The True Mark of a Friend

You hear the thunder rumbling in the distance. Clouds are visibly accruing. The storm is definitely on the horizon. You're unsure what to do as this storm scares you so badly and shakes you clear down to the bone. The storm though is not of mother nature, it is of life. Your life is in an upheaval. Your emotions run rampant and you're not sure what to do. Then it hits you. All you have to do for that emotional support to shelter you from the storm is pick up the phone and call your best friend. Wait though, you can't. You can talk to them, but they are no longer here. No longer with us in this realm of existence. For a moment your heart breaks into and you think the storm will engulf you. It doesn't though because you hear those words of comfort and wisdom in your mind. You know that if your friend were here they would walk you through it and if they saw you trying to give up they would advise you against it. Who hasn't felt this way at one time or another? We all have people we've lost in our lives to death or to life circumstances. People we knew had our back. So what makes the true mark of a friend. A friend to me is someone I can be me with and not be judged. Flaws and all are excepted. They may point them out to me every once in a while but they accept me no less. A friend is someone you think of when you need someone to pick up your spirits. Someone you know will be there if you need them. A friend is someone you share in their pain and in their joy. As I sat and had dinner this evening with a good friend, he and I talked about this topic in it's own right. We talked about how we wish we had met someone who must have been that type of friend to a couple of mutual friends of ours. We never had the opportunity, but as I also heard another friend say, again about this same person, I hope some day when I am gone someone will think of me the way this person is thought of. If someone holds me in just a forth of that light I'll have been a good friend to at least someone. It also lead me to thinking about how we do things here in this life really does matter. We all leave our mark on other people whether we realize it or not. So this summer as we are living life to the fullest and as if it's our last, let us all also do our best to embrace the light of being a true great friend to those in our life. After all that really is the true mark of a friend now isn't it?

Yard Sale This Weekend...

OK here goes: Yard Sale - Friday 8am to 2PM and Saturday 8am to 4:30PM weather permitting. Several new never used items. Where? Off Dupont at 10334 Tairn Road. Drop on by. You might just see me there. OK, You will see me there.

One Last Summer...

Today as I have done often in the past while, I woke up and saw sunshine and thought what a beautiful day for a walk. So I put a menthol patch on my ankle and wrapped it, Grabbed my Walkman and my watch and headed out. As I went on the back street I saw a neighbor lady I have spoken two probably a few dozen times over the last ten years of living in this neighborhood. I always liked her and her husband. They were friendly and seemed very happy. Her little dog ran out to the road to great me as she has many times before. I bent down and petted her head and scratched her back. The woman walked down her drive to where I was at. As she spoke she mentioned how much she missed Jim. I said wait that is your husband right. She was surprised I didn't know that her husband had passed away on January 8Th. She said she thought the whole neighborhood knew. She then went on to tell me how in December 2007 her husband had gotten what he thought was a cold. He coughed and coughed. Shortly after Christmas he went to the doctors with what he thought was a case of pneumonia to find out he had lung cancer stage 4. He had never smoked a day in his life and none of the jobs he had in all his years of work lead to any clues as to why this otherwise healthy man had lung cancer. As I stood and talked to her I said but he looked so healthy and vibrant last summer. She agreed he did. He didn't go down hill until the fall when he started Chemo. She said she would never suggest that treatment to anyone. He had been given eighteen months to live when he found out he had cancer. I can't figure out if they knew he was terminal why they would give him such a radical treatment, but then I wasn't part of the process either. He lived twelve months and two weeks roughly after having been given his diagnosis. I went on with my walk a little bothered. Remembering his smile. Remembering him throwing up his hand from his truck. All that kept going through my mind was how would I choose to live my last summer if I knew there wouldn't be another. This man probably knew it was his last. Do you think he savored every moment? I suggest we all enjoy this summer. I plan to get in as much family and friend time as possible. I plan to make the most of it and I challenge each and every one of you to do the same. None of us ever know if it's going to be our last. We are not promised a tomorrow let alone another summer. So savor this one, for you never know if it's that one last summer.

OUCH!

On the drive back from my Niece's pre-school graduation on Friday I snapped this photo as we drove by this accident. This was on US 27. I can't help but wonder if someone forgot to stop at the stop sign in the back ground or if someone turned into the path of on-coming traffic. Either way... OUCH!

Of Youth Comes Memories....

Tonight I went to my niece, Ashley's, graduation from her preschool. Now I actually think it's silly that they have a graduation for preschool children; however, the look on her face of sheer joy in her accomplishment was wonderful. She was extremely proud of herself. Also she sang louder than any of the other children. Not one shy bone in her body. I suppose she gets that from me in that I have no shame. I love people. I love performance and embarrassment is not in my repertoire. Anyway. She was charming and sang great and I am very proud of her. Now she just needs to head off to kindergarten this fall. Full day I am told. She's all set. Do they do a graduation from kindergarten?

Two Wrongs Shouldn't Envolve a Church...

So in a moment of insanity today I turned on WOWO instead of listening to music. I like some of WOWO's talk radio. This was during Pat White's radio broadcast. I don't always agree with his point of view, but he is one of the few I can listen to on WOWO without wanting to scream at the autocracy of what is being said. Today though, as with probably a lot of news media, there was the subject of American Idol's crowning Kris Allen as the victor for this season. I was saddened by it. I mean I don't want to take away from Kris's win for him, but Adam is a much better singer and a much stronger performer and where as I might actually buy an Adam Lambert CD I somehow doubt I would ever bother with a Kris Allen CD. I also thought that Danny who came in third place was also a much better singer and performer than Kris. What is worse is that Kris must have agreed with me as his astonishment showed and his own proclamation that Adam deserved it rang out. So what does this have to do with Pat White? Easy, I could not believe my ears and it had nothing to do with his opinion. It had to do with what he was reporting on and I can't believe anyone would even consider doing such an idiotic thing. He said that the church that Kris Allen goes to and was a worship leader for The New Life Church in Maumelle, Arkansas didn't like Adam because of obvious life choices. He said that this church's leader and congregation had decided that they couldn't let an abomination such as Adam Lambert win since it was obvious he was gay. Now Pat White didn't say exactly the word gay. He said something to the effect of that since it was obvious his life choices were different and his "choice" was obvious. He kept going and did everything but say the word and it was obvious that is what he was talking about. He said this church made it their personal mission to see that Adam didn't win at any cost. That they used Twitter and Facebook to spread the word and ask other churches to get their congregation and their members to vote for Kris so that there was no way that Adam could win. Can people really be that ignorant? I mean even if you don't agree with the gay life style that doesn't give you the right to try to hold someone back or keep them down. That isn't a reason for this type of attack. Also shouldn't a church be accepting and teaching? Shouldn't they show their compassion and their desire to help, not crush someone? I mean I have to say I do admire Kris though because he showed deep emotion and commitment to his Co-Idol Adam. Unless it was a fake show, but I don't think it was. I think this church should look at Kris and understand that this had nothing to do with sexual preference. This had nothing to do with whether that person on the stage was a Christian or a sinner. It was a singing and performance contest and it should have been judged based on that by the American people, no by bigoted ignorance due to a life style. Did they think that Adam singing on stage was going to transform their kids from straight to gay? Either way I am sorely disappointed if it is true that a church, any church could do something so petty. It would be different if they had said they were doing it because they believed in Kris. I would even be OK with them openly stating they didn't appreciate Adam's flamboyance, but a church shouldn't be telling people how they have to live. They are there to guide and suggest a life style they believe will help you to get to heaven. They shouldn't be there to promote hate and prejudice. Adam I believe will be a huge success either way. Kris's only hope is probably to sing country, but I somehow doubt he'll ever be that popular. I could be wrong. It's happened before. Well congratulations to the winner Kris and congratulations on such great talent Adam and if it's true what Pat White said, Shame on The New Life church. Love not hate should be professed. Forgiveness and acceptance are my preference. I don't have to agree with someones life choices to know talent when I see it or to appreciate them as a human and to allow them to live their life to their best the way they feel they should. My guess everyone when placed on a pedestal will eventually fall off so these church members better be working in their own back yards first. Two wrongs don't make a right and they sure as heck shouldn't involve a church instigating them.

You Never Know Who's Watching...

I guess I am just not a very observant person. When I go on my walks I am in my own world, my mind off somewhere on a journey and my Walkman blaring in my ears. It's a time for me to work through things that are bothering me, or be off on some fantasy in my mind. (No I don't mean that kind of fantasy.) It's a time for me to concentrate on me. So as I am walking I rarely take notice of whom is out and doing what. I mean I do sometimes. The little old lady with the power saw yesterday was pretty hard to miss. I don't think about the fact that people are watching me as I walk. I don't think about the fact that they may be making notes or having their own thoughts that might involve me. I don't see myself as that intriguing so it takes me back when people say they were thinking of me or what have you. I mean I like it. Who doesn't like knowing that they crossed someones mind. So today was an exceptionally beautiful day and I have a lot weighing on my mind. I use to sit and eat and watch television when I was uptight if I didn't have someone to go out with because it filled that void and it gave me something other than what was bothering me to think about. Then I realized that just doesn't cut it and it's taking away my life. So today when I would get that anxious I need to eat feeling I filled the void with work or exercise. I took the first walk this morning. One hour twenty six minutes and 4.42 miles. I don't know if that is good or bad time. I wasn't making a point to try for anything, but I have a watch I can wear that tells me my heart rate, how fast I'm walking and how long I have been walking and how far. It also counts the steps for me. First walk clocked in at 10175 steps. So this evening after meeting friends for Mexican I came home feeling a little nostalgic and not wanting to go in quiet yet. So I put on my watch, my Walkman and my tennis shoe's and struck out again. A little faster paced as if I had somewhere to be. I am not sure what motivated me to walk faster, but it felt right. First trip around my neighborhood was uneventful. I still didn't want to go in, so I took off again without even stopping at my house. This time I was greeting at the top of the first incline by a kindly looking man probably in his mid sixties. He and some other neighbors standing in his yard shouted out for me to keep up the good work. He said you know just going around this block is three quarters of a mile. I said I know I do this walk a few times a day. He shouted back "We know. This neighborhood is proud of you and what you are accomplishing. Keep up the good work." I said thanks and kept going. I was a little surprised. A few houses more a lady brought me a bottle of water out to the road. She said keep it up you're doing great. Did I miss something? I am not participating in a marathon, I'm just walking in my neighborhood. A couple of weeks ago another couple had said they were glad to see me back out walking that they had wondered why I had stopped after last fall. Uh, it's cold weather. I don't do cold weather. I do the mall or treadmill but I don't walk in snow and definitely with my phobia's not on ice. My neighborhood is watching me and supporting me. Why? Don't really know and couldn't really tell you unless they are sad that the biggest loser is over for the season and I am their own personal television set. I think it's nice either way. You see over the last four weeks and four days I have lost twenty-six pounds. I have a ton of weight to lose yet. But today the pants which use to be tight on me only a few weeks ago i had to pin at the top with a safety pin because I was afraid they would fall to my feet. Guess I will be needing a new wardrobe if it keeps up. I hope it does. I have faith it will. It's what I want. I want my life back. I can't believe I let it get away from me in the first place. Life is precious and short. My uncle that lost his wife the last week of March just lost his best friend this past week too. It makes you think. There isn't time to waste. I want to live my life to my best now. I want the weight off and I have every intention of getting it off. Vomiting and starving and surgeries are not for me. The first two I can't support. The third one I think good for you if you are one of those people it works for, but it's not for me. So I'll keep walking as long as I can. My ankle was killing me today! I'll push myself and as soon as it's all done I'll post pictures of my journey that started in November of 2007, stalled for a little bit and then hit the trails hard yet again. I'm thankful my neighbors are supporting me. Everyone needs a support system and in today's day and age I just think it's awesome that people who most of them don't even know my name are encouraging me and cheering for me. Guess you just never know who's watching...

PS.. Second walk tonight was one hour seventeen minutes and 3.44 miles. It was 7545 steps.