To Do

 

“Do or do not, there is no try.” - Yoda

Some images stay with you forever.  Like a gigantic fish encased in glass on a pier in Maryland does for me. Allow me to explain.

It was twenty five years ago when my wife and I were on our honeymoon in Ocean City, Maryland and I was still getting used to wearing a wedding ring.  We were walking on the boardwalk when we got to the end and there was this enormous, mounted  tiger shark staring at us.

This was no ordinary fish.  This tiger shark held the Maryland State Record weighing in at an incredible 1200 lbs.  Far more intriguing was the fact that the monstrous fish was caught on July 9^th, 1983 off the shore of Ocean City by a woman from Buffalo, New York, named Grace Czerniak.  Someone who I believe would best resemble your favorite aunt. 

Nowhere, on the plaque next to the shark, does it mention any personal statement from the angler about the struggle that ensued once she hooked the massive shark.  Nor, the actual length of time the battle endured.  The only evidence that she had to prove that she had done what she set out to do was an impressively large fish in a glass box.

It took Thomas Edison an epic amount of effort till he succeeded and invented electricity.  It took Walt Disney twenty years and a whole lot of persistence till he could get the rights to make the movie, Mary Poppins.  And it took it great endurance for Grace Czerniak, a middle aged woman from Buffalo, to land a shark off the shore of Ocean City, Maryland.  After great effort the final result was success.

Another prime example of this kind of effort can apply to marriage.  I did not promise to try my best twenty five years ago on March 24^th, 1989.  The vows I took to my wife were called I DO’s.  For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and health, till death do us part.  Now, that is something worth wearing a wedding ring for, which fits a lot tighter now, to remind me to do what I promised to do.

So, whether you are inventing something, taking on an exciting challenge, landing a shark or just loving your spouse always, seek to do it till you get it done.

Swavel

 

 

Slightly Confused

   

 

Good intentions are not always enough, so always have a good apology at the ready.

Confession is good for the soul, so here goes.  At times I get slightly confused. 

This can be aptly summarized by a moment that happened several years ago in my work parking lot.   A friend had told me he had some second-hand clothes for my daughter and that all I needed to do was go into his Honda Civic and take the bag of clothes.

On that particular day my friend was preoccupied with work, so I went looking for his Honda on my own.  I opened what I thought was my friend’s car, but to my chagrin I could not find the bag.  So, I began to rummage through his car.

Then out of nowhere, I was startled by an angry voice of an employee I did not know.  He was reprimanding me for going through his car and threatened to call security to apprehend me.   Feeling embarrassed, dumbfounded and slightly confused, quickly I started to apologize.  Seeing that I was in a dire predicament I tried in vain to explain that his Honda Civic generally fit my friend’s description.  

In an attempt to diffuse the already volatile situation I looked for a witness to help validate my point of view.  Fortunately I found a receptionist who had seen the whole disaster though her window and she substantiated that I was telling the truth. Soon afterward the frustrated employee relented and left the scene.

Now, when I look back at my parking lot debacle it makes me chuckle. I may be slightly confused at times, but it is great reminder that regardless of the gaffe I can still laugh at myself.  

Better to be slightly confused and have a sense of humor, than to be angry with none at all.

Swavel

 

 

Facing Fear

 

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”  FDR

In times like these we tend to fear things. Like fear of the unknown, the fear of losing our jobs, fear of dying.  Mostly, I think we fear the loss of control and the inability to protect those we love.

Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.”  Rather, we should attempt to be like the Psalmist who says, “And now Lord, what do I wait for?   My hope is in you.”

Now, that sounds all spiritual, but, fear still sounds scary to me.  However, if I say I trust in God I need to live that way.  Therefore, despite my apprehension I must push past what I feel.

Here is a list of some fears that I struggle with from time to time, in no particular order:

-Fear of my family’s future.  Long story short but life has taught me that I need to do my part, but my family is in God’s hands and that is where they are safest.

-Fear of the unknown.  I say I trust God with everything, yet I am inconsistent.  He can see yesterday, today and tomorrow all at the same time and yet I have trust issues.  I need to let God deal with the unknown.

-Fear of dying.  The older I get the more I think we are just passing through and all our bodies are just rentals.  Not to mention, if Jesus says heaven is far better than here, who am I to question.

-Fear of not being good enough. This is a work in progress in my life because I want to be content, without being indifferent. 

-Fear of failure.  At least for me, I have begun to embrace the fact that I fail a lot and store away the knowledge I gain through difficulty, then use it at a later date.

-Fear of the dark.  Not so much anymore, seems I am outgrowing that one.  Now, I am more afraid of what is in the darkness. 

Fear of sharks. Sounds silly I know because I have a better chance of being hit by lightning than getting attacked by a Great White.  However, sharks are a lot like other intimidating situations in life that bare their teeth and at full speed take a run at us seeking to destroy us.

-Fear of being paralyzed or getting Alzheimer’s. Lately, I’ve been reading the book, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. that was written by a forty year old man who had locked-in disorder.  I know this may be getting worked up over nothing, but what illness may befall your body cannot always be avoided.  See fear of the unknown.

- Fear of evil.  It is everywhere and seems so intimidating and overwhelming, yet evil will not win the day.  Like Edmund Burke once said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

“One fear I need never have is the fear of not knowing God.”
Swavel

Ashtray Solution

 

“Don’t mock it, till you try it.”

 

Some things in life make little or no sense.  No matter how hard you try to figure it, certain things just work.

 

 For example, currently the heater fan at times  in my 1997Olsmobile  will suddenly stop working.  All I do is open the ashtray and slam it quickly shut until the yellow light comes on and I have heat again. Hence, the ashtray solution.  Allow me to explain.

 

Sometime during the past summer I discovered that the fan that controls the air conditioner and the heater stopped working.  Strangely, however my bipolar fan would kick back on periodically on its own. 

 

To make sure this wasn’t too big a problem I called my mechanic and he said that it was an electrical problem that was hard to diagnose and use it till the fan dies.    So, I just put up with this scenario and decided to wait it out.

 

It was sometime in early December when I stumbled upon the  ashtray solution.  I needed my defroster to work so I could clear my front windshield of ice.  In an act of frustration I quickly opened and then slammed my ashtray shut.  Somehow I thought it might work, like when you hit the dash in your car to convince the c d player to stop skipping, and to my surprise it did.  Truly, it was a McGyver moment. 

 

Then at Christmas time my electrical engineering son was home from college.  He took a look and said he knew what the problem was, but didn’t have the equipment to tear my dash apart properly.  With that being said I didn’t want to stretch my luck too far and I set up a appointment with a mechanic to get properly fixed.

 

So, I said all that to tell you that two months after it was fixed I hit a pothole and the heater died again.  So I am back to using the ashtray solution again.  Go figure, it works so why fight it.

 

In my life, I have discovered when things go wrong it always better to laugh than cry and if the opportunity presents itself, slam the ashtray shut real quick.

 

Swavel