Quick Math... (Potential v. Kinetic)

This week:
Six days...
Five cities...
Four gyms...
51 years young...

If you want to solve the hard equations in life...
You gotta do the math!

 I call this on the WOBBLY BULGARIAN

IF... (Potential v. Kinetic, pt.2)

If— by Rudyard Kipling (selected verses)

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;  

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,  

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!    


If is a powerful word. If can be dreamingly positive. If can be an incredibly painful as well. If is a bridge word. If spans reality and possibility.

If seldom stands alone. If is usually combined with other words that indicate what type of bridge the particular if is.

As if... = Comparison bridge (or '90's mall-bang girl bridge)
If... then... = Decision bridge
If only... = Regret bridge
What if... = Possibilities bridge

It is these last two Ifs I'd like to consider - If as the bridge to regrets or the bridge to opportunities. As I stated earlier, If spans reality and possibility. If is the bridge to what could have or should have been. If is the bridge to what can be. It is our choice which If bridge we will walk. But we must make it.

(I'll pick it up from here in the next post. And I promise to use the word If less!)

For now...
D

"IF"... (Potential v. Kinetic Pt.2)

If— by Rudyard Kipling (selected verses)

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;  

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,  

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!    


If is a powerful word. If can be dreamingly positive. If can be an incredibly painful as well. If is a bridge word. If spans reality and possibility.

If seldom stands alone. If is usually combined with other words that indicate what type of bridge the particular if is.

As if... = Comparison bridge (or '90's mall-bang girl bridge)
If... then... = Decision bridge
If only... = Regret bridge
What if... = Possibilities bridge

It is these last two Ifs I'd like to consider - If as the bridge to regrets or the bridge to opportunities. As I stated earlier, If spans reality and possibility. If is the bridge to what could have or should have been. If is the bridge to what can be. It is our choice which If bridge we will walk. But we must make it.

(I'll pick it up from here in the next post. And I promise to use the word If less!)

For now...
D

Fixin' To... (Potential v. Kenetic Pt.1)

We Okies have a saying: I'M FIXIN' TO... It's a great declaration. Something big is about to happen.

As juniors in high school our physics teacher introduced us to the concept of energy and its two forms: POTENTIAL and KINETIC. Mr. Hale placed a piece of chalk on a desk and said, "This is potential energy." The chalk just sat there. Then with his finger, he gave the chalk a nudge. "This," he said as it rolled off the desk and was in free-fall, "is kinetic energy." The correlation logged in my brain:

     kinetic energy = movement
     potential energy = just sits there
     potential can / kinetic does
     potential revs the engine / kinetic squeals the tires
     

Potential is... FIXIN TO... 

Here's a thought, huge potential gets less done (about zero) than a tiny bit of kinetic.

Human potential is fascinating to me. And unrealized, unrecognized, or underutilized potential is incredibly sad.  I've thought long about how to approach this subject. Frankly I decided to jump in somewhere in the middle and work my way out. It may take several posts, or I may fizzle. But at least there is POTENTIAL!

Energy is the ability to do work; or if you'll allow me - to do something.

A simple version of the Law of the Conservation of Energy states, Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. It can only be stored or transferred. This begs a question: Am I just storing up, or am I transferring?

So why the lesson on forms of energy? Because we can be fixin' to... for only so long.

Big Potential... but it must leave the launching pad!

I'm fixin' to go.
For now...
D

Living Lessons (pt.2) - UBER PERSPECTIVE

This is Salah. His thick accent informed me that my Uber was waiting outside baggage claim at Will Rogers in OKC.

I walked out the terminal doors and spotted the gold Chevy Malibu. I gave a hesitant I'm not sure if we'll understand each other so well wave. Salah took my suitcase and plopped it in the trunk. My backpack was still on my shoulder as I headed for the passenger door. "My friend, look at this trunk," he said while gesturing like a Price is Right model, "there is plenty of room." Now unencumbered, I settled in for the thirty minute ride. I didn't know that in a few moments I'd wish I had my journal from the backpack. I needed to be taking notes on Uber Perspective coming from the Living Lesson driving the gold Malibu.

After our 30 minute drive, I asked Salah if I could share a little of his story, fearing it might be dangerous for him or his family. With a huge smile - displaying many missing teeth, which you'll understand in a moment - he gave his wholehearted permission.

UBER PERSPECTIVE

If you ask Salah, he will say he is an Okie. As testimony, the Malibu radio is tuned to a local country station. He loves Oklahoma. "We Okies smile," he tells me. It's one of the things he cherishes about living here.

Salah is originally from Baghdad, Iraq and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering. As the owner of an internet communications company he was asked by a friend to help out on a project. What Salah didn't know at the time was that his friend - along with four others - had been working with the US Army. Salah was asked to set up communications for a US Army base in Basra. He initially declined. "They will kill me," he said, speaking of the Iraqi militia and/or Al-Qaeda. Eventually he agreed to fly in, set up communications and immediately fly out.

He was so effective in doing the work that he was asked to stay. The man he affectionately calls "my Captain," said to him, "I have 700 soldiers here who need to talk to home; and it's Christmas. I need you." Salah stayed. For three years. He worked as a liaison, translator, technical expert, and in areas he couldn't say.

Salah has a wife and three children in Iraq. (They are still there, along with parents). He had been working with the US Army for over a year when he finally admitted to his wife his incredibly dangerous secret. Actually, the broken nose and multiple blown out teeth he suffered from a barrage of shells on the base forced his hand. "She cried all night," he said, "she feared I would be killed." Of the six - Salah and his five friends - he alone survived. His house was used for target practice several times and his car was bombed.

"My Captain" came through for Salah. He orchestrated getting him to America before he was killed. It was a long and arduous process. Salah is still working to get his wife and children the US; to become Okies. "My Captain" remains Salah's dear friend.

Salah drives Uber full time. He was recently laid off from his job with an oil field supplier in Oklahoma. "What do I have to complain about?" he quips. "I love this country, and I love Oklahoma. I have my life, I have a car, and a place to live. I have my family, and I hope to have them here with me soon."

Salah has seen things I hope never to see. He has lost more than I can imagine. He has sacrificed more than I ever could. Yet his smile is huge. I hope I can learn to smile as wide. I was humbled sitting next to the man with the Uber Perspective driving the gold Malibu.

(As I stated, I wish I'd had my journal as we drove. I've tried to be as accurate as possible; as you can imagine, there was a lot of information shared in a short time. Also, I've waited until Salah's latest trip to Iraq was complete before sharing.  It was my choice - not his request. He recently returned, and I owe him the promised lunch. This time I will have my journal.)

For now...

D

Living Lessons, pt.1 - A Lesson From the Shoe Shine Stand

Javier 

This is Javier. He has a shoe shine business in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Javier has shined shoes for 50 years. Javier is happy. Javier loves life. How do I know all this? I asked. (Though honestly, I really didn't need to.)

I sat down at the shoe shine stand because I could sit. Finally. Fitness trackers on two of my colleagues' phones logged the literal marathon distance we covered on foot in our few days in Vegas. So with a break in the action, I sat down at Javier's stand for a shoe shine; and received a lesson in living.

Javier was born in Mexico City. He loves his home country and he loves the US, his home of over 50 years. For those 50 years Javier has shined shoes, and lifted spirits. Some people are DRAGGERS and others are LIFTERS; in every interaction we have an opportunity to drag others down or lift them up. Javier is a LIFTER. He enjoys people. It is evident in his smile and in his words. I watched later in the day as two different men exited Javier's chair. Each shook his hand genuinely and talked for a few minutes - laughter, smiles and handshakes. I haven't received many shoe shines, but don't think this is normal protocol. It speaks to Javier's contagious attitude.

And there it is: ATTITUDE. Simply put, Javier's lesson is that life is what you make it. For you this is probably no major epiphany. I however, need the reminder. Many of our circumstances are not chosen. They are random and beyond our control. Yet what is never out of our control, is our opportunity and ability to respond. We alone control our attitude.

Volume upon volume has been written about attitude. The attitude to which I am referring - and what Javier lives - is much more than a "be-happy-attitude." His is a perspective, a worldview that is fundamentally positive. It is the way he chooses to view people, circumstances and the world around him. (Obviously I had an in-depth conversation with Javier. I'm not intuitive enough to have picked all this up between polish and buff).

Invictus is Latin, for unconquered. The person who chooses to never be a victim, no matter the circumstance, is unconquerable. External circumstances may not change. But the invictus perspective changes everything. And Javier is living, smiling proof.

William Henley's words have moved me from the first time I heard them. I would argue a couple of the specifics theologically. They speak powerfully however, of the will and attitude of the unconquered.

Until next time Javier, keep smiling, keep shining, keep LIFTING.

For now...
D

P.S. This is Salah. I can't wait to tell you his story!

Closet Reflections

I did something the other day that I really don't enjoy. I cleaned out my closet. Well, to be honest, I began what is proving to be a multi-step process. To say I don't enjoy it is may be misleading and an understatement. I've only done it twice in my adult life as can be attested by the Z-Cavaricci jeans and PePe jacket that were unearthed. (It's hard to throw out a perfectly good pair of Zumba pants.)

My four step process: 1) Dig. 2) Decide what is needed and why. 3) Throw out (or donate) what is unnecessary. 4) Reorganize with a plan.

My closet was pathetic. When my bedroom is presentable my closet takes the brunt. Not too long ago a friend looked in my closet. I was embarrassed to say the least. There was nothing horrible hidden in there, though I had a sneaking suspicion the Z-Cavariccis were lurking, ready to pounce. The chaos of my closet however, was unnerving.

So I decided to finally do something about it!

Like... stylin'

We need to clean out the closet from time to time. We need to take inventory. There are things in there that shouldn't be; remnants of the past that need to be gone. Some things in the closet are hidden and need to be uncovered. They are perfectly good and need to be used, but they've been covered up. We've lost sight they are even there. We may find some things that need to be cherished. Forgotten things of joy, that have been buried by an avalanche of t-shirts and socks without mates (or even the prospect of dates). My closet is a collection point of good and bad, usable and not, treasure and crap.

The metaphor is obviously close to the surface. I have an internal closet that is much like my physical one. You do too. Left untended it gets stuffy and full of junk.  In ways both conscious and subconscious it effects every area of my life (the rest of the house). In it are shelves for emotions, relationships, identity, beliefs, etc. (In my closet, the dominant rack is a spiritual one.) It easily gets disorganized and chaotic without continual care and maintenance. Occasionally, it needs a thorough overhaul.

I began a bit of a journey just over a year ago - in reality, it's been much longer. Today is my birthday. (I may have to retitle this blog.) And I've recently found myself doing some CLOSET REFLECTING. I am in the process of 1) Digging. 2) Deciding what is needed and why. 3) Throwing out what is unnecessary. 4) Reorganizing with a plan.

I decided to finally do something about it! You?

Bday morning... I'm smiling on the inside!

For now...
D