Colby’s Thoughts

Here it is, a list of my New Year’s Resolutions.  Now many of you who know me would find this unusual — and with good reason.  I don’t put much emphasis on one day over another.  For the most part, January 1st is just another day to me.  If I were to focus on dates, I would probably side with the Jewish calendar over the Gregorian because I think the history there is more valuable.  This would mean celebrating the first of the year on Tishrei 1 (in the fall).

However, this year in particular, there have been many concurrent events which all seem to have stopped or been put on hold recently.  This has placed a natural break in my schedule that coincides with New Year’s.

Also, I’m not much for promises and all the hype that goes with New Year’s resolutions.  Optimally, I’d like to believe that one should simply make a decision and execute it with no folderol.  So, with that in mind, I’m going to skip any additional fanfare and get to it:

• Spend more time with family
• Spend more time preparing for retirement
• Spend more time exercising and stretching
• Spend less time being critical of others

Pray for me, please, that I’ll be successful in my endeavors.

Life

Well, here it is roughly a day since I set up this blog and I’m already on my seventh post.  I didn’t think I’d blog much “if I ever got around to setting one up”.  Ostensibly that wasn’t true.

Perhaps I think too much?  Most of my thinking I do while driving and it is hard to type and steer at the same time, especially since my autopilot isn’t all that good.  I just happen to be off work right now which has presented more opportunity for me to post than I would normally expect.

So, I hope you’re enjoying it as much as I am.  But please don’t expect me to continue at this pace.  I know, the world is a forgiving audience.  It is nice to know there’s no pressure.

Life

Ye olde leaf covered deck

Am I lazy?  Wait, don’t answer that!

I was getting ready to bag the leaves in the back yard but I couldn’t quite bring myself to do it… yet.  True, the leaves are piling up and the yard is a mess.  Somehow though, it looks almost perfect to me, naturally.

I like things neat and tidy, crisp and clean.  But this natural carpet that was laid in the back yard seems more inviting to me than the clean and sterile look of the deck by itself.

Although most might say that the mess needs to be cleaned up, this is my little corner of the world.  Here on Colby’s blog, I am the dictator.  I decide what is acceptable or not.  Just wait until I tackle some fashion topics — they’re coming.  And I am a fashion expert as well as an expert on anything else I blog about.  Just ask me!

Ye olde leaf covered deck from back corner

General

Hollywood is full of it — whatever “it” is.  I enjoy watching DVDs, both movies and TV series.  For me though, it is about entertainment value.  I grow weary of those attempts by media makers to foist their views upon us.  I don’t care to “church” in Hollywood.

On the other hand, I’m a firm believer that one shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water.  Even a proclaimed Satanist can likely teach me something of value.  I’m just not interested in his theology.  He may have some great tax advise, however.

Similarly, I was shocked to hear such an interesting tidbit today while again watching season one of 24.  For those unfamiliar, Kiefer Sutherland plays the role of Jack Bauer, a Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) operative.  In the episode that takes place from noon to 1 pm, Jack is seeking temporary refuge in an abandoned water tower.  With him, is a character named Rick who was working with the terrorists but had a change of heart and began helping Jack.  In their dialogue, Jack says to Rick:

Son, part of getting a second chance is taking responsibility for the mess you made in the first place.

Such veracity from Hollywood deserves commendation.  Hollywood, consider yourself commended!

Culture

Proverbs 18:22 – KJV
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

Fortunately, I found my good thing long ago.  She has only gotten better over the years, a fact I probably don’t remind her of as often as I should.

She had the opportunity to travel to her mom’s house for Christmas this year — an opportunity that I supported because I knew how much it would mean to her.  Both she and my son have been gone almost a fortnight and I long for their return!

The house is quiet.  I walk out the door to work without the pitter-patter of little feet accosting me, carrying the voice of a toddler proclaiming, “Daddy, I have a hug and a kiss for you!”  Who wants to go to work and leave that behind?  Work will start when I get there.  This hug is much more important right now.

I miss my good thing sending me off to work with a homemade lunch complete with gourmet snacks, a kiss, and a smile.

When a colleague asks, “What are you having for lunch?”.  My reply is simple, “I have no idea — but it is good!”  Yes, it is always good.  Perhaps I have grown too accustomed to that fact.

Her undying attention to my needs is portrayed in the work she did for several days before her departure.  She shopped, and cooked, and planned, and cooked some more.  The aftermath?  Prepared meals that I could eat for the duration of her time away from me.  I don’t cook and she knows it.  I’m one of those strange people who eat to live rather than live to eat.  Sometimes, I’ll be wondering why I feel miserable, cranky, and light-headed.  Then I realize I haven’t eaten for 16 hours or something stupid.  My medicine is in the refrigerator.

So, it is true that what I miss about her is her, not what she does for me.  She “did” so much for me before she left that I haven’t had the opportunity to be deprived of that yet.  I miss her radiance which warms the home.  I miss her gentle touch.  I miss holding her hand.

A man separated from his family is less than half the man he once was.

The doldrums are almost behind me now.  They should be back on Saturday.  I can sleep almost that long.

Welcome home honey!  I’ve missed you!  It is so good to be complete again!

Life

Today, at 10:41 am, I received the call.

But let’s start with a little history.  One of my best friends passed away on November 18th, 2004.  We had been friends for a dozen years and I felt a part of his family.

We had the most amazing Bible studies in his home, as I recall, one of the topics lasted for almost a year and a half.  To say that those studies ran deep is simplification.

His two daughters and wife are some of the most joyful people I’ve known.  It was understood that should anything happen to him, I would make myself available to help “his girls”.  Then, just before Thanksgiving Day, I received a call.  It was time to make good on a promise.

That was just “a call” and not the subject of this posting.  His daughters, six and eight when I first met them, are still, in many ways, six and eight to me.  True, they have grown to be extraordinary young women of God, taking their rightful places in this world and answering “the call” that God has placed on their lives.  Still, not the subject of this post.

The oldest is married to a Godly husband with a beautiful daughter.  I couldn’t be more proud of her and the decisions she’s made!  I’m sure her father would feel the same.

Today, the call came from the younger sister.  The “six year old” in my mind.  No, she’s not really six, though I had to ask her age since time passes so fast now.  She’s been a missionary to the Philippines for quite some time now.  Among other things, she was house mom for some orphans.  I believe she began that work when she was chronologically 15 or 16 — herself without a father.

Again, her father would be so proud of her, as am I.

Answering the call, I received what some would call a premonition.  Either God was showing me something or I was protecting myself.  Perhaps I’ll never know which one.

I was sort of expecting her to call in order to schedule a holiday visit.  We had discussed such things prior.

From the moment I saw the caller ID, I suspected something different.  I’m not one for “I told you so”, but I think knowing in advance helped me adjust more easily.

What was the call about?  I thought you might like to know.  My “six” year old is engaged to be married.

I am both elated and heartbroken.

One thing I know… her husband-to-be will be very good to her… or else!

Life

I sometimes feel that I live in a different world than those people I see around me.  Is that because I’m a stranger to this world?  A pilgrim en route to another destination?

I’d like to think that I have a good walk with God, but I’m not that proud, haughty, or “holy”.  Still, things happen around me, seemingly in a whirlwind.  Nevertheless, I feel “steady on”.  Sometimes, it is almost as though I cannot relate to those around me.

Why would someone stand in Times Square for 10 hours with the temperature at 19° and a windchill around 2° in order to watch a ball drop at midnight and then actually say it’s fun?  Are they lying?  Maybe I just don’t know how to have fun?

I often try to be accepting of the views others hold.  After all, it is what makes us all unique and diverse.  God created us that way which must mean it is both intentional and good.  For me, fun is something different.

Perhaps they were having “fun” because they were loaded?  I don’t get that either.  Maybe I never found my limits with regard to alcohol.  But I know from experience, that overdoing the alcohol doesn’t lead to “fun”.  It leads to time spent in front of a porcelain fixture.

Perhaps I’m just an old fuddy-duddy.  I’ve been subject to drug and alcohol testing at work for many years now.  The effort required to “plan” when it is okay to have a drink just isn’t worth it to me.  So, I basically abstain.

Years ago, my wife and I brought back several liters of rum from our honeymoon in the Caribbean.  Finally we just threw the stuff out.  We never thought of drinking it when it was an appropriate time.

Note to self:  Add “have a drink” to To Do list for next vacation.  See if it is “fun” and report back.

So, coming back to the point, I sat on the couch, carefully wrapped up in an afghan (more to commiserate with those poor folks in New York than because it was cold here), remote in hand, and listened to Dick Clark carefully slur in the New Year.  I think that whoever coughed up the five million dollars for that ball paid way too much!

Perhaps I’m just grumpy because my wife and child are at grandma’s.

Culture

It has been a long time…

Forever, in fact.  I’ve been wrestling for quite a while with the idea of starting a blog and a recent kick in the tush by an old friend finally got me going.  Though, there are things I’d like to say, I’m actually a very private person.  I’m choosing to blog anonymously because it gives me the latitude to say what I’m thinking and what is important to me without requiring me to think through things like internet security (an oxymoron) and privacy, etc.  I hope that you readers don’t find that off-putting.  If so, you are probably younger than me.  The youngsters out there seem to dive head long into anything internet related without concern.  Personally, I always drive with my seat belt on.  Not because it is a law, but without it, it is really hard to stay in the driver’s seat while taking corners at eighty miles per hour!

If you stumble upon this blog, please drop me a comment to let me know how you found it.  If you were searching, what you were searching for?

I am not a grammarian, for which I apologize in advance.  It is an area that I need improvement in and I welcome comments on grammatical errors.  No one should have to read poorly written prose.  I think that has actually been used as a method for torturing prisoners of war.

I am, however, a self proclaimed “odd unit”.  My idiosyncrasies probably differ from yours.  Just remember that we all have them!  Hopefully, you will find the upcoming posts diverse enough to be interesting.

Please, if you know me personally, respect my privacy and do not post comments that would identify me.  Thank you for your thoughtfulness!

General