Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Afternoon in the Airport

Yesterday afternoon, as I was trying to get home on an earlier flight, I got to spend some alone time in the Denver airport again. It is almost becoming a home away from home.

I love sitting in the restaurants looking out at the airliners coming and going and imagining that I was part of the operation going on out there. The activity levels are everywhere. Aircraft moving, baggage being trucked around, passengers being embarked and disembarked from the air vehicles.

I sometimes wonder what kind off wonder our forefathers would have at seeing what we have become as a nation. I used to fly United a lot--but now it seems I am a Southwest traveler.

I love saying that "I'm flying first class today" whenever I board a Southwest flight. It always gets a giggle from both the passengers in the area and the crew.

I guess I love being around air operations because it reminds me of olden times when I was a young lieutenant at a Strategic Air Command B-52 bombardment wing.

Those were the days. Like now, I knew that I was part of something important. God forbid that the bombers actually had to do the missions that the crews were trained to do--but if they did, I wanted to be sure they had every opportunity for success. That is what it was like during the Cold War.

I can barely believe that sitting in Denver, reminded me of all of those times. And friends long ago forgotten.

Thanks Patrick for posting that picture of me in my Captain's uniform with Nicole on my leg back in those good old days. I'm not even sure you were born yet when that image was taken. You have rekindled long forgotten memories of a different time and place.

And all while I was sipping a beer in Denver waiting as a stand-by passenger for a flight home that I made.



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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Standing on the Threshold of Tomorrow

What if?

I have been thinking about that question lately.

It is interesting to run down the possibilities of changing something in our past and then projecting forward.

What if, I had not joined the Air Force so many years ago? Where would I be? Heck, what if I could speak a foreign language and wouldn't have had to transfer to Syracuse to graduate from college?

What if--all of the things that make me who I am were different? What if I could change anything?

Well, I've been dealing with this question a bit--and wouldn't you know it, but some really good advice came my way on the radio yesterday in a song by Matt Maher titled Hold Us Together. I've added a link to a YouTube version if you want to listen to it.

The final chorus says it all about answering the "what if's" in life:

And love will hold us together
Make us a shelter to weather the storm
And I'll be my brother's keeper
So the whole world would know that we're not alone

This is the first day of the rest of your life
This is the first day of the rest of your life
'Cause even in the dark you can still see the light
It's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright

I do not need to be a slave to yesterday by constantly asking myself "what if" because the "what if's" have made me who I am and my task--is to go forward from here into the future.  I may not ever have a dive boat in the Florida Keys--but I have so much more. And the possibilities? Well--they are not endless, but they are uncountable.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Out the Hotel Window - Denver again

Denver in the Morning
So I almost forgot to do the out the hotel window picture of the day. This morning the view was awesome. The sun rise in the east was reflecting off the western clouds over the mountains.

It is hard to see since my iPhone camera doesn't have great resolution.

It was 90 degrees yesterday when I arrived, but the breeze was cool even so because there is low humidity.






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Monday Musings - August 29, 2011

1. Irene, the hurricane, was not a very good house guest. But thankfully, Chris and I suffered little damage--mostly tree debris in the yard. I know many others were not so fortunate.

2. What a week it was--and I hope never to repeat. We had an earthquake and a hurricane packed into the week.

3. I was reading Aesop's Fables on my Kindle on the plane yesterday and ran across a few old lines to remember.

4. One of Aesop's stories reminded me of something so true--it is about how good, when connected to evil suffers the consequences of being associated with the evil. "Birds of a feather flock together."

5. I also enjoyed the story about The Flies and the Honey Pot--"Pleasure bought with pain, hurts."

6. I've been thinking about "joy" lately. And what is joy exactly as opposed to being happy or just feeling good. What really provides joy?  Is joy internal?  Can we buy or obtain joy, or is it a result of being satisfied with ourselves and our life?

7. I, for one, will be happy to see August slide into September.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

First Light after the Storm

Things are not too bad.


I've seen worse--but I don't see any trees down, yet. The wind is still blowing.




But I was reminded of the line in the movie Apollo 13, where after four tense minutes of reentry the cap-com controller continues to make the calls to the spacecraft fully believing that all hope was lost. And the crew responded-- "Yes, we are here!"

We are here, too.

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Location:Rainbow Dr,Elkridge,United States

Waiting for the Dawn after Irene

The wind is still roaring outside and the rain is falling, The sump pump comes on every 15 or so minutes to keep the lower level dry.

It is dark--I am waiting for the dawn so I can begin to assess the damage and to begin the clean-up after the storm.

Makayla is here with me on the sofa--with each renewed gust of wind we check the windows to see what is happening, but we cannot see outside, yet.

I have grown weary of the constant hurricane storm reporting that the local news channels are providing. How many times do I really need to see people standing in the wind and rain telling me not to go outside. Duh!

Why are they outside?

I saw one reporter yesterday trying to hang onto the railing behind him because the storm was blowing so hard. Go inside!

Although sunrise is still about 30 minutes away, I am beginning to see the initial reflections of light as the dawn attempts to break through the storm.

I am afraid to look--I expect debris, water, and probably downed branches to cover the yard and fill the pool.

Church was already canceled for today, due to the weather. Smart move on their part.

But--as I hear the wind howl, I know the storm is not over, but there will be so much to do.


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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Between the White Lines

I was asked a question the other day about the reference to between the white lines which I have on my masthead.

I thought it an funny question, because the reference seems so obvious to me--but upon reflection, I guess it may be a generational issue which created the question.

Roads have been a part of my life for my whole life. I am getting older--I still remember when yield signs were yellow with black letters.

The reference then, is to a highway. The white lines mark the edges of the road. On rural highways, there are no lines in the center of the road to mark lanes--it is just a ribbon of blacktop with two white lines. Drive between the lines.

Those who really know me, know that I am a country boy at heart. So I remember those roads.

When we lived in Germany, there was a back road I used to drive from the place I worked to the small base, Neubrueke, where we lived. It had white lines on the sides and one night, on my way home, I was driving a bit too fast and my old car, the only Mercedes I ever owned, slid off the road into the ditch while rounding a curve. I failed to keep the car between the white lines.

Finally, there is a Garth Brooks song: Much too Young (To Feel This Damn Old). There is a reference in the chorus of the song to a white line getting longer which I believe is a reference to the times before the roads were marked with yellow lines in the center. I remember when roads used to be marked with only white lines--the sides and the center.

And the white line's getting longer and the saddle's getting cold
I'm much too young to feel this damn old
All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole
And I'm much too young to feel this damn old


And so, there you have it. My white lines. I can still see that old green Mercedes off the road in the ditch. Fortunately it did not roll, but it should have.

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Friday, August 26, 2011

Before the Alarm Went off

God woke me up this morning--He wanted to tell me a couple things.

We haven't been talking much lately, and almost never in the morning in a meaningful way. And my nighttime prayers have been really abbreviated or non-existent. So, He felt I needed to hear from him.

It wasn't real early--just a few minutes before my alarm and after one of the best night's sleep that I have had in a while because I finally went to the doctor yesterday for the headache which has bothered me for a week and got some medicine for the sinus infection that seems to be brewing.

So, I was ready to hear his voice before the noise of my life took over.

He told me that he loved me.

And then He asked me to tell him what was on my mind. And I did.

When I was done, He told to be still and listen.

And I heard the sound of peaceful breathing coming from the bed next to me where Chris was sleeping, as she has done almost every night for the past 36 years.

He reminded me that she loves me, too.

I pondered that for a while--as she continued her regular peaceful breathing.

I love her too.

God intervened in the moment to tell me again that He still loves me. So does Chris. So do my kids and grandkids. And it is not a shallow love, but a love that pulls together when one of us needs something. I heard Jeremy say: "Because, that's how we roll," in my head.

It is the love that had 14 of us praying in a circle in a hospital waiting room about two and a half years ago for Jax during his open heart surgery at the tender age of six days. "Team Jackson," I remembered Patrick said.

I am here for you too, God reminded me. My pillow was damp with the tear of peace that rolled down my cheek following behind the tears of shame and regret that had been trying to escape from my eye.

I remembered how the sun had suddenly peaked out from behind a dark cloud last evening after I had been drenched in a driving rain walking into the pharmacy. And despite being wet and chilled--the presence of the sun warmed me--not just physically, but emotionally, too.

God reminded me--that what is the most important to me is not always what I devote the most time to. And, sometimes, there are things in my life that I give time to that I shouldn't. I'm not balanced.

He reminded me that He can help with that, if I let him. He also reminded me that while I feel that a lot of people depend upon me, and not just my family, I too, depend upon a lot of people if I would only notice them more.

Like I told Dylan and Rachel just two short weeks ago, we are not meant to go through life alone. Life is a team sport.

I've been playing like the basketball superstar that scores 50 or more points in a losing effort because I'm trying to be one man show.

Despite liking to lead, sometimes I need to follow.

I've got a lot to work on, things to repair, and others to face the consequences of poor choices and decisions. But there is good coach and a strong team to keep me between the white lines.

God reminded me that He is there for me, we just need to chat more.

And all I could say was, amen.


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Location:Rainbow Dr,Elkridge,United States

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Good Morning Surprise

This morning, short already, has been full of not so pleasant surprises.

When I hit the door with Makayla for her walk, I expected to be greeted by cool, crisp air--instead it was the humid, heavy air of the on coming hurricane. Ugh.

And then, my laptop decided that it and Windows Vista were not working well together.

That, I guess is life. Surprises.

And, of course, it is really dark now at 5AM. Which means walking Makayla is just a bit more exciting and difficult.

But the day is dawning and my plate is full of stuff to do.

I will be busy and hopefully not too distracted by the those seemingly important things which crop up for a few minutes and then settle back down.

I pray your day is a good one.



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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Earthquakes and Hurricanes

What a day yesterday was--the earthquake changed our collective view of the region and brought us a step closer to understanding how helpless we feel when the ground shakes and there is no place to hide.

For my part, I recognized the earthquake as the tremors built in intensity, but was really surprised at how much the building shook by the time it was over. It was weird watching the suspended ceiling move about on its own. I had a clock actually fall off my desk and break on the floor of my office.

And this was a relatively minor earthquake compared to the big ones of the west coast and the devastating one that recently occurred in Japan.

We will likely be talking about this earthquake for a longtime.

The news media was quick to press into earthquake coverage and there was localized damage--but mostly a lot of unsettled people. I came home to check on the items we have hanging on the walls--and we, fortunately, escaped with no discernible damage.

Next up--Irene. A hurricane taking aim at the Outer Banks or our weekend enjoyment.

Water, winds, loss of power, downed trees and a pool full of tree debris. What could be better than that?

I was reminded that one of the last hurricanes of significance blew through in 2003 and was named Isabel. What is it with "I" named storms?



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