Write your own track

Well, to be honest.. I have no idea why I am writing at the moment. Sometimes I just like to air out my thoughts. Music is on my mind. I sit here and listen to my iPad shuffle through songs and each new track brings up a memory. To me nothing stimulates my emotions more. I have been taken back to high school, past relationships, football games, road trips and even to bars all in the past couple hours without leaving my room.

Everyone has that one song though that they can relate to more than any other. When that song came up, I had to place it on repeat just so I could take in the moment and remember it for what it was. Sometimes living in that moment seems easier than the present. It's always easy to remember the past with rose colored glasses. Maybe that was a time in life where the laughs came easier and the friends seemed closer, then again.. it's easy to forget the negative stuff from that time.

I try to look at each day as an opportunity to add that new defining song to my soundtrack. It's up to me if I want my track to sound like Jimmy Buffet or Nickelback. I hope you guys that read this get whet I'm going with that reference.

That's all the wisdom I have to bestow on you today. Until next time, stay simple.

Sometimes a push is a good thing

Over the weekend I ran into someone that I have more respect for than most people I know. She was a teacher of mine in high school and then into college. After a brief conversation, I started thinking about how under-appreciated teachers are in today’s society. I am 30 now and she is still pushing me to excel and takes a personal interest in my life. 

I was not the most studious person in my life. I was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. I honestly believe that I used that as an excuse when classes got hard or I didn’t want to do homework. I pretty much coasted my way through high school with the exception of one teacher. Dr. Parris. She somehow harnessed my abundant energy and inability to focus on class work. She pushed me in her web development classes. I found that with her help, I was good at something. I never really had a teacher make me feel like I was letting myself down if I missed a deadline. With her help I received a scholarship and went off to college. A couple years later I was struggling through college and got great news that Dr. P. (as most of us from high school refer to her) was coming to teach at UNA. I wasn’t the best student there either. Through all of my ups and downs, she was a constant.. she always knew what to say to motivate me. That’s not to say that what she had to say was easy to hear sometimes. 

Most of you know me, my school history and my championship ability to drop classes. I just wanted to take a second and thank the only teacher I have ever had to still take the time to wave me down, ask how my life is and encourage me to better myself. Some teachers never know the influence they have on students lives. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I am without the support of Dr. Parris and my family. 

If you have someone that touched your life, take time to let him or her know. Sometimes that person may not know that the little gestures they made over 10 years ago still impact you today.

So Dr. Parris.... Thank you for everything. Don't give up on me yet and hopefully I'll be back in more of your classes soon.

Catching up

Well, I guess it’s been a while since I have posted anything. I think a fair amount of activity has happened in the past couple months. By far the most exciting thing was my trip to Hawaii. Other than that, I moved (again) and saw a bunch of old friends at UNA Homecoming.

Let’s start with Hawaii. First off, I have to thank Rachael and Josh. Without their hospitality, a trip to Maui could never have been possible. Missy and I had a great time. We got to spend a LOT of time together.  The fact that she didn’t kill me is amazing.  I am sure that I am not the best person to spend around 20 hours of airport time with! As for the trip itself, I could not have planned a better vacation. We started off hiking through a bamboo forest and ended up in lava fields and even had some celebrity spotting time squeezed in the middle. For those of you who have never been to Hawaii, there is so much more than beaches.. for instance, I didn’t know that half of the island of Maui was a desert. It was very interesting. I can honestly say that I have never been anywhere so beautiful. Pretty much everyone I met was inviting and friendly. I cant express how grateful I am for the ability to take this trip and escape reality for a while.

As for moving… after a couple months of struggling with the idea of buying or renting, I decided to go a head a rent again. I understand that I am an adult, but buying a house just seems like a huge commitment and to be honest, I am not even sure where I will end up a year from now. I would hate to buy a house and then meet some awesome chick and her hate my house with a huge tv, one recliner and a couch that my parents bought when they first got married 42 years ago!

Now for work… well.. its just that. Nothing real fulfilling or exciting, but it pays the bills. Its hard to believe that I am 30 years old and have yet to find that one thing that I am passionate about and would love to get paid to do. I thought that as soon as I worked my way to day shift all the problems would go away and I would start liking my job. Turns out that was a misconception.  Don’t get me wrong; I love having my weekends off… I just still feel like nothing I do at work is making a positive difference in the world. Maybe it’s time to settle with my job and throw in the towel with a career and look elsewhere to make a difference. I’m sure there are plenty of local organizations to volunteer at and impact the community.

In other big news, I’m still single. Ha. Not having much luck in that front either. Florence seems so small and I feel like I know everyone here.

All in all, I have a pretty great life and friends… there are always going to be little problems and bumps along the way. The trick is to not get caught up in the bad and appreciate what you have. Holding my 2-month-old baby niece tonight (while she was screaming her lungs out) was probably the most meaningful thing I have done in a while, and though it was only for a few short minutes to let my sister in law eat, my drive to make a difference was renewed.

That’s all for now friends, I apologize if my mindless rambling wasted your time.