My children are working so this was a Fathers Day in which I spent time with them separately because their work schedules wouldn’t allow for family time.
I am good with it, can’t complain because they are thriving and that is more than meaningful. Would have liked to have been able to watch my dad ask them about their lives and their plans the way my grandfathers used to do with me.
But you can’t always get what you want or so Mick and the boys used to sing.
Anyhoo, something about the day got me thinking about Johnny Cash and a conversation about whether Hurt is a sad song.
I’d say it depends on your perspective and perhaps what is going on in your life during a specific time.
You might get a message from whomever you deem as your June and hear a different song.
What Is Your Story
A friend asked me how I can write about a favorite colonoscopy and I responded by saying he hadn’t read the post.
He asked if my funky digestive system make the prep work harder and I laughed because it might not be pleasant but it has never provided a level of pain/discomfort like the other sometimes has.
It is not my idea of a good time but if I could choose between the two I know the direction I would go in.
I asked if he wanted more details and he said no and complimented my ability to talk about crap.
“You need to go into it and ask what is your story and then provide the answer.”
Don’t think he really expected me to provide any information on my process but sometimes you get more details than you asked for.
Depending on the who, what and why of it all your level of caring about whether people are interested in your story may vary.
Typically my preference is to always educate, inform and or entertain but sometimes you miss the mark. The question of whether you miss because of your skill or lack thereof can impact things too.
But there are always people you don’t reach because your communication style doesn’t engage them and vice versa.
During a different conversation about storytelling I related it to kissing. If you kiss the right girl/guy you are always engaged and so are they.
Things flow in a natural and instinctive way.
You can kiss the wrong person but not know it immediately. Sometimes you keep going figuring that you are both nervous and that maybe if you relax and give it a minute things will settle.
There is some truth to that as your story might be sort of a slow burn and take a moment to heat up, but not always.
You can have a great opening and then discover you’ve locked lips with a Saint Bernard who slobbers all over you leaving at least one if not both of you unhappy.
****
The emails reminding me to pick a hotel keep rolling in and I keep deleting them. I won’t be staying in a hotel when I go back to LA.
Even though I am closing in on a decade of life in Texas it is strange to think of not owning a home or having my own home base in LA.
Though there is no lack of places to stay it is strange that none of them are mine. That is ok, just strange.
Can’t say that will never change as eventually I expect to be in a blue state again but when and where are not settled.
Who Gets Your Time
I don’t make a big deal of telling people when I come to town because I never have enough time to do everything I want to or see everyone.
I am very selective about who gets my time as are most people I know.
It is a thousand years since I would get a summer break and have countless hours to use however I wish. Now I am in a place where it all falls between responsibilities.
So I don’t proposition just anyone. If I ask it is because I consider you to be important and I want to give something I have little of.
It is noticeable to me who makes time and who doesn’t and who I can just pick up with like no time has past. Those relationships are precious and not to be ignored.
The kids have heard more than once that it is better to have a few really good friends than a million just so so.
Nothing profound or insightful there but sometimes the simple things need repetition.
****
Just lost 15 minutes going through the old Deedawg email address looking for a few old photos. I have been trying to make sure I have everything located in a single file so that I can sort and find as needed.
There is a different old email address that I haven’t been able to get into in years as I can’t remember the password and have had no success getting help to get back in.
Sometimes it irks me because I am certain there are some messages in there that I would like to have access to but I don’t think of it often.
It is an irritant but there are bigger problems and I learned from the experience.
Can’t go back in time or change the past but you can change the present and future. You can focus your efforts and where you spend those minutes.
Circle back to that subhead of what is your story and I think about a few that I started that haven’t got an end.
Those are getting my attention now because some have run their course and others have lots of life left in them if only we stoke the flames a bit.
Can’t believe it is Sunday night already and another work week is upon us. Maybe I’ll win the lottery and retire, suppose I better buy a ticket because you can’t win if you don’t play.
Leave a Reply