Hey Kids,
It looks like I’m going to be able to take possession of a new motorcycle. Cool, eh? Take a look at her:
OK, she doesn’t look like much. But it’ll be a fun project.
I’ve never owned a dirt bike. Never worked on one either. In fact, I have never even rode a dirt bike. What a great way to venture into a whole new world!
Day 7
Hey kids,
I don’t mean to make more of something than it is. And it was just a car show. About 40-50 cars and maybe 18 bikes.
All nice. All people’s efforts, sometimes love. Which I know is somewhat silly to some. But I understand.
I used to have cars that I cared for very much. Maybe even love. But that is not what I have now. Nor what I had was anything to be featured in a car show.
That brings me back to today.
I don’t have the means to enjoy a muscle car, equipped with a big motor, clean paint, and fancy modifications. So I extend a thank you to those who not only have, but are willing to share their loves with someone like me.
It’s a reminder. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.
It’s not showing off, it’s an act of kindness to others.
Day 6
Hey kids,
My high school alma Bountiful High School won its second straight Utah State Basketball Championship tonight. Two straight!
We won one when I was in high school too.
It’s amazing what a big deal in my life it was, way back then; and yet, barely noticeable tonight. In fact, I didn’t even know they won last year.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy about it. I just can’t believe the difference. It’s almost like a whole life got in the way.
In any way, Go Braves!
Day 5
Hey kids,
I watched the film adaptation of the Merchant of Venice over the last two evenings. It’s another wonderful tale by William Shakespeare.
“The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he is really very good – in spite of all the people who say he is very good.”
Robert Graves (1895-1985)
In the discussion in the court between Shylock and Antonio, a lengthy exchange transpires between the merits of Judgment and Mercy. It caught my attention and my thoughts.
Judgment is natural. It extracts that which is owed or deserved from the owing party. When we are in position, we gain from those who owe us. It’s expected. It’s defendable. It’s human.
But Mercy is something different; mercy is not considered normal. It allows those who owe us to gain from us. It makes those deserving compensation to be wronged a second time. Mercy, however, is godly.
Mercy is what God offers. God forgives all debt, wrongs, and shortcomings. No payment is possible and yet payment is made. The guilty is made whole and given a chance to start anew.
The chance to be merciful is offered to us as well. When we extend Mercy to others, to show love and forgiveness to others; we partake of the rare chance to do that which we also seek. We can act in the manner of our God.
I wonder how many chances I pass daily. The chances to forgive, to smile, and to simply give. Especially to those who have not directly earned it from me. Or have directly not earned it from me. These are my true chances to gain in a meaningful way. I become free of ill will, vanity, and desires of revenge.
I need to forgive more. I know this to be true.
I need to start with myself.
Whether I deserve it or not.
Day 4
Hey kids,
Whether the new decisions made by the FCC will result in good things, I’m not sure. It depends on how things ends up working.
If it’s like the electricity at my house where I flip on the switch and the light comes on- great.
If it’s like the third-party controls that monitor and cycle the Air Conditioner during peak use times so to conserve power for the greater good of mankind- methinks not so great.
The deed is done, the truth of things will be known only in the future. Let’s all hope it’s for the better.
Day 3
“There are plenty of ways that you can hurt a man
And bring him to the ground
You can beat him, you can cheat him
You can treat him bad and leave him when he’s down.”
Or you can blatantly lie so to save your grant money.
Hey kids, I thought I had seen it all but from a world renown researcher’s lab; this is pretty sad.
Don’t ask; I can’t say.
Day 2
Hey kids.
I read a ridiculous argument between writers on whether big words should be used more or less often. Some argued that big words are no longer needed, their time has past, and readers no longer want to read them. Others argued that not enough big words are used and need to be used more often, if for no other reason than to educate the reader.
I think the right word or words need to be used. That reading is a time that one can learn but I disagree that the writer is the school master. If a writer is “dumbing it down” to cater to the deteriorating literary skills of today’s reader, or if a writer is using their superior mastery of the English vocabulary to help force readers to “look up words they would otherwise not know”- both approaches are wrong.
Books are for two people. Writers and readers. One does not benefit much without the other. Both have varied tastes, education, and goals for their efforts. Writers, tell the story you want to tell in the most effective way you can. Readers, read the authors that scratch your literary itch. And let’s just share some good books together.
Day 1
Hey kids.
I’ve been working on my latest book and I’ve kind have been working on it for a long time now. Specifically, I’m working on this certain chapter; I’m guessing a couple of weeks at this point; at least on this edit. But it’s OK.
I don’t have an editor and even if I did, I have to be happy with the writing as I finish it or why else do it. There is a line of trying to be too perfect, but I’m far from that point. I’m just trying to get it right.
I read about other writers who can crank out books seemingly in their sleep. That’s great for them. I’m not them. I have to work at a different pace. I Edit. Then I edit again. And then edit a few more thousand times. It’s funny to me how little of the original text survives and yet the story remains and appears to have never been edited ever before (that can go two different ways. I speak of the good way, of sounding natural and flowing.)
During this pass through the chapter, a key chapter in my opinion, I have had ideas that need to now be incorporated into earlier chapters and I have had ideas that will reshape the ending of the book. It’s all in a state of flux and I’m creating more and more work to get it all finished. But again, it’s OK. It’s what I signed up to do.
Signed up with me, that is. No one is making me do anything. I’m doing this on my own. For me. To share one day, yes; but it’s mine right now. If I were to stop working on it, few if any would care more than a passing moment. If it isn’t good, no one will stone me. If It never sells, no economy will collapse. It doesn’t matter but to my little world.
And if spending countless hours of my free time, trying to make my little world as good as I can possibly make it, isn’t worth it. Then what is?
Hey Kids!
It’s Thursday and I know that I set a schedule for posting but I no longer remember what that schedule is. So whether I’m supposed to be doing this for today or for tomorrow, I really don’t remember. Anyway what is scheduled but things that structure our lives? And who wants that??
It’s OK to be tough. I think it needs to be said. Maybe I’m old school. No. I am old school. I like tough. I respect tough. I expect tough. I despise non-tough.
There are a multiple ways to be tough. It isn’t just all muscle bound stuff either. Mental tough. Emotional tough. Head tough. It’s all good and when we get down to it, it’s really the only thing to be and be respected. No one likes weak. We tolerate weak on one aspect, so long as tough is displayed or available on another.
Be the hardest working person in the room. Be the first to working. Be the most dependable. Be the most honest. Be the first to offer help. Offer the most help. Be the most supportive. Be the most caring. If you notice, it IS a competition. Be the most, first, best, etc. And if not the first, best, strongest, fastest- be the most gracious.
Tough is not being passive. Tough is about being you and the best, the real best, that you can be.
Be tough, kids. Find your strength. You will never regret it.
Last night Joe Montana’s record of Super Bowl TD passes was broken by Tom Brady.
It’s OK. It’s good to break the records. It shows the game progresses, the players get better, and new stars emerge.
It’s hard for kid’s to grow up without feeling they are watching the best players ever. My favorite players were from when I was a kid. They were the best then and I loved them. Why shouldn’t the kids today have the best and remember the best and watch them play. It’s what keeps the games alive, it keeps them worth watching, and it does nothing to eliminate the memories and achievements of the past.
Tell stories of yester year. It’s what us old people do. We secretly know our time was the best time. Let the babies have their bottles.
Mike M Jensen 