Hope and sacrifice, the legacy of heroes.

In life, there are few things as inspiring as a hero. Whatever your field of interest, there are people in it who excel to such a degree that they become idols. Nothing at all wrong with it. If the field genuinely interests you, then you will search and find people to look up to and emulate. We need heroes to push us to greater effort and raise our expectations. For instance, for years the four minute mile was considered impossible, but once one person broke it the rest of the world suddenly found within itself a whole bunch of others who could do the same. That's the power of a real hero.

Military heroes have a special place in our hearts, because they genuinely place their lives on the line. That's a big reason why we have holidays celebrating them. They aren't the only heroes, of course, there are plenty more--firefighters, police officers, emergency medical services, and the list goes on. We admire anyone willing to sacrifice themselves for others, and place it as one of life's ultimate blessings. Heroism is achievable by anyone, which makes it one of the few prizes we can all strive for no matter our ability or station in life.

The legacy of all this is that we cherish and admire anyone who goes beyond ordinary courage and treads in the rarified air of hero. I bet if the nightly news was only filled with heroic stories, that we would be a much happier place. We need to be inspired, to be pushed to greater efforts, to be reminded not to simply do the minimum but go beyond. Oddly, heroes aren't necessarily role models, since acts of heroism are usually singular moments, but we love to hear the stories and are eager to learn more about the people themselves. I can't imagine life without heroes and the world would be pitiful without them.

- M

Remembering fallen heroes this Memorial Day

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

I believe we all want to have real heroes in our lives. Our military men and women are distinct heroes we call all point to. It's always sad when those we know pass between our world and the next, but it's also a source of pride to name them among the heroes of our military services. These people have spent their lives in a high calling: defending the nation they serve, to protect all the people therein even if the heroes don't even know them. There's a reality of dedication and honor that we who have never served won't comprehend. These heroes have earned our respect and remembrance. I urge you to take time today to think about them, offer up prayers for their families, and to keep them in mind as you celebrate.

Happy Memorial Day!

- M

Are you ready for another holiday get together?

Family times are loads of fun, especially for the parents who set it all up. When I was a kid, I hated these things; I didn't know any of these somehow relatives, I didn't want to drive in a car for hours, and I sure didn't want to be uncomfortable for hours turning into days. But, now that I look back, I value the travel and seeing far-away places (like Colorado and Florida). Because of these trips, I have a greater sense of family and the world in general. However, these realizations didn't happen right away, and took a lot of years to actually come to my attention.

image credit

So, for the most part, these holiday gatherings are a time to play outdoor games and eat good food. If family gets in the way, just smile and behave yourself, answer whatever goofy questions are asked and move onto something else as fast as you can. Trust me, in the far future, you'll appreciate these memories. It's even possible that a little bit of fun will weasel its way into the festivities. Who knows? Maybe you'll even have fun.

As for the food, that's my job on holidays. I love cooking outside on the grill (even though I'm now using a propane grill instead of a flaming charcoal pyre of burning doom). I'll cook steak and hot dogs and sausage and chicken and anything else we can think of putting on there. It all tastes extra great from a grill. Also, it gives me a fantastic reason to be a curmudgeon and ignore everyone ... I only joke, I'm happy to talk and laugh with anyone willing to brave the flames. Heh heh.

- M

The mind boggling complexity of everyday life.

Technology is all around us. The range of human invention is absolutely astounding to me. The lowly pencil is a marvel of engineering. Our dishes and cups are perfectly milled. Even the water we drink is carefully cleaned and processed to filter out the bad to keep the good. The wealth we enjoy on a daily basis is hard to fathom, even a scant hundred years ago. But, have you ever stopped to think how all this is accomplished? The factories that produce pencils are absolute marvels! I watched a documentary about how ballpoint pens are manufactured, and the technology is bewilderingly complex. For instance, the little ball at the functioning point of the pen is so perfectly made that there is only space for ink and none for air--and those balls are microscopically tiny.

I love to learn of the sequence of advances leading up to modern technology. Often, it's expansion and extension of already known ideas, pushed into new arenas and modified to work. The refrigerator is a side-effect of scientists working to discover absolute zero (a temperature so low that not even atoms jiggle about and no heat is found). The plastics we find in daily life is not the same we started with, but is a finely tuned product with a huge variety of strengths and capabilities. Even the paper we use is wonderfully suited to our needs, and we hardly give a thought to how it's made.

Many early science fiction stories used a plot of dragging a future man into the present, where people would question him and try to learn new technologies. These attempts would always fail, because even a scientist would not be able to completely detail even simple tools. After all, you can drive a car, or rebuild an engine, but could you give schematics and processes and tools for building one from scratch? Even if you did the design, there's the fabrication and metallurgy and skills to go along with the process. Today, I very much doubt any single person could be of much help to someone a hundred years ago, other than to offer ideas and concepts.

Isn't that amazing? We live in abundant times of sheer magnificence. Take a little time and appreciate what's available to you daily. We are blessed.

- M

Weather isn't always perfect, but it comes close.

Weather is something we all know, so it's unsurprising to find it mentioned in stories all the time. What I find interesting is how the focus tends to be on the moody aspects. For instance, "It was a hot and sultry day," or "Cold rain cut through my clothes, soaking me to the skin." It's a happy occasion to find good things about the weather, like my favorite scene from "The Hobbit" book, where Bilbo climbs past the forest treetop and pokes his head into the sun-drenched paradise above the horrible forest of Mirkwood. I adore that scene, because it stands in such stark contrast to the dreadfulness below. Also, it's the first story scene I ever read where I could absolutely see it completely--just like it was playing out in front of my eyes (a magical experience for a third grader).

Typically, people complain about the weather, or totally ignore it. Like so many things, we love to complain but are slow to enjoy. I'm not sure why we human beings do this. Why can't we roll in the grass when the sun is shining? Why not skip through the puddles after a rain? Why don't we grin into the wind and laugh at the moon? Yes, we can enjoy the weather when it's good. We don't always have to complain. Which brings me to one of the few jokes I know: What do you get when you put a bunch of farmers in the basement? --- A whine cellar. <You see, farmers pout about everything, because nothing is ever perfect ... yeah? funny huh?>

Despite all this, we still love to talk about the weather. In fact, it's such a cliché that we joke about how often we speak about it. Yet, it's frequently the very first thing we talk about with someone. So, it's no surprise to find weather in our stories. It's a background feature generally, but when it's the focus there's nothing holding it back. I suppose the best thing about weather in stories is that it absolutely obeys the author, setting the scene and ambience for whatever they have in mind. Plus, it's easy to strand characters by using weather--also, most suspense stories wouldn't exist without some kind of horrible weather.

- M

Games are dreams given form, and are great for working your brain too!

Do you play games? I'm not only talking about electronic games, cellphone games, video games, crossword puzzles, puzzle books, or board games. Nope, I mean any game at all. Children naturally play constantly, as it's their method of exploring interactions and the world around them. But, adults normally only play formal games of sport or video. Yes, we do get together at parties and play Charades or other goofy things, yet they never really rise beyond the silly.

Yup, Chutes and Ladders, Checkers, Hide and Seek, and the inimitable Tag are games not only of mind and body, but dreams. Dreams are the soul of our childhoods. I wanted to be an astronaut. My brother wanted to be a fighter pilot. When we played games we often did exactly those things. Sure, the game might be Uno, but in our minds we were flying around and destroying galactic interlopers and shooting down bad guys. It's amazing what the imaginations of the truly inspired can come up with.

I do my best to inspire imagination with the stories I write, but games do a far better job than I ever will. No, I don't want to regress to childhood, like a modern Peter Pan, since I really like being an adult. What I do hope is for people to enjoy their lives more. You don't need to be serious all the time. Have a bit of fun. Let your dreams out of captivity once in a while and see what fun you can have. Play a game!

- M

Mothers in stories

We all love our moms. We talk about them, cry out for them when we hurt, and hold up signs saying "Hi, mom," at sporting events. So, it's no great surprise to find caring mothers inside our stories. Sure, some stories cast mothers as psychos from the nether realms, but usually mothers lead charmed literary lives. I grew up with the model moms from "Leave it to Beaver" and "The Andy Griffith Show." (For those who haven't seen such ancient shows, these moms were impossibly perfect and infinitely patient. We adored them.) Mothers give us our lives, nurse us, kiss our boo-boos, read us bedtime stories and generally be really nice to us (fathers have their own day, so their contributions are for another time).

This was just too cute not to include here.

Because of all this, mothers are incredible emotional touchstones. Authors use these connections to quickly imply depth in characters, since the way people behave toward their mothers demonstrates a vast array of emotions and will get a story into high gear very quickly. Also, everyone has a mother and father, so the whole world can relate. Yup, it's a useful shortcut, so why not use it?

I think back on my experiences with my own mother, and I can't help but smile. She's an inspiration and role model to me and my children. My wife's mother, gone now to glory, was also an exceptional influence on me. So, when I read a book, watch a movie, or listen to a song about mothers, it's impossible not to think of the fine women in my own life. I owe my life to them--one for my birth and raising, and the other for my wife and best friend. Discovering a story with such a mother is a gift in itself, and a welcome connection to mothers in general.

- M

Water gets a modern update ... with sparkles!

Water is necessary for your bodily health, tastes great, and is fun to throw at people. It's been around pretty much forever, and is now getting a modern update! Yup. Water with sparkles is the new fad. It's essentially classical soda water (water that's been carbonated, so it has bubbles) with some kind of flavoring. It tickles your nose and makes you burp. But, it's still the nourishing water you grew up with.

Don't get me wrong, I love this new water. I no longer need to seek out a soda pop when my stomach is feeling lousy, and can simply open a can of sparkling water. What I find amusing is how water first became a major industry (when many brands actually began with essentially tap water) and now has fashioned itself into a fad where you see water right next to the most popular soda pops. It's incredible. What an amazing world we live in.

So, how long until they repackage air? Or sunlight? What about making heat less unbearable? Is it possible to make vegetables more palatable to children? Perhaps someone could create a bread that toasts itself, or at least doesn't fall to pieces when you butter it. There's so many possibilities! Of course, you never can guess what the next fad will be, but I do hope this sparkling water idea sticks around for a long time.

- M

Cats and boxes

It's common knowledge that cats love catnip. It's like narcotics for them. However, there's something they want even more than that ... boxes! Yup, cat's adore boxes. Big, small, perfectly-sized, or hardly fitting, they want them all. There are many videos showing this bewildering behavior, and it's completely adorable (check out Maru the cat on YouTube). I can't understand why they do it, despite having clearly better options right in front of them.

I fit. Wanna make an issue out of it?

Sometimes I think animals do these things just to endear themselves to us. Dogs tilt their heads in such whimsical ways it's hard not to laugh. Birds imitate our speech, throwing it back at us during the most inappropriate times imaginable. I'm sure even the exotic type pets have their joys--though I can't imagine a snake ever being funny. And fish are ... just fish.

Human beings create incredibly powerful connections with pets. They become our companions, guardians, and cuddly pillows. Have you seen little kids with a new pet? If your heart doesn't fill with sweet emotion, then you aren't paying attention. Adults enjoy pets just as much, if not more, and the connections are life altering. But, despite all my considerations, I still can't figure out why cats will purposely stuff themselves into boxes far too small for their bodies.

- M

Why is it that when things are perfect, it's wrong?

The science fiction movie, "The Matrix", has a great monologue from the character Mr. Smith. In it, he says that a prior version of the computer simulation failed because it was perfect and humans rejected it out of hand. It's an interesting thought, and it's also likely true. Whenever there's perfection--such as in sport or art--we immediately look for trickery, for mirrors and smoke, anything to make it so we aren't inadequate in comparison. So, we prefer our worlds to have flaws, because that makes them more "real."

This brings us to the common advice all new writers are given: give your character a flaw, something that makes them vulnerable. What's interesting is these don't necessarily have to be real. For instance, my favorite detective, Columbo, makes a big deal of being a bumbling fool, yet is actually highly intelligent and uses this seeming vulnerability to put suspects into a state of arrogance. Batman's flaws are his childhood trauma and also his unwillingness to kill, which limits his options and thus forces creativity. You see, flaws expand a character rather than limit them--and that's why perfection is so hard to believe, because perfection requires nothing else.

Authors can use this sense of reality to incredible effect. Audiences may not even realize their being manipulated. If you're watching a suspense movie and the hairs stand up on the back of your neck without you knowing why, it's likely the author is pricking your sense of reality. Think of it like a magic trick--lovely to watch, infuriating to work out how it's done, and ultimately unfulfilling when you know all the details. However, as an author, the thrill is in watching the audience react, and enjoying the amazed looks and bewildered chatter. So, don't let perfection stop you. Get out there and mess stuff up!

- M

Playing in puddles and laughing at chipmunks

Children have fun as a matter of duty and pride. They will thoroughly engage themselves in the study of rocks and tea parties, laughing all the while. Then, they grow up and strangely lose that same pride. What is it about life that makes us all so dull? Having fun seems like a chore, a bother, and even troubling. But, have you watched chipmunks eat? Have you stepped in a puddle and paused to watch the ripples? Have you petted a bumblebee?

Chipmunks stuff food into their cheeks as they eat

I think what's remarkable about how children view the world is not their continuous questions and awe, but their ability to ignore all the heavily important parts we adults focus on and instead turn to finding anything fun in their immediate vicinity. They'll get excited about blades of grass! It's incredible. Adults usually roll their eyes and tell the youngsters to get moving, but what's wrong with being amazed? Yes, adults have totally different priorities, however we also need to remember to enjoy the life we work so hard to maintain. Work is only half of the equation; play is the other.

When you do something for enjoyment, plan on having fun! If you do something, do it with all your heart and soul. Take this phrase to heart: "Work hard, and play hard." There are few better mottos. If it's sports, then rave like a lunatic, if it's a dance, then flail with abandon, and if it's love, then pour your passion into every glance. Fun, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, so why let someone else take it away? Go out there and skip in puddles and laugh at the silly chipmunks!

- M

Time moves so quickly!

Perception is a strange thing. For instance, when taking a test I swear the seconds turn into minutes, yet when I'm enjoying time with my wife the hours turn into seconds. How is that? The old saying, "Time flies when you're having fun" definitely applies, but our sense of time passing can't possibly be that unreliable ... can it?

When I was actively pursuing martial arts (I still do, but can't devote my entire activity anymore), there were certainly occasions during simulated combat where time nearly stopped and it was like being inside a Matrix film. What happens is your brain is so hyper-focused and aware that its processing at a speed totally abnormal to usual life ... which has the result of stretching those times to ludicrous levels. So, it follows that when you aren't as hyper-alert--such as enjoying a date with your sweetheart--that time simply rushes past without your awareness.

As we age, we tend to relax in our daily lives. The world isn't as great a mystery to us, so we let our attention slacken. So, again, the youthful have an advantage in time (though I doubt they feel the same way about it). What's fascinating is hearing people complain about not enough time, or things going too slowly. We all know that time doesn't change, so why fuss? Maybe it's because we regret lost opportunity? Perhaps we yearn for an event to happen? Whatever the reason, time isn't as stiff a concept as math suggests. Our perceptions color everything we experience, including how long it takes to finish a test, or enjoy a circus.

- M