Why?

That’s the big question, isn’t it?

Why were we born? Why do we do the things we do? Why do people cycle in and out of our lives? Why do people have to die?

There are a lot of “why’s?” in our lives and sometimes we may never know the answers.

I do a lot of wondering about the people I have met in my life and the women I have dated, especially the relationships that didn’t work out. Why did I have to go through those times? Why did I do the things that caused them pain and why did I have to go through the times that caused me pain?

If we are supposed to learn from those moments and become better people because of them, why can’t we just have that knowledge ahead of time and spare everyone the pain and upset? Why must we be taught through such emotional experiences? And why are we sometimes meant to learn the same lesson repeatedly? What is it about us that we can’t learn from our mistakes the first time we make them and not repeat our foolish ways?

Let’s hope we’ve all learned enough lessons to make us smarter and more capable of making only good decisions from now on.

Austin, Texas

Picture by David A. Ufer

Yeehaw! Welcome to Texas, Boy!

So here I am in Austin, Texas for a week of training. I awoke at 3:30am EST to catch a 6:00am flight because I refuse to fly in to or out of Atlanta in the winter time. The flight cost a bit more and certainly left earlier than any flights connecting with Atlanta but it is always worth it! However, it’s only 3:30pm CST and I’m already exhausted!

The University of Texas in Austin is a beautiful campus and this part of town has wonderful architecture and history. I hope I get SOME time this week after class to explore a little bit of this city; if not, I now have one more item on my bucket list.

And congratulations to EVERYONE who ran the marathon today. Wow, the course they ran MAYBE had some flat sections but it appeared to be uphill all the way, BOTH ways! My hat and running shoes are off to anyone and everyone who attempted that race.

The Pursuit to be Rebuilt and Reborn

“I went down into the desert city
Just tryin’ so hard to shed my skin
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
Lookin’ to burn out every trace of who I’d been”

Living Proof by Bruce Springsteen

Image courtesy of bozaround.com

There’s something about the American Southwest, and the desert in particular, that has had a hold on me for quite some time. My bucket list includes a trip to the desert and this year may just be the year I do it. There’s a lot of this country I haven’t seen and it’s time I got around to it. The Grand Canyon, Death Valley and maybe Las Vegas will be on the agenda this year. My friends are welcome to come along, so if you are reading this and are my friend, give me a shout and let’s get planning!

Time and Patience

I took a week off from this blog to clear my head and reset my bearings regarding my life and what is important to me. Sometimes I get so caught up in what I want in life that I tend to overlook what is already in my life. I am a fan of speed, fast cars and fast running; however, sometimes life requires time and patience. I learned that lesson this week and I hope I never will forget it.

It’s time to start a new chapter in my life; a chapter written with patience, understanding, excitement and most of all, fun. I have the basic framework in mind, now I just need to use my writing skills to get it right.