Life, the Universe, and Family and Photography and Everything [and doing all of it efficiently].
On about January 25, I began thinking of things that were (in my opinion) pretty true thoughts - things that just are.
After spending 26 days writing this list, I've realized that it was quite a good exercise for me. These things that I've thought are a pretty good foundation of my past, but also a launching pad for the future.
Had a thought the other day.
Everything - every single thing - done in life should either be fun and/or should be working toward a worthwhile goal.
Just a Thought.
Had a mini-ephinpy the other day. . .
When I throw my temper tantrums, it is almost always a result of a failure to plan.
Just a Thought.
My Thought. . .
Who I am -- who anyone is -- is greatly defined by the people we have around us (friends, family, co-workers, strangers), the items we fill our brains with (TV, books, or meditation), and where we go when we need to figuratively get away.
Just one thought.
There are two ways to deal with a basement that leaks:
1) Install barriers (e.g., tar, waterproofing material, etc.) to keep the water outside - but continually pressuring the basement walls -- and ultimately fail.
2) "Invite" the water in and route it away.
Might just be analogous to many things in life.
Just something that occurred to me.
Something that I've noticed that I can't do. . .
I can't whistle normally. I can't crack an egg with two hands - I can only do it single handedly.
But I can whistle (in an abnormal way, I guess) for my kids when it is time to come in and I make some mean banana bread.
oh, and homemade noodles, too . . .
Seems that I'm getting along ok.
When I mix the powdered stuff and the liquid stuff, the recipe usually says to make a well in the center of the dry stuff. Why must I make a well?
Or to put it another way, when the reasons behind the requests are known, they are (perhaps) more likely to be followed.
Just a thought.
After looking through the laundry basket for many minutes while attempting to match one of the many matchless boys' socks, I rotated the basket about a half a turn and (literally) changed my perspective. . .
. . . and found a match about 5 seconds later.
Interesting what a minor change in one's objective view will do.
Thought about this a little bit. . .
If you ever have to say, "I'm in charge." then odds are, you aren't. Ask Alexander Haig.
Thought of this while at this year's Daddy Daughter Dance.
Dance or Nap without care for other's thoughts. It is one's own life and what others think can't be easily changed . . . Let time change other's thoughts.
Let yourself enjoy the dancing or the napping.
An after conversation thought. . .
Watching a cartoon where the mama-cow just had a calf.
G - age 6: "Where do babies come out?"
Older Two: [Uneasy laughter and squirming]
Dad: [4 second pause] "They come out of their mom's vagina."
G: [2 second pause] "What is a vagina?"
Dad: "You know how you have a penis, girls have a vagina."
G: "Oh." [End of the Conversation. G. refocus on Movie]
Dad is pretty sure that this was a perfect example of: Tell them the truth and their questions will guide you to how much they want to know.
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A thought while doing the Top 5. . .
So much of life is a dance - literally as when shoveling the drive and feeling the cadence or again literally when preparing for and attending the Daddy Daughter Dance with two daughters.
Or figuratively when keeping time with one's own inaudible beat.
Just a Thought.
Ultimately, everything fails.
It really doesn't matter what it is, everything on this planet will one day fail, or stop working, or stop being, or just stop. Sure the Egyptian Pyramids and Roman Roads and Viaducts have had a good run, but their time is coming.
However, the failure is not important. The reaction to the failure is important - one can apply the proverbial duct tape to try to "keep it all together" or one can embrace the change and move forward (hopefully) knowing that it was a good run.
Just something that occurred to me.
Thought of this while I saw three men in a kind of group hug prayer circle prior to one of them being dropped off at the airport.
Is it possible that they are subconsciously connecting their not-easily-known powers - kind of a subconscious synergy?
Also made me think of this. . .
Is it possible that when people pray to God/Allah/Buddha that they are (subconsciously) talking to their (well) subconscious?
A couple of thoughts thrown out there.
Simply humbling and interesting how the kids actually really long for and desire to be read to; to sit nearby (and near each other); and to have interaction - to be entertained by a book -- read out loud, and with feeling.
Just plain interesting that the old people (it turns out) like it too.
Just something that just popped into my head.
I learned this a bit ago. . .
Certain people that I meet seem to just know everyone. Scientifically, it has been proven that indeed, some people are "way" (not a scientific term) more connected to other people.
The thought I had is, "but what do they do with this connectedness?"
Thought of this while petting the dog . . .
Connections to others - the real interactions and connections (the below the surface stuff) - not only makes life more enjoyable, but makes it all more fun.
The challenge is to figure out a one-step process to get below the surface -- a one step process that is not the result of a catastrophic process (e.g, death, Sept 11, etc.) but is the result of a well thought out one-step "connection process."
Different than being just a "connected person". The former is quality, the latter quantity.
Thought about this in the past -- came to mind again:
Time is by far - enormously far - the most valuable resource. We have a limited - albeit unknown - amount of it and we can't change it.
Money is valuable, but only as a tool to leverage time.
Love - True Giving Love - is probably one of the most overlooked, limitless resources.
Just one guy's thought.
Thought of this while watching the Lego Construction. . .
If there is something that one really wants - I mean really, really wants - then that want will turn into persistence . . . the persistence will become perseverance . . . and the perseverance will allow Legos to become Space Ships and Goals to be reached.
Thought of this while standing next to the kitchen sink finishing this evening's corn. . .
If they had enough butter sloughed on them, I could eat socks one bite at a time.
Or to put it another way, with the right spin, anything and everything is okay.
You eat an elephant one bite at a time.
If one spends a long time on dinner and objectively, it is a good and fancy dinner - but none of the kids eat it, is it still a good dinner?
Interesting that so much in life should (in this engineer's brain) be objective (fancy food with good spices), but a lot of it comes down to subjectiveness and other's opinions (Did G gag at the table?).
Just One Guy's thought.
Without grief and pain, joy and happiness can't be truly appreciated.
Conversely, I just realized, without joy and happiness, grief and pain don't seem so bad.
So I guess that when one is feeling really low and in the dumps, the bright side is that the reason that one is feeling so low, is because one knows how good it could be.
I love that third paragraph - that thought brings me so much peace.
This kind of goes along with perseverance, grief and joy, and subconscious. . .
A bit after lunch I was moving from a meeting of sorts in the Main Office back to the Construction Site. While driving, I came perilously close to just going home to take a nap (Dave: "I deserve it, I take care of my four kids -- I ought to get a little shut eye.")
Fortunately, a part of me stuck it out and I made it back to the project site, processed a bunch of paperwork, emptied my in box . . . and then felt good.
Children do things because of immediate gratification. Adults plan and get the greater satisfaction.
On the drive from Blue Ash to the Airport, I grew up a bit. Just a Thought.
Can everything be as simple as a kids' book?
At what point in life do individuals "decide" to add so many rules to life?
On some level (many levels) individuals are no different than Washington DC. Trying to do the right thing, doing many of those things correctly, but just missing the humongous boat on some of the simple fundamentals.
Fractals is where its at. Just a Thought.
I wonder why we think. I'm not talking about Archimedes Principle or getting to the moon.
But why we dream, imagine, long, consider . . .
Reminds me of a poem by Richard Feynman:
I wonder why I wonder
I wonder why I wonder why
I wonder why I wonder
I wonder why I wonder why
Summary:
25 previous JstATht posts. About 40% had to do with connecting to people, about 40% included aspects of love, about 20% had to with logic.
And I think that all had to do with some aspect of "What next?" or "What's next?"
I have no factual idea why I've been given the gift of life or the gift of thought or the gift of love, but I am pretty sure that these need to be not only embraced, but livingly, thoughtfully, and lovingly progressed . . . until that day that I have that factual (or at least relatable) idea.
. . . 1 Small Step at a Time
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