I wrote this as a message to friends and family several months ago, prompted by my daughter's distress over the untimely death of a high school friend. I think it bears repeating here.
Life can be very, very short. We only each have so many days here on earth. And none of us know how many days those are. At the end of each day, we have one less day until the end. One less day.
And so, with those unknown numbered precious days, it becomes very important that at the end of each day we know -- I know -- that it wasn’t a day wasted. Wasted in boredom, wasted in indifference, wasted in complaining about things that are trivial in the “grand scheme" of it all, wasted in being angry, wasted in wanting what I do not or cannot have or create, wasted in failing to pay attention to and enjoy every moment of that precious day.
I’ve made a vow to myself -- that is admittedly sometimes difficult to keep, because I am human after all -- that at the end of each day (knowing that the end of the day means I have one less day on earth) I will be able to honestly say: “Today was a good day. Today was a full day, a productive day, a day that was personally satisfying. Today was worth "giving up" because today I made a real contribution. Today I made a difference. Today I didn’t just mark time.”
This is how I believe we should spend each precious day.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Who is the Enemy?
I'm no fan of offshore drilling and when an oil spill takes place it's a horrific event, with repurcussions that could impact generations. It's easy to point the finger, to blame "them" (whoever that is) and to bemoan the ills of big corporations who muck around with the earth to line their pockets with the dollars we pay them to support our industrialized lifestyle.
Oh....that's right...."our" lifestyle.
We drive cars (one of the biggest contributors to the oil industry and the ultimate pollution it produces) and we like to shortcut those trips on airplanes (hmmmm) and who doesn't love a cruise or how about those of us who like water play on the coast -- or water play of another kind on our driveway when we wash our cars? The list goes on.
Petroleum drives industry in ways too many to number and features itself in various forms in many of the goods we buy (have you checked to see if your Playstation, TV or computer is manufactured from recycled plastic?).
It's a big problem, folks, and before you go pointing your finger at the big enemy oil companies (though granted, they are culpable for failing to plan for and implement strong containment and cleanup practices) you might want to look in the mirror.
The enemy is you -- and me too.
Want more information so you know where to point the finger and how to help change the situation? Check out this link:
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Oil-Spills-Impact-on-the-Ocean.html
Oh....that's right...."our" lifestyle.
We drive cars (one of the biggest contributors to the oil industry and the ultimate pollution it produces) and we like to shortcut those trips on airplanes (hmmmm) and who doesn't love a cruise or how about those of us who like water play on the coast -- or water play of another kind on our driveway when we wash our cars? The list goes on.
Petroleum drives industry in ways too many to number and features itself in various forms in many of the goods we buy (have you checked to see if your Playstation, TV or computer is manufactured from recycled plastic?).
It's a big problem, folks, and before you go pointing your finger at the big enemy oil companies (though granted, they are culpable for failing to plan for and implement strong containment and cleanup practices) you might want to look in the mirror.
The enemy is you -- and me too.
Want more information so you know where to point the finger and how to help change the situation? Check out this link:
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Oil-Spills-Impact-on-the-Ocean.html
Monday, June 7, 2010
Big Houses Bother Me
Yesterday out on the golf course I was once again confronted with one of my pet peeves -- big houses. In this beautiful wide-open valley I live in, lined with foothills that stretch to the horizon, I am noticing more and more...big houses.
I don't mean 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom 2000 square feet family homes -- maybe one story, maybe two -- where each kid gets their own room and the extra one is an office. I can live with that (and I still think that's a pretty big house). I'm talking about those monoliths...those big, boxy houses on steroids, with super-vaulted entry ways, two story ceilings, bonus rooms, attic rooms, closets you could sleep a small family in -- inflated with air as much as floor space.
And my guess is a lot of them don't house more than four people, if that many. They're on the newer golf courses, certainly (interestingly, the "mini-mansions" on many of the older golf courses aren't nearly the size, but are still substantial), but they are also multiplying like rabbits in subdivisions all across the valley -- ironically, on smaller than postage-stamp size yards. At least I can't complain they're taking up a lot of land, but this disproportionality makes their size even more obvious and ridiculous.
The eyesore factor is not my main complaint. It's the pure excessiveness for no reason, and what I assume to be a significant energy drain too -- not to mention the materials (natural resources) involved in building these designless piles of wood and ego.
Come on! How much room does one family need? And how many needy people could you effectively house in something that size? I'm for high density housing -- enough rooms for all your needs but not so many of such a size that you're greedily taking up too much room in the world.
I think there should be a square footage limit on houses -- based on occupancy. And if you want to go beyond the limits, your house needs to contribute to its own energy usage -- solar panels, windmills, whatever.
When I win the lottery and get rich, no big house for me. Maybe a couple of little houses in places I'd like to live -- to satisfy my need for year round nice golf weather. Since I'd only be in them half the year each, they could be even smaller than the "average" house. I'd do my bit for the environment.
But these big houses -- they REALLY bother me. It's just not right.
I don't mean 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom 2000 square feet family homes -- maybe one story, maybe two -- where each kid gets their own room and the extra one is an office. I can live with that (and I still think that's a pretty big house). I'm talking about those monoliths...those big, boxy houses on steroids, with super-vaulted entry ways, two story ceilings, bonus rooms, attic rooms, closets you could sleep a small family in -- inflated with air as much as floor space.
And my guess is a lot of them don't house more than four people, if that many. They're on the newer golf courses, certainly (interestingly, the "mini-mansions" on many of the older golf courses aren't nearly the size, but are still substantial), but they are also multiplying like rabbits in subdivisions all across the valley -- ironically, on smaller than postage-stamp size yards. At least I can't complain they're taking up a lot of land, but this disproportionality makes their size even more obvious and ridiculous.
The eyesore factor is not my main complaint. It's the pure excessiveness for no reason, and what I assume to be a significant energy drain too -- not to mention the materials (natural resources) involved in building these designless piles of wood and ego.
Come on! How much room does one family need? And how many needy people could you effectively house in something that size? I'm for high density housing -- enough rooms for all your needs but not so many of such a size that you're greedily taking up too much room in the world.
I think there should be a square footage limit on houses -- based on occupancy. And if you want to go beyond the limits, your house needs to contribute to its own energy usage -- solar panels, windmills, whatever.
When I win the lottery and get rich, no big house for me. Maybe a couple of little houses in places I'd like to live -- to satisfy my need for year round nice golf weather. Since I'd only be in them half the year each, they could be even smaller than the "average" house. I'd do my bit for the environment.
But these big houses -- they REALLY bother me. It's just not right.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Out of the Gate
I love the Internet. It's changed my life. It's an endless source of fascination (and information -- "After all...it's on the Internet!"). It's better than TV -- lots more channels, so to speak -- and it offers a great opportunity to meet and talk with people you would NEVER have the chance to meet otherwise, to learn anything about anything, and to connect with people you love who are far away. It amazes me how far it's come in a relatively short time.
I love the democracy of the Internet. It levels everything. Anyone can be a writer, a publisher, a pontificator, an authority, an artist, an advisor. Very powerful... and in many ways it controls us more than we control it. That part is a little scarey -- we've become pretty dependent on it in so many ways -- but that's the other side of the coin.
So here's my forum, a vehicle to say what's on my mind (that gives me a MUCH higher word count than a Facebook "what's on your mind?" box) and send it out into the great abyss, and your chance to tell me what you think -- if you're out there and care to. I hope I have enough on my mind -- often enough -- to make this worth everybody's time.
I love the democracy of the Internet. It levels everything. Anyone can be a writer, a publisher, a pontificator, an authority, an artist, an advisor. Very powerful... and in many ways it controls us more than we control it. That part is a little scarey -- we've become pretty dependent on it in so many ways -- but that's the other side of the coin.
So here's my forum, a vehicle to say what's on my mind (that gives me a MUCH higher word count than a Facebook "what's on your mind?" box) and send it out into the great abyss, and your chance to tell me what you think -- if you're out there and care to. I hope I have enough on my mind -- often enough -- to make this worth everybody's time.
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