Ah, vacation ... followed by, uh, work ...

It's always difficult to leave something fun for anything less amusing. That's how it feels when you come back from a vacation and step back into your less-comfortable shoes and go to work. Not that work is a bad thing by any means--I like having money to pay my bills and put food in the refrigerator. Yet, it's always a bit of a culture shock to return to work after a wonderful vacation. One aspect about our personalities that makes me giggle is how if our "vacation" was actually our "work" then it would cease being fun and turn into a job. Curious isn't it?

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The trick, of course, is to change the way you view working. It's been said that if you enjoy what you do, then you won't work a day in your life. Work shouldn't be torture and pain. I wish we could enjoy toil and labor with all our hearts. We've been built to work hard, designed as great machines of production, and feel best when we exert ourselves. We tend to focus on hardships, pain, and difficulty. Change to focus on the joy and pleasure of successful work and it will become an easier thing.

So, with that settled, I'm still stunned at the transition from vacation to work. It's like being hit by a water balloon, then falling down into a mud puddle, followed by a quick crawl through thorns. However you look at it, the process is a tiny bit uncomfortable. Maybe we should just punch ourselves in the face instead? Nah. It's tempting though.

- M

Patience, patience, you will arrive in time...

There are a breed of sayings I like to place under the heading of: "Pithy." They don't mean a whole lot, though they could I suppose, but mainly they are said to make the speaker sound wise. Stuff like that drives me crazy, especially in books and movies. The words typically seem good enough, but once you take a moment to consider they are only swollen cotton candy.

"Get out there and win!" is a personal favorite from sports stories. Usually pronounced by a couch, with great seriousness, and I have to wonder why they say this? As though the team were to aim to lose? Naturally, someone wins and someone loses, but why point out the obvious? Much better would be to say, "I believe in you. Now get out there and prove it!" It's the empty platitudes I dislike, not the sentiments behind them.

Writers are always cautioned to avoid clichés, and this is probably the reason. Using common sayings like these doesn't really do much, other than be instantly recognizable hogwash. It takes effort to come up with something new, but the effort is worthwhile. Having a wise man saying fluff doesn't make them wise, but having them give actually intelligent insight is wonderful. For example, Yoda's wonderful phrase in response to Luke Skywalker saying it was impossible said, "That is why you fail." Impressive insight, that because you don't believe it's even possible prevents your attempting it anyway. Providing actual wisdom is well worth the effort, and the audience, I believe, appreciates it.

- M

Children make life better.

My wife and I are blessed with three children. I love children, and am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of raising these three. What is endlessly fascinating is how you see the world all over again through a new set of eyes. Everything is experienced all over again, especially the things you figured were common and normal. Like mud.. what is the deal with mud? Children practically roll around in it, eat it, make pies from it, and love to show you their creations. Weird.

In stories, children are somewhat of a hit-or-miss aspect. While they can be charming, they can also be annoying. I think the reason is because of their innate immaturity (which is clearly expected) that gets them into trouble. I still cringe at the little girl in the book form of "Jurassic Park" (the movie changed it up and made the little boy the annoying one), yet one of my favorite stories is "The Neverending Story" which features many kids and is incredibly charming. There's quite a lot of discussion on the topic of children in movies, but I think it's overall a good thing. We naturally relate to children, because we all were one at some point (even if we don't admit it), but the lack of maturity can easily trample the film.

Children are a blessing to us, no doubt about it. I admire anyone with more than six these days; it must be difficult keeping control of the chaos. With children, parents quickly learn responsibility of a whole new type and grow up even more. And, we get the pleasure of watching young minds grow and prosper under our tutelage. Big responsibility, but also a very big payoff.

- M

Whistling. Working. Why not put them together?

Ever tried whistling more than a single note? I grew up whistling, and have been told I'm pretty good at it. I don't deny it. I love whistling songs, and having a good time by myself. It's relaxing, and let's me sing my favorite songs without having the vocal range to do it by voice. Even more, it let's me play with music and that's something I believe very strongly in. Music makes life better in every way.

Disney popularized "Whistle while you work" and it stuck in the popular imagination, not that I've ever seen anyone whistling at work really. Actually, I used to do that as a janitor when I thought I was alone (apparently not always, since people commented about it). The concept is a good one though, because it speaks about being happy about what you're doing. That's a great idea. We should all enjoy our work, even when it's hard and backbreaking.

I suppose the conclusion is to ask: What do you do to make your life happy? Whistling is only one thing we can do, but there are many options available to us. Enjoying what you do is more than an emotion, it's a commitment. Life is like that, rewarding our commitments with joy. Maybe not jump in the air joy, but a satisfaction of something done well.

- M

Reading books ... by ear

I love listening to books. Not that I can't read them, but because voice acting gives books a fresh quality I enjoy. There are lots of other people who simply don't have time to read and listen to books on their commutes to work and so on. It's another way to enjoy books, and sometimes is even better than reading it yourself--at least, I hope I'm not the only one who can't do voices justice in my own head.

My oldest daughter enjoys turning on her Kindle's voice reading system. It's pretty good, and she loves it, but I like a human being doing the reading. However, as technology progresses the quality of electronic reading will continue to more closely approximate the human voice. I suppose there will be a time when you really won't notice the difference. Sadly, that'll be the end of the voice acting industry in regards to audiobooks, but it will also open the galaxy of books to people unable to read for themselves.

The short story is especially suited to audiobooks, mainly due to the short form, and because it's easy enough to listen to an entire story in one sitting. Most full audiobooks go on for a number of hours (a dozen or more) and so must be broken down into smaller chunks. However, the experience is worthwhile and I think expands the book for the audience. Hopefully, it isn't the only way the books are read, but even if so, the books are being read and that is the important point.
- M

Things I leanred from my parents

When I was a little boy, my parents were the wisest and most all-knowing people on the planet. As I grew older, my opinion shifted to believe I was a fool to listen to these old-as-dirt folks. Now that I have children of my own (who probably think I'm just as useless), I want to know what my parents think about most things. You see, I finally actually grew up and value the great experience and wisdom of my parents. They are a treasure beyond any sought after by Indiana Jones types.

There's a phrase we hear a lot, "Experience is the best teacher." Sure, that's true to a point, but I'd much prefer having someone teach me who's already suffered through actual experience. My parents never held back their wisdom; I was sadly too arrogant to accept their advice. Sure, they aren't right about everything, but who is? I value what they have to say, even if it did take me my whole life to realize it.

The truth is, modern America doesn't value our elders as we should. They are lifetimes of experience on tap, happy to give it freely, and yet are mostly ignored. That's a real shame. What better way to understand history than to ask those who lived through it? How many are still alive who passed through World War 2, or the various regional wars? Open your minds and your hearts, then keep your mouths shut and listen. Learn.

- M

Gone fishing

Have you ever gone out fishing? Or, as my father would say, "Drown some worms." For those of us who aren't professionals, we fish mainly for the joy of occasionally catching something and the companionship of spending time with a friend or two. There's very little brain work required in fishing, so it leaves plenty of time to chat and goof around. Plus, you get out in the sun, enjoy watery breezes, and generally fall in love with nature.



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We do a lot of things for the joy of being with others. Picnics. Barbeques. Church socials. Weddings. Book clubs. There's a never ending list of gatherings. Why? Sure, not everyone enjoys being in a crowd, but not every gathering is large. Pick the size that makes you comfortable and experience those. There's no right or wrong about it. We all need connections to those around us, and what better way than to have fun while you're gathering.

One of the things my teachers drilled into me during elementary school was, "If you want a friend, be a friend." There's a lot of truth there. It goes hand-in-hand with, "No man is an island." We aren't alone in life, no matter how hard we try. Since we can't completely avoid everyone, at least have some fun. Go out in nature, rent a boat, take along some worms, and build some memories.

- M