If we spend enough time around our parents its inevitable that we will slowly turn into them. Had I heard this as a teenager I probably would have keeled over dead upon hearing utterance of such blasphemy. Whether for good or bad it solely depends on what qualities are nurtured. Like growing sweet peppers. If you keep all of you banana peppers together, all should be sweet. Have you ever snacked on a banana pepper that grew next to a jalapeño? Surprise! That one is probably not so sweet. He just grew up around some hot headed hombres. Talking to my dad these days I am always surprised at how much I agree with his every word. He has been there, done that and has slowly taught me as we go. Now that I am a father I cherish this relationship. As an “A hole” teen I rebelled against his slightest suggestion on anything. I had to become my own man only to return years later and say, “Oops, you were right. Can we resume where we left off I think I was about twelve or thirteen?” I would give anything to go back there. I am four or five years old. Dad just came back from one of the oceanographic vessels that he crewed. I was so proud to be wearing a raincoat and hat like his. A dark navy coat made of some soft faux leather and one of those mariner type weather hats that looked like an upside down salad bowl. We walked as I held onto those big pipe wrench strong fingers and my little brother in his bright yellow raincoat perched up on his shoulders. We walked along or garden plots or where they were going to be. One of our little jaunts through the woods and down to the creek. There were stories that taught us why that squirrel barked like that, how the rain could raise the tide almost two feet and turn the water to chocolate milk, how to walk without making too much noise and many more little lessons that I now teach my own son. There is a picture, an old faded Polaroid of that day somewhere. I should find it. It is the visual embodiment of who my dad is to me. It is to me anyway. Dad never really said no dont do that. Or that is a terrible idea. He believed boys will be boys. He would guide us but ultimately our successes or failures would serve as the great reinforcement of one of those little lessons. He never curtailed any of our wild ideas. If we wanted to build a Zipline that smacked right into a tree with no hope of exiting uninjured, well we would learn. If we had crazy ideas for comic book heroes that we were creating he was all for it. When I changed my career path all those times he backed me up and was never too disappointed. This was his greatest lesson. The closed mind is doomed to failure in life. If we open our mind, experience the world chase wild ideas, build crazy things, whatever. Just dont be afraid to go and do. With this outlook we can see anything as a possibility. Those that see all of the possibilities and how they can succeed are visionaries. We then become great captains of the vessel that is our life. We boldly go where no man has gone before. We trust in our ability alone to keep on the right path. It is not the engineers fault if the ship sinks or the navigators fault we run aground. We alone are the captains of our lives. Think outside the box. Go and do. We are in control of every aspect of our lives. We are not victims of the things that have happened to us. We are victims of the way we let these circumstances affect our lives. If we get eighty years this side of the dirt, then we are blessed. That is eighty short years to live with regret and unfulfillment. Most of us have already used up half of that trapped in our own little cage. If we are trapped in a dungeon with no hope of escape I would just look again I bet there is a key and we are hiding it from ourselves under doubt, fear, and remorse. Those are a victims words. Get it, open the lock, pack up and walk out of there. Go and do. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow. “The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.” -Arnold Schwarzenegger “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” -Helen Keller
Posted on: Sun, 08 Jun 2014 16:14:10 +0000
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