My little girl is turning 8 today! Hard to believe.
Not many of the baby curls remain in her hair, but her sweet concern for others and sensitive view on life still remains. Hopefully this will never change.
I'm sure enjoying reading the Chronicles of Narnia with you, Curlicue. I hope you have a great birthday.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Happy Birthday, Dinks!
I want to take a brief pause in my ramblings to wish Dinky a very Happy Birthday! I'm looking forward to the weekend-long celebration!
TAPABILY!
TAPABILY!
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
A dream or a message?
It's been quite a while since I last posted. Work has consumed my work days and intentional, desperate distractions have consumed my weekends. But mainly my silence is because I didn't have anything interesting to say -- not that this has stopped me before.
I did have this strange dream the other night:
I am at my computer in my old office in Austin (the office that has a window overlooking the other rooms of the office, rather than a window facing outside). There is apparently a garage behind the back wall of my office (at least in my dream; not in reality). That back wall, which is opposite my window, has a vent at the bottom of it. Apparently someone is idling his or her car in that garage, because smoke is pouring into my office from that tiny vent. I notice the smoke, but just get up from my desk, close my office door (right next to the window overlooking the rest of the office) and sit back down as the smoke continues to pour into my office. I guess I don't want the smoke to disturb the rest of the office.
That was it.
That same night, I also had a dream about a woodpecker. I saw him up on the trunk of a tree, then he flitted to the other side of the trunk. That is all I remember about that one.
Maybe I'll be back with more esoteria before another month passes...
I did have this strange dream the other night:
I am at my computer in my old office in Austin (the office that has a window overlooking the other rooms of the office, rather than a window facing outside). There is apparently a garage behind the back wall of my office (at least in my dream; not in reality). That back wall, which is opposite my window, has a vent at the bottom of it. Apparently someone is idling his or her car in that garage, because smoke is pouring into my office from that tiny vent. I notice the smoke, but just get up from my desk, close my office door (right next to the window overlooking the rest of the office) and sit back down as the smoke continues to pour into my office. I guess I don't want the smoke to disturb the rest of the office.
That was it.
That same night, I also had a dream about a woodpecker. I saw him up on the trunk of a tree, then he flitted to the other side of the trunk. That is all I remember about that one.
Maybe I'll be back with more esoteria before another month passes...
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
I may be dull, but I look sharp
Yes, my life may be crumbling about me -- perhaps more due to my own perceptions than to any real events -- but at least I look good. My spouse and children gave me some new clothes yesterday, and today I'm strutting my stuff.
The halls in which I labor may be soulless, but at least I've been granted vestigial wings. Thanks, y'all!
The halls in which I labor may be soulless, but at least I've been granted vestigial wings. Thanks, y'all!
Monday, September 26, 2005
Another Milestone
So this is September 26. Does it mean anything to you? It always has meant something to me.
Unfortunately more and more things seem to serve as reminders of how life hasn't turned out as I expected -- milestones on my road to mediocrity if you will. September 26 is one such milestone for me.
My family (spouse and children) are terrific, working hard to make the day special, and doing so yesterday as well. How do people get by without the love and support of family? My family are the heroes in my life and are the fragile railing between me and the abyss.
So, is my dissatisfaction due to being in the midst of a mid-life crisis? That's too glib of an assessment. It labels without defining. How do we make sure we are content no matter our age? Here's a simple description of the choices we should make in life, and a clue as to what I may not have done well:
"Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success." - Louisa May Alcott, American novelist
Does straying from this simple policy mean one has traveled the wrong path? If so, what should be done? A Turkish proverb says "No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, turn back." With a computer, you can turn back by using the "Undo" command or, when things are really desperate, CTRL+ALT+DLT. What does one do out here in the real world? Whatever it is, it likely isn't pleasant.
Unfortunately more and more things seem to serve as reminders of how life hasn't turned out as I expected -- milestones on my road to mediocrity if you will. September 26 is one such milestone for me.
My family (spouse and children) are terrific, working hard to make the day special, and doing so yesterday as well. How do people get by without the love and support of family? My family are the heroes in my life and are the fragile railing between me and the abyss.
So, is my dissatisfaction due to being in the midst of a mid-life crisis? That's too glib of an assessment. It labels without defining. How do we make sure we are content no matter our age? Here's a simple description of the choices we should make in life, and a clue as to what I may not have done well:
"Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success." - Louisa May Alcott, American novelist
Does straying from this simple policy mean one has traveled the wrong path? If so, what should be done? A Turkish proverb says "No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, turn back." With a computer, you can turn back by using the "Undo" command or, when things are really desperate, CTRL+ALT+DLT. What does one do out here in the real world? Whatever it is, it likely isn't pleasant.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Sturm und Drang
The storm has passed. With only leaves, twigs, and the occasional dead branch down, we've been spared any serious damage.
We've also been spared the crucible that would burn away the superfluous aspects of our life so that we see who we really are. It is said that crises bring out the best and worst in people. What crises actually do is peel away the faux veneer we have each crafted, thus letting us see our true selves. Are we selfish spirits that loot luxuries when external controls are not present? Are we compassionate souls that will put our own welfare aside in order to help another?
Sometimes it doesn’t take much to peel away the veneer. Despite the ease with which fate treated me this past weekend, I still resorted to stealing the neighbor's Sunday paper. Yes, there were two day's worth of papers on their front lawn. Yes, the neighbors had left town with no indication that they might return. Nevertheless, I took something they had paid and I had not -- something they may be expecting when they return. I may have put their schedule for TV watching in peril for the week. I may have deprived them of their desire to keep tabs on Garfield. I may have undermined their ability to stay abreast of news.
So there it is. I have survived as has my property, yet my principles have not. I set aside my moral code just so I can giggle at Dilbert. What would Prince Valiant say?
On the positive side, I did meet three of my neighbors. My kids learned how to rake (having recently moved from a treeless neighborhood). And I cut down a dead tree (albeit a small one) and collected some fallen branches for my neighbor. But all this is overshadowed by my rampant paper looting, for which I am ashamed. As Rex the Dinosaur would say, "I have guilt!"
***
Sturm und Drang (SHTOORM oont DRANG) [German, "storm and stress"] noun 1. Turmoil; ferment. 2. A late-18th-century German romantic literary movement whose works typically depicted the struggles of a highly emotional individual against conventional society.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
The Sooie Side of Life
Suicide just doesn't receive the humorous treatment it deserves. Leave it to The Onion to do it right. Actually, the article is not so much a rib-tickler about suicide as it is a satire on the fabric of today’s society, where technology has isolated us from each other. It is ironic that communication and travel are easier today than ever in history, but it is the soulless nature of these technology-supported links that furthers feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Emotion today is conveyed with an array of sterile acronyms and icons. “LOL” means “I am staring impassively at my screen, but will take a moment to recognize your attempt at humor.” A smiley face might mean “I don’t want to take the time to rephrase my communiqué so that you’ll realize my jocundity; let this icon reveal my intentions.”
The security and anonymity of isolation does allow unchecked anger to be the one emotion that is freely shared. Thus, we might find blanket statements profanely expressed by those who disagree with our opinions. This sort of close-minded and puerile invective is reserved not only for the BIG TOPICS (foremost of these being politics and religion), but also for opinions on pop culture: musicians you might (not) like, or even the particular songs you (don’t) prefer by that musician; the movie or TV series you prefer, or even the particular episode of that series; the sports (or team) you prefer; your feelings on why a particular sports team may (not) be doing well; or, and this is a big one, which actor or model you think is the hottest. Some contentious issues, these.
But this unfettered rage can lead to some humorous moments, tinged with rousing irony, such as when your typos are under attack by a critic who writes “Your such a looser. Your grammer sucks!”
The Onion's article captures all this about society, but at the expense of leaving the latently funny topic of suicide as but an afterthought. So, I’ll have to continue my search for good humor about self-inflicted death. In the meantime, refresh yourself on the reasons you might not want to commit suicide. Bookmark that page and return to it again and again. You might need it when Life makes you feel like a looser, as it so often does.
Emotion today is conveyed with an array of sterile acronyms and icons. “LOL” means “I am staring impassively at my screen, but will take a moment to recognize your attempt at humor.” A smiley face might mean “I don’t want to take the time to rephrase my communiqué so that you’ll realize my jocundity; let this icon reveal my intentions.”
The security and anonymity of isolation does allow unchecked anger to be the one emotion that is freely shared. Thus, we might find blanket statements profanely expressed by those who disagree with our opinions. This sort of close-minded and puerile invective is reserved not only for the BIG TOPICS (foremost of these being politics and religion), but also for opinions on pop culture: musicians you might (not) like, or even the particular songs you (don’t) prefer by that musician; the movie or TV series you prefer, or even the particular episode of that series; the sports (or team) you prefer; your feelings on why a particular sports team may (not) be doing well; or, and this is a big one, which actor or model you think is the hottest. Some contentious issues, these.
But this unfettered rage can lead to some humorous moments, tinged with rousing irony, such as when your typos are under attack by a critic who writes “Your such a looser. Your grammer sucks!”
The Onion's article captures all this about society, but at the expense of leaving the latently funny topic of suicide as but an afterthought. So, I’ll have to continue my search for good humor about self-inflicted death. In the meantime, refresh yourself on the reasons you might not want to commit suicide. Bookmark that page and return to it again and again. You might need it when Life makes you feel like a looser, as it so often does.
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