A New Adventure

"It's a dangerous business going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

That advice given to Frodo in the beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy rings true this summer as the little fairy princess (pictured above) and her siblings get ready to embark on a new adventure in their lives.

Enjoy It

"Nothing exciting ever happens to me."

When I hear someone say that, I always cringe a little bit. I mean, after all, it's an underwhelming way to look at life. We all have something exciting happen, even if we may not choose to acknowledge it.

As children, we had lots of exciting things happen to us. One of the joys of parenting is watching my children make new discoveries whether it be learning to ride a bike for the first time or suddenly realizing that Han Solo and Indiana Jones are the same person.

Playing With The Future

“Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you've found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for." — Lawrence Block

Something happened to a good friend of mine recently. Something life changing. Something that has led him onto a path of clarity. I'm fairly sure he'd argue it was something miraculous.

He suddenly found himself unemployed. And do you know what? It was easily one of the best things to ever happen to him.

I'd be lying if I didn't say the thought of suddenly being unemployed scares the living shit out of me. I'm a father. A husband. A worrier. An overachiever. A competitor. And an unabashed workaholic.

My good friend was just like me. Heck, for much of my adult life, we've shared the same path, career, dreams and ambitions.

In unemployment, though, he has found something that I'm afraid I lost sight of a long time ago. 

Contentment.

Ought To Enjoy It

I read somewhere recently that the two biggest words that can quickly kill any worthwhile project are “ought to” — as in I ought to blog more.

The author of the piece pointed out that projects, whatever they may be, succeed more often when people “want to” instead of “ought to.”

In a nutshell, the author’s point was that people should enjoy what they are doing — or maybe it’s not worth doing at all.

Bitter or Better?

There is a spot on my back patio where I can lean against the gate, stare across the pool and listen to the wind blowing through the leaves of the Oleander bushes.

It's quite possibly my favorite place in my home.

I find I retreat to this sanctuary after a particularly bad day or when things around the house just get too hectic. My children think of it as my timeout spot. They know when I'm there leaning against that fence staring out across the yard that I likely need a moment.

Let's Build Upon This Foundation

Hang around a newspaper long enough, and you will get plenty of chances to write comings and goings stories. As time moves on, so do people. That’s just the nature of things.

When I first started hearing rumblings earlier this week that Terrell ISD Athletic Director Chris Gilbert had been offered a head coaching job in Lancaster, I’ll admit I was a bit stunned.

After all, just a week prior, I had been sitting in the stands at the TISD Athletic Complex with Coach Gilbert, excitedly discussing the 2011 football season’s prospects.