Just so you know, the answer is no.

Does Spring ever get old?

"When you really pay attention, everything is your teacher." Ezra Bayda

Things that deserve the stink-eye:

Dear lady in the check-out line behind me,

Why do you need shoulder pads?

I know nothing about fashion but, um, as a guy, I wish I could actually verbalize these thoughts, and in the kindest way possible, suggest that unless you are linebacker, or you are time-traveling to the 1980s, there is absolutely no need to waste your money on these.

And another thing, who knew these actually still existed?

Remember Day

Do you recall

1.      When we all had VCRs?

2.      And the clock forever flashed?

3.      And “be kind rewind?”

4.      And remember fondue parties?

5.      And when phones were attached to the wall?

6.      Remember phone booths?

7.      And when we had a lock combination to memorize instead of twenty passwords?

8.      And we carried cash? And there were dollar bills?

9.      And we opened car windows with handles? And we opened car doors for women?

10.  And remember before air conditioning?

11.  Remember when cats weren’t famous on the Internet?

12.  Remember when it was A cloud and not THE cloud?

13.  Remember that noise fax machines made? Ditto dial-up internet?

14.  And lots of people wore shirts that said Bum Equipment or Just do it or Vote for Pedro?

15.  Remember Y2K?

16.  Remember when we didn't feel nervous being in an airport? And we didn't have to arrive three hours in advance? And bottled water wasn't an apparent weapon?

17.  Remember YOLO?

18.  Remember beanie-babies?

19.  And Polaroid cameras?

20.  Remember reading Harry Potter that first time?

21.  Remember playing outside?

22.  Remember climbing trees?

23.  Remember waiting for an hour in a car waiting for your parents to return?

24.  Remember buying cigarettes for your Dad?

25.  Remember when our parents were young? Our brothers? Our sisters? Our children? Remember when we were young?

Science say remembering one thing versus another is a by-product of reinforcement. One particularly effective memory reinforcer is emotion. In other words, if you felt it deeply, you’ll likely never forget it. These feelings may fade but they remain. Sometimes I think there should be a day just for remembering, a remembering day. Why not today? 

Thick-skinners

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It took Dr. Seuss twenty-seven tries to get his first children’s book published. Imagine a world without him...I don’t want to go there either. I say a world without Seuss is a world without wise. 

Remember this Seuss gem? “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” No doubt Dr. Seuss had some pretty thick skin.

Thick skin. It's pretty important. Test yourself: how thick is your skin?

1. To what extent do you let life get to you?
2. Is it better to underestimate or overestimate challenges?
3. On a scale of one to courage, where do you stand (or fall)?
4. Does it linger when someone disagrees with you?
5. Is competence more important to you than risk-taking?
6. What are you avoiding trying and why?
7. How well do you take criticism?
8. How would someone else describe your initiative?
9. What’s keeping you up at night?
10. How hard are you pushing yourself?

No matter your answers, three thoughts:

1. Thick-skinned people don’t feel with any less depth than anyone else nor do they kid themselves that they are any less clueless about life than anyone else.
2. But despite the pitfalls and downfalls and faceplants and naysayers and multiple attempts, thick-skinners move on and move forward every day. 
3.  And so can I (and so can you.)

Things that are most likely the devil:

Last night I think I watched an obscure documentary about an obscure documentary about nesting dolls.

Help me.

Just so you know, the answer is no.

Do pigs fly? Not so much.

(But sometimes, every once-in-a-while, they absolutely do.)

Things one should never outgrow:

peanut butter and bananas on toast.

(Add chocolate chips if it's been that kind of day.)

Who?

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Who’s the most important person on the hockey team? No one. Except maybe the guy who sharpened the skates.

Who’s the most important person on the corporate team? No one. Except maybe the guy who inspects and maintains the company jet.

Who’s the most important person on the synchronized swim team? No one. Except maybe the lifeguard.

Who’s the most important person on your surgical team? No one. Except maybe the person who sterilizes the instruments.

Who’s the most important member of the orchestra? No one. Except maybe fifty first music teachers.

Who’s the most important person on the palliative care team? No one. Except maybe the first responder.

Who’s the most important person on the safari expedition team? No one. Except maybe the person who wrestles snakes for anti-venom?

Who’s the most important person at the anti-bullying foundation? No one. Except maybe the parent who will not accept any excuse for bullying.

Who’s the most important person on the football team? No one. Except maybe the guy who ensures the drunk girl doesn’t get assaulted.

Who’s the most important person on any team? No one. Except maybe you when you know it and you act accordingly. 

Muchness

I watched The Theory of Everything and not surprisingly, now I'm wondering about theories for everything. Although I enjoyed the film and found some key sequences quite moving, I felt the film didn't mine the depths of Stephen Hawking or Jane Wilde or science or relationships or time or some of its other themes for the real valuable nuggets. I wanted more. And thus now I'm writing to uncover more.

More. That's a theory right there isn't it?

What is more? How deep, how wide, how much? What are the criteria for more and how do we measure it? How should we define it? What if the scientific process were applied to more?

Hypothesis: less is more. I've spent a lifetime researching this one and I already know this as truth. Only appreciating less reveals more. Take for example the not "muchness" of pairing my skiis with my music and closing my eyes as the chair lift takes me up and up, the whoosh down across rolling hills speed building, zipping around corners, then a home-made cinammon bun, a smiling slobbery baby, talking and laughing with the people I love. I don't need a lot of things; I just need to appreciate the moments. It may not seem like much but it's muchness.

Therefore, Hypothesis 2: um....run that by me one more time. That's the first "more" statement that popped into my head. And thinking it about it now, it's a gooder. One more time. In his 20s, Stephen Hawking was given two years to live. In his 70s now, he's still alive, still enjoying his family, still hypothesizing, still searching, still enjoying that aforementioned muchness, and no doubt, still struggling too. But despite hardships he's recognized what a gift one more time is indeed. What theory could be better than one more run, one more time?

What's your theory of everything?

Things that deserve the stink-eye:

Um, a both impressive and disturbing display, I encountered this performance art-piece (?) outside a grocery store so let's hope it's less urine and more someone's "leaky" orange juice.

(Get it? Leaky. Sorry.)