Religion as Choose Your Own Adventure

I wasn't raised in a church. Sunday was that one day my parents had off together for years, and instead of church, my mom usually made a big breakfast and then we would go outside. My parents would take the dogs and load up my dad's old cars, a Jeep Wagoneer, a Land Rover series 2 88", a series 2 109", an Volkswagen camper bus, a brown Chevy Beauville van... We would pack up and go somewhere. It was usually near town, and it usually involved some kind of hike. It also usually never involved another soul.

This was the path my parents chose, their way of communing with a higher power on the day reserved for it. The higher power wasn't God, it was Nature, the arguably more powerful of the two in the relationship. But, we learned to be humble in Her presence, regardless.

I don't do that with my kids as often as I'd like, but times are different, money is less expendable, and my vehicles aren't nearly as cool. Still, my kids learn about space, and they explore town. They are learning humility their way, which is important.

The point is that we can build these things into incredible gifts, tool boxes for people to grab coping skills from. We can build these ourselves. There are many templates, but God/Nature/The Universe is universal. Build yours. 

Staying Focused, Staying the Course

I'm shy of 40 by not too far.  I'm sure people can relate to this age.  This is the age where people start to ponder whether or not they did enough to have fun earlier in life.  This is when we reconcile to the fact that we're probably going to be working for the next 40 years.  This is when we start making plans to die with grace, hopefully squeezing out some time off between that and when we're done working.  This is when we're done making babies and in the thick of raising kids.  This is when we fondly remember the times we had with friends, lots of them, often, in the context of now when our best friends are our co-workers because we don't have time to go anywhere else.

To me, this is when I look at the ugly, old, beat up, OG BattleWagon parked across the street, and I see myself in it.  Its paint is faded, chipped, and under that, the body is starting to rust.  The turn signals don't work.  The radio doesn't work.  The dog house isn't connected.  The door latch knobs are sketchy at best.  The exhaust system is shot.  The front end needs to be rebuilt.  The gas gauge hasn't worked in 20 years.  The headliner is stapled up with a sheet over it.  The rear heat and AC don't work.  The windshield is bisected horizontally by a crack.  The dashboard vinyl is in about a thousand pieces.  The front tires are almost bald and don't match the back tires.

But... it starts every time I turn the key, and it gets me where I need to go.

I do that, too.

That's empowering.

I do get up and go.  Maybe it's time to get into a BattleWagon with the family.  Maybe it's time to explore, and travel, and do the fun stuff that I miss, and SHOW my kids, instead of just telling them about the wonders of the world.  It's a huge, incredible place.  We're missing it.  Everyone is scared, and maybe we should be.  But that shouldn't keep us from being humans, showing love, kindness, curiousity, and nobility that we've inherited from our ancestors, either through grace or sin.

Stay focused.  Stay the course.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith."

Childhood Comfort Food

I'll go ahead and call my mother out on this one, but one of the best flavors from my childhood is this: Kraft macaroni & cheese dinner, with a bit of black pepper. This was on the table when I was my kids' age, and now they're whipping it up for themselves. It's easy at the camp site, and it's great as a side for everything from burgers to fried chicken. Can't go wrong.

Sick Kid are the Scariest

I've done a lot of crazy shit in my life. I've climbed rocks, gone snowboarding, whitewater rafting, canoeing on the ocean, living in my van, halibut fishing, etc. Some of it has scared the hell out of me, but I'm realizing that having a sick kid is some of next level not-fun terror. 

The Best Picture Ever

The other night, while patronizing the company retreat for our restaurant, around 3am, my brother fell down. While he was scuffed up pretty well, he had great spirits, inspiringly upbeat, in fact. But not letting it go completely, I enjoyed myself, too. 

Lunch

This is a McGovern. It's a French roll with fried spam, marshmallow fluff, and Cheetos, all toasted in a panini press. It's awesome. 

Comfort Fruit

Say what you will about fruit, but when your toddler is fussing about a nap and the only thing that will keep him quiet at all is a Granny Smith apple, well, you give that boy an apple and hope for the best. 

Family Supper Time

When 5/6 of your babies are waiting patiently for dinner in their way, you grab a shot of it.

Friendship

The other day, we were invited over to a friend's house for dinner and Chinese Checkers. We had a full game. Traffic ensured. Joy followed. And the food was delicious. Duck. Pan-fried noodles. Spring rolls. Sigh. O could die happy