Home

At the end of the day, after all is said, and all is done, you want to be home.

Enclosed by four walls, it's the place where you can be the most comfortable.

Every utensil, every book, every piece of furniture is mapped out in your brain. Temperature controllable, doors lockable, and lights adjustable, it's your space.
The world is now a guest, that you can invite in or keep out.

It's no wonder the slang word for a close friend is Homie. Although often surrounding, strangers summon loneliness. In dark cold streets, little safety or comfort can be found. Your heart may beat the rhythm as baseball fans, Homerun...Homerun...Homerun!

After the player has hit the ball, thrown down the bat, dodged getting out, he must then run home. Sometimes he may even have to slide, jump, or crawl. But once there, he is safe. No matter how dirty, torn, or scarred he is, his team rejoices.

Look up on your computer screen and you will see home is just a click away. You can always return to where it all begins.

Wherever you are you want it to feel homey, but you don't want to look homely.

Being home for long periods of time makes you crazy, yet being away for long periods of time makes you sick.

Ultimately after after all is done, you look homeward "...you realize that the house you grew up in isn't really your home anymore...all of the sudden even though you have some place to put your stuff, that idea of home is gone...or maybe it's like this rite of passage...you will never have that feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, for your kids, for the family you start. It's like a cycle or something" (Garden State).

Homeless we may be even though we may be housed.

LIFE.

I live it daily.

The older I get the more I realize how little we all know. Everything we do is an act of faith.

We are constantly in the ring fighting our challenges. Some of these challenges are self imposed, most however come naturally without coxing. As we grow older and toughen up, the challenges do as well. They just change form.

Gratefully we have our coaches and our fans cheering us on. But ultimately, its us that throws and takes the punches, not them.

Family may at times tap in, but we are the main fighter in our ring.

We must practice, we must prepare, and we must pray. These actions come from our choices.

Choices are like friends. We meet them daily. We worry about them. We want lots of them, yet once we do, we find we only really want a close few.

How then do we win? What is winning? In the game of Life, the fastest person, with the most money and cards won. But, in boxing and in life, that's not always how it works.

The fighter who fights a good fight and overcomes his opponent wins.

A winner lives his life.

Daily pour yourself a big bowl of life, savory what you know, toughen up, and fight faithfully.

Time's Table

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, the clock says. I can't ignore it. I can't escape it. I can't function without it.

Father time has been with us since we were born. The hour, the day, the month, and the year were all recorded by him. And in the inevitable future, the hour, the day, the month, and the year of our death will all be recorded by him.

Although he's old, he's quite the runner. Often so fast that I get left behind. If only I could keep up, then I wouldn't be late. If only I had his time management, then I wouldn't miss out on anything. But I don't.

It seems as though we spend our whole lives trying to please him and master his schedule. We are slaves, wearing his numbers on our bodies. These numbers change, causing us to check and recheck our status. He keeps good watch on us, each area in a different zone.

He even adjusts his schedule twice a year to keep us on our toes. Does this daylights savings time really help us? Maybe its all a big lie, an advertising angle thought up by Mr. Time to confuse and control.

I had dinner with Father Time the other night, of course at his table. The oven timer sounded and dinner was served. After seconds were eaten and my stomach was full, we spoke of times past, memories, and the future. He didn't say much, mostly listened, then pulled out the present.

The alarm then sounded, it was time to get up. The sun had risen and life had begun, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.

Group Projects: Music to My Ears

Music somehow combines various vivacious voices into a vibrating victory. Each instrument plays a part, producing a distinct sound or tone.

Similarly, in public education, in college, and in the workplace comes those great group projects. Although everyone is trapped with each other in the same square building for a few hours daily, often with the same purpose, everyone is different. Relationships are formed at various levels, from "I only talk to you here," to "lets hang out after," and to "I don't know that person." Then suddenly by fate or some force, these social boundaries are disrupted. The assignment comes, to work with an intimate few of these people.

Parents teach their children not to associate with strangers. There is danger, ulterior motives, and the unknown. Do these fears apply to group project members?

Its only one grade. Its only one assignment. Its only one project. Yet, how much energy, time, and thought is put into this work? Well it depends on the individual within the group. There's the person who does nothing. The person who does everything. The person with all the ideas. The person who has good ideas, but says nothing. The person who takes charge, and everyone else who secretly disagrees with this self-appointed leader.

We learn and accomplish so much from these assignments. There is a reason they are called Group Projects and not Projects Done by a Group. Math projects have to do with math, science projects have to do with science, financial projects have to do with finance. Thus, group project have to do with studying groups.

Maybe the assigners of these projects are conducting social experiments. Maybe its just plain entertainment, forming odd combinations of personalities, styles, and values. Either way the composers would echo, their is much to be observed and studied.

Everyone is different. These differences are exciting. We all have our quarks, judgments, and talents. As they combine they form some sort of musical symphony. At times; wrong notes are played, people forget their parts, or fail to tune their instruments. Yet with some effort and preparation, music is played and projects are completed.