Thought for The Day - Keeping it Together

Step, step, step, step, sli-i-i-i-i-de! That's me yesterday at noon. Out for a walk before getting lunch, the ground still wet from rain the previous day. My shoes are probably best designed for people who would be standing stationary most of the day, not for walking a mile or so each day. The soles are rubber, padded, but the combination of my size and gait, makes me slide from time to time. This is a very dangerous undertaking, considering I have herniated discs in my back and of late, the muscles are extremely sensitive! So many reasons to keep my steps lined up and conscious of every surface I encounter along the way! And a good reason to buy a pair of walking shoes for this latest form of exercise!

Though this back condition is alarming, my assurance comes from doing what I can to keep things together. Daily exercise not only helps to minimize back pain, the types of exercises I do help to keep me strong. A variety of stretches focus on all muscles to ensure the cardio and strength training doesn't leave the muscles sore and stiff. Well, actually they are, but that is to be expected, considering the types of weight I lift.

I keep myself moving, twisting and lifting because I hope to be able to move well from now until I am called home. I have no guarantees on that future, but I do have the capability of ensuring what I'm doing makes me a healthier man. What are you in relation to your goals?

Thought for The Day - Grown

Rise 18 x 24, pastel

When did I get to a point where "Louisiana Hot Sauce" wasn't hot enough? I can still remember seeing my parents and other adults shaking it on food and thinking "there's no way I would put that on my food!" And yet, here I am, a grown man, willing to combine hot sauce and jalapeños on a sandwich or other foods! Just 'yesterday,' I dabbed a little on my finger, put it to my mouth and had to wash it down with a glass of water. And now, if I prepare a meal, I've got to have FIRE!

Tastes, desires and needs change as we grow older. Some things we adopt may not necessarily be good for us. I remember when I developed a "healthy appetite" and filled my plate with food. I remember when I went back for seconds and it wasn't dessert! The skinny kid grew up to be an overweight man, constantly fighting the battle to be thin again! And in so many ways, I wouldn't have it any other way!

Growing up, I could be glued to the television for hours; now, if I sit for a few minutes, I'm fast sleep. As a teenager, I could ride a skateboard for hours and play basketball in my parent's backyard as long. I wouldn't dare get on a skateboard these days and basketball? I'm not interested in watching anyone play it for more than a few minutes!

One's needs and interests change as you mature and what was once boring is now a great time. But one thing has not changed; that's my love of music and visual art. The combination is my morning routine. Now granted, I could not imagine waking before dawn - and I'm not talking a few minutes before! I'm talking an hour or two most mornings! Sitting down to write and journal, music surrounds me, as well as the work of my hands. Images in process, completed and others to inspire, surround me. And it's been that way since I was a "small lad." Even down to the music genre and medium of choice; the two have remained constant. I didn't have access to oil paints or the skills to do what I do now, but it was my dream. And thank you Lord, dreams come true!

Be blessed and hold tight to dreams!

Thought for The Day - Tick-Tock

Hey Mama! 18 x 24 charcoal, pastels

Whatever your age, have you considered how quickly your life has gone by? Depending on your age, you can recall the markers, the indicators that give the impression you've been "here" for a while. But walk with me for a little while. Consider these indicators:

1. A time when you were a child, before school, even kindergarten. Recall an event, a memory of being the small one in a room or playing with 'peers.'
2. The years in school; a teacher you admired or a teacher who made you miserable! Classmates, endless homework, being ridiculed, bullied, or maybe you were the Big Man/Woman on Campus!
3. College years; those few years before you are ushered into adulthood. Your sense that while college was fun, it was a short distance between childhood (being taken care of) and adulthood (the time when you were expected to be the responsible one - and everything that comes along with it!).
4. Your first, second, and maybe third "job." Maybe it was your career, the dream job, the place and occupation you always wanted. Perhaps it was less so, it was a means to an end, a way to put food on the table. And maybe you truly despised any number of jobs held in your adult years
5. Watching your children being born, growing older and seeing yourself and your parents in this new relationship. Remembering their days in school and struggling with homework. Your challenge either being learning the "new math" or trying to recall how to do this stuff.
6. Sending your children off to college - I'm there now - or realizing they would never "come home again." But your trying to put on a brave face, while your heart aches to have them near.
7. Looking forward to retirement; who wants to do this stuff for the rest of their life? Rising early, fighting traffic to get a place where you are considered the Old man or woman, and nearly dismissed. Or maybe you're respected, but you know it's a matter of time before you need to put this behind you.
8. Grandchildren! The circle of life continues as you listen to your children's stories of "firsts" and having to help with homework!
9. Retirement; those years where life seems to slow down, but in retrospect, weren't you just a little boy or girl, sitting at the kitchen table?

My wife's aunt passed away yesterday and as I got up this morning, I remembered one picture of her with my mother-in-law from our wedding photo album. She would have been in her early 60's when we married. She died at the tender age of 87. That was 26 years ago that my wife and I said "I do." There are days where I can't wait for _______! But it's moment's like this, I wish I could freeze or slow down time and just be in this spot for a lot longer. Consider your life; the moments, days and years...time doesn't seem as long when we consider how quickly it flies.