Has It Really Been That Long?

 

It is that time again. Today marks the 800^th post for the blog and I am a little dumbfounded as to how I have been able to keep the blog going for that long. This is especially true when you consider the fact that the average length of each entry has been about 500 words. That is a total of 400,000 words... and that is being pretty conservative with the estimate. Is there really that much that can be said?

While I continue to look for guest bloggers and other interesting items to include in the various posts, there haven’t been many contributions up to this point. That might be the hardest part of this whole thing. I would like some more interesting and different perspectives included in these pages. I am happy to continue sharing my thoughts on various subjects but there is only so much that I can say without becoming repetitive (this is already evident in a number of posts).

However, I continue to enjoy the process and the simple fact that I am able to record my daily life, discoveries, and events that are of particular interest to me. As I have said before, this is my way of leaving a legacy. It isn’t anything special but the words here on this blog give a much fuller picture of who I am rather than just a few documents. This is part of the reason why the more I look into the family history the more motivated I am to continue writing.

With that said, time has become more precious over the past year in particular and there are changes on the horizon that will definitely put additional strain on my schedule. These are all good things but they take time and energy. Don’t get me wrong, the blog will continue but, with these additional commitments, the long periods of silence may become more prevalent. Of course, this may be a moot point if some of you out there would like to contribute to the blog (hint, hint, nudge, nudge).

Right now it is just a matter of pushing through the slow days when writing seems more like a chore and taking advantage of the easy days when I can quickly write three or four posts. There are certainly a number of topics that I will continue to cover (i.e. genealogy, freemasonry, firearms, travel, parenthood, etc.) but I am looking for other subjects and also want to know what subject you want me to write more about. So what would you like to read? Also, I am well aware that this blog is by no means perfect. What would you change? Let me know your thoughts.

I end this post very simply. Thank you for your continued support and sharing with me your thoughts, stories, and opinions. It has been an interesting experience thus far.

Long Awaited Weekend

I have been looking forward to this weekend for several months now. I knew that this past week was going to be a long one and that is was also going to eat into last weekend as well. In addition to counting down the days until my return from the Midwest, I have also been counting down to the end of the week and being able to shut down the computer for a couple of days (at least as it pertains to work). Of course, that was the plan and as has become commonplace lately, the plans don’t really mean anything.

Everything, as it usually does, seemed to converge today with lodge work coming back to the forefront of my mind (with deadlines attached), work projects not moving along quite as fast as I had hoped, and baby becoming rather fussy yesterday which continued through today. However, even with everything going on it has still been nice just to be home and with my family. While there are many things going through my mind that have to get done, being present is what really matters and what brings me back into the moment (even if that moment involves incessant screaming.

While many people I know would look at what needs to be accomplished at work or at the lodge and deem it important it really doesn’t matter all that much when I am looking at my son trying to figure out what to do to calm him down or when I am able to look at him as he smirks in his sleep. Everything else can wait. Right now I just want to be with my son and enjoy every moment that I can so I don’t regret overlooking these simple moments later as he continues to grow.

With that said, these moments late at night while my wife and son are sleeping have also provided a great respite to both get work done that I have pushed back from the daylight hours but also as a time to reflect and appreciate the day that has just passed. Things seem to be changing so fast lately and every moment that I can slow down and look around (Bueller? Bueller?) I have insisted on taking. After all, work will always be there with the same kinds of projects popping up time and again but these moments in life are a onetime deal and I don’t want to miss them.

From Brunch To Dinner

Today was a good day. The original plan was that I was going to stay home during the afternoon and get a few things done for work. They never got done so, in that respect, it wasn’t that good but everything else was better than expected. But, with my schedule, I have learned that you can’t always plan everything because if you try to affix every moment on a calendar life is simply going to pass you by. In other words, heed the advice of Ferris Bueller (actually John Hughes to be precise).

Just before noon my dad gave me a call and asked if I wanted to have lunch. Any time I can get out and spend some time with my dad immediately makes my day a little better. Maybe it is the kid in me but I love spending time with my father and just talking about everything that is going on at the time (and other things that may be annoying us that particular day). What makes it even better is the fact that I now have something substantive to talk about (even though this blog doesn’t reflect that substance).  

These are the moments that I just enjoying being rather than thinking about all the other things that are going on or things that have to be done or projects that are fast approaching. Throughout lunch as well as our time chatting in the lounge at Tinderbox, it was just nice to spend time with him. I would have stayed longer and talked about a plethora of other topics with him and some of the people we happened to meet but I also had another commitment to keep.

So, from spending time with my dad, I rushed back to the apartment and got ready to have dinner with my father-in-law, someone who has a completely different demeanor and way about himself. Once my wife got back from her afternoon engagement, we headed eastbound for Philadelphia to have dinner at Zahav. Having made good time, it was good to have a few minutes with my wife before we were sitting at the table and talking about everything that has changed in the past several months.

Throughout the courses and conversation, it was interesting to hear how one thing led to another and how the conversation too on a life of its own. While interesting, it is still not the same as the broader topics that my dad and I discuss but it was unique and entertaining in its own way. I guess it is all about perspective and experience but nothing was going to overshadow the time I spent with my dad. That is what happens when you are as fortunate as I am and able to look up to your dad not just as your father but as someone you respect for who they are as a man and what they have accomplished in life.

Sometimes my wife tells me that I am slowly turning into my father and I am perfectly fine with that. I just hope I am lucky enough that her supposition becomes reality because I would be damn fortunate if that were the case. Let’s just hope my follicles remain in denial.