IN A DARK WOOD!

I guess it doesn’t happen to everyone. I am thinking, How sad for them, especially if they have a great need. It’s really one of those moments frozen in time. I’ve seen it happen to many of my friends. Others, sadly enough, never get there.

It has been put this way: In the middle of my journey of life, I found myself in a dark wood where I had lost the right path. Eventually, I would find the right path, but it was in a most unlikely place (Dante).

That is such an absolutely profound statement if it fits you. It’s sad that my reaction to Dante left me with an F in World Lit. I became so frustrated at one of those moments frozen in time—in a dark wood; I just got up and walked out of class. I did not check our properly. I was just through: period. How do you spell F. (Minus 3 grade points for life).

All that cost me, besides the GPA, was time and money. Of course, don’t be silly: Yes, I had to retake the course. How could I let a guy who lived in the 1200 & 1300’s effect me so much? How could I appreciate him so much today? We humans do some very strange things, don’t we?

It must come at a Teachable Moment somewhere in life. That usually happens to many folks when there is no where else to turn. It happened to Patch Adams in the Fairfax County Hospital Psychiatric Ward. He found he could connect with people. He could help. He observed the supposed people helpers actually were quite ineffective (a nicer way of saying it than Patch). At a moment frozen in time he found the right path. He decided to become a medical doctor so he could help people

I did much the same thing. Finding myself somewhat unwanted in my present capacity, all of a sudden I was in a dark wood. Patch waited until his 40’s. I’ve waited much later. But I believe in what I’m doing. At a moment frozen in time I found myself in a dark wood and I made my decision to go back to school. What an unlikely place to find myself and loving every minute of it.

I swore I would never do that: No way! I had frankly had enough of all that. Now I find myself in a wonderland of paradise. A paridisical wonderland! I am able to continue (for the moment) the part of what I was doing that I loved so much and to learn to be more effective at the same time. But, I have never stopped learning. I believe one must weigh the importance of things. At my age, is it worth it all? A resounding yes! Ask Ed, who is in one of my classes and is 20 years my senior. I know it’s a race against time. Will I make it? (Just a note: I think Ed might be in better shape than I am).

You see, People are just that important. If I can improve myself in any way to help one person, I will do that. God made me that way. Do you know what? God made us all that way. I want to be able to connect with people in an even more effective way.

How about you? Are you in that dark wood? Are you in need of something new and, and I might add, better and different? Look at yourself. Write to me. We’ll explore that one together. I promise. h

FICKLEOCITY

Here we are. It’s today! It’s a great day to be alive! I love it. Can you remember yesterday? We don’t like to look back if the past presents bad memories. The past could be good. But if it were bad we would only use those bad memories to build a positive today. We can use good memories for the same purpose. But, TODAY is the day!

What will I do today to be a better, happier person? Right now I’m awaiting a substance abuse group I facilitate. I’ve learned that if I become frustrated and angry about waiting, I rob myself of purposeful living. I have decided that waiting is the time God has given me to write.

I have a wonderful gift. I can still think. I must watch what I think. I can have good thoughts about others and myself. I can have evil, malicious, hateful, ugly, or sordid thoughts about others and myself.

I had someone share something about me that someone else said. . .that should be enough said about that. There is always that proverbial someone said! Is it the person telling you or is it another? Who cares! Either way it is a subtle form of lying and backbiting. Today, criticism will be a red flag that I can use to improve and that is all. I will never feel worse about any of those folks who must think those thoughts or say those things. They are the ones with the problem. Now, that’s not to admit I don't have a problem. I have many. I will always try to be honest enough to admit them.

Perhaps the proverbial THEY didn’t feel that way before, at someday in the past. But that is the past and perhaps they did feel that way. But, it’s today! FICKLEOCITY! That is my new word for those who just can’t stay with people or opinions. It’s a great word for those who require more of you than they ever required of themselves in the same capacity. Fickleocity! It will grow in meaning the more it is used by the general public.

But: It’s a great day to be alive! It is going to be that way all day. If it happens to be my last day, I’m so glad I feel the way I do right now. I can be the same person today I was yesterday with one day's mental, emotional and spiritual growth. I refuse to entertain negative thoughts today. I will listen to negative people (they are around every corner waiting to pounce you) but I will not become part of their thought world. I refuse. Deliver me from FICKLEOCITY!

FEELS LIKE TODAY!

Sometimes living this life one-day-at-a-time is a very complex proposition. Sometimes we face things we perceive to be insurmountable at the moment. This too will pass, and on we go, one way or the other.

The title to this article is a song and such a good one for what we try to deal with in this little Blog. It’s great to be alive today! Don’t you agree? It’s great to feel. There is probably someone you know who is just numb. It is so sad that some people have gone so far as to complete suicide just to experience feeling.

This video by Rascal Flatts is helpful because the words are nearly as complex as what we said about life. (Hey! Let me hear from you. What do you make of the video—both the lyrics and the visuals presented in the video?).

You treat life like a picture
But it’s not a moment frozen in time
It’s not going to wait
Till you make up your mind.

What is a picture? It is a moment frozen in time. Life is not really that way. But, each picture brings back a memory of the moment. We look at the picture and it is something that happened. It could have been great and it could have been sad.

But, back to life! It’s not going to wait ‘til we make up our minds. We must act now, in the moment we have, because that’s all we have to work with.

As you view the video, there are several people photographed by a Polaroid-type camera: a pregnant woman, a lonely person, probably a depressed person, and perhaps others with various problems—because each of them presents a peculiar situation in the video. The thought that really comes to mind is that in each case, each one has some apprehension, perhaps caused by some emptiness in his or her life.

At the end of the video each one peels back the photo to see a happy ending. Of course that would be nice if life really worked that way. Don’t get me wrong, I am the proverbial optimist, but life doesn’t always work that easily.

In the photo the pregnant girl had delivered and was holding a beautiful baby. She had to undergo significant struggle to get to that point. That’s the way life is and sometimes what I feel life is mostly about—struggle. What do you think?? I want to know. Let me hear. h

The Chance

The most important point at the beginning of this little Blog is to recognize there are many people we have known, even among our own relationships, perhaps even ourselves, who have stood on the sidelines of life. Some have done that all their lives. How sad! They never would take The Chance and move out of some imaginary shell or some other place of hiding and really get involved with living. There are causes that die because too many of us just stand on the sidelines and do nothing.

I can remember standing on the sidelines under Friday Night Lights (3 or 4 years before Mojo as I remember). I was a freshman in high school and I wasn’t sure I wanted in there. But, there were times I did and somewhere between then and my sophomore year came the transformation. I was ready to play football. By the time I was a junior and senior we had such good teams we got so far ahead we had to again put in sideline time. That was not fun either but it surely was fun winning.

I don’t think any of us really wants to stand on the sidelines of life. Julie Robert’s point is that she has seen that and doesn’t want to be any part of it. I don’t know about you but I don’t want any part of it either (That’s what The Chance is all about):

As I rolled out of town like a run-away train
I’ll do as I dare, let them call me insane
I’ll never sit on the sidelines of life, I’ll dance every dance
While I still have the chance.

Of course, the words are very symbolic, meaning I’m going to live each moment in time to its fullest. I won’t stand by and just let things happen in an uninvolved fashion. I only have this moment. I resolve to make a difference—while I still have The Chance. h

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

I know I have used Brooks and Dunn’s title before, somewhere. Let’s don’t call it plagiarism or criminal activity, please; let’s call it advertisement, not that they need any. That little tune pretty well hits me right where I live. At the moment—don’t forget what this little Blogspot is all about: living the moment we have been given. It’s God, family, and country. The song’s emphasis is on families. To know that 33% of all adults are single and the divorce rate is over 50% all set me to wondering.

First, seriously, what are people thinking? My fondest memories center around what we’ve done since I married and had those kids (actually Barb did most of that). But, I was there suffering with her. Each time she said, I’m dying. The last time she had severe spasms in the chest during the latter part of labor and announced: I’m really honest this time: I’m dying. Before you knew it she always said, I’m hungry; would you please go get me a hamburger. I had to eat all three of them because she was always asleep when I got back.

Second, how could anyone not want to go through all that? Barb probably has a better take on all that than I do. Then, there are all the viruses, ear infections, inoculations, tonsillectomies, etc. I can’t imagine missing out on all that fun. Life was a blast! We had plenty of reality—living the moment.

Third, I can’t say it’s all been a bed of roses. It hasn’t been anywhere near that. But, then I guess you can make your own rose bed—with lots of help from above. There have been times when we didn’t know how we would pay for the next RX. Let’s face it! My profession (I don’t look at it as a profession) provides great dividends for those who are handsome, appealing, entertaining, dynamic, charismatic, and a few other things I’ve always been reminded I am not!

So what! I’ve worked hard, loved hard, and reaped the greatest dividends life has to offer: lots and lots of beautiful friends, one terrific wife, three great kids, and four fabulous grandkids. That’s What It’s All About! Did you ever check out http://www.donandsancho.blogspot.com. You should do that for a little fun—the befuddled old author is having fun doing it in spare time when he has been waiting for the next opportunity. When you volunteer at TDCJ-ID you had better have an alternative plan for the down time. But, it’s all worth it.
THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT!
h