Here’s to the Ugly Ones, The Sins of Chick-Fil-A, Pollen, Victimhood, Overcoming Hurdles, Hang On!

"And I wondered if hurdlers ever thought, 'This would go faster if we just got rid of the hurdles."
— John Green

Good morning beautiful people; how are you. I would also like to shout out to those not so pretty, and here’s to the ugly ones. We are all beautiful, all-in different ways. I find the more attractive people are, the more entitled they become. But then again, I know some handsome and gorgeous people that are the definition of humble. You pick how you interact with society, don’t let your ego take control.

A great day yesterday; I worked at the house until 10:45 and headed north to visit a client. I offered to bring loves of bread and fish, but they opted for Chick-fil-A. Pro tip if you want to take food to a client, might I suggest Chick-Fil-A.  I fed a large group for under $80.00. I arrived, they said grace, and at the end of the meal, I did share if Jesus were around today, he would dispense with the bread and fish and order Chick-Fil-A.

Another observation I made when picking up the food was looking for Chick-Fil-A on a resume when hiring. If they work at a Chick, they like to smile, are kind, and get along with others. I remember when I first heard about the restaurant. The LGBTQA+LMNOP groups demonized it for being anti-gay. But I researched and found that they had no anti-gay rhetoric, their sin? They believed in traditional marriage, and you could not buy one of their delicious golden sandwiches on Sunday.

Today I have an 8:00 to 9:00 a 9:00 to 1:00, and then a whole afternoon of catch up after being in meetings all morning. I have a 4:00 as well, so this is a busy day. I slept magical last night; we started a new series, West World, on HBO Max. It’s a little weird, lots of naked robots. It’s three seasons; I think we will lean into that world for a spell. My wife a delicious supper, I clocked 8 hours of sleep, I feel great, and I’m ready to start the day; it’s about 6:21 a.m.

As we were sitting on the deck this weekend, I saw a green haze forming in the sky. I watched as our neighbor’s pine began blowing in the wind and releasing pollen sheets. I have never seen that type of pollen, and thank God I don’t’ have allergies; the green invader covered our tables, chairs, and other furniture; it was a green mess.

As I drove to my appointment, I listened to NPR; I needed an awakening of my un-woke mind. I learned about an author fighting against the binary world, looking at life through a non-binary lens, writing stories about inclusion, and allowing people to love who they want and identify as they choose. Of course, women of color are the most suppressed segment of our population. The woman said she fights against white supremacy daily, taking its toll. Interestingly, some like to use their natural-born features as a weapon against others. Instead of playing the victim, why not play the hero? Is it your choice?

Many folks are playing the victim card these days; I’m too short, I’m too fat, I’m not the right color, my parents divorced, and I went to public school.  The list can go on and on if you let it, but instead of focusing on your shortcomings, why not choose to lean into your gifts? I was born a six-foot white man. I can’t jump, I can’t have fun fast, and I did not get the athletic privilege, but I’m not bitching and moaning about these shortcomings. Instead, I looked for gifts given to me by something bigger than myself and then leveraged those in society. It’s not rocket science.

Every man, woman, child, trans, insert inclusive language here is given gifts. Yes, we are all given hurdles. Some choose to focus on the burden. Others choose to focus on how to jump over, crawl under, go around or knock the hurdles down. Don’t’ let anything stop you from being your best self. You owe it to the world to not complain, to focus on the positive, and strive to be a completion of the ideals you were born with. Life would be a tedious, meaningless, awful experience without the hurdles.

I have noticed a slight change in my heart rate. I’ve made one small change in my dietary intake; aside from that, I’m the same man I was ten days ago. But my Oura ring is now shared with me. My heart rate is dropping. I have an elevated body temperature, so that I might have a slight bug. But as of writing these words, I feel perfect and have the clarity I need to be my best self. My sleep is optimal, getting 2 hours and 3 minutes of REM sleep; that’s my dream weaver time; I enjoy going to other worlds.

We have a busy week; we will meet some friends this weekend; I’m setting up my final appointments today for the rest of our time here. Soon we will load up and head West, but for now, we love our time in the valley. I cannot remember when I was more in love with my wife, family, and communities. I appreciate all things life; I’m blessed, lucky, and although not privileged in all areas, I use my gifts to help me live my best life.

Change is coming; hold on; if you don’t like the current world conditions, be patient; change is around the corner. Society is like the weather; it will give us everything we enjoy. Some like snow, others like unrest, and others like the rule of law. Some like to kill babies, others want to protect the lives of the unborn, and some like hot summer days. Life is much like the weather cycles, and if you don’t’ like what’s going on, hang on for a few months, and things will change. Change is life, and life changes; if you are not happy, give it a little bit and relish in the world you helped create.

"And I wondered if hurdlers ever thought, 'This would go faster if we just got rid of the hurdles."
— John Green