Sometimes you're the Monkey and Sometimes you're the football!

You can find the greatest treasures in the weirdest places. Shawn was my reason for visiting North Dakota but John and Juan are the reason that I stayed. John “My New Haircut” D, a crazy Jersey kid who loves his hometown and reminds me of the dudes at the Jersey Shore. And Juan “the jumping bean” P a cool Texan with a passion for running and going big like his state prescribes.

I thought my first night in Minot was a blast with quotes like “She was 50” “Yeah it is a nice shirt” and the quote of the night “and don’t touch anything on the way out.” But with John and Juan the party was only going to escalate. After a rough Thursday we all took most of the morning to recover. We woke ourselves up with a dominant Rock Band Performance, 3J plus Kevo coming to a city near you album coming out late 2010. After the third Encore and signing autographs we went out to the “lake” nearby for some swimming and football. The water wasn’t that bad, but we ended up just throwing the ball around and standing in the water because we were all a little run down from the late night prior. It was getting a little late so we decided to head back and get ready for the night to come.

We are watching a little TV back at the guys crib and we get to talking about books, my blog, and it comes up that John is writing a book. At first glance you would almost undoubtedly assume that John has a way with words but strictly when it comes to the ladies. Well, you would be wrong. His words, although crass at times, are chosen beautifully. I won’t give it away but what he read to us is about life. How parents these days don’t instill values and how it has trickled down into society. It’s rough for sure, but his ideas are so profound. One thing that I found interesting and extremely intelligent was his ideas about religion. I’ll try and paraphrase him “why not get religion into your kids lives (at a young age), even if you don’t believe in god the bible has so many life lessons and stories about morals and values that so many children are missing today.” Instantly I thought or David and Goliath, Samson and Delilah, and Jesus’ birth. These three stories most, in my life, have always influenced the way I see things in a positive way. John I think your dead on here. I better get an autographed copy when it’s published.

Later on I got to know Juan a little bit. This is an impressive man, looks like the Air Force knows how to recruit. This guy has run two marathons. The First in Texas where he qualified for the second, The Boston Marathon. To qualify he had to run at least a 7 minute mile for 26 miles. That is ridiculous I’m not sure I could run a 7 minute mile for…one mile. But that wasn’t even what I liked about him most. Juan has a great relationship with his sister. He really looks up to her and just talking with him you know she means the universe to him. I truly hope that I can be that for Franklin one day.

Side note: Franklin as a sophomore made and is starting on his Varsity soccer team. They are a young team this year, but it is still an outstanding accomplishment. I’m so proud of you kid.

After our laid back afternoon we decided on a place to go out but tonight we were going to spice it up. We all wore some goofy head gear out, mine was actually a cool hat, and we switched every thirty minutes. Also after fine tuning the tricks Steve from Wisconsin taught me I tried them on strangers at the bar. We were a big hit. I mean how could you not want to talk to a kid with a coon skin hat or bicycle helmet on (always wear protection) out at the bar? Juan and John showed me an awesome time out in Minot seeing how great life is to them is a joy. Working, enjoying your job and being able to savor the things that life has to offer. Fellas don’t forget the Minot female curve, the tundra wookie, and I’m taking the bottle trick back to the east coast. *Raises Glass* Here’s to the 3 magicians!

One Mile at a Time.

Why Are you Doing this?!

(My corny way of shedding light on the issue, this was taken in Montgomery NY)

A few months ago I was just like many other people my age; working long hours, making good money, and having a decent time, just like my parents, teachers and even some mentors had coached me to do. But there came a point that I realized two very important things.

1. That the sales job I had, I did not want to do for the rest of my life.
2. That I was working 12 hour days. Making Great money with NO TIME TO SPEND IT!

And then I had a conversation with Patrick Maher, the brother of a friend and someone I look up to. I was explaining to Pat how I had this uncontrollable itch to travel, to actually see the world up close, rather than in pictures taken by others, and that I had to scratch it. Yes I can see what the Grand Canyon looks like in pictures, but I have no idea how enormous it truly is and how humbling it must be to stand in front of such a natural beauty. Pat with all his wisdom guided me instantly toward the book The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. Have you ever had a moment where the words, views, and heart of someone were so much like yours that they instantly moved you? This book did that for me. If you have not read it and are feeling similar to me I suggest you pick it up immediately. It spoke directly to me, and I hope it can do the same for you. It doesn’t say “DO THIS AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY” but it talks about taking risks and following dreams.
I see and read articles about how kids in the US feel as if they are “Stuck in a Rut” “their lives are so boring” but the overwhelming stigma of having a secure job in this type of economy stops people from doing what they truly want to. Believe me I’ve already heard All the protestors. “YOU’RE CRAZY” “THIS IS STUPID” “WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS” it’s simple

1. Yes I am crazy. But I honestly don’t mind it. I have a different way of at looking at things and I see now how quality is just as important as quantity of life. If you look at Galileo, Columbus, and Da Vinci they were all considered to be CRAZY at one point or another. No one average has done anything great or monumental.
2. This is stupid!? I think it’s funny that most of the people, who tell me this also, at times in the same breath, tell me how they wanted to do the same thing or wish they could have done the same thing. So what is stupid? That I’m going to actually do it? That I wasn’t scared of that Chicken Little inside me. I think the stupid thing is to discourage someone from pursuing their dreams.
3. And the overwhelming question Why would you do this? I strongly believe that "the man of tomorrow is forged by his battles today" (I took this from Smallville great show). Not only do I want to see my country, which if you take a moment and look is rich with history and life, but I would like the opportunity to test myself. I think during this trip I will face certain things that will help me when I do choose to re-enter the work force. Mark Jenkins Says it best~~

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.”

I don’t claim to know much but some advice that has worked for me is, if where you are right now is not going to get you to where you want to be, then you may be wasting time and should start putting together a plan to get there. I am not telling you to quit your job, leave school or uproot everything. But sitting down and figuring out the different avenues that will get you to your ultimate goal is the first step.

One Mile at a Time