No Reason To Quit

Seven years ago, in the fall of 2003, I turned the eager and energetic age of 50. Wow, I had hit the top of the hill according to a few of my closest friends. Soooo.... what are you going to do different they ask?  Of course I was still caught up in the fact that I was blessed to even see 50 years of life, especially with practically everything from all my physical and mental aspects in tact.

After several minutes of beinng in my own little world, the voices around began to get louder and more direct. I guess I spaced out a little.  I only remember saying yes I can and yes I will!  After high fiving everyone, I discovered that I had agreed to enter a local bodybuilding contest.

YIPES!

Anyway, through all the 24 weeks of training and grueling dieting regimine, I guess I shocked some of those doubting friends, when I delivered a FIRST PLACE trophy in the masters division.

Since that time, I started to seriouly train again, only this time just to duplicate and or simulate that bodybuilders look, without the stresses of actually doing the show.  My problem this time is that, I'm seven years older and believe it or not, I'm convinced that things really do change.  This old body constantly reminds me that I need to make new mental and physical adjustments.

Interestingly enough life is, has and can have a strange sense of humor. It also has the tendency to every once in awhile.. throw you a curve ball.

My curve ball came fast and hard. Initially, I took a mighty swing at it, but I really should have ducked. There it was flying toward me as if it was shot out of a cannon. The final result of the umpire's (surgeons) call was... A HERNIATED DISK.

No way, I said. Yes it is, he replied.

It's now been seven to eight months of every pain pill the doctors could prescribe. Then came the echoing advise of trying acupunture; chiropractic; deep tissue massages; decompression therapy; hot and cold compresses; crutches; limping and finally, "Why don't you just stay in bed"!

Last resort.. SURGERY.  YIPES!! AGAIN.

Through it all, thanks to my strong faith in sincere prayer.  Everything turned out just fine. 

The hills of life are still present and will be for as long as we are alive and breathe air. A positive mindset and the willingness to forge forward and never give up is vital to a positive outcome.  Here's what I thought of most and I truly hope that this statement will help you when you're standing at the plate of life's challenges and the next pitch you're thrown is a curve ball.

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust him fully and let go, only 1 of  2 things will happen; either he'll catch you when you fall, or.. he'll teach you how to fly!




    

REPOST-Summertime Fun, But Safety First

Its that time of the year again. The time when school doors close for a spell and parks and summer camps, are over run with kids looking forward to just being a kid. I remember those moments, except that it was just a little different for my sister and I. Our parents, were great providers and such, but they were also great at being very protective. We definitely knew to be in the house when the sun started going down, and although we wanted to stay out longer like our playmates, we knew that was a verbal battle we were never going to win.


One of those fun places, that we did not get the opportunity to visit during our summer breaks, was the neighborhood or community swimming pool. My parents unfortunately, did not enjoy water events or going to the beach. As a result, we missed out on all of that wet and wonderful splashing around, which still haunts me today.

Many families today, have the luxury of owning a swimming pool at their home. I believe this to be not only an incredible investment as a homeowner, but it also affords each member of that family, an opportunity to enjoy and become confident in the water, as well as increase their knowledge about water safety.

Although there are safety rules and regulations in place for those who have home swimming pools, statistics indicate that we still tragically lose countless numbers of our children to drownings each year.

Guess what?

Can you believe that I am actually putting a swimming pool in our yard? Yes sirree bob, I am especially now that we have a young daughter who loves the water and the fact she can swim quite well. We also now have our first grand child who of course, will definetly be taking swimming lessons long before the completion of our anticipated pool project.

Its going to be a great summer and I sincerely hope and pray that you too will seriously take the necessary steps to protect your precious family members regarding water safety especially since more than anything... they just want to have FUN.

SPLASH!



*Originally posted in the summer of 2009

*Republished today with a few additions to title and content

A Hat like No Other...

Imagine waking up and the sun is shinnig so bright that you decide its just to hot to go outside, but then you suddenly change your mind and decide to take a stroll along the nearby country side. As the sun beams down streams of laser like heat upon your head, you start to feel as though you're on fire. You try to escape it by placing your hand on top of your head but its of no significant benefit. 

Aww.. over there, next to the mountain is a group of trees. Its now a foot race to find comfort from the scorch of the sun.  What were you thinking?  Obviously not much thinking went into this situation because, you fell asleep and was awaken by thunderstorms bearing overpowering human size droplets of liquid sunshine. Your poor head is soaking wet. HELP!!

I am sure this was a constant scenario that affected the lives of many prior to the invention of the first hat.

Hats by design are primarily a head covering. They come in many sizes, shapes and colors. Depending on the circumstance(s), some were worn for protection, some for religious purposes, while others were worn as a fashion accessory.

I'm not really sure who made the very first hat, but people like Locks of St. James Street; Sharp and Davis, then of course, John B. Stetson are the most noted of the famous hat-makers, that come to mind.

Here's a couple of familiar hat's among the thousands made and perhaps were wore by you, I and others.

The BEARSKIN - Tall, fur full dress uniform hat of the Brigade of Guards. Commonly seen at Buckingham Palace.

The BEANIE - A modified baseball cap with a... believe it or not propeller on the top.

Then there's the DERBY; BERET; DEERSTALKER; GATSBY; HUMBURG; KOLPIK; SOMBRERO; TOP HAT; TURBAN....

As I said before, the list and various types of hats are long and they each have an incredible history.

Amazingly though, I must tell you that there is one "hat" that I did not list above, nor is it found among the thousands of hats listed in our most current dictionaries etc. It was made by a person(s) unknown us, who by trade or profession was probably not even known as a "hat maker".  It was created from an available all natural source.  The shape and color of the hat was not made by any special order request by it's eventual owner.  Although, it was made over 2000 years ago, its current location to date, is still unknown. The actual cost and value of this hat is listed as...PRICELESS.

It is the hat of all hats.  Better known as... The Crown of Thorns.    

It had only one single owner, who wore it at, and for only one absolutely single incredible reason..... "YOU and  I ".

NOBODY KNOWS...

I believe that everyone would and should agree that 'Life is Good". Of course there are times when it seems as though, we are actually experiencing "Hell right here on earth" conditions.  As well as things could go for us from day to day, life really can throw an unexpected curveball.  Yes, life is good, but its also very short. Have you ever heard the expression,  "Here today and gone today". That's why its so imperitive that those among us who have difficulty sharing ourselves totally and honestly with our love ones on a daily basis, need to make a change.

How many times have you heard about people who've passed away and their family members never had any idea that thay were secretly suffering terminally.  The aftermath of this experience can be so devestating, especially in the case of a failed or missed opportunity to express love to each other.

Then there are those who love the people in there lives so hard, it borders on obsession, but sadly some of these may have partners who find it difficult to reciprocate.

Interestingly, I've heard it through the grapevine, that some individuals would give anything to have their special someone say that they loved them.  "Why couldn't they just tell me"?

Today, millions of people were blessed to see the morning's sunrise. They were blessed to have the shelter of comfort and security surround them; they were blessed to have food on the table and the means to provide for a better and brighter tomorrow.  Yet, for the millions I speak of, there were millions today who failed to tell those special someones within and outside of their households, the three most powerful words any tongue or mouth could utter...."I LOVE YOU".

Sadly, some or all of those millions will not return home this very day.

This is not a message of doom and gloom, nor should it be mistaken for one.  The message is simply a reminder...another opportunity, if we're lucky.

If we ignore the signs, the results could be a resounding chorus of, "I wish, I shoulda, coulda", but then again, "If you did love me...... NOBODY KNOWS"!