12:57am July 31, 2014
The days are still long and the weather is cool and reminds me oh so much of 10 years ago when Kansas City experienced a cool Milwaukee like summer. It's a welcome relief from the heat to have highs in the low 80's and to be able to sleep with the windows open and a light blanket on your bed.
I was talking with a friend recently and she mentioned how the Midwest has a certain smell to it that she finds calming. Although I have lived here most of my life I couldn't put my nose to the smell she was thinking of. I guess it's like not recognizing your own smell or the sound of your voice. I do know what she was referring too. Much like the familiar smell of a city such as Milwaukee or Boston which is heavily influenced by their respective waterfronts, it brings about a feeling and I would say triggers nostalgia about the way you felt during the time you spent in a place.
Thinking back to 10 years ago I remember all of the changes and adventures I embarked upon and it seems almost like it was someone else who lived it. Time doesn't stand still and the things I can say I've learned is don't just think but do, and leave things in a better way than what you found it, particularly relationships if at all possible.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Latvia Part 1 – The History Lesson
We rolled into town trying to loosen our load, leaving smiles and hearts intact. Riga, Latvia was the ultimate destination of our trip but what’s sponge cake without strawberries and whipped cream? So far we had a lot of the sweetness you crave but now we were about to experience the substance that builds a lifetime of friendships.
Departing our bus after a sleepy 4 hour trip we found ourselves in the middle of Riga during rush hour. A bustling lively city that initially looked like the dreary cold war city that my friend Aaron had described for so many years, “Watch your back dude” “Don’t talk to strangers dude, they could be the Russian Mob” “Have you ever seen a man beat down right in front of you and you just have to cross the street and keep looking forward” Needless to say I was on guard for running into the worst but fortunately I was pleasantly surprised and relieved about the city.
We made our way to a sushi bar and ordered food & drink while we waited for our friends to arrive from the wedding rehearsal. See, the reason for the trip was to see my close college friend Aaron marry his longtime girlfriend Sabine. I’ve known Aaron for about 14 years. He was the first friend I had at Mizzou and despite him moving to two cities and half way around the world we still remain good friends. He’s someone I look up to and I appreciate his advice – even his bad advice – because I know he means well. After a few more hours recapping stories about festivals, flights and acquaintances we headed off to our lodging for the night. The wedding was 3 days away and most of Aaron’s family flew over as well as a host of friends. I will say he and Sabine have a way of connecting with people.
Latvia sits on the Baltic Sea. I was told the best time to visit Riga was in the summer because the weather is beautiful and you can make a 20 min trek to the beach. Now I’m not much of a beach comber and I think my people got enough sun somewhere along the way, so I don’t have to tan, but I do enjoy hanging out and putting my toes in the water. And who can pass up wading in a new body of water? Chris and I headed up to Jurmala (pronounced Your-meh-lah) for our day at the beach. Our first stop was a hookah bar where we sipped drinks and smoked Double Apple tobacco as our Ukrainian server showed us his scars due to too much arm wrestling. Raise your hand if you knew arm wrestling was one of the top sports in the Ukraine… Liar! Put your hand down. No one knows that outside of the Ukraine.
We headed down the beach and posted up at a picnic table watching families play in the sand and people (in those euro bathing suits) play volleyball while old ships sailed in the distance. Finally we decided to cool off in what looked to be perfectly normal sea water. When the guy a little ways away looked at me while I slowly inched my way into the water up to my waist shouted, “Icebergs!” while pointing off into the distance, I knew this would be a onetime event that day. After we made it to shore and talked in French with a Parisienne-Russian about the concentration of oil rich Russians on the beach, we had drinks at the Havana Club bar where Chris gave our server the option of choosing her tip based on the different currency laid out on the bar; which seems simple enough, only if you know the going exchange rates for 8 different currencies.
The next day we spent exploring Riga. The city has so much to offer in terms of churches, historical buildings and history. One such place that reflects on the country’s history is the Occupation Museum. The exhibits tell the story of pre and post war era of occupied Latvia. It depicts the occupation by the Russians and the subsequent invasion by the Germans. With great detail the stories were told of the hope native Latvians had for the Germans. Hoping they were coming to be their liberator from Russian rule. They soon realized they were trading one occupier for another. The life size model of the shanty living quarters brought to life the horrific mental & physical living conditions many Latvian were forced to live in for being accused dissenters of German rule.
Many Latvians fled to other parts of the world during the war. After the war and during the Russian occupation many were sent to live in camps in Siberia and other parts of Russia. Imagine holding on to your identity on the inside and in your home while every other part of your life was changed to reflect the ideals of your oppressor. For a people to not be able to celebrate their heritage and be forced to adopt a 2 different languages and cultures for over 50 years is unimaginable to me.
As I was walking through the exhibits I began to realize and appreciate how blessed I am to live in a time and a place where I have the freedom to do anything I can dream. Later, as we walked through the city I had a new respect for the people and the struggle they went through to obtain their liberation.
Part two will be coming shortly..
Click here for pictures.
Ciao Ciao,
Andre
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Vilnius sounds like Thelonious
We rolled into the city like a pair of grifters ready to take what the city offered whether it was ready for us or not. It was a Sunday afternoon and the summer sun was shining bright. After three days in Amsterdam, Vilnius was exactly what we needed.
You may ask what does a city who's history includes wars, occupations, and a love for basketball have to do with one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time? Simple; both were misunderstood, co-oped by others, but they are both rich and full of culture. And much like Monk's jazz contains beautiful harmonious notes that will bring most music aficionados to their knees, Vilnius contains some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. And not just one or two, the entire city is chock full of them. Secret is out now. Go see for yourself.
Vilnius was a sleepy oddly picturesque city. It had the feel of both Western and Eastern Europe; A carefree attitude with it's bustling cafe's and street musicians, but with grim reminders of its not so distant occupied past. The buildings in old town were beautifully painted and complemented the cobblestone streets. Although we spent most of our time in the old town city center we did discover the city extended far beyond the confines of the Ramada Inn and the Gediminas Tower.
After checking into our hotel we made our way down to the bar. It was a Sunday and still quite light out so we didn't expect it to be bustling. It is here where we met our unofficial guides to Vilnius - Jovita, Tomas and silent Tomas. They were the server, bartender and cook of our bar, California tapas and wine, and were not only helpful about places we should go and visit but also with serving up humor and being genuinely friendly.
Having been a bartender I know every bar has at least one person who just hangs around more often than not. Not like regulars who come in, order a drink, leave a generous tip and who you look forward to seeing next time. No, I mean the guy who is bored, with too much knowledge about the world, isn't funny and looks to make new friends with unsuspecting out of towners. Oh to be so lucky to meet that guy. Nadar had us at Hello and it was WTF ever since. He was harmless and just wanted a friend to help him hook up at the local (and only) nightclub and fortunately Chris is a very generous soul. I wasn't there but when you get a chance you should ask Mr. Goodwin about our little friend.
After a couple of days we met up with our "official" hosts who were so gracious to take time out of their busy schedules to show us around town at night. Monika and Lina (friends of friends back in KC) met up with us at California tapas and wine, and we headed over to Mojitos. This is where we learned Monika was Lina's boss and "forced" her to come out and meet us. After she explained Monika was paying her overtime for this excursion and basically hated her boss, Monika, we all laughed and made our way through town. The walking tour of old town was great because they pointed out the major landmarks such as the tower of Cathedral Square & Vilnius University, as well as the must see items to tour during the day, Gediminas Tower. Meeting with friends (and friends of friends) was one of the best parts of the trip overall. The warmth and openess they shared with us offered a deeper diminsion to a city especially since I didn't know much about where we were visiting. You gain a perspective you wouldn't necessarily have if we were solely relying on our foreign eyes.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the new friends we made after our "official" hosts left. We made our way down to the Applebees of Eastern Europe, Cili Pica for a bite to eat and drink and for some reason we were spotted again by two guys sitting next to us as being American. One guy was completely drunk and his buddy was well on his way but much more calm and explained what the drunk guy kept slurring to us. This of course led to a bunch of "I love America." and "we are all brothers" and "this is what and where you should eat" etc. etc. Meanwhile the other people in the restaurant didn't appreciate our table raising the decible levels to near yelling. So much so a Brit took it upon himself to offer his help. Our Lithuanian friends didn't so much appreciate this (where were the British when they really needed help against Stalin?) but were quelled with more beer and assurances from us that everything was fine. We then moved our party to Vilnius's Hottest Spot Salento Disco Club.
The Salento experience is something not hard to describe: decent Eurobeats, people dancing, stripper poles, neon lights, oh and fat old men with their shirts unbuttoned. Now aside from the two girls who I'm sure thought we were basketball players or something from the way they ran over and toasted us, it was decidedly funny. We ran into several people who recognized us; from people we met on our day trip to Trakai to other people who work around town. And although we weren't celebrities it felt like it for a moment.
Our last night took us into unfamiliar territory. A bar of all places. Well a Kereoke bar. It's funny when people from other countries sing American songs with no accents whatsoever but have the most broken english in a normal conversation. We ended up meeting this older English fella who proved to be funny and quirky. We ended up drinking beers well into the night talking politics, economy and people. I'm not sure if the booze got to him but he definitely felt it was a special moment to meet two Americans and make a connection unexpectedly. But then again, I suppose I felt the same way.
Click here for pics!
You may ask what does a city who's history includes wars, occupations, and a love for basketball have to do with one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time? Simple; both were misunderstood, co-oped by others, but they are both rich and full of culture. And much like Monk's jazz contains beautiful harmonious notes that will bring most music aficionados to their knees, Vilnius contains some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. And not just one or two, the entire city is chock full of them. Secret is out now. Go see for yourself.
Vilnius was a sleepy oddly picturesque city. It had the feel of both Western and Eastern Europe; A carefree attitude with it's bustling cafe's and street musicians, but with grim reminders of its not so distant occupied past. The buildings in old town were beautifully painted and complemented the cobblestone streets. Although we spent most of our time in the old town city center we did discover the city extended far beyond the confines of the Ramada Inn and the Gediminas Tower.
After checking into our hotel we made our way down to the bar. It was a Sunday and still quite light out so we didn't expect it to be bustling. It is here where we met our unofficial guides to Vilnius - Jovita, Tomas and silent Tomas. They were the server, bartender and cook of our bar, California tapas and wine, and were not only helpful about places we should go and visit but also with serving up humor and being genuinely friendly.
Having been a bartender I know every bar has at least one person who just hangs around more often than not. Not like regulars who come in, order a drink, leave a generous tip and who you look forward to seeing next time. No, I mean the guy who is bored, with too much knowledge about the world, isn't funny and looks to make new friends with unsuspecting out of towners. Oh to be so lucky to meet that guy. Nadar had us at Hello and it was WTF ever since. He was harmless and just wanted a friend to help him hook up at the local (and only) nightclub and fortunately Chris is a very generous soul. I wasn't there but when you get a chance you should ask Mr. Goodwin about our little friend.
After a couple of days we met up with our "official" hosts who were so gracious to take time out of their busy schedules to show us around town at night. Monika and Lina (friends of friends back in KC) met up with us at California tapas and wine, and we headed over to Mojitos. This is where we learned Monika was Lina's boss and "forced" her to come out and meet us. After she explained Monika was paying her overtime for this excursion and basically hated her boss, Monika, we all laughed and made our way through town. The walking tour of old town was great because they pointed out the major landmarks such as the tower of Cathedral Square & Vilnius University, as well as the must see items to tour during the day, Gediminas Tower. Meeting with friends (and friends of friends) was one of the best parts of the trip overall. The warmth and openess they shared with us offered a deeper diminsion to a city especially since I didn't know much about where we were visiting. You gain a perspective you wouldn't necessarily have if we were solely relying on our foreign eyes.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the new friends we made after our "official" hosts left. We made our way down to the Applebees of Eastern Europe, Cili Pica for a bite to eat and drink and for some reason we were spotted again by two guys sitting next to us as being American. One guy was completely drunk and his buddy was well on his way but much more calm and explained what the drunk guy kept slurring to us. This of course led to a bunch of "I love America." and "we are all brothers" and "this is what and where you should eat" etc. etc. Meanwhile the other people in the restaurant didn't appreciate our table raising the decible levels to near yelling. So much so a Brit took it upon himself to offer his help. Our Lithuanian friends didn't so much appreciate this (where were the British when they really needed help against Stalin?) but were quelled with more beer and assurances from us that everything was fine. We then moved our party to Vilnius's Hottest Spot Salento Disco Club.
The Salento experience is something not hard to describe: decent Eurobeats, people dancing, stripper poles, neon lights, oh and fat old men with their shirts unbuttoned. Now aside from the two girls who I'm sure thought we were basketball players or something from the way they ran over and toasted us, it was decidedly funny. We ran into several people who recognized us; from people we met on our day trip to Trakai to other people who work around town. And although we weren't celebrities it felt like it for a moment.
Our last night took us into unfamiliar territory. A bar of all places. Well a Kereoke bar. It's funny when people from other countries sing American songs with no accents whatsoever but have the most broken english in a normal conversation. We ended up meeting this older English fella who proved to be funny and quirky. We ended up drinking beers well into the night talking politics, economy and people. I'm not sure if the booze got to him but he definitely felt it was a special moment to meet two Americans and make a connection unexpectedly. But then again, I suppose I felt the same way.
Click here for pics!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Amsterdam Damn Damn James...
What happens when you combine 2 fun loving individuals, 4 countries, and 14 days? More laughter, drinks, and great times than anyone can remember. Thank God for pictures. Chris Goodwin and I embarked on an amazing trip that included not only hookers and blow (more on that later) but plenty of bizarre and random encounters that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Our trip started in normal All Star fashion by running into an old dear colleague at the airport. Mr. Payton Kelly, of Boulevard artistic fame, was also flying overseas to meet up with his wife Brit in Germany and we all happened to be on the same flight. When we arrived in Philly for our connecting flight the first thing on our minds was CHEESESTEAKS!
We had a 5 hour layover so we said fuck it and jumped in a cab, with a cabbie we barely understood who's only concern was that we "took care of him," to head down to South Philly to sample the legendary Philly Cheesesteaks of "Pat's King of Steaks" and "Geno's Steaks." These two places sit across from each other so aside for the cab ride from and to the airport it was a no brainer. (Note: Don't try this unless you don't care about cost or time)
We both heard about the rivalry and we had dem boteths and through much discussion and spilling cheese wiz in the back seat of this cab it was decided, although it was close, that Geno's wins! The onions on the Pat's sub proved to be the downfall. But I'm willing to take the challenge again if it arises.
Ask me over a beer about the "Jersey Shore" guy washing his car on the street just before it was about to rain. Gotta love Philly.
Eight hours later we arrive in Amsterdam. It was time to explore and see what this city has to offer. One of the first symbols I saw was XXX. Now the first thing that springs to mind is what it stands for in America, but it actually represents Valiant, Steadfast, Compassionate - on the coat of arms of Amsterdam. Ironic for a city known for its Red Light District (RLD). After souvenir shopping we made our way over to grab a bite to eat and see what this RLD was all about. WOW. If you haven't ever been it is definitely something everyone should experience. It's the closet thing to Babylon I can imagine. But the funny thing is once the initial shock is over it's no big deal. From the coffee shops to the women standing in the windows it became background noise to really finding things of interest.
I would say one of the best things to see was the Vincent Van Gogh museum. It was inspiring, historical and a reminder that even in his short life of 37 years he was able to change the world through his work. His paintings as well as those that influenced him were absolutely amazing. To see the work of someone with so much vision, focus, and discipline calls into question what we do in our daily work lives and if we are putting forth the effort to leave the world with such a lasting impression. My curiosity actually wandered to the people that supported him during his painting years, particularly his brother Theo who (in my opinion) bankrolled him and allowed him to create in such a way, with the freedom needed to fully express himself the way he did. Of all the paintings in the gallery there was only one of his brother. The brothers looked so similar it was mistaken to be a self portrait of Vincent originally.
Our day took a turn from art of painting to the art of brewing at the Heineken Experience. - I'll sum it up in 1 word: Marketing. It was great to see the converted working brewery into a walking brewery tour. It was worth seeing but my beer snobbery didn't appreciate it like most would.
The last day in Amsterdam we headed over to the Anne Frank Huis. There aren't words to describe the feeling knowing you are walking through the same space that an entire family lived for 2 years in fear of being discovered. Not being able to go outside and to live in silence everyday during the day because a business operated below you sounds like a living hell.
To lighten our afternoon we took a stroll over to a cafe and began day drinking and coffee shop hopping. High quality beers and meeting Americans/Brits/South Africans/Californians we made the most of our last day and night in Amsterdam.
More to come.
Click here for pics!
Ciao Ciao
Our trip started in normal All Star fashion by running into an old dear colleague at the airport. Mr. Payton Kelly, of Boulevard artistic fame, was also flying overseas to meet up with his wife Brit in Germany and we all happened to be on the same flight. When we arrived in Philly for our connecting flight the first thing on our minds was CHEESESTEAKS!
We had a 5 hour layover so we said fuck it and jumped in a cab, with a cabbie we barely understood who's only concern was that we "took care of him," to head down to South Philly to sample the legendary Philly Cheesesteaks of "Pat's King of Steaks" and "Geno's Steaks." These two places sit across from each other so aside for the cab ride from and to the airport it was a no brainer. (Note: Don't try this unless you don't care about cost or time)
We both heard about the rivalry and we had dem boteths and through much discussion and spilling cheese wiz in the back seat of this cab it was decided, although it was close, that Geno's wins! The onions on the Pat's sub proved to be the downfall. But I'm willing to take the challenge again if it arises.
Ask me over a beer about the "Jersey Shore" guy washing his car on the street just before it was about to rain. Gotta love Philly.
Eight hours later we arrive in Amsterdam. It was time to explore and see what this city has to offer. One of the first symbols I saw was XXX. Now the first thing that springs to mind is what it stands for in America, but it actually represents Valiant, Steadfast, Compassionate - on the coat of arms of Amsterdam. Ironic for a city known for its Red Light District (RLD). After souvenir shopping we made our way over to grab a bite to eat and see what this RLD was all about. WOW. If you haven't ever been it is definitely something everyone should experience. It's the closet thing to Babylon I can imagine. But the funny thing is once the initial shock is over it's no big deal. From the coffee shops to the women standing in the windows it became background noise to really finding things of interest.
I would say one of the best things to see was the Vincent Van Gogh museum. It was inspiring, historical and a reminder that even in his short life of 37 years he was able to change the world through his work. His paintings as well as those that influenced him were absolutely amazing. To see the work of someone with so much vision, focus, and discipline calls into question what we do in our daily work lives and if we are putting forth the effort to leave the world with such a lasting impression. My curiosity actually wandered to the people that supported him during his painting years, particularly his brother Theo who (in my opinion) bankrolled him and allowed him to create in such a way, with the freedom needed to fully express himself the way he did. Of all the paintings in the gallery there was only one of his brother. The brothers looked so similar it was mistaken to be a self portrait of Vincent originally.
Our day took a turn from art of painting to the art of brewing at the Heineken Experience. - I'll sum it up in 1 word: Marketing. It was great to see the converted working brewery into a walking brewery tour. It was worth seeing but my beer snobbery didn't appreciate it like most would.
The last day in Amsterdam we headed over to the Anne Frank Huis. There aren't words to describe the feeling knowing you are walking through the same space that an entire family lived for 2 years in fear of being discovered. Not being able to go outside and to live in silence everyday during the day because a business operated below you sounds like a living hell.
To lighten our afternoon we took a stroll over to a cafe and began day drinking and coffee shop hopping. High quality beers and meeting Americans/Brits/South Africans/Californians we made the most of our last day and night in Amsterdam.
More to come.
Click here for pics!
Ciao Ciao
Monday, November 08, 2010
Cat's in the Cradle and the Silver Spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon, when you comin home son, I don't know when, but we'll get together then, you know we'll have a good time then.."
Harry Chapin had his finger on something when he wrote that song. He captured the picture of time passing by and those in your life missing important moments but expecting to have those moments in the future. I'm writing remotely tonight from my Mom's office. When I'm able to come home and spend time talking with my Mom it's always good. It's an interesting relationship. We get older and our relationship has matured some but there is a bond nothing like a mother and her son. "Hi Mom!"
Tonight's blog is brought to you by the letter R. Rambling, remembrance, revolt, rebirth, rumbling, etc. All of these seem to happen at once for me. This year has brought a lot of rambling and rebirth. If I was to take the year and condense it into the major highlights it would be a pretty good reel. A little bit of rambling and rumbling through different cities around the country. A couple of rebirthing experiences with graduation, Grand Canyon Hikes. A little bit of remodeling. Hey throw in a railroad engineer for Halloween and that's a lot of R's. The most elusive and probably the most important is reflection. I've been reflecting a lot this year. Looking in the mirror and looking inward to not only shine as the best person I could be but to also represent Andre in the best way possible. It's tough facing some things you aren't proud of but admitting who you are and working towards being better is what counts.
I told those kids in London 2 years ago something I still think holds true. Look everyone in the eye and have a firm handshake, Be true to yourself, and learn how to dance. They are simple concepts but they hold true for so many reasons.
i know it's a short blog but now I have to run.
Ciao Ciao
Harry Chapin had his finger on something when he wrote that song. He captured the picture of time passing by and those in your life missing important moments but expecting to have those moments in the future. I'm writing remotely tonight from my Mom's office. When I'm able to come home and spend time talking with my Mom it's always good. It's an interesting relationship. We get older and our relationship has matured some but there is a bond nothing like a mother and her son. "Hi Mom!"
Tonight's blog is brought to you by the letter R. Rambling, remembrance, revolt, rebirth, rumbling, etc. All of these seem to happen at once for me. This year has brought a lot of rambling and rebirth. If I was to take the year and condense it into the major highlights it would be a pretty good reel. A little bit of rambling and rumbling through different cities around the country. A couple of rebirthing experiences with graduation, Grand Canyon Hikes. A little bit of remodeling. Hey throw in a railroad engineer for Halloween and that's a lot of R's. The most elusive and probably the most important is reflection. I've been reflecting a lot this year. Looking in the mirror and looking inward to not only shine as the best person I could be but to also represent Andre in the best way possible. It's tough facing some things you aren't proud of but admitting who you are and working towards being better is what counts.
I told those kids in London 2 years ago something I still think holds true. Look everyone in the eye and have a firm handshake, Be true to yourself, and learn how to dance. They are simple concepts but they hold true for so many reasons.
i know it's a short blog but now I have to run.
Ciao Ciao
Monday, February 15, 2010
Second Wind
As with most times you are under pressure you look in the mirror, dig deep and look for inspiration to keep you motivated. I'm in a pressure cooker right now but somehow I find a way to maintain a sense of control.
I've taken on a lot this semester. Two classes that are very time consuming, training for a triathlon and heading into busy season at work with some very tight deadlines. On top of that trying to maintain a presence in the community charitiable and socially. I'm officially busy. I would have to say this is definitely a growth period. A time to see what mustard I am made of. I've gone through periods of not being able to handle it and have come out all right. I read yesterday Nietzsche's quote what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I can see how it's true but it also makes you weary.
I'm taking a corporate social responsibility class and it's having me examine my values. What were the clear touchpoints in my life where I was faced with an ethical choice that challenged my values. One thing I learned this weekend is no matter how much time passes and the world evolves you can't escape your past. It is a part of who you are. I've made some bad value judgements. It's time to learn from them so they aren't repeated. It's also time to leave the past in it's place and make room for the future. As Ryan Bingham said in the movie Up In the Air, "What's in your backpack?"
Ciao Ciao
I've taken on a lot this semester. Two classes that are very time consuming, training for a triathlon and heading into busy season at work with some very tight deadlines. On top of that trying to maintain a presence in the community charitiable and socially. I'm officially busy. I would have to say this is definitely a growth period. A time to see what mustard I am made of. I've gone through periods of not being able to handle it and have come out all right. I read yesterday Nietzsche's quote what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I can see how it's true but it also makes you weary.
I'm taking a corporate social responsibility class and it's having me examine my values. What were the clear touchpoints in my life where I was faced with an ethical choice that challenged my values. One thing I learned this weekend is no matter how much time passes and the world evolves you can't escape your past. It is a part of who you are. I've made some bad value judgements. It's time to learn from them so they aren't repeated. It's also time to leave the past in it's place and make room for the future. As Ryan Bingham said in the movie Up In the Air, "What's in your backpack?"
Ciao Ciao
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Par For The Course
Serenity Now! 2010 and all's well.. Well until you pick that scab off and realize that underneath there is a bleeding nearly infectious wound protected only by the scab you just peeled off. The lesson? Leave well enough alone and don't let curiosity give you gangrene.
Tonight's letter is G for giving a shit. What happens when someone you hang out with doesn't show up to a scheduled event nor return phone calls or text messages for several days? I'll tell you what! You get concerned! It's amazing the lengths you would go through to reach someone and the fear surrounding the unknown. After repeated attempts to get a hold of this person even driving by their house, you leave well enough alone cause you think they are just laying low but they then still don't answer after a couple more days then you want to break the door down and expect to see them lying in a pool of their own blood and the place ransacked. Again, fear and imagination can really play tricks on your mind. Needless to say a bunch of us gave a shit and we all can breathe a sigh of relief - but like the balloon boy's parents, he's "got some 'splainin to do."
Fear can be paralyzing. Being unsure of the next step, not wanting to make a decision for fear it could be the wrong one. Or what I've seen more of lately is not making a decision because you just don't have one in front of you. I think there are two actions that must happen to keep moving forward - trust your gut and get as much information as you can before making a move. Both may seem mutually exclusive but since we live in a dynamic world they definitely can happen at the same time. That's how I think many leaders move forward. Right foot in front of the left. Now Move.
Tonight's letter is G for giving a shit. What happens when someone you hang out with doesn't show up to a scheduled event nor return phone calls or text messages for several days? I'll tell you what! You get concerned! It's amazing the lengths you would go through to reach someone and the fear surrounding the unknown. After repeated attempts to get a hold of this person even driving by their house, you leave well enough alone cause you think they are just laying low but they then still don't answer after a couple more days then you want to break the door down and expect to see them lying in a pool of their own blood and the place ransacked. Again, fear and imagination can really play tricks on your mind. Needless to say a bunch of us gave a shit and we all can breathe a sigh of relief - but like the balloon boy's parents, he's "got some 'splainin to do."
Fear can be paralyzing. Being unsure of the next step, not wanting to make a decision for fear it could be the wrong one. Or what I've seen more of lately is not making a decision because you just don't have one in front of you. I think there are two actions that must happen to keep moving forward - trust your gut and get as much information as you can before making a move. Both may seem mutually exclusive but since we live in a dynamic world they definitely can happen at the same time. That's how I think many leaders move forward. Right foot in front of the left. Now Move.
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