New Beginnings – 2022 – Part 3

Three weeks and three new articles. I'm patting myself on the back! I hope I'm back on line again.

This is going to be a short article today. Winter has set in here in the area of West Virginia known as the Potomac Highlands. It's where I've been staying with a friend while I've been recovering from my bout with cancer. I'm very lucky to have terrific and very supportive friends in various places and, certainly, my friend Carolyn has gone way above the call to help me.

It's snowing quite hard here today and into about midday tomorrow. It's quite cold with the current temperature registering at 16 degrees and an estimated accumulation of snow between 9” to 12” and possibly as much as 18.” I grew up in northern New Jersey and we had some cold temperatures and significant snow accumulations there when I was a kid. And, then I lived in Syracuse, NY and I have to be honest, snow, lots and lots of snow was a way of life along with sub-0 temperatures. We had some serious winters when I lived in the Washington, DC area and for the ten years I lived in Annapolis, MD. About every five years or so, we would have a very serious winter in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia when I lived outside Winchester. But, while some of my friends look forward to winter and snow, I have experienced probably about 30 blizzards during my life and frankly, I'd much rather see the snow from a distance along with the cold temperatures. I'm perfectly content to watch snow in TV shows or in movies. I don't need to experience it in person any longer.

Part of my New Beginnings is to start researching and searching for a new region to base my operations from and I'd like it to be a location with a moderate or temperate climate. So, I've been looking at places around the U.S. during the last several years I was traveling, prior to being inconveniently stopped from my travels by my cancer challenge. But, I'll be looking again for the right place once I can get back on the road.

New Beginnings – 2022 – Part 2

This is my second article of 2022 and you'll notice it has the same title as the first article, except I extended it as Part 2. I've been thinking, researching and contemplating this entire past week about what I said last week. Something sparked in my mind and heart about my thoughts and feelings. But, to start things off, let me give you a long quote I discovered during my research.

When someone you love dies, you are given the gift of "second chances". Their eulogy is a reminder that the living can turn their lives around at any point. You’re not bound by the past; that is who you used to be. You’re reminded that your feelings are not who you are, but how you felt at that moment. Your bad choices defined you yesterday, but they are not who you are today. Your future doesn’t have to travel the same path with the same people. You can start over. You don’t have to apologize to people that won’t listen. You don’t have to justify your feelings or actions, during a difficult time in your life. You don’t have to put up with people that are insecure and want you to fail. All you have to do is walk forward with a positive outlook, and trust that God has a plan that is greater than the sorrow you left behind. The people of quality that were meant to be in your life won’t need you to explain the beauty of your heart. They already understand what being human is----a roller coaster ride of emotions during rainstorms and sunshine, sprinkled with moments when you can almost reach the stars.

― Shannon L. Alder

Substitute the first and second sentence with, When you die and are reborn, you are given the gift of new beginnings. Your eulogy is a reminder that the living (you in your rebirth), can turn your life around at any point. With those two changed sentences, this quote is exactly what I'm feeling as I leave the past behind after being stricken down by my cancer experience and the ensuing battle. I don't know if I can describe what happened the morning of August 18, 2019 as having experienced death and coming back. I know there is a short period of time that I have no recollection of. I don't know if it was seconds or minutes. I don't recall seeing my life pass before me. I don't recall seeing a long tunnel with a white light at the end. I just don't remember anything for that brief period of time. And, of course, I was completely disoriented when I regained consciousness or grasped life again, whichever the case may have been.

What I do know is that a lot of things changed. To be perfectly honest, if friends, family, business associates or new people see me today, the only thing they will likely notice is that I'm slimmer because I lost about 20% of my weight (and, unfortunately, muscle mass). Otherwise, externally, there is little about the changes I described in the previous article that one can see. The voice I've used to speak and to provide voice-overs for numerous clients is still the same. I still have the knowledge, creativity, any talent I may have been blessed with and the skills I've learned and honed through over 60 years of adolescent and adult experiences. For all practical intents and purposes, externally and experientially, I'm still me. But, as I described, there is a new persona residing inside this older and, now, somewhat modified body.

New Beginnings – 2022

I'm writing this on January 1, 2022. As you can see, if you look at my last blog article, this is my first new article in a year. The year 2021 was very similar to 2020. They were both years that weren't. I mean, for me, they weren't noteworthy. Many things happened during 2021, but from my perspective, they were mainly negative things. But, I really don't want to focus and dwell on the negative. A few years ago, after writing this blog for about ten years, I began facing writers block. My articles became fewer and far between. I picked up again for a short time in 2019 when I was stricken down with my battle with cancer and I wrote almost daily for a few months about my experiences.

Let me be clear, I'm 76 years old. I'll be 77 years old in a few months. I try to not dwell on my age, however, due to many things that have occurred over the past couple of years, most notably, my battle and, so far, my victory over a near fatal bout with a pretty rare form of cancer, I have begun to accept my aging reality. You may have heard older people express the aging process as experiencing all kinds of aches, pains, physical changes, lower levels of energy and stamina. But, at the same time, they say their minds are acting like they are still in their 30s or 40s. I can relate to that.

However, some of us are dealt a variety of challenges. Some of those challenges result with life ending. During the past couple of years I've lost at least 12 friends from various facets of my life. Some of these friends were considerably older than me. Some were around my age. Still others were younger than me. Meanwhile, some of us survive after being dealt strokes, heart attacks, hip, knee and other joint replacements. Others have to deal with issues like diabetes, MS, Lupis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other chronic and autoimmune diseases. And, some, like me, must face the “Big C,” cancers of all kinds. I'm actually a two time cancer survivor, but I'm still going. In many cases, probably most cases, these medical issues are surprises. They blind-side us and, like it or not, we must deal with them.

Happy Anniversary . . . to ME!

Anniversaries are like birthdays: occasions to celebrate and to think ahead, usually among friends with whom one shares not only the past but also the future. Zbigniew Brzezinski

Today is the one year anniversary of the beginning of a new life for me. On August 18, 2019, a Sunday morning, without any warning, a fireball of cancer came out of the universe and struck me down. There were no serious symptoms or anything that would have given me an inkling of what was to befall me and how my life would be forever changed.

I was having a normal morning. I was a bit fatigued, but that was about all. I took care of my normal, very regular routine “business.” Everything was fine. I then went for a morning walk, another part of my daily routine. I believe I got about a mile and a half in. But, when I returned to my friend's, Carolyn's, house, I felt pretty wiped out. That wasn't normal. But, I still had no idea there was anything seriously wrong.

Well, within an hour or so, I was unconscious, on the floor. The first time I had any recollection of what had happened was when I started to regain consciousness and I was on my bed. I have no idea of any details of my collapse or the actual amount of time. It might have been seconds or minutes. I'd never experienced anything like this before in my 74+ years of life. Carolyn and her grandson were hovering over me trying to help me regain consciousness and comprehend what was happening.

Chris, Carolyn's grandson, a professional EMT who just happened to be visiting his grandmother that weekend, had either seen me collapse or found me in a pile on the floor. He managed to get me back on my bed that I had fallen next to or at the foot of. Carolyn was checking my blood pressure and heart rate – which, according to clinical standards put me in the category of being dead, which is what I probably would have been if Chris hadn't found me and called for Carolyn. Carolyn started putting glucose under my tongue to get my blood sugar up.

Chris called the local EMT's who arrived within minutes along with a medic shortly thereafter. Once they assessed the situation and got me stabilized, they moved me to a gurney, out the door and into the waiting ambulance. A short, but rapid trip (maybe five minutes) with the lights flashing and siren wailing and I was being rolled into the Emergency Room of the local, small, West Virginia University-affiliated hospital. (Continue reading the rest of the article on the blog.)

Opportunities – 2017 Could Be A Banner Year For Them

First, allow me to extend my wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2017. A new year brings new opportunities

So, what are the indicators of opportunities in this year? First, we have a new president about to be inaugurated. Second, there are changes and issues in our economy that present opportunities for anyone keeping up with what's going on. Third, the world, through the Internet, is changing in interesting, exciting and, often, dramatic ways. This always offers opportunities.

It doesn't matter what your politics are. It doesn't matter what your social or economic positions or conditions are. It doesn't matter who you know or don't know. It doesn't matter what your educational background (or even a lack of educational background) is. It doesn't matter what your gender is or your color, race, ethnicity, marital status, age (considering you're probably 10 to 12 years old or older). Nothing really matters when it comes to opportunities other than your ability to recognize an opportunity and your vision.

You might be saying – but, I just don't get the lucky breaks. To that I refer back to one of the pivotal people in my life. He is one of the several pivotal people I can directly relate to where I am at this very moment in time as I write this article and why I'm sitting here writing it. I'm actually in My McVansion sitting in the driveway of a friend I met through this very blog. He's been reading it for years and invited me to meet up a couple years ago. The location is about a block from the shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida near St. Petersburg.

A Few Moments In Time That Changed The Course Of My Future

Here are my 2016 wishes for YOU.

May you ALWAYS make the right move.

May your cup runneth over with love.

May you ALWAYS find shelter from any storm.

May you remain good looking and looking good.

May you find the perfect diet for your body and your soul.

May you find perfect balance in the company you keep.

May you have as much fun as you can before someone makes you stop.

May the worst thing that happens to you come in slobbery pink and furry TAN.

May you manage to MAKE time for Time Out!

May all the new folks you meet be interesting and kind.

May you always know when to walk away . . . and when to RUN!

And may your friends and family always bring you joy.

May 2016 be your BEST Year EVER!!! May this time only hold good health, success, growth, wealth and happiness for you and your loved ones! May God bless you and your loved ones every day!! 

Live Free and Be Happy in 2016. EH

This Is The Year That Was - 2014

There is one more day left in 2014. The old cliché oft used is, "It's later than it's ever been." The day after tomorrow we'll begin a brand new year, 2015. Life for most people will simply be a continuation of 2014 and previous years. However, some people will approach the new year with, "Today is the first day of the rest of my life." I need to use every minute, every hour and every day to it's fullest because it is priceless.

How are you looking at the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015? Was 2014 a great year, a good year, an okay year, a crummy year or a really bad year for you? Why did your evaluation of the year that was garner the descriptor you chose? What do you plan to do to make 2015 a better year and, perhaps, the best year of your life?

The Negative Forces

Allow me to make a broad statement. For all the beauty, promise and opportunity the world provides, the world is a very negative place. We have choices to make everyday about whether our lives and circumstances will be part of the negative or, depending on our attitude, whether we'll be a bright light shining out through all the negative.

Individually, there is little we can do about changing or alleviating the negative forces in our world. Some of the negative is simply natural forces we can't do much about. Other negative is human inspired and created. There's not much we can do about most of the natural events. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, massive weather event, etc. are going to happen regardless of what we do or think we can do. Now, you might expect that I'd say that we can do something about human caused events, however, I don't believe we can really have much impact in these matters either.

Some of the negative events of last year included several airliner disasters. One disaster involves the disappearance of an airliner full of people. Nothing has been found of the plane or the people, so we don't have a clue what caused it. A second airliner was shot down by, supposedly, rogue rebels in the Ukraine or the Russians supporting them. The third just happened and while the airliner has been found in a shallow watery grave, there are no survivors and the speculation (to be investigated and proven) is that weather was the culprit in this event.

Then there are negative events that are specifically caused by humans. The beheading of several American citizens as well as others from different countries by radical Islamists is a prominent negative and downright evil act. The rape, mutilation, torture and massacres of thousands of men, women and children because of their religious beliefs, desire for a better life and quest for the freedom to live their lives as they chose. Then there was the rioting, looting and burning of their own hometown by people protesting the shooting death of a young black man who made the wrong choice of challenging the voice of law and reason. This was followed by the senseless execution of two policemen innocently eating lunch in their patrol car. This list goes on and on.

Passing Judgment . . . or Not

It's not my position to pass judgment on any of these events or the perpetrators whether Mother Nature or humans. My point is simply that these event have occurred and will continue to occur in the future. I'd like to inform you that 2015 will not bear witness to any of these kinds of events, but I can't. Negative, and if you prefer to call it "evil," exists. These are the challenges humans have faced and dealt with since the first man and woman began this entire human species thing.

I have friends that span the entire political spectrum. The same is true of the religious spectrum. The way I see it, they are all right and they are all wrong. There are the gun rights advocates and the anti-gun advocates. The Pro-Life and Pro-Choice people continue to lock horns. There are the haves and have nots going head to head. There are also the urban dwellers (because of their numbers and dense population centers) pontificating over the rural population. And, of course, let's not forget the divisions between the various races and nationalities, the men and the women and those who have chosen to live alternative sexual preference lifestyles. Everyone believes he or she is right and everyone who doesn't believe the way he or she does is wrong.

This has been going on since the beginning of human time on this planet. What bothers me is what would happen if we all simply minded our own business. Just suppose we didn't pass judgment on anyone else but ourselves. What would happen if we put all the time, energy and resources we expend on all this folly of negativity into living each moment like it was the only moment we had left on Earth? For one thing, we probably wouldn't need to continue creating the ever more horrendous weapons of mass destruction (from automatic weapons to "death rays") we've created since the beginning of time.

The Pipe Dream

Unfortunately, the very idea that humans would or could ever focus on positive, beauty and love rather than negative, evil and hatred is a pipe dream. We are animals and our lizard minds still function as they always have. Sure, we've become somewhat civilized, created societies and have tempered some parts of our animal instincts. But, I fear that for all the talk of love, reason, rationality and compassion, the emotions of jealousy, envy, greed, evil, hate and power over others are still stronger. It seems that it doesn't take much to trigger these negative emotions. The people we say we love, often become the targets of our anger, jealousy, envy and even greed.

All of these traits are manifest in a variety of ways. It might be the overt actions of a serial thief, rapist, murderer or con artist. It might be the corporate ladder climber who doesn't care who he or she steps on and pushes behind them, even their best friends or relatives, to gain the rewards, the corner office and the ultimate power. It is just as evident in social endeavors including sports, social clubs and groups and family units. It, unfortunately, is human nature. It is who we are.

The pipe dream is that any of us believe we can overcome this negative aspect of our human nature. And, of course, most of us are not as bad as the few who make themselves so prominent throughout society. I often ask myself why does someone want to be the president of the United States or the leader of any other country in the world. It certainly can't be for the money since there are many ways to earn considerably more than that job pays. But, it has to be pretty heady stuff to think that, as in the case of the president of the U.S., you are the most powerful person in the world. WOW! With the stroke of a pen you can decide and change the fate and lives of hundreds of millions and possibly billions of people around the world. I hope anyone reading this article doesn't think any of these people actually are doing it because they have our best interests in mind and heart. That's just the cover story to get our votes.

2015 - The Beginning

So, the day after tomorrow, is the beginning all over again. Of course, everyday when you awaken is the beginning all over again. We don't need to make New Years Resolutions to lose weight, improve our education, achieve new heights of performance at our occupation, spend more time with our families, be a better person or anything else. The new year, 2015, is going to be exactly the same as 2014, 2013, 1999, 1960 or any other year. Only we make it different.

We can make the difference by changing out attitudes. We can strive to control and put our own issues with greed, hatred, jealously, negativity and so on behind us. It's never easy because we are all human. Do little things. Last year I decided as I travel the U.S. that I'm going to do my best to make at least 12 people smile everyday. There are some days I don't come in contact with 12 people, so I try to make it up on another day. I listen to too much news - NEGATIVITY! I'm going to curb my self-flagellation and attempt to focus more on the beauty of the people and world around me. I still have a tendency to allow my temper to slip while I'm by myself in the van and something doesn't work the way I want it to or something breaks, runs out of battery power, becomes disconnected, I make a wrong turn because Google Maps became mixed up and . . . well, I'll let a stream of "blue" expletives fly. They are often caught on the audio track of my dash cam and I'm embarrassed that one day someone might hear that. I can fix that problem IF I choose to.

So, how about you? Is 2015 going to just be another year like the rest or will you change it? How many people can you make smile everyday? How much love and compassion can you share with others. How many people can you be a positive force for in their lives when they are going through some serious trials and dealing with negative times.

I wish you a Happy, Healthy, Abundant and Positive 2015. 

If It Is To Be, It Is Up To Me!

I love the simplicity of that ten word statement comprised totally of two letter words. There is a lot of power in those words. I haven't been able to find the true origin, but the first time I heard it was in the early 80's from Alexandra Armstrong, an accomplished and highly acclaimed Certified Financial Planner and investment professional from Washington, DC.

The ten words are often applied in a motivational context relating to career, professional and business success. However, the words can be applied to any facet of anyone's life. They certainly apply to making changes in your life to realize whatever dreams, goals and missions you have established for yourself including making whatever life changes you need to make to achieve your definition of living free. . . READ MORE

From 900 Square Feet to 5,000 Square Feet to 50 Square Feet

Here is an interesting juxtaposition for you. Can you imagine downsizing from 5,000 square feet to only 50 square feet? That is living in 1% of the largest amount of space I had ever occupied.  Just think about that for a few minutes and see if you can wrap your mind around that contrast. . . READ MORE

Changing of the Guard - What A Weekend!!!

I'm just fresh back from the 26th Annual Veteran Speakers Retreat. I have personally attended at least 20 of them and possibly closer to 23 of them. I've also had the honor, privilege and pleasure of being the Coordinator of the retreat for the past 12 years. It's been a labor of love with love being the dominant word in that phrase. The event is by invitation only and is capped at 60 participants who include veteran professional speakers (those typically in the 50 and up age bracket and with 20 or more years of speaking in a professional capacity) and their spouses/significant others.

It's an amazing gathering of individuals, each with tremendous amounts of knowledge, experience and abilities. They have literally spoken to every level of individual from monarchs and heads of state of countries around the world, the President of the United States (in the White House) and his cabinet and invited guests, to virtually every major corporation in the world to small businesses to educators, religious leaders, students and those who find themselves, unfortunately, on the unemployment and welfare rolls.

As the Coordinator of this event, it has been my responsibility to pull together everything necessary for the three and a half day event including the venue, the program, the promotion, the registration, recreational/sightseeing opportunities, entertainment and the prestigious "Legends of the Speaking Profession" Awards banquet where we typically honor five new Legends and two posthumous Legends. Some of those honored have included Art Linkletter, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Earl Nightingale, (all posthumously), Zig Ziglar, Bill Gove, Dave Yoho, Suzy Sutton, Patricia Ball, Barbara Glanz, John Jay Daly, Charlie "Tremendous" Jones and many others, some names more recognizable than others. At current count, there are 83 individuals who have received this coveted designation over the past 14 years.

No, I have not done this all single-handedly. I have had a dedicated planning committee who has handled many of the various details for me. I also had a dear friend and colleague, the late John Jay Daly, who was my co-coordinator for the first 7 years until his untimely death in 2009.

But, as I have said, there comes a time for everything and the best time to pass the baton, hand over the reins, change the guard is when everything is at its peak. This year was, probably, the best-executed retreat of the dozen I have coordinated. Everything went off like clockwork. The venue, the small, family owned Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, (near Carlisle and not far from Harrisburg) was right on top of their game and went beyond the call of duty on several occasions. The playhouse provided us with a fantastic production of the long running, award winning musical comedy, "Hairspray." The Legends award banquet and program went off without a hitch and ended on time, a real challenge with a room full of professional speakers. However, they are professionals and followed their cues precisely. So, my decision to make this my last event to coordinate was correct. As I jokingly said to several people, "I finally got it right!" They all suggested that I've always had it right.

The New Guard

The new guard is made up of three long-time members of the Planning Committee. It was actually quite difficult in locking in a replacement team for myself. For some reason, no one wanted the job of Coordinator and kept saying they didn't feel they could live up to what I had done over the past dozen years. It's true that I've had some meeting planning/executing experience in a variety of venues during my professional career. But, I'm really not all that extraordinary. I simply create a list of steps and follow them each year. However, there are some things that take some special skills and, perhaps, a little finesse like selecting an appropriate venue and negotiating the best deal (that meets the needs of the group the best). I also happen to have management, administrative, negotiating, people and audio & video technical skills and experience. This seems to be somewhat intimidating to some others. However, they are all skills that can be learned and honed and I'm also a great support person and pretty good teacher.

The Changing of the Guard

So, on Saturday, August 17, 2013, I passed the sword to the new guards. I have complete confidence in their competence and combined abilities. But, mostly, I'm impressed with their enthusiasm. One of the reasons I determined it was my time to step aside was because I was feeling my own creativity waning with regard to the necessity for any event of this nature to continue to evolve and prosper. The enthusiasm, excitement and creativity is what I've already seen beginning to manifest itself in this new team. My position now is to support, provide whatever advice and counsel I can and be their cheerleader. I'm up for it.

The Sign

Now, the surprises for me were several. As the changing of the guard part of the morning session began, just before lunch, I was doing a low key thanks for the support of the group of people who allowed me the privilege of serving them for these 12 years, the "Father" of this retreat, Dave Yoho, who had coordinated it for 14 years prior to John, my co-coordinator, and me taking over in 2002, came up front and unveiled an Ed Helvey Appreciation Day sign.

The Scroll

The unveiling of the sign brought about a standing ovation. But, that wasn't all, I was then presented with a framed scroll that was presented to me on behalf of all in attendance and the many others who have attended in the past and weren't able to attend this year. And another standing ovation followed the presentation of the scroll. (I was beginning to think we were having an aerobics session.)

The Scroll read:

The Basket of Notes

But, that was not enough. I was then presented with an empty basket into which a huge pile of envelopes was poured. These envelopes contained notes from people, both in attendance and not in attendance, expressing their thoughts and feelings about my service and leadership of the event for these dozen years. They were all gathered without my knowledge (pretty tricky since I "pepper" myself throughout the various address lists we've created). And, yes, yet another standing ovation followed. Sheesh! I'm still opening those envelopes and reading the wonderful thoughts and feelings my friends (they are all my friends, even if we didn't know each other before they attended their first retreat) sent to me.

The Gift

Then I was presented with a small, gift-wrapped box. I unwrapped it and inside I found a beautiful leather wallet/card holder. It was empty, but was quickly filled when I was presented with a check for a sizeable sum of money. I should mention, this is an all volunteer organization, no one, other than those we contract with for services, is paid for our service. It was a wonderful gift and very gratefully received by me. I have already designated it as the "seed" money to begin my next project. Yes! That's right! I'm "living free" and I'm also living a "location independent" lifestyle (which will become pretty much full-time by sometime in September), but as a serial entrepreneur, I cannot not be productively doing something entrepreneurial and helpful to society. So, later in this post I'll introduce you to just what that's going to be.

One More Surprise!

Everything I described above took place on Saturday morning, just prior to lunch. But, one of the "newbies" to the retreat (a newbie is a first time participant) was a fellow by the name of John Doe (no that's not his real name, but he asked to remain anonymous). John and I are in the same age bracket. (That now means we both sport white beards. John was sporting his. I have not sported one in several years.) We've known each other for close to 30 or more years, but haven't seen each other in years. John kept catching up with me as I was running around doing my usual coordination of the many behind the scene details that make an event like this run smoothly and enjoyable for everyone in attendance.

John kept telling me he needed to get with me privately. Well, snatching private time with any of my friends during these events has been one of the pleasures I've personally had to forego most of the time. But, John was insistent. I've always liked John. He's a terrific person and since this was his first time at the retreat and the first time we've seen each other in years, I wanted to spend a little one to one time with him. So, I set a time on Friday afternoon after I had supervised the contractors installing the rear projection screen and draping and the staging people installed the small stage for the Legends award program and I knew I could take some "me" time.

John and I met, passed some pleasantries and did a little catching up. Then John started to describe some things about his early speaking career and how one individual had helped him, taught him about audio products and professionally producing them, all of which he'd been using through his 30 year career to this point. He said this person never asked for any kind of remuneration and placed no expectations on John. He simply shared his knowledge and expertise to help someone else with his career.

The Medal

That's when John said that the person he was speaking of was me. WOW! That floored me. I've helped lots of people with many different things over the years and I continue to do that today. Even though I've made the major part of my living from my work primarily in audio and to a lesser degree in video production, I've always felt whatever talent I may have and the knowledge and experience I've gained throughout my career has been a gift and it's meant to be shared. Sure! I could have made a lot more money if I'd have been more ruthless and focused on myself and the dollar sign, but I've done well enough and been blessed to spend my life "living free" in another way, essentially, doing what I loved doing and earning enough to have a great life. Back to John. He then explained about a new concept he was working on for the business world to recognize "heroes." At which time, he revealed the "Hero" medal you see pictured below and presented it to me as one of his heroes. Whoa! I was floored and speechless, folks. And you know, by reading this blog that it's not often I don't have lots of words to express myself. He went on to tell me that only six of these medals have been presented to date, so I fell into a very elite group of people. Behold! My Hero Medal.

You can probably read the words around the outside of the gold medal. They say, "Help, Respect and Encourage Others." So, let me say, it's a very humbling experience to have someone call you their Hero and let you know that something you did so many years ago made such a powerful impact on their life.

John explained more about why he created this medal, its importance and the value placed in this symbolic gesture. Remember, it's been years since I shared my talent, knowledge and experience with John. Who knows how many years it's been since we've visited with one another? What set me back more was that, as John was explaining all this, I, too, have been working on a project and our thinking and values, without any coordination, were in the same channel. Déjà vu?

The Hometown Hero Project

I am now unveiling, for the first time anywhere, what I will be doing as I travel across this great land exploring the geography, national and state parks, natural beauty, rural areas, farms, villages, small towns, medium sized cities and big cities (yes, while I've been to most of the big cities of our country, there is still plenty more for me to see and learn there, too). But mostly, I want to experience as many people as I can. I want to find and eat at "Mel's Diner," Betty's Cafe," "Bill's Barbecue Barn" and all the other great, small, privately owned and operated restaurants and businesses. I want to visit businesses, large and small that are the economic pulse of our country. I want to visit the farms and ranches where food is grown. You get the point.

But, for many years I have felt that we don't even scratch the surface in recognizing the REAL heroes of our society and country. Sure, we hear and see all the celebrity athletes, movie/TV and political stars who are called "heroes," but are they really? They are highly paid professionals who may be winners and champions at what they do, but they are not true heroes. We have our giants like Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Jeff Besos, Meg Whitman and other well-publicized business leaders who do great charitable works, but are they really heroes?

How about my friend in Virginia who operates his volunteer farm that is completely operated by hundreds of volunteers and who has contributed about one million pounds of produce to the Blue Ridge food bank that helps feed undernourished folks in 21 counties.

How about the young boy in Pennsylvania a number of years ago who gathered blankets and other necessities and had his parents drive him in to sections of Philadelphia where there were homeless people and passed these items out.

How about the wounded warriors who put themselves in the line of fire to save or rescue his/her comrades and returned home forever scarred, yet still selflessly goes out of his/her way to help others in his or her community.

How about the dedicated Little League coaches who accept all kids on the team and make everyone feel worthy and important regardless of winning or losing.

How about the volunteers who have saved lives in home, business and wild fires.

How about those who risk their own lives saving people from floods, tornadoes, accidents, etc.

The list is long, but the recognition is short. If these true hometown heroes are lucky, they may receive a short article in a local paper and it's gone, a flash in the pan, so to speak. In my thinking, it's these volunteers, military men and women, schoolteachers, college professors, religious leaders, business leaders, men and women from all walks of life, boys and girls to senior citizens who are the Hometown Heroes who need to be recognized.

These heroes don't ask for anything in return whether remuneration or recognition. They do what they do selflessly, often without regard of personal expense, personal safety or what others think. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors, all religious and secular backgrounds, all intelligence, educational and talent levels. The mainstream media occasionally does a story about one of these folks, but while these stories provide good public affairs material, they don't sell commercial time or push the ratings up. However, these are really the people who are the foundation of this nation. They may be or someday become great business people, champion athletes, Emmy, Tony or Academy Award winning actors, Grammy winning musicians or a recognized artists, well-known scientists, astronauts, medical doctors, etc. But, it's not what they do professionally that makes them heroes. It's who they are in their hometowns and who they selflessly share with to the betterment of someone else's life or at personal risk of life and limb to help someone else or save his or her life. This is what the Hometown Hero Project is about.

Now that I've wrapped up my tenure as the Coordinator of the Veteran Speakers Retreat and have been so richly rewarded by my friends and colleagues at VSR and have been recognized by my friend John Doe as a hero to him, it's my turn to begin recognizing those I feel are much more deserving of the title of "Hero" than I am or ever will be. I have the time to focus on those few things that I feel driven to accomplish to leave behind as a positive legacy of my time on this planet, the greatest of which is the Hometown Hero Project. I'm hoping that once I get this launched it will spread around the world and will raise the stature and values of all people. I will, of course, be looking for all forms of support for this endeavor including moral, business, personal and financial assistance to carry it out. But, all those things will come as the project evolves. Look forward to more information about the Hometown Hero Project in the near future as I develop the groundwork and reveal the scope of this project.

And, finally, I want to, again, shout out to my friend, John Doe, for his wonderful gift to me and the encouragement that I know will spur me on. I hope he will allow me to reveal his name, so I can truly give him credit for the inspiration he and my Hero medal have provided me. And, to all my professional speaker friends - Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! It's been an honor to serve you. It's my privilege to know you. Thanks for 12 great years - to my dedicated planning committee members and VSR participants. I'm truly blessed. 

Who Am I . . . REALLY! Part II

In Part I of this post about who we REALLY are, I explored the scientific facets of our tangible characteristics and traits and the superficiality of the human experience. I also indicated that, in my opinion, this superficiality is probably more prevalent in the developed societies or segments of a society. Those who still live a less developed, primal life due to the circumstance of where they were born and live their lives are much less complicated. I feel comfortable saying that tribal societies in Africa, South America, Asia and even parts of Eastern Europe are very likely not to be as superficial as the developed nations.

This can be attributed to a variety of things, however, I suggest that the primary reasons are because those living in the more primal tribal societies do not have to cope with the stresses of a system of complicated and conflicting laws, rules, regulations and other constraints, limitations and controls over individual freedom and actions. Additionally, they are not bombarded by constant visual and aural stimulation and static to buy, own, accumulate such a wide array of material "stuff" as to be mind numbing. Their needs are simple. Their pleasures are simple. Their lives are simple. That is, until we interfere with their lives and make them believe they aren't and can't be free and happy unless they have everything we have (that makes us miserable). I guess misery loves company.

Sure, there are things we can do for these people to help them to live healthier lives. But, are we really doing anything to help them be happier by showing them all the things we have and they don't so they feel miserable when they may have actually been happier before we entered their lives? Don't we do the same thing with our children? Each generation does their best to make life better, easier and happier for their children and in reality, what is happening is that we're weakening our children. They don't have to worry about living decently if they can't find their ideal job and be willing to begin their lives, as we did, in starting level positions and work their way up. If they can't find a decent job, they simply come home and live off mom and dad, often for years. They don't have any motivation to do whatever it will take to build a life. The same is true with the people in undeveloped societies. Instead of evolving as those developed societies did through years of toughing it out and pioneering, we simply want to give them everything. That immediately complicates their lives and their societies and pretty soon, they begin living in a superficial world.

Freedom Requires Not Passing Judgment On Others

Before I go any further, let me state right now that it is not my place in this life to judge what anyone else does, has or is willing to exchange for their personal freedom and happiness. The premise of our society is that it is a free society and based on a free enterprise economic model. We have to be careful when we use the term free society, because freedom is defined differently by different people and certainly any governmental, corporate or institutional organization limits freedom to serve its own purposes. Usually, these organizational structures want those individuals subject to them in some manner to believe that the organizations operate for the common good and welfare of all. Unfortunately, as these organizations grow larger, which is most typically what happens, they also become more defensive and self-serving so they can perpetuate their existence and growth. So, what often starts out as a benign situation can become a malignant parasite on society.

Here is another fact; we NEED most of the corporate and institutional organizations. They benefit society by providing a variety of products and services. They also provide job opportunities for the majority of the population who do not have (any longer) the entrepreneurial spirit, willingness to take calculated risks and the survival mentality that this society (and other societies) was founded on. In reality, everyone is self-employed. But, most people don't want to accept that fact. This is another example of the superficial traits of modern, developed societies. An employee is simply a person who is working to fulfill his or her own needs just as any entrepreneur or business model. They certainly don't care about the business owners' mortgage, rent, sustenance, clothing, etc. They are working for their own needs.

The only thing that differentiates an employee from a self-employed person is that someone else decides how much money they will earn, precisely what they will do to earn that money and, to some degree, controls the employee's time. The employer also takes care of making the tax deposits and some bookkeeping for the employee. An employee can do everything for himself or herself that the employer does, including shop for and buy into whatever kinds of "benefit" packages the employee wants. In fact, there are people who do exactly this. They are called "contractors," "independent contractors" and "freelancers." These people work for the same employers except they control how much money they earn, what work they will do and when they will work.

But, again, our society has grown, become more and more complicated and created paths that for most people seem like the "easy" path. But, there is always a price and there is certainly a price for being employed by someone else. Essentially, one is under the control of someone else when employed. So, these controls involve all kinds of laws, regulations and rules. They demand loyalty to the employer. This is also where certain other elements come into play like status, keeping up with the Jones' and other things that foster the layers of superficiality that becomes part of our day-to-day existence. Add to this the requirements of a spouse and family, external family commitments, community involvements and so on and pretty soon, we are lost in this morass of complexity and really don't know who we are because we're answering to a variety of masters. There is no time left to peel back the layers and seek out who we really are under all of this complexity.

If Not Now, Then When?

That's an age-old question. I've been listening to people talking about really going after their dreams when they retire. Unfortunately, some people don't make it to retirement. Two years ago I learned that a friend I had started going to elementary school with and went all the way through high school with had passed away, just several months before his planned retirement. Several years back another friend from the speaking profession turned 60 and decided to retire, bought a nice motorhome, was preparing to take off on his travel adventures with his wife (who had been an MS victim for many years) and, he had a massive heart attack and both their dreams were dashed. Another close friend, like a brother, bought a brand new quarter million dollar motorhome and he and his wife, both speakers and consultants, were living full-time and traveling to their assignments in the motorhome. He contracted a very rare degenerative muscular disease and one year later, he was gone, age 61. There are a lot more stories I can write about like that, but I think you get the picture. We just don't know what tomorrow has in store.

Now, if you're reading my blog and can honestly say that your life is full, rich, free, you're living your dreams right now and you are truly happy, then you probably have already dug deep into your soul. You've sincerely asked yourself the question "who am I . . . REALLY?" You've likely done the hard work of finding the answer and you've made the course direction changes necessary to reach this state.

Most likely, you still don't know who you are, really. Few people ever actually dig deep enough, deal with the hard questions and answers, face the (sometimes ugly) truths about yourself and then make the changes absolutely necessary to find your own Nirvana here on Earth. The hard part of this is dealing with the "truth" about yourself. This is especially true if you live in one of the developed countries I've indicated. We, as a society, have become accustomed to trading our freedom and our happiness for acquiring all the superficial things that are made to seem important. Watch (or read - a dying art) the news. Look at the proliferation of literature on personal and professional development - how to be more successful in your career and in your personal life. Look at the variety of products bombarding us day in and day out. These include clothes, shoes, cars, athletic equipment, "labor saving" appliances, kitchen utensils, furniture, electronics, etc. Think about the services like facelifts, tummy tucks, Zumba classes, golf lessons, cruises, dating services, etc. This doesn't even scratch the surface. But, look around you and see how people are drawn into all of this stuff.

Watch how they are drawn into Paris Hilton's lifestyle, the Kardashians, Honey Boo Boo, never ending news sagas like the Martin-Zimmerman trial, the birth of a child to a couple in England that has the entire world gaga! Once again, this goes on and on. It's voyeurism at its best. Frankly, whenever I see and hear all this bullshit cluttering the airwaves and tabloids because there is so little of redeeming value to really tell people about, I simply say, "Who cares?" Actually, there is lots of things of redeeming value in this country and the developed world to tell about, but the populace has become so morally and intellectually void and corrupted by voyeurism, sensationalism and living their lives through others who have capitalized on titillating people's prurient interests that they don't have a real life of their own any longer.

People pay insane amounts of money to buy fancy sneakers because Michael Jordan's name is on them. Women pay outrageous amounts to by designer clothes made in some sweatshop in underdeveloped nations in Asia or South America. Then when something nasty happens in one of those nations, they express "righteous indignation." But, it was okay for you to pay $200 for a pair of jeans, made by some young teenager in a sweatshop making $2.00 a day. People pay a fortune to by Apple products, which may be innovative, but are not without shortcomings and are made in far eastern factories with low cost labor working long hours, often in less than conditions anyone in this country is willing to work under. But, they need that little Apple logo so they can be "cool." People need bragging rights. They need to keep up with the Jones' even if they don't know or like the Jones'. They are competitive and don't need to use commonsense, they simply need to be "the first on their block" to have the latest, greatest whatever it is.

This is how we define ourselves in our current society. It's not about truly discovering the true values that really define who we are as people. It's about all the superficial crap that is shoved down our throats by sports moguls, entertainers, (mostly) stupid reality shows, incessant blathering and harping by people in infomercials and 24/7 selling channels. It's what makes it possible for Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart, Target, Lowes, Home Depot and so many others to not only be profitable, but to be obscenely profitable.

Hypocrisy

Now, lest I come across as a hypocrite, I'm guilty of watching too much television, TV and cable news, listening to public radio and watching public TV (with their, now, monthly incessant begging for contributions in exchange for WAY overvalued "gifts"). And here's the worst part, all this stuff is addicting . . . as it's meant to be. Just as people can be addicted to booze, drugs, gambling, sex, porno, eating, etc. the, now, flat-screened, one-eyed "huckster" sucks us in and attaches itself to our eyeballs and brains. I like the State Farm Insurance TV commercial with the man and the woman where he says, "Where did you hear that?" And she replies, "On the Internet! They can't say anything that isn't true on the Internet?" There it is! The intellectual level people are being dumbed down to. I've done it before and I MUST do it again. I must break away and stop watching all this TV and listening to the ongoing talk on radio.

Let me also say, again, so I'm not taken as a hypocrite, I don't have any problems with a profit motive. I've been a lifelong entrepreneur and one of the driving forces behind everything I did was a profit motive. The problem for me, and you have to make up your own mind about this, is the difference between earning a profit from something that truly enhances someone's life at a reasonable price for the product or service offered as compared to blatant exploitation of the herd mentality that seems to prevail in our, so-called, "advanced" society. But, like beauty being the eye of the beholder, value is also in the mind of the beholder.

So, what is really important to you? What value do you place on the one and only life you have? What value do you place on, in my opinion, the most priceless commodity we possess, our time? Do you want to live where you live because it's what you REALLY want or do you live there because you've been conditioned to believe that this is a status symbol indicative of your success in life? Are you doing work that you honestly feel has redeeming value? Will the fruits of your labor not only provide you with what financial support you need to meet your real requirements but agree with your value system? Do you REALLY love and are you passionate about what you are doing or are you REALLY doing it solely for the money and do you REALLY need all that money? Are you in debt? Did you get into that debt in order to have things that you couldn't really afford when you, for whatever reason, decided that you MUST HAVE IT NOW? How do you feel about still paying on that debt when you may no longer value that item or even use it? Did it actually bring you the happiness and fulfillment you were sure, at the time, it would? These are some of the really hard questions you need to be asking yourself.

To Thine Own Self Be True

I'm sure you've heard the quote from Hamlet (Shakespeare), " This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." Who are you kidding or fooling? If you're not being true and honest to yourself, then you cannot be and are not honest with anyone else including your spouse, kids, parents, relatives, neighbors, friends, employer and co-workers . . . no one. So, if you're living a superficial life that conforms to all the marketing hype and all the inconsistencies of the average modern lifestyle, are you being true to yourself? Are you afraid of what you'll be missing if you really peel away all the levels of superficiality and live the life and dreams that REALLY represent the values and what's important to you? Digging down to truly find these answers and making hard decisions to discard the superficial layers and simply become the you that you really want to be deep down. It could get ugly. You could lose friends, have to give up your job, be ostracized by your relatives and despised by your immediate family if they are addicted to the superficial.

There are quite a few people in our society who are being true to themselves. They choose to live very different lifestyles to what the mainstream, average individual and family lives. They often live very simply, occupy considerably less space, require significantly less money, live in locations that inspire through nature rather than over stimulate through 24/7 noise and light pollution, congestion and a mind numbing over abundance of choices. But, once you know who you REALLY are, you'll be able to decide what works for the life you truly want to live and you'll feel you're being true to yourself. There will be an adjustment period to whatever you choose. There will be stress. There may be a learning curve. It's probably not a great idea to go "cold turkey," but create a plan with a timeline and go through the "withdrawal" from your current life to your REAL life. Maybe this sounds scary. From my own experience, I found it to be scary. But, the best way to overcome fear is to face it head on.  

So, "Who Are You . . . REALLY?" There's no better time than right now to find out!

Photo-of-the-Week #113 - Inside the Wall Drug Store, Wall, South Dakota, September, 2010

If you've never been, it's worth the stop. If you've been, then you have experienced one of the fun places off I-90 in Wall, South Dakota. The Wall Drug Store is an institution in South Dakota. It was established as a regular pharmacy known as the Wall Drug Store in 1931. Wall is just a small western town in the high plains and like most small stores of the time was family owned and operated.

As the story goes, Ted Hustead, a pharmacist, bought the original drug store in the 231-person town of Wall. As one can imagine, making a living with a drug store in an isolated town "in the middle of nowhere" with a population of only 231 was a challenge. Hustead's wife, Dorothy, suggested that they advertise free ice water for travelers going to the recently opened Mr. Rushmore in the Black Hills, about 60 miles to the west. So, Ted Hustead made up small roadside signs and he drove east and west on the two lane Rt. 16A (there was no I-90 in those days) putting signs advertising "Free Ice Water" and leading to the store. By the time he got back to the store there were people lined up and Dorothy was having a hard time keeping up with the demand. That was in 1936.

Since that time Wall Drug Store has evolved into a tourist shopping mall including a cafe that serves western style vittles, gift shops, exhibits, a museum, a chapel and other attractions among other things. And, yes, they still give away "free ice water." On a busy summer day the Wall Drug Store will hand out as many as 20,000 glasses of ice water today. They also have regular customers including military personnel from Ellsworth Air Force Base, doctors, priests, truck drivers and other travelers. Wall Drug Store is another story of the great American Spirit, some-out-of-the-box, creative thinking and pure grit and determination. Ted and Dorothy Husteads' legacy lives on through their son, Bill.

This photo is of the main "concourse," as I'll call it, when you enter the main door. Is it a tourist trap, you betcha. Is it worth it, you betcha. Don't miss it if you get a chance to visit Wall, South Dakota, the still tiny town in the middle of nowhere off I-90. 

A Simple Lesson About STRESS

An old college friend dropped me an email last night with the following story. It struck a chord with me and thought it might strike the same chord with you.

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'... She fooled them all .... "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz.

She replied , "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night.... Pick them up tomorrow."

You Are Not Alone

Everyone has some stress in life. Actually, doctors say that a certain amount of stress is good for everyone. It keeps us on our toes. It keeps us sharp. It motivates us to take necessary actions and accomplish things that need to be done. But, there is a big difference between that "certain amount of stress" and living in a constantly stressful world where there is always several things on your shoulders and eating away at you.

I like the example of the glass of water the young woman used in her illustration in this story. I have chosen to live free and one of the things I wanted to be free of was the stress I allowed myself to live under for all of my adult life until I began to make significant changes to my lifestyle. There is a good chance you are either still living under all that stress or you remember what it was like and how it could consume you.

We have personal stresses, family stresses, financial stresses, job or business stresses and stresses that aren't yours, but are laid on you by others so you can share their misery. Of course, the reality is that most of our stress is self-imposed. What I mean by that is simply this. We choose to be under stress or accept other people's stress.

Stress often involves fear and worry. If you've read enough self-help, personal development books you've probably read that fear is defined as "False Expectations Appearing Real." If you've never heard that before, you can Google it and find a lot of reading material about "fear."

Worry goes hand in hand with fear and results in stress. In fact, most things people worry about never actually happen. When something does happen it's seldom even close to the consequence the subject of the worry expected. And, in the very, very small percentage of the time when something truly catastrophic happens, there is seldom ever any amount of worrying that could have prevented the outcome. Worry is actually the main component of generalized anxiety disorder, which is a serious mental illness that manifests in any number of physical symptoms and can actually disable individuals. Approximately 7 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the disorder and there are probably a few times that many who have not been diagnosed.

Here's the important thing to think about. If you've made a choice to adopt a "living free" lifestyle, then you should automatically be releasing much of the stress (and fears and worries) you lived with before you made the lifestyle change. If, however, you still are carrying albatrosses around your neck and the weight of the world on your shoulders, you have some serious work to do, yet. You may even want to schedule an appointment with your primary doctor and possibly a clinical psychologist who specializes in stress and stress reduction.

Life Is Short

Let's face it! Life is short! Everyone, yes, including you, were born with a terminal disease. We're all going to die. Now, there are lots of things that can contribute to and cause premature death including accidents of all kinds, diseases of all kinds and STRESS (with its accompanying fear and worry).

Accidents happen and we all hope we won't be the victim of an accident. But, letting this possibility stress you out and cause you to spend your priceless time fearing everything that might result in an action and worrying about it, may actually accelerate your demise from health issues caused by the stress.

The same is true of diseases. No one wants to hear his or her doctor tell you have some form of cancer or coronary disease or any other kind of disease for that matter. So, instead of allowing stress (worry and fear) to control major parts of your life, why not be preemptive. Learn what you need to do at the various stages of life to maintain a healthy body and mind. Don't stress about what might happen, enjoy the health you have and keep yourself healthy (you'll also be happier).

Of course, there is the very small percentage of people who will find out at the 11th hour that they have Stage 4 of some form of cancer or they have a 95% blockage of a major artery or an abdominal aneurysm or something else and it's too late to do anything about it. That is, unfortunately, the luck of the draw. It won't help to spend your time worrying about death, that's going to happen. If you're fortunate enough to know you have three or six months or a year, then having an up to date "Life List" (or Bucket List if you want to be negative about it) is the best possible thing. Focus on that list and start experiencing everything you can on the list immediately. It's actually been documented that people with a list and who attack their list aggressively rather than worrying about the inevitable, will extend their lives.

The one thing you do have the most control over is Stress (and the accompanying fear and worry), so why choose to let stress control your life? Here's a reality. For most of us who have lived an active, busy, hectic occupational life and family life, we've been living under massive stress most of our life and have simply adjusted to it and accepted it as a way of life. Making the choice of letting go of your past life and adopting a lifestyle of freedom may actually be more stressful than your previous stressful lifestyle of the past 10, 20, 30, 40 or more years. It was that way for me. There have only been a few super stressful times in my life (the rest of my stress was just the daily, accepted, constant stress). One of those super stressful times and, perhaps, the most stressful, was when I made the transition from the lifestyle I'd led for about 40 years to my lifestyle of living free.

Reducing Stress Is Stressful

It was a very difficult, challenging and, yes, I'll use the word, stressful experience. And, it's not that four and a half years later I'm without all stress. However, as I've told people, my financial overhead reduced by 80% when I made the transition. I no longer had a house and property on my back. I didn't have all the stuff to warehouse and pay insurance for. I simply figured out what I needed to maintain, like health insurance, vehicle insurance, minimal clothes, etc. and that's all I had to be concerned with. Pleased notice, I said "concerned with" not "worry about" or "stress over." I can honestly say my life is the most stress free it's ever been. I'm personally freer and happier than I've ever been and the only thing I question is why I didn't do it years earlier. I have no desire to ever return to the lifestyle I left. There is absolutely nothing appealing about it or that I miss. And, all the people who I've come in contact with and met who have made this same choice and have been living free (many of them considerably longer than me) have said the same thing.

So, how long can you hold that glass of water at arm's length in front of you before you'll begin realizing the negative impact the "stress" will have on your arm and shoulder? Will you worry you'll spill it? Do you fear that if you spill it you'll damage something? What is making you hold that glass out in front of you at arm's length? Do you have something to prove by it? Do you really care what other people think? You can put it down anytime you choose to. After all, who is the boss of your life? I sure hope you are. 

Spring is Springing - April 2013

Ahhhhhh! The fresh, clean smells of spring are in the air. Spring is one of my two favorite seasons of the year, the other being fall. I tolerate winter (barely if I'm where it's cold) and I enjoy summer. But, I love spring and fall.

Here is a very short photo essay of spring as I saw it around me this morning. There's not much more to say. Mother Nature is her own narrator.

The deep green color and the fragrance of freshly mowed grass

The tiny green buds on the trees opening into light green leaves

The profusion of colors from the infinite variety of wild flowers - Blue

Purple

Yellow

Red

Familiar old friends - the Robin

Graceful new birds made by man - the White Sail

The light green mountains - with white Dogwoods

The nearby hilltops turning lush and green again

We have a most beautiful blue and green jewel orbiting three rings out from Old Sol, from which the light and the energy that creates all of this lush green and blue water and the infinite array of colors in nature emanates. It is the great gift we humans all share. I hope it's spring where you are in the northern hemisphere and you're enjoying the magnificent birth of new life that comes with this season. Thank you to all those in the southern hemisphere for sharing it with us. We'll pass it back to you in the fall. And I hope we all appreciate it and take care of it for as long as we human, the inhabitants of this jewel like orb are blessed to have it.