The 5 that Ran!

Today I was sitting at my desk looking out the large window to my right and I heard the voice of a small child about 100 feet away. He was running as fast as his 2 year old legs could run headed for the park. 5 seconds later, there was another, and then another, and another... 5 in all. Little boys about 2yrs old running for the park. The only thoughts they had were of the park and the fun they were going to have.

They weren't thinking about the bills, the work, the house, the cars, the family, the relationship with the spouse, the friend that needs help, the volunteer work that still needed to be done... they were thinking, "I'm gonna make it, I am finally here, The Park!, Fun, move legs move..."

That made me think about my own son, when he was 2, and what I missed when I was working my ass off to make a startup business work and the sacrifices I had to make: Not being home, working weekends, family time... it made me think of how much I miss my little boy still being little without a care in the world. Thinking of him brings me joy and sadness. I want to see him discover, hear his thoughts, feel his pain, experience his joy. I don't want to live through him, I want to help him discover and not be afraid to learn from him as much as he learns from me.

Those 5 little boys spread out all running for the park also reminded me of when I was in kindergarten. We would try and catch honey bees on the dandelions after school... not knowing any better. My classmates were getting stung all the time and it seemed ok... we would also try to catch the little yellow butterflies... then the horn would honk, you'd hear your name, and off you went. Time to go home.

How many things in life do we take for granted trying to make strides in one area while losing them in others? For me, I was working to build a business that would take care of my family, leave a legacy, bring financial stability, and leave behind something my children would be able keep as an asset. I thought I was doing the manly thing. The right thing. The best thing. I thought I was doing what was best for the family.

I thought.

(Which reminds me. One of my football coaches, who is now in the Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame, Dick Tharp, once told me "think about what you are doing out there!" and 10 seconds later asked, "What are you doing?" My reply was... "I thought..." and he cut me off and told me "don't think, react!" That's another whole train of thought right there.)

Too many times people react without thinking! Some situations call for a quick response time... response time that doesn't allow for time to think. Just Do!

So where I am going with these thoughts? That's a question I am asking myself as well. I am trying to feel like I haven't wasted time building a business, when I should have been building borders around my family. I am trying to feel like I don't need to make up for the lost time. I am trying to sort my thoughts and come to an understanding of my actions, beliefs, things I have said, and my feelings. I think I am becoming more Zen like with age, yet... I fear, I am a pessimistic Zen, when I really want to be an optimistic believer in destiny. Is it the NOW or is it the LIFE that one should live for, and does living for one mean you can't or shouldn't live for the other?

Is the NOW more important than ones legacy or the future? Is the legacy more important than living for the now? Can those two philosophy's be blended? Can we live for the now and balance that with who we are, what we believe, what we want, where we're headed, and with the destiny that is yet undiscovered before us?

That first little boy was so determined to get to the playground. It took him over a minute of running as fast as he could to reach it. I am 5 times taller than he and it would have been a long run for me from my window to the park. The last time I ran as fast as I could for a minute was the last time I competitively ran the 400 meter dash... and I puked when I finished. The whole time I was thinking, "I hope I make it", "This run sucks", "I am never running this again", "Hey, I am in first!... no wait, everyone is starting to pass me... Hey, how did I finish last?!"

Five of them. There were five of them. Running. Smiling. Looking at their feet. Wishing them to move faster. And they inspired me. They inspire me to live and to learn and to run and to look where my feet are landing. They inspire me to be young, carefree, and not worry about what's around me... just where I am headed.

The 5 of them ran...

...and then???

They played!

He said, "Mighty Kind, Thank you!"

A Month ago I was in Lincoln for a family event. I stopped at the former Burwells gas station, now Thorton Oil, to use the ATM and get some cash. I pulled $80 out of the machine and was going to get some singles to stuff in family members envelope for a wedding gift.

As I was in line, I noticed the homeless guy, yes... I said 'the' homeless guy, who always has his bike with him. Except lately I hadn't seen his bike. As far as I know, he is the only openly homeless person in Lincoln. He was looking through the cheap bags of dollar candy and I noticed he had a single dollar in his hands.

Many times I have seen him, most times hanging at the car wash scavenging for change and cigg butts by the waste cans. A couple of times I would leave piles of change on the ledge by the vacuum after vacuuming my car. This day was different. I know exactly why I did, what I did next. I live by a code, if you will, that has been the core of the compassion within me. In Proverbs, it says to "withhold not, good from those to whom it is do, when it is the power of your hand to do so."

Without thinking about it, I took one of the twenty dollar bills, folded it, and walked over to him. In a quietly confident voice I said "hey brother, here you go..." and I held out the bill. At first he didn't acknowledge me, probably not sure I was talking to him, but as I stood there, not moving and gently looking at him, he gazed up, smiled, and said "mighty kind, thank you."

I have seen this man in Lincoln for almost 15 years and never once spoken to him, and hardly ever saw him speak to anyone. But you know what? he had a great smile.

Terry O'Quinn WINS!!

I flew in from Florida last night, drove home, packed up the fam and headed to my buddy Tom's house. Tom is the younger brother, one of many for Terry, of Terry O'Quinn.

First a quick story....
I was at my buddy Tom Q's house a month ago helping him finish a door installation and trim, when he walked into the room and said "...well, hey just a second, please say hello to my buddy Kevin who's here helping me install this door!"... (Tom hands me the phone and says in whispered tones "It's my brother Ter!")... I was totally surprised and, at the expense at sounding clicheist, totally star struck. I didn't know what to say, but I wanted to say something fast and something normal. He probably gets the same shpeel from every one who has ever wanted to talk to him. So I said,:
Kevin: Hi Terry!
Terry: Hi, so my brothers trying to be a carpenter huh?
Kevin: Well... he's trying.
Terry: (Chuckles)
Kevin: Thanks for taking time to talk to me.
Terry: No problem Kevin, it's my pleasure.
Kevin: So is this 1st Tom has told you about his buddy Kev? Or do you feel like know me?
Tom: (Throws his hands in the air because he knows he's busted)
Terry: Well, uh, I am sure he has.
Kevin: Tom knows he's busted, that's ok, he's just respecting his older brother.
Terry: He's a good brother.
Kevin: Did Tom tell you I tried to get him to go with me to Hawaii to visit you?
Terry: No.. he didn't.
Kevin: That's ok, the week I was trying to arrange was when the floods came.
Terry: ahh
Kevin: Kimm said she wouldn't let him go without her.
Terry: She wears the pants in that family, this I know. My wife is the same way.
Kevin: Your right about that.
Terry: Well, I was traveling when that happened and wouldn't have been here, but you would have been more than welcome.
Kevin: Terry, I'm sorry Tom put us on the spot, but perhaps we will get a chance to meet face to face and swap Tom stories some day?
Terry: Yea, well, the next time I am out that way to see Tommy, perhaps we will get an opportunity
Kevin: That would be great, well I won't take up any more of your time, I know you and Tom have a script to complete... here's Tom.
Terry: Ok, thanks Kevin, it was nice to meet you.
Kevin: No, it was nice to meet you....

I gave the phone back to my buddy Tom. Ten minutes later he walks in the room and tells me "Ter got nominated for another Emmy!" "SWEET" I replied.

So... back to my first story:
I pack the fam up and we head to my buddy Tom Q's place for what is hopefully to be an Emmy celebration party at Tom's older brother Terry winning the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a TV Drama. I brought along the new cigars I just bought while in Florida, just in case.


We get there and we are the first to arrive. They are still putting away groceries and trying to get a few party munchies out before the Emmy's start... but they are way behind... THAY ARE ON!

Tom's wife tells him to pause the TiVo recording while they get things together. Meanwhile, I am trying to find anything to do to help them, because we don't it to take all night preparing and have to leave before it ever gets started. Five minutes later, the first cell phone rings. Tom's wife answers it and says: "Don't tell me anything, don't tell me anything, don't tell me anything, I can't talk right now, I gotta go, I love you ,bye" and immediately hangs up. Two seconds later, the home phone rings. Tom says... "DON'T ANSWER IT!"... Tom's cell phone rings... Kim says "DON'T ANSWER IT" Tom's begs his wife to forget the dip and start the TiVo back up!

We fast forward until we see Terry, the home phone rings again, Tom says "DON'T ANSWER IT!" Kim answers it and says, "Don't tell me anything, I gotta go, Bye!" and hangs up on who ever it is. It is onlY the second award of the evening coming up... we are all crossing our fingers and looking anxiously at each other letting all know we hope this happens. "And the Emmy goes to:....... Terry O'Quinn!"

...And the house goes wild the 2 cell phones are ringing again, the home phone is ringing the kids are running into the house screaming because they think something is wrong because the adults are screaming. We are shaking our fists and jumping up and down, the girls are screaming and hugging, the kids are now screaming because Uncle Ter WON!

Everyone jumps on their phones to call someone and tell somebody!
Ten minutes later, Tommy Boy and Keveroni our out front lighting up a fat 10" cigar goin "He did it Baby!" to each other.

Other friends pull up out front who tried to call, but went unanswered, we all headed in to watch it again!

What a night!

What did you think of Terry's hot Pink Shirt??

“You know, sometimes when we are rolling around in the jungle in the mud, and we’re hitting each other and stabbing each other, and they’re pouring in the blood and turning on the sprinklers, I wonder what it would be like to bake up a sheet of cookies on Wisteria Lane.” He then quickly added, “And get one of their checks.”

I know... I have been Horrible!

I have received yet another email this week asking "What happened to you?". So, here I am giving it another Broo-Ha attempt.

I leave tomorrow for a 'business' trip to Florida (wink) and a few days, in what better be sun filled days, for some Beach Bum time. Gonna fly into Tampa, go to Thompson Cigar, drive to Orlando and goto Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and stay the night at Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios. The next day I have a business luncheon/meeting and then will proceed to Clearwater beach again for a couple of days.

I am hoping to be able to meet up with caricature artist, Roby McDougal from St. Pete, to try and get him under contract for our soon to be released website CreateMyCaricature.com .

Life has been very busy lately and I have re-connected with 4 very dear friends from my grade school and Jr high days. One of them I haven't seen since the end of 8th grade... Jimmy Mollette, if you are reading, this one's for you (by the way, if you live in Indiana... he is a great State farm rep and I highly recommend him - www.jimmymollette.com).

I used to leave my house, go to Terry James' house, wake him up because he could never get out of bed on his own, we would then walk to Jimmy's house and the three of us would walk to Craig Strampp's home to get him, and then the 4 of us would walk to school together... almost everyday, unless Terry wouldn't wake up, for 5 years.

I will make better attempts to keep my blog more current. I have 3 partial blogs I have started and not brought o completion, so I do have some future material to pull from.

If any of you blog-mates are going to be in Orlando Thursday night, join us for dinner!