Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Life Imitating Art...Imitating Life
What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends
These are lyrics from "I get by with a little help from my friends" performed by the Beatles.
I grew up with a pretty close knit bunch of guys. There are 10 of us, and some of us have known each other since kindergarten! Some were relatives, some friends of friends, but eventually we became brothers. We have been relied on for all types of support. I know that if there's anything that I need and they can provide, there's no question that they'd give it. And I'd do the same for them. Because of my close knit friends, I have struggled to find other friends that "match up" to my....brothers. There are just certain things that I won't deal with. Certain behaviors, I deem unacceptable! My idea of friendship is skewed because my friends have become my family. I had never been close to my cousins or siblings in the way I am close to these 9 guys.
The crazy thing is people say we can choose our friends, but we can't choose family. I don't feel like I chose them. At this point (and for a long time) they are family.
As I approach another birthday, they will do their best to be present or at the very least call and wish me well. We've been singing out of tune for years and nobody has walked out. From the arguments and fights, we've always been there for each other.
Maybe this song isn't appropriate...now that I think about it.
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends
These are lyrics from "I get by with a little help from my friends" performed by the Beatles.
I grew up with a pretty close knit bunch of guys. There are 10 of us, and some of us have known each other since kindergarten! Some were relatives, some friends of friends, but eventually we became brothers. We have been relied on for all types of support. I know that if there's anything that I need and they can provide, there's no question that they'd give it. And I'd do the same for them. Because of my close knit friends, I have struggled to find other friends that "match up" to my....brothers. There are just certain things that I won't deal with. Certain behaviors, I deem unacceptable! My idea of friendship is skewed because my friends have become my family. I had never been close to my cousins or siblings in the way I am close to these 9 guys.
The crazy thing is people say we can choose our friends, but we can't choose family. I don't feel like I chose them. At this point (and for a long time) they are family.
As I approach another birthday, they will do their best to be present or at the very least call and wish me well. We've been singing out of tune for years and nobody has walked out. From the arguments and fights, we've always been there for each other.
Maybe this song isn't appropriate...now that I think about it.
Maybe the song should be "We Are Family"
Monday, April 13, 2009
Go Shorty, Its Your Birthday
Nobody Cares Kid
My birthday is April the 16th. I will be 28 years old. When I think about it, I feel kinda old. Not like "old geezer" old, but "how did I get this old" old. When your birthday is approaching, you start to reminisce...it's natural. There are events in your life that you wish you could do over. I have made my share of mistakes, but I don't know if I'd do anything differently. I have no idea if that one experience would change my life completely. The reason I'm the way I am is because of the past experiences in my life....good and bad.
My wife believes differently. She believes we were meant to be and we would be regardless. Even if she never moved back to Michigan...she was in Rhode Island! How were we going to be together while she was a half-day away (At that point I was living in Kalamazoo)? I think about that 'Life on Mars' television show and the star was in a world from 25 years ago. He actually met his mom, dad, and he even met himself. Hmmmmmmmmm?
If you could tell yourself one thing when you were younger, what age would it be and what would you say?
I really don't want that choice. What if I never met my wife? What if I didn't struggle as much as I have, and I felt like successes were owed to me? What if I was some unappreciative jerk because I never felt the pain of loss? I may be a little behind schedule for where I'd like to be currently, but I don't want to change a thing. My experiences and my failures will help me...as they always have. A lot of my strength comes from my struggles. Without that, I don't know where I'd be...
My birthday is April the 16th. I will be 28 years old. When I think about it, I feel kinda old. Not like "old geezer" old, but "how did I get this old" old. When your birthday is approaching, you start to reminisce...it's natural. There are events in your life that you wish you could do over. I have made my share of mistakes, but I don't know if I'd do anything differently. I have no idea if that one experience would change my life completely. The reason I'm the way I am is because of the past experiences in my life....good and bad.
My wife believes differently. She believes we were meant to be and we would be regardless. Even if she never moved back to Michigan...she was in Rhode Island! How were we going to be together while she was a half-day away (At that point I was living in Kalamazoo)? I think about that 'Life on Mars' television show and the star was in a world from 25 years ago. He actually met his mom, dad, and he even met himself. Hmmmmmmmmm?
If you could tell yourself one thing when you were younger, what age would it be and what would you say?
I really don't want that choice. What if I never met my wife? What if I didn't struggle as much as I have, and I felt like successes were owed to me? What if I was some unappreciative jerk because I never felt the pain of loss? I may be a little behind schedule for where I'd like to be currently, but I don't want to change a thing. My experiences and my failures will help me...as they always have. A lot of my strength comes from my struggles. Without that, I don't know where I'd be...
Consistency and Persistence
Buzz of the Day
It really feels good to be back! I am so excited to be blogging and I really missed it while I was away. I had to take a break to organize some things. I want to have a format that is consistent, so I took some time to step away and get some clarity.
I have mentioned my love for Biographies more than once. Sometimes I wonder what my biography would entail. You want to leave a good taste in people's mouth, but that's not something you do with one good deed. You are who you are when nobody else is around. To treat people right and live right on a daily basis is my goal. It has become more and more clear as I get older...I want to be great! It's so weird to say because you don't hear it often or even expect to hear it. I am slowly but surely working on my legacy and what I want it to be. I have all of these big dreams, but sometimes real life sets in and we stop dreaming big. I pray every night that God continues to keep me focused. I pray for consistency and persistence.
Martin Lawrence had a stand-up routine many years ago where he talked about if he were a boxer. He basically said he wouldn't talk trash (like most boxers do) because if he lost he could say, "I never told you I wasn't going to lose!"
One of the biggest ingredients to success is expectations. For many of us, those expectations come from parents initially; Other family members, friends, and teachers follow. We have to also expect great things from ourselves! That is the part I'm working on. It's not a certain salary per se, it is the feeling that you are doing something you have a passion for and you are exceeding all expectations, yours and others. There are times where you get run down by your day-to-day duties. Your dreams get put on the back burner. Those times are need to be less and less in order for me to feel like I'm living and not just existing
It really feels good to be back! I am so excited to be blogging and I really missed it while I was away. I had to take a break to organize some things. I want to have a format that is consistent, so I took some time to step away and get some clarity.
I have mentioned my love for Biographies more than once. Sometimes I wonder what my biography would entail. You want to leave a good taste in people's mouth, but that's not something you do with one good deed. You are who you are when nobody else is around. To treat people right and live right on a daily basis is my goal. It has become more and more clear as I get older...I want to be great! It's so weird to say because you don't hear it often or even expect to hear it. I am slowly but surely working on my legacy and what I want it to be. I have all of these big dreams, but sometimes real life sets in and we stop dreaming big. I pray every night that God continues to keep me focused. I pray for consistency and persistence.
Martin Lawrence had a stand-up routine many years ago where he talked about if he were a boxer. He basically said he wouldn't talk trash (like most boxers do) because if he lost he could say, "I never told you I wasn't going to lose!"
One of the biggest ingredients to success is expectations. For many of us, those expectations come from parents initially; Other family members, friends, and teachers follow. We have to also expect great things from ourselves! That is the part I'm working on. It's not a certain salary per se, it is the feeling that you are doing something you have a passion for and you are exceeding all expectations, yours and others. There are times where you get run down by your day-to-day duties. Your dreams get put on the back burner. Those times are need to be less and less in order for me to feel like I'm living and not just existing
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Announcement
My next post will be Monday, April 13, 2009.
If that seems too long, don't worry. Just read some old posts!
If that seems too long, don't worry. Just read some old posts!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Fight or Flight
Buzz of the Day
I believe adversity is healthy. Some may not agree, but when it pertains to how I live my life it is very healthy. Sometimes you don't know what you can handle until you are faced with it. God has placed things in my life to test my faith, but He has stood by me to while I've overcome obstacles. As human beings, we are so...so many different things on any given day. When I was younger, I'd be faced with a challenge and think, "How am I going to get through this?" Now when problems arise, I think, "Man, I'm going to be some much stronger once I get through this."
I remember a man coming to my Junior High School to speak. I don't remember much but I do remember him talking about life and putting problems into perspective. He said if your problems won't be a big deal 5 years from now, then you shouldn't worry about them. I think that's good advice. My brother says that you have to take the bitter with the sweet. I guess you could call them peaks and valleys, ebbs and flows. It is LIFE! We are facing some hard times these days and it would be easy to throw in the towel, but in the words of Kanye West, "To me giving up is way harder than trying." Let us be thankful for the things we have today. I'm sure things can be better...but they can definitely be worse.
Many things that I write about are things that I struggle with. Some days are harder than others. I am grateful for the people that are in my life, and if I need to, I'll shrink my inner circle of friends. These adverse times will really change our perspective and if we're not careful, we can turn on people that really care about us or gravitate towards people who seem to have our best interest at heart but are snakes in the grass.
My advice: Shut up, observe, and see if people's actions are consistent with their words. If they are not, it's like writing a check with no money in the bank. Actions will always speak louder than words.
I believe adversity is healthy. Some may not agree, but when it pertains to how I live my life it is very healthy. Sometimes you don't know what you can handle until you are faced with it. God has placed things in my life to test my faith, but He has stood by me to while I've overcome obstacles. As human beings, we are so...so many different things on any given day. When I was younger, I'd be faced with a challenge and think, "How am I going to get through this?" Now when problems arise, I think, "Man, I'm going to be some much stronger once I get through this."
I remember a man coming to my Junior High School to speak. I don't remember much but I do remember him talking about life and putting problems into perspective. He said if your problems won't be a big deal 5 years from now, then you shouldn't worry about them. I think that's good advice. My brother says that you have to take the bitter with the sweet. I guess you could call them peaks and valleys, ebbs and flows. It is LIFE! We are facing some hard times these days and it would be easy to throw in the towel, but in the words of Kanye West, "To me giving up is way harder than trying." Let us be thankful for the things we have today. I'm sure things can be better...but they can definitely be worse.
Many things that I write about are things that I struggle with. Some days are harder than others. I am grateful for the people that are in my life, and if I need to, I'll shrink my inner circle of friends. These adverse times will really change our perspective and if we're not careful, we can turn on people that really care about us or gravitate towards people who seem to have our best interest at heart but are snakes in the grass.
My advice: Shut up, observe, and see if people's actions are consistent with their words. If they are not, it's like writing a check with no money in the bank. Actions will always speak louder than words.
Friday, April 3, 2009
My Apologies
I just want to apologize for my posts during the middle of this week. I basically mailed those blogs in Wednesday and Thursday (I think those were the only days). No excuses. It was a long week and I didn't prioritize. Lazy, lazy. I am working on some things for next week ( I know, I know, I keep saying that).
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