Life's Prizes

I talk often about being thankful. Grateful. Appreciative. I struggled for years with all of those. Asking for help. Assistance. Acknowledging you can't do it alone. I still struggle with these. But I'm getting better.

The end of last year/beginning of this year has been all about change for me. Mostly personal, health related. Several changes involve throwing some things against a wall to see what sticks. But I have faith. This week is the 3rd anniversary of my heart attack at 38. And while that alone wasn't enough for me to quit smoking, the last 3 months of my life have gotten me prepared. My 10th wedding anniversary just passed too. I've been very reflective these past couple of weeks. Some may even say to the point of paranoia. But I'm feeling better. And it's getting easier. And I am tending to things that needed some maintenance. And I'm happy. And today I came across this, and needed to share. It was an ad campaign for the United Technology Company:


Most of us miss out on life’s big prizes.


The Pulitzer.


The Nobel.


Oscars.


Tonys.


Emmys.



But we’re all eligible for life’s small pleasures.


A pat on the back.


A kiss behind the ear.


A four-pound bass.


A full moon.


An empty parking space.


A crackling fire.


A great meal.


A glorious sunset.


Hot soup.


Cold beer.


Don’t fret about copping life’s grand awards. Enjoy it’s tiny delights.


There are plenty for all of us.





Relish the small pleasures. And be grateful. Thankful. Let someone else know they contributed to your good mood. Help someone else. Enjoy. Relax. Share. Give out a nice "That'll do Pig". A hug. Let someone know you appreciate the things they do for you. And don't expect anything back. It will come back to you. I promise

Who Wants To Go On A Photo Walk?

I miss you guys. The camaraderie, the war stories, the photography, the beer...

So what's say we get together for what should be an amazing photographic opportunity? On Saturday, February 5th in Chinatown, The Chinese Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 112th Annual Golden Dragon Parade at 1:00 in Chinatown to celebrate the Chinese New Year. All the details are here: http://www.lagoldendragonparade.com/

Perhaps we could meet at Union Station or Olvera St at noon and head over. So who's in?

Happy New Year!

"We will open the book.  It's pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity, and it's first chapter is New Years Day." ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Here is hoping you and yours find this New Years day happy, healthy, and ready for anything. As I reflect back on 2010, I can honestly say it was an amazing year, with many lessons learned, and new appreciations granted. So many of us look at a years passage as a marker of time, getting older, getting closer to the end. I prefer to look at it more like a road map, with markers showing where we've been. Prior to 2010, and even during a good portion of 2010, I was racing to see how quickly I could get to the end. That all changed for me on 7/30/2010, when I was reminded of what really, truly is important to me. For that, I will always be fond of 2010.