101% to Goal, Mariah, Mass Shooting, 800 Parakeets, A Challenge

"Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them, they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure."
— Stephen King

Day two of our Florida getaway, I must say I love spending quality time with my wife. We had a great day yesterday; we had a sales meeting in the morning, we totaled our sales and were 101% to goal, not bad, and we ramped up production over 2020. I think  2022 will be our best year ever; at this point, every year is our best year ever.

We took care of a client in Colorado, and then my wife and I took a long walk along the beach. After a few miles, we grabbed some white wine and a Greek salad, trying to eat and drink light this trip. After that, we came back to our Air B and B and grabbed our water and then went on another long walk; coming back, we stopped at a bar we had visited last year; the waitress, Mariah, said I remember you two, you are from Colorado. How amazing is that?

While sitting and having an afternoon drink, we met a couple of men with four homes; their most recent purchase was outside of Mexico City; they gave us a virtual tour, which was simply amazing. They said many ex-pats are heading down to the area; I think we will check it out; it might be our next home.  

We returned, spent some time, took a nap, and then headed out to Casablanca, our favorite local restaurant. We had dinner at the bar and returned home to get a great night of sleep. Cousin arrived last night; we will connect with him today and spend our day getting some Vitiman D on the beach. We have dinner reservations for tonight at S3, another one of our favorite places. We are talking about maybe spending some more time in this area, perhaps a couple of weeks a month in the winter; the beach is lovely, as are the people. My wife has a sentimental place in her heart for this place, many memories from Fort Lauderdale.

In the news, there was a mass shooting in Denver, a man that was mentally impaired took five lives at various places; one was shot about 20 minutes from our mountain home. He, like me, was a self-published author, but his books had to do with folks that were not happy with society and took it upon themselves to fix what they saw as errors. So he wrote what he was going to do. I would suspect that the last 24 months of isolation was the straw that broke this man—just a thought.

Here's a lovely story of hoarding, a man delivered over 800 parakeets to a local shelter in Detriot. Unfortunately, his father had a hankering for the birds had all in one room, and authorities claimed it was a very unhealthy situation. So if you ever had a want of a colored bird, get your ass to Detroit Rock City and adopt a new friend.

I feel like I'm entering a new season, one of health and wealth. I think that the season I'm currently in is ending, it's been fun, but I'm going to make some minor changes that will make 2022 my best year. I don't want to reveal too much now, but soon I will be establishing some rules that I will live by; I think it essential to view one's life and make changes as time passes.

You are reading the words of a delighted man, a man in love with the most beautiful woman in the world. A man who helped make three young contributors to society and people replicating the lessons they were taught to their children. I will leave a legacy, and although my current heritage is rich, I'm just getting started. In 2022, I'll release another book, perform my second Ted Talk, and maybe surprise a few people with an idea I'm mulling around in my head. 

I challenge you also to do some introspective thinking about who you are and what you can do to make society better. What can you do to make the dark a little lighter? Maybe smile a little more, buy the person behind you in line a cup of coffee, or perhaps give someone in need a $20.00 bill. It's up to those of us who have achieved some treasure to give back, help others, join me in making the world the best world we can collectively create.

"Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them, they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure."
— Stephen King