Make this day THE day!

Author's Note: In this piece I examine the significance of a quote from the ancient Greek philosopher and poet, Horace. This was something I heard long ago and it has stuck with me and returned to me many times in my life.

Carpe Diem. This two word phrase from an ancient poem is often translated into "seize the day". Too often people forget or fail to realize the importance of making the most of life has to offer.  What do you do to "grab the bull by its' horns", or control your own destiny? How to you live life to the fullest, making sure that no regret occurs?

Those individuals who set a course in life often find themselves where they want to be; on the way to a satisfying future, and those who let life dictate a course often find themselves where they do not want to be, or are dissatisfied with the course.  Should we all hope to or wait to "win the lottery" and become millionaires, or should we set our sights on a goal, work to reach it, and relish in its' glory?

If there is one thing I have come to understand in my years is that if I have a desire to do something and be successful, then I need to fully engage in the task, setting aside all other distraction; if I fail to do this, then I leave success to chance and luck.

I often think of another not so famous discussion from a movie of the late seventies where an older gentleman is discussing the future of a boy who is soon to go off to college.  In essence, the man says to the boy: where do you want to be: owning the lumber yard or working for it?  What will it be for you?

It Will ...

Author's Note:  I was inspired by a quote I saw in the workout facility NXLevel, a place where many successful athletes train at a high level.  I tried to connect with the quotes in hopes if inspiring other as well.

It will take sacrifice,
It will take courage,
It will take dedication;
It will take you where you want to go.

The definition of the word "it" in the above quote holds a multitude of meanings.  Often found on the walls of buildings where successful people work or play, this quote may guide an individual towards reaching great heights in their goal setting. I fully understand the difficulties people face each day, yet I can't help wonder why some people rise to the occasion, while others cower and find excuses why they fail or are unsuccessful. In my time as a husband, father, son, brother, teacher, student, athlete, and friend, I have come to see the reality of what hard work means and what the results of hard work can be. My goal is, an will always be to have a positive influence on as many others as I can.

The individual who works, wins; the individual who wins, works, often times working many times harder than other people.  One thing can be said: "it" is much more than a pronoun, more than a vowel and a consonant and much more than nothing!

"Effort is only effort when it begins to hurt!"  Jose Ortega y Gasset

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”  Vincent T. Lombardi

"It is hard to beat a person who never gives up." Babe Ruth

"Dream big; work hard!" JJ Watt

The Bad Side of Winter Weather...

Author's Note: In this piece I take a look at the pessimistic side of wintry weather here in Wisconsin.  Try to imagine yourself sitting with me in the passenger's seat during my journey to Chicago.  

The traffic on I-94 was moving at a snail’s pace for over an hour and a half.  I knew I was going to be late for my meeting in Chicago, but there was nothing I could do.  I already left for work an hour and a half early, at 5:00 am, instead of the usual 6:30 am departure time. I had prepared for the “big snow” the forecasters had predicted.  John Milan said on his weather cast the night before that, “Winds will be blustery, often reaching speeds of 15 to 25 miles per hour; snow will fall at a pace of 2 to 2.5 inches per hour, with temperatures hovering around 29 degrees.” I left early, my car was fully gassed-up and I wasn’t going to let bad drivers upset me. Already we had five inches of wet, sloppy snow on the roads which made them as glossy as a skating rink, and this as just the morning rush hour! It was going to snow all day, or so they said. This was nothing new for Wisconsinites.  We are supposed to be accustomed to this kind of weather, yet too many treat snow-storms like they are newborns first tasting something tart.  They get that sour-apple look on their faces and then begin the commute process.  Some drive too fast, some drive way too slow, but most just drive like they have never seen snow before in their life, and then panic at the sight of another car or truck.  I knew that this trip would be slow, so I just sat back, turned up the radio and had another sip of coffee, knowing that eventually I would get to work. 

And the Ideal Side of Wintry Weather

Author's Note: Take note of the semantic devices and figurative language used within this creative, yet reflective piece. I actually spent nine days in 1987 skiing the various resorts in Colorado, with many great memories etched into my brain forever. 

Standing at the top of the ski run at Snowmass Mountain, with my ski tips pointing downward, I knew it was the one place in all the world where I was at peace.  The crisp, cold morning air that was biting at my nose was filled with billions of snowflakes which were gently falling to the ground like tiny parachutes, adding to the already feet of snow that had come this winter season. The dead silence of the morning was barely interrupted by the sometimes haunting sound of the wind rushing through the pine trees. At this time of the morning, the golden sun is just peaking over the top of the eastern horizon, creating a painting like those found in the great art galleries of the world.  For miles and miles, all you can see are “snow capped” mountains, some with their peaks hidden from view by the low-lying clouds.  Dotting those peaks were tall evergreen trees, which looked like soldiers standing guard at the gates of heaven. While I stood atop the peak at the beginning of the “diamond run”, sipping my “morning cup of Joe”, I was not sure what I was going to do the rest of the day, nor did I really care what the plans might be, but I knew that if I did nothing else today, I would be OK with that plan!  

The Memories of Winter

Author's Note: That time of year, special for all, is described in this poem. Look for the memories you may have within this festive prose.


When the snowy time of year appears,
our friends and family draw near,

To grandma and grandpa’s can be heard,
the sound of children and their joyous word,

Gathered round the table, each with cup in hand,
this time of year, how it is so grand!

Steaming cups of coco, warm to hands and hearts to be,
a plate of cut-out cookies, a delight to for all to see,

Snowmen, Santas, reindeer, trees  and bells,
a different shape, with magnificent colors and smells,

Pick yours, then pass the rest, at this magical family fest,
that snowy time of year, certainly better than all the rest!

An Icy Ride, Repeated Over and Over

Author's Note: This decriptive piece was done at this year's Young Author's and Artist's Conference, the 25th annual. We were asked to react to a work of art and reflect upon what it reminded us of. Please note the use of descriptive language decribing my vacation of spring 2012.

Water that is 44 degrees is not the kind one would choose to bath in, to wash one’s face with, or to dip your toes in, even on a hot summer day.  That temperature brings about thoughts of crisp and cold mornings in November and December, and on into January and February in the region of the United States we call the Midwest. Perhaps this is why so many people who live in the more northern regions of the U.S. choose to migrate south for days, weeks and even months at a time.  It is in this part of the country where the temperature of the air remains warm for most of the year: welcoming to our unbundled and uncovered skin exposed to the summer-like air. This warmth we feel is the opposite of what those in the north experience for the better parts of five months: the cold, wet, icy months we describe as winter. Somehow that 44 degree water seems inviting, almost tempting, when the surrounding air is near ninety degrees, even in the shade: a place where the cold and icy reminders of winter meet the warm and inviting feelings of summer.  Slide Rock State Park, near Sedona, Arizona is where the swift flow of fresh snow-melt waters acts as a magnet to the curious, the adventurous, and the unknowing. Here the experience of that 44 degree water can be etched on our skin and soaked into our bones as visitors slip down the narrow waterway created by the erosion of centuries of spring and summer snow runoff from the mountains of southern Arizona.

Stepping into the water at first is breathtaking, but not the breathtaking feeling of a Miami Beach sunrise, or a San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge sunset in all of their colorful and symbolic beauty. Oak Creek’s icy-cold water literally takes your breath away, almost paralyzing you when you first step in, and yet your feet up to your ankles are the only parts of your body exposed to the water! Never mind sitting down slowly, because most would not even attempt to sit.  The best way to become one with the water is to jump right in, demanding that your body adjust in an instant to the shock of the change.  It is hard to keep from crying out once the water covers your legs and torso, yet most everyone who does take the plunge gives forth a moaning “ohhhhhh”, along with the facial contortions that go along with grandma squeezing your cheeks when she firsts greets you on a visit. With your hands raised high in the air, you begin your decent from the top to the bottom of the smooth-rock slide. Your journey only takes 20 or so seconds, but is seems like an eternity, mostly due to the cold water stinging your body anywhere it touches. Yet once you reach the bottom, where the rushing water slows and forms a pool, only then do you have time to react, and swim to the side of the natural pool.  Grasping the rock edge, you pull yourself out of the water so that the sun and air can warm your body.  But somehow and for no particular reason, you do it all over again because the ride down the slide was that great!

Roger Becomes...

Author's Note:  In this piece, an alternative ending was created for the Langston Hughes short story "Thank You Ma'am". By using text evidence and prediction skills based upon logical events, I have envisioned a place where the main character, Roger, might gravitate towards as he grows older. 

Startled by the sound of the door slamming behind him, Roger almost fell from the stoop.  Reflecting on what had just happened to him in the last hour or so, the boy thought about the things she said to him; the things she did for him and how her “words of wisdom” changed his view of what he wanted to do with his life. Then, proudly he yelled so all could hear, even though it was well past one a.m., “Thank you Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, I won’t let you down!” 

As he meandered down the streets dimly lit by the poor lighting of the neighborhood, Roger said to himself that he wanted to do things in his life the way the older woman would do them: helping those in need. There were plenty of those kinds of kids, friends of his, in the neighborhood: the kind who had no direction, no role models, and no hope. The boy felt that this was his chance to make a difference in his community. But could he change the lives of kids who didn’t want to change, those kids who had managed to set their course in life already?

Roger new it would be a challenge to be positive in a world surrounding him where despair and little hope existed, yet he knew this could not deter him from his goal: to be a role model for his friends and the “little ones” in the surrounding neighborhood. Helping those kids who didn't have a parent figure to guide them, to give them advice, or to provide them a meal when they were hungry was something Roger could do, as Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones had done for him.

Living the life of a thief was no way to grow up, and he was going to make sure that Jimmy and Robert, his two best friends, along with the countless kids on the streets, would not go down the path so many of their older friends chose: the life that lead to despair and depression, the life of the criminal element.  He was going to make a difference, for himself and others, today!