Happy Anniversary to Me!

Ten years ago today I was in a hospital bed wondering if I would have a future.  They had brought me into the hospital in an ambulance after having bouts of excruciating stomach pain.  I had been having such issues for six months prior.  Now the doctors were ordering  a litany of tests:  X-Rays, CT scan, high resolution radioactive dyes, and the like.  Finally, they discovered something in my intestine.  Not sure what it was, I was visited by many different specialists with lots of theories.  Eventually, they ended up operating on me, removing some four feet of my intestines.  They discovered a 'mass,' non-cancerous that had grown in the intestine.  Recovery was difficult but I got myself back on my feet.  Needless to say, my family and friends feared for my life.  Somehow, I knew in my heart I wasn't going to die.  Still, it made for much introspection and reflection on what was important to me in my life.

What did I learn?

• My family is precious to me.  This moment can only happen once, right now.  A year from now, I and my children will be a year older.  For me, that might not be much of a difference, but for them it is a significant percentage of their current lives.  Who is to say what how some seed planted in a conversation today will grow over time?  I have cherished my time with Ethan and Eli as they were young boys, with Cub Scouts, traveling to various places and exploring the experiences, and just talking about stuff.  I've gotten to experience watching a very active little girl grow and learn.  I have gotten to share everything with my best friend and constant companion, Stacey.  
• My friendships are important to me as well.  A great soup is not made by any one ingredient.  It unique taste comes from the blend of all the different ingredients.  Life is made such by the people in it.  What's even better is that the flavor and influence lasts over time.  I have been blessed by those souls who have entered and exited my life. 
•  I do not control my own destiny.  When a door opens, I MAY get to choose to enter or not, but I don't get to choose the doors.  I will trust God to do that part for me.
• Lastly, I cannot kill yourself stressing over the problems.  There is some school of thought that the mass grew as a result of stress.  I was under considerable stress from my job at that time.  I also tend to clench my stomach when I am stressed.  I must hand my worries off to God for I really can do little about them.  I'm still working on this one.

Happy anniversary to me.  I'm still kicking.  I will continue to try to make a difference.and cherish the gifts I have been given!

What have you done ...(humor)

I found this on a paper in one of my files.  It's probably a good 20 years old.  Don't know if it is true or not...

This is an actual essay written by a college applicant to NYU.  The author was accepted and graduated.

3A.  IN ORDER FOR THE ADMISSIONS STAFF OF OUR COLLEGE TO GET TO KNOW YOU, WE ASK THAT YOU ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: 

    ARE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD, OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU HAVE REALIZED, THAT HAVE HELPED TO DEFINE YOU AS A PERSON?
   
I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice.  I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention.  I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. 

Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.

I woo women with sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes.  I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.

Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants.  I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries.  When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard.  I enjoy urban hang gliding.  On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.

I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie.  Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear.  I don't perspire.  I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail.  I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. 

Last summer I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration.  I bat .400.

My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles.  Children trust me.

I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy.  I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening.  I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket.  I have performed several covert operations for the CIA.

I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair.  While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who seized a small bakery.  The laws of physics do not apply to me.

I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid.  On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. 

Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down.  I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. 

I breed prize-winning clams.  I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin.

I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken to Elvis. 

But I have not yet gone to college.

Curing the Commuter Snow Day Blues

Sometimes things just work out. 

I woke up Wednesday morning intent on making it to the commuter van on time.  I started the car at 5:55 AM.  At 6:10, I went out and brushed all the snow off.  There was only a few inches.  At 6:20, I decided to leave, giving myself some extra time to get to the commuter lot and help get the van ready for the trip.  I sat down in the the driver's seat of my Corolla, put it into low, and tried to move up the hill.  The wheels spun.  I tried rocking back a little bit and tried again.  Still the wheels spun...  With a little push I could probably make it up the driveway and onto the road.  But there was no one to help me that early.  The rest of my family was in bed and the neighborhood was quiet and appeared empty. 

It was obvious I wasn't going to make it to the lot.  I gave up and retreated to the house for another cup of coffee.  Upon reflection, I realized the having the van make its numbers was the only reason I was going into work.  They were on a liberal leave policy and I had enough saved leave that I could afford a day off.  So, I stayed home.

At about 10:00, my wife and I got my car out of the driveway.  I packed the two younger boys in the car with their sleds and headed out for Trench Hill on University of Mary Washington campus.  We spent almost three hours there, up and down that big hill. It felt great to enjoy the snow rather than work around it.  Thank you God for guiding my path today!

I went to work the next day to find out the van made its numbers without me.  Imagine that!

The Commuter Snow Day Blues

I woke up at regular time for work this morning.  Dry as a bone outside and not really that cold.  The forecast is calling for 4-8" of snow.  The kids' school is allready canceled.  The federal government is closed (but I know that does not apply to me).  Meanwhile, the commuter van situation is dire.  We have missed quota three days already and any more will mean all our members will have to repay $130 back to the Dept. of Transportation. 

I showed up on time and there were seven of us there (need six for quota).  First thing discussed when I got seated was if/when we could leave to come home early.  Unfortunately, one of our members is stuck in meetings until at least 2:30.  The TV weatherman recommends being off the roads by 3:00.  I am hopeful the organizer of that afternoon meeting will end early...

Meanwhile, if it snows all night, I will have another decision tomorrow morning.

I'd rather be home with the family, but life is not that simple.

Family News Story - January 2014