Going to the beach to avoid the Sun ...

My life is filled to the brim with curious oddities. I love meat, yet am allergic to bacon. I enjoy the outdoors, yet can't stand the heat. I love music, yet have sensitive hearing. Well, I've added another to the list: I go to the beach so I can avoid the Sun. Yup. You heard me right. Not the Sun in particular, but the massive heat wave we've been experiencing in the United States. I have lost the ability to sweat, so the only way to cool off (aside from shoving ice down my throat), is to let running water carry the heat away. The ocean works impressively well at that task, therefore the beach was calling me over ... the family came along too, I'm not a tyrant.

So, there I was, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, with a t-shirt covering my chest and a cowboy hat giving shade to my head. About the only skin actually exposed were my legs and arms. I'm happy to say I didn't get a sunburn at all. I did get a little red, from reflected light, but overall I'm unscathed. I found it interesting how many people did all sorts of things to avoid the Sun on the beach, like using tents and umbrellas and sheets. It's funny to think we travelled all that way just to cover up and ignore the blessings of nature all around us. But, that's what vacations are for! To ignore life and goof around with stuff that shouldn't matter, yet is so very much fun. We saw dolphins!

I try very hard to notice the tiny trinkets of wonder in daily life, but when you go somewhere new and experience things from a fresh viewpoint it really isn't hard at all. I'll be the first to admit that I get stressed far too easily, and frustration rises and I have a tough time maintaining composure (my wife is helping in that area, God bless her). Life is good, nature is good, family is good. We simply need to open our eyes and take it in. Maybe we'll go to the beach next year? I have no idea, but I am positive that I'll be covering up again and avoiding the Sun as much as possible.

- M

Be careful of the heat, or suffer the consequences.

Perhaps you've heard the term "Sun stroke" or "Heat stroke" in relation to getting too hot out in the sun. Sure, you sweat and are uncomfortable, but how bad is it really? We joke about "sweating like a pig" and just go merrily about our business. In this summer of heavy heat, I feel the need to make sure everyone understands how serious this really is. You see, I used to laugh at the heat and did my best to work despite it and the sweat. Then ... I suffered a real sun stroke (to the point where I stopped sweating, got nauseous, felt chilled, all of it) and then a while later it happened again. As a result, my body became extremely sensitive to heat and I've since had heat exhaustion and heat stroke multiple times. I lost the ability to sweat at all (you might think this is great, but I cannot cool down without a cold shower, and I hope you see how limiting that is to my life), which means air conditioning is quite literally keeping me alive.

I think we forget just how frail our bodies can be, and so we tough it out and think we can will ourselves to be okay. Sure, you can build a tolerance to heat, but not all at once. You need to work up to it, and for those who haven't gotten used to hot climates it is essential that you monitor your body. Drink plenty of water, keep out of the direct sunlight if you can, and pay attention. People who are suffering from the heat aren't fully aware what's happening to them. Watching for heat exhaustion is a buddy affair, and you need to keep each other healthy.

The reason I'm bringing this up now, is I've seen lots of people saying "Just suck it up, there's plenty of people who've been hotter and they're fine." I'm sure that's true. It's also true that people survive being shot in the chest, but I'd still go to the hospital if it happened to me. Don't simplify other people's health concerns. Would you do the same for anyone you care about? I hope not. Remember, we are in this together. Don't let yourself, or others, suffer because of some misplaced sense of toughness.

- M

Real champions don't hear the crowd.

People watching champions assume that one of the motivations to win is the applause of the crowd. No, it's not. True champions don't notice adulation, and are so focused on their goals that they probably won't become aware of anything but their own efforts anyway. All focus is on their goal. Their prize. Years are spent getting to the point where they can try. If they fail, the weight is crushing, but they shrug it off and train harder. It's difficult to imagine the single-minded focus these champions maintain for such long periods. That's heroic by itself.

Why do we frequently idolize champions? It's easy to see why. Champions accomplish what we dream of doing, battle incredible odds, endure unbelievable pains, and wade through it all with grim determination. Watching these people perform is inspirational, as it should be. I think deep down we all want to be champions, even if it's only in the realm of paper folding. It feels good to succeed, but especially good when it's not easy. In fact, make things too easy and the reward is worthless. It's only through struggle that we bloom and grow.

True champions aren't in it for the glory, they are competing because they have a deep need to prove to themselves that they are capable and worthy. None expect to lose. All anticipate their own victory. Sure, there can only be a single victor in a contest, but that doesn't stop champions from thinking that they alone will stand at the place of honor. I think this is what we really admire in champions: their ability to enter competition with the faith that they have prepared wisely, trained vigorously, and will see their efforts lead them to win.

Champions don't hear the crowd, because their own dreams are shouting too loudly.

- M

Sleep ... you are feeling sleepy ...

I've always been someone who enjoys being awake at night. We call such people, "night owls." Yes, I realize it's kind of silly, considering owls are known to be active at night, so why not just say "owls" without the "night" in it? I don't know, but it's the phrase. I love the dropping temperatures, the quiet atmosphere (people usually go inside and to bed), and the darkness. My mind is clearer at night, and it's when I get the majority of my writing accomplished. I love it. But, the night is when we naturally sleep, so I also run up against the need to close my eyes fighting against my desire to finish whatever I'm working on. Yup, it's tough being me...



Angel, our cat, absolutely terrifying!

Are you getting sleepy yet? I've read that yawns are oddly psychologically infectious, with the prodding being so powerful that simply reading about stifling a yawn is enough to make readers want to stretch and get out a good yawn. What yawns do for us is still a mystery, but our bodies love doing it and we sure enjoy the feeling too. I will say that when our cats do it, they look positively EVIL! Trust me, if you haven't seen a cat yawn, it will make your skin crawl. Yeesh. I think their real nature slips out a bit at the end of a yawn.

Our bodies apparently have a sleep cycle rhythm that impacts our health and happiness. I'm of the opinion that it's incredibly easy to break the cycle and throw ourselves into chaos. It's too easy to burn the candle at both ends, working late and rising early, cutting short our sleep to no good effect. At some point, our bodies must recharge and relax its burdens. Sleep is essential to our health (some very terrifying experiments have proven this beyond all doubt), so I am doing my level best to lull you all into a comfortable and leisurely bliss ... and then you will sleep without a care or worry. Let your eyelids slide down and carry you into dreams of fantasy and imagination.

- M

What if ... ? Grabbing story ideas from thin air.

Speculation about what could be isn't only tied to science fiction. Anyone can ask, "What if?" and apply reasoning and imagination to whatever they want. Many tremendous works of fiction have been birthed by such simplistic questions: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Forest Gump, Anne of Green Gables, Star Trek, mysteries of all kinds ... the list is endless. If you find yourself stumped for what to create, just start asking questions and let your mind wander.

I'm not sure when it became a bad thing to daydream, but it's sure battered down the heights of imagination most people aspire to. Actually, imagination is a strangely disparaged thing--people seem to think a bright imagination is bad. I can't understand it. For instance, I was helping my father put a television on the wall, with one of those extending and turning television brackets, and we were stumped by three screws that simply spun in place yet didn't come out. I sat and thought in frustration, then imagined the inside and some possibilities. In the end, we took the back off the television and discovered another bit that unscrewed rather than the screw. It was a simple thing to fix and reassemble. But, without such imagination, I don't know what we'd have done.

You see, if you begin with the question, "What if ..." then you are lead by your own imagination and experience into a completely new world. That's where huge leaps in technology come from, springing from seemingly nowhere, to dazzle the world with profound brilliance. I think back on my favorite books, and the majority are hugely imaginative. If you keep prodding yourself with imagination, you will naturally respond by fostering more imagination inside yourself. That's the best part! Clear away the cobwebs and let your mind soar into a universe of possibilities!

- M

I am so very happy to live in the time I'm in now, at this moment ... in time.

I often hear people say that times were better in the past, before everyone got in such a hurry. While this is an interesting perspective, I really don't want to go back to the days of no indoor air conditioning, ice boxes, horse and buggy, or writing with quills. If you want the sensation of those times, there are places you can go to experience it and then return to the modern world. Sure, people weren't as rushed, and that's not good, but also didn't live as long as we do now. Science has advanced to the point where we are thinking very seriously of populating other planets! Incredible.

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The point I hope to make is that we enjoy looking back on days of our youth with eyes colored by nostalgia and happy memory. While I agree that our lives are invariably simpler as children, the times are certainly better today than ever before. The technology available to us is dizzying. I do understand that many places don't have access to these wonders, and for that I'm truly sad. Wouldn't it be grand if everyone had whatever they needed? But, the world doesn't work that way, does it?

Despite our feelings, time marches on and on and on. Unless we stop inventing things, technology will also march forward, as will our desire for more. Isn't it funny how happiness and contentment change when we see new things? However, there are many advances which only came about due to dissatisfaction with the statue quo. Is it bad to improve things? Of course not. That's why I'm very happy to live in the now and not in the then ... in time ... I mean present ... the current ... today.

- M

Home is where the heart dwells.

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Have you ever been away from your home for a lengthy time? When you return, it's much more than sleeping in your own bed, surrounded by things you treasure. Home encapsulates everything we hold most dear: our family, our memories, our love. We lavish money on our homes, turning them into outward expressions of ourselves. By doing so, we put our hearts there and make it comfortable. Home is safe, cherished, desirable, and certain. Losing a home is crushing, even when nothing else is lost. Home is a sanctuary, where we can go to escape the villainy of life.

When we finally grow to the age where we leave our parent's house and fly to our own, it's tough and challenging. Until that point, we relied on someone else to provide the impetus to turn a place into a home. Crafting your own home for the first time is a mountainous achievement, yet we must go through the process or we never grow to full adulthood. Baby birds must eventually leave the nest. It's frightening and wonderful all at once. You'll never be the same again.

I think the concept of home is as natural as the need to breathe. We crave a place to belong, where we are totally ourselves (warts and all), and where the world only intrudes as much as we allow. Our hearts form a lasting bond with our homes--hardly a surprise, considering we spend a large portion of our lives therein. As a parent, I also want my home to be home for my children; a sanctuary they can run to when they cry and hurt. Maybe that's why we usually make it a point to compliment someone's home, and why the owners are so happy and proud to receive the kind words.

- M

Knots and Ropes and Confusion

Since a child, I've loved knots. No, not because I'm good at them, but because they infuriate me. How is it possible for shoelaces to be correctly tied, yet when you pull the ends they turn into Gordian Knots (a mythological knot so complex nobody could ever untie it ... it was defeated with a good sharp blade). Sure, I understand what happens, yet these knots are frequently so tight that I am completely unable to undo them. I suppose any knot is difficult when pulled with great strength, plus my fingernails are always short so I don't have much prying ability.

The vast array of knots is inspiring. Think about it. A length of rope can be twisted in such a way as to tighten under stress or release itself when yanked, to join pieces together or form loops, to guide horses and hang pottery. Some are purely for ornamentation, while some are objects of attack. If there is a job to be done, it's likely a knot can be employed to do it. I have a book in my office about knots, and there are over 200 kinds, with pictures showing the methods and uses. It's bewildering. I suspect you could spend a lifetime learning them and never untwist them all.

Sailors are often tested on their seamanship by tying knots. It's a show of intellect, cunning, and knowledge. Knots do indeed make fabulous riddles, such as the Gordian Knot, and are woefully forgotten. We no longer teach them, hardly use any (beyond our shoes), and have lost the sense of their many capabilities. Is modern life so technological that we don't need to use knots anymore? It makes me sad. Sure, knots raise my blood pressure, but that's not a good reason to get rid of them. Maybe there's still time to bring knots back to the forefront? I hope so.

- M

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day to America!

Today we celebrate our many freedoms, enjoy family and friends, eat good food, and light fireworks in celebration. Such freedom came with enormous cost and requires diligence and courage to maintain. We must never forget why our nation was founded. America was birthed from the idea of individual freedom, where personal religious beliefs aren't mandated by the state and where even the lowliest person can own their very own slice of land. Hard work is encouraged, as is participation in the political process. All citizens have a voice, and the government works for us.

This is why we celebrate. This is what we celebrate. This is what we hope for the rest of the world.

- M

Writing and invention go hand-in-hand, and can make anything work.

Have you ever wanted to create a device, or a business, or attempt a ridiculous adventure? Well, all you need is a pencil and paper and a bit of imagination! Write it down. Writing is a magical activity, making all things possible. Maybe you think you don't have the ability, or the mind, to craft the words. But, I believe anyone is capable of storytelling. Release the bonds holding you back and go where the story takes you.

Invention is essential to human activity. Without new ideas, we would still be running from place to place with only dreams of riding in cars and soaring in planes. Jules Verne is often regarded as a wonderful inspiration for many technical advances, such as: atomic power, submarine warfare, zero gravity weightlessness, and so much more. Did his writings make these come about? Likely not, but I'm sure it gave vision to the people who actually made the ideas reality.

Inspiration is frequently mentioned when speaking of artists of any kind, yet it isn't reserved only for pie-in-the-sky types. Anyone looking for ideas can discover a sudden wild burst of brilliance that springs into invention and progress. But, you can't steer a ship that still anchored in the harbor. In other words, get up off the couch and make your ideas into something big. Yee haw!

- M