Summer is Drawing to a Close
Right now in Oklahoma the highs are in the 100 degree mark. The radio talks about “heat alerts” and “ozone alerts” which basically means, it is really freaking hot out. So it is funny to think of summer as coming to a close, but in about two weeks my little girl will be going off to First grade. New school supplies have been purchased, tags have been cut off clothes, and a new backpack complete with little hanging monkey has appeared in the house. More noticeably, we have no major plans for the remaining few weeks. So in thinking about the end of summer I realized it was a perfect time to plant a milestone here and look back at the summer. Read more »
Posted: July 29th, 2008 under Improvement.
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When I took Physics in high school we spent some time discussing Newton’s laws. They are basic principles of how things interact in the world and help us predict future outcomes. Newton’s first law is that an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion. It is one of those “Duh” laws. After all, you do not expect a rock sitting on a hill to suddenly leap up nor do you expect a ball rolling into the street to suddenly stop for no reason. What does this have to do with balance? Well what applied to rocks and balls, applies to people too. 
My father is an amazing wood worker. All my life he has a project going and when he finishes it, it looks flawless. Chairs, chests, shelves, even a phone booth. Genetically, I feel like I too should have some kind of talent in this department but when it comes to patience, my Dad has it in spades over me. Years back I decided that I wanted to build an entertainment center to house our electronic equipment and DVDs. I drew up some plans and ran them by my father. We discussed them and modified them and ultimately came up with something workable that wasn’t very far off from my original design. Soon it was time for me to put my money where my mouth was and actually start cutting some wood. I felt the pressure of my father’s shadow looming over me as I began my work. 
When Amy and I were paying off our debt I knew it would take us a couple of years to finally retire all of it. As I mentioned in a previous post, it was reading 
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the song “With Arms Wide Open” by Creed. Around 2000 – 2002 it played very regularly on the radio, many times each day. I know this because this song became my personal nemesis, my albatross if you will. In case you don’t remember the song, it is all about a man who learns that he is going to be a father. The man in the song is thinking about all the things he will teach his child and how his life as a man has now changed. Lyrically, it was well written and conveyed a significant emotional impact.