Homestretch on TV
Jun/01/2009 12:46 PM
Some months back, I told you all about my friend,
Sheri Bylander’s incredible movie about
racehorses and prisoners, called
“Homestretch.”
Last Fall, Sheri had a showing of the film here in Dallas at the Magnolia, and we got to see this fantastic film first hand.
The really cool news is that PBS has picked up the film, and is now planning to offer it to local affiliates, starting in April.
Below is an email I got from Sheri today about all the times that are already confirmed... (Read the rest. Click here)
Last Fall, Sheri had a showing of the film here in Dallas at the Magnolia, and we got to see this fantastic film first hand.
The really cool news is that PBS has picked up the film, and is now planning to offer it to local affiliates, starting in April.
Below is an email I got from Sheri today about all the times that are already confirmed... (Read the rest. Click here)
Auto-Matically Crazy
Feb/27/2009 09:16 AM
I had a hard disk crash last week, which means I am
now hopelessly behind in Facebook notes. Yes, I want
to do the album cover, and my 15 "desert isle" CDs,
and my Musical Facts. Those are all cool. But I don't
have time to do those today.
However, these questions, given to me by fellow Nashbillian, JP, have been written up and ready to go for a week..since the day the hard disk crashed...so here you go....(ps: I added the question about wrecks, and today's dream car...) EF
Is it true we are what we drive? Compile a list of vehicles that have been in your life.
(i.e., autos, trucks, any internal combustion or electric/hybrid vehicle)
Instructions: Copy this page to the body in “notes”
Delete previous answers and then add your own.
Tag as many people as you wish to receive it.
Then click “publish” in notes section
(Read the rest. Click here)
However, these questions, given to me by fellow Nashbillian, JP, have been written up and ready to go for a week..since the day the hard disk crashed...so here you go....(ps: I added the question about wrecks, and today's dream car...) EF
Is it true we are what we drive? Compile a list of vehicles that have been in your life.
(i.e., autos, trucks, any internal combustion or electric/hybrid vehicle)
Instructions: Copy this page to the body in “notes”
Delete previous answers and then add your own.
Tag as many people as you wish to receive it.
Then click “publish” in notes section
(Read the rest. Click here)
Yeats' Five Book Meme
Feb/11/2009 07:40 AM
DIRECTIONS
1. Take five books off your bookshelf.
2. Book #1 -- first sentence
3. Book #2 -- last sentence on page fifty
4. Book #3 -- second sentence on page one hundred
5. Book #4 -- next to the last sentence on page one hundred fifty
6. Book #5 -- final sentence of the book
7. Make the five sentences into a paragraph:
(Read the rest. Click here)
1. Take five books off your bookshelf.
2. Book #1 -- first sentence
3. Book #2 -- last sentence on page fifty
4. Book #3 -- second sentence on page one hundred
5. Book #4 -- next to the last sentence on page one hundred fifty
6. Book #5 -- final sentence of the book
7. Make the five sentences into a paragraph:
(Read the rest. Click here)
Sixteen Random Things About Me
Feb/08/2009 08:17 PM
DMN Reporter , Jeffery Weiss wrote
this interesting story
that ran in this weekend's paper. It's all about the
phenomenon of "25 Random Things." It does seem to be
spreading like wildfire, as is Facebook itself. I can
tell you from my own non-scientific experience that
folks are joining Facebook right and left over these
past few months...a virtual (pun intended) explosion
of old friends and family.
So, in honor of Jeffery's story, I thought I'd repost my list of "things" to my blog. (For those on Facebook, you'll be seeing this for the second time)
I should self-disclose that when this game was forwarded to me, it was only sixteen things. Jeffery's story points out that somewhere along the way it jumped the shark to 25. Who knows how that happened. But I'm sticking with my sixteen....
(Read the rest. Click here)
So, in honor of Jeffery's story, I thought I'd repost my list of "things" to my blog. (For those on Facebook, you'll be seeing this for the second time)
I should self-disclose that when this game was forwarded to me, it was only sixteen things. Jeffery's story points out that somewhere along the way it jumped the shark to 25. Who knows how that happened. But I'm sticking with my sixteen....
(Read the rest. Click here)
Christmas 2008
Jan/16/2009 04:59 PM
I thought I'd posted this to my blog two weeks ago,
but I think I just posted to Facebook. (Things get a
little jumbled up sometimes...)
Here's a video of Christmas at the lake this year, which I am reminded to post today, because we're back here again for quick visit. It's very cold here today, but we're enjoying the fire and the company.
(Read the rest. Click here)
Here's a video of Christmas at the lake this year, which I am reminded to post today, because we're back here again for quick visit. It's very cold here today, but we're enjoying the fire and the company.
(Read the rest. Click here)
Dust and old Power Converters
Jan/04/2009 08:18 PM
Can a new laptop lead you to redecorate a house?
Maybe not, but it dang sure caused a lot of mid-winter cleaning around here.
(Read the rest. Click here)
Maybe not, but it dang sure caused a lot of mid-winter cleaning around here.
(Read the rest. Click here)
Here Comes the Sun 2008
Jan/01/2009 02:22 AM
Richie Havens updates his version of the great song.
Happy New Year, everyone... (Read the rest. Click here)
Happy New Year, everyone... (Read the rest. Click here)
Merry Christmas from Eric, Dennise and Maria!!!
Dec/25/2008 10:49 AM
We've been doing e-Christmas letters since before
they were cool. This year's version is below. Happy
holidays, everyone...EF
(Read the rest. Click here)
(Read the rest. Click here)
Summer Vacation 2008
Dec/24/2008 07:57 PM
A movie of our trip to Philly, Boston, New York and
Washington. Somehow, we didn't get a single pic of
our friends, Sheri and Evan, which seems so wrong.
With that great omission confessed, enjoy the rest:
(Read the rest. Click here)
With that great omission confessed, enjoy the rest:
(Read the rest. Click here)
Christmas Musical
Dec/24/2008 07:54 PM
Clips from Maria in her school musical a week ago.
Note her spot-on voicing of a Charlie Brown Christmas
character:
(Read the rest. Click here)
(Read the rest. Click here)
Gymnastics Meets in 2008
Dec/24/2008 07:53 PM
Here's a montage of Maria in some of her meets from
this year:
(Read the rest. Click here)
(Read the rest. Click here)
Prestonwood Talent Show (You Can't Stop the Beat)
Dec/24/2008 07:51 PM
Maria and Brittany in the Talent Show last Spring:
(Read the rest. Click here)
(Read the rest. Click here)
Where The Wild Things Are
Aug/22/2008 05:47 PM
In our North Dallas suburban neighborhood,
apparently....
(Read the rest. Click here)
(Read the rest. Click here)
Why I Hate Email
Aug/22/2008 09:02 AM
Over the past few years, I have come to a growing and
inescapable conclusion:
I now hate email.
Given the fact that, among my close family and friends, I am still probably the most wired-in person they know, it may sound as if I've gone off some deep end. Maybe you're thinking this makes me a cultural luddite.
I don't care.
But the facts of the matter are that I have grown to hate email for three basic reasons:
1) There's too much of it, and
2) People don't know how to use it, and
3) It can be so easily misunderstood in ways that face-to-face communication almost never is.
For months now, I believed I was alone in this growing distaste. But then, several weeks back, I stumbled on blogger and time management guru Tim Ferriss, author of the book "The Four Hour Workweek." Tim hates email so much that he's all but eliminated it from his life. And he's the most "wired" guy that most of his friends know. Inspired by him, I quickly used some of what I'll write below in a sermon.
Then, yesterday, that hip and happenin' cultural barometer known as the Dallas Morning News (turn on your sarcasm detectors) posted a story, titled "Overloaded in boxes lead to email backlash." And I suddenly knew that email-hate was a true current phenomenon in our cultural zeitgeist.
So, dear readers, if you feel the same growing anger about email that I do, know this:
-- You are not alone.
-- There are things you can do about it. (Read the rest. Click here)
Given the fact that, among my close family and friends, I am still probably the most wired-in person they know, it may sound as if I've gone off some deep end. Maybe you're thinking this makes me a cultural luddite.
I don't care.
But the facts of the matter are that I have grown to hate email for three basic reasons:
1) There's too much of it, and
2) People don't know how to use it, and
3) It can be so easily misunderstood in ways that face-to-face communication almost never is.
For months now, I believed I was alone in this growing distaste. But then, several weeks back, I stumbled on blogger and time management guru Tim Ferriss, author of the book "The Four Hour Workweek." Tim hates email so much that he's all but eliminated it from his life. And he's the most "wired" guy that most of his friends know. Inspired by him, I quickly used some of what I'll write below in a sermon.
Then, yesterday, that hip and happenin' cultural barometer known as the Dallas Morning News (turn on your sarcasm detectors) posted a story, titled "Overloaded in boxes lead to email backlash." And I suddenly knew that email-hate was a true current phenomenon in our cultural zeitgeist.
So, dear readers, if you feel the same growing anger about email that I do, know this:
-- You are not alone.
-- There are things you can do about it. (Read the rest. Click here)
A test post
Aug/04/2008 04:03 PM
OK. I've now tried twice to post a blog, and had
something go horribly wrong both times.
So, for my own sanity, I need to see if I can do a normal post. Sorry for the clutter. (Read the rest. Click here)
So, for my own sanity, I need to see if I can do a normal post. Sorry for the clutter. (Read the rest. Click here)
I'm All a-Twitter (Yes, That's Horribly Cliche. Sue me.)
Aug/03/2008 04:22 PM
In my shameless efforts to stay hip and current, I
thought I'd let you all know I've joined Twitter.
I've also joined Facebook. As I said when I joined
Myspace, this probably marks the moment when both of
these things become officially un-hip. Which, of
course, has been an un-hip way to describe un-hip
things for about two decades now.
So the truth is, I'm not that hip. But for those of you where are, here's the scoop... (Read the rest. Click here)
So the truth is, I'm not that hip. But for those of you where are, here's the scoop... (Read the rest. Click here)
Dennise is 40!!!
Jun/21/2008 05:12 PM
Dennise's 40th birthday is this coming Friday. But we
had a party for her today. Thanks to all who came.
For those of you who were there, this is the video I
was talking about. For everyone else, this a brief,
forty-year highlight reel, sans Chris Berman, but
with a lot nicer music.
Feel free to watch it early and often:
(Read the rest. Click here)
Feel free to watch it early and often:
(Read the rest. Click here)
New Ways to Look at Fathers
Jun/15/2008 06:01 AM
On Father's Day this year, I remind myself that
parenting is hard. And it's getting harder all the
time. It's not just the outside forces that are
challenging to a parent's influence and
effectiveness, it's also internal changes to our
family structures themselves that have pushed the
envelope.
I have always said that the untold story of women working full time is that fatherhood, of necessity, must also change. Far too often, however, when modern families are written up in the media, it's still the same old model that's assumed: a woman can work outside the home, but she's still in charge of everything at home too.
That's why I'm pleased to see this very long story in the New York Times today that points to a different, and still relatively new, model: When Mom and Dad Share it All
The story starts out by telling the tale of "Marc" and "Amy," two modern parents who made the decision to not live our traditional roles of fatherhood and motherhood, or even by the neo-traditional role where the modern working mom still shoulders most of the familial burden. As the story tells it: (Read the rest. Click here)
I have always said that the untold story of women working full time is that fatherhood, of necessity, must also change. Far too often, however, when modern families are written up in the media, it's still the same old model that's assumed: a woman can work outside the home, but she's still in charge of everything at home too.
That's why I'm pleased to see this very long story in the New York Times today that points to a different, and still relatively new, model: When Mom and Dad Share it All
The story starts out by telling the tale of "Marc" and "Amy," two modern parents who made the decision to not live our traditional roles of fatherhood and motherhood, or even by the neo-traditional role where the modern working mom still shoulders most of the familial burden. As the story tells it: (Read the rest. Click here)
Theo is Here!
May/27/2008 05:30 PM
This is what my brother-in-law Chris called to tell
us yesterday morning. Theo was born yesterday at
about 4 am.
Dennise, Maria and me made a quick (and surprise) visit yesterday afternoon, since we had the day off and Denise was feeling better.
Here are pics from my Dad... (Read the rest. Click here)
Dennise, Maria and me made a quick (and surprise) visit yesterday afternoon, since we had the day off and Denise was feeling better.
Here are pics from my Dad... (Read the rest. Click here)
Holy Hail, Batman!
May/15/2008 11:20 PM
We got some pretty serious rain through here last
night, but nothing like what my sister and her
husband, Chris, got down in Austin.
On her picture blog, she sez this: (Read the rest. Click here)
On her picture blog, she sez this: (Read the rest. Click here)
Maria at the 2008 State Gymnastics Meet
May/10/2008 11:07 PM
Some
video of my favorite gymnast:
(Read the rest. Click
here)
All's Well
May/07/2008 06:51 PM
Thanks for the many notes and emails about Dennise's
surgery.
It's now Wednesday night, and Maria and I have just returned from the hospital and a late afternoon visit. The surgery went perfectly...no complications. There is a pathology being run, but the doc says, from the looks of things, no bad news is expected.
Dennise insisted that Maria and I come home tonight, so that we aren't all three sleeping in a strange place this evening. D's Mom will stay with her at Presby. tonight.
We were well cared for at the hospital by Northaven friends and staff, and have a great home cooked meal tonight from them to come home to.
She'll probably be there until Friday, and then will have as much as two weeks recovery at home.
We appreciate your prayers. We are deeply grateful.
More info as it becomes available. (Read the rest. Click here)
It's now Wednesday night, and Maria and I have just returned from the hospital and a late afternoon visit. The surgery went perfectly...no complications. There is a pathology being run, but the doc says, from the looks of things, no bad news is expected.
Dennise insisted that Maria and I come home tonight, so that we aren't all three sleeping in a strange place this evening. D's Mom will stay with her at Presby. tonight.
We were well cared for at the hospital by Northaven friends and staff, and have a great home cooked meal tonight from them to come home to.
She'll probably be there until Friday, and then will have as much as two weeks recovery at home.
We appreciate your prayers. We are deeply grateful.
More info as it becomes available. (Read the rest. Click here)
Your Prayers and Happy Thoughts, Please.
May/05/2008 08:36 PM
The Judge will be going into a Presbyterian Hospital
on Wednesday, for surgery to remove an ovarian cyst.
She's expected to be there there until at least through Friday, possibly Saturday.
Please pray for Dennise, the surgeons and staff, and Maria and me.
More later, after we're home...and probably no other entries for some days...EF (Read the rest. Click here)
She's expected to be there there until at least through Friday, possibly Saturday.
Please pray for Dennise, the surgeons and staff, and Maria and me.
More later, after we're home...and probably no other entries for some days...EF (Read the rest. Click here)
OK...It Seemed to Work...
Apr/22/2008 07:32 AM
Shock of shocks, my blog/website update seems to have
worked. Without too much disruption (besides a
three-month absence) the site is now back in
business.
There are still a couple of unresolved issues:
One issue is that the comments are all screwed up. For reasons beyond my understanding, the comments are not posting to the correct blog entry. In most cases, they seem to be about two entries behind where they should be. This is the one single issue I worked hardest to resolve these past few months, to absolutely no avail. I would have had this site back up two months ago if I could've resolved this issue quickly. But I've given up.
So the truth may be this: any comments for entries prior to this one may be hopelessly screwed up, and there may be no way to ever fix them. Sorry for that.
Also, the picture pages are still messed up. The pic pages are dependent upon iPhoto, and I have yet to repopulate my iPhoto library. The pics are all there, in a folder on the new backup hard drive, but they are totally unsorted and unnamed...and sorting them's gonna take a lot more time. So, please be patient while we work to recreate this section of the website.
Finally, I noticed recently that the blog does not render correctly for people using the Windoze version of Internet Explorer. The margins are all screwed up, and I can't figure out why. If anybody knows the answer to this mystery, please let me know. The pages render just fine using Safari or Firefox...or using any program on a Mac. (Surprised?)
I wouldn't worry about this, but for the sheer number of potential readers out there using IE. So, I am sensitive to this issue and working to resolve it. But if you are inspired, it might be good time to switch to Firefox.
More later... (Read the rest. Click here)
There are still a couple of unresolved issues:
One issue is that the comments are all screwed up. For reasons beyond my understanding, the comments are not posting to the correct blog entry. In most cases, they seem to be about two entries behind where they should be. This is the one single issue I worked hardest to resolve these past few months, to absolutely no avail. I would have had this site back up two months ago if I could've resolved this issue quickly. But I've given up.
So the truth may be this: any comments for entries prior to this one may be hopelessly screwed up, and there may be no way to ever fix them. Sorry for that.
Also, the picture pages are still messed up. The pic pages are dependent upon iPhoto, and I have yet to repopulate my iPhoto library. The pics are all there, in a folder on the new backup hard drive, but they are totally unsorted and unnamed...and sorting them's gonna take a lot more time. So, please be patient while we work to recreate this section of the website.
Finally, I noticed recently that the blog does not render correctly for people using the Windoze version of Internet Explorer. The margins are all screwed up, and I can't figure out why. If anybody knows the answer to this mystery, please let me know. The pages render just fine using Safari or Firefox...or using any program on a Mac. (Surprised?)
I wouldn't worry about this, but for the sheer number of potential readers out there using IE. So, I am sensitive to this issue and working to resolve it. But if you are inspired, it might be good time to switch to Firefox.
More later... (Read the rest. Click here)
(Tap, tap....testing, testing...one, two three...) Miss Me?
Apr/22/2008 12:40 AM
If everything goes according to plan (and it seldom
does...) you're reading the first new blog entry from
my in about three months. (Read the
rest. Click here)
Maria at Gymnastics Meet, Spring 2007
Dec/19/2007 08:20 AM
Maria at her gymnastics meet on April 21, 2007.
This is video of her bar and floor routine: (Read the rest. Click here)
This is video of her bar and floor routine: (Read the rest. Click here)
Merry Christmas from Eric, Maria and Dennise
Dec/16/2007 06:37 AM
Grocery Store- The Extended Dance Mix
Dec/15/2007 04:32 PM
A few days back, I posted
this.
What follows is a slightly longer version, stitched
together....just because I think it's so cute:
(Read the rest. Click
here)
The Balance of a Gymnast
Dec/15/2007 04:07 PM
Here is Maria at a recent Y Princess Campout, showing
no fear on the challenge course, and showing a
balance that comes from her gymnast training:
(Read the rest. Click
here)
Maria's Grocerystore Birthday Dance
Dec/07/2007 05:39 PM
We gave Maria one of those cool new iPod Nanos for
her birthday in September. I spent a couple of days
loading it up with all her favorite Hannah Montana,
and High School musical songs.
When you're ten, birthdays are still a big deal. You remember, don't you? Remember thinking it was probably the most special day of the year.
So, on Maria's birthday, we were shopping at Albertson's, and she had on the new iPod. What she didn't know is that I had my Treo, and I was taking movies.
Here's just a small portion of Maria's Birthday Grocerystore Dance: (Read the rest. Click here)
When you're ten, birthdays are still a big deal. You remember, don't you? Remember thinking it was probably the most special day of the year.
So, on Maria's birthday, we were shopping at Albertson's, and she had on the new iPod. What she didn't know is that I had my Treo, and I was taking movies.
Here's just a small portion of Maria's Birthday Grocerystore Dance: (Read the rest. Click here)
A JackO-Lantern's Heart
Oct/31/2007 08:52 PM
To the best of my knowledge, Peter Mayer holds the
distinction of having written the world's only
Halloween folk song. You may not have heard it, but
it's really pretty popular in the acoustic music
world. And when I Googled it, I even
discovered
a sculpture inspired by
it.
I hope you will not only enjoy these lyrics but also support Peter by buying his stuff here.
Happy Halloween, everyone... (Read the rest. Click here)
I hope you will not only enjoy these lyrics but also support Peter by buying his stuff here.
Happy Halloween, everyone... (Read the rest. Click here)
Do you remember, the 21st night of September?
Sep/21/2007 09:23 AM
"Do you remember the 21st night of september?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away"
Today is my birthday. And in a deeply personal way, it's always been awesome to have a birthday associated with such a bitchingly cool "Earth, Wind, and Fire" song. Especially one that I remember from my own past, as a great dance track in my high school days. When I DJed dances, back in the day, we'd pretty much play all of EWT's Greatest Hits, and September was among everyone's favorites.
But, for me, late September has always been a magical time for many other birthday reasons. For, you see, next week is my Mom's birthday (September 29th). And so it was always cool to not only have a birthday remembered in an EWT song, but also one close to Mom's too.
That would be cool enough. But, turns out, last Saturday, September 15th, was my daughter's birthday...her tenth. (Read the rest. Click here)
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away"
Today is my birthday. And in a deeply personal way, it's always been awesome to have a birthday associated with such a bitchingly cool "Earth, Wind, and Fire" song. Especially one that I remember from my own past, as a great dance track in my high school days. When I DJed dances, back in the day, we'd pretty much play all of EWT's Greatest Hits, and September was among everyone's favorites.
But, for me, late September has always been a magical time for many other birthday reasons. For, you see, next week is my Mom's birthday (September 29th). And so it was always cool to not only have a birthday remembered in an EWT song, but also one close to Mom's too.
That would be cool enough. But, turns out, last Saturday, September 15th, was my daughter's birthday...her tenth. (Read the rest. Click here)
Watch the World Go By. Literally.
Sep/03/2007 04:28 PM
File this under:
"Cool Things You Can Find on the Web"
The clock/counter below comes from this guy. (Read the rest. Click here)
The clock/counter below comes from this guy. (Read the rest. Click here)
Father's Day
Jun/17/2007 05:27 PM
Don't think I can really do much better today than to
refer you to
what I wrote
two-years-ago.
Happy Father's Day, everyone. (Read the rest. Click here)
Happy Father's Day, everyone. (Read the rest. Click here)
May 29
May/29/2007 11:45 PM
Like most dates on the yearly calendar, if you look
back through history at May 29 you find a lot of
interesting things happened. (Read the rest.
Click here)
Bragging on Dennise (Again)
Mar/01/2007 07:27 AM
As I mentioned two weeks
ago,
I have yet another reason to brag about Dennise.
Tonight at SMU, Dennise will receive the SMU Women’s Symposium "Profiles in Leadership Award." The Profiles in Leadership Award "recognizes Dallas women who exemplify the purpose of the Women’s Symposium, which is to educate women for social and political leadership." (Read the rest. Click here)
Tonight at SMU, Dennise will receive the SMU Women’s Symposium "Profiles in Leadership Award." The Profiles in Leadership Award "recognizes Dallas women who exemplify the purpose of the Women’s Symposium, which is to educate women for social and political leadership." (Read the rest. Click here)
Valentines Day in the 303rd
Feb/16/2007 12:23 AM
Now and then, I get the great honor of bragging about
my wife. (I'll do it again in about two weeks...)
This time, it's a DMN story set to run in this morning's edition (Feb 15) . A reporter and photog followed Dennise and her staff around for the day, working the angle of what Valentine's Day is like in the "divorce court." It's a nice idea, and nicely written. And you can read it here. (Read the rest. Click here)
This time, it's a DMN story set to run in this morning's edition (Feb 15) . A reporter and photog followed Dennise and her staff around for the day, working the angle of what Valentine's Day is like in the "divorce court." It's a nice idea, and nicely written. And you can read it here. (Read the rest. Click here)
The WOW Starts with Apple
Feb/02/2007 04:56 PM
Early on, I drank deeply from the Apple Koolaid. I've
been a
Mac
guy ever since.
Unabashedly.
Unapologeticly.
Unrepentantly.
Unwaveringly.
When I was younger, I used to get into long debates, and enjoyed the tit for tat fight of "Mac vs. PC." But as I got older, I tired of that. I no longer debate with PC-lovers, because I am absolutely certain there's nothing they can do to change my mind, and equally sure there's nothing I can do to change theirs.
In fact, I have come to believe that your choice of computer is a bit like your choice of religion, and that debating someone about it is usually just as pointless. I happen to believe my religion is the best one, at least for me. I also happen to believe my computer is the best one too. I am sure your situation is similar. That doesn't prevent me from waxing eloquently about both, though. I've just come to realize that getting defensive about either is a little pointless.
Two seminal events happen back in January in the separate universes of Mac and PC:
About two weeks ago, Apple announced the long awaited, and much coveted, "iPhone."
Last week, Microsoft unveiled "Vista," its new operating system.
Both are touchtone events in the lives of both companies. But, I believe that long after Vista is forgotten we'll recall the iPhone announcement as something that truly changed an industry. (Read the rest. Click here)
Unabashedly.
Unapologeticly.
Unrepentantly.
Unwaveringly.
When I was younger, I used to get into long debates, and enjoyed the tit for tat fight of "Mac vs. PC." But as I got older, I tired of that. I no longer debate with PC-lovers, because I am absolutely certain there's nothing they can do to change my mind, and equally sure there's nothing I can do to change theirs.
In fact, I have come to believe that your choice of computer is a bit like your choice of religion, and that debating someone about it is usually just as pointless. I happen to believe my religion is the best one, at least for me. I also happen to believe my computer is the best one too. I am sure your situation is similar. That doesn't prevent me from waxing eloquently about both, though. I've just come to realize that getting defensive about either is a little pointless.
Two seminal events happen back in January in the separate universes of Mac and PC:
About two weeks ago, Apple announced the long awaited, and much coveted, "iPhone."
Last week, Microsoft unveiled "Vista," its new operating system.
Both are touchtone events in the lives of both companies. But, I believe that long after Vista is forgotten we'll recall the iPhone announcement as something that truly changed an industry. (Read the rest. Click here)
Snow!
Feb/01/2007 08:53 PM
It wasn't a lot of snow.
It didn't even cover the ground because of all the rain that preceded it and the mild temperatures of the days before.
But it snowed here today. It snowed for an hour and a half where we were. Big, wet flakes that vanished when they hit the ground, but that calmed and silenced the air in that way only falling snow can.
After school, Maria decided to catch some snowflakes on her tounge, and I was quick enough to remember the camera on my new Treo 700p: (Read the rest. Click here)
It didn't even cover the ground because of all the rain that preceded it and the mild temperatures of the days before.
But it snowed here today. It snowed for an hour and a half where we were. Big, wet flakes that vanished when they hit the ground, but that calmed and silenced the air in that way only falling snow can.
After school, Maria decided to catch some snowflakes on her tounge, and I was quick enough to remember the camera on my new Treo 700p: (Read the rest. Click here)
MLK Day 07
Jan/15/2007 11:33 AM
This morning, I am remembering
this entry
from two years ago today.
I hope you are honoring the holiday. In case you need a reminder of why we celebrate this day, here's one of Dr. King's more famous speeches: (Read the rest. Click here)
I hope you are honoring the holiday. In case you need a reminder of why we celebrate this day, here's one of Dr. King's more famous speeches: (Read the rest. Click here)
Time's Person of the Year: Congrats to YOU (And Me)
Dec/23/2006 10:16 PM
Seriously. We
won.
(Read the rest. Click here)
(Read the rest. Click here)
Blog Trends: November 06
Dec/01/2006 07:16 AM
The craziness
of the election caused me to neglect my usual summary
of the "most-read blogs" these past few month. But as
life returns to normal, so does this regular blog
feature.
It's gratifying to know that my little blog is being more widely read all the time. Statistics show that, on average, 120-140 people stop by my website each and every day. And a fair number of those visitors head straight to the blog. (To those blog-only readers, I'd remind you: the rest of the website is pretty interesting too. )
I was hit by an epiphany the other day. I don't have to just rotely list the blog entries that get the most hits during a month. (Heck, it's my blog, I can do anything I want...) I can instead talk list noticeable trends on the blog. So, that's what I've done here, and that's why I've renamed this entry. What follows, then, are some observations about the blog trends for the month, not just a recitation of the most-visited stories. (Read the rest. Click here)
It's gratifying to know that my little blog is being more widely read all the time. Statistics show that, on average, 120-140 people stop by my website each and every day. And a fair number of those visitors head straight to the blog. (To those blog-only readers, I'd remind you: the rest of the website is pretty interesting too.
)
I was hit by an epiphany the other day. I don't have to just rotely list the blog entries that get the most hits during a month. (Heck, it's my blog, I can do anything I want...) I can instead talk list noticeable trends on the blog. So, that's what I've done here, and that's why I've renamed this entry. What follows, then, are some observations about the blog trends for the month, not just a recitation of the most-visited stories. (Read the rest. Click here)
Judge Merrill Hartman
Oct/20/2006 09:40 AM
In the midst
of this election season, it's seems a good time to
remember a judge who is retiring, and whose legacy
will stay with the Dallas Community for years to
come.
The judge is Merrill Hartman, and he is retiring from the bench after being a State District Judge in Dallas County since 1984. Judge Hartman's story intersects with passions of mine (And Dennise's) in many different ways (Read the rest. Click here)
The judge is Merrill Hartman, and he is retiring from the bench after being a State District Judge in Dallas County since 1984. Judge Hartman's story intersects with passions of mine (And Dennise's) in many different ways (Read the rest. Click here)
Blogs of the Month: August 06
Aug/31/2006 05:05 PM
It's been a
full month since the blog-software
meltdown. It's been two months
since the Mavs playoffs. That means we now have a
full month of blog entries not affected by either
my inability to post, or the hits from Gordon
Keith's site.
So, it's back to a relatively calm month for the blog. Lots of you are obviously still stopping by to read.
That's gratifying.
Thanks.
And now, for the August Blogs of the Month: (Read the rest. Click here)
So, it's back to a relatively calm month for the blog. Lots of you are obviously still stopping by to read.
That's gratifying.
Thanks.
And now, for the August Blogs of the Month: (Read the rest. Click here)
Too Young for Test Anxiety
Aug/18/2006 04:41 PM
School
started this past Monday. Our daughter, Maria, is now
in the third grade. On her way in the school doors
Monday, I snapped a couple of pics with the camera
phone.
It's still hard for me to fathom that she's old enough for the third grade. It seems like only yesterday that we were walking her into kindergarten class, holding her hand, afraid that she might get pushed around by bigger kids. Now, she is a bigger kid.
But, she's still a kid. And there are some things that a kid shouldn't have to worry about in the third grade.
But Maria is worried, and she told me so the other day. On Sunday afternoon --the day before school started, and as we were coming home from lunch-- Maria told me that her stomach hurt, and she felt like she was going to be sick. I try to take these kind things seriously, and so I asked her some questions. I felt her forehead. Nothing seemed to be amiss.
So then, I asked her, "Are you worried about something?"
It was, after all, the day before school. Maybe she was worried about meeting new friends, or finding the right clothes to wear on the first day.
"Yes," she said meekly.
" What are you worried about, sweetie?
There was a long pause. And then, she quietly asked, "What if don't pass the TAKS test?" (Read the rest. Click here)
It's still hard for me to fathom that she's old enough for the third grade. It seems like only yesterday that we were walking her into kindergarten class, holding her hand, afraid that she might get pushed around by bigger kids. Now, she is a bigger kid.
But, she's still a kid. And there are some things that a kid shouldn't have to worry about in the third grade.
But Maria is worried, and she told me so the other day. On Sunday afternoon --the day before school started, and as we were coming home from lunch-- Maria told me that her stomach hurt, and she felt like she was going to be sick. I try to take these kind things seriously, and so I asked her some questions. I felt her forehead. Nothing seemed to be amiss.
So then, I asked her, "Are you worried about something?"
It was, after all, the day before school. Maybe she was worried about meeting new friends, or finding the right clothes to wear on the first day.
"Yes," she said meekly.
" What are you worried about, sweetie?
There was a long pause. And then, she quietly asked, "What if don't pass the TAKS test?" (Read the rest. Click here)
30 Days (A TV Show You Should See)
Aug/12/2006 09:13 PM
It's a rare
moment when I encourage anyone to watch television.
But this is one of those moments. There is a show in
the FX network that I truly can recommend to you
without reservations, and that I hope many people
watch.
It's called 30 Days.
The show aired last season, but has been on haitus until quite recently. Now, it's back with a whole batch of new episodes.
Yes, it's a reality show. And, yes, there are too many of those already. But this a reality show that actually takes social issues head on. It's a reality show with a "point."
The premise is captivating: how will people change if they walk in someone else's shoes for 30 days?
(Read the rest. Click here)
It's called 30 Days.
The show aired last season, but has been on haitus until quite recently. Now, it's back with a whole batch of new episodes.
Yes, it's a reality show. And, yes, there are too many of those already. But this a reality show that actually takes social issues head on. It's a reality show with a "point."
The premise is captivating: how will people change if they walk in someone else's shoes for 30 days?
(Read the rest. Click here)
June Blogs of the Month (Hmnn...wonder which one got read most?)
Jul/05/2006 10:58 PM
If you've
been keeping up with my blog lately, they'll be no
real surprises in the June "Blogs of the Month." As
per usual, I will post the five most popular links,
so you can see what other folks found most
interesting this past month: (Read the
rest. Click here)
Blogs of the Month: May 06
May/25/2006 09:49 PM
I will
actually be on vacation for the last part of the
month, so I thought I'd go ahead and post the five
most popular blog entries of the month, as they stand
today...and assuming that not much will change in the
next few days. (Read the
rest. Click here)
Muse and Views (A Blog Worth Checking Out
May/11/2006 10:01 PM
I've written
about my friend, Charles Geilich, a couple of times
on this blog.
I told you about the book he's written. I told you about my visit to the radio show that he cohosts. And, finally, I told you about the great Maverick seats he and his wife Mary have. (I understand that he's enjoying the playoffs so far...)
Charles has now taken the blogging plunge, and has set up shop over on blogspot.com.
His blog is called "Muse and Views" and you can read it here.
Check him out. He's a good writer, and he'll probably push your buttons, and make you think...and that's never bad.
I told you about the book he's written. I told you about my visit to the radio show that he cohosts. And, finally, I told you about the great Maverick seats he and his wife Mary have. (I understand that he's enjoying the playoffs so far...)
Charles has now taken the blogging plunge, and has set up shop over on blogspot.com.
His blog is called "Muse and Views" and you can read it here.
Check him out. He's a good writer, and he'll probably push your buttons, and make you think...and that's never bad.
--30--
(Read the rest. Click here)Blogs of the Month: April
Apr/29/2006 10:08 PM
Thought you
might be interested to know what the most popular
blog entries were for this month. Yep, I'm a geek and
I can (and do) track these things. It's mostly just
interesting to me to see what interests other
people...ie, what stuff at my website seems to
resonate with folks for one reason or another.
In order of "most read," the most popular entries of the month were: (Read the rest. Click here)
In order of "most read," the most popular entries of the month were: (Read the rest. Click here)
Trust Reunion's Not In Vain (About the Trip Back to Sequoyah
Apr/18/2006 10:21 PM
About two
weeks ago, I wrote about my
upcoming trip to Sequoyah to see old friends.
Thought I'd tell you how it went.
This group of folks is a group I used to see twice a year for about seven years. The common purpose that brought us together was the planning of a year retreat at Mt. Sequoyah. We came from seven different states in the central part of the country, and we encouraged other folks (single adults mostly) to come to this weeked for renewal and some leadership training, but the bonds that formed between us have lasted much longer...
The event only ever last a weekend; Friday to Sunday. But we'd often stay a few extra days, after the several hundred attendees would leave, to have a private retreat with each other. Then, every February, we'd see each other for a two-day planning meeting, usually in Dallas. And that was it. Sum total, we'd see each other perhaps five to seven days a year. We were all different ages. Some were middle-aged. Some near retirement. I could have been the son of a few of the members.
Yet there was something that really bonded this group together. Perhaps the common purpose of that retreat, and the pressure of working together to pull it off, and convince the attendees that we really knew what we were doing (really, we do!). But I think it was also that we used our friendships --and our yearly gatherings together-- as a kind of weather vane for our personal lives. We'd come to that mountain, lift our fingers to the wind, and try to figure out which way life was blowing. And at Sequoyah, the winds of life are almost always blowing somewhere.
(Read the rest. Click here)
This group of folks is a group I used to see twice a year for about seven years. The common purpose that brought us together was the planning of a year retreat at Mt. Sequoyah. We came from seven different states in the central part of the country, and we encouraged other folks (single adults mostly) to come to this weeked for renewal and some leadership training, but the bonds that formed between us have lasted much longer...
The event only ever last a weekend; Friday to Sunday. But we'd often stay a few extra days, after the several hundred attendees would leave, to have a private retreat with each other. Then, every February, we'd see each other for a two-day planning meeting, usually in Dallas. And that was it. Sum total, we'd see each other perhaps five to seven days a year. We were all different ages. Some were middle-aged. Some near retirement. I could have been the son of a few of the members.
Yet there was something that really bonded this group together. Perhaps the common purpose of that retreat, and the pressure of working together to pull it off, and convince the attendees that we really knew what we were doing (really, we do!). But I think it was also that we used our friendships --and our yearly gatherings together-- as a kind of weather vane for our personal lives. We'd come to that mountain, lift our fingers to the wind, and try to figure out which way life was blowing. And at Sequoyah, the winds of life are almost always blowing somewhere.
(Read the rest. Click here)
Return to Sequoyah
Apr/05/2006 08:38 AM
I'm headed
back to Mount Sequoyah today, the retreat
center that inspired
the
song.
And, I'm heading back to see many of the very people
that inspired the song, actually. One of our group of
friends, Larry Norman, has orchestrated a reunion of
sorts, and many of our old gang are up there all this
week...some for just a day or two. I'm going up
tomorrow, and heading home Friday morning...
(Read the rest. Click
here)
A New Puppy
Mar/14/2006 07:54 AM
I remember
when we got our dog, Toby, when I was growing up.
Just about everyone in the family was excited about
it. Except my Dad. I think he assumed that nobody
would be mature enough to take care of a dog, and
that he'd end up with most of the work. There ended
up being some truth to that, in that Toby far
outlived any of us three kids living at home. But,
over the years, Dad and he became great friends; and
despite his initial hesitancy, Toby and Dad became
great friends.
We have a new puppy, and it feels like deja vu, only I'm the Dad now. Maria has named this new puppy "Scruffy."
And, as you can see from this picture, they seem to be getting along pretty well: (Read the rest. Click here)
We have a new puppy, and it feels like deja vu, only I'm the Dad now. Maria has named this new puppy "Scruffy."
And, as you can see from this picture, they seem to be getting along pretty well: (Read the rest. Click here)
Not bad at all...
Mar/06/2006 08:06 AM
Got
eighty-percent right.
That's not half bad. Dennise came in with a 62, so this is the first time I've ever beat her...but who's counting (heh, heh...).
Seriously, though, with this, the Super Bowl and the National Championship Game, maybe I should become an oddsmaker.
Didn't see "Crash" coming for best picture. But then, I don't think a lot of people did.
I was really please to see how Jon Stewart did. To my mind, he really find a fantastic job...but since I watch him almost every night, I'm not really surprised and am totally biased... (Read the rest. Click here)
That's not half bad. Dennise came in with a 62, so this is the first time I've ever beat her...but who's counting (heh, heh...).
Seriously, though, with this, the Super Bowl and the National Championship Game, maybe I should become an oddsmaker.
Didn't see "Crash" coming for best picture. But then, I don't think a lot of people did.
I was really please to see how Jon Stewart did. To my mind, he really find a fantastic job...but since I watch him almost every night, I'm not really surprised and am totally biased... (Read the rest. Click here)
Ocsar Predictions
Mar/05/2006 08:07 AM
Did so well
on my College Football Championship, and Super Bowl
Predictions that I just have to make some Oscar
Predictions. The past couple of years, we've gone to
an Oscar watching party that either isn't happening
this year, or that we didn't see the invitation for.
That's caused Dennise and I to get serious with our
predictions the past few years. She did well enough
to take home the trophy (yes, there was a
trophy...its name was 'The Fred') for the most
correct predictions.
So, since it's an hour before the show, and just to amuse ourselves this afternoon, we each submit to your our predictions for the Oscars. We promise not to edit them later: (Read the rest. Click here)
So, since it's an hour before the show, and just to amuse ourselves this afternoon, we each submit to your our predictions for the Oscars. We promise not to edit them later: (Read the rest. Click here)
Domestic Relations (It's a kind of law, and a new novel)
Feb/23/2006 04:47 PM
Charles
Geilich is a friend to both Dennise and me. He's the
cohost of a radio show, "A Lawyer and a Cop,"
that I've been
a guest on a couple of times in the
past year. He and his wife, Mary, are also the
friends who have really
great Maverick tickets. (I offer both of these
facts, in the interest of relatively full
disclosure...)
Before Charles got trained as a lawyer, he got trained as a writer: a journalism degree from UT Austin. As we've gotten to know each other, we've found that, except for golf, we have a lot other things in common. (For Charles, however, this is akin to saying "Except for breathing, we have a lot in common") We both have UT journalism degrees. We're both married to family law judges. We both like the same kinds of music and political thought. And we were both at that same undergraduate school at about the same time, and even find that we were at some of the same events (concerts at the Frank Irwin Center).
Which makes us wonder, if we met each other back then, were we nice to each other?
But, I digress...you can read more about Charles here. And you can read about his profession as a lawyer here. And as I said, before Charles was a lawyer, he was a writer. And now he's come back to those roots, with the publication of his first novel, "Domestic Relations."
The title refers to the old-timey name for "Family Law." In fact, I am told that older lawyer sometimes still refer to it this way. If you're like me, and you grew up here in Dallas County, you'll really identify with much of the "background" of this book. In fact, it may sound a bit like your own life. (Especially the early chapters about growing up in the suburbs...)
The book chronicles the life and times of family lawyer Norman Spiczek. It's written in an easy-to-read, and very conversational first-person, style. You'll feel as if an old friend is reading to you from his journal over coffee. But it's filled with humor too. If you can imagine Woody Allen ghost-writing an old Raymond Chandler "film noir" novel (only the lead character is a sophisticated urban Dallas attorney, not a gritty New York detective. And, nobody dies) then you can begin to understand "Domestic Relations."
In real life, Charles has wonderfully dry, quick, and sometimes cynically delicious sense of humor. So does his lead character, Norman Spiczek. In fact, there were at least two moments in the book where I literally guffawed out loud (as Norman relates his fears about having sex with his pregnant wife, and later when he's visiting a doctor for a vasectomy). But there is humor throughout the book.
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and sometimes truth and fiction are both pretty strange. I don't know a lot about family law, but I know more than the average human being. And I know enough to say that sometimes family law truth and family law fiction are both a little strange, and Charles Geilich does a good job of capturing all that strangeness. This is not a courtroom drama. No Perry Mason pyrotechnics here. But, then, much of a the average legal case does not actually take place in the courtroom. So, in that sense, it's much more realistic than the average book about the legal profession.
If I had complaints, they would be two, and they would be minor. One is a complaint is that Norman really loves to describe the female anatomy....breasts, specifically. Just about every woman character except his mother, secretary, and opposing counsel, are described in terms of their breasts.
The second complaint would be that almost all the "clients" come off as less than sympathetic. They are rich North Dallas people with far too much money to spend on a divorce. They are men who have gotten themselves into trouble. And they are old childhood friends who have totally changed their affectation and manner. Most of them have done things that make them unsympathetic to the reader, and it's Norman who rides to their legal rescue; making you sometimes question their motivations, other times his. Such stereotypical clients do exist in Dallas, and I know enough about this kind of law to know that most of the anecdotes in the book are loosely based on real-life situations.
But, I would bet that, now and then, Norman Spiczek encounters clients that he can actually, and deeply, sympathize with without reservation(he says as much at one point). I would bet he has clients whose stories he believes, and who don't lie to him, and who genuinely need a lawyer to help them get out of a jam. It would have been nice to have a story or two about them, to break up the line of annoying and petty clients.
We do end up with a lot of sympathy for the old high school friend, Lisa. And perhaps her becoming "human" by sharing a deep secret with Norman serves to remind us that each of these clients have similar stories of pain and angst, lurking beneath the shiny surface of their North Dallas personas.
All in all, such complaints are really pretty minor, and Charles does a great job of blowing a humorous kiss at his profession and the city of Dallas.
Learn more below:
You can read a profile on Charles that ran in last Sunday's Dallas Morning News here.
You can find another bio of Charles here.
And you can order the book right now from Amazon.
Before Charles got trained as a lawyer, he got trained as a writer: a journalism degree from UT Austin. As we've gotten to know each other, we've found that, except for golf, we have a lot other things in common. (For Charles, however, this is akin to saying "Except for breathing, we have a lot in common") We both have UT journalism degrees. We're both married to family law judges. We both like the same kinds of music and political thought. And we were both at that same undergraduate school at about the same time, and even find that we were at some of the same events (concerts at the Frank Irwin Center).
Which makes us wonder, if we met each other back then, were we nice to each other?
But, I digress...you can read more about Charles here. And you can read about his profession as a lawyer here. And as I said, before Charles was a lawyer, he was a writer. And now he's come back to those roots, with the publication of his first novel, "Domestic Relations."
The title refers to the old-timey name for "Family Law." In fact, I am told that older lawyer sometimes still refer to it this way. If you're like me, and you grew up here in Dallas County, you'll really identify with much of the "background" of this book. In fact, it may sound a bit like your own life. (Especially the early chapters about growing up in the suburbs...)
The book chronicles the life and times of family lawyer Norman Spiczek. It's written in an easy-to-read, and very conversational first-person, style. You'll feel as if an old friend is reading to you from his journal over coffee. But it's filled with humor too. If you can imagine Woody Allen ghost-writing an old Raymond Chandler "film noir" novel (only the lead character is a sophisticated urban Dallas attorney, not a gritty New York detective. And, nobody dies) then you can begin to understand "Domestic Relations."
In real life, Charles has wonderfully dry, quick, and sometimes cynically delicious sense of humor. So does his lead character, Norman Spiczek. In fact, there were at least two moments in the book where I literally guffawed out loud (as Norman relates his fears about having sex with his pregnant wife, and later when he's visiting a doctor for a vasectomy). But there is humor throughout the book.
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and sometimes truth and fiction are both pretty strange. I don't know a lot about family law, but I know more than the average human being. And I know enough to say that sometimes family law truth and family law fiction are both a little strange, and Charles Geilich does a good job of capturing all that strangeness. This is not a courtroom drama. No Perry Mason pyrotechnics here. But, then, much of a the average legal case does not actually take place in the courtroom. So, in that sense, it's much more realistic than the average book about the legal profession.
If I had complaints, they would be two, and they would be minor. One is a complaint is that Norman really loves to describe the female anatomy....breasts, specifically. Just about every woman character except his mother, secretary, and opposing counsel, are described in terms of their breasts.
The second complaint would be that almost all the "clients" come off as less than sympathetic. They are rich North Dallas people with far too much money to spend on a divorce. They are men who have gotten themselves into trouble. And they are old childhood friends who have totally changed their affectation and manner. Most of them have done things that make them unsympathetic to the reader, and it's Norman who rides to their legal rescue; making you sometimes question their motivations, other times his. Such stereotypical clients do exist in Dallas, and I know enough about this kind of law to know that most of the anecdotes in the book are loosely based on real-life situations.
But, I would bet that, now and then, Norman Spiczek encounters clients that he can actually, and deeply, sympathize with without reservation(he says as much at one point). I would bet he has clients whose stories he believes, and who don't lie to him, and who genuinely need a lawyer to help them get out of a jam. It would have been nice to have a story or two about them, to break up the line of annoying and petty clients.
We do end up with a lot of sympathy for the old high school friend, Lisa. And perhaps her becoming "human" by sharing a deep secret with Norman serves to remind us that each of these clients have similar stories of pain and angst, lurking beneath the shiny surface of their North Dallas personas.
All in all, such complaints are really pretty minor, and Charles does a great job of blowing a humorous kiss at his profession and the city of Dallas.
Learn more below:
You can read a profile on Charles that ran in last Sunday's Dallas Morning News here.
You can find another bio of Charles here.
And you can order the book right now from Amazon.
--30--
Sunday in the Park (How quickly the time passes...)
Jan/09/2006 11:40 AM
Sunday
afternoon, Maria and I went down to the park at the
end of our block. It's a small city
park, with a nice little playground. She rode her new "Razor" scooter down there. She wanted to go so she could do the monkey bars. I can remember when I had to help her with the monkey bars...when she didn't have the strength to do them alone. Now, she zips through them, effortlessly, like she's skipping across on her hands.
She's also FAST on that scooter. She got well ahead of me at several points in our trip, and I had to yell at her to get her to slow down and wait for me. I read a book on fatherhood when she was first born that said that toddlers run away from their parents, and then always come back... enjoying the game itself, and gaining trust by the ever-longer distances they travel.
It's stunning how quickly it passes and how much she's changed. I know people have told me this my whole life. But like much of the other good advice I've gotten in life, I just asssumed it would be different for me...
As she scooted down the hill, so fast that it took my breath away, I thought about the incredible Sally Fingerett song, "The Return":
"Promise me, promise me, you will outlive me,
It's the natural order, the way it should be.
Break from me, take from me, all you can carry,
It's nature, it's nuture, and then it's your turn.
The things that I teach you I learn.
Tossed in the air, your baby goes flying,
Into the sun, under wide open skies,
Bright blue and shining
She's earthbound and she's running,
There in her eyes, it's your love that will
Always return."
While we were there, I sat wordlessly next to a couple from somewhere in South Asia. Vietnaam, perhaps? It was clear they spoke almost no English, because they didn't respond to my severalattempts to engage them. They grinned kindly, and smiled at Maria.
They were probably in their early sixties, and were there with a small baby in a stroller that I can only assume is a grandchild.
Was this their first visit? Had they come all the way from somehwhere like Vietnaam to see her? What did they think of North Dallas, or of Maria and I? What incredible things had they seen inlife? Did they know anyone caught up in the Tsunami?
So many unanswered questions. And instead, they just grinned and smiled and me, and I at them. And as they shuffled back up the street, I thought about what an amazing and small world we live in.
park, with a nice little playground. She rode her new "Razor" scooter down there. She wanted to go so she could do the monkey bars. I can remember when I had to help her with the monkey bars...when she didn't have the strength to do them alone. Now, she zips through them, effortlessly, like she's skipping across on her hands.
She's also FAST on that scooter. She got well ahead of me at several points in our trip, and I had to yell at her to get her to slow down and wait for me. I read a book on fatherhood when she was first born that said that toddlers run away from their parents, and then always come back... enjoying the game itself, and gaining trust by the ever-longer distances they travel.
It's stunning how quickly it passes and how much she's changed. I know people have told me this my whole life. But like much of the other good advice I've gotten in life, I just asssumed it would be different for me...
As she scooted down the hill, so fast that it took my breath away, I thought about the incredible Sally Fingerett song, "The Return":
"Promise me, promise me, you will outlive me,
It's the natural order, the way it should be.
Break from me, take from me, all you can carry,
It's nature, it's nuture, and then it's your turn.
The things that I teach you I learn.
Tossed in the air, your baby goes flying,
Into the sun, under wide open skies,
Bright blue and shining
She's earthbound and she's running,
There in her eyes, it's your love that will
Always return."
While we were there, I sat wordlessly next to a couple from somewhere in South Asia. Vietnaam, perhaps? It was clear they spoke almost no English, because they didn't respond to my severalattempts to engage them. They grinned kindly, and smiled at Maria.
They were probably in their early sixties, and were there with a small baby in a stroller that I can only assume is a grandchild.
Was this their first visit? Had they come all the way from somehwhere like Vietnaam to see her? What did they think of North Dallas, or of Maria and I? What incredible things had they seen inlife? Did they know anyone caught up in the Tsunami?
So many unanswered questions. And instead, they just grinned and smiled and me, and I at them. And as they shuffled back up the street, I thought about what an amazing and small world we live in.
--30--
2005: A Look Back at the Year Behind
Jan/02/2006 11:57 AM
2005: A Look Back at the Year Behind
Yesterday was a work day, and so today is the day that feels like New Year's to me personally. It's always funny when New Year's falls on a Sunday. A lot of the Sunday stuff gets pushed to Monday. So, I'm half-watching the Cotton Bowl right now, dong this writing, and looking forward even more to Wednesday night.
This extra holi-day has given me time to look back at the year a little. You can, of course, read a lot about the year Dennise and I had by going here. Last year, I wrote a blog at the end of the year which was pretty negative, in retrospect. And this year doesn't feel like it's ended much more positively for the world.
Nevertheless, I thought I'd look back at the year that was...
But before I do my personal reflection, here's the year in review, from the funny folks at JibJab.
Seems to me the first big story of 2005 actually happened in 2004: the Tsunami. I read recently that 179,000 people are confirmed dead, tens of thousdans still missing, and tens of thousands more still living in tents and other temporary housing. Hard to imagine still now terribly devastating this event was. But, it was gratifying to see the response of the world community, wasn't it? And it made Bill Clinton and GHW Bush good friends...so miracles do happen, don't they?
In March, we were obsessed with the case of a woman in Florida. Everyone in America, including me, seemed to have an opinion about whether or not she should live or die. Even Congress had an opinion. She finally was allowed the die the good death that she and her husband had agreed on years earlier.
During the late Spring, there seemed to be a lot of silly celebrity news that obsessed folks....Martha Stewart got released from prison. Michael Jackson avoided going. Prince Charles got remarried.
In the late Spring, the Pope died and a new, more conservative one, was elected in his place. I happened to be in El Salvador at the time. And it was fascinating to see a mostly-Catholic country respond to the news. We were actually there to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero. We took part in a huge march through San Salvador that featured probably in excess of 40,000 people from all over the world. The atmosphere was so peaceful and optimistic. It was so amazing to see so many people from so many parts of the world coming together in peace and solidarity.
Summer brought more terrorism...this time in the London "Tube." What it showed more than anything, of course, is that the "first world" is by no means immune to terrorism, and that the question for our country is not "if" by "when" it will happen again.
Sometime in August, my personal year got incredibly busy and never slowed down again. (This can been seen in the dramatic drop off in blog entries around the time...)
What happened first was the Camp Casey movement just down the road in Crawford, Texas. It was truly an amazing thing, and I was grateful for the chance to play a small part in that movement. Although lots of folks say they don't agree with Cindy Sheehan, more than half the country clearly agrees with her, and her main question remains unanswered to this day. ("What is the noble cause of this war?")
I happen to believe that a just war needs a noble cause. And so I did support her asking that question. Lots of folks criticized her and the groups around her, and I certainly don't find myself in total agreement with everything every person or group stands for within the peace movement. I never have, frankly. There are always groups with side-causes and agendas that distract from the main message.
But, to this day, I still cannot see the "just" nature of this war, according to what I understand "just war" theory to be. And Cindy was right in asking the questions about the "noble cause."
Speaking of the war, sometime during the Fall, America passed the 2,000 mark in casualties for the year. At the end of the year, we find ourselves having lost over 2100 service men and women, with tens of thousands more injured and wounded.
Quite literally on the heels of the the three-weeks of Camp Casey ending, Hurricane Katrina hit along the Gulf Coast. As of this writing, much of the Gulf Coast is still in shambles. Questions are still being asked about the government's response at every level. And more than a hundred thousand people have permanently moved to Texas...in what is probably the largest single migration to this state ever.
Still weary from Camp Casey, I jumped right into Katrina....through our church, I had the chance to work downtown at Dallas' main emergency center. I heard first-hand heart-wrentching stories of how people literally walked out through the water. I saw folks with looks of shock on their face...folks who'd been staying for days in the Superdome, Baton-Rouge, and finally the Convention Center in Dallas. What was most heart-breaking to me was to know that no matter what aid we could give these folks, we still could not give them back what they had lost.
Along the way, our church got involved with a particular family called the Lees. We helped set them up in a rent house, over on Abrams, furnished the house, and paid for some supplies for them. It was certainly not enough, but again I was really moved by the stories they told us of their escape from New Orleans. I had promised myself all Fall that I would blog about them, but simply haven't had the time. But I carry all their stories in my heart, and hopefully one day I will share them with their permission.
As September flew by, dominated by Katrina, October brought preparations for our church's move into our new building. This is what totally dominated my October and November. I don't think I can ever remember being quite so busy in the church as I was those two months. Again, the absence of my blog entries tells you all you need to know about how busy I was.
The new building move is another of the great personal highlights of my year. We've been dreaming/planning this move ever since I came to Northaven in 2001. And to actually finally be in the new building is a great joy. Architecturally, it's truly a stunning place. Attendance is way up. The attitude of everyone is good and filled with excitement. There have already been plenty of new challenges, and plenty more on the way, I am sure....but it's been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Then, came the Christmas season. As you might imagine, it's also always an incredibly busy time of year too. Piled on top of the joy of the holiday were two back-to-back funerals, in the days just before Christmas Eve. Once again, a busy, busy time.
So, that's pretty much my year in review. Makes me tired to think about it. Although I've been sleeping a lot the past few days, to just try and clear my mind a little and get ready to get at 2006. It's been really, really good to get a little break here these past few days.
---------------------------
Another interesting thing to review for this year is the growth of my website. According to my year-end statistics, I had almost 20,000 visitors to my site, and more than 10,000 "unique" visitors this year.
To put that in some perspective, I've this website for more than five years, and in that time I'd only ever accumulated about 20,000 visitors. In one month alone (August) I had over 2,000 visitors, as folks downloaded "Prairie Chapel Road." (More than 6 gigs of downloads that month alone....for a song that's only 3.5 megs...you do the math...) The song was played on radio stations around the country, and has been used in two documentary films, and in a story on BBC radio.
So, that's been terribly gratifying. But the growth in website visits has continued. Ever since August I've averaged almost 900 visitors a month!! I am sure that some of you are stopping by to see if there's anything new posted to the blog, or any new music news. So, I will promise to be a better correspondent from now on.
I probably will not surprise you that the most popular blog entry is the "Prairie Chapel Road" entry. What might surprise you is to know that the second-most popular blog entry is the one I wrote on Father's Day last year.
---------------------
Well, with a little rest these last days, I feel like I'm recovering a sense of "normal" again. And this morning, I spend about thirty minutes going through old emails. I had over 600 messages in my "read" mail folder that needed to be filed. Did that.
Then, I cleaned out my "file attachments" folder too. It's the place where I send all the file attachments folk send my via email. And it's interesting to look back at the stuff that accumulates in that folder. Most junk, really.
...Tons of embedded jpgs.
...Lots of pdf folks thought I'd like to see.
...Assorted "vcf" cards.
...A movie someone sent me about a dog running around with a lit Roman candle in his mouth.
...A bunch of doc files from work.
...A ton of useless html spam files.
When I got done clearing it out, and deleting it from the trash, it turned out to be about 2/3rds of a GIG of information. That's right, 2/3rds of ONE GIG. And that appeared to only be six month's worth....
The average file attachment folder, and the average human life, accumulates a lot of junk in the span of a year. One of the blessings of a New Year is the chance to start again. As the grown-up children we are, we adults get to call "do over" every January 1st. Perhaps that's why folks jump and yell and scream in Time Square....it's thrilling to imagine wiping the slate clean, and starting over.
Of course, we never forget the experiences of joy, pain, sorrow, love, that we were touched by in any one year. Like jpegs in an html spam file, those experiences stay embedded in us for a long time. But life moves on. I will be forever grateful this year for the move to the new church....for the chance to be involved in the epic history of Camp Casey...for the chance to do a little for Katrina victims...for the chance to march in El Salvador. But mostly, I am grateful for every day with my family. And I mean that sincerely.
Some years, I have made huge lists of resolutions. I have only one general one for this year. That's to get back to music with a vengeance. I really want to get the CD done and out for public consumption. I really want to play more live shows than I've been playing. Many of you are kind to write me and ask me when I'll be playing and when the CD will be done, and I appreciate your gentle prodding.
I need music for balance in my life and I find that life is not nearly as full when I get busy with so many other demands on my time. So, somehow, I'm resolving to work music back in much more directly and powerfully than it's been these past few months.
In the meantime, I'm praying for peace, working for peace, and hoping that whatever comes in this next year will be full of new adventure and excitement.
Hope the New Year brings you adventure and excitement too.
Yesterday was a work day, and so today is the day that feels like New Year's to me personally. It's always funny when New Year's falls on a Sunday. A lot of the Sunday stuff gets pushed to Monday. So, I'm half-watching the Cotton Bowl right now, dong this writing, and looking forward even more to Wednesday night.
This extra holi-day has given me time to look back at the year a little. You can, of course, read a lot about the year Dennise and I had by going here. Last year, I wrote a blog at the end of the year which was pretty negative, in retrospect. And this year doesn't feel like it's ended much more positively for the world.
Nevertheless, I thought I'd look back at the year that was...
But before I do my personal reflection, here's the year in review, from the funny folks at JibJab.
Seems to me the first big story of 2005 actually happened in 2004: the Tsunami. I read recently that 179,000 people are confirmed dead, tens of thousdans still missing, and tens of thousands more still living in tents and other temporary housing. Hard to imagine still now terribly devastating this event was. But, it was gratifying to see the response of the world community, wasn't it? And it made Bill Clinton and GHW Bush good friends...so miracles do happen, don't they?
In March, we were obsessed with the case of a woman in Florida. Everyone in America, including me, seemed to have an opinion about whether or not she should live or die. Even Congress had an opinion. She finally was allowed the die the good death that she and her husband had agreed on years earlier.
During the late Spring, there seemed to be a lot of silly celebrity news that obsessed folks....Martha Stewart got released from prison. Michael Jackson avoided going. Prince Charles got remarried.
In the late Spring, the Pope died and a new, more conservative one, was elected in his place. I happened to be in El Salvador at the time. And it was fascinating to see a mostly-Catholic country respond to the news. We were actually there to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero. We took part in a huge march through San Salvador that featured probably in excess of 40,000 people from all over the world. The atmosphere was so peaceful and optimistic. It was so amazing to see so many people from so many parts of the world coming together in peace and solidarity.
Summer brought more terrorism...this time in the London "Tube." What it showed more than anything, of course, is that the "first world" is by no means immune to terrorism, and that the question for our country is not "if" by "when" it will happen again.
Sometime in August, my personal year got incredibly busy and never slowed down again. (This can been seen in the dramatic drop off in blog entries around the time...)
What happened first was the Camp Casey movement just down the road in Crawford, Texas. It was truly an amazing thing, and I was grateful for the chance to play a small part in that movement. Although lots of folks say they don't agree with Cindy Sheehan, more than half the country clearly agrees with her, and her main question remains unanswered to this day. ("What is the noble cause of this war?")
I happen to believe that a just war needs a noble cause. And so I did support her asking that question. Lots of folks criticized her and the groups around her, and I certainly don't find myself in total agreement with everything every person or group stands for within the peace movement. I never have, frankly. There are always groups with side-causes and agendas that distract from the main message.
But, to this day, I still cannot see the "just" nature of this war, according to what I understand "just war" theory to be. And Cindy was right in asking the questions about the "noble cause."
Speaking of the war, sometime during the Fall, America passed the 2,000 mark in casualties for the year. At the end of the year, we find ourselves having lost over 2100 service men and women, with tens of thousands more injured and wounded.
Quite literally on the heels of the the three-weeks of Camp Casey ending, Hurricane Katrina hit along the Gulf Coast. As of this writing, much of the Gulf Coast is still in shambles. Questions are still being asked about the government's response at every level. And more than a hundred thousand people have permanently moved to Texas...in what is probably the largest single migration to this state ever.
Still weary from Camp Casey, I jumped right into Katrina....through our church, I had the chance to work downtown at Dallas' main emergency center. I heard first-hand heart-wrentching stories of how people literally walked out through the water. I saw folks with looks of shock on their face...folks who'd been staying for days in the Superdome, Baton-Rouge, and finally the Convention Center in Dallas. What was most heart-breaking to me was to know that no matter what aid we could give these folks, we still could not give them back what they had lost.
Along the way, our church got involved with a particular family called the Lees. We helped set them up in a rent house, over on Abrams, furnished the house, and paid for some supplies for them. It was certainly not enough, but again I was really moved by the stories they told us of their escape from New Orleans. I had promised myself all Fall that I would blog about them, but simply haven't had the time. But I carry all their stories in my heart, and hopefully one day I will share them with their permission.
As September flew by, dominated by Katrina, October brought preparations for our church's move into our new building. This is what totally dominated my October and November. I don't think I can ever remember being quite so busy in the church as I was those two months. Again, the absence of my blog entries tells you all you need to know about how busy I was.
The new building move is another of the great personal highlights of my year. We've been dreaming/planning this move ever since I came to Northaven in 2001. And to actually finally be in the new building is a great joy. Architecturally, it's truly a stunning place. Attendance is way up. The attitude of everyone is good and filled with excitement. There have already been plenty of new challenges, and plenty more on the way, I am sure....but it's been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Then, came the Christmas season. As you might imagine, it's also always an incredibly busy time of year too. Piled on top of the joy of the holiday were two back-to-back funerals, in the days just before Christmas Eve. Once again, a busy, busy time.
So, that's pretty much my year in review. Makes me tired to think about it. Although I've been sleeping a lot the past few days, to just try and clear my mind a little and get ready to get at 2006. It's been really, really good to get a little break here these past few days.
---------------------------
Another interesting thing to review for this year is the growth of my website. According to my year-end statistics, I had almost 20,000 visitors to my site, and more than 10,000 "unique" visitors this year.
To put that in some perspective, I've this website for more than five years, and in that time I'd only ever accumulated about 20,000 visitors. In one month alone (August) I had over 2,000 visitors, as folks downloaded "Prairie Chapel Road." (More than 6 gigs of downloads that month alone....for a song that's only 3.5 megs...you do the math...) The song was played on radio stations around the country, and has been used in two documentary films, and in a story on BBC radio.
So, that's been terribly gratifying. But the growth in website visits has continued. Ever since August I've averaged almost 900 visitors a month!! I am sure that some of you are stopping by to see if there's anything new posted to the blog, or any new music news. So, I will promise to be a better correspondent from now on.
I probably will not surprise you that the most popular blog entry is the "Prairie Chapel Road" entry. What might surprise you is to know that the second-most popular blog entry is the one I wrote on Father's Day last year.
---------------------
Well, with a little rest these last days, I feel like I'm recovering a sense of "normal" again. And this morning, I spend about thirty minutes going through old emails. I had over 600 messages in my "read" mail folder that needed to be filed. Did that.
Then, I cleaned out my "file attachments" folder too. It's the place where I send all the file attachments folk send my via email. And it's interesting to look back at the stuff that accumulates in that folder. Most junk, really.
...Tons of embedded jpgs.
...Lots of pdf folks thought I'd like to see.
...Assorted "vcf" cards.
...A movie someone sent me about a dog running around with a lit Roman candle in his mouth.
...A bunch of doc files from work.
...A ton of useless html spam files.
When I got done clearing it out, and deleting it from the trash, it turned out to be about 2/3rds of a GIG of information. That's right, 2/3rds of ONE GIG. And that appeared to only be six month's worth....
The average file attachment folder, and the average human life, accumulates a lot of junk in the span of a year. One of the blessings of a New Year is the chance to start again. As the grown-up children we are, we adults get to call "do over" every January 1st. Perhaps that's why folks jump and yell and scream in Time Square....it's thrilling to imagine wiping the slate clean, and starting over.
Of course, we never forget the experiences of joy, pain, sorrow, love, that we were touched by in any one year. Like jpegs in an html spam file, those experiences stay embedded in us for a long time. But life moves on. I will be forever grateful this year for the move to the new church....for the chance to be involved in the epic history of Camp Casey...for the chance to do a little for Katrina victims...for the chance to march in El Salvador. But mostly, I am grateful for every day with my family. And I mean that sincerely.
Some years, I have made huge lists of resolutions. I have only one general one for this year. That's to get back to music with a vengeance. I really want to get the CD done and out for public consumption. I really want to play more live shows than I've been playing. Many of you are kind to write me and ask me when I'll be playing and when the CD will be done, and I appreciate your gentle prodding.
I need music for balance in my life and I find that life is not nearly as full when I get busy with so many other demands on my time. So, somehow, I'm resolving to work music back in much more directly and powerfully than it's been these past few months.
In the meantime, I'm praying for peace, working for peace, and hoping that whatever comes in this next year will be full of new adventure and excitement.
Hope the New Year brings you adventure and excitement too.
Carcinoma Update (The doctor says it's gone...)
Jul/13/2005 11:53 AM
An update
on this.
Had my appointment Monday with my dermatologist, who also happens to have graduated high school with my mother in Atlanta, Texas. He removed what was left of my small "bcc." He said there wasn't much left, actually, and that he thinks he got it all. Wants to see me in a month to check in about it. But, the bottom line is, as many of you told me it would be, that everything looks to be OK.
Sooo... thanks for all the many prayers, happy thoughts, and other feelings you've been sending my way. I 'preciate it all a great deal.
Thanks again.
Had my appointment Monday with my dermatologist, who also happens to have graduated high school with my mother in Atlanta, Texas. He removed what was left of my small "bcc." He said there wasn't much left, actually, and that he thinks he got it all. Wants to see me in a month to check in about it. But, the bottom line is, as many of you told me it would be, that everything looks to be OK.
Sooo... thanks for all the many prayers, happy thoughts, and other feelings you've been sending my way. I 'preciate it all a great deal.
Thanks again.
Basal Cell Carcinoma (Yes, it's a big word. Yes, it's caner.And yes, I've got it...)
Jul/05/2005 11:50 AM
Basal Cell Carcinoma (Yes, it's a big word. Yes, it's
cancer. And yes, I've got it...)
Got a call from my dermatologist today. It was good news and bad news, I suppose.
The bad news is that I have a skin cancer. It's a basal cell carcinoma. From everything I read, this is mostly good news, if you consider anything about cancer to be good news. Although I won't really jump for joy until the thing is removed, the tests are done, and it's shown that it's really nothing more than one small spot...
I've been more cautious about being in the sun these past few years, since my father had a melanoma removed. That's the skin cancer word you DON'T want to hear. Basically, if they catch that one early enough, you're perfectly fine. If they don't you'll probably die. Nothing like clear choices in life.
They caught my father's early, and he's absolutely fine. But it was a terrifying thing to read about melanoma online, and so I've been cautious since then.
Several months back, I noticed a spot on my cheek, just about a half inch from my ear. Frankly, I thought it was a zit, and didn't think about it much more. Sure enough, it seemed to heal up and go away for a time. Just a zit, right?!
Then, about two weeks ago, two things happened. First, it came back and I cut it shaving. Second, my good friend Rick's father had a pretty serious skin cancer surgery, involving grafts to his face. (Rick, some of you will remember, is a part of my band) Both these things drove me to make an appointment with the dermatologist.
So now, in retrospect, I'm glad I made the appointment, but now I' a little nervous that perhaps I waited longer than I should have to make the appointment. My doctor did call it a "little" spot when he looked at it...so maybe it really is.
Like I said, I won't be really relieved until the surgery's over (next Tuesday) and the tests come back and show that there's nothing more. Don't want to make too much of a big deal about this. I would be really freaked out if it'd been a melanoma. And they still may find it more than I hope it is.
So, between now and pathological certainty (pun intended) I'll covet your prayers and happy thoughts, and I'll keep you posted....
Got a call from my dermatologist today. It was good news and bad news, I suppose.
The bad news is that I have a skin cancer. It's a basal cell carcinoma. From everything I read, this is mostly good news, if you consider anything about cancer to be good news. Although I won't really jump for joy until the thing is removed, the tests are done, and it's shown that it's really nothing more than one small spot...
I've been more cautious about being in the sun these past few years, since my father had a melanoma removed. That's the skin cancer word you DON'T want to hear. Basically, if they catch that one early enough, you're perfectly fine. If they don't you'll probably die. Nothing like clear choices in life.
They caught my father's early, and he's absolutely fine. But it was a terrifying thing to read about melanoma online, and so I've been cautious since then.
Several months back, I noticed a spot on my cheek, just about a half inch from my ear. Frankly, I thought it was a zit, and didn't think about it much more. Sure enough, it seemed to heal up and go away for a time. Just a zit, right?!
Then, about two weeks ago, two things happened. First, it came back and I cut it shaving. Second, my good friend Rick's father had a pretty serious skin cancer surgery, involving grafts to his face. (Rick, some of you will remember, is a part of my band) Both these things drove me to make an appointment with the dermatologist.
So now, in retrospect, I'm glad I made the appointment, but now I' a little nervous that perhaps I waited longer than I should have to make the appointment. My doctor did call it a "little" spot when he looked at it...so maybe it really is.
Like I said, I won't be really relieved until the surgery's over (next Tuesday) and the tests come back and show that there's nothing more. Don't want to make too much of a big deal about this. I would be really freaked out if it'd been a melanoma. And they still may find it more than I hope it is.
So, between now and pathological certainty (pun intended) I'll covet your prayers and happy thoughts, and I'll keep you posted....
"That same small town in each of us"
Jun/20/2005 11:45 AM
"That same small town in each of us"
I write about a trip back to Atlanta, Texas for the wedding of a cousin...
"Who knows how long this will last
Now we’ve come so far, so fast
But, somewhere back there in the dust
That same small town in each of us
I need to remember this
So baby give me just one kiss
And let me take a long last look
Before we say good bye"
-- Don Henley
Brooke and Lanny got married this weekend. Brooke is a cousin of mine from Atlanta, Texas. (Her Dad and my Mom are first cousins...) Had the great honor of officiating for them. It's always fun to do those kinds of weddings, and especially fun for me to do one in Atlanta where my Mom is from. Actually, I have some direct roots to the church where the service was held. I was baptized there, back in 1963. Interestingly, Lanny and Brooke were also both baptized there. That's probably a pretty rare thing, if you think about it.
All my Mom's family, both sides, hail from this town. So, we're related to a lot of folks, although as the years go by more and more of the folks we used to visit are no longer with us. Kind of sad, really. A trip to Atlanta used to mean days of visits to have a dozen different houses where great aunts and uncles lived. Now, there are only a few of my grandparent's generation left.
I still have some wonderful cousins there, and it's always good to go back.
During the wedding, I quoted a David Wilcox song to Lanny and Brooke. It's the song "All My Life," from the Underneath CD. To me, the song reminded me of them, because they've known each other their whole lives...all the way back to being in preschool together at the church.
All My Life
by David Wilcox
"Do you believe in signs that whisper inside your mind 'till you have to follow through,
leading you home again to someplace you've never been? Well I feel that way for you.
For how can it be true, the first time I see you,
I look into your eyes,
and suddenly I knew you all my life.
Don't we have all that time: treasure that's yours and mine, and a place that we call home
Don't we have photographs taken a long time back
of the seasons we have known?
I know it's strange to say, when we just met this way, but I look into your eyes,
and suddenly I knew you all my life."
-----------------------------
But being back there for the wedding also just got me thinking about Atlanta in general. The Don Henley quote at the top of this blog started to mean a lot more to me a couple of years back, when I realized that Henley and I share two things in common.* The first is that Don Henley is from Linden. (A fact I somehow didn't learn until my early 30's).
Linden is just a few miles down the road from Atlanta , and Henley still has a lot of connections to the area. (In fact, here's a trivia question: name Henley's music publishing company for many of his Eagle's and solo records.... a hint can be found in the name of this site.)
So, when I hear the line about "the same small town in each of us," it's got extra meaning to me. Because in his case and mine, it's just about as close to literally true as you can get.
Dennise, Maria and I tried to go to Miles Drugstore for lunch. But apparently, it closes at noon on Saturday's now. We drove around town, showed Maria my grandfather, Sam Mays', old house. It's now a home healthcare company, and we knocked on the door, hoping to be able to take quick tour through. But the woman who answered the door looked perturbed by the idea, and blamed her inability to allow us in on the new HIPAA law. Sounded like an excuse to me, but we still left anyway. A little sadder for it, actually. We drove past the storefront that used to be the family grocery store, where my grandfather was a co-owner.
Really, just about every-other street contains the house of someone we used to know, or some business that was once a friend to the family. I'm glad to be able to take Maria back, so that she can see those roots, and maybe even understand them a little. It's not the same as staying for weeks during the summer, as I used to do...
....going fishing all afternoon with my grandmother, who taught me not to be afraid of dragonflies.
.... shelling pecans with my grandfather...and cleaning fish with him...something I thought at the time was the grossest act known to humankind.
....playing down by the railroad tracks and watching the trains go by.
....walking around downtown with my relatives, and being amazed that they knew everyone, and everyone knew them too.
....rummaging through old closets that held Daddy Sam's trinkets from World War II.
....driving miles out of the way, just to find a good place to eat catfish.
And a million other memories that are inside my mind. I wish Maria could understand all those memories, and I can only hope that she'll always have some inkling that there's a small town, deep inside her too.
* The second is that his wife and I graduated from the same high school class .
I write about a trip back to Atlanta, Texas for the wedding of a cousin...
"Who knows how long this will last
Now we’ve come so far, so fast
But, somewhere back there in the dust
That same small town in each of us
I need to remember this
So baby give me just one kiss
And let me take a long last look
Before we say good bye"
-- Don Henley
Brooke and Lanny got married this weekend. Brooke is a cousin of mine from Atlanta, Texas. (Her Dad and my Mom are first cousins...) Had the great honor of officiating for them. It's always fun to do those kinds of weddings, and especially fun for me to do one in Atlanta where my Mom is from. Actually, I have some direct roots to the church where the service was held. I was baptized there, back in 1963. Interestingly, Lanny and Brooke were also both baptized there. That's probably a pretty rare thing, if you think about it.
All my Mom's family, both sides, hail from this town. So, we're related to a lot of folks, although as the years go by more and more of the folks we used to visit are no longer with us. Kind of sad, really. A trip to Atlanta used to mean days of visits to have a dozen different houses where great aunts and uncles lived. Now, there are only a few of my grandparent's generation left.
I still have some wonderful cousins there, and it's always good to go back.
During the wedding, I quoted a David Wilcox song to Lanny and Brooke. It's the song "All My Life," from the Underneath CD. To me, the song reminded me of them, because they've known each other their whole lives...all the way back to being in preschool together at the church.
All My Life
by David Wilcox
"Do you believe in signs that whisper inside your mind 'till you have to follow through,
leading you home again to someplace you've never been? Well I feel that way for you.
For how can it be true, the first time I see you,
I look into your eyes,
and suddenly I knew you all my life.
Don't we have all that time: treasure that's yours and mine, and a place that we call home
Don't we have photographs taken a long time back
of the seasons we have known?
I know it's strange to say, when we just met this way, but I look into your eyes,
and suddenly I knew you all my life."
-----------------------------
But being back there for the wedding also just got me thinking about Atlanta in general. The Don Henley quote at the top of this blog started to mean a lot more to me a couple of years back, when I realized that Henley and I share two things in common.* The first is that Don Henley is from Linden. (A fact I somehow didn't learn until my early 30's).
Linden is just a few miles down the road from Atlanta , and Henley still has a lot of connections to the area. (In fact, here's a trivia question: name Henley's music publishing company for many of his Eagle's and solo records.... a hint can be found in the name of this site.)
So, when I hear the line about "the same small town in each of us," it's got extra meaning to me. Because in his case and mine, it's just about as close to literally true as you can get.
Dennise, Maria and I tried to go to Miles Drugstore for lunch. But apparently, it closes at noon on Saturday's now. We drove around town, showed Maria my grandfather, Sam Mays', old house. It's now a home healthcare company, and we knocked on the door, hoping to be able to take quick tour through. But the woman who answered the door looked perturbed by the idea, and blamed her inability to allow us in on the new HIPAA law. Sounded like an excuse to me, but we still left anyway. A little sadder for it, actually. We drove past the storefront that used to be the family grocery store, where my grandfather was a co-owner.
Really, just about every-other street contains the house of someone we used to know, or some business that was once a friend to the family. I'm glad to be able to take Maria back, so that she can see those roots, and maybe even understand them a little. It's not the same as staying for weeks during the summer, as I used to do...
....going fishing all afternoon with my grandmother, who taught me not to be afraid of dragonflies.
.... shelling pecans with my grandfather...and cleaning fish with him...something I thought at the time was the grossest act known to humankind.
....playing down by the railroad tracks and watching the trains go by.
....walking around downtown with my relatives, and being amazed that they knew everyone, and everyone knew them too.
....rummaging through old closets that held Daddy Sam's trinkets from World War II.
....driving miles out of the way, just to find a good place to eat catfish.
And a million other memories that are inside my mind. I wish Maria could understand all those memories, and I can only hope that she'll always have some inkling that there's a small town, deep inside her too.
* The second is that his wife and I graduated from the same high school class .
--30--
There Goes My Life" (Thoughts on Fatherhood)
Jun/19/2005 11:42 AM
"There goes my life" (Thoughts on Fatherhood)
It seems to me that one of the things fathers do for their kids is to teach them how to risk. If the stereotypical role for Mothers is "nuturing" (and note that I'm calling this "stereotypical") then the stereotypical role for Fathers is to push their kids to risk and face their fears.
Take our last Y-Princess Campouts, for example, back in April. On Saturday, we all went on a long hike, back into the woods, where we came to a rock face that, from my lay-perspective, looked like it went straight up the hill. I have to confess, I wasn't too sure I could climb it, much less that Maria could. And she was pretty scared...pulling on my hand....telling me she didn't want to...asking if we could just walk back the way we came.
But we both went up the hill together. And at the top, you could see her face beaming with pride . There is something about that dynamic, about facing a fear and moving through it, that I feel very grateful to be able to teach my daughter.
Not that I'm very good at actually facing my OWN fears....
My own fears about fatherhood didn't have to do with worries about being a bad one. Strange as it may sound, I was pretty sure I would be a good, and pretty involved, Father. I had (have) a great Dad, and I was pretty sure I could be a good one too. Hope that doesn't sound too cocky. But it really is the way I felt about it.
The thing I worried about, and the thing I worry about still I suppose, is the lifelong nature of the commitment. The fact that you are a Father for the rest of your life. I was reminded of that this weekend, as I went to Atlanta, Texas to participate in the wedding of a cousin of mine . There was my cousin, Mark , walking his daughter Brooke, down the aisle. Even in her mid-twenties, he's still her Dad.
My worry before Maria was born (and I know this may sound selfish to some) was whether fatherhood would kill all my dreams. Would there, could there, still be time for any dreams of my own? Or would I put my own dreams on the shelf for the sake of my daughter?
You put some dreams up on the shelf intentionally and with little hesitation. Take bungie jumping, for example. Sure, I've written a song about it, but I've actually never really done it myself. Dennise now tells me I am now forbidden from doing it until Maria is out of college. And, believe it or not, I don't really have a problem with that. This is a good idea. There are many other things that, like today's "Zit's" cartoon shows, you put on the shelf without too much angst.
The thing I worried about MOST was whether or not my life would still have time for music. Just about the time Dennise got pregnant, I was really starting to "play out" at open mics and a few gigs. I had dreamed of putting out a CD, but hadn't yet done it.
Ironically, there was something about knowing I was going to have a kid that made me more, not less, passionate about putting out the CD. In fact, it's not a stretch to say that our having Maria was one of the main motivators for my doing my CD .
What I said to myself then, and what I still say to myself now, is that I think it's important to show kids not just how to be responsible but also how to follow dreams too. If I can't follow my own dreams, if I sit on my own hands, in the long run what does THAT teach her?
On the way back from my mission trip to El Salvador earlier this year, I was listening to the in-flight country music station. A Kenny Chesney song came on, called "There Goes My Life." (if you have iTunes, you can listen to a soundclip here.) Yes, it's a little cornball, but I found myself crying a big river of tears.
Here's the lyrics:
There Goes My Life
by Kenny Chesney
"All he could think about was 'I'm too young for this
Got my whole life ahead, hell, I'm just a kid
myself....
How I'm gonna raise one?'
All he could see were his dreams goin' up in smoke.
So much for ditchin' this town and hangin' out on the coast.
Oh well, those plans are long gone.
[Chorus:]
And he said,
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
Might as well kiss it all good-bye.
There goes my life.......
A couple years of up all night and a few thousand diapers later.
That mistake he thought he made covers up the refrigerator.
Oh yeah..........he loves that little girl.
Momma's waiting to tuck her in,
As she fumbles up those stairs.
She smiles back at him dragging that teddy bear.
Sleep tight, blue eyes and bouncin' curls.
[Chorus:]
He smiles.....
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
I love you, daddy good-night.
There goes my life.
She had that Honda loaded down.
With Abercrombie clothes and 15 pairs of shoes and his American Express.
He checked the oil and slammed the hood, said you're good to go.
She hugged them both and headed off to the West Coast.
[Chorus:]
And he cried,
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
I love you.
Baby good-bye.
There goes my life.
There goes my life.
Baby good-bye.
I supposed there's big part of me that assumed, like the song suggests, that my life would be over once Maria was born. How naive was that!? In some ways, although I didn't know it, it was just getting started.
Happy Father's Day to everyone....
It seems to me that one of the things fathers do for their kids is to teach them how to risk. If the stereotypical role for Mothers is "nuturing" (and note that I'm calling this "stereotypical") then the stereotypical role for Fathers is to push their kids to risk and face their fears.
Take our last Y-Princess Campouts, for example, back in April. On Saturday, we all went on a long hike, back into the woods, where we came to a rock face that, from my lay-perspective, looked like it went straight up the hill. I have to confess, I wasn't too sure I could climb it, much less that Maria could. And she was pretty scared...pulling on my hand....telling me she didn't want to...asking if we could just walk back the way we came.
But we both went up the hill together. And at the top, you could see her face beaming with pride . There is something about that dynamic, about facing a fear and moving through it, that I feel very grateful to be able to teach my daughter.
Not that I'm very good at actually facing my OWN fears....
My own fears about fatherhood didn't have to do with worries about being a bad one. Strange as it may sound, I was pretty sure I would be a good, and pretty involved, Father. I had (have) a great Dad, and I was pretty sure I could be a good one too. Hope that doesn't sound too cocky. But it really is the way I felt about it.
The thing I worried about, and the thing I worry about still I suppose, is the lifelong nature of the commitment. The fact that you are a Father for the rest of your life. I was reminded of that this weekend, as I went to Atlanta, Texas to participate in the wedding of a cousin of mine . There was my cousin, Mark , walking his daughter Brooke, down the aisle. Even in her mid-twenties, he's still her Dad.
My worry before Maria was born (and I know this may sound selfish to some) was whether fatherhood would kill all my dreams. Would there, could there, still be time for any dreams of my own? Or would I put my own dreams on the shelf for the sake of my daughter?
You put some dreams up on the shelf intentionally and with little hesitation. Take bungie jumping, for example. Sure, I've written a song about it, but I've actually never really done it myself. Dennise now tells me I am now forbidden from doing it until Maria is out of college. And, believe it or not, I don't really have a problem with that. This is a good idea. There are many other things that, like today's "Zit's" cartoon shows, you put on the shelf without too much angst.
The thing I worried about MOST was whether or not my life would still have time for music. Just about the time Dennise got pregnant, I was really starting to "play out" at open mics and a few gigs. I had dreamed of putting out a CD, but hadn't yet done it.
Ironically, there was something about knowing I was going to have a kid that made me more, not less, passionate about putting out the CD. In fact, it's not a stretch to say that our having Maria was one of the main motivators for my doing my CD .
What I said to myself then, and what I still say to myself now, is that I think it's important to show kids not just how to be responsible but also how to follow dreams too. If I can't follow my own dreams, if I sit on my own hands, in the long run what does THAT teach her?
On the way back from my mission trip to El Salvador earlier this year, I was listening to the in-flight country music station. A Kenny Chesney song came on, called "There Goes My Life." (if you have iTunes, you can listen to a soundclip here.) Yes, it's a little cornball, but I found myself crying a big river of tears.
Here's the lyrics:
There Goes My Life
by Kenny Chesney
"All he could think about was 'I'm too young for this
Got my whole life ahead, hell, I'm just a kid
myself....
How I'm gonna raise one?'
All he could see were his dreams goin' up in smoke.
So much for ditchin' this town and hangin' out on the coast.
Oh well, those plans are long gone.
[Chorus:]
And he said,
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
Might as well kiss it all good-bye.
There goes my life.......
A couple years of up all night and a few thousand diapers later.
That mistake he thought he made covers up the refrigerator.
Oh yeah..........he loves that little girl.
Momma's waiting to tuck her in,
As she fumbles up those stairs.
She smiles back at him dragging that teddy bear.
Sleep tight, blue eyes and bouncin' curls.
[Chorus:]
He smiles.....
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
I love you, daddy good-night.
There goes my life.
She had that Honda loaded down.
With Abercrombie clothes and 15 pairs of shoes and his American Express.
He checked the oil and slammed the hood, said you're good to go.
She hugged them both and headed off to the West Coast.
[Chorus:]
And he cried,
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
I love you.
Baby good-bye.
There goes my life.
There goes my life.
Baby good-bye.
I supposed there's big part of me that assumed, like the song suggests, that my life would be over once Maria was born. How naive was that!? In some ways, although I didn't know it, it was just getting started.
Happy Father's Day to everyone....
--30--