In my younger days during middle school and high school, I was a pretty shy and quiet (believe it or not) person. I would interact with people but never really had a friend or group of friends that I consistently hung out with.
That changed in my senior year of high school as I got to know a person that would become my "best friend" for many years into college and beyond. Through this "best friend", I met others that also became long term friends as well.
These people became my default group I hung out with for many years. I personally liked having a stable group of people to hang out with. Through this group of friends, I met a few other people including one person I still talk to regularly.
As I have gone through college and into the workforce, I have opened up to the point where my friends are surprised when I DON'T talk. Alas, as I have matured, I have realized that I am somewhat of an open book. I don't like holding things in and have to get my feelings out.
That is why I am thankful for my friends who have listened to me talk about various things over the years. Obviously, these friendships are not one sided. One thing people really don't know about me is that I listen well and I think my friends appreciate this.
However, I am fortunate to have other friends beyond the ones I talk to. I may not talk to some of these people as much as my older friends but we have common interests. I definitely enjoy the times I spend with all of my friends whether it is talking, playing basketball or doing some other activity.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Day Off in San Francisco
Since I returned to work back in late May, I have only taken one day off + one sick day. Thus, I topped out on the number of vacation days I could accumulate. As I had a Groupon for a photography class, I decided to take today off and redeem my Groupon and do the class at Fisherman's Wharf / Pier 39.
It was a great choice all the way around. First, the weather was absolutely lovely I'm San Francisco. Unlike the usual fog, we had plenty of sun. Second, I was the only person who signed up for the class today. So, I got a chance to work with my instructor Kelly one-on-one. She was a nice gal with plenty of knowledge to pass on.
I learned quite a bit about the art of manual photography. Kelly's philosophy was to get students away from shooting in automatic modes. I had tried reading about manual photography but nothing beats practice and having someone talk you through things. I took quite a few shots today for practice. Some turned out well and some didn't but that's ok. It takes a little time to grasp everything.
To cap the day, I went and got a massage and hung out at the bookstore for a little while. All in all, a lovely way to spend a day away from work.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
It was a great choice all the way around. First, the weather was absolutely lovely I'm San Francisco. Unlike the usual fog, we had plenty of sun. Second, I was the only person who signed up for the class today. So, I got a chance to work with my instructor Kelly one-on-one. She was a nice gal with plenty of knowledge to pass on.
I learned quite a bit about the art of manual photography. Kelly's philosophy was to get students away from shooting in automatic modes. I had tried reading about manual photography but nothing beats practice and having someone talk you through things. I took quite a few shots today for practice. Some turned out well and some didn't but that's ok. It takes a little time to grasp everything.
To cap the day, I went and got a massage and hung out at the bookstore for a little while. All in all, a lovely way to spend a day away from work.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
A Championship To Remember and Cherish
Monday night, my team (Black - #1 seed) took on the Green team (#3 seed) in the championship game of our Summer Basketball League. My team was undefeated though hadn't played well the past few weeks and barely beat Grey (#4 seed) 59-52 last week to make the championship game. On the other hand, Green was a mix of young and old guys and they had upset the Gold team (#2 seed) to make the championship.
There was no consolation game prior so I did not expect too many fans and potentially a low key championship game. However, the Green team's young guys brought a bevy of friends and family along. In addition, several of Green's players who had missed a few weeks due to other things, decided to return. Instead of focusing on just a couple of guys on the Green team, my team had to contend with two others (a older big guy and a younger guard). I don't know how my teammates were feeling prior to the game. I was pretty relaxed and actually liked having the crowd there. That usually makes me focus and play better.
Safe to say the championship game was NOT low key and both teams played at a very high level. Both teams had opportunities to win but at the end my team played off a thrilling 73-72 OVERTIME win over the Green team. The win finished off an undefeated (10-0) season. For me personally, I tallied a game high 24 points (12-17 FT's) to lead my team. My teammate Paul added 19 while another teammate Duane scored 15.
I could write a dozen pages on all the happenings during the game but I won't do that. I'll just say that our team had plenty of miscues late in the game, all of which could have lost the game for us. Yet we hung together, stayed mentally tough and withstood Green's challenge to win.
I do give credit to Green though. They were incredibly tough and both teams deserved to win. It was a shame that someone had to lose. There was some obvious disappointment from some of the young kids but they will have plenty of years ahead of them still.
For me, I absolutely loved our team. It's a rare thing to get a team of guys that all get along but we did. Even though we finished undefeated, we had our ups and downs but the chemistry helped us stick together.
Including Monday's game, this was my 12th championship game that I have played in. Monday's game ranks as the best and most memorable. I will remember this game due to the drama, the overtime and all the miscues we had to overcome. Plus, my 24 points was the most I've ever scored in a championship game. All of my teammates agreed that Monday's game will be something they will remember for years to come.
Wrapping up, I am thankful for being given the Most Inspirational Player award for my team. Winning the championship was a GREAT bonus. Thanks to the league coordinators, my teammates and the other teams were a terrific summer. I hope to see a lot of the folks again soon.
There was no consolation game prior so I did not expect too many fans and potentially a low key championship game. However, the Green team's young guys brought a bevy of friends and family along. In addition, several of Green's players who had missed a few weeks due to other things, decided to return. Instead of focusing on just a couple of guys on the Green team, my team had to contend with two others (a older big guy and a younger guard). I don't know how my teammates were feeling prior to the game. I was pretty relaxed and actually liked having the crowd there. That usually makes me focus and play better.
Safe to say the championship game was NOT low key and both teams played at a very high level. Both teams had opportunities to win but at the end my team played off a thrilling 73-72 OVERTIME win over the Green team. The win finished off an undefeated (10-0) season. For me personally, I tallied a game high 24 points (12-17 FT's) to lead my team. My teammate Paul added 19 while another teammate Duane scored 15.
I could write a dozen pages on all the happenings during the game but I won't do that. I'll just say that our team had plenty of miscues late in the game, all of which could have lost the game for us. Yet we hung together, stayed mentally tough and withstood Green's challenge to win.
I do give credit to Green though. They were incredibly tough and both teams deserved to win. It was a shame that someone had to lose. There was some obvious disappointment from some of the young kids but they will have plenty of years ahead of them still.
For me, I absolutely loved our team. It's a rare thing to get a team of guys that all get along but we did. Even though we finished undefeated, we had our ups and downs but the chemistry helped us stick together.
Including Monday's game, this was my 12th championship game that I have played in. Monday's game ranks as the best and most memorable. I will remember this game due to the drama, the overtime and all the miscues we had to overcome. Plus, my 24 points was the most I've ever scored in a championship game. All of my teammates agreed that Monday's game will be something they will remember for years to come.
Wrapping up, I am thankful for being given the Most Inspirational Player award for my team. Winning the championship was a GREAT bonus. Thanks to the league coordinators, my teammates and the other teams were a terrific summer. I hope to see a lot of the folks again soon.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Most Inspirational Player / Inspiring Others
Last night, my Monday night summer basketball league kicked off it's playoffs with an exciting evening of action. The Green team (3rd seed) led most of the game before a furious rally by Orange (2nd seed) in the 4th quarter to take a 1 point lead. Alas, Orange could not hang on as Green eventually won by 4 points. Playing the second game, My team (Black - 1st seed) led pretty much the whole way but Grey (4th seed) battled hard. My team barely pulled away for a 7 point win to join Green in next's week championship game.
In between the two games, the league passed out some awards. The awards were for the Most Inspiration Player for each of the five teams that participated during the summer. In a bit of a surprise, I was given the award for my team.
I've had some personal things I've been dealing with for a few months now. I've had my good days and some not so good days. Basketball was a good get away, whether I was playing on my Monday / Tuesday night leagues (during the summer) for my Saturday pick up games with some friends.
However, getting the award this particular summer was special. I needed a "pick me up" and the award made me feel good. It's not that I needed something external to make me feel better. In fact, the trophy I got isn't a big deal. It was the fact that the trophy made me reflect and clarified some things I need to improve on for the future.
While I am generally cool headed on the court and don't take things personally when someone makes a mistake, I am MUCH harder on myself both on the court and in personal things. I realized I need to take a step back in some of my personal things and be more understanding when things don't go right.
The other thing I realized that I am very blessed in many ways though I haven't been feeling that way a lot lately. I realized that I need to use some of my gifts to (no pun intended) INSPIRE others.
The reason I thought I needed to inspire others is that this was NOT my first Most Inspirational Player award. I've gotten a few awards over the years and I detected there may be a trend. Life may be telling me that I need be more of a good example to others ON and OFF the court.
In between the two games, the league passed out some awards. The awards were for the Most Inspiration Player for each of the five teams that participated during the summer. In a bit of a surprise, I was given the award for my team.
I've had some personal things I've been dealing with for a few months now. I've had my good days and some not so good days. Basketball was a good get away, whether I was playing on my Monday / Tuesday night leagues (during the summer) for my Saturday pick up games with some friends.
However, getting the award this particular summer was special. I needed a "pick me up" and the award made me feel good. It's not that I needed something external to make me feel better. In fact, the trophy I got isn't a big deal. It was the fact that the trophy made me reflect and clarified some things I need to improve on for the future.
While I am generally cool headed on the court and don't take things personally when someone makes a mistake, I am MUCH harder on myself both on the court and in personal things. I realized I need to take a step back in some of my personal things and be more understanding when things don't go right.
The other thing I realized that I am very blessed in many ways though I haven't been feeling that way a lot lately. I realized that I need to use some of my gifts to (no pun intended) INSPIRE others.
The reason I thought I needed to inspire others is that this was NOT my first Most Inspirational Player award. I've gotten a few awards over the years and I detected there may be a trend. Life may be telling me that I need be more of a good example to others ON and OFF the court.
Friday, August 05, 2011
It's a Wrap: Looking back at my 20th season of summer basketball
As I mentioned early in June, I was playing in my 20th season for one of my summer basketball leagues. That particular team had a very GOOD season. Despite some close calls (including two OT games), the team played well and finished undefeated (7-0) in the regular season.
In our particular division, there are 16 teams divided into two brackets (let's call them Bracket A and Bracket B). The top two teams from each bracket would make the playoffs. My team was in Bracket A and so we would play the #2 team from Bracket B in the playoffs. However, the #2 team from Bracket B was probably better than the majority of the teams we played in the regular season and we lost 56-45. While the score didn't look that great, it was due to free throws at the end. We were well within striking distance throughout but missed shots hurt us quite a bit.
My team was obviously disappointed as we had a chance to win the game. Yet, as I look back, I hope the young guys are proud of how they hung in there throughout the season. The team won games in all sorts of ways this season. We played one game without our star, fell behind by 10, but managed to win in overtime. We played one game with six players (meaning I played A LOT) and won by double digits. Plus these guys are still improving and with more experience, they will be a lot better next season.
For myself, I look at things in two ways. As a coach, I think I did alright. I mainly ran subs and focused on defensive strategy rather than offensive. I've never been much of an offensive coach so I was content to let the guys just play. Of course, if there were things I saw that could be improved, I mentioned them. If I wasn't playing, I probably would have been in a better position to coach.
As a player, I didn't do too well. I admittedly had some personal things I was working through and that affected me a bit during the games. But the fact is I was an old guy playing in a young player's league. The teams were quick and fast and I was a little outmatched. I hit a few shots here and there, got some rebounds and tried to fill in where I could. But for the most part, I was a bit player letting the young guys do their thing.
For me personally, while it would have a nice present to celebrate my 20th season in the league to make the championship (and even win it), I was quite happy to just have an undefeated regular season. Yes, we did end up losing our playoff game, but a 7-1 record is still pretty darn good.
To illustrate how good the record was, I have played 20 years in the league. In those 20 seasons, my teams have made the playoffs 9 times. Out of those 9 times, I have been in the championship game 4 times (winning two / losing two). My two championship teams were 10-0 and 8-1 overall. All the rest of the teams had 3 or more losses. Essentially, short of winning the championship, my 2011 team finished with the 3rd best record out of the 20 seasons I have been playing.
All in all, I am proud of my team and was happy I got a chance to play with a different set of guys. I think the young guys have a bright future and my hope is they stick around and grow together. As for my future, nothing is set in stone. I'll still be playing somewhere and if need be, I could play again next summer in 2012.
In our particular division, there are 16 teams divided into two brackets (let's call them Bracket A and Bracket B). The top two teams from each bracket would make the playoffs. My team was in Bracket A and so we would play the #2 team from Bracket B in the playoffs. However, the #2 team from Bracket B was probably better than the majority of the teams we played in the regular season and we lost 56-45. While the score didn't look that great, it was due to free throws at the end. We were well within striking distance throughout but missed shots hurt us quite a bit.
My team was obviously disappointed as we had a chance to win the game. Yet, as I look back, I hope the young guys are proud of how they hung in there throughout the season. The team won games in all sorts of ways this season. We played one game without our star, fell behind by 10, but managed to win in overtime. We played one game with six players (meaning I played A LOT) and won by double digits. Plus these guys are still improving and with more experience, they will be a lot better next season.
For myself, I look at things in two ways. As a coach, I think I did alright. I mainly ran subs and focused on defensive strategy rather than offensive. I've never been much of an offensive coach so I was content to let the guys just play. Of course, if there were things I saw that could be improved, I mentioned them. If I wasn't playing, I probably would have been in a better position to coach.
As a player, I didn't do too well. I admittedly had some personal things I was working through and that affected me a bit during the games. But the fact is I was an old guy playing in a young player's league. The teams were quick and fast and I was a little outmatched. I hit a few shots here and there, got some rebounds and tried to fill in where I could. But for the most part, I was a bit player letting the young guys do their thing.
For me personally, while it would have a nice present to celebrate my 20th season in the league to make the championship (and even win it), I was quite happy to just have an undefeated regular season. Yes, we did end up losing our playoff game, but a 7-1 record is still pretty darn good.
To illustrate how good the record was, I have played 20 years in the league. In those 20 seasons, my teams have made the playoffs 9 times. Out of those 9 times, I have been in the championship game 4 times (winning two / losing two). My two championship teams were 10-0 and 8-1 overall. All the rest of the teams had 3 or more losses. Essentially, short of winning the championship, my 2011 team finished with the 3rd best record out of the 20 seasons I have been playing.
All in all, I am proud of my team and was happy I got a chance to play with a different set of guys. I think the young guys have a bright future and my hope is they stick around and grow together. As for my future, nothing is set in stone. I'll still be playing somewhere and if need be, I could play again next summer in 2012.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Borders Books: The End Of An Era
I was surprised to hear this week that Borders Books was unable to find someone to buy the company and ultimately decided to liquidate and go out of business after 40 years in business. I learned from my dad to love books and spent many hours at older bookstore chains like B-Dalton and Waldenbooks when I was young.
When the older bookstore chains closed down in the Bay Area, I started buying books online from Amazon and other locations. It was quick and convenient to just order. However, I soon realized that ordering online had it's pitfalls. You couldn't really read the book and you had to wait a few days for the book to arrive.
Within the past five years or so, I began going to Borders (and Barnes and Noble to a certain extent) to read various books and magazines in my spare time. Borders became a home away from home. It was great to peruse through various books, magazines and comics. I admit that I didn't always buy stuff while I was at the store. I think a lot of people did the same and that is perhaps why Borders struggled in recent years.
In addition, the rise of electronics books was probably most damaging. People were able to buy e-books much more quicker than buying from Amazon and that hurt stores like Borders. In fact, up until the past three weeks or so, I was never an e-book reader. However, due to circumstances, I wanted to pick up a few books to read. There was no bookstore around AND I had some online credit from Apple. I ended up buying a few e-books and now reading some things from my phone.
All in all, it is a sad time that Borders is closing. I guess I'll have to go to Barnes and Noble and perhaps my local library instead.
When the older bookstore chains closed down in the Bay Area, I started buying books online from Amazon and other locations. It was quick and convenient to just order. However, I soon realized that ordering online had it's pitfalls. You couldn't really read the book and you had to wait a few days for the book to arrive.
Within the past five years or so, I began going to Borders (and Barnes and Noble to a certain extent) to read various books and magazines in my spare time. Borders became a home away from home. It was great to peruse through various books, magazines and comics. I admit that I didn't always buy stuff while I was at the store. I think a lot of people did the same and that is perhaps why Borders struggled in recent years.
In addition, the rise of electronics books was probably most damaging. People were able to buy e-books much more quicker than buying from Amazon and that hurt stores like Borders. In fact, up until the past three weeks or so, I was never an e-book reader. However, due to circumstances, I wanted to pick up a few books to read. There was no bookstore around AND I had some online credit from Apple. I ended up buying a few e-books and now reading some things from my phone.
All in all, it is a sad time that Borders is closing. I guess I'll have to go to Barnes and Noble and perhaps my local library instead.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Trust is letting go of the need to control all aspects of our lives and letting God take care of the details.
For the non-religious, another version of the quote in the title is:
"Trust is desiring an outcome while giving up control of the process."
As I noted in some other postings, I hit a fairly prolonged period of worry, stress and anxiety recently. All of the worry, stress and anxiety added up to restlessness, worried thoughts and plenty of sleepless nights. Fortunately, I've had plenty of support as I worked through this period. It certainly hasn't been easy by any means and I think I still have a few things to work out.
The one thing I realized that stressed me out was my over worry about a situation and trying to control as many aspects of the situation as I could. I think most people can relate to this. When you are worried about something, it's because you feel you don't quite have control over every aspect of the potential outcome.
Coming from a sports background, I think the best example would be a coach worrying about how his particular team will do during a game. The coach can have his own team practice and prepare for the next game perfectly. Yet, the coach can't control how each player will actually perform during the game. The coach can't control how the OTHER team will perform during the game. That is why in sports, even so called "bad teams" win games too. Teams with chemistry and talent will prevail the majority of the time over weaker teams. However, even good teams have bad nights and weaker teams have good nights. It is a fact of life.
Alas, even though I understand that from a sport perspective, it's been difficult to accept on the particular situation I've been dealing with. Yet as I as struggled with my stress and trying to come to terms with things, I realized I had to do something about it. I ultimately decided to put some faith (or trust if you must) into God. I realized life is too precious too continually worry about future outcomes where there is so much to do TODAY.
I will say that trust and/or faith in life is not easy to come by sometime. About 14 years ago, while I was in college, I enrolled in a class that was part of a community involvement center program at the school. As part of the program, we went on a weekend retreat to bond together at a camp. One of the lessons taught was to trust and have faith in all of us that worked in the program. The lesson was taught by having people pair off. One person was to leave the second person. The catch was the second person was to have their eyes closed.
I remember I had difficulty keeping my eyes closed. A lot of "What If's" went through my mind. Yet, after the retreat had concluded, the lesson stuck with me. I remember thinking that I finally understood the nature of faith in God. Even though we spend all of waking hours with our eyes open, we are blind to what will happen in the future. You have to trust and have faith that God will not steer you wrong. Alas, it has taken me even more year than that to really understand the impact of it all.
"Trust is desiring an outcome while giving up control of the process."
As I noted in some other postings, I hit a fairly prolonged period of worry, stress and anxiety recently. All of the worry, stress and anxiety added up to restlessness, worried thoughts and plenty of sleepless nights. Fortunately, I've had plenty of support as I worked through this period. It certainly hasn't been easy by any means and I think I still have a few things to work out.
The one thing I realized that stressed me out was my over worry about a situation and trying to control as many aspects of the situation as I could. I think most people can relate to this. When you are worried about something, it's because you feel you don't quite have control over every aspect of the potential outcome.
Coming from a sports background, I think the best example would be a coach worrying about how his particular team will do during a game. The coach can have his own team practice and prepare for the next game perfectly. Yet, the coach can't control how each player will actually perform during the game. The coach can't control how the OTHER team will perform during the game. That is why in sports, even so called "bad teams" win games too. Teams with chemistry and talent will prevail the majority of the time over weaker teams. However, even good teams have bad nights and weaker teams have good nights. It is a fact of life.
Alas, even though I understand that from a sport perspective, it's been difficult to accept on the particular situation I've been dealing with. Yet as I as struggled with my stress and trying to come to terms with things, I realized I had to do something about it. I ultimately decided to put some faith (or trust if you must) into God. I realized life is too precious too continually worry about future outcomes where there is so much to do TODAY.
I will say that trust and/or faith in life is not easy to come by sometime. About 14 years ago, while I was in college, I enrolled in a class that was part of a community involvement center program at the school. As part of the program, we went on a weekend retreat to bond together at a camp. One of the lessons taught was to trust and have faith in all of us that worked in the program. The lesson was taught by having people pair off. One person was to leave the second person. The catch was the second person was to have their eyes closed.
I remember I had difficulty keeping my eyes closed. A lot of "What If's" went through my mind. Yet, after the retreat had concluded, the lesson stuck with me. I remember thinking that I finally understood the nature of faith in God. Even though we spend all of waking hours with our eyes open, we are blind to what will happen in the future. You have to trust and have faith that God will not steer you wrong. Alas, it has taken me even more year than that to really understand the impact of it all.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Sleeping Is NOT Overrated
One of the unfortunate side effects of my stress recently is the lack of sleep. For a few years now, I usually made do on about 6 to 6 1/2 hours of sleep on weekdays and more on the weekends. Alas, with the stress around me and my mind all over the place, I had difficult even getting my 6 hours of sleep for the better part of two weeks, even on weekends.
As I've gotten a handle on the stress and settled my mind down a little lately, sleep is slowly getting better though it's inconsistent. Some nights are ok while some nights are not quite so good. In reading something online, I think having my sleep disrupted as it did got me to "worrying" about getting to sleep. If you've ever tried to do anything while feeling pressured, you'll know that it's not easy and sleep is one of these things. Now that I know what has been going on, I need to step back a bit and be more positive about sleeping rather than worrying.
With all of this, I realized sleep is definitely not overrated, especially when you've been disrupted like I have been. Alas, I do think there is an interesting learning lesson here. I've definitely been thrown out of my comfort zone in recent weeks and I've been trying to get back into it. However, I realized that if I ever get married and/or have kids, then life will be all about adjustments, including sleep.
These last few weeks have not been easy by any means. I can't even say I have enjoyed the experience as I have gone through it. Yet, if I step back a little, the experience is a necessary for me to move on to the next stage of my life.
As I've gotten a handle on the stress and settled my mind down a little lately, sleep is slowly getting better though it's inconsistent. Some nights are ok while some nights are not quite so good. In reading something online, I think having my sleep disrupted as it did got me to "worrying" about getting to sleep. If you've ever tried to do anything while feeling pressured, you'll know that it's not easy and sleep is one of these things. Now that I know what has been going on, I need to step back a bit and be more positive about sleeping rather than worrying.
With all of this, I realized sleep is definitely not overrated, especially when you've been disrupted like I have been. Alas, I do think there is an interesting learning lesson here. I've definitely been thrown out of my comfort zone in recent weeks and I've been trying to get back into it. However, I realized that if I ever get married and/or have kids, then life will be all about adjustments, including sleep.
These last few weeks have not been easy by any means. I can't even say I have enjoyed the experience as I have gone through it. Yet, if I step back a little, the experience is a necessary for me to move on to the next stage of my life.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
I Don't Wanna Grow Up, I'm a Toys R Us Kid......but eventually you have to......
For those of us who grew up in the 1980's, there are plenty of commercial and other catch phrases that we remember:
Wendy's - "Where's The Beef?"
McDonald's - "You Deserve a Break Today"
Grey Poupon Mustard - "Pardon Me, Would You Have Any Grey Poupon?"
Nike - "Just Do It"
Toys R Us - "I Don't Wanna Grow Up, I'm a Toys R Us Kid......."
In the past few weeks, I ran into some personal struggles. In thinking about those struggles, the first thing that came to my mind was that I was a "Toys R Us Kid". Read on to see why......
Some of my struggles may have been indirectly due to the following things happening all within the span of a few weeks in April:
Job Lay Off / Pondering the future for jobs / school
Traffic Ticket
Owed IRS Taxes
But most importantly, I believe the one that had the greatest impact on me was when my mom got Bell's Palsy. While Bell's Palsy is not a serious thing (fortunately), my mom was scared and I think it scared me too. For the first time, I realized that my parents will not always be there. I think that affected me more than I realized and unintentionally caused myself some undue stress as I pondered an uncertain future.
My recent struggles has woken me up to how much of a comfortable and even maybe sheltered life I have lived. For all intensive purposes, I have almost been living the "Toys R Us Kid" lifestyle. I go to work, go have fun and come home with parents around to take care of everything at home.
My recent stress had come with the realization that this lifestyle will not always be there and that eventually I will have to grow up. In many ways, this is an uncomfortable feeling. It is very difficult to change how you've lived for so many years.
Fortunately for me, I've had plenty of support as I go through this and it has been suggested that I draw up some daily, short term and long term plans for my future. I have put together a short list with some immediate things I want to do. I've begun some of these things and begin the self improvement plan that will eventually change me from a "kid" (figuratively) into a more "mature adult".
As I write this, there is a some sadness in me. I think it's because it feels like a graduation of sorts. When we've graduated at every level of school, there is happiness at the accomplishment. However, there is also sadness as you leave behind the school, friends and other memories of your years. I am sad because I've enjoyed my life for many years and it's tough to change. Yet, it is a necessary change that will lead to bigger and better things.
This is definitely an unusual blog post for me but I appreciate people reading. In many ways, it is a way to let out a bit of the struggles I have been facing in recent weeks.
Wendy's - "Where's The Beef?"
McDonald's - "You Deserve a Break Today"
Grey Poupon Mustard - "Pardon Me, Would You Have Any Grey Poupon?"
Nike - "Just Do It"
Toys R Us - "I Don't Wanna Grow Up, I'm a Toys R Us Kid......."
In the past few weeks, I ran into some personal struggles. In thinking about those struggles, the first thing that came to my mind was that I was a "Toys R Us Kid". Read on to see why......
Some of my struggles may have been indirectly due to the following things happening all within the span of a few weeks in April:
Job Lay Off / Pondering the future for jobs / school
Traffic Ticket
Owed IRS Taxes
But most importantly, I believe the one that had the greatest impact on me was when my mom got Bell's Palsy. While Bell's Palsy is not a serious thing (fortunately), my mom was scared and I think it scared me too. For the first time, I realized that my parents will not always be there. I think that affected me more than I realized and unintentionally caused myself some undue stress as I pondered an uncertain future.
My recent struggles has woken me up to how much of a comfortable and even maybe sheltered life I have lived. For all intensive purposes, I have almost been living the "Toys R Us Kid" lifestyle. I go to work, go have fun and come home with parents around to take care of everything at home.
My recent stress had come with the realization that this lifestyle will not always be there and that eventually I will have to grow up. In many ways, this is an uncomfortable feeling. It is very difficult to change how you've lived for so many years.
Fortunately for me, I've had plenty of support as I go through this and it has been suggested that I draw up some daily, short term and long term plans for my future. I have put together a short list with some immediate things I want to do. I've begun some of these things and begin the self improvement plan that will eventually change me from a "kid" (figuratively) into a more "mature adult".
As I write this, there is a some sadness in me. I think it's because it feels like a graduation of sorts. When we've graduated at every level of school, there is happiness at the accomplishment. However, there is also sadness as you leave behind the school, friends and other memories of your years. I am sad because I've enjoyed my life for many years and it's tough to change. Yet, it is a necessary change that will lead to bigger and better things.
This is definitely an unusual blog post for me but I appreciate people reading. In many ways, it is a way to let out a bit of the struggles I have been facing in recent weeks.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Adapting To Change
While I can't speak for everyone, I would guess that just about every human being on the planet Earth is a creature of habit in one way or another. There are dozens of things in our daily lives that we do without thinking. It might range from brushing our teeth or to how we shoot a basketball.
However, there are wide differences to different people in how they adapt to changes in their lives, especially when it affects their daily habits and routines. There changes could be as simple as having to travel to another country or something more involved such as having a new baby in the family. Some people are very adaptable and adjust to changes without missing a beat. Some people are very slow and any changes throw them out of sync.
In thinking about myself recently, I believe I am on the slow end of the scale when it comes to adapting to changes which affect my habits and routines. While I am not 100% sure why I am like this, a part of the answer lies with why people stick to habits and routines.
For some, habits and routines bring a sense of comfort and familiarity during stressful times. With the uncertainty with the economy, jobs and other things in recent years, having something to fall back to is a great benefit to many.
Alas, for the slow changers like me, getting your habits and routines disrupted can be disconcerting. I've had that happen before and trying to get back to a normal routing sometimes can be a challenge. This made me think that I need to open myself more to change and be more adaptable.
How to do that? That is the $64,000 question. If anyone had any answers, let me know!
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
20 Years / Seasons of Basketball
On a nice sunny evening here in the Bay Area, my summer basketball team open it's league season tonight with a victory. Tonight's game signaled a changing of the guard. A good number of my regular friends and teammates for much of the past 6 years / seasons were all absent. The majority of the guys who chose not to play are over 30 years old with family obligation so this was understandable.
In the place of my friends were a stable of young bucks. Tonight we had ten players present with nine out of the ten being under 30 years old. The only person over 30? ME! I originally wasn't going to play as most of my older friends were not playing. However, at the behest of one of my other teammates (whom I've played with since 2007), I decided to assume "player / coach" duties for the team.
I wasn't planning to play too much (if at all) this season and just remain a coach. Alas, the opportunity to squeeze in a few minutes proved too much of a temptation tonight. We were able to get a lead and I felt I could squeeze in a few minutes (about 15 or so) without affecting the outcome of the game too much. Overall, all the young bucks played about 20 to 25 minutes overall which was good. I hadn't seen them play much so it was good to get a feel of the team.
By playing in my team's game tonight, I have officially participated in this particular basketball league for 20 years / seasons. I first played in this league during the Summer of 1992. In total, I have played in 19 seasons with one season where I didn't play at all due to injury. I did not realize this until I got home tonight from the game.
In thinking about my participation in this league, I've seen this league grow and play in many different gyms through the years.
My first season in the league, there were only two divisions ("A - Competitive" and "B - Non Competitive") . The "A" league were primarily men while the "B" league had a mix of men, boys, women and girls. There were around 20 teams total (10 in each league) in 1992. As the league grew in the next 20 years, more men's divisions were added ("A - Platinum, "BB - Gold", "B - Silver", "C- Bronze") along with divisions for women and youths. This season, there is almost 70 total teams.
While the league has grown, it has also played in many different facilities over the years, each with their own quirks and charm.
Salvation Army 1992 to 1994 (SF Chinatown) - The gym was not regulation. The court had decent length but the 3 point line was cut off in the corners. Despite the size of the gym, "A" league games were still played in there. There was plenty of space for fans as well and it made for a great atmosphere for games. I played in my first CCU championship game here in 1994 (we lost).
Francisco Middle School 1992 to 1994 (SF North Beach) - I don't quite know if the court was high school regulation but it was pretty close. It was definitely longer and wider than Salvation Army so real basketball could be played. My best memory from this gym was when one of my then teammates hit a buzzer beating three pointer to win a game for us (45-43).
Cameron House 1994 (SF Chinatown) - Cameron House is a historic place in Chinatown. On the site of Cameron House, there are a couple of basketball courts, one downstairs and another upstairs. So while there is technically a ceiling to the lower basketball court, the court is basically outdoors as there is nothing to seal off the elements (wind / rain / etc). During 1994, the basketball league was forced to move some games to Cameron House. It was an interesting experience as there is a staircase exposed plus the court was slippery.
Washington High School 1995 (SF) - We only played one season at Washington and I don't recall anything super memorable from any of the games. The only challenge in playing at Washington was that the league was playing games side by side on two courts. Whistles from the other court could stop play on the other court.
Star Of The Sea 1995 (SF) - Like Washington, we only played one season here. Nothing particularly memorable except it was good to play on a court that I coached and officiated so many CYO games over the years.
Ben Franklin Middle School 1996 - 2004 (SF) - With two courts, Ben Franklin ably served the summer basketball league for 8 years. As a public middle school, the courts weren't particular well maintained. The courts weren't high school regulation as well but it was better than Salvation Army. I have too many memories over the years to easily share here. I was sad when the summer basketball league was forced to move away from Ben Franklin after the summer of 2004.
El Camino High School 2004 - Present (SSF) - El Camino High is like Ben Franklin with two courts. However, the courts are high school regulation and well maintained. This is easily the best facility the league has had in the years I have played. Again, there are too many memories that I can easily share here.
Lincoln High School 2005 / Holy Trinity Church 2010 - Present (SF) - A couple of other courts that were used that I don't have a lot of experience with. But the courts are regulation and the facilities are very nice.
Overall, the past 20 years / seasons have certainly gone by fast. I certainly did not remember it was my 20th year when I arrived at the gym tonight I don't know what the future holds for me in terms of playing in this particular basketball league. However, I am certainly thankful and grateful to my friends and other teammates that have allowed me to play with them over the years. Win or lose, it has always been fun. Here's to 20 more years!!!!
In the place of my friends were a stable of young bucks. Tonight we had ten players present with nine out of the ten being under 30 years old. The only person over 30? ME! I originally wasn't going to play as most of my older friends were not playing. However, at the behest of one of my other teammates (whom I've played with since 2007), I decided to assume "player / coach" duties for the team.
I wasn't planning to play too much (if at all) this season and just remain a coach. Alas, the opportunity to squeeze in a few minutes proved too much of a temptation tonight. We were able to get a lead and I felt I could squeeze in a few minutes (about 15 or so) without affecting the outcome of the game too much. Overall, all the young bucks played about 20 to 25 minutes overall which was good. I hadn't seen them play much so it was good to get a feel of the team.
By playing in my team's game tonight, I have officially participated in this particular basketball league for 20 years / seasons. I first played in this league during the Summer of 1992. In total, I have played in 19 seasons with one season where I didn't play at all due to injury. I did not realize this until I got home tonight from the game.
In thinking about my participation in this league, I've seen this league grow and play in many different gyms through the years.
My first season in the league, there were only two divisions ("A - Competitive" and "B - Non Competitive") . The "A" league were primarily men while the "B" league had a mix of men, boys, women and girls. There were around 20 teams total (10 in each league) in 1992. As the league grew in the next 20 years, more men's divisions were added ("A - Platinum, "BB - Gold", "B - Silver", "C- Bronze") along with divisions for women and youths. This season, there is almost 70 total teams.
While the league has grown, it has also played in many different facilities over the years, each with their own quirks and charm.
Salvation Army 1992 to 1994 (SF Chinatown) - The gym was not regulation. The court had decent length but the 3 point line was cut off in the corners. Despite the size of the gym, "A" league games were still played in there. There was plenty of space for fans as well and it made for a great atmosphere for games. I played in my first CCU championship game here in 1994 (we lost).
Francisco Middle School 1992 to 1994 (SF North Beach) - I don't quite know if the court was high school regulation but it was pretty close. It was definitely longer and wider than Salvation Army so real basketball could be played. My best memory from this gym was when one of my then teammates hit a buzzer beating three pointer to win a game for us (45-43).
Cameron House 1994 (SF Chinatown) - Cameron House is a historic place in Chinatown. On the site of Cameron House, there are a couple of basketball courts, one downstairs and another upstairs. So while there is technically a ceiling to the lower basketball court, the court is basically outdoors as there is nothing to seal off the elements (wind / rain / etc). During 1994, the basketball league was forced to move some games to Cameron House. It was an interesting experience as there is a staircase exposed plus the court was slippery.
Washington High School 1995 (SF) - We only played one season at Washington and I don't recall anything super memorable from any of the games. The only challenge in playing at Washington was that the league was playing games side by side on two courts. Whistles from the other court could stop play on the other court.
Star Of The Sea 1995 (SF) - Like Washington, we only played one season here. Nothing particularly memorable except it was good to play on a court that I coached and officiated so many CYO games over the years.
Ben Franklin Middle School 1996 - 2004 (SF) - With two courts, Ben Franklin ably served the summer basketball league for 8 years. As a public middle school, the courts weren't particular well maintained. The courts weren't high school regulation as well but it was better than Salvation Army. I have too many memories over the years to easily share here. I was sad when the summer basketball league was forced to move away from Ben Franklin after the summer of 2004.
El Camino High School 2004 - Present (SSF) - El Camino High is like Ben Franklin with two courts. However, the courts are high school regulation and well maintained. This is easily the best facility the league has had in the years I have played. Again, there are too many memories that I can easily share here.
Lincoln High School 2005 / Holy Trinity Church 2010 - Present (SF) - A couple of other courts that were used that I don't have a lot of experience with. But the courts are regulation and the facilities are very nice.
Overall, the past 20 years / seasons have certainly gone by fast. I certainly did not remember it was my 20th year when I arrived at the gym tonight I don't know what the future holds for me in terms of playing in this particular basketball league. However, I am certainly thankful and grateful to my friends and other teammates that have allowed me to play with them over the years. Win or lose, it has always been fun. Here's to 20 more years!!!!
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Appreciating My Friends
I won't elaborate too much right now but I had a rough week last week. A few of my friends know what happened to me but I don't feel ready to share with the public quite yet. I'm still trying to figure things out on my end as well.
However, I do feel I owe a shout out to a few of my friends who know they are. These friends listened me to talk about my issue, offered suggestions and were there for me when I needed reassurance.
However, I do feel I owe a shout out to a few of my friends who know they are. These friends listened me to talk about my issue, offered suggestions and were there for me when I needed reassurance.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Reflections on St. Mary's Class of 2003 (and college Class of 2011 & beyond)
In 1998, I embarked on a new journey. For the first time in my youth basketball coaching career, I was working with a 3rd grade girls basketball team. Prior to this, I had worked with boys and girls from 6th to 8th grade. Coaching a 3rd grade team was both an exciting challenge and a daunting challenge as well. Exciting in the sense that I got to mold the kids skills when they were young. Challenging in that I didn't feel I had all the necessary experience to work with the younger kids.
Well, I did the best I could for three seasons (1998 to 2000) and compiled a 21-13 overall record including spending the 1999 and 2000 seasons competing in the top division of the basketball league we were playing in. As the 2000 season completed, I stepped down from coaching as I had spent over 12 years as a volunteer coach with 7 different teams (boys/girls) in both assistant and head coaching capacities. The team also broke apart as several of the kids left St. Mary's for other schools. Another coach took over the next season as my former team merged with the kids from the upper grades for two seasons (plus their 8th grade season as an individual team again) and led them to several deserved championship runs.
My most enduring memory with this particular team is back during their first season in 1998. The team compiled an 8-0 league record but unfortunately another team had also finished 8-0. Instead of the usual 9 teams, there were ten teams and the schedule did not have my team play the other team. With both teams tied, we had to play a tiebreaker which my team lost 14-9. That send the other team to the championship game while my team was dropped into second place and awaited the winner of the 3rd/4th place playoff winner.
Even though my team was the second seed, we traveled to the opposing team's gym and engaged in a classic battle. With my team up 10-8 in the closing seconds, the other team banked home a shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. My team battled hard in overtime but ultimately lost a 13-12 heartbreaker to end our season.
Why would a loss be an enduring memory? The reason is that my team was always resilient and it showed in the next two seasons. We played against the best teams the league had to offer and we competed well. Some of the other teams in the league had players that ultimately played varsity for some Catholic high schools out here and I believe one even played college basketball.
This reflection comes as I noticed on Facebook that a few of the nine players that played under me are GRADUATING from college in the coming weeks. CONGRATULATIONS to all of the ones who are graduating this year. For the others who may graduating later on or even on different track from school, best of luck!
Well, I did the best I could for three seasons (1998 to 2000) and compiled a 21-13 overall record including spending the 1999 and 2000 seasons competing in the top division of the basketball league we were playing in. As the 2000 season completed, I stepped down from coaching as I had spent over 12 years as a volunteer coach with 7 different teams (boys/girls) in both assistant and head coaching capacities. The team also broke apart as several of the kids left St. Mary's for other schools. Another coach took over the next season as my former team merged with the kids from the upper grades for two seasons (plus their 8th grade season as an individual team again) and led them to several deserved championship runs.
My most enduring memory with this particular team is back during their first season in 1998. The team compiled an 8-0 league record but unfortunately another team had also finished 8-0. Instead of the usual 9 teams, there were ten teams and the schedule did not have my team play the other team. With both teams tied, we had to play a tiebreaker which my team lost 14-9. That send the other team to the championship game while my team was dropped into second place and awaited the winner of the 3rd/4th place playoff winner.
Even though my team was the second seed, we traveled to the opposing team's gym and engaged in a classic battle. With my team up 10-8 in the closing seconds, the other team banked home a shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. My team battled hard in overtime but ultimately lost a 13-12 heartbreaker to end our season.
Why would a loss be an enduring memory? The reason is that my team was always resilient and it showed in the next two seasons. We played against the best teams the league had to offer and we competed well. Some of the other teams in the league had players that ultimately played varsity for some Catholic high schools out here and I believe one even played college basketball.
This reflection comes as I noticed on Facebook that a few of the nine players that played under me are GRADUATING from college in the coming weeks. CONGRATULATIONS to all of the ones who are graduating this year. For the others who may graduating later on or even on different track from school, best of luck!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Your Perception Is Not My Reality And Vice Versa (Personal Edition)
In the last few days, a double murder and suicide at San Jose State University (SJSU) has attracted a lot of comments and speculation. Read the articles below for more information on the situation:
San Jose State killings blamed on domestic dispute
SJSU students killed in shooting to get posthumous diplomas
The comments and speculation surrounded on two items:
1.
Why a 54 year old man and a 25 year old woman be married? Love? Money? Green Card?
2.
Was the 25 year old woman and the 26 year old friend that were killed having an affair or were they just friends? They were both married though the man had separated from his wife (at least for a time).
I'm not going to comment directly on either of the questions because I don't have the answers. I'll leave that to the police / investigators to figure out. However, what I can say is this case teaches us that "Perception vs. Reality" in friendships / relationships is an important thing to consider.
For me, it is perfectly normal to just be friends with people of the opposite sex. I have plenty of friends of the female persuasion both single, attached and married (don't think I know any divorced female friends). While having friends of the opposite sex is a good thing in my mind, I've learned that things change when they are attached and especially when they are married.
The main thing is that my female friend's significant other's take priority. I don't take it personally because every other friend is probably treated the same way. However, with me being a GUY, there is additional significance that I didn't think about in my younger days.
In MY REALITY (and all of my female friends realities), there is NOTHING going on between us. That stuff we can control. What we can't control? The PERCEPTION of their significant others. Therefore, when associating with your attached/married female friends, you have to tread carefully and not give any wrong ideas that something is going on. There is no one right way to proceed as every couple of different. My female friends let me know where the lines / boundaries are and I don't ever get close to crossing them! The good news is that I know the husbands pretty well and that helps me out!
This "Perception vs Reality" issue could have been one of the things (among many others) at play here in the SJSU situation. The husband's perception was of infidelity and affair. The two young people indeed may have been just friends. However, their actions (being in a car together at 8:30 PM in the evening) may not have portrayed reality and that caused the husband to lose his mind.
The husband definitely should not have done what he did. It is unfortunate what has happened and that has caused the loss of three lives. Best wishes to the families involved in this time of grief.
San Jose State killings blamed on domestic dispute
SJSU students killed in shooting to get posthumous diplomas
The comments and speculation surrounded on two items:
1.
Why a 54 year old man and a 25 year old woman be married? Love? Money? Green Card?
2.
Was the 25 year old woman and the 26 year old friend that were killed having an affair or were they just friends? They were both married though the man had separated from his wife (at least for a time).
I'm not going to comment directly on either of the questions because I don't have the answers. I'll leave that to the police / investigators to figure out. However, what I can say is this case teaches us that "Perception vs. Reality" in friendships / relationships is an important thing to consider.
For me, it is perfectly normal to just be friends with people of the opposite sex. I have plenty of friends of the female persuasion both single, attached and married (don't think I know any divorced female friends). While having friends of the opposite sex is a good thing in my mind, I've learned that things change when they are attached and especially when they are married.
The main thing is that my female friend's significant other's take priority. I don't take it personally because every other friend is probably treated the same way. However, with me being a GUY, there is additional significance that I didn't think about in my younger days.
In MY REALITY (and all of my female friends realities), there is NOTHING going on between us. That stuff we can control. What we can't control? The PERCEPTION of their significant others. Therefore, when associating with your attached/married female friends, you have to tread carefully and not give any wrong ideas that something is going on. There is no one right way to proceed as every couple of different. My female friends let me know where the lines / boundaries are and I don't ever get close to crossing them! The good news is that I know the husbands pretty well and that helps me out!
This "Perception vs Reality" issue could have been one of the things (among many others) at play here in the SJSU situation. The husband's perception was of infidelity and affair. The two young people indeed may have been just friends. However, their actions (being in a car together at 8:30 PM in the evening) may not have portrayed reality and that caused the husband to lose his mind.
The husband definitely should not have done what he did. It is unfortunate what has happened and that has caused the loss of three lives. Best wishes to the families involved in this time of grief.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
I Am Not Young Anymore..........
As much as I like to think I am young, the fact is age is slowly creeping up on me. The reason I say that is that my knees are screaming out at the punishment I put it through today:
1. Officiated three basketball games from 9 AM until 12:30 PM
2. Played pick up basketball with friends from 2 PM until 5 PM
In fact, this past Spring, I have put my body through some punishment:
1.
Officiated a JV basketball game at 4:30 PM, played an adult league basketball game at 8 PM at one gym, and played another game at 10 PM at another gym.
2.
Played in TWO tournaments this past Spring plus played in a Monday night league. That equated to playing FOUR games in 3 Days after the first tournament and playing FIVE games in 3 days after the second tournament.
I used to officiate and play basketball afterwards on Saturday frequently but I don't do it as much anymore. My legs have trouble taking the punishment and eventually I'll have to figure out what I'm going to do in the future.
For now, I'll ice down my knees and get some rest. :)
1. Officiated three basketball games from 9 AM until 12:30 PM
2. Played pick up basketball with friends from 2 PM until 5 PM
In fact, this past Spring, I have put my body through some punishment:
1.
Officiated a JV basketball game at 4:30 PM, played an adult league basketball game at 8 PM at one gym, and played another game at 10 PM at another gym.
2.
Played in TWO tournaments this past Spring plus played in a Monday night league. That equated to playing FOUR games in 3 Days after the first tournament and playing FIVE games in 3 days after the second tournament.
I used to officiate and play basketball afterwards on Saturday frequently but I don't do it as much anymore. My legs have trouble taking the punishment and eventually I'll have to figure out what I'm going to do in the future.
For now, I'll ice down my knees and get some rest. :)
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Enjoying The Simple Things.....
Today was a great day and not because of anything super special I did. Firstly, I met up an old friend for lunch and we caught up on our happenings over the past couple of months. My friend had been busy with work and went on vacation while I had been busy with my various things so we hadn't talked on the phone or met in person in a while. It didn't really bother me as my friend will always reach out to me when time permits and it was just a matter of time we met up again.
After lunch, I had to go home to take care of some personal business for a short while. After that, I left my car at home and took a walk around my neighborhood. I had planned to take a walk to the shopping center (2 miles away) but thought it might be too much effort to hit the mall. Instead, I took a pit stop at a local strip mall. There were some chairs so I sat down and just enjoyed the sun and the small breeze.
After a little while, I walked back home and got a call from another friend. I chatted with my friend for a while before having dinner.
While I didn't really do anything particularly special, I loved catching up with my friends and having some solo time to myself. :)
After lunch, I had to go home to take care of some personal business for a short while. After that, I left my car at home and took a walk around my neighborhood. I had planned to take a walk to the shopping center (2 miles away) but thought it might be too much effort to hit the mall. Instead, I took a pit stop at a local strip mall. There were some chairs so I sat down and just enjoyed the sun and the small breeze.
After a little while, I walked back home and got a call from another friend. I chatted with my friend for a while before having dinner.
While I didn't really do anything particularly special, I loved catching up with my friends and having some solo time to myself. :)
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Some Days You WIll Never Forget / Osama Bin Laded Killed
There are some days in your life you never forget. For me, a couple of days stand out:
October 17th, 1989 - The Day of the Loma Prieta Earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was at the Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park in SF for a cross country meet when the earthquake struck at 5:04 PM. Not being close to buildings, I wasn't aware at how large the earthquake was until my team and I left the park and saw the power out. It took me several hours to get home due to buses getting delayed with power all over the City.
September 11th, 2001 - This day began as any other day for me. I was up at about 4:30 AM and got on a commuter train to go to work at 5 AM or so. I spent an hour on the train and another 30 to 45 minutes on a shuttle to get to my office. Obviously, as I was commuting to work, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York had started but I had no idea.
I arrived at the office to a co-worker telling me that a plane had hit the Twin Towers in New York. My co-worker thought it was a small plane. As I tried to get onto CNN's website to see what was going on, I COULD NOT. I tried a few other news sites and had the same problem. Obviously something major had happened. It would be a few hours later when the news finally broke. My co-workers and I spent most of the day in disbelief.
May 1st, 2011 - Let's add May 1st, 2011 to the list of days you never forget. On this day, President Barack Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden (leader of Al Queda and person who plotted 9/11 attacks) was killed in a US Military operation. I'll save the whole political discussion about this news for a later time, but it definitely is a historic day.
October 17th, 1989 - The Day of the Loma Prieta Earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was at the Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park in SF for a cross country meet when the earthquake struck at 5:04 PM. Not being close to buildings, I wasn't aware at how large the earthquake was until my team and I left the park and saw the power out. It took me several hours to get home due to buses getting delayed with power all over the City.
September 11th, 2001 - This day began as any other day for me. I was up at about 4:30 AM and got on a commuter train to go to work at 5 AM or so. I spent an hour on the train and another 30 to 45 minutes on a shuttle to get to my office. Obviously, as I was commuting to work, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York had started but I had no idea.
I arrived at the office to a co-worker telling me that a plane had hit the Twin Towers in New York. My co-worker thought it was a small plane. As I tried to get onto CNN's website to see what was going on, I COULD NOT. I tried a few other news sites and had the same problem. Obviously something major had happened. It would be a few hours later when the news finally broke. My co-workers and I spent most of the day in disbelief.
May 1st, 2011 - Let's add May 1st, 2011 to the list of days you never forget. On this day, President Barack Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden (leader of Al Queda and person who plotted 9/11 attacks) was killed in a US Military operation. I'll save the whole political discussion about this news for a later time, but it definitely is a historic day.
The Introverted Extrovert
Recently, I received an email from an author. The author had written a couple of books that I had read. The subject was interesting enough that I took a class from the author about a year or so ago and he keeps in touch every now and then with folks who have taken his class.
In reading the author's email, I stumbled upon an interesting article published in the Boston Globe:
The Power Of Lonely (may require registration to read the article)
In this article, the author surmises that certain tasks and though processes are better done ALONE than other people around. In fact, the article suggests that the most developed personalities and leaders are the people who devote the appropriate time to taking some solitude for themselves.
How this applies to myself? I was a pretty shy and introverted kid during my early school years though I improved as I went through high school and college. It wasn't that I didn't talk to anyone. It's just that I talked to people I felt comfortable with but I didn't particularly branch out much. Especially during my years leading into high school, I didn't have a lot of hang out friends.
Thanks to an old friend from high school, I broke the mold and she became one of my early friends that I hung out with and talked to a lot (though that friendship has since faded into the sunset). It was from this friend that I met some people that are still my friends today. With a few of the friends, we don't hang out as much as we used to because they have families and other things to concern themselves with.
The thing that has changed is that I am now much more of an extrovert. I find myself curious about everyone I meet and I could hold a conversation on just about anything if given a chance. So while some of my older friends are busy, I have simply branched out to other folks and life goes on. The best example was during my birthday a few weeks ago. I was out with no less than three groups of friends (with some friends crossing over into more than one group).
I've got a reputation among some friends that I like to talk a lot. It's a reputation that I've earned because in the past I have spent a ton of time with my friends on the phone (and still do with some people). But as I have gotten older, I don't feel I need to talk to my friends as much.
I also need that ALONE TIME that is mentioned in the article above. With this alone time, I do a great many things. I read, I mediate, I write/blog, I take photos or just do whatever comes to mind. I think this may surprise people for my reputation among my more recent friends is being a talker, basketball / sports person and or just a very socially active person. All of this is true to a certain extent.
However, I am easily comfortable with being alone and going off to do whatever I want to do myself. It's been a while since I've done so but I have seen movies alone previously. Since I am currently unemployed, I may hit up some movies that have come out recently.
Everyone should take some away time for themselves. I understand this more than I did when I was younger. It's very beneficial and something you should work into your life schedule.
In reading the author's email, I stumbled upon an interesting article published in the Boston Globe:
The Power Of Lonely (may require registration to read the article)
In this article, the author surmises that certain tasks and though processes are better done ALONE than other people around. In fact, the article suggests that the most developed personalities and leaders are the people who devote the appropriate time to taking some solitude for themselves.
How this applies to myself? I was a pretty shy and introverted kid during my early school years though I improved as I went through high school and college. It wasn't that I didn't talk to anyone. It's just that I talked to people I felt comfortable with but I didn't particularly branch out much. Especially during my years leading into high school, I didn't have a lot of hang out friends.
Thanks to an old friend from high school, I broke the mold and she became one of my early friends that I hung out with and talked to a lot (though that friendship has since faded into the sunset). It was from this friend that I met some people that are still my friends today. With a few of the friends, we don't hang out as much as we used to because they have families and other things to concern themselves with.
The thing that has changed is that I am now much more of an extrovert. I find myself curious about everyone I meet and I could hold a conversation on just about anything if given a chance. So while some of my older friends are busy, I have simply branched out to other folks and life goes on. The best example was during my birthday a few weeks ago. I was out with no less than three groups of friends (with some friends crossing over into more than one group).
I've got a reputation among some friends that I like to talk a lot. It's a reputation that I've earned because in the past I have spent a ton of time with my friends on the phone (and still do with some people). But as I have gotten older, I don't feel I need to talk to my friends as much.
I also need that ALONE TIME that is mentioned in the article above. With this alone time, I do a great many things. I read, I mediate, I write/blog, I take photos or just do whatever comes to mind. I think this may surprise people for my reputation among my more recent friends is being a talker, basketball / sports person and or just a very socially active person. All of this is true to a certain extent.
However, I am easily comfortable with being alone and going off to do whatever I want to do myself. It's been a while since I've done so but I have seen movies alone previously. Since I am currently unemployed, I may hit up some movies that have come out recently.
Everyone should take some away time for themselves. I understand this more than I did when I was younger. It's very beneficial and something you should work into your life schedule.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Bell's Palsy / Watching Over Our Parents
About two weeks ago, I was home and my mom complained to me that her face was a little distorted and that she was having trouble swallowing food and spitting things out of mouth. Upon taking a look at her, my mom's face was indeed a little "distorted". But beyond those symptoms, she seemed to be fine. She was walking, talking and otherwise moving around without any problems. Alas, she had told me relatively late in the day so it was too late to call the doctor to schedule an appointment. My mom didn't think it was serious so she initially wanted to just rest and let things heal on it's own.
On other hand, while she seemed OK, I insisted she call and schedule an appointment with her doctor the next day. During the evening, I did some research online and discovered something called Bell's Palsy. Bell's Palsy is inflammation of some facial nerves which cause partial paralysis on one side of the face. That is why my mom's face looked a little distorted because the facial muscles were locked into place. There is no direct correlation with Bell's Palsy and getting a stroke. The good news is that the majority of the paralysis eventually goes away over time though some medication is involved.
At the doctor's office the next day, it was confirmed that my mom had gotten Bell's Palsy (which could occur for many reasons) and not a stroke. In thinking about things, it was silly to not have my mom checked up earlier though.
Unfortunately, as all our parents age, we have to keep an eye on them for sometimes they don't know what is going on. While my mom seems OK now, I am keeping a close eye on her just in case. It's good that I am unemployed and have time to be at home.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Appreciate Every Moment, For It Will Never Come Again......
Last night, in my Monday Night Open Division spring basketball league, my team (Red) defeated our opponents (White) 64-48 to advance to the league championship game next week. My team led the game from beginning to end and there was not a lot of drama. It was a stark contrast to the Fall season, when my team (who was also Red) had to rally from a 10 point deficit to win and make it to the championship game.
Having made it to the championship and winning it last season, I didn't put any particular importance to my team's win last night. However, one of my teammates and I were talking afterward and he pointed out that he would now be playing in his fourth consecutive championship game in the league. I thought that was interesting and it got me to remember that I myself would be playing in my THIRD consecutive championship game in the league as well (all on the same team as the guy I was talking to). That made me appreciate our win last night a lot more!
The other interesting thing I did yesterday was to hang out with my friend. We didn't do anything super noteworthy. We had lunch, talked and collected points that got us some rewards. I should mention I used those rewards to buy something today! While my friend and I didn't do anything crazy, it was definitely a unique experience that I appreciated a lot.
The point in all of this? Even in moments of life that you don't necessarily think is important, they are all unique and should be appreciated. For someone who didn't win my first championship in this particular league until last fall, it surprises me that I am now playing in my third consecutive championship game.
If I were to somehow were to repeat playing in three consecutive basketball league championship games again in the future, it would be under different circumstances and an entirely new experience.
Remember to appreciate every moment (good or bad) in life for once it passes, you'll never get a chance to experience it exactly the same again!
Having made it to the championship and winning it last season, I didn't put any particular importance to my team's win last night. However, one of my teammates and I were talking afterward and he pointed out that he would now be playing in his fourth consecutive championship game in the league. I thought that was interesting and it got me to remember that I myself would be playing in my THIRD consecutive championship game in the league as well (all on the same team as the guy I was talking to). That made me appreciate our win last night a lot more!
The other interesting thing I did yesterday was to hang out with my friend. We didn't do anything super noteworthy. We had lunch, talked and collected points that got us some rewards. I should mention I used those rewards to buy something today! While my friend and I didn't do anything crazy, it was definitely a unique experience that I appreciated a lot.
The point in all of this? Even in moments of life that you don't necessarily think is important, they are all unique and should be appreciated. For someone who didn't win my first championship in this particular league until last fall, it surprises me that I am now playing in my third consecutive championship game.
If I were to somehow were to repeat playing in three consecutive basketball league championship games again in the future, it would be under different circumstances and an entirely new experience.
Remember to appreciate every moment (good or bad) in life for once it passes, you'll never get a chance to experience it exactly the same again!
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