I really love training people. I love the interaction, the look on a person’s face when the “light goes on” and they understand what I am teaching them, and the satisfaction I get knowing I made a difference.

My last group was one of my best. They were eager to learn and even stayed late until I could finish. They made me realize why I wanted the position in the first place.

Over the years since I became trainer, the position has really changed. It became less about training and more about proper marketing. In some cases, it was what was used to diffuse somewhat volatile situations. I guess that is just the nature of the business. New managers and ideas, but seldom changing for the better.

My company has 140+ resellers around the country. I have been privileged to visit a lot of them and I have spoken to the majority of the others on the phone. I live for those moments when I can be in front of our customers. Because I know that I can make a difference, it has become the “thing” I do best.

I am really going to miss it, but sometimes you just know when you have run your course. I know I have.

So now I am taking on my fourth role at my company. I’m working for my fifth manager in four years. Talk about change.

So readers, wish me luck as I try something old and new at the same time. I’ll let you know how it all works out.

Later.

I guess I missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years with you so Happy Holidays!!! (Gosh, I’m lame)

I don’t have anything new to report other than I have been suffering through some health issues. Nothing I’d like to talk about here but that’s just one of the things occupying my time these days.

Work has been tough and driving back and forth to Birmingham every day is getting old. Family is fine for the most part.

I’ll try to update you in afew days with more detail. Until then, See you later.

We began the trip on Sunday by flying to Las Vegas and driving to Death Valley. If you have read my past post, then you know how much I love the desert. Especially the California and Nevada deserts. I could just sit out there and watch the world go round all day long. I think that since I never saw a dessert until recently, that is why I feel this way.

We drove through Death Valley and down through California to Merced. Our intention was to use that as our home base and drive to several other locations from there.

Merced is a quaint town and is known as the gateway to Yosemite. The great people at the Holiday Inn Express there really took good care of us. Since I am a Priority Club member, they automatically gave us the best room possible, which was a double queen suite.

The first full day in California we went to Sequoia National Park. It was a cold and drizzly most of the day, but it was great for both of us. I had never seen a Giant Sequoia. They are three hundred feet tall and huge at the trunk. We saw the largest tree in the world, named General Sherman. It was HUGE!!!! I got some realy good pics, including one with Amanda standing in a burned out trunk.

The next day we moved on to Yosemite National Park. I’ve seen a ton of beautiful places in the world but scenic wise, I believe Yosemite has the most amazing vistas in the world. We took a hike down the Merced River and saw some amazing things. The leaves are changing and the color rivals any other place in the country.

Our final destination was San Francisco. I love the show “Mythbusters” so the first place we went was the building where it is filmed. We took our picture in front of the building but didn’t get to see anyone from the show. From there we moved on to a tour of downtown, including one of the crime scenes from the infamous Zodiac murders. We also spent a good deal of time in the Golden Gate and Marin Headland. If there is a more peaceful place to watch the ocean, I haven’t seen it yet. Finally, we moved to Sausalito, just across the bay from San Fran. All in all, it was a great day. We finished up our California trip and drove back to Las Vegas.

We had a full day in Vegas the next morning so we drove out to Hoover Dam and lurked around out there for the morning. Next we decided to head back to Vegas and eat at one of the local buffets. Now I’ve eaten at the buffet before and was not all that impressed. At this point, I wanted it to be a great experience for Amanda so I hopped on the Internet and researched the best buffets. All of the locals recommended the “Studio B” buffet at the “M Hotel and Casino.” The locals were absolutely right. It is by far the best buffet I have ever eaten, including the best Sushi I have ever eaten. Seriously.

We ended our trip with a final drive down the strip and back to the airport.

All in all, it was one great trip. I wish we would have had way more time. In a way, it was a sad trip for me. I know that Amanda is married now and wil want to be taking trips like this with her Husband, Jason. Who can blame her? She and I have now traveled coast to coast with each other. I just hope she knows how much these past 21 years have meant to me.

I just hope all of her future trips are as good as our last two have been. All in all, a great trip indeed.

In case you don’t know, I only have Emily every other weekend these days. (I used to have her every weekend but her Mom got married and she and her new husband wanted to spend more time with Emily). She is 5 1/2 years old now and in Kindergarten. She is at such a magical age now.

She has homework and is learning to read and count and do so many other wonderful things. And I love being a part of everything to do with her. I guess you could say I live for those moments when she is here with me, running around or sitting in my lap or waking me up early on Saturday mornings. Like I said, magical.

That’s where the worst thing about being a good Dad comes in. It kills me knowing that she has to leave and go home tomorrow. I’ll take her to school and see her start her week off good and then all of the loneliness I feel when she is not here comes flooding back. It actually hurts really bad.

I know there are Fathers out there that can’t wait to take their children back to the ex-wife until they are burdened with them again. They feel that since the marriage didn’t work out that they should be free to go and not have any responsibilities in regards to their own kids.

Not me. I’m proud to say that I have never once turned down seeing Emily, even when it wasn’t my week or day or minute. Not once. I don’t think I ever will.

I admit that when I first found out I was going to be a Father again at the age of 38 that I didn’t know how to react. One minute I was excited, the next scared, the next perplexed. There were even times during the divorce that I was sure I’d never be able to make it financially and thought about giving up my rights so as not to have to accept the child support that I had to pay. I am ashamed of that by the way.

But once I got to see Emily born, every doubt disappeared. I knew that I would do whatever I had to do to be in this precious child’s life.

She changed me.

She has made me a better person.

I can’t imagine a day without her in it.

But I have to take her home tomorrow. Again. It’s so painful to me.

I know I’ll get by. Every day it gets easier because it brings me closer to seeing her again.

I hope this doesn’t sound crazy to you. I really love her that much. There is no other thing in the world I love as much as being a Daddy.

When my oldest Daughter Amanda was young (she’s married now and has a life of her own) I used to feel the same way.

It’s what being a good Dad is all about.

But I’ll tell you; when they are gone, it’s the worst thing about being a good Dad.

The truth is, when I hit the forty year mark, things started falling apart.

First, it was my knees. I figured they would go anyway because one of them has been injured for all of eternity. I guess the other one just got tired of picking up the slack. It now refuses to play nice.

Then there was my back. It decided at forty-two that it wanted to hurt… bad. So it did. I went to the Chiropractor and he treated the part of my back that didn’t hurt. So it still hurts. Once, I even went camping for my buddy Chris’s birthday and it hurt so bad that I slept while sitting on my knees.

These days, at forty-four and 1/2, any quick motion I make hurts some part of my body. It’s actually funny at this point. I can turn my head and do an imitation of a bowl of Rice Krispies. Snap, Crackle, and Pop.

Playing with my youngest daughter Emily is a fun activity. She wants me to chase her or pick her up or throw a ball or move in some way. I mean, move? So I have invented games that get around that activity.

There’s throw the ball at Daddy or Guess where Emily is hiding, or that soon to be favorite, The Hunt For Daddy’s iPhone. Each one of these is designed to increase Emily’s patience with her Dad.

I tried to make the switch with her to video games but the Gods of Bodily Terror found out and started killing my eyes. Now, even with my twenty-four inch iMac, I struggle to find the hidden objects in Emily’s favorite game, I-Spy.

I wish there was a way that I could turn frequent trips to the rest room into an educational learning experience but so far everything is just a little too gross.

Seriously, I guess I don’t mind getting older but I would have never guessed it would be this painful. Now I know why my Mom and Grandmother used to tell that I would regret all the things I used to do when I got older. They were right.

Oh, and one more thing. There is a certain pleasure knowing my younger friends will hit their forties soon. By then, the only thing I’ll be able to do is watch anyway. Might as well enjoy it, right?

But one thing is sure, I always find that I never wavered in my heart, only in my mind.

I have friends that do not believe in the existence of a higher power. I have always respected them for their opinions and seldom have I spoken with them about God. I guess I was embarrassed or in some cases, ashamed.

It’s funny to me that I was embarrassed. I mean, I always feel like I come off as foolish in the face of those non-believers. If you need to know one thing it is that I hate to feel foolish or stupid. I’m sure that feeling is all in my mind but it is certainly the truth.

Now let me tell you an amazing thing. I am just now coming to the realization that my love of the Lord should far exceed my need to not be embarrassed. So here it is, if I look foolish and stupid to you, that’s fine. My relationship with Jesus and god is so much more important than any hangups I may have.

Since the title of this post is titled, “My Declaration Before God” let me make a declaration:

Dear God, I love you. You walk with me and you are there with me and you show me the way. Every step I take, you are right beside me, even when I have turned my back and looked away. I want the world to know that I love you and I hope to grow closer to you every day. I promise that I will never fail to give you praise, even when it places me in a personally difficult situation. I will love you and place you in a higher place in my life, my home, and my mind.

Thanks for reading this post. If you feel offended, then that is your issue. I am proud to serve God in even the most limited capacity.

No doubt about it. I’m down.

Things just don’t seem to be going well for me these days. I believe it all stems from the fact that I am unhappy at work. I used to love my job so much but recent changes in personnel and policy have left me feeling useless a work.

You know, I never thought about how much importance I put in being a necessary “cog in the wheel” of my workplace. But I do and it is a lot.

Every job I have ever had has fulfilled my need to share in the input and creation of policy and procedure. Every job I have ever had allowed me to give input and direction. Every job I have ever had allowed me the security to use my intellect.

In my current role, I don’t feel like I have any role other than to be pointed in one direction today and a different one tomorrow. I call it spinning my wheels.

I physically and mentally dread going to my office every day. I am angry and sad that I have let it get to me this way. It’s stupid.

Over the past couple of months, I have seen it coming and have taken steps to lessen the impact on me. I actually thought I had found a new position where I could get back to the job I love but it now appears to have fallen through.

You know what? That has just made me even more sad.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I have reached my limits at my current job and I need a change fast. I will try to cope but I know me. If I don’t find something soon, I’m bound to make some choice I will regret later.

Until next time.

I have had a really busy summer so far and it doesn’t look like it will be any different any time soon.

I have been training a lot for Momentum, working on starting that business I’ve been planning for years now, hoping to create a non-profit for kids, and fishing. Out of all of those things, I haven’t gotten to do the one I love the most in a while. Fish.

Even if my fortunes don’t change at Momentum, I have to make a few changes for myself. I am wasting far too much money driving 80 mile one way to work. Plus I eat out because I am gone so long every day. I’ve given it a year and it just isn’t working.

On a different front, I get to spend time with my baby this weekend. I have only seen her one night this month. That’s killing me. I do so love that precious little girl. I bought her a few apps on my iPhone that I am going to surprise her with. I think she will love them.

Well, I’ll go for now.

From the road, good day.

The particular image I was looking at was taken on a visit Susan and I made to our friends Ray and Kim Thrasher. ray’s Sister Kay was there as well. Susan and I had just gotten married about three months before and Ray and Kim had only been married a month or so. Kay hadn’t married Rodney as of yet.

In the photo, we all sit posing with smiles. It is a very relaxed atmosphere. We were at the beginnings of our adult lives and ready to see what the world had in store for us. No children as of yet for any of us, none of our parents had passed, in Susan’s and my case no divorce, and the world was our oyster.

We weren’t thinking about jobs and retirement and putting kids through college or health issues. We were just enjoying our place in life. The future was so far away.

Still far away were times when we would begin to think about the future of our country and learn the politics of business. There hadn’t been a war since ’74.

To us, all was good.

That was twenty-two years ago and so many things have happened since the instant Kim Thrasher released the camera’s shutter. Some good and some bad. We’ve all grown and we’ve all had our peaks and valleys. The world isn’t as bright and cheerful as it was at that particular moment.

But we persevere. We grow. We live. We work. We do. One day, probably sooner than later, we will pass from this Earth.

Thinking about it now, I realize just how fortunate those people in that picture are. They are frozen in time at a moment when life was simple and had yet to reveal its plan. It was truely “The Good Ole Days.”

Having said this, it is my hope that I can take another picture today that I can look back on twenty-two years from now and say the same thing. After all, we never know the plan God has in store for us.

I guess that is why we are here; to live our lives and grow as people.

Funny. All of these rambling thoughts came from a favorite old picture.

Photography is really an Amazing thing.

Old Friends

Birthdays always make me pause and reflect on my life. I look back and see the good and the bad and try to adjust my plan for the future. This year may well be the year that I am finally growing up. I know there are, more than likely fewer, days ahead than behind.

So what were my big plans and how well am I doing in accomplishing them. Turns out, not so good.

Here is a list of things I wanted to have done by now.

1. I wanted to be a Father. – Done

2. I wanted to be in a successful marriage with the love of my life. – Definitely not there on this one.

3. I wanted to have a rewarding job that I could see was making a difference in the lives of others. – Well, nope on this one too.

4. I wanted to have a song on the radio by now. – Nope

5. I wanted to own my own house. – I did at one time but then the divorce was finalized.

6. Graduate from college. – Did that one.

7. Own a boat (that one has been with me since I was 17) – Not quite yet.

8. Be out of debt. – Seriously. Not there yet.

9. Start an organization that would help kids. – Maybe soon.

10. Own my own business. – Still a dream.

11. Travel the world. – Been there, doing that.

I am not one to give up easily but I think that some of those dreams might need to be put away. I’ve about given up on the “love of my life one.” That one seems so far away now. Same for any aspirations I have for my music. Maybe I’m not good enough or maybe it’s just that I can’t find the time to work on it like I should. I don’t know. That job thing; I don’t even know if that even exists!!

So before I turn 45, I need to have a firm plan for my future. It’s time I worked more on my relationships with family and friends and less on crazy dreams. I need to learn the lessons on life that I should already know by now. I need to be more of a realist than a dreamer.

So maybe I am growing up a bit. I just hope it’s not to late. LOL

So, why do I get so much flack about it. Can a man not like a great female artist?

First, she is very pleasing to the eyes. Not that I ever get the chance to see her because when she sings, my eyes are usually shut. This is because she relaxes me and when I relax I close my eyes.

Secondly, most of her songs touch me in a way that few other artist have before. It’s almost like she is saying the things I wish I could say. Maybe not in the same way but definitely the sentiment.

Lastly, it is refreshing to me to see an artist write, record, and perform on her own terms. Usually, we hear so much of a certain artist that we get tired of them. Dido spaces out her music so that you actually want her to come out with a new CD.

So there it is in a nutshell. I like Dido.

FYI: Favorite Dido song – White Flag. If you know me at all, you’ll know why.

Second fav: Mary’s in India – Why? Because I have had the same thing happen to me.

I have been fishing now for over 35 years but I have really been boning up on my bass fishing skill set. I am on a mission to finally catch that elusive monster that has eluded me all of these years.

Among my friends that fish, I am considered a pretty good fisherman. I always (well, almost) catch fish, no matter how hard the conditions. My mantra when fishing is not to go home fishless. While fishing, I often tell myself that I am fishing for food and that if I don’t catch something, I just won’t eat. That motivates me to no end.

But even though I have great success with the catching of bass, I have yet to catch a really big trophy fish.

The closest I have come is around six pounds. So far this year, I have caught a couple of really long, post-spawn bass weighing in at over four pounds. Had I caught them a month earlier, both would have been over sever pounds.

I know I am getting close. Just, not quite there.

Part of the reason is the waters I have been able to fish. The Coosa River system and a few small lakes. River fish are usually more streamlined from fighting the current all of their lives and the waters are heavily fished. The small lakes I have access to are also public and are fished a lot as well.

I’m not making excuses. Up until recently. I didn’t have access to a boat, which has certainly held me back. But now I have re-connected with my old friend Tim Temple, who often has me out on his boat. What a great guy. We’ve fished together off and on for twenty years. He and my other friend Marlon are pretty much my chosen fishing partners.

Tim and I were out yesterday and I got on a roll pulling fish out of the weeds. It was great. I caught my second four-plus pound bass in the past two months. I was so excited to see this big a fish in the river channel. It was so much fun indeed!

So I’ll keep on trying until I win the prize. I have made it a mission to accomplish by the end of summer. I’ll let you know if I do.

I guess that is part of the reason I have been so depressed as of late. Little things bother me more when I am depressed. In actuality, maybe they aren’t so little.

I have noticed that our culture today is sliding down a slippery slope when it comes to what is appropriate for children to see and hear. Let me explain.

The other day I was watching one of the Nickelodeon channels with Emily. During the middle of a Saturday afternoon cartoon, all of the sudden an ad for Roseanne comes on. No big deal, right? The add featured little DJ uttering siting at the kitchen table. Out of the blue, he screams a curse word!

It’s ok that Roseanne has a show and that it is on later in the evening, but cursing during a commercial on a kid’s channel? I think that goes too far.

There are some of us that watch television with our kids and I can’t help but be surprised at some of the things that make it onto the air during a traditionally kid time of the day. How has this happened? When did it get to be that adult themes and languages were so important that my child needs to see them during her favorite show?

It’s not just commercials either. People in general don’t watch what they say in public places around children. It’s a shame. We have become so conditioned to hearing these words that we as adults don’t even notice them.

I hate it. Hate it! Hate it!!!

Kid’s are at the mercy of the world. It used to be that you rest assured that your children were safe and secure from these type of situations. Back then, people used discretion when speaking in the presence of women and children and television kept the cursing and innuendo confined to late night.

No more does this seem to be the case. The only place I feel safe from all of the ills of the world is when Emily and I are together, alone in the car. It’s there that we talk without distractions. I monitor what she watches at home so I do have control over the shows but again, not the commercials.

I feel angered and frustrated because there is nothing I can do to change this emerging pattern. Media programmers live to stretch the boundaries of acceptable language and behavior. History shows that. But to do this to children? Come on now!

What’s keeping me so busy, you ask? Well, let’s start with my oldest daughter Amanda’s wedding. The big event was this past Saturday, May 9th. Oh, it was a beautiful day.

I’ll tell you, a Father never looks forward to giving his precious first-born baby away. It is a hard thing to do. By the time they get married, you have invested a great deal of time and effort trying to mold them into what you think the perfect child should be.

Of course, they turn out more like they want to and less how you plan but I believe somewhere along the way, if you have done your job correctly, they carry a little of what you instilled in them.

Amanda was glorious to say the least. Beautiful. Elegant. Perfect.

I have said much about her new husband Jason Coleman. He’s a great guy. He has all of the good characters I would hope Amanda was looking for in a husband. He is hard working, loyal, and decent. They are involved in a church family and that is a definite plus.

Only time will tell if their love is eternal, but I pray it is.

Another thing that has dominated my life these days is my job. I have been on the road since the second week in April and there doesn’t appear to be a time in the near future that it will be any different.

I have been a lot of places in the past few weeks; Conway Arkansas, Chattanooga Tennessee, Rochester, Portsmouth and Manchester New Hampshire, Providence and Warwick Rhode Island, Salem Mass, and a small part of Maine.

Today I am writing this while on a flight to Phoenix Arizona, where I’ll be for several days. Future trips include Las Vegas, Fayetteville Tennessee, and somewhere in North Carolina.

In addition to training our clients in the field, I am also in the middle of training several new resellers over the phone. Five hours a day is average.

Wow, just writing this makes me tired. I do have some good pictures from most of the places I have been lately so I will be adding them to the Photo Blog.

Well, I have some work to do while I have a four-hour flight so I’ll sign off for the moment. See you soon.

Busy to say the least.

I have been thinking a lot lately about my goals in life and what I was meant to do with the many gifts God has blessed me with. I am still working on getting a frame and photography store started in Gadsden. I am taking my time because of the current state of the economy.

Lately, and I say lately but really it has been in the past few years, I have been thinking about trying to help the young people of Alabama by forming a non-profit that is geared towards helping young people stay on the right track and learn about life through work.

I firmly believe that one of the problems with America today is my generation wanted our kids to have so much more than we had, so we just gave it to them. We didn’t make them work for rewards, we just gave them out. I am just as much to blame as anyone.

Many experts agree. The young people of today are growing up with unrealistic expectations. They feel more empowered than earlier generations and have never had to know what it is like to have to wait for something. Parents like me see that our children want something so bad and when they make us feel as though we have neglected them, we turn around and get it for them.

That was a bad move.

So I want to pass out this idea. If you want something bad enough, you should be willing to work for it. You want to go to college on a scholarship? Great. Complete this task and we’ll give you the money.

I have a lot to do to ever get something like this started but in my heart, I think it is what our young people need.

Wish me luck on ever getting this off the ground. If you are interested and want to learn more, just let me know. I have a good bit of it thought out already.

I remember the days leading up to her birth. I was working at Martin’s Family clothing in Anniston, Alabama. Susan had gone to the Dr. for her final checkup. It was a routine checkup so I didn’t go and went to work instead.

Around noon, Susan called to tell me that they were rushing her to the hospital and were going to induce labor the next day. She said not to worry and she would be all right.

Of course I left work immediately and drove the 30 miles to the hospital. When I got there, everything seemed to be fine. She was in a room and the Dr. said he had admitted her due to her having toxemia. He wanted to induce labor so that she wouldn’t have to run the risk of injuring little Amanda.

The next morning started off ok. I was there, as was my Mom, and Susan’s Mom and her sisters. It was a long day. Susan tried really hard to have the baby natural, not by choice but they couldn’t give her anything for the pain because they feared it would inhibit the birth.

Tensions were high by the time Dr. Phillips talked Susan into letting him do a cesarean of her. I was ready, for sure. I had just starting to get dressed for the procedure (I had taken all of the classes so wanted to be there for the birth) when the Dr. walked over to me and sat me down on the sofa.

I never will forget what he told me next. He said, “I can’t let you go back there. Your wife’s blood pressure is so high we have her on anti-stroke medication and there is a risk she may not make it. Just wait here and we’ll let you know as soon as we know something.”

Wow. All of m joy drained from my body. In what was supposed to be the greatest day in my life, i find out I might lose the woman I love. I can’t even begin to describe the emotions. I tear up even now whenever I think about it.

Before I could dwell on it too much, the pediatrician walked in and said, “I believe I have something that belongs to you.”

It was Amanda. My  God, I was a father.

I took her from him and he asked if I wanted to help him clean her up. We went to a room and we gave her her first bath and then he stuck a mile and a half of tubing down her nose. I realized at that moment that he was the expert and I waited outside.

I wanted to see Susan but she was not allowed any visitor until the next day. This included Amanda. Susan didn’t get to see her until the next morning.

In the end, it all turned out ok. Amanda grew up to be a beautiful woman, poised on the brink of marriage, Susan recovered and went home a few days later, and I became the great father that I am today.

It was a tough day though. I was tired and mentally exhausted. To top it off, I got a ticket on the way home. Can you beat that?

I wouldn’t change a thing though. God blessed me that day, and he continues to shower that blessing on me to this day.

So, Happy 21st Birthday Amanda. May you have a hundred more!!!! I love you.

You should count yourself as being blessed. My friends Chris and Joel have t hear every new idea (or scheme) that I have. Every one. All day. Every day. From there, those that work near me hear some of this stuff too.

Like I said, be thankful you only have to read the ramblings.

The reason I mention this at all is because I was working on a project for the company I work for and I decided to take a break and check the news. I was reading an article about a future miracle drug that is going to be a combined blood pressure, aspirin, and cholesterol medication.

I started thinking about how far medicine has come in the past 100 years. Eventually, there will be all kinds of life-prolonging pills and treatments. It is amazing.

As my mind wondered more, I thought about how great it would be if there were a way to bring you back to life for a short period of time in a temporary body so that you could get done the things that really needed to be done. You know, get your life in order.

So many people pass before they get the chance to finish the things they want to finish. I’m not taking about paining the house or fixing the roof. I’m talking about the important things.

Image this; you wake up at the hospital and are told you have been revived for one week and only one week. What would you do with this second chance?

You could make sure your loved ones knew how important they are to you. You could throw a party, kind of like a pre-funeral. You could make sure you had a will and that your family will be properly provided for.

So many things.

Here are a few I would try to do:

First, I’d want to spend time with both of my girls. I’d do everything I could to make the last time we spend together on Earth special. I would record videos that could be played back at every magor event in their lives; graduations, wedding days, birthdays, and anything I could think of.

Next, I’d want to insure I had done everything in my power to resolve any conflicts I had with the people I love. This way, there would be no guilt or grief after I had passed for good.

I would also like to collect and record any thoughts that came to mind during this period. I am pretty creative so I’m sure that would be a task.

On my last night alive, I would love to gather those people, friends and family, together for one last meal. One last night of communion. One last farewell. One last goodnight.

When all of this had been accomplished, I’d like to spend the last hour in prayer, thanking God for the wonderful chance I had been given. And when that last moment arrived, I’d want to be sitting on the bank of some beautiful river, playing my guitar.

See, I told you all that my mind never stops.

As we all know, there is no such miracle. So what I am going to do is try to get as much of this stuff done now, while I have the will, mind, and body. I;ll start with you, the reader. This journal has been up on the Internet for four years now. I started it as a music journal but it has become the only real outlet for my thoughts.

Thanks for checking back with me over those past four years. I never would have kept writing if I knew I had no one reading. You have blessed me with an outlet to share my thoughts and ideas.

Again, thanks so much.

I love the quiet and peacefulness of a cemetery. It’s not a morbid thing to me. I view it as a record of history.

Lately, the same can be said of the obituary. I guess it is something that you start to notice as you get a little older. While most obituaries are short and to the point, I like the long ones that make you feel as if you might have actually known the person in life. Or wished you did.

I was reading one this morning, a man had passed away at the age of 99. He had driven trucks and made Jeep tires during WWII, and after he retired from the tires plant, went on to work at a church. Can you imagine the stories he could have told?

I love history and every time I read one of these long obituaries, I am touched in some way. In a very short span of time, a few sentences really, you can sum up a person’s life.

That amazes me. Live life all that time and have it summarized into three or four paragraphs.

I want to live the kind of life that it would take a book to write to tell it all. The truth is, almost anyone’s life could fill a book. It would be pretty interesting as well. Why? Because every life is precious and has a story to tell.

I guess I am just a romantic at heart. I value life and what it means to live. I value history and what it has to tell. I know that  the journey one takes is at least as important as the destination they reach.

Well, the weather here has been great the past few days and I have gone out a few times to take some pictures, some of which are pretty good. I’ve posted them at http://imagesbyjimbrowning.com if you want to see them.

Music hasn’t been going that well. Chris, Mike, and I started up the band again but we have hit a snag. It’s a shame too. I was just getting back into it. Playing live with other people is great. Maybe we can get it all back on track, I just don’t know.

Emily is now on her new visitation with me. It went from every weekend and a day a week to every other weekend. It’s killing me. I don’t think any man loves his kids more than I love mine. My life is just not complete when they are away.  So keep me in your thoughts and prayers that I will have strength to do what is best for Em.

On a happier note, one of my old friends from high school, Kim Partee,  got in touch with me yesterday. It was great talking to her. We talked forever and I still didn’t want to hang up. That’s what happens when you get two cool people together.

Work is the same. I’m still not as happy as I would like to be. I just don’t seem to be doing what I think I need to be doing. Our company just bought another company so I am hanging in there to see what happens.

Well, we’re all caught up for the moment. I’ll write more when I have the time.