And then there were Three December 25, 2011
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Christmas, Family, Love.add a comment
It began, as most Christmas mornings have since the boys were older than 8 or 9 years-old, peacefully quiet. As usual, I was the first one up, and the silence was a deafening reminder of this fact.
This particular morning was different though. This morning, for the first time in twenty years, there were three people in the house on Christmas morning, and not four. Now the old question goes: when your son gets married, are you losing a son, or gaining a daughter? As I sat in the stillness of Christmas morning, it didn’t seem like a rhetorical question. (more…)
My Christmas Wish December 25, 2011
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Christmas, Family, Fear, Friends, Joy, Love, Relationships, Starbucks.Tags: Christmas, friends, Love
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Happiness and everything your heart desires, wherever that takes you.
Merry Christmas!
The Virtue of Predictability December 22, 2011
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Communication, Learning, Movies.2 comments
As an ENFP, I’m hardly what you would call predictable or prone to monotony. Far to the contrary, I’m always on the lookout for a new or different way to do the repetitive tasks that make up the substance of life.
However, there are situations where doing things exactly the same way, every time is absolutely essential, and potentially life-saving. Consider the longitivtiy-enhancement of putting on your seatbelt, washing your hands after going to the bathroom, or putting your foot on the brake before you putting an automatic transmission in Drive. (To be fair, the second one is a bit dated, since the “unintended acceleration” accidents that brought the demise of the Audi 5000 pressured most automakers to install shift interlocks that force this behavior.)
In less serious realms, this notion of boring repeatability can not only promote good habits, it can reduce stress on those you work with. This past week, I was reminded of this when I was thrust again into the team environment of a movie production crew.
Why You Should Blog December 11, 2011
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Blogging.3 comments
One day when my youngest son was sitting in class at his High School, the subject of bloggers and blogging came up. One of his friends said, “What kind of weirdos blog?”
My son said, “Weirdos like my Dad,” with a laugh. While I appreciate the fact that not everyone has the desire to write a blog, I think everyone should. Here’s why:
- Because it helps you verbalize/organize your thoughts/opinions
a. Shape your opinions based on voices outside AND inside your own head, don’t be a “ditto-head”
b. If you write for an audience that may not agree with you, you’ll make a more coherent argument
c. In the process of organizing your thoughts, you’ll learn things you wouldn’t have otherwise - Because it contributes something
a. Link to: http://www.herecomeseverybody.org/2008/04/looking-for-the-mouse.html
b. Contributing anything helps us move out of a “consumerism mode” - Because it makes you a better writer
a. The only way to get better at something is to do it, and by blogging, you get to write about what YOU think is important
b. Over time, readers will discover what you’ve written and will give you feedback - Because it’s “live”
a. In sharp contrast to TV, and in much the same way as we find with live theater, feedback from an audience (even if you don’t engage them in extended conversations) adds depth to the experience
b. As people respond, if you engage them in discussion, you have the opportunity to learn even more, or possibly just expand further on a topic than you had originally thought was appropriate.
That, my friends, is why you should blog.
A Fool and his Words are Soon Parted 