Improvement (Mar. 31)

It seems that in life there is a general perception that we should try to improve ourselves. The whole educational system is built on the idea of improvement. Sports are very much the same way. It seems that the general perception is that if something can be done well there is a desire to see if it can be done better. What exactly does this lead to? On the one hand for those that seem to have any bit of talent and drive this pushes some to become better and better. This is not necessarily a good thing as one can see in the sports world this has led to the use and over use of steroids to improve ones self. To others this drive will soon face a reality of a lack of talent and then drive one to simply stop trying because they know that they cannot keep up with others, either due to lack of talent or do to that lack of drive. It seems that this attitude of improvement will cause most to end in doing something that is not healthy and not improving. There is only a thin slice of the possible outcomes that really serve as a good outcome. Perhaps the reality is that we need to keep improving, but we might need to reconsider what areas in life we consider improving.

Wind (Mar. 30)

Wind is a very interesting weather phenomenon. It is not really something that you can see and yet we can predict it. It is something that we can measure but can only see the effects on other elements around us. It makes noise but only because it is forced to do so by other objects in this world. It is affected by temperature and pressure and yet there is little reason for it to do so. One can conceptualize that wind could come from space and be present in space and yet there is really no origin to the wind. There is really nothing quite like it. Wind is something that both serves as the curator of unique beauty and at the same time is impressively destructive. Even when we try to do things to stop the wind they fail in comparison to other weather. An umbrella stops the rain but the wind simply destroys the umbrella. Wind is one of the weather elements that seems to strike the imagination as one could simply close their eyes and spread their arms to have the sensation of flying. Wind is being used as a source to power the world and could theoretically do so on its own in the near future. Yet you are left in a place where you don't know if you like the wind or have some less than desirable reaction to it.

Opinion (Mar. 29)

It seems recently that many people are enjoying the confusion between an opinion and fact. In many cases there is a great deal of truth being told with a little bit of opinion making things sound well and good but in reality making the entire statement nothing more than opinion. Truth, in brief, is something that must exist and must exist independent of perspective and opinion. Truth is not relative and depends on nothing but itself. Opinion on the other hand is something that relies completely on perspective. It is possible for an opinion to be true given that this opinion is made up completely of truthful facts. For instance one could have an opinion that the earth revolves around the sun. Based on the evidence gathered the world of academia would tell you that this opinion is true. The easiest place to see the blurred distinction is in politics where one could state the facts of what a bill says but then just as quickly tell you what that bill is going to do. The reality being that we do not know what the bill is actually going to do. And if you only tell us the good parts of what the bill says or is theoretically going to do there is still a good deal of information left out.

Holy (Mar. 28)

You might have a pair of wholly jeans but that is not nearly what is meant when we begin to talk about Holy week in reference to the coming of Easter. In general I think people see holy and think of something reliegious of great importance but truly fail to realize the meaning behind the word. To be holy is simply to be set a part. Those who are religious therefore look at God and see how He is set a part from this world and the sin that is in it. There is certainly a sense of something greater in this word but it is not simply something religious of great importance. Holy is something that is that way because it is at a complete lack of sin and wrongfulness. Holy is holy because it captures the essence of perfect, something that may not exist in the physical world today. Holy is also the root for the world holiday which seems to have lost the root meaning entirely. Sure it is a day that is set a part, and one on which most school kids and government workers know that they will not have to go to school or work. But as we approach holy week or any holiday from now on, how different might it look if it was something that you took the time to set a part.

Celebration (Mar. 27)

We tend to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. There are specific holidays that each individual country will celebrate as well. There are particular religious holidays that one might choose to celebrate depending on what they believe. But why is it that a celebration happens for these particular reasons? In just about every instance there is a strong desire to remember the past and what happened on that particular day. The moments that are being remembered are no small events but rather the things that literally change life as you know it. This is beyond clear if you look at the Jewish tradition and the holidays that they celebrate. With passover in particular there are specific questions that are even supposed to be asked so that the story can be told of how the angel of death passed over the Israelites when they were in Egypt as slaves. This whole idea of telling the story of the celebration is important and too often we tend to forget the things that happen in the past, even as we celebrate them in the present.

Epic (Mar. 26)

The term epic seems to refer to something so above and beyond it is nearly unbelieveable to even consider its magnitude. In films we look at epic movies as being the big blockbuster films that seem to go on much longer than any film should and yet it seems to grab our attention and never let it go. When we sit down to describe a truly amazing vacation we might describe it as epic if it was truly one of those experiences that we know will never be repeated and could only happen what must seem like once in a life time. The magnitude of epic seems to set it apart from any other experience. If we look at life itself there is a sense of something truly epic. So why would one live any part of their life not striving to make it the epic adventure that it is? It is not about doing truly amazing things every second of everyday but simply living life with appreciation for what it is and making the most of every opportunity knowing that each experience it truly unique and unlike anything else that will ever happen.

Laughter (Mar. 25)

There are moments in life when everything should be serious but for some reason you cannot help but laugh. To some extent it is really the laughter that can bring you through the moment no matter how inappropriate it might be. There is a statement that says laughter is the best medicine and these senarios are just one prime example of why it can and should be that way. It is not to say that life will not be tough and put you into moments when all you really want to do is curl up in a ball and cry but the laughter that one could find in the situation may be just what is needed to prevent something worse from happening. If life is too serious you keep from actually living life and loose something into a deathlike state. When you laugh life seems to come alive and be fuller and better than you could possibly imagine.

Clean (Mar. 24)

There are dogs that will enjoy playing in the water, but there are very few dogs that enjoy being clean. They seem to be terrified of the bath or shower and immediately afterwards it seems to be their mission to find a place to dirty themselves up again. Yet when they are clean and well kept they are appreciated so much more by their owners who notice their fluffy and soft fur. There is certainly a difference between the two species in that humans desire cleanliness to some extent and the lack of it is a social error. Dogs on the other hand desire the smell of being dirty to come extent. In talking with any dog breeder you will find out that the dogs actually like eachother better when they are dirty and have their scent, it is more attractive. So how one the one hand did humans come to desire being clean where dogs desire having their scent? Why is it that you can feel so good when you come out of the shower, relaxed and ready for whats next?

Diamonds (Mar. 23)

The way a diamond is made is a very interesting process by which the ugly lump of coal changes into something truly amazing and highly valued over a long period of time with heat and pressure. Think for a moment of spending years trapped in an oven that is constantly getting smaller and smaller. The process would be very uncomfortable and one that we would not wish to go through or put anyone else through. Yet, it seems that life is full of hot moments and pressure that pushes us in constantly. It should make one wonder if the most beautiful people are those who are older than everyone else. The one who has lived through times like the first great depression, who somehow managed to survive and live an incredible life with a great story. While they may look old and wrinkled on the outside, it would be a logical guess that with all they have been through they are the ones that are truly as beautiful as a diamond. To think that what the world sees as physically beautiful is nothing more than a lump of coal waiting to become a diamond by the time they are old and wrinkly.

Offending (Mar. 22)

In the midst of conversations it is entirely possible that you might say something that will offend another person. While this may be something that is intentional, it is not necessarily the case. When conversations become philosophical in nature, it is entirely possible that someone may become offended when they feel like they are not being heard or that their point is unfairly being ripped apart. The particular occasion may lead to the raising of voices or other signs that could indicate that someone is upset. On the one hand the person may be legitimately upset but at the same time it may simply be the conversation itself that is defining the need to raise the voice rather than being a sign of being offended. In most cases it is not the intent to offend a person in such a philosophical conversation but more likely that clarification is needed to the point being made. This should not be something to get offended over. One should also be careful to recognize that this is the case and not think it a personal attack, to which someone may legitimately become offended.

Weather (Mar. 21)

It seems this winter that the weather has had a greater affect on the process of everyday life than it has in some time. Sure there are always snow storms that shut down the country for small periods of time but this winter in particular seems to be so cold with so many constant storms that have literally changed the pattern of life to some extent. It is interesting how weather can affect the mood of people, where the sunny days make everyone happier and the rainy days make everyone seemingly a little more on the down side. Snow, causing such major disruptions either creates stress or time to simply relax like you should have last weekend but forgot to do because there was so much that needed to get done around the house. How might life be just a little bit different if we as a society refused to let the weather affect life so much. It might take changing the way one lives life to be less affected by the weather but it is a process that would certainly change things. We can see how this might work simply in the small differences between a place where there is constantly a great amount of snow and places where there is little snow during the winter. When the storm comes some are more prepared than others.

Do (Mar. 20)

Do you do what you really want to do? It seems that there is such a drive in the world today that people are left to whatever means necessary to make money leaving a serious lack of time for the things that people really want to do. But you keep doing this because having money is something that needs to happen to live life. Society can dream about a day when everyone will just be able to do what they want to do but the reality is that this socialistic thinking will only leave society itself in ruins, much like the old Soviet Union. Fighting in line for a simply loaf of bread is not worth the ability to do what one would like to do. And as such we are all left in a strange place of doing something that we may not really want to do all for the sake of living in a society that is better than one where everyone simply does what they want to do. At the same time if we all simply did what we did not want to do life would be near the point of not living. The reality is that there needs to be some balance in what we do. This is where we can say that capitalism has yet to figure it all out.

Vision (Mar. 19)

The sense of sight and having clear vision is something that we daily put our trust in and to so extent take forgranted. On the one hand it is certainly the one sence that we are willing as a society to spend the most money keeping in tact, hearing only slightly less so. There are eye doctors and now with laser corrective surgery there is no extent to the amount of money that you can spend to keep your eyes working properly. And what happens in the instance where you cannot see, if only for a moment, when you think you should be able to see? There is panic. But how thankful are you for the moments when you can see? It is almost just an expectation that you should be able to see. That expectation keeps you from being thankful for what you can see. Let this serve as a reminder to be thankful for the fact that you can see, if you can, and to be thankful for what functions your body can perform, whatever they might be.

Clique (Mar. 18)

Hollywood has done a fantastic job when it comes to the reality of cliques in High School. In some weird and twisted way we can see that while stereotypes are done to the extreme in films, they are not that far off from reality and the way that humans seem to be drawn to like minded people at the cost of others. In some ways we are programmed to like certain people better than others. We can relate to certain people better than others and we are far more entertained in conversation with certain people that with others simply from a standpoint of interest. So, is there really a problem with cliques? Well, there really is if you begin to theink about the incredible diversity of this world and how forming cliques that are exclusive, by choice or by nature, limits the amount that one can learn about the world and the uniqueness of it. It is not that you have to like every person in this world, it is simply that you should strive to appreciate every person on this planet. It is okay to disagree and tell someone they are wrong. It is not okay to then neglect that person.

Sun (Mar. 17)

There have actually been studies on the effect that the mount of sunshine someone gets affects their life. Interestingly enough the most depressing days of the year are those when there is the least amount of sun in their lives. The sun is also something that we love so much that we seem to plan the entire year around being able to be outside playing under the sun. The traditional school year takes an extended break during the time of year when there is the most sunlight. Ancient cultures even went as far to look at the sun as a god who they were to keep happy. Of course we can also point to things like the calander that is largely based on the relationship of our planet to the sun but it seems more relevant to think of how there is some kinf of energy that the sun bestows upon those living here on earth. The question then might be why someone would ever think to neglect time that they could spend out in the sun? See as we grow older the tendancey is to get a job where you just sit in an office and seemingly attempt to hide yourself from the sun.

Attention (Mar. 16)

In the recent past it seems that doctors have become more keen on giving biological reasons for the lack of attention that kids are able to pay in given circumstances. There are even studies showing that the time for the average person to be able to stay focus one one particular thing is becoming shorter. There are people out there who strive to gain the attention of others by acting in particular ways and by the way that they dress. There are others out there that attempt to hide and actually become embarassed when they recieve attention. Why is there so much effort to explain and garner the attention of others? Why would some choose to shy away from such attention? In all the cases mentioned above it is a matter of training ones own ability to either be able to stay focused or to intentionally seek out attention. The world has increasingly become a place where one does not train themselves to pay attention causing those who seek attention to have to do more drastic things to garner attention. This is a problem that will not soon be solves but will ultimately have devistating consequesnces. And to think doctors and researchers are just giving the world excuses for why things are the way they are.

Future (Mar. 15)

It seems that the majority of people in the world spend a considerable amount of time worrying about the future. It would be frivolous to even begin to talk about how important the future is simply becuase of this fact that people spend so much time either thinking about the future or planning for it to some degree. The funny thing about it all is that of the three possible categories of time, the only one that is completely figurative from the human perspective is the future. The present is real because you are always currently experiencing it. The past is real because it has already been experienced. The future on the other hand is speculative and has yet to be experienced by any human. Even as one worries about the future, the reality is that it will soon become the present and immediately following that the past. Then you will need to be reminded of how important it really is. For all that time you spend worrying and planning, it will soon become forgotten and you will only be dealing with the continuing consequences of your actions in the present.

Present (Mar. 14)

While one is able to conceptualize three catagories of time, there is only one point or category that man can ever exist in. The present is something of a unique anomoly because as soon as you try to define the present circumstance, it has already become the past. Many people make a conscious effort to live in the present, not dwelling on the past or the future. The reality is that weather you are thinking about other points in time and they will remain where they are at, the present never does. The theory behind those who seem to choose to live in the present is not totally incorrect just a standard fact of reality as only the super human could even conceivably live outside of the present. Perhaps the better question is how do you treat the present that you remain in? Is it something that you are trying to leave or is it something that you treat by its namesake, as a present? Just remember that by the time that you are done reading this blog post, the act of you reading this post will now be a part of the past.

Past (Mar. 13)

Often one will take the time to think back over the events of the past and how they are currently changing what the world could look like. History text books are written and teachers calim that it is important to learn about the past so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. A recent financial services commercial talks about the cyclical nature of the past and how one might be doomed to repeat the same mistakes that they have made before. Is the past something that dictates the future or is the past just a tool to be used for the future? Has the past determined who you are and what you will become or is it possible to be or do something that seems impossible based on circumstances? These questions really come down to one truth in each individual life. It plays out in different ways but it is really part of everyone. Will you let your past dictate the present or will your past be the motivation you need to do great things.

Scars (Mar. 12)

There are several momentus ocasions in life when you take something away to remember the event by. Normally these are happy and upbeat events, but what about the times when it is not all sunshine and bunnies. The body really is an amazing thing that makes every effort to not let you forget even the tough times. Think of that cut that you got that needed stitches. The skin is an amazing organ that repairs itself in such a way to get repaired as quickly as possible but to take as long as possible to disappear, if ever. The scar that remains is really an amazing thing. It is a marker that you earned through pushing your body to do something on the edge and the small fault led to a reminder left on your skin. Now you might be able to use this arguement for a tattoo but the logic does not carry through from the standpoint of a tattoo being something that you had to pay for and is more of an accomplishment for the tattoo artist than for yourself.

Childlike (Mar. 11)

There are some people in the world who never seem to grow up. We call these people childish, which is something completely different from being childlike. There are many amazing qualities of a child that people should carry with them for the rest of life and often do not. First it is amazing to watch a child at play. They have this incredible ability to completely loose themselves in the situation and forget about just about everything else. Their imaginations can then take them places that only an imagination could take you to. Children also have an incredible amount of trust as well. With only a small amount of time building the trust a child will become one of the most selfless and trusting people in the world. The other side to this then is also that they are very quick to no longer trust you should you harm them. One also needs to remember that children can think for themselves. Now they will not always make the best decisions in the world but they are capable of making decisions starting at a very young age. Oh how you could live your life with a lot less childish moments and many more childlike moments.

Urges (Mar. 10)

There are a lot of reasons why people choose to do particular things. One of those reasons is becuase there is some innate urge to do that. This urge deals with things like cravings for a particular kind of food or a particular physical pleasure. It also includes things like peeing and pooping. It is not the case that all urges are good and therefore not all urges should be acted upon. Try telling that to a kid with a piece of candy in his hand. These urges can be so strong that even when they are not a good thing it is hard to say no. But why are these urges so strong? The physical body is a wonderous thing and once it has a taste of something that it likes, for whatever reason that might be, it desires to have that same pleasure again. These urges can so easily create a downward spiral that is exactly the same as one would expect from being hooked on harmful narcotics. It can happen with even the simplest things taken out of their original intent. The key is not to ignore or dwell on the urges but to find the right way to release the urge and to stay away from as much as possible when it is known that it will lead to more urges.

Bug (Mar. 9)

The story behind the reason for computer geeks calling a bug a bug is quite interesting. It all goes back to one of the first computers that had a small short caused by a moth that made its way into one of the parts. Think about the word bug though. In addition to this use for the bug as well as the fact that bug describes insects, usually in an annoying manner, it can also be used to describe someone who is in the process of annoying you. This is why the term, as used in computer lingo, is so appropriate, even had there not been a bug in that first entire room sized computer. See, we get really upset when the computers that we use do not function as they should. Infact it bugs us that they are not working as they should. Even so there is some sort of interesting phenomenon about bugs. Until there is some reason for us to be frightened by them, they are a matter of curiosity. In the same way, computers are something that we will always go back to and when one bugs us enough, we simply buy a new one.

Exit (Mar. 8)

What happens when you leave a room? Do people start the real party once you leave? This question seems to bring up the fact that you may be insecure in what people think about you. Yet to some respect this is something that is joked about just as much as one jokes about the party starting just as soon as they arrive. An exit is important in that you will leave a room of people in a particular way. Much like the entrance it is either an opportunity to draw attention to yourself or to not. The real question is do you leave the room with people you are ready to throw up or a room full of people that feel relaxed based on the way you leave. See, when you leave a room where people are ready to throw up, your presence in the room before you left did not leave them thinking that you genuinely cared for the people in the room, but if you are able to leave a room where people are relaxed afterward, there is a sense that you did genuinely love them when you were there. Perhaps the exit is more about what you did when you were in the room rather than what you are doing as you leave.

Entrance (Mar. 7)

A recent beer comercial makes note of the way one makes an entrance. In two separate takes, the first entrance is deemed too light when the main character simply enters with no one taking note of him. In the second, he literally drives a monster truck into someone backyard, which is then deemed too heavy. The way one makes an entrance into a room is a very interesting thing. On the one hand you may feel that everyone should know of your existence when you enter a room, but if you deem yourself that important, what must everyone else be thinking. However if you feel that an entrance is nothing more than drawing attention to yourself your entrance will tell you much more about your friends and how they react to your entrance. You will know who thinks you are important enough to talk to right away and who does not. But the thing with this entrance is that even one who does not talk to you right away does not tell you one way or the other how they particularly think of you. But this phenomenon simply masks the reality of what an entrance really is, an opportunity to either be selfish or humble.

Function (Mar. 6)

There is a school of thought by which the goodness of any object is determined by its ability to function. It is not merely that said object can do a certain number of helpful things but that is simply does what it is designed to do. For instance a pair of scissors is good if it actually cuts paper. If it fails to do so then it is not good. It may be the case that determining the goodness of an object could be merely the results of function, but it seems that good is something bigger. Function however is very important in the world today. Everyday people have the expectation that an untold number of things will function in a particular way. Frustration ensues when they do not function as they are supposed to. That reaction to something not functioning properly is entirely satisfactory. Why would someone buy something to perform a certain task and then simply say nothing when it cannot perform that action. In this sense function becomes an expectation that everyone has.

Tears (Mar. 5)

There are so many moments in life when a person crys. It starts at birth and ends near death in having to say goodbye to those that you love. There are moments along the way both happy and sad. It is easier for some to let loose and cry than for others. Yet, everyone crys. What is in a tear? Sure, a scientist could tell you the chemical composition of a tear. Companies have composed substances that can substitute for tears in the event that your eyes are dry. It still seems that something is missing from these realities though. See, a tear is something that contains emotions. In the instances that one finds themselves crying, there is intense emotions that seem to, like a pot of water on a hot stove, boil over. It matters not what exactly the emotion is, there is no doubt that it is there. Perhaps that is why the thought exists that men are not supposed to cry. They are supposed to be strong enough to keep their emotions from ever reaching the point where a tear might come int existence. But the reality is that it is much tougher and requires much more strength to reach into the boiling pot to get water out with your hand than it does to simply turn down the temperature on the stove.

Awards (Mar. 4)

What is an award beyond the simple act of recognizing a job well done? Is it something that serves as a means to remember or is it something that is nothing more than vanity? The awards that the recipient never grasps with their own hands are this first type, as a means to remember. The award of course is not for themselves to remember but for others to remember the job well done. Any award that one grasps with their own hands is nothing more than vanity. For a little while it will serve as a reminder of that job that you once did but that will fade and the object you recieved will become a home for dust. If you are fotunate enough to win an award that must be broadcast around the world you will become some small piece of trivia. That is really where it ends.

Adventure (Mar. 3)

It seems that most of the world innately craves something called adventure. It may be something that you try to push aside or it may be somethat the you embrace to the fullest, even to the point of seeming stupidity. The real question is why does one crave such an adventure. The answer is really simple if you think about it. Adventure is something big that is more than just you and more than just where you are right now. Adventure is something that lasts a while and connects you to so much more than the mundane place you currently find yourself in. Adventure by its very nature is big and even if you take the adventure by yourself, a near impossibility, you are connected to something bigger. To deny that there is something bigger than the self, apart from being selfish, is really to deny that instinct that craves adventure.

News (Mar. 2)

There are moments in life that just need to be shared with other people. In a sense, the news that we see on television or read in the news paper are those moments that it appears that whole world will want to know. Yet there are still those moments, like a wedding for instance, that are news enough to share within your own localized world of family and friends. These moments in life are so much more than just one individual and are either so exciting that one cannot help but share or are such a big struggle that you need someone else to share the burden with you. Everyone in the world has these moments and depending on who you are there are moments that become news for no other reason than becuase you are in a particular position in life. Yet, the simplicity of news being news is just that, a moment in life that is shared.

Healthy (Mar. 1)

The human body is amazing in so many ways. How often do you remember getting hurt as a kid and needing to put a band-aid on something? The band-aid was like magic becuase you put it on and a few days or so later you would take it off and be completely healed. How many times did mom have to kiss your ouchy after you fell and for some odd reason it felt better. There is something about a healthy body that is able to heal itself in such an amazing way. What often seems to be the problem in the world is a lack of healthy emotions leading to a lack of ability to heal emotionally from even the smallest bumps and bruises. Remember back to that first person who broke your heart. The emotional scare from that instance is so much more intense and still has a large mark in your life today, so much more than some scare from that cut you got falling off your bicycle the first time. It is not that one shouldn't get on the emotional bicycle at all, it is more that we should remember to treat or emotions in much the same way we treat our bodies, as something that needs to be healthy so that it can mend itself with a magic band-aid.

Ability (Feb. 28)

You can look at professional athletes and think wow, they have so much natural ability to play this game, whatever game that might be. The reality is that everyone has that same ability, it just might not be in the exact same area as the professional athletes that you are watching. It relates in some way to potential and kinetic energy. At birth, everyone has potential ability. However, like kinetic energy, if you never take the steps towards movement the potential never turns into kinetic ability. Taking those steps looks very different for every person because everyones a bility is unique to them. For some, like the athletes they must take the steps to get their body in shape and learn the basic skills that they need in order to make that ability change from potential to kinetic. In much the same way, wherever your ability may be, you need to develop the skills to make your ability come to life. It may be physical or it may be that it comes in the realm of formal education. Whatever it is, work hard to make sure that your ability is not left as potential.

Line (Feb. 27)

Everyday you walk a line by which others perception of you could drastically change. The reality is that there are many lines which you walk but the good news is that you get to choose which lines to walk. You may walk a line of style in clothing as many celebrities do if they choose to or not. Your line might be on the completely other side of personality. Perhaps your line revolves around what you know or the way that you think. All of these lines are valid and everyone walks a line. Now what one may not realize is how fine these lines are. A female celebrity may where one horrible dress to an awards show and be out until the next oportunity to change things around on some other red carpet. There is one line however that once crossed leaves no room for a turn around. It is the moral line. Once you cross to the other side you can and forever should be known as a theif, murderer, adulterer, or simply a liar.

Catchup (Feb. 26)

It may not be as simple as the most popular red condiment ever, but the ability to catchup is important. There will be times in life when you are apart from the people that you care about and decisions will happen, choices will be made, life will simply put be life. It is important that you take the time to catchup with those who do care about you. See the reality is that people change over time and someone you care about may still think of you as the person they knew way back when. A good friend however will adapt with you over time and be able to speak truth intop your life at any point. They are there to remind you of the past and the lessons that you should have learned. They are there to see where you are headed and be able to say perhaps you should rethink that. But the important thing is that they are there for you and they can be there for you just as much as you catch them up on life. Take the time the catchup, it is important.

Fall (Feb. 25)

Have you ever seen someone fall? A mother might rush to the side of a child who has taken a fall to see if they are injured in any way and this should serve as an example of the way we are all to respond in the instance where we witness someone fall. A particular ski area has signs up at the bottom of the mountain by their lifts which read, "Make a friend on the lift, help a friend who falls on the slopes." There are times in life where we are all going to fall. Soemtimes there might be physical pain that needs to be looked after and even more times than this there are going to be emotional falls in life. It is very important that there are firends there to pick you up during these times. Like the particular ski area signs imply, anyone can be a friend as long as you are simply someone who is there in the moment. It does not take a long history of shared experience just presence. So remember when you see others fall, there will come a time when might need a friend so be a friend to others first.

Away (Feb. 24)

Life does not necessitate that you revolve around a particular place or have connection to that place every waking second of the day yet it seems more and more tha case in the world today that you should have that connection. A funny thing happens though when you take time to truly be away from it all. Much like a recent commercial for a cruise company where a child does not recognize her own dad while he is on the ship, there is a sense that a real you emerges when you are not tied down to the stresses of everyday life. Should it really take being "away" to see who you really are? The answer should be no but too often the answer is yes. A career may not always be the best fit for who you are but it shouldn't take you to a point that you are not allowed to be yourself. In this instance you do need to get away. It is not a bad thing nor should it ever be looked at as a bad thing.