Health Wealth and HappinessJersey | Writing Rants

Health Wealth and Happiness

Health Wealth and Happiness comes in many sizes, shapes, and forms. I wanted to take a moment and send out a thank you.

There are many ways to say thank you. In the past, it was pen to paper and stamp to envelop. On occasion you could even get away with saying Thank You over a corded machine on the wall.

Now? Now you can say Thank You in a variety of ways. Verbally along with a quick firm handshake or hug. Thank you with a brief kiss on the cheek.

You can text or tweet a Thank You; post it on Facebook and — you can even — gasp — pick up a paper card and write a  Thank You and put it in the postal mail to someone (archaic I know).

Or, if you’re of a particular (peculiar) ilk, you can even write a blog post.

Or maybe, just maybe, all of the above.

Local friendsHealth-Wealth-Happiness

I had a couple or three friends show up and cook up a Savory and Sweet crepe brunch. It was a great way to start my day and I felt special and warm and blessed. The food was delicious and home cooked from scratch. We talked for a couple of hours and laughed, and talked of all things old. We chatted about the future without making plans and daydreamed. I had a great time.

Best Laid Plans

The original plan for celebrating half a century was scrapped due to unforeseen circumstances outside everyone’s control. A couple of my best mates stepped up without question or hesitation and formed a great plan B. They took over the scheduling, the notifying, and the orchestration of said plan. And Andy will forever be grateful for plan B. Despite the change almost everyone in plan A could accommodated the last minute chaos. I couldn’t believe how many people were willing to change lanes and come out and enjoy dinner and wine and laughs with me. I am blessed and happy for all that came out to wish me well. Even for those that could not come out, I know you were there in spirit — or at least in conversation — cause  make no mistake — we talked about y’all. And you made me laugh and we caught up virtually so that was just as good.

Family and Far Away Peeps

My family and some of my life long friends could not be here physically, but I heard from everyone in some various shape or form. I received texts and calls (even AARP got in on the joke — thanks Sis) and facebook messages galore.  Even the spirit of my father (we used his cast iron skillet for brunch) and my mother (I wore a silver herringbone necklace she gave me) and my grandmother who’s name I bear due to being born on the same day (I wore her ring). Everyone was there.

Birthday Wishes

As I blew out the 3 candles (Health, Wealth, Happiness), I realized I was truly blessed. I felt less alone than I had in a long time. I felt more free. I laughed the night through. It was an awesome time and I am glad for everyone who was there to celebrate with me as I step into an awesome new year.

PS: In case y’all missed it, this is me writing again. Stay tuned as more is coming.

I love you all and wish you all:

Health

Wealth

Happiness

 

The Stirling Effect

Recently, me and a few of my friends went to a Lindsey Stirling concert. It was the first concert I’ve been to in years. I have loved her music since the first time I heard her play the electric violin. She was foot stomping, bass thrumming, violin picking awesomeness resulting in The Stirling Effect.

As she played and danced song after song, I was amazed at her stamina. I mean really? Who can dance and play the violin and jump around stage all at the same time?

One song and visual effect faded in and out in rapid succession and the crowd loved it. It was a packed house and the vibe from the crowd fed to the band on stage.

About an hour into the concert, Lindsey slowed everything down — for the audience to catch their breath, as well as for her and her band. It was a welcome bit of a breather which you rarely find in current music venues. She told us about how she got into music playing a few songs which made us all laugh.

When she was done that segment, she told us a story about a friend who past much too young and unexpectedly. Her new album Brave Enough is about her journey from his presence in her life, to his leaving earth, to where she is now.

As the next few songs unfolded, she took the time to explain about never giving up your dreams. Her journey to the stage before us was not easy and plenty of people along the way told her to stop, she wasn’t good enough, she wasn’t — {fill in the blank}.

My interpretation of the album took on a whole new meaning.

In the last part of the concert, her words echoed all to familiarly in my ears. They weaved through my thoughts of late. This pep talk, this mirroring of thoughts reminded me that to some small extent, I have given up lately.

While I have not lost a dear friend, nor am I trying to break into the music industry, I am fighting to stay the course. I am struggling to write and make meaning of my writing.

Is it worthwhile? Why can’t I find the words? Why can’t I be like before, where I could sit and write for hours? Why aren’t my characters coming to life?

It’s funny how you can look at someone else’s life and see it for what it is, but miss that in

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your own life. I identified with her waxing poetic, but I didn’t realize I was off track again until the words were spoken out loud.

 

It’s not that I haven’t been writing lately, it’s more that it seems like a chore versus the fun it used to be. I don’t have a cheerleading squad encouraging me, so it’s easy to let the negativity and doubt creep in.

Last night,towards the end of a spectacular concert, Stirling reminded me what it felt like to be alive when I write. That not only should you follow your own path, but ignore the voices of doubt and negativity. What she didn’t say, but I extrapolated, was that the doubt and negativity you need to ignore is not only from external sources, but also from inside.

Life is not fair and it can be hard, but you need to pick yourself up, find what you love to do and try again. Don’t give power to other people or your internal destructive thoughts.

We are all brave enough to be the best version of our self. So what is it you want to be?

The Intangible Something

What is it that draws humans together? The sudden feeling or lack thereof that exists between us.

We click or don’t and sometimes fall somewhere in between. Feelings bring us together or divide us into enemies. How does the vibration in one soul work with another?

When the frequency clicks between two physical strangers, do you follow it? Or is it a fleeting fancy? If fleeting, why click at all?

The vibrations, the instant attractions are flights of fancy. The instantaneous love which are known and acknowledged by both people, are fodder for romance novels. The love at first sight in fiction must have occurred in real life or there would be no basis for the imagination to translate into words on the page.

The Chicken or the Egg

So, the old age question, did the romance novel inspire millions of love at first sights or did this love exist in the first place and inspire the poets and authors since the dawn of time?

Scientists have stated that matter is energy which cannot be created or destroyed, but rather changes shape. The frequency of energy draws in like vibrations. Therefore, it stands to logical reason, that since humans are made up of matter which is sending out energy, that we draw in like energy; whether it be good energy or bad or somewhere in between.

What is phenomenal about this theory or energy attracting like energy is that the human mind can actually change frequency within their matter. Over time people who seem to “be lucky” run out of luck and fall on hard times, juxtaposition it with people who are down and out and suddenly become successful.

Is is all a matter of luck and hard work, or was it a shift in the mind set of the person that changed? Changing the way you think, changes the frequency you emit.

So it stands to reason, if your vibration is good, higher, positive, loving, compassionate then you will attract those same people into your life. If your frequency crosses the path of a lower one then you repel from that and conflict comes into play.

Fate

If similar frequencies come into the same space, however briefly, do you follow the path to see where it goes or do you chalk it up to an anomaly?

It is a rare thing for an overwhelming feeling of like vibrations to come into the same space. Such rarities should be explored.

Maybe it is just an illusion, but if you don’t follow the path, how do you know?

While loves enduring half a decade are rare, there is always the possibility that you would be the one.

Silent Contemplation

Recently a series of events had me fade away, to regroup. Life, both personal and professional, had blind sided me in a way that I felt lost and floating in space.

I have been flying and traveling almost non-stop for several months. After a unusually long trip which kept me on the road for almost 3 straight weeks, an emotional family roller coaster visit, and lack of sleep (who knew sleep was so important), I entered into a group setting that slammed me into outer space.

I thought, before that trip, I was in a good place. I knew where I was going, I knew what my next set of steps were. Out of the blue, life stepped in to not only make me second guess everything I thought to be true, but doubt all my decisions in the last couple of years.

In times of sudden uncertainty or overwhelming confusing, I step back. I deliberately, without warning to those around me, simply stepped in to utter darkness.

I questioned everything, everyone, the truth, the universe, me.

Slowly a pin prick of light appeared and as time always does, allowed the light to grow and keep growing until I could breathe. Facts started spreading as I sat in silent contemplation. For the first time in a long time, the sound of hands reaching out to escort me to the light broke through.

Without realizing it, I found that past lessons are not being repeated even though at first glance it appeared that I was repeating the past. While we all live with our choices, good and bad, they all have consequences, the question is, did you learn from it the first time around.

The silent contemplation worked well for me. It let me lick my wounds, gave me time to heal, showed me that I have learned and grew and matured. I have chosen my friends more wisely, I have a solid foundation below my feet. I am recovering quicker because not only did I realize my friends are still there, but they support me, maybe even more than I do.

I am human and stepping back — even without warning — to contemplate what, who, and where I am is a normal part of this life. My friends understand my habits, they reached out, they were patient when I did not fully engage with them, but most importantly, they were there when I was ready for them to be.

Sometimes falling silent is not a bad thing, but telling people that’s what you are doing is even better. It’s easier to come back into the light when the contemplation needs to be acted upon or or let go.

While I am unsure of the future, I am more comfortable and confident I can handle the bad and the good. I have a solid foundation and now, through all of the patchy light, I know I am where I want to be, should be, and that I am better than OK.

Nomadic Home

It’s been a long time since I’ve been home. HOME.

Home is a funny word. It’s been years since I’ve called anything other than Jersey home. I’ve been a nomad since childhood even though I didn’t leave my home state until I was 18.

It’s a feeling more than an activity. I’ve felt restless and aggravated and lost and sometimes found.

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Joining the Air Force met my nomadic needs and turned my world upside down every 4 to 5 years. It was a wondrous feeling of traveling the country and the world, of meeting people and experiencing cultures only found on black and white paper. The reality sprang to 3-D life like nothing else could.

I mentally always was nomadic, needing a change to spark my creativity, reboot me. Maybe it was because I was adopted and searching for my family or maybe I was born restless or maybe I’m running from something I will never understand…or maybe I’m just looking for home.

When I left the military, the nomadic life didn’t come to an immediate end. In fact it would take another 6 years before my wandering life style went dormant. I was grounded in one state for 12 years before I picked up roots and moved on.

As I sit in an airport contemplating my current space, debating my next move — or maybe lack of — I realized that I am waiting for my connection home (and no I don’t mean Jersey — which is disconcerting in of itself). I mean home to Austin. My bed, my friends, my life.

I watch people come and go. Different accents, conversations between strangers about work and vacation plans, a woman highlighting spreadsheets, children running in the center court. Everyone going somewhere and me? I’m going home.

I’m not sure I can explain how I’ve come to think of Austin as home as much as Jersey is still home for me. Despite the Texan ego, there are a lot of similarities between the two places I call home.

They are both beautiful states, the people are proud of their land and the history that is woven across the years, they are independent and strong and compassionate. Give the weather 5 minutes and it will change. The foods are diverse and delicious. You can go hiking and swimming and biking all in the same day.

I wonder if a time will come where I will find Austin lacking. Will I move on again?

In the swirl of people and the announcement of my flight, I’m eager to be home. To return to my new home. It fits me, I’m comfortable, and relaxed. It amazes me that somehow, Austin feels right, as much as I rejuvenate in Jersey, Austin resonates with me. I fit in.

I still like to travel and see new places, flying is such an adrenaline rush, but coming Home…that is a new feeling and one I’m not likely to change in 4 years.

I like the fact that I have 2 homes and love them both deeply. I guess that makes me Jersey Texan.