Out with the Old . . . Farewell 2011

Today marks the 66^th change of year commemoration during my lifetime. I don’t count this as unusual. Every living person will experience this same event based on the number of years each has spent on this planet. The interesting thing to me is that each year seems to pass faster and faster, yet nothing has changed. Each year still consists of 365 days (except leap years, of which 2012 is). Each day still consists of 24 hours each representing 60 minutes and so on. So, time is still constant. What is changing is my perception and . . . me.

This posting is about what was – what happened. What occurred this year of my life that made an impact on me in some way? This is my retrospective. Perhaps, you’ll want to consider your year in retrospect. Everything that happened to each of us this past year made us a slightly, or perhaps, a considerably changed individual. I won’t even guess about your year, but perhaps some of the things that happened to me will spark your thoughts.

1. I spent the month of January in Florida, the first time in my life where I spent longer then at least a month someplace other then the place I considered “home” and I loved it.
2. I lost two of my contemporaries to death – two people of my age bracket who each was a part of my life at some significant level. I faced my own mortality on a much more realistic level.
3. I was involved in the worst auto accident of my life, an altercation with a deer on a very dark mountain road in North Carolina. The car was a total loss, but I walked away unscathed. I could have been killed. I, again, faced my own mortality.
4. The wrecked car required that I replace it. Through a lot of soul searching and past and immediate research, I decided to buy the used high-top van I’m converting into a micro motor home for one person – the 40-foot dream scaled down to an 18-foot reality.
5. I broke out of, yet, another comfort zone. I broke the large comfort zone on October 31, 2008 when I left the ranch for my life of nomadic freedom. I promptly created a new comfort zone (actually, three) with my friend’s place in Falls Church, VA, my other friend’s office in Fairfax and my other friend’s place in Winchester (the small rural city I lived in for the past 27 years). The deer/auto accident in August and the acquisition of the van were the catalysts for breaking these comfort zones – probably 2 ½ years late.
6. I actually accomplished a major breakthrough in simplifying my life. I met with my accountant of about 25 years and gave him the preliminary financial data for my 2011 business year and it required only two pages. He was astounded and congratulated me on making one of the most positive moves since he’s known me.
7. I didn’t travel as much as I would have liked this past year, only about 6,000 to 7,000 miles. But, that will be rectified in 2012 with trips that are already scheduling up.
8. Generally, my health remained very good other then contracting Lyme Disease in June. I caught it early and received treatment and that appears to be in the past. But, I got off track after the August accident and breaking the comfort zones this fall, allowed stress to gain a bit of a foothold and I packed on some of the pounds I had lost and with that my cholesterol and triglycerides have gone back into the too “high” range. Work to do.
9. I’ve moved just about all of my long-term storage out of Winchester, VA to a storage space in Keyser, WV. It’s near my friend’s house that I’m now using as a temporary base of operations as I clear up the final vestiges of my former life and comfort zones.
10. I completed the writing for my first book. I’ll complete going through it and cleaning it up a bit and then to the editor and the designer. I believe it’s the hardest book to complete (in my estimation). The book will be ready for consumption by anyone who cares to read it very soon in 2012.
11. The year has been a time of introspective analysis, especially the last five months, again, the catalysts being the loss of one important person in my life and the accident with the deer. I’ve looked back over 54 years of business involvement (beginning at age 12), nearly 50 years in the recording and audio (and a little video) industries and about 12 years in the book publishing industry. I’ve finally faced some self-made myths, apparitions and realities and accepted them. I’m finally able to release certain things that I’ve clung to and that have held me back in many ways. More freedom realized.
12. I have focused on my writing and blogging. My blog following, though still small, is constantly expanding and encompasses some 20 to 30 countries. I’ve learned a lot about what I have to do to grow in the cyber world. I’ve met (though not in person, yet) several new people traveling similar, yet, unique paths in freedom, simplicity and frugal living to mine own. Their life adventures affirm my own and, I hope, I’m contributing a little to theirs. All of this is clarifying my future projects and pathways.

So, there are twelve things I can immediately identify as events during 2011 that have shaped my living free experience. There were surely numerous others, but each of these twelve things will form a part of the foundation for 2012. Each requires me to follow through on some positive course of action. Will these be New Years resolutions – absolutely not. I am of the mindset that New Years resolutions don’t work. They are a form of goal setting based on a date that simply marks the end of a man created period of time and the beginning of a new one. Do I have goals? Of course, but they are not determined by this intangible change of time period.

This morning I had my own celebration of the end of this year. I stopped at the local Sheetz convenience store and bought one of their “made to my order” breakfast muffins. I pack them full of all kinds of great stuff. Mmmmm! Delicious. Then I made a stop at the local WalMart and picked up a few things including almond milk, which I much prefer to regular dairy milk and it’s better for me as well. But, while I was there, I purchased two large, powdered-sugar covered, jelly-filled donuts and a pint of chocolate milk. I then devoured them in the van while listening to Click & Clack, the comedic Boston based auto repair mavens on their public broadcasting show, “Car Talk.” Did I need any of that stuff in my stomach? Of course I didn’t. Then why did I do it? Simple! Because I chose to do it. I don’t make a habit of eating so destructively, but if I can’t indulge in some of the delicious evils of life, am I really free and is life really worth living? Now, it’s back to healthier eating, which is my normal pattern.

If you're reading this post, you are one of the terrific folks who stop by and consume my musings. Thank you for your time and eyes. I can only say I appreciate you and I sincerely hope that you've gained some useful information or ideas to make your life more like you want it to be. 

Farewell 2011! It’s been a good year and a bad year. But, I choose for it to all end up good for me. Best wishes for a happy, healthy and abundant 2012.

Enthusiastically,

Ed

Photo of the Week #34 – Winter on the Ranch

We’re back in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia this week. Since I no longer live on the ranch, it’s now a travel location for me. When I’m in the area, I attempt to drive by the old homestead once in a while. The fences are falling into disrepair. That’s sad because it does detract from the beauty of the property. I always made sure the fences were kept up.

This photo was from the winter of 2007, about a year and a half or so before I left the ranch. Yes, indeed, we did see our share of snow in the Valley. Not every year mind you. Some years we barely had enough to even consider plowing the nearly quarter mile driveway to the house. But, in 2003, two weeks after I moved in (on February 1^st) I had major surgery and right after I got back to the ranch after the surgery we had 30” of snow around the house. It took a large Caterpillar bulldozer to plow the driveway. Thankfully, a neighbor had one and was opening up everyone’s driveway along the country road we all lived on.

I have to admit, though I’d just as soon not see snow, but it was mighty pretty on the ranch when the snow was on the ground. According to the weather predictions for the 2011/2012 winter we’re likely to see very little snow in this region. As a matter of fact, they are predicting the ski resorts from Virginia and parts of West Virginia north through Pennsylvania, New York and New England can look forward to a very poor skiing season this year. Now, here’s the caveat, when the forecasters predict little or no snow, we usually get clobbered by at least one significant blizzard. I plan to be on the road somewhere warmer when that happens. But, even Georgia and northern Florida have experienced snow in recent winters. So, where do I head? Happy Winter 2012.

2011 Holiday Season Reflections

Santa Ed (yes, that’s actually me)

Another year has come and gone. Wow! Where did it go? Here it is, December 23, 2011 and I’m experiencing the 66^th Christmas holiday season of my life. I think most of us take these things for granted. A year starts, life happens, the Christmas holiday season comes around again, the big crystal ball drops on Times Square in NYC and another year begins. It’s just business as usual.

I don’t see it that way. First, I’m just amazed that I’m still here 66 years after the beginning of my existence in this world. Sure, I’ve experienced the same amount of time on this planet as anyone else who has reached my age. But, allow me to approach this from a slightly different perspective. I’ve noted several times that my most valuable . . . actually, priceless commodity is time. So, to this date, and these numbers are probably about 99.9% accurate, I have enjoyed and been blessed to spend:

800 months

3,471 weeks

24,377 days

585,048 hours

35,102,880 minutes

2,106,272,800 seconds

. . . on this Earth.

Those numbers astonish me. I doubt that you (and most people) ever look at your life from this point of reference. Even if a person only lives to 33 years of age, he or she becomes a “seconds” billionaire of this priceless commodity - time. I look back and think of all the things I’ve experienced and accomplished from speaking my first words and taking my first steps through all the people who have passed through my life and have each added to and enriched my life in some important way. Then I consider all my professional achievements, each of which has impacted the world in some small way and accordingly left me more fulfilled. When I add the places I’ve traveled to, the foods I’ve enjoyed and the innumerable and varied experiences I’ve been privileged to participate in, the vast majority being wonderful (yes, and some, not so wonderful, perhaps, even painful) but, all enriching my life in some way . . . WOW!

Perhaps this sounds more like a Thanksgiving message, but it’s actually a timeless message. This message can be applied to one’s birthday, a Thanksgiving celebration, a Christmas or other any other kind of religious commemoration and a New Years celebration. This is the kind of reflecting that too many people don’t do until they are old, I mean really old. Not too long ago, 66 was considered old. A few generations before that 45 was considered really old. Our earlier ancestors were lucky to live into their 30’s. But, today, the saying is that 60 is the new 40. Correspondingly, 66 must be the new 46. So, 66, to my mind, is not old at all. However, I have fully acknowledged and accepted that I’m on my way to third base and will soon be heading to home plate. My wish for my life (and everyone else’s) is that we’ll all make it to home plate, slide in, with our bodies tired and worn out from playing an excellent game and scoring the home run.

Unfortunately, some may falter on the way around the bases, being impeded by medical or, perhaps, mental challenges. Others will be tagged out before making it all the way around the bases and having their game end early. No one knows for sure if they’ll make it to home plate. I lost one teammate in my game this past August. I just learned that I lost another teammate last April. They were both tagged out before they even got to third base. I’m sure you’ve lost “team mates,” too. It’s sad, but it’s part of the game.

Here’s the key. It doesn’t matter how much money, material possessions, status, position, education or any other external displays of wealth anyone has, the game is the same for everyone. Steve Jobs, a billionaire in financial terms and certainly in status and position, was tagged out before he made it around to home plate. Actually, he was just getting off second base. I just learned of another man I’ve enjoyed working with, in the theater I did sound design at, who made it around and slid into home plate just a day ago. John did not have the financial wealth, status or position that Steve Jobs had, but he made it all the way around the bases and scored the home run.

I’m not big on celebrating the Christmas holiday season. While some may consider me the Grinch, as you can see from the photo, I can actually be a rather jolly fellow. But, in fact, living free is the greatest gift of all for me. No matter how anyone defines personal freedom for his or her individual life, we are all still part of the game. I choose, after too many years of leading a complicated life in business (some call it the rat race), to live simply and frugally and focus on the two areas of greatest value in my life, my time and my relationships. I find great fulfillment in carefully giving (or possibly tithing) of my time to people and causes I believe in. My belief is that I am giving more value then just doling out money. I do my best to not squander my time. And I am careful to not allow others to waste or abuse it. I treat it as the priceless commodity that it is.

I am also doing my best at placing ever greater value on the relationships I have with people I know from my past, people in my present life and those new relationships with people I haven’t even met, yet. I’m letting you and them know just how much you and they have enriched and fulfilled my life and continue to do so. I hope, as my gift to you and each of them, I have and can continue to enrich and fulfill your life and their lives, at some level . . . at least a little bit.

My wish for you is that you cherish your priceless time and enjoy and gain the most fulfillment from every second. I, personally, have no issue with anyone acquiring significant or even great wealth and abundance. I just hope that those individuals don’t place more value on money and “stuff” while letting their priceless time slip away and missing the opportunities to share their lives with the people most important to them. Go for the home run and slide into the plate battered, worn out and tired. Play a great game of life.

And, finally, thank you for being an important . . . no . . . make that, a priceless part of my life. Have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas, Hanukkah or holiday season, regardless of how you enjoy this time. I also extend my best wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperous (however you define prosperity) and living free 2012.  

Enthusiastically,

Ed

Photo of the Week #33 – The Blue Ridge Mountains

This photo illustrates why they are called the Blue Ridge Mountains. While the Blue Ridge Mountains are far from the highest mountains in the world or even in the U.S. or North America, they provide some of the most beautiful views in the country. I shot this photo in July of 2005 at one of the scenic overlooks along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway extends from the Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro, Virginia (on Afton Mountain) to Cherokee, North Carolina near Asheville and the Cherokee Indian Reservation. This particular shot was taken in North Carolina not far from the Virginia border and Galax, Virginia. You’re looking east toward the Piedmont region.

Virginia and North Carolina are mountainous in the western parts of the states, fairly flat and lower in elevation in the central piedmont region and finally, the lowlands are along the Atlantic coastline. This particular location was at about 2,900 feet above sea level. The Piedmont below, other then the smaller mountains in the background, is at around 1,000 feet. The mist through the mountains is what causes the bluish color, thus, the Blue Ridge. It’s difficult for those folks from the western part of the U.S. who live in or near the Rockies, the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges to call the eastern mountain ranges “mountains,” though each state, both North Carolina and Virginia, have mountains that reach at least a mile high. But, for the most part the eastern mountains are somewhat less then 4,000 feet. However, the eastern mountains are much older then the western mountains and very lush in vegetation and beautiful rivers and streams.

If you’ve never experienced any of the eastern mountain ranges, the 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway and it’s connected northern sister, the Skyline Drive, an additional 105 miles, through the Shenandoah Forest National Park from Front Royal, VA to Rockfish Gap is well worth your time. The combined distance is 574 miles. Take at least three to four days to make the trip and stop off in some of the small towns along the way, like Mt. Airy, North Carolina where Andy Griffith was born and raised and was a model for his hit TV series, “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960-1968) and Galax, Virginia, home of the legendary “Old Fiddler’s Convention” drawing fiddlers from around the world. And in North Carolina you won’t want to miss the Biltmore Estate at Mt. Pisgah (the Parkway runs through the original estate property) and Boone.    

My Three Universal Laws + One

I’ve said this before. “Freedom isn’t free.” We are born free, but the older we get the more things seem to encumber us. The society we live in, no matter how advanced or primitive, places limitations, restrictions, boundaries and other forms of constraints on us. The majority conforms and lives within what we might call the “mainstream” norms or standards of the society. A few of us push the envelope and live on the fringe. Fewer still push outside the envelope and live, perhaps, the freest of all. No matter where each of us fits in this spectrum, deep inside there is a spark of that freedom. Most learn to keep that spark hidden, buried, if you will. As we mature and approach the other end of the living experience, many will attempt to let that spark get a bit brighter and reach out for some more of that freedom. One thing that is always constant is that freedom isn’t free and there is always some kind of price for whatever we want in life, including more freedom.

Over the years I have discovered three universal laws. The first two, I attribute to my dear and departed friend, John Jay Daly. The third law I added after being in business for 25 or 30 years. A universal law is a law that is not created by men or women. It is simply something that always is. These three laws are:

1. No matter what it is, it ALWAYS takes longer then you estimated or planned.

2. No matter what it is, it ALWAYS costs more then you planned or budgeted.

3. No matter what it is, after careful and calculated research, shopping and negotiating to get the best deal, it is ALWAYS available somewhere for less. 

 These three laws apply to virtually everything in our human existence. And, while it may appear that something didn’t take more time or cost more or you didn’t find it cheaper after you made your decision and purchased, the fact is, if you peel away the layers, you’ll always find the universal laws still apply. We mostly take these laws for granted. In reality, we’d probably drive ourselves crazy or become paralyzed by the paralysis of analysis if we focused too much on these universal laws and attempt to beat them or disprove them. We simply do the best we can, accept the outcome and move forward.

There is a fourth universal law that I’m adding to my list. This one is so pervasive in our lives that, in my particular case, at least, I accepted it, took it for granted and never realized that it is a universal law. So,

 

     4.  No matter who you are, your station in life or how wealthy/poor you are – “Life happens!” 

Perhaps, in more colloquial terms it is stated that “S**t happens.” You’ve seen it on bumper stickers, I’m sure.

This law is totally indisputable. It doesn’t matter who you are, how important your position, how much money you have, where you live – there are no exceptions and no one is exempt or escapes this law – like it or not – life happens for everyone. It's often connected with the statement, "Life is not fair," which is also true, or is it? A subject for another day, perhaps. I dare say that there is probably not a single human being walking the face of the Earth today who is exactly where they planned to be when they began their adult life. They are not doing precisely what they planned to be doing, with exactly who they planned to be with and doing whatever it is with that person or group that was part of some grand or simple plan they started life with. Sure, maybe we can plan to have two eggs over easy with bacon and toast for breakfast this morning – you planned that by making sure all the ingredients were in inventory the night before. However, even something as simple as that can be significantly impacted by a traffic light that turned red and stopped you. This caused you to arrive a few moments after the store closed the evening before to buy one or more of the ingredients for the breakfast. You might have been late due to an unexpected situation at the office or an unusual traffic jam on your route home. The possibilities are endless.

If you’re into self-help books and audio programs (and I published self-help books and produced self-help audio programs for a number of years – and I’ve certainly read and listened to countless self-help books audio programs), I’m sure you’ve heard the age old cliché’s about, “if you fail to plan you plan to fail” or “you must write your short term and long term goals down and read them everyday to stay on plan.” What can I say? They are true and they help. Planning for just about everything from preparing a meal to taking a family vacation to progressing in your profession, etc. definitively help you achieve the goals you’ve written down for yourself. And, certainly some of these things will come to pass pretty close to the plan and the goals.

However, it’s the “life happens” factor that we can’t account for. Life is dynamic. It has no compassion for you or me. It just is and it goes on its way despite our goals or plans. Just a few things that change everything and negate or cause huge detours in our plans and achieving our goals include deaths, accidents, changes in local, national or world economies (or all three), the demise of a vendor, purchase of a bad egg, being bitten by a nearly microscopic insect and contracting Lyme Disease (happened to me this year), having your car demolished by a kamikaze deer (also happened to me this year) and the list goes on and on. It doesn’t matter if you’re royalty or pauper. You’re not exempt.

So, why this topic? Why now? That’s simple. Because universal laws apply universally and that means they are always impacting everyone’s lives. You can’t do much to prepare for them or bypass them. You simply do the best you can, accept that no matter how much you planned to pay, how much time you allocated and no matter how intently you researched that they all apply and that #4 – “Life Happens!!!” guarantees it. You can’t beat the laws, but being aware of them means you can at least accept that this is all part of this exciting journey we call “Life” and deal with the challenges that present themselves with a positive, understanding and accepting attitude. This will not, necessarily, change the outcome, but it will set you free.

Enthusiastically,

Ed

Photo of the Week #32 – Tis the Season . . .

 

Indeed! Tis the season for all kinds of celebrations. Probably one of the most iconic symbols of the season for the past 78 years is the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. This tree is erected in late November and is removed the week after New Year’s Day. It is typically in the range of 70 to 100 feet tall, though there have been a few shorter 70 feet, but so far, none taller then 100 feet. The tree is adorned by some 30,000 lights. Recently the lighting ornaments were converted to LED lights.

The tree is located directly in front of the GE (formerly the RCA) Building and towers over the ice rink in Rockefeller Center during the winter season. Rockefeller Center is always a popular location for visitors and local shoppers alike all year long, but it’s especially crowded and festive during the Christmas holiday season. It’s one of the places I always enjoy venturing to when I infrequently visit Manhattan Island during the holiday season. This photo is probably about eight years old. When the tree is removed, the wood is used for various projects including the Habitat for Humanity.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’re most likely aware that I grew up about 12 miles from Manhattan Island in northern NJ. You’re probably also aware that I am not a big fan of dense, congested, city living and working. While I enjoyed my visit to Rockefeller Center when I snapped this photo, you can see the density and congestion of Manhattan Island. I was surrounded by buildings and people. I couldn’t see the sky unless I looked straight up and in this location, the only green plants I could see were the Christmas tree and the other decorations typically made from pine trees and none of them were living plants. For me, this is a place to visit, not to live or work. This always reminds me why I live in far less densely populated and congested locations.

No matter how you celebrate this season or what your religious convictions might be, I wish you a happy and healthy and blessed holiday.

Feeding Frenzy – Part Deux

After rereading my last post on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Feeding Frenzy, I decided a follow-up was in order.

First and foremost, as you recall, I said I was a capitalist and free enterpriser. That stands unequivocally. I also need to make sure that it’s clear that I have, during my lifetime, purchased and consumed and wasted massive amounts of stuff and money. I’m not particularly proud of this, but it’s a fact and the truth and I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t disclose that.

Second, my discourse on the feeding frenzy concept, while obviously judgmental of people who display – in some ways, behavior that may be a little aberrant, I can honestly state that I have never participated in this crazy shopping mania that has continuously been hyped to new heights year after year. I certainly do not have any negative feelings about anyone who chooses to buy gifts for their family members and close friends. At one time, I was there myself. The maturing (albeit, aging) process brings along with it certain degrees of wisdom. One of the facets of becoming “older and wiser” is that I and most of the folks approaching, in or beyond my age bracket don’t really have much in the way of “needs” and even our wants are typically things that we wouldn’t and don’t expect our family and friends to buy for us.

As I’ve looked back, while I can’t say, in honesty, that my buying and gift giving experience of the past was wise and prudent in probably a majority of cases, I just wasn’t wise and prudent back then, thus, I did what I did and accept it. Perhaps being better informed and more educated in the economy and the true value of giving “gifts” would have served me better. Unfortunately, this part of our life experience is, again, one of those handed down through the generations, so it simply perpetuates. Add to that continually more assertive, and dare I say, aggressive marketing strategies and techniques, based more on the science of selling “stuff” and utilizing more and more expanded media to emotionally and psychologically appeal to our senses. And, I can’t neglect adding a significant greed factor. “I gotta have this or that” often without an honestly definable need or even a want. It’s simply, I gotta have it because so and so has it so I have to have it, too or it’s on sale and at this price I can’t afford not to buy it (even though I really don’t need it) and other, similar lame reasons for buying “stuff.”

Once again, full-disclosure, I have purchased stuff that, ultimately I didn’t really “need,” but wanted and in other cases I bought something just because the deal was too good to pass up. I once bought a brand new laser printer because the deal was too good. It sat, brand new in the sealed carton for over two years before I finally forced myself to “justify” opening it and using it. It’s still hardly been used, years later. I can say the same thing about a photo quality inkjet printer I purchased over eight years ago and it still has the original ink cartridges in it. That shows how little I really needed a photo quality inkjet printer. Oh, and what little use it has had, was not mine, but that of a friend.

I’ve walked the walk, thus, I feel justified in talking the talk. We live in a world and a society of things and stuff. Some things and some stuff we need. Most, or least much, of it, we don’t need. But, we live in a capitalistic society. In order for our economy to prosper, we have to consume stuff. True! The real question is how much do we need to consume? A friend of mine’s 89 year-old mother and I were having a discussion not long ago and she said, “We spend the first 50 years of our life accumulating ‘stuff’ and then we spend the rest of our lives trying to get rid of it. Getting rid of it is more difficult.”

But, if we don’t consume massive amounts of ‘stuff,’ how will we keep people working and have enough jobs. My theory on that is simply, the economy will adjust itself to supply and demand. Perhaps, we’ll spend less money on the cubic volume or quantity of stuff we buy when we realize that we really don’t need a lot of things and probably don’t even want the stuff. On the other hand, we might be willing to pay more for higher quality and better-manufactured products. The same goes for the services that we purchase from others. Perhaps there will be less need to outsource the labor and manufacturing (and even some service industries like order taking, customer service and technical support), thus, allowing more people to work in this country. Also, since we’ll be purchasing less ‘stuff’ we might not require higher and higher incomes or to work as much as we currently do to have money to keep up with the Jones’s, thus, spreading work and income to more people working in jobs that currently exist.

It also goes without saying that as a society we continue to evolve. That means the brilliance, creativity and innovativeness of humans will create newer and better products and new technologies will continue to change our lives for the better while expanding opportunities. The entrepreneur, free enterpriser and capitalist will continue to improve the world, our lives and the economy.

However, let’s get back to the feeding frenzy. It’s not my position that anyone shouldn’t want to give gifts to their families and their friends. That is part of being human. We want to share. We want to show our appreciation for the relationships and the value we find in our family and friends. My position is, for those who have the intelligence and wisdom to realize they are being hyped continually by the buy, buy, spend, spend mentality that is so persuasive in our country if you live in the U.S., to stop being a lemming, stop following the Pied Piper. How about the quaint idea of, actually, creating gifts that are meaningful and from the heart. How about making cookies or special candies or giving someone a small, framed photo of the two (or more) of you doing something memorable together. These have become so much more meaningful to me, personally (though I don’t have a place for framed photos, but a CD with photos on them is great). Give someone a gift of some kind of service you can provide for them like a massage, cleaning their house, washing their car, mowing their lawn, cleaning out their garage, attic or basement or helping them plant a garden, to mention a few. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and creativity.

Oh, but you don’t have the time because you’re working all the time. I understand. Some of the time you have to work is actually the time it takes to earn the money to spend buying the gifts that, all too often, really don’t fit the needs, wants, tastes or fancies of the recipient. If you didn’t have to earn the money to pay for those gifts, you’d probably have the time to create personal gifts.

Okay, let me wrap this up. If you want to live free you have to define what that means for you and your life. The more time you commit to working to earn money to buy and pay for stuff for you or to gift other people is less time you have to live free. Additionally, the more stuff you or those you gift have, the more space is required to accommodate it, thus, that requires more time for maintenance, cost for upkeep and investment in enough (and expanding space to house the stuff. Again, this takes away from your ability to live free.

Giving gifts is wonderful, but I’ve found that the most precious gift I have and I can help others have is freedom. It doesn’t matter on what path your journey of life takes. It doesn’t matter what detours and obstacles you encounter. It doesn’t matter how much ‘stuff’ you accumulate. It doesn’t matter how many work hours you put in or how hard your work is. It doesn’t matter how much financial and material wealth you accumulate. The final destination is exactly the same for every man and woman walking the face of the Earth. And when we each reach that destination, ultimately, nothing we have nor anything we’ve done goes with us . . . except our memories. At that instant in time, every one of us is absolutely equal. None of the 60 to 80 hour work weeks, missed vacations, time away from family and friends, stuff in the attic, basement, garage, outbuilding, the jewelry, cars, boats and so on – matter. Time is the most valuable commodity each of us has and our lives and freedom are the most precious gifts we’ve been given.

Enjoy this holiday season. Spend time and relax with your family and friends. They are precious gifts, too. Find, create, make or, in the appropriate ways, purchase gifts for those you love and care about. Help those less fortunate in some way if you are so moved. Thank veterans and active duty service men and women for the freedom you still have (or at least the choice to “live free” if you want to). Thank their families. I honestly believe this is the way we should live our lives 365 (366 next year) days a year and not just on some select days on the calendar that, for the most part, have become synonymous with various degrees of shopping feeding frenzies.

Photo of the Week #31 – Hell Knows No Fury Like Mother Nature Scorned - OBX

I’ve taken a bit of poetic license with the title for this post. This photo was taken on the beach (ocean to my back) at Duck, North Carolina on the group of barrier islands known as the Outer Banks or OBX for those in the know. This shot was taken in January of 2002 just after the New Year holiday. I decided to drive down to OBX just before Christmas that year and find a place to stay on the beach. December and January on the Outer Banks is definitely the off peak season. It’s pretty much deserted to be more accurate.

It was generally cold and breezy for most of the two weeks I was there. But, a “Nor’easter” came through just after New Years Day. The condo I was staying in is hidden behind the sand dune. The stairs go down the other side to a wooden walkway back to the condo. The stairs on the ocean side, where this photo was taken come from the top of the dune all the way down to the beach. As you can see, the storm changed the topography of the beach, which is now approaching the top of the sand dune. Those are my footprints in the sand where I made my way down below the newly drifted sand. It was very impressive.

But, this was not near as impressive as when I drove further south that day to see what other damage the storm had left behind. There I found houses that were off their pilings and laying on their side on the beach. Other houses on pilings were still high and dry, so high and dry, in fact, that the bottom of the steps from the beach leading to the entrances to the houses were as much as two to four feet over my head. In other words, the houses were now about 20 feet above the beach instead of the normal 8 to 10 feet above the beach. Many of the houses had their entire septic/drainage systems exposed on top of the beach. All that sand had been removed by the storm, the opposite result to that displayed in the photo.

All in all, it was a very impressive display of the forces of nature and I’m glad I had an opportunity to experience the storm and witness the results. As a side note, this photo was taken with my very first digital camera, a very simple, albeit primitive device, I used to get my feet wet (no pun intended) in digital photography