A Time to Ask, A Time to Do

I was inspired by a recent church men’s group morning coffee gathering to write this post.  Though Pastor Bill offered the post’s title spiritually, I see it spanning my life – and maybe giving you ideas for yours?  Man, I’m so sorry that your friend Jose is such a nagging optimist...

• Ask:  I asked God recently what to do with my sons.  Can’t say I heard any clear answer but felt shutting up was the right thing – stop offering ill-fitting advice cloaked as wisdom.  Sure enough, the older one bought a screaming deal Jeep and the younger son moved out, with Leg 3 of his Great Adventure being an Amtrak ride to the next place to put his pillow – Bedford, Indiana.  And they're now living some great adventures.

• Do:  Listen to God and my wife.  Between them, I get nearly all the guidance, wisdom and comfort a guy needs.  Tack this one onto the first item – I constantly need to re-focus on listen and shut down the inner monologue that’s brain-spawned.  Intuition and feeling my way through life works, at least for  me, so much better.

• Ask:  “Jose, stop being a bull in the project office.  Ask questions.  Figure out, by listening, how to be a better leader.  Drop your presumptions at the door.  Ahh, isn’t that easier, now?”

• Do:  We’re in our new homeland, one I so want to be a long-term fit.  Why keep planning big things that take too much time, effort and/or money.  Do the small things.  Volunteer to lead things at church.  Spend casual time with my daughter without making such a production out of the planning.  Find out what jazzes Michele up and get on-board.  It’s about the relationships, as my mood and outlook transform me into someone better than I was before.

Smithsonian Article du Jour:  On Venus, It snows Metal

The Pentameter of Emotions (a poem)

What we sense, and what we feel, are so colored by our life experiences.  We handle the chaos, the day’s drudgery and all that through our own lenses.  What if we click-changed them to something entirely new?  Oh, how reckless and New that would be…

Familiar faces,

that means I know

where I am.

The sounds of rock and roll

that means I feel

in the moment.

Dum da dum dum -

that means I hum

in life’s tune.

Sharing whispers

that mean so much,

to so many,

as the road is seen

anew.

Sight Unseen

There are so many oddities and quirks in our world that people can publish and remark on all sorts of silliness.  My observations aren't worth raw beans, but here are the unseen and inexplicable things in my daily life:

• Gas pump card readers:  why do some people, with driver’s licenses, look at them befuddled, like they’re about to be eaten by them?
• Self-checkout at stores:  there ought’a be a license to use them.  I’ve seen some doozies as folks pretend they’re back in high school chemistry class when they sneak up to the reader and touch the picture pad.
•  The downtrodden and despairing ones, all around us in plain sight.  I’m clueless on how I could help other than one thing at a time, but a 5-spot won’t solve world hunger.
• What's underneath many of our car hoods.  Unseen as long as Herbie starts and there aren't any red lights on the dash.  Don't shake your head - you know I'm right!
• Sadly, race relations.  I see a void, an abyss of expectations between some major groups in our society.  The Trayvon Martin tragedy further shows how perceptions silently shape us into who we are.  I know I see it but do I see it ‘correctly?’  Is there a ‘correct’ view?  Nope, so it will remain sight unseen except within each of our hearts.

10 books from the 21st century every man should read:

http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/10-books-from-the-21st-century-every-man-should-read-213232125.html

Weird and Wacky Festivals around the World:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2013/07/21/weird-and-wacky-festivals-around-the-world/2570467/

I think the World Wife-carrying Competition (Finland) and the World Body-painting Competition (Austria) are the choicest ones!