For The Sleepless

This is going to be one of those posts that doesn't really have any theme to it. I'm basically going to just ramble and whoever cares to read it, super. If no one does, it's therapy for me either way. Adjustments have been pretty hard to swallow since my wife being let go of her job. My 4 year old son calls at-home-days boring now since we can't afford to go out and do stuff that costs money. I guess the library, and Sea World (we get in free) get old after our weekly visits. I feel bad for my wife because she is 8 months pregnant and being on her feet all day just isn't something she can comfortably do. We spend our days at home and try to cope with the 100+ degree heat/humidity. When things get tough for me, I find that I revert back to things I enjoyed as a child. It varies each time, but it mostly switches back and forth from riding bikes, collecting Pokemon cards, reading Calvin and Hobbes, and Drawing. I gotta find a way to work playing the guitar back int...

The scene was set, the day had come. 8 months, 12 days, and 4 hours had gone into planning every last detail. A young man stood at the front of the church waiting to see his bride for the first time that day. The pre-service music filled the ornate church, the setting of the ceremony was being laid and it put everyone at ease. The young man took a moment to reflect on everything that brought him to this particular spot on this particular day. The "what ifs" and the tracing of the paths life took him on, which somehow crossed with her paths that lead to this day, put a smirk on his face. As the wedding party glided side by side down the aisle, he reflected on his parents and how he wished he could have their happiness that he grew up knowing. He focused on his friends and how happy they had been in their early stages of marriage. He was ready to have it all. As the final couple walked down the aisle, the ring bearer and flower girl trotted down to their positions momentar...

A young man went and stood on the beach staring at the ocean With no end in sight, he set out to conquer what was before him. Intrigue got the best of him and no warnings of danger could sway him. It took a certain kind of moxy to defeat a task that no amount of preparation Would be able to calm the fears of an average man. This man was not average. A boat was acquired, equipment purchased. With a dignified breath, the salty air filled his nostrils, His gaze was set and his heart was in rhythm with the waves. A crowd was gathered on the sand watching in wonder and fear. They did not know what the water kept hidden underneath its surface. How can a man and his boat tackle a vastness that had no proof of safety? Firmly with their feet in the sand, the crowd watched the sailor with his sanguine smile Advance toward a makeshift dock to the singular boat. Untying the vessel from its connection to land, the captain rang the bell 3 times. In a staccato like ...

Over the curb, and into the street, crashing into cars we go. When you roll off the hood, and into the street, you thank God for getting back onto your feet.  Like my little diddy? Since the adventure began, there have been some superlative climbs, and body crushing (b)lows. If you read  The 20 Year Journey , you know that I moved to Florida in late June. I came to Florida by myself, with the help of some amazing people. I moved into a nice house then 2 weeks later I went back to Wisconsin to pick up my family. I missed them so much. There is something about remembering the last moment you had with them before leaving. My newest son, Jaxson, wasn't even a month old yet and I wasn't going to be there to witness that beautiful milestone. The last thing I remember of my interaction with Parker was giving him a long, hard, hug. As I walked towards the security check, I told myself not to look back. I did anyways. The last thing I saw was Parker turning back to mom and them leav...

Today, I broke down. I cried uncontrollably.  I'm okay with admitting it. This happens to all of us at one point in time.  We always dream of life changing events. "One day, I'll have enough money to move out of here."  "I'm getting married in 6 months."  "Retirement is just around the corner." Others dread life changing events. I conversed with 2 men today that were cut down both physically and mentally. I kept thinking, this could very well happen to me, or to any of the other people that I've been talking to lately. It happened to them, and it sucks. One guy told me this, "Infections spread fast. Amputated at my hips. Lying here in bed looking at a flat blanket where my legs used to be. I have no stumps even for prosthetic sockets. It is horrible. They had me in a wheelchair and in the hall and lobby today to get me out. I saw myself in the mirror, it was difficult. In the lobby people stared at me. I was diagnosed Type ...

If you want to know anything about me, it's that I love music, and I love long car rides. Put the two together and I'm set. My earliest recollection of a long car ride was when I was about 10 or 11. My family was heading to a family reunion in Tennessee, at the time we lived in Texas. I remember receiving a brand new set of Phonics books that had every level ranging from "Dick and Jane" (simple reading) to the age appropriate "Frog and Toad." This was the equivalent of the nowaday electronic entertainment. As we traveled, I remember thinking that Texarkana was as boring as any car trip could get. It was mile after mile with trees and there wasn't much to look at. I remember bickering with my brothers, playing the ABC game, and the bagged lunches and dinners. We pulled in late one night, my parents woke us up, and we checked into a motel. It was exciting times, being on the road and living the child's interpretation of a vagabond lifestyle. Every mi...

A photograph, home movie, road trip, an email or text. What do these have in common? Usually these hold remarkable memories that help you bookmark important events with friends or loved ones. When we revisit these memories, we long for the days that these memories possess. We suspire for the chance to go back and relive that specific time or place. I had the chance to try this out with a very dear friend of mine. I went back through the memories and outlined the parts that meant something to me. I had the ability to not only sojourn these memories, but to explain to my friend why these particular memories meant so much. We called upon both the good and the uncomfortable and I had the blessing to be able to speak about how it impacted our friendship and how our lives are better for the events that brought elation as well as the aftermath of wading through some incommodious obstacles. I am confident to say that we have secured a new level of appreciation for each other after taking thi...