking lot, I backed into a small car.  In this dream sequence approximately 2 days lapsed.  I got out of my RV (I don’t own one and have no plans to buy one), and apologized to the individual.  I immediately shared my information, and made a special request.  I explained that my deductible was $1000.00 and that if the damage was within a few hundred dollars, I would prefer to pay cash for his repairs.  The accident was definitely what you would consider a “fender bender.”

The other car owner agreed and we made an appointment to visit a reputable collision repair shop of his choice the next day, and the estimate came in at just under $1000.00.  With the cost determined, I offered to write a check for the agreed amount, and he in turn signed a statement of the agreed upon arrangement releasing me of further liability.  Problem solved.  The funny thing is that, that night I fell asleep after watching the Tonight Show with Jay Leno about five minutes after midnight.  I woke up out of my dream at 12:45 am (forty minutes later and two days had lapsed in my 40 minute dream.

After going back to sleep, I continued on a road trip in the nice new Recreational Vehicle that I don’t own in real life.  By the way, a nice little vacation was enjoyed by all, including my Toy Poodle.  I still don’t understand why I had to be involved in the fender bender, but the reality is that I don’t explain them I just dream them.  The best is yet to come….