I need a sign

Not one of THOSE signs.  Not the Jeff Foxworthy signs.  Not a storm warning sign.  A sign I want to see. 

I'm a firm believer in foreshadowing.  We just don't always see the 'signs' - the indicators in life.  We just don't pay attention.  They are there.  All the time.  We just need to listen.  Pay attention.

Of course, as a female.  I make things into more than they really are.  Maybe it's not a sign.  Maybe it's just life.

My best girlfriend got married in 1999.  I gave her champagne toasting flutes - Waterford.  They had a series going.  I think I gave her the "Love" set.  It kicked off a tradition.  That was then the "gift" to give from her to the others getting married.  I never got a set.  I was married first.  I started the started the tradition.

Finally, as many times in life, I ordered by own.  I ordered "Tranquility" Waterford champagne flutes.  Red wine "prosperity" goblets arrived.  I kept them.  I was "meant" to have them.   They have both broken since that time.  And when the first one broke, I didn't think anything of it.  Of course, I was divorced by then and only needed one. :-)  When the second one broke, it was YEARS later.

Did this mean "prosperity was over", "I was starting a new chapter", "leaving the past behind".  I came up with numerous things that this glass breaking could have meant.  Finally settling on, "maybe it means, I broke a glass"......  Sometime things just happen and that is all it means. It happened.

What about when we want to see a sign?  Does the absence of a sign mean that IS the sign?  It (being the universe) is telling you "there is nothing to tell you".   Or "the fact that there is no sign IS your sign".  Quit looking.

I don't attend church services on a regular basis, but I do like church.  Sometimes when I'm sitting there, they are speaking directly to me.  And I truly believe that is the point of church.  You live a Christian life in everything you do.  Walking into a church doesn't make you more or less of a Christian.  However, I remember a piece of a sermon very clearly.  Of course, I'm paraphrasing here, but this is what I remember:

• A woman lived in an area where a flood was coming.  Everyone was told to evacuate.  A car drives by and tells the women to get in.  She says, "No.  GOD will save me".  The car leaves.  More rains come.  She climbs on top of the house.  A guy comes by in a boat:  "Get in the boat".  "No, No, GOD will save me."  The boat goes on.  The floods continue.  The woman climbs into a tree.  A helicopter swoops down with a rope:  "Get in the helicopter".  "No, No GOD will save me".  The woman dies and goes to Heaven.  While at the Pearly Gates, she says to Saint Peter "I was a good Christian woman.  I lived my whole life devoted to Christ.  At the time of need, where were you?"  St Peter replies, "Well, we sent you a car, a boat and a helicopter".......

Sometimes we need to remember to get in the car.  Don't wait for the boat.  What if we don't recognize it?

That is really my point here.  What if there is no sign?  No car that comes by and tells us to get in?  Is there always a sign?  Only if it's not the sign we want/don't want - we don't listen?? Just because it doesn't arrive in the package we think it should, doesn't mean it didn't arrive.

OR maybe, we just weren't patient enough.

I have two friends whom have three kids each.  In both instances, the first two were conceived through in-vitro fertilization.  The third?  Came the old-fashioned way.  That child was meant to be born - to be the third child.  OR MAYBE, the third child was supposed to be the first.  They just weren't patient enough. 

There aren't always signs on waiting patiently.  Maybe the car came by and told you to wait for the boat, but the boat didn't get there fast enough for you.

When there is NOTHING, not a thing, not a sign telling us what to look for or where to go next.  MAYBE, just MAYBE, it's telling us, we already know where to go and what to do.  THAT is our sign.  Not having a sign - it's telling us we already know.  We just have to trust ourselves to believe it.  We know what to do or what NOT to do.  We already learned this.  (and that's not always want we want to hear).  We already have our sign. We've had it for a while.  We know what to do.

Tourist of Kona

As a collective bunch, tourist, in general are a very funny group.  And it's not just in Kona. 

I know Europeans make fun us Americans by the things we do when we go there.  Truly, it's really everywhere.  When we visit a place, as a majority (and these are all going to be generalizations), we don't assimilate at all to the local culture.  We look and act just like we do at home, therefore sticking out in a different place.

Chain restaurants.  I'm not personally a fan.  Good thing about chain restaurants:  USUALLY, you know what you will receive.  The quality and consistency of food is the same.  There is safety in that.  HOWEVER, you can eat that at home.  WHY oh WHY my dear tourist of Kona, would you come ALL THE WAY TO HAWAII and eat at Bubba Gump's Fish place.  Please tell me why??  It's near the pier - I get that, so are 100 other places to eat.  On cruise ship Wednesday, all the tourist off the boat are in town.  I get it, it's crowded in town.  And then you buy your son the Forest Gump t-shirt from Bubba Gump's?  Okay, maybe you don't have one of these in your town.  This is the first one you have ever seen.  Please just for me, next time you come to Kona, have lunch at the Fish Hopper across the street. Or at Huggo's on the Rocks - it's just a little further walk.  Great local places, incredible food and a very fun atmosphere.  Please.  You are trying a new place to visit, try a new place to eat.

What is with the matching clothes?  I'm talking about the women here.  Men, have we really taken away all your self-respect?  The couples in matching clothes.  Okay, that's KINDA cute - and I mean kinda.  The lady in her dress made of the same material as the husband's Hawaiian shirt.  BUT, to the three men in matching shirts with their wives.  Really?  I just shook my head.  No words really to write.

Ask a local.  Ask a local ANYTHING.  Where do you like to eat?  What is a local fruit I can't find anywhere but here?  What's the island known for?  Go to the farmer's market.  Try some leikes, try some Portuguese sausage.  Try some poke.

I applaud you for being out and seeing new things.  Try some local things too.  Please, just for me.

We've STILL got it

Granted, I REFUSE to believe I don't look as young I used too.  And I know, "I wouldn't understand"  Of course.  I didn't understand either.

My, this story could get complicated, but really, it's one of the best stories ever.

My BFF comes to town.  And truly, as those of you who don't know, she is the best friend ever.  And for those of you whom know us, well, you know us.

Long story short.  And way too much of a story to still be repeating - I got my heart broke.  But not really, he wasn't mean to me.  And quite honestly I broke HALF of my own heart.  I thought he was something he wasn't.  I will take responsibility for half my heart.  And the other half..... I would do it all again.

What cures a heartache?  Time.  Ugh!! Time sucks.  Sometimes it goes SO slow.

And of course, the GODS were looking out for us.  Carolyn's trip was planned to Colorado in July for her arrival in October.  THANK YOU GOD.  (If you want to thank your GOD for her, please do, she's been a blessing in mine)

We go to Vail.  We are THE ONLY PEOPLE at our hotel. How fun is that.  Granted, it's a small hotel, but still.  When I told my sons "We were the only people at the Sitzmark.  And they left the pool/hot tub open for us."  The look of envy on their faces was priceless.

It's DEAD in Vail.  It's Off-season.  There is not enough snow.  Not enough hiking trails.

Red Lion is CLOSED for a private party.

Dear German Woman at the Door:

Thank you for turning us down and not letting us in.  After all, it WAS a private party. 

I told you we would be back.

Thank you for trying not to smile as you told us we weren't allowed.  

Thanks for not laughing at us after we knocked on the windows and they let us come in. :-)

THANK YOU, for being nice as we ordered drinks from the bar.  Well, we told you we would be back...


Thanks for the new friends we can banter with for years to come.

Oh the friends I've met in Vail.

Thanks for adding a few more to the Rolodex (OMG - that word just came up on Spellcheck)

And THANKS for my thirties........

Swimming

The water makes everything right in the world.

You are weightless.  There is no stress on your joints, your bones, your body.  You are just one with the water.  Oh and the fish, and the turtles.  My favorite fish is the "trumpet fish" - skinny and long.  Very strange looking, but beautiful.

With swimming you are alone with the water.  Alone with the world.  Yet, one.  There is no noise in the water.  You can hear the chains that are attached to the buoys.  They clink.  They sound likes bells under the water.  Nice deep bells.  Not annoying at all.

I understand how people can be scared of the water.  A few years back, while competing in a triathlon, I had a panic attack.   I started out too fast.  There were too many people and I panicked. I was able to recover by flipping over on my back and got my breathing under control.  For the first time in my life, I understood how people could be scared of the water.  Until that point, I never understood it.

Water is a powerful force.  You are completely NOT in control.  After my surfing accident last summer (read Ocean Water Rescue)  I was humbled.  I was never scared and no Nolan, I did not cry.  It made me aware.  Aware that I wasn't in charge.

I'm simply amazed at the number of adults whom don't know how to swim.  Everyone needs to learn to swim.  EVERYONE.  PERIOD.  This planet is made up of more water than land.

Swimming is amazing.  Water is incredible.  And it's calling my name.....

Working hard or hardly working

Most times, when you look at another persons life - we are usually envious.  Envy.  Jealously.  I think those are sins.  Other peoples lives always look better - or worse. 

Although we don't always pay attention to the worse.  We might catch it.  It might become part of our lives.  But when someone is living better than us - we feel sorry for ourselves.  How come they get to live that life???  What about me???

A child with cancer.  We aren't envious of them.  If fact, most people think "Thank God, that isn't me".  Come on be honest.  I track two blogs from moms whose children have cancer.  Quite honestly, I LOVE their blogs.  No, I do not love the fact their child has cancer.  I love their RAW, HONEST and brutal comments.  Life is SO sugar-coated these days. 

Life can suck.  Life can be depressing.  When we look at another persons life, it's easy to look at all that is good in there life.  We don't look at the hard stuff.

I read a quote from Dylan McDermott one time and it said (and I'm paraphrasing) "you get 20 bad years in your life, I just got mine out of the way".  He was referring to his childhood.  If you look at it that way in life - take your 20 years.  Truly, as a child, what you think is bad, isn't really all that bad (most of the time) - so go ahead and get it out of the way.  Of course, these are rambling generalizations.

The point of the story is:  another persons life ALWAYS looks better/worse than ours. 

We forget about behind the scenes:

• No, the actors didn't walk on stage and perform that - they practiced.  
• The Ironman winner - training is 40 hours per week.
• The single mom - yes she has her freedom, but she has her lonely nights too.  Or maybe she doesn't have her freedom.
• That event you attended that everything worked out perfectly - what went into that?
• The woman whom doesn't have to work, has a nanny, and her kids are almost grown - her husband is gone M-F and has a girlfriend.
• You work remotely, and sometimes remotely is from Hawaii.  It's still work and conference calls happen at 3am.

It's always looks easy from others eyes.   The trick or I guess the pattern in life, is well, make it work for you.  Live fast. Be grateful. Make it look like you are hardly working. 

A local whom doesn't live here

Are you here for business or pleasure?  Do you live here or work here?  Yes.  That is the answer.  It's both business and pleasure.  It's living here it's not living here, but knowing people and knowing where to go.  Yes, I also work here - only all my clients are on the East coast.

For years, I've claimed to be "A local whom doesn't live here"  in Vail.  I LOVE Vail.   Of course, I love to people watch.  There is no better place to people watch.  I know the great local places.  The great tourist places.  Where to go for the best specials, the best foods and where not to go.  A local - only I don't live there.

Back in Kona.  Ahhhhhhhh.  An avocado was $1.29 at the DRUG STORE today - AND it was the size of a grapefruit.  No, I didn't buy it - I get them for free on the tree around the corner.  Poke (pronounced Po - kay) - fresh tuna sashmi style - $2.00 for 4 ounces - caught fresh TODAY.  Yum.  Only eat out at Happy Hour.  Everything is cheaper then.  Yummmmmm.

The funny thing about being in a place where you live somewhere, but you really don't is really the people.   We all know bartenders and wait staff have seen it all.  When you are in a tourist town, they have really seen it all.  What happened to me last night is usually the opposite of what happens.

In Denver (and probably most towns), if you go to the same restaurants/bars - they recognize you.  You get a little better service, they know how you tip and to watch out for you.

In new city, people don't know you.  But what about the city you living in, but you don't live in?  Here is where the difference begins.  I knew the bartender and a couple at the end of the bar.  I remembered them from my summer adventure.  They didn't recognize me.  (Maybe it is the fact that I didn't have a black-eye this time.  ;-) )

Tourist towns - the people must all begin to look the same.  All the stories are different - in a way, but yet all the same.

Today, Timeshare Paul recognized me.  He even gave me a hug.  I had tea with the people whom live in "my house".  They recognize me.

I have friends here, but I don't.  I know people, but I don't really know people.  And I'm just here for a short time.  BONUS:  I haven't gotten lost once.   I know my way around.  I'm a local whom doesn't live here.

Passion

Webster defines passion as "the state or capacity of being acted on by external forces.  Intense driving feeling or convection.

Many times in life we confuse love with passion. 

Love is defined as "strong affection"  Or as a verb, "an object of affection"

The difference being strong vs intense.  Passion being ruled by external forces. Most people LOVE lots of things.  LOVE lots of people. 

PASSION - now this is where the numbers dwindle.  How many people do you know whom have passion in their life?  Are passionate about something?  I LOVE watermelon.  Not passionate about watermelon.

And we confuse the two. 

If we are lucky, we know passion.

An acquaintance of mine from years ago was recently told she could no longer practice judo.  Several diginitive  discs in her neck and back.  She's devastated.  Not only does she LOVE this sport - it is her passion.  She feels like the doctors have told her they have to remove a part of her.  And in truth, they do.

Think of all the opera singers, the musicians, the athletes whom LOVE what they do.  Actually, some of them might not love it, but they are good at it.  Others, it helps them breathe.  What about the teachers - the instructors of anything (musical instruments, singing, 4th grade math) whom are truly PASSIONATE about their job.  What's the old saying?  "Love what you do and you will never work a day in your life" 

My youngest son was fortunate enough to make the 7th/8th grade boys basketball team at school.  He's the shortest player on the team.  He probably sees one minute of playing time every OTHER game.  BUT, he's very very lucky.

The head coach is a mom at the school.  She played women's basketball at Princeton.  Then she coached there for a bit.  Her husband is the men's basketball head coach at Denver University.  He has the opportunity to learn from someone whom is still very passionate about basketball.  So passionate in fact, she was ejected from a game for yelling the referee.  Yes, that's right - yelling at the referee at a 7th/8th grade basketball game.  She was ejected and suspended for a game. 

The entire scenario made me laugh as it unfolded.  First of all, she was right.  The ref was wrong.  And she knew it.  And she couldn't let it go.  It's not a matter of right and wrong at that point - it was the passion.

My son has this great opportunity to be coached by someone whom truly is passionate about what they are teaching.

What do you love from 10 years ago?  From when you were a child?  Those things are harder to remember.  We love lots of things in our life.  Only a few know true passion. 

Love comes and goes - passion is forever.  Go find your passion.....