Post Number 100!!

Although, I planned on having a celebration type thing on my 100th post, an unfortunate situation sways me another way.

I usually try to avoid specific news and events. There are many chronicles of those events made- this blog was never meant to be my personal journal. But December 7th, came and went two days ago and for whatever reason it passed almost in obscurity.

There was nothing posted on CNN until late in the evening. I heard nothing on the radio in my driving, and I missed any reference to it on the evening news, which doesn't mean it was not covered, but it had to be short and not at the top of the news. Mention of it in the newspaper was more like a filler story- not anything important to mention.

So I have decided to mention it in my blog because I believe in the saying: "those who do not know the past, are destined to relive it in the future".

So this post is dedicated to the memory of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and to all it represents. It is my desire to keep the memory alive and hope that we never forget its lessons.

"America stood up and changed the course of history for mankind. It was a day when weaker souls would have surrendered. Out of the ashes and oil, out of the waters came a resilience, lessons of determination, an unwavering spirit of the American people," Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii.
(Inouye was 17 and an eye witness of the attack . He later lost his arm fighting in Italy with the mostly Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the Army).

P.S.- Watch the movie "Tora, Tora, Tora" not "Pearl Harbor".

Just because sheep and cows do it...

When I was 14 and 15, I spent two summers in Alaska working at a gold mine. We had several different vehicles and equipment and at 14 I was more than delighted to be able to learn how to drive and operate the different trucks, tractors and front end loaders. All my friends back home were still confined to bikes and buses.

We had two Chevy pick-ups in the camp. One was a newer blue four wheel drive. It was the "Cadillac' of the camp. The other pick up was "The Green one". It was older, faded green- not a good green either, two wheel drive and no frills. The suspension was tired and for 1980- it was a pioneer to the low rider craze that was just around the corner.

The Green One is the truck I got to drive more than any other vehicle. The back window was missing so it was always cold when you drove it. You had to be careful where you drove, because the two wheel drive and dirt roads were not always compatible. And for some reason it was always available.

The steering was probably it's most notable feature. It barely had any. It wasn't power assisted to begin with and the years of Alaska wilderness life had made for a lot of "slop" in the steering. You could practically turn the wheel 3/4 turn before it did anything! This made us all joke that no one could "steer" that truck- you just kind of "herded" it down the road.

I have since found this trait popping up in different parts of my life every now and then. I don't always steer toward my goals, sometimes I just kind of herd things along. The thought is always: "As long as you don't veer too far off the course and are going in the right direction- everything is fine".

Everything is not fine. Although I survived the truck experience- I was lucky. I was somewhere where I didn't have to dart in and out of traffic. There were no other cars to worry about, but what if some moose had jumped out in front of me? Are my goals something just to leave to chance and hope that no obstacles will happen?

Herding was "OK" in the sticks of Alaska. Herding might even be good for sheep and cattle or even the reindeer herds of the north, but I don't think it's good enough for my personal life direction and goals. Give me power steering in my life or give me...

Just give me power steering.

A Winner In 66th Place

Lance Armstrong is a wild man when it comes to bike racing. The accomplishments he has racked up are just too much for me to comprehend. I've seen the Tour de France in person- it's insane just to compete, but to win it 6 times in a row!!!??!! And then when you add on the trials brought on by fighting cancer and surviving...ooh la la!- as they would say in France.

I like to believe I share qualities with those I admire such as Lance Armstrong- but it's hard to find equivalent accomplishments of my own. Lance (Mr. Armstrong to others) might be out of my league.

Luvsanlkhundeg Otgonbayar, a Mongolian runner, the sixty-sixth place finisher in the women's marathon at the Athens Summer Olympics- over 1:20 behind the winner, over 30 minutes behind number 65, seemed more like a possibility. "Now here", I thought, "is someone more my speed".

I mean 66th place! If you can't match up to that- what can you match up to? To finish dead last- you have to be some kind of loser, right?

I guess she did finish. She did run all 26 miles. She did compete in the Olympics.

I've never been to the Olympics. I have never ran a marathon. I can't even imagine running a marathon. I get tired just saying the words "Twenty-six miles". It may have taken her 3 hours and 58 Minutes, but I can't do that! I would die before I could keep my feet moving for that long.

I would love to hear a stadium of people cheer me on as I finish my last lap and cross the finish line. I would love to have competed in an Olympic event. I would love to have people rush to congratulate me. She experienced it. She lived my dream. The bottom line is that I have not put in the effort to put myself into that position.

The chance to run in a marathon is not just given away. The completion of the race is not automatic. These all have to be earned. Both Lance Armstrong in first place and Ms. Otgonbayer in last have something to admire. They put in the work and both have lived their dream.

I might not be an athlete, the Tour de France and Olympic Women's Marathon are not in my future- but I can emulate their drive. I can emulate their willingness to compete. And I can emulate their will to finish.

I just hope I'm closer to Lance than Luvsanlkhundeg in results.

Security to Aisle Four

My favorite aisle in the grocery store has to be the coffee aisle. I love the smell of coffee! I don't know the different brews, but I love strolling down the aisle and taking in the deep breathes and absorbing that sweet coffee aroma.

I also love the smell of brewing coffee. It just screams "Good Morning! Have a Fan-Damn-Tastic Day!!!" I love it. I would love to have a coffee pot in the house just for the smell.

The taste of coffee however is another issue. The few times that I have actually tasted coffee are times I would rather forget. If I want to taste burnt water, I'll save the cost of the coffee beans and just burn the water.

Some have suggested that I should add cream or sugar. If I want a glass of milk, I'll have a glass of milk. If I want sugar- I'll have a Coke.

So if you see me on the coffee aisle, looking like I'm having an asthma attack, don't worry. I'm just getting my coffee fix. It's not as dignified as sipping from a mug, but coffee's coffee, right??!?

And The Topic Is...

This morning, I was asked to give a short speech on a topic I would not know until the Emcee introduced me and announced the topic. I had input into five different topics that I would cover, but it was still tough to just jump into the subject with only a few seconds warning.

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards". Vernon Sanders Law

The exercise was to test my confidence in my background and knowledge. It was hard, yet now afterwards, I feel more confident to go into circumstances where I might be asked to speak off the cuff.

Tests are great ways to prove to ourselves how much we have progressed and gets us excited for the future.

Spiritually Rich

Being from Utah, the question always ready to be asked of me is: "Are you a Mormon" or "How many moms do you have?"

I do confess that I am Mormon (with one mom). It's an odd question, nonetheless. I'm not exactly sure why one's religion is anybody's business, but I guess if it's interesting.

There are three huge advantages to being Mormon:

1) No one really wants to talk religion with you. Once you answer the question, that is usually all that is said.
2) All the Polygamy jokes!!
3) All the money I save by not buying Starbucks Coffee!!

Sunday Scripture Choice

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

SUCCESS: S*U*C*C*E*S- Segmenting

"Young man, the secret of my success is that at an early age I discovered that I was not God." Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Have you ever started an exercise program and found that your goals were more ambitious than your body? Your spirit is willing, but it's your body that pays the price. Many exercise programs die in the second or third day of its life, mostly because the body refused to abuse itself another day and convinced the brain to join the rebellion. This is why any good exercise coach will start someone out slow and point out the accomplishments along the way.

"Yes you hurt today, but it's less than yesterday". "Three workouts down this week. Only four more to finish the week!"

A good coach will always segment the task so that the small victories can be enjoyed and used for motivation. Without recognizing the small victories, it's too easy to be overwhelmed with the task.

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." Yogi Berra

Segmenting the task also allows us to constantly evaluate our direction. Sometimes options become available along the way that were not available or known at the start. Recognizing that it was the fact that you were on the path to your goal- accomplishing tasks- that lead you to your new goal. It's all part of the success path- not a failure and abandonment.

It's the small accomplishments that make the bigger goals possible or...

"He's got the whole world at his feet but he can't find his shoes." John Williamson

When Life's A Dream

Where does this stuff come from?

Ever have one of those dreams where you wake up and think, "How did I ever come up with that?!! And WHY!!!???!!" I had one of those dreams last night.

Occasionally, as I have wrote about one instance before (story), cats not belonging to me get into our basement, and I have to shoo them out. My dream consisted of one of those instances. This time however, one of the cats was an aardvark!

An aardvark!??!!! I'm not sure if I have ever seen an aardvark but on TV. I'm not even sure where aardvarks come from. Africa I guess. Of course in the dream, it's just a normal thing and I proceed to chase the aardvark and the two other cats out of the basement. (I was being very aware not to grab one- see "story".)

Where does this stuff come from? Does it frighten you as much as it frightens me?!

Don't Look In The Classifieds

What is a futurist?

Yesterday I quoted John Shaar. When I quote someone, I like to study who they are (or were) and get to know a little bit about the person. John Shaar was listed as a "futurist". I'm puzzled.

What is a futurist and how does one become one. Can you study other futurists? Wouldn't that be living in the past. Can you emulate a futurist? Isn't that living in the present? If you try to be what a futurist might be- could you be greatly wrong?

Were there more futurist in the past and the only ones we quote are the ones that guessed right about the future? Of course that's the beauty of being a futurist- no one will know you're making it up until long after you're wrong.

In a way, it's a step better than a meterologist. They are only right 50% of the time, but they have to face their subjects the next day. A futurist may never have to be accountable for what they say, and have a 50% chance of being famous. Of course they are only famous in the future.

I think I'll keep my day job.