Seeing It Again For The First Time

Our children are the greatest joy in my and my wife's life. We have three: a 5 year old boy -- Joshua; a 3 year old boy -- Caleb; and a baby daughter (5 months) -- Hannah. As they grow up I'm reminded of what it's like to be a kid again, experiencing life and all it has to offer. I remember those long summer days, hot summer nights -- catching lightning bugs was about the coolest thing that summer brought, well, except for the fireworks on the 4th of July! And it was non-stop from 9am to 9pm. And now I'm watching my boys just live it up not caring one lick that it's 90+ degrees outside. Me? I work in an air-conditioned office all day and I dread the thought of stepping outside for 15 minutes to go grab a bite to eat at lunchtime. But not Josh and Caleb. If they don't have to be inside, they aren't. Climbing trees, swinging on the swingset, running, jumping, hitting rocks with sticks, playing with the dog and cat -- stop for a drink of water -- and off again! Their biggest concern? Exactly how many bites of chicken casserole do I have to eat so Mom and Dad will let me go back outside and play before it gets too dark? Childhood is such a sweet gift from God. God knows how we get as adults and gives us a few brief years to romp around and -- as Thoreau so aptly put it -- "suck out all the marrow of life" before, unfortunately we allow life to suck the marrow out of us. So this Independence Day weekend, stop and be a kid again. Take a cue from the kids -- run and jump and play and enjoy the simple and blessed gift of life all given to us by God.

I Reject Your Reality...

I suppose I'll never understand the whole idea behind lying in the moment to gain a temporary victory. Lemme 'splain. Would you lie to your future wife or husband just to get them to marry you only to have them find out about the lie and it permanently damage your relationship? Now, if this scenario seems totally "workable" to you, then you're not going to get where I'm going with this. If however, you're sitting there saying, "Yeah, that's just stupid", stick with me.

So why am I bringing this up??? Because I see first hand that philosophy in motion on an almost daily basis. Except in my case, it's in the business world. Lie, lie, lie your face off to get the business and then worry about correcting the lies after the customer is in the door. HUH? When did we decide that people are so incredibly dumb that when they find out that we are lying to them they will just say, "Well, I'm here. I might as well stay!" I wouldn't stay with any company that lied to get my business; I wouldn't find it flattering; I would look at it as cheap and underhanded; why would I want to do business with someone who couldn't even tell me the truth up front, even if it meant that I might not choose to do business with them!

There's a scripture that says the..."wages of sin is death." Simply put, you play with fire, you're going to get burned...up. When will people learn that if you want longevity out of life, love, and even work and school then honesty will always be the best policy. You don't have to keep track of the lie trail you've told; you don't have to worry about being seen as two-faced; you don't have to come up with elaborate ways to prevent people from finding out the truth. Frankly, lying is just too exhausting and I've got better things to do with my time. I'm sure there will be more to come on this topic in the future so stay tuned...

The Voice of the Civil War

If you are as big a buff of Civil War history as I am, then you are just as saddened at the news that Shelby Foote passed away. Foote was the first literary historian that I felt like really brought the Civil War to life in a way no one else had. I was introduced to him through Ken Burns' series; I really felt he was the highlight of the show in so many ways. I know Civil War buffs everywhere are bowing their heads for a moment of silence...

He Just Won't Die

King Kong is back again...this time in the form of Peter Jackson's vision due to release in December of this year. Last night the trailer aired on TV; I didn't see it then but caught it this morning on the web. It looks pretty decent -- decent enough to make me want to see it. I'm sure follow up trailers will entice even more as Jackson has become a master at making the fantastic appear real. It's amazing how far the movies have come. In 1933, when the original was released by RKO pictures, they used 18-inch models utilizing a technique called stop-motion animation to make KK appear alive. If you've ever seen it, it's cheesy by today's standards -- but it was ahead of its time, and still a great movie! When the next major "remake" hit the screens in 1976, it was a guy in a gorilla suit with some snazzy 1970's special effects thrown in for good measure; mankind never should have been burdened with this release (blah!). But now, with computers being a driving force behind many creatures we see on screen these days, a fully realized CGI KK will be the star. Bet that would blow the minds of RKO executives! In case you didn't see it, here's the trailer, enjoy!

I Probably Won't Win for Originality...

I've debated starting a blog for some time. It should have been a no-brainer; I love to write; I love to speak my mind; I love to share stories with people; and frankly, I'm tired of all the half-witted, seriously destructive stuff you and I have to endure every day on TV, in the papers, on the Net, at work, at school, at Wal-mart -- well, pretty much anywhere we are anymore. But I digress a bit. It's not all bad. That's really my intent behind this blog. The journey of life is full of great days and horrible ones; candy and cavities; Dolby surround sound in my living room and running the risk of losing my hearing at an early age because I love to watch movies at volumes so high that the bass from the subwoofer shakes the oak beams in this 40 year old house I live in...that's the wonder we call life. And here, I hope to explore it, ponder it, shape it, absorb it, share it, and treasure it with anyone who's willing to listen...even if it's just me. Used to, people had diaries -- private thoughts for a private book; now, all the world's a stage and I'm the performer. So as I end this first post -- thanks for popping in; enjoy the show.