Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Too Fast
Christmas is rapidly approaching. My last grandparent just passed away. Garret is in Kindergarten. My folks are on the brink of retirement. I'm out of shape again. My project at work is almost finished. It all just happens so fast.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Troubling Economic Times
Well it comes as no surprise that the current economic times are certainly troubling for Real Estate Development companies such as the one I work for. In the last month, we have seen eight people laid off at our Denver office alone. Many, many more across the country. It is one thing to think/talk about it, and a very different thing to actually see it first hand. Most of these local folks I consider my friends. I'm sure that they will be alright, but what if that were me? What if I was looking for work right now, stressing out about providing for my young family? What if it were me and no one was hiring? While it disheartens me to think about the challenges my friends face, it also somewhat encourages me to think about the possibilities that might come to them from such a necessity. Perhaps they will be able find a position that takes advantage of the current situation and be better off for it!
At the same time, I am empowered by the simple idea of being spared from such a necessity. Am I resting on my laurels? Am I searching for new and different ways to become more valuable to those around me? What am I doing to ensure the security of my future work with this employer?
On the other hand, the fact that I already create value has provided me with relief from the layoffs. Now that the others are gone, my value to the organization and those around me has automatically increased. I must reward this increased trust in my ability with more results. This will confirm their decision and improve my standing going forward. I suppose this is how things work. Nothing new here - the stakes are simply higher with a young family and the gravity of the situation is that much greater.
At the same time, I am empowered by the simple idea of being spared from such a necessity. Am I resting on my laurels? Am I searching for new and different ways to become more valuable to those around me? What am I doing to ensure the security of my future work with this employer?
On the other hand, the fact that I already create value has provided me with relief from the layoffs. Now that the others are gone, my value to the organization and those around me has automatically increased. I must reward this increased trust in my ability with more results. This will confirm their decision and improve my standing going forward. I suppose this is how things work. Nothing new here - the stakes are simply higher with a young family and the gravity of the situation is that much greater.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Obama
So it is. Thank goodness. Someone who can lead our Country into a new generation of issues. Can you imagine trusting someone to lead us into the future who lived most of his adult life without a personal computer? The Internet? Cell phones? Wikipedia? Without an understanding of the importance of the affect that the information age has had on today's workforce? These comments boarder on age discrimination, but to someone who is 72 years old, these things must just seem like incredible new tools to use. In reality, they are not just incredible tools, they have had a profound effect on our attitutes, minds, perspectives, aspirations, and visions for the future. They have transformed our approach to the world not unlike the way "The Catcher and The Rye", nuclear weapons, and television influenced the youth of the 50's. We need someone who has been shaped by these new technologies in the same way that we have in order to truly share a vision for the future.
Monday, November 3, 2008
November Skiing
I don't mean snow skiing... I mean water skiing. That's right. This November 2nd, I was able to get out on the Cherry Creek Reservoir and rip my arms off with a couple of good slalom sets. It's been so long that it felt quite the picture below. The water is down to 52 degrees, but we are going to see if we can get out through Thanksgiving. 
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Cow Path
One day thru the primeval wood
A calf walked home, as good calves should,
But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail, as all calves do.
Since then three hundred years have fled,
And I infer, the calf is dead;
But still behind he left his trail,
And thereon hangs my mortal tale.
The trail was taken up next day
By a lone dog that passed that way,
And then a wise bell-weather sheep
Sliding into a rut now deep,
Pursued that trail over hill and glade
Thru those old woods a path was made.
And many men wound in and out,
And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath
Because “twas such a crooked path”
But still they follow-do not laugh-
The first migrations of that calf.
The forest became a lane
That bent and turned and turned again;
This crooked lane became a road
Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,
And traveled some three miles in one.
The years passed on in swiftness fleet,
The village road became a street,
And this, before the men were aware,
A city’s crowded thoroughfare.
And soon a central street was this
In a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half
Followed the wanderings of this calf.
Each day a hundred thousand strong
Followed this zigzag calf along;
And over his crooked journey went
The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led
By one poor calf, three centuries dead.
For just such reverence is lent
To well established precedent.
A moral lesson this might teach
Were I ordained and called to preach.
For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf paths of the mind;
And work away from sun to sun
To do what other men have done.
- Sam Walter Foss
A calf walked home, as good calves should,
But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail, as all calves do.
Since then three hundred years have fled,
And I infer, the calf is dead;
But still behind he left his trail,
And thereon hangs my mortal tale.
The trail was taken up next day
By a lone dog that passed that way,
And then a wise bell-weather sheep
Sliding into a rut now deep,
Pursued that trail over hill and glade
Thru those old woods a path was made.
And many men wound in and out,
And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath
Because “twas such a crooked path”
But still they follow-do not laugh-
The first migrations of that calf.
The forest became a lane
That bent and turned and turned again;
This crooked lane became a road
Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,
And traveled some three miles in one.
The years passed on in swiftness fleet,
The village road became a street,
And this, before the men were aware,
A city’s crowded thoroughfare.
And soon a central street was this
In a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half
Followed the wanderings of this calf.
Each day a hundred thousand strong
Followed this zigzag calf along;
And over his crooked journey went
The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led
By one poor calf, three centuries dead.
For just such reverence is lent
To well established precedent.
A moral lesson this might teach
Were I ordained and called to preach.
For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf paths of the mind;
And work away from sun to sun
To do what other men have done.
- Sam Walter Foss
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Half Dome
Two weekends ago, my family traveled to Yosemite National Park to celebrate my Mother-in-law's 60th birthday. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends all gathered at the Yosemite Lodge to spend 3 days and 2 nights in the remote splendor of the Yosemite Valley. Three of us were lucky enough to set out on an early am adventure to summit Half Dome, one of the park's most prominent formations. We began before dawn on what would be a 9 hour 15 minute hike that spanned over 18 miles of forested, switchback laden, waterfall infested, horse-poop littered trail. After we crossed over the top of Nevada falls, we worked our way up the last 4+ miles of the backside of the massive rock. At this point, even though the sun was directly above, the temperature kept dropping. Clouds were moving in and our pace was slower due to both fatigue and the increased grade. At last, we reached the cables that support and guide hikers to the very top. The trek up the cables was scary. Very steep. Very little protection from the elements and from just plain falling. Of course we made it and were able to peer over the sheer edge of Half Dome into the valley below. Absolutely crazy. I highly recommend it if you are in the area. As with most hikes - especially in places this significant - there was a definite peace at the top. Not only the peace that comes with effort and accomplishment, but especially the humbling peace that comes with being surrounded by such awe-inspiring elements.
Old College Thoughts
Potential? 1-11-98 B. Adams
My mind is one of a kind.
Have I been trained to find
Nothing incredibly mine
In this time?
Or is it meant to be
That I am no better then he
Who lives with out the
Desire to know the answers.
I used to think for hours on end
Of myself, the world, of men.
Could I have written that down
Knowing now what I long to know
And had the perspective of a child?
Captured in text, I’d have written
A library so that when I grew old
I could remember what it was to think freely.
And with my books as my guide,
I could skip this long ride
And directly pursue my ability.
Perhaps the ride is the pleasure,
What a sick treasure to think
That my entire life could be spent
Finding where I was when I was five.
This must be it, this confusion, frustration
Now I know what it is to be alive.
Changes? 1-27-98 B. Adams
From this day foreword all will differ
From this day back.
Will I ever have the chance again
To make such worthy friends
As the ones I’ve made to date?
It’s the chance I long to have again,
To prove that I would not spend
It the way I’ve spent this one.
No regrets, only changes.
My mind is one of a kind.
Have I been trained to find
Nothing incredibly mine
In this time?
Or is it meant to be
That I am no better then he
Who lives with out the
Desire to know the answers.
I used to think for hours on end
Of myself, the world, of men.
Could I have written that down
Knowing now what I long to know
And had the perspective of a child?
Captured in text, I’d have written
A library so that when I grew old
I could remember what it was to think freely.
And with my books as my guide,
I could skip this long ride
And directly pursue my ability.
Perhaps the ride is the pleasure,
What a sick treasure to think
That my entire life could be spent
Finding where I was when I was five.
This must be it, this confusion, frustration
Now I know what it is to be alive.
Changes? 1-27-98 B. Adams
From this day foreword all will differ
From this day back.
Will I ever have the chance again
To make such worthy friends
As the ones I’ve made to date?
It’s the chance I long to have again,
To prove that I would not spend
It the way I’ve spent this one.
No regrets, only changes.
College Thoughts - The Ann Rand Years...
Sometime in the Spring of 1995 (with constant revision and addition)
Green
Guys, girls, rapt in amazement,
Reading ancient minds.
Ever elusive
Ever inconclusive.
No religion, theory, ideal can save the riddled individual.
- B. M. Adams
I am green. Constantly confused by my thoughts and actions, I search for the answers to my inconsistency through the written thoughts composed by the thinkers of both the modern and ancient world. Never finding the answers to my specific questions, never deriving conclusions, only developing useful equations for situations who’s results may or may not assist me in the quest for the answer to my personal riddle. It is true, no religion, theory, or idea can save the riddled individual. Only conclusions drawn from private, pensive contemplation and knowledge gained from experimental scenarios can satisfy the question of the self.
To know one’s self is true confidence, which is defined by acting consistently in accordance to that knowledge. (somewhat circular reasoning) To be straight forward and consistent is to know your goals at all times and to strive to reach them, in a manner dictated by your principles, with every thought, word and, most importantly, every action. There is no place in this world for the thoughtless observer. However, observation is crucial when integrated with your goals, through your thoughts, defined as the “experimental scenario.” Now I come to the root of my problem. What are my goals…What are my principles?
Conversation is useful only to share thoughts with others or to entertain. Everything said must have meaning and must be thought about before being shared. Everyone has a goal and a method of reaching that goal, and both must be examined instantly in a conversation in order to properly express your own thoughts while edging closer to your goal, without sacrificing principle.
The individual dictates morality, to a large extent. My code of values dictates my morality; those values exist for increased happiness and the general betterment of my life. This betterment of life itself is my reason for morality, that is, my morality exists so that my life has meaning. A society without morality is self-destructive.
Some people spend all of their lives looking for that one thing that will make them ultimately happy. You’ve met those people; i.e. Mr. Wingate. Their lives are spent searching and experiencing the world. With every new experience there comes a new awareness, responsibility, and perception of greatness. Until one day, they decide that they’ve seen it all or had enough, and withdraw into their most comfortable and favorite environment (ideally). Perhaps not. Maybe they get stuck living the last part of their lives wishing they were in a place of the past, or wishing they spent more time in a particular situation. Or maybe they go on looking until they day they lay down and die. Whichever path they take, they spend the large majority of their lives accumulating knowledge and experience.
Other people spend all of their lives under the direction of a predetermined goal, never questioning its legitimacy. The lifer at Longfibre. I won't lie; these people are floaters. They float through life bouncing off of other people's lives and reacting instead of acting. I must never be a floater. I spent my teenage existence floating and up until sophomore year I still questioned myself. Should I be at the Naval Academy right now? Why can’t I organize my thoughts as I’m speaking in front of people? Why have I begun stuttering? Above all else, I should be able to communicate effectively in order to achieve my goals in the simplest and most straightforward manner. This is a principle. Greatness (both in the eyes of yourself and of others) cannot be achieved without being able to communicate your interests to others.
Nobody wants to hear someone else’s sob and no one wants to follow a self-doubting person. Was it Thoreau who said "life is about arriving at the precise point from which you started and knowing the place for the first time"? Just be the man you (and others) once thought you were, only know the reasons why. That is the difference. Confidence shows. The difference between confidence and bravado is knowledge and understanding.
On the subject of understanding the impact of my European adventure; perhaps the trip to Europe opened my eyes to so many things that I had never previously thought about that it threw my self confidence and world paradigm for a nasty loop. I could only regain these things after either a total assessment of the scope of the realizations of the trip (impossible), or a slow incorporation of them over a long period of time. I know now that this enormous self-realization had been coming for a long time. Although I had shifted to a very principle centered life, I had no goals through which to implement those principles. As my long and short-term goals continue to develop, so do I. However, I cannot ever forget the things that I learned. They will come around and contribute to my future. But to try to incorporate them into myself immediately is too much, not to mention very confusing and frustrating. I just need to incorporate the little things for a total enjoyment of the beauty that I’ve experienced. Conclusions must be drawn. Above all else, do what I want to do because I want to do it. I’m weird enough that others will be interested and will love to share my experiences with me. Avoid getting hung up on flaky people. These are the floaters or people with very dissimilar values. Either someone gets it, or they do not, or they are trying to get it. But to waste my time and energy and grief on someone who doesn’t get it is a ridiculous proposition.
Green
Guys, girls, rapt in amazement,
Reading ancient minds.
Ever elusive
Ever inconclusive.
No religion, theory, ideal can save the riddled individual.
- B. M. Adams
I am green. Constantly confused by my thoughts and actions, I search for the answers to my inconsistency through the written thoughts composed by the thinkers of both the modern and ancient world. Never finding the answers to my specific questions, never deriving conclusions, only developing useful equations for situations who’s results may or may not assist me in the quest for the answer to my personal riddle. It is true, no religion, theory, or idea can save the riddled individual. Only conclusions drawn from private, pensive contemplation and knowledge gained from experimental scenarios can satisfy the question of the self.
To know one’s self is true confidence, which is defined by acting consistently in accordance to that knowledge. (somewhat circular reasoning) To be straight forward and consistent is to know your goals at all times and to strive to reach them, in a manner dictated by your principles, with every thought, word and, most importantly, every action. There is no place in this world for the thoughtless observer. However, observation is crucial when integrated with your goals, through your thoughts, defined as the “experimental scenario.” Now I come to the root of my problem. What are my goals…What are my principles?
Conversation is useful only to share thoughts with others or to entertain. Everything said must have meaning and must be thought about before being shared. Everyone has a goal and a method of reaching that goal, and both must be examined instantly in a conversation in order to properly express your own thoughts while edging closer to your goal, without sacrificing principle.
The individual dictates morality, to a large extent. My code of values dictates my morality; those values exist for increased happiness and the general betterment of my life. This betterment of life itself is my reason for morality, that is, my morality exists so that my life has meaning. A society without morality is self-destructive.
Some people spend all of their lives looking for that one thing that will make them ultimately happy. You’ve met those people; i.e. Mr. Wingate. Their lives are spent searching and experiencing the world. With every new experience there comes a new awareness, responsibility, and perception of greatness. Until one day, they decide that they’ve seen it all or had enough, and withdraw into their most comfortable and favorite environment (ideally). Perhaps not. Maybe they get stuck living the last part of their lives wishing they were in a place of the past, or wishing they spent more time in a particular situation. Or maybe they go on looking until they day they lay down and die. Whichever path they take, they spend the large majority of their lives accumulating knowledge and experience.
Other people spend all of their lives under the direction of a predetermined goal, never questioning its legitimacy. The lifer at Longfibre. I won't lie; these people are floaters. They float through life bouncing off of other people's lives and reacting instead of acting. I must never be a floater. I spent my teenage existence floating and up until sophomore year I still questioned myself. Should I be at the Naval Academy right now? Why can’t I organize my thoughts as I’m speaking in front of people? Why have I begun stuttering? Above all else, I should be able to communicate effectively in order to achieve my goals in the simplest and most straightforward manner. This is a principle. Greatness (both in the eyes of yourself and of others) cannot be achieved without being able to communicate your interests to others.
Nobody wants to hear someone else’s sob and no one wants to follow a self-doubting person. Was it Thoreau who said "life is about arriving at the precise point from which you started and knowing the place for the first time"? Just be the man you (and others) once thought you were, only know the reasons why. That is the difference. Confidence shows. The difference between confidence and bravado is knowledge and understanding.
On the subject of understanding the impact of my European adventure; perhaps the trip to Europe opened my eyes to so many things that I had never previously thought about that it threw my self confidence and world paradigm for a nasty loop. I could only regain these things after either a total assessment of the scope of the realizations of the trip (impossible), or a slow incorporation of them over a long period of time. I know now that this enormous self-realization had been coming for a long time. Although I had shifted to a very principle centered life, I had no goals through which to implement those principles. As my long and short-term goals continue to develop, so do I. However, I cannot ever forget the things that I learned. They will come around and contribute to my future. But to try to incorporate them into myself immediately is too much, not to mention very confusing and frustrating. I just need to incorporate the little things for a total enjoyment of the beauty that I’ve experienced. Conclusions must be drawn. Above all else, do what I want to do because I want to do it. I’m weird enough that others will be interested and will love to share my experiences with me. Avoid getting hung up on flaky people. These are the floaters or people with very dissimilar values. Either someone gets it, or they do not, or they are trying to get it. But to waste my time and energy and grief on someone who doesn’t get it is a ridiculous proposition.
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