You know those days where you feel like you’re getting a head cold, you don’t have time to cut your grass, your meetings went longer than expected, on top of that you forgot a meeting, you’re behind on sending invoices, bills are due tomorrow, you never get through your emails, so much for going on that run, and you still have 5 hours until the workday is finished?
That’s me right now.
I’d let out a cleansing yell, but there’s no way I could find the energy.
So I’m waiting for Annette to get home from a movie. Before she left, she made me promise I wouldn’t watch American Idol without her. The girls are in bed, and I flip through the channels to find some background noise to help me get through some freelance work. I’ve landed on Frontline, and they’re featuring some climbers who got caught on Mt. Everest during a huge storm in 1996.
I have no clue what it’s like to be driven so hard to accomplish something so remarkable. These people seem so familiar and almost ordinary. But there’s nothing ordinary about people who can discipline themselves so and push that hard towards a goal. They knew the risks when they set their minds to attempt the climb. Several of them are missing all of their fingers.
I’ve done a few things in my life that took some serious drafts of courage. I went skydiving right after I graduated from college. That was absolutely amazing. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if it weren’t so dang expensive.
I went rock climbing in Oklahoma (or was it Kansas?) several years ago with some friends who knew a lot more about climbing than I did. I believe at the peak we were a little under 1000 feet off the ground. I still get a little woozy thinking about it.
Marriage isn’t quite as physically risky, but it’s definitely an intense journey that you have to commit to much like you would a climb up Everest. Annette and I have a drive to climb together for the long haul. We get jazzed about what it will be like to look back on our life together years from now seeing how God has redeemed all the difficult times that we went through together.
Parenting? I probably don’t even have to explain that. It don’t matter how you got yourself into this gig… By plan or by accident…you’re on the ride. I guess it’s more like the storm these climbers got slapped by. 29,035 feet up, in the dark, and the wind hits. You know it has to get easier at some point, but there’s no way to forecast that. You’re tripping over rocks, eyelids freezing together, and no matter what advice people yell in your ear, their voice will never be louder than the wind. Hold on to one another, and just keep heading in the general direction of base camp, if you even think you know where it might be.
The more I learn about life, the more I realize that EVERYTHING carries risk. And ANYTHING worth spending these precious days of life doing takes a lasting, enduring commitment. I am in awe of people who can pull out unspeakable strength to move THROUGH great difficulty rather than allow themselves to lay down and die in it. These climbers literally had to shout out loud to themselves, “DON’T SLEEP! Stay awake! Stay awake!” One man forced himself to try to do dance moves while laying in the cold, cyclonic wind just to keep his body producing heat.
Carlos over at ragamuffinsoul.com has asked his readers to chime in each Thursday with random examples of creativity in action. We call it “Creative Chaos.”
So I’ve already blown my predictions for these last couple of weeks. So based on tonight’s performances, here’s my new predictions.
Whatcha think? How do you think it’ll shake down?
Winner: David Archuleta
Runner-up: David Cook
3rd: Syesha
Going Home This Week: Jason
Annette and I have become addicted to a PBS show called “Globetrekkers.” The show has quite a few ‘travellers’ who each host their own episodes. They occasionally hit up pretty normal places, but most of the time, they’re taking you to places you normally wouldn’t think about visiting. What I love is how un-polished the show is… It’s not one of those shows that’s really an advertisement for a multitude of brands. The travellers are normally hitchhiking, taking cabs, and staying in local lodging.
This is a great show to watch if you want to authenticate your world view of cultures. Seeing nations from this perspective is a little bit like the perspective you get from going on a short term mission trip.
This week, Ian Wright took us to Iran. Some things we learned…
So last night was beautiful. Drove the fam home from the country with the sunroof open.
And I forgot to close it.
It rained this morning.
Thank goodness my seats are leather. But the cupholders were about 1/2″ full of water. And my business incorporation papers were in a folder next to said cupholders. Along with some mail, and a bunch of other stuff.
I hope the sun comes out after this rain passes. I’ll have to leave my sunroof open again just to get fully dried out.
Sad thing is I’ve done this twice before in my life. But this was the first time for this vehicle.
Trying to get better at this photography thing. Took the camera to Jon and Katy’s rehearsal dinner tonight at the McGarity House. Click Here to see the full gallery.
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For the record, I felt like a goober carrying my camera around… Chris is standing next to me as a groomsman, and Katie was there with him. They are the geniuses. It’s like singing next to Pavarotti.
