It's in My Head #20 - I'm Done Making Plans

Don't let the picture fool you - I intend this to be a positive article. I know the RMS Titanic sunk on her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK to New York City, NY. Everyone knows that. And we can talk about it in an open forum. It isn't too soon. All of those people on board would have been dead by now anyway. The ship plunged to the depths of the North Atlantic in the early morning of April 15, 1912. I know that wasn't Thomas Andrews' plan when he designed this "unsinkable" ship. This was the largest ship at the time and the disaster become more legendary than the ship itself. Everyone knows the story. If you don't check out one of the million documentaries or books about it or see the James Cameron movie. Do the latter for Kate Winslett's exposed totties alone. Seriously, she's got a real nice set. I just googled it. I would provide a picture for proof, but this is a family site (yeah right). Still, I don't think that I've ever posted naked pictures on this blog. I've come close before, but I stopped short of showing full on nudity or nipples. So I'll let you do the work on this one (trust me, it's not hard. Finding naked women on the internet is easier than finding sand at the beach). 

But back to the real reason why I started writing this article today. This is why it's in my head. I'm done making plans because God and the world doesn't really care about my plans. While one may find that to be troubling, causing them to fall into a pit of despair over this matter, I've chosen to take a different path here. I'm taking the glass is half full approach. I used to say when life gives you lemons, you say "fuck the lemons and bail." But instead I'm going to take those lemons and make the best fucking lemonade you've ever tasted in your sweet little life. And this is why - sometimes you just gotta be creative and just go with it. I'm not saying don't plan vacations, don't pay your bills or don't plan out your retirement. Do those kinds of things. But what I am saying is don't get all frazzled and out of sorts when something comes up that interferes with those carefully laid out plans. Some of the best moments of my life were completely unexpected. I don't normally plan out my adventures, they just happen. If you keep yourself flexible and figure out a way to rise and fall with the ever flowing tide, you're going to experience one helluva ride. 

And that's life at its absolute greatest. It's in a moment that you never saw coming which ends up being one of the greatest moments of your life. So what I'm telling you today is to not live life according to the plan. Because plans change. The world doesn't have a plan for you or for me. Your future isn't written yet. Doc Brown told me that. It's up to you to figure it out as you go along and never let change interfere with you living your life. I'll tell you that my life as it is today isn't what I expected it to be. There's a lot of good, but there's also a lot of bad. But at the end of the day, there's one very important thing - I'm still alive to live another adventure. And every single day that I wake up alive, I have the chance to live one more adventure. These adventures are never according to plan. What good adventure is? None of them. Screw the plans. Go with the changes and don't live your life according to plan. That's what's in my head today. What plan used to be in your head that has now been changed?
 

 - pookon -

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Pickle the Day: April 13 - A Stone's Throw Away

I'm supposed to exercise more. Everyone is. Ask just about anyone around you if they get enough exercise and I'm sure they would admit that they don't. With the exceptions, I think our society (and country) is headed in that direction. While that isn't what I'm trying to get into here (and I don't want to be preachy or tell you how to live your life) I had to mention it because it ties into today's pickle. I'm trying to be more active and take 10,000 steps per day and be actively moving for at least an hour per day. While this sounds pretty easy, it's a lot more difficult for me because of my desk job and sedentary lifestyle. That's why I glad that my new phone (Samsung Note 4) comes quipped with this S Health app. It keeps track of my steps per day and also of how active I am (complete with notifications for when I'm not being active). So what does this have to do with today's pickle? Glad you asked.

I don't eat a lunch at work. While I realize that's not the healthiest thing, I'm just not hungry. I don't think that I should eat when I'm not hungry. So I decided to do something productive with 30 minutes of each workday Mon-Fri. I've been doing this for the last 6 months every day that it isn't raining like a banshee or cold as balls. It's getting increasingly easier to spend a half hour outside as it gets closer to Summer, so I've been really looking forward to this time out from work. Since I only have a half hour to work with, I don't venture too far from the office. I started walking around the perimeter of the "campus" but that soon got old. Then I started walking around the neighborhood. I'm still exploring where I can go over this limited time, but on April 13 I found something I never new existed. Here was this pond (probably man made) just a stone's throw away from where I toil away on a computer all day. I wandered around a bit before I found this spot, so I only had a few minutes to sit on the hill under the tree and look out at the pond and take this picture. But those few minutes were all that I needed to understand that this moment was unlike any in my recent life. This moment calmed me down and centered me. All other moments were complete chaos. So I guess I have a new spot. And it's just a stone's throw away from where I spend a good chunk of my time Monday through Friday.

 - pookon -

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The Write Time and the Write Place - A River Runs Through It

I think it is evident by now that I love water. I love to be in it and I love to be near it. I don't know what it is exactly, but it gives me a very calming feeling and it centers me. When I'm having a difficult time with life, I either head to the airport to watch the planes take off and land or I go to the nearest body of water. Luckily for me, there are plenty of nearby lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin. But what about when I'm not at home? That's when it becomes difficult to find a place of solace. It's not that there aren't bodies of water outside of the state of Wisconsin. I'm sure that there are plenty of them. It's just that I don't really know where they are, so it takes some extra effort to find them and get there. I knew that a river runs through the back of my brother James' property in Columbia and I had been there many times before. But when I woke up on the morning that we were to leave and head back home, I felt like I had to head down there and see it again.

Much like I had ranted and raved about those Randoms having Lake Murray in their backyard, I couldn't help but be jealous of my brother for having this in his backyard. I don't know if he ever goes down there, but I certainly took advantage of it this morning. From his backyard it was difficult to get down to the river due to the slope of the bank, but I was able to walk down a little ways and "trespass" into the neighbor's yards to find the safest route to the water. So on this morning I hung out by the Rawls Creek and took in the beauty that nature was presenting to me. I wish I could put my feelings into words, but anything that I type will pale in comparison to what was washing over me at the place and time. How do you describe something like this? I guess this is one of the reasons why you are able to use pictures where words simply won't do it justice. So I'm just going to bow out and let these pictures do the talking for the moment. How can you not love a place like this?

I am technically walking distance away from the nearest body of water, as I could get to the Menomonee River on foot if I had the time. But it really isn't that close. I would have to plan it out and make an afternoon out of it. I can't just walk out into my backyard and collect my thoughts when I need to get centered. That's one of the more difficult things in my life. How do I find that river in my mind when I need to center myself? Maybe that's why I'm so lost all the time and my mind wanders to some pretty dark places. The dripping faucet in my bathroom is not the same as a babbling brook. A full sink full of dishes is not a pond (although in some Milwaukee neighborhoods, I can see how someone could confuse the two). There has to be something else there that centers me and allows me to reboot whenever times get hard to deal with and the nearest body of water is not accessible. I've seriously considered trying meditation. That might be the best option, as it can allow me to calm myself when I need it the most. You know what, that's going to be my next adventure. The next time that I need to center myself and a body of water is too far away, I'm going to try that. Can't hurt, right?

 - pookon -

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The Write Time and the Write Place - Just Around the Riverbend

We got down to the Carolinas on Friday night. Saturday was the Biltmore Estate and Sunday was hanging out in Columbia at some Random's house. My plan for today (Monday) was to go to the Atlantic Ocean (somewhere around Folly Beach) but the weather forecast made that a bad idea. I would go to the ocean all day, every day. To me it doesn't matter how hot or cold it was or even if it was pouring rain. I live so far away from the ocean that I'm lucky to get there once every other year. I was just in Oregon in February, so I really wanted to visit both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in the same year. While that still may happen (I've got 8 months left in the year but not a whole lot of time or money, especially because I'll be in San Francisco in July), I was very disappointed that we couldn't do it today. The two things that hindered this was that Folly Beach is a two hour drive away (so then also a two hour drive back) and the forecast was calling for mid 50s and more than 50% chance of rain. So I was overruled by the rest of the gang. What we ended up doing instead wasn't the same as going to the ocean, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

When we were looking for something to do, I started Googling "things to do in Columbia, SC." When all else fails, turn to the internet I guess. One of the things that I found was the Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park. This is where the Broad River and the Saluda River come together to form the Congaree River. This is right on the edge of downtown, and as you can see in these pictures, it really is a beautiful nature space among the concrete jungle of the city. We started out by walking over this pedestrian bridge across the river and canal. I took so many wonderful pictures that I kind of want to print out and frame to hang on my walls. Aside from that they had some placards that told about the history of the river and canal, as well as some of the old buildings in that area (such as the Columbia Penitentiary), which continued the history lesson from Saturday. I was learning all sorts of things on this trip and I was eager to continue that. Gaining knowledge is always a good thing because it does allow you to appreciate the World around you. To understand what had to happen by the hands of God or the hands of Man and what went into designing and constructing of these things makes them so much more remarkable. I'm not a God nor am I an engineer or a structural architect. I don't have the power, vision or intelligence to be on that level. So I have mad respect for anyone who is able to do something like this. 

But the best part about this was just being outside, with my family and doing something different than my normal day-to-day activities. It was a Monday, so I was supposed to be at work. But not today. Today I was having an adventure. Plus this helped me stay in line with my new goal that I set after getting my new phone. This phone keeps track of every step you take and I set a daily goal of 10,000 steps. I know that sounds like a lot, but it really isn't difficult if you just get outside and move around. I established a new step record at the Biltmore Estate on Saturday (of 17,323) and today I almost achieved my goal but I fell just short at 9,690 steps. Even so, this was more exercise than I normally get. It's a good thing to go out into the World and be active. Not only do you burn calories and hopefully extend your life, but you also get to experience more things and enjoy a grand adventure. I'm a writer and a storyteller. In order to be able to share more stories with you, I need to live them first. That's why I take advantage of these opportunities and get out there and do something. It may not always work out according to plan, but in the end it's always one hell of a ride.

We walked around the river for a few hours. There wasn't really a lot to see or do but it ended up being just what I needed. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes it is better to not have a plan or an agenda and just go with the flow. Sometimes what you didn't expect to find is waiting just around the riverbend. That's why you have to be flexible and keep an open mind (and  a good attitude) when things don't work out according to your plan. Because if you haven't already experienced this first hand, let me tell you here - the World doesn't care about your plan. The World has been here before you were born and the World will continue when you are gone. I'm not saying that you shouldn't make plans. All I'm saying is that you have to be open to new ideas and develop a way to quickly deal with change. Because change is going to happen whether or not you want it to. You have to change with it. And then, when you least expect it, that change works out for the better. It's just takes a little while for you to realize it.

 - pookon - 

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The Write Time and the Write Place - Some Lucky Folks Get This Every Night

It is natural to be envious of someone else who has something that you do not have. I would like to say that I am above or beyond that, but I am human just like every single one of you reading this post right now. I live in the outer regions of Milwaukee and I could walk to the "suburbs" if I really wanted to. But I am surrounded by concrete, buildings, stores, gas stations, man made green spaces and other city objects. Here in Wisconsin I do have the ability to easily venture into an area that is "untouched" by human hands that maintains a true and natural beauty. Every now and then I try and escape into nature and go camping for a weekend or take a moment to walk out in the park. But even when I do allow myself to take that chance, it only lasts for a moment, a few hours or a few days. It certainly doesn't repeat itself on a daily basis. That is why I was so incredibly jealous (and very upset that I would have to leave this place and go back to my real life) when I spent some time at a Random's house when I was in South Carolina.

This night was a total surprise to me and even though I'm pretty good at improvisation, I couldn't help but act a a little lost while hanging at a stranger's house. I guess they weren't really strangers because they were friends with my brother James and his wife Melissa, but these people were so Southern that I felt like Yankees like us weren't allowed to set foot on this hallowed ground. But (SPOILER ALERT), the North won the war. Sure, the South may rise again, but not on my watch M'nfer. No offense of course to the ones who are true Southerners who still believe. But it's not going to happen pal. But we can still be friends, right? I hope so, because I really like hanging out down here. To be honest, I've been spreading lies just now. Tim and Kristy did unleash some real Southern hospitality upon us and they graciously welcomed us into their home. After I settled in and checked my inhibitions at the door, I was able to enjoy the good company, good food and great surroundings that this night gave us. 

Even though it sounds like I am being a real son of a bitch for making fun of our hosts and rehashing facts from the Civil War, I really did enjoy my evening here. After all, I got free eats, dinner and a show AND I got to hang out with my entire family. What more can you want in life? This was magical and I didn't even have to deceive you in any way. But I still wish that I was in a position to have this in my backyard. I don't even have a backyard (it belongs to my neighbors downstairs - I just rent this place).  So I appreciated every moment of being here. I did not take this for granted. I understood that I was given an opportunity to experience a different way of living, if even for a brief amount of time. I'm not there. I doubt that I will ever be. But I feel like if I keep on trying, I might be able to get close. There are a lot of lakes in Wisconsin. If I am fortunate to grow old and be able to retire, I'd like to get a cabin on the lake. I would love to wake up every morning with this kind of view in my backyard. I would love to sit out on the dock and just stare out into the nature surrounding me. To play guitar and be inspired by the earth, wind and water. To sit back and listen to the sounds that present themselves on a daily basis. To just be and let it all happen. I'm not there. I don't know if I will ever be. But I do know, that for a few hours on a Sunday night in South Carolina, I got a glimpse of what it could be like. And it was amazing.

 - pookon -

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