Stolen Moments

Been flying solo every night over the past month with my four squeedunks while my wife was slaving away on night float, so it was good to slip out late this evening for an hour or so after everyone was in bed.
In keeping with this Summer's theme of "Simple Pleasures", I grabbed a small "Whataburger", some rings, & a Coke, & went & parked in an enormous, empty, well lit parking lot for a late night meal & some much needed reflection.
Tonight's musical selection during my brief outing was provided by a group I was introduced to in college called "The New York Voices" (pictured). To say I adore this quartet is a gross understatement. They are the poster child for formally trained musicians at the top of their game & pinnacle of their career. With songs like the wonderful jazz standard "Giant Steps" & the sultry "Stolen Moments" the tension from this previous month just melted away (if only momentary).
We should all be so fortunate.
If you don't enjoy the exceptional & uniquely American art form of Jazz, you should certainly try expanding your musical palette, as Jazz is to fine upscale dining as Kanye West & Britney Spears is to Chuck E. Cheese.
Just my $.02
Cheers & happy listening,
-cW

Now What?

The end of an era came abruptly this morning at 5:56 a.m. EST as Space Shuttle Atlantis safely returned home. As best as I can tell, the world hardly noticed. This is what happens when you're flat broke-plugs get pulled & the party moves elsewhere. Future moon landings have also been scrapped by the current administration (talk about fun haters!).

Much like all things pertaining to the military, space travel is one of the few areas in my humble but accurate opinion our government has done well. Now perhaps the private sector will take over. Wouldn't hold my breath on that one however.

I suspect we are about to enter numerous blah-zay decades of a whole lota nutin' special (i.e. Spacelab). During that time, I predict one of two things will happen- A.) Another country (namely China) will be the new leader in cutting edge space exploration, or B.) Some Mark Zuckerberg of sorts in his (or her) college dorm room in some podunk Oklahoma state college you've never heard of, will make a major breakthrough during their fall semester research project (circa 2073 me thinks) thus creating zillions of new jobs. Then the whole all but forgotten ball of wax will once again resurrect itself much to the delight of future Trekkies. Hope I'm wrong. But I doubt it. Until such day, we have oceans of National debt to conquer & a great deal of mediocrity to embrace, as sadly, American exceptionalism becomes more & more a thing of the past. :0/

A Dozen Years

This morning I arose late. At least I thought I did. My youngest is constantly pushing buttons so the alarm clock on the nightstand displayed 10:00 a.m. when in reality it was more like 6 a.m.

Disappointed me a bit because I thought "Wow, it's really dark & cloudy out for this time of day. I'm going to enjoy this!"

So I arose, took a quiet bath before the children woke. During my "hour in the shower" (Chicago song title reference there for you die hards) a cold realization came over me that I only have six years left with my oldest before she leaves home. Saddens me. There's so much left I want to do with her & for her. However, everywhere I turn seems to leave me with very limited options. Just don't feel like her childhood memories will be nearly as rich as I had envisioned.

Life is backwards. By the time you can afford the large home with the various amenities the children are grown. By the time you are able to take that dream vacation your body is worn out, & your offspring are spread across the planet & deeply entrenched in making ends meat/raising their own families, working 100 hours a week, etc.

Last week my daughter turned 12. I pray my last at bat will be better than my first.

The Power of Eighty-Three Cents

Once upon a time, long, long ago, in a community a lot like yours & mine, there resided numerous families from every walk of life, who experienced the same struggles, hopes & dreams as you & I. One day, the townspeople received an extraordinary gift from a land far away. The gift came in so many boxes however, it would require a great deal of time & resources on the already burdened locals to assemble.

So the present stayed in its containers for years to follow & was thus forgotten about.

In time, a bright young businessman from within the community had grown immensely frustrated from the inaction surrounding the gift & vowed to take matters into his own hands. If lack of funds was the problem (& it always is!) then he would offer a solution.

Since he ran the local paper, he promised to publish the name of anyone who financially donated to the assembling of this all but forgotten item NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE AMOUNT.

The idea worked like a charm. Problem was, the big donors decided to sit this one out. Instead, 121,000 peasants, drunks, chimney sweepers, factory workers, shoeshine boys, grocery clerks, barbers, waiters & waitresses, little old ladies on fixed incomes, orphans & even kindergartners donated toward the cause with the average contributed amount totalling a mere eighty-three cents.

As the unveiling drew near, A gifted young poet from within the community was summoned to pen a work to commemorate the festivities.

She initially declined, presuming the event would not merit the appropriate inspiration needed. Fortunately, she would experience a change of heart.

To this day, the poet's masterful words of hope & encouragement have been warmly received by countless travelers from all walks of life arriving in her homestead...

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

From our family to yours-Have a safe & blessed Independence Day.