A-MAZE-ING JOURNEY

A few weeks ago, I took my kids to see Luray Caverns in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia. Luray Caverns are a spectacular natural wonder that is absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring to behold. Next to the entrance to the caverns is a garden maze that is made up of 1500 eight-foot high arborvitae trees that cover over an acre.

It took us nearly an hour to find all the checkpoints and then to find our way out. For my kids and me, it was an absolute blast, while at the same time, utterly frustrating. We took turns taking the lead - often leading each other to dead-ends or by landmarks that became familiar after several unintentionl passes. Sometimes we'd forget about finding the our way, and focused instead on chasing each other around, or jumping out from around turns to scare the bejeezus out of one another.

When we finally reached the end, there were high fives all around, and we congratulated ourselves on our mastery of the maze. But the pride we felt at completion pales in comparison to the memories we made being together in the maze. I'll always hold dear in my heart the sounds of laughter from my kids as I chase them through the trees, shrieks of surprise as I jump out from behind a corner, our shared excitement over finding a new landmark. And this trip through the maze is, of course, just a microcosm of life. It's not about the destination, it's about finding your way, having fun, and sharing the journey.

Tuning Up

Last week I had a piano tuner come by and, well what do you expect? He tuned the piano. Anyway, he was an interesting fellow, an older gentleman who has had his share of loss. But he was very emphatic that he is happy today. As he brought my old piano back into tune, he began to explain that he has embraced the freedom of now. Kind of a Carpe Diem approach to life.

The freedom of now means being in the present, focusing on doing your best and doing what makes you happy now. He explained that focus on today allows you to release the regret and pain of yesterday. It also relieves the pressure of tomorrow. Do what's right today and tomorrow will take care of itself. Even if what's right today turns out to be wrong tomorrow, you'll fix it when tomorrow becomes today. Hhhhmmm.

Now I've always been of the design school of thought. You know, live by design leads to happiness by design. The major flaw I've discovered with this is that there's only two possible outcomes - success or failure. Happiness or unhappiness. I realize now that life is not that binary. Nor is it linear or formulaic. Life is dynamic, uncertain, and often out of tune. Sometimes, you just have to tune it up.

Just Wingin' It

Icarus, full of youthful arrogance and pride, ignored his fathers warnings and flew so high, that the sun melted his wings. Icarus fell into the sea and perished. Poor Icarus. But why am I writing about greek fables? Well, because we're supposed to learn from them. You see, Icarus could be my middle name. I've been that arrogant. I've flown that high. It's great when you're up there, but it is an awful long way to fall. And there were times I, too, thought I'd perish.

But unlike Icarus, I've had many angels come to my rescue. All of you know who you are. Each of you has breathed a little life back into me. You're even teaching me to fly again. I can't say I deserve it, but I hope to. With my new wings, perhaps I'll be an angel too.

Let the Music Play

When I was a boy, my parents loved to listen to Simon and Garfunkel. I remember listening to those sweet harmonies riding in the back of my parent's Datsun station wagon. Then came the Eagles, the Beach Boys, Elton John, the Beatles, just to name a few. These were the groups that I learned to sing along with and became the foundation of my early music experience.

In 1972, my parents brought me to see the Sound of Music. It was the first time I'd seen a musical, a whole story be told in song. I loved it. Later, we watched West Side Story, South Pacific, White Chrismas, Viva Las Vegas...you name it, if it was a musical, I wanted to see it. I became a devotee to the genre - a passion that endures to today.

The gift of music is such a wonderful part of my life. I love to sing along to it, love to dance to it, love to watch it performed, love to play it on the piano. I've never really said thank you to the two people who gave me this gift, my parents, Lana and Raymond. So Mom and Papa, Thank you. Love, Your Son.

Don't they look young!

Male Call

I just re-read my last post (below) and wow, do I sound a little light in the loafers. I kinda like the flow of the text so I won't edit it, but rather, I'm gonna provide some fair balance in this post. You see, I'm a self proclaimed renaissance man, and by definition, I have a broad variety of interests, including some very typically male pursuits. See for yourself.

Sports: Believe it or not, I'm a decent athelete. Growing up on the beaches of Los Angeles , volleyball was de rigeur, and for years, I competed in intramural and regional leagues. In college, I fenced saber for UCLA and even made all-state my last two years. Nowadays, I like catching sports on TV. While not a die-hard fan of any team in particular, I will go to a game or two.

Cars: Mobile sculpture. Art and science transporting society to the future. Man, I should be in marketing. Anyway, I love cars. You'll frequently find me meeting up with other car guys at local cruise-ins and auto-shows. And now, on TV there are so many shows dedicated to the motoring cogniscenti. Shows like Overhaulin', Rides, American Chopper, etc. Those are my reality shows. In fact, check out my other blog site where I highlight some of my favorite rides: http://drivinginstyle.blogspot.com/.

Women: Ah yes. The fairer sex. I'll explore this one further on future posts. Suffice it to say that there's a very healthy interest here...yes, very healthy.

D.C. METRO

No, this is not a post about mass transportation in the Washington area. Nope, D.C. Metro is a term that has been fairly, or unfairly, applied to me. Before I delve into why, let me state up front - I'm all man. Look up man in the dictionary, and there's a picture of me in front of Hooters, holding fresh kill from the hunt. Ok, so I'm exaggerating - but haven't you come to expect that from my previous posts?

Anyway, this man also loves to cook, likes to dress well, enjoys the arts, loves to sing and dance, etc. As a consequence, my female friends have labelled me "metro-sexual." While the term may have merit, it sounds awfully close to another label that most men have been avoiding since junior high. So I have a collection of Mezlan shoes. So my jeans say I'm Lucky. I can also sing along with Les Miserable and prepare basil in a perfect chiffonade. Sure, I'd have a better chance telling you who played the lead role in Sunset Blvd. (Glenn Close) than who was the winning quaterback in last year's Super Bowl. What does it all mean? Guess it means I'm D.C. Metro.

So I'll send you off with a little metro tip. Next time you want to impress with dessert, wrap pieces of banana in spring-roll wrappers. Fry them until they're golden brown. Cut and arrange them around vanilla or coconut ice-cream. Drizzle with honey and/or chocolate and garnish with berries or mint. Voila, metro stylin' in the kitchen.

Fine Wine or Sour Grapes?

Who said that men, like fine wine, get better with age? Probably not a man. If it was, he was in denial, a very common male trait. Hide the vulnerabilities with the right amount of posturing. Spin the situation with a catchy euphamism, and voila, Macho Man lives on. Well I for one ain't buyin' it. As a young man, it was volleyball four days a week. Throw in there the determined quest for the ultimate donut shop, or 3AM food runs at Tommy's (UCLA's answer to "Which chiliburger can induce acid reflux the fastest?") Heap on dozens of other abuses and still, I always managed to rebound in time for the next game.

Fast forward to my current state. What state is that, you ask? The state where forty is just over the border. The state where an hour and a half volleyball match comes with a mandatory sentence of life with pain. The state where Krispy Kreme should be a controlled substance, but instead it's been legalized to keep minorities down. Hum, I've never played the race card before. I'm just throwing that in for dramatic effect. Hey, it works for democrats ;-)

OK. I know. I've painted a pretty one-sided view on aging. With age comes experience and wisdom. I recognize the life lessons I've learned along the way. I appreciate that life is more about fulfillment than fun. Fatherhood is way more demanding than spanking the ball down hard-cross. And the game ain't over when the whistle blows. I guess I am getting better with age. I'm equipped with better tools for life's real challenges. Now if only my shoulder would stop aching.

Working for a Living

Yeah. I'm one of those people who actually likes his job. I work for a large pharmaceutical company - you know, the ones getting lambasted by the media and hungry lawyers. I know I'm going to sound like I drank the company kool-aid, but I really believe that we are not only adding years to peoples lives, but also adding life to people's years. Sounds like corporate speak, but I'm not asking everyone to buy into it.

For the last several years, I've been working in osteoporosis, a disease which results in millions of fractures every year. Over a decade ago, I started working on the clinical trials for what is now the leading treatment for osteoporosis. Now I manage a regional sales team supporting specialists in the disease. I am amazed at how far we've come since I first started. What was a "boutique" area of medicine has become a mainstream part of women's health.

I love knowing that the better I do my job, many more patients will live healthier. So when I say I'm working for a living, I guess I really mean that I'm working for the living.