These ladies knew how to multitask. I had to have them stop walking and talking for a brief moment so I could capture the shot.
We're looking forward to a lot more hikes and camp outs like this one.
My Father shared this quote with me a short time back:
John D. Rockefeller said that "These are days when many are discouraged. In the 93 years of my life, depressions have come and gone. Prosperity has always returned and will again."
Although this wasn't written about today, it certainly seems relevant.
Another quote from Rockefeller is this poem he penned when he was 86:
I was early taught to work as well as play,
My life has been one long, happy holiday;
Full of work and full of play-
I dropped the worry on the way-
And God was good to me everyday.
It is my aim to have a similar reflection when I am 86.
One fun thing about running a company is the opportunity to be creative. We are getting ready to run some commercials for our sister company and just got this in:
We're preparing to increase our marketing quite a bit and so Time Warner invited us down to the ESPN Zone to meet Trent Dilfer a Superbowl winning quarterback. His speech was on being yourself and was very well delivered. Afterward they did a raffle and I won a grill, which I traded some guy for his iSound. It seemed like a good trade as I was lugging the 80 pound grill on my shoulder through the scorching heat and he was strolling along with his 1 pound prize.
As a boy my Father took me camping and hiking as often as he could. Because of my frequent exposure to the great outdoors I grew a deep connection with being on 'the mountain' as we tend to call it. Sometime around the age of14 or 15 my school activities and friends started consuming most of my weekends and the frequency of trips with my Father dropped of considerably. This morning we had a reunion of sorts as we hiked Mt. Baden-Powell just outside of Wrightwood. We hit the trail as early as I could muster the strength to arise, around 5:30am and caught a fantastic sunrise over Mt. San Antonio. The trail was a nice 4 mile ascent and I seem to be paying for my youthful strides. It was great to chat with my Dad as we climbed. I've missed hiking with my Pops.
We just finished watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and I must say I was surprisingly pleased. After seeing the previews I thought it might end up being another Meet Joe Black for Brad Pitt. The movie had a great story line that was able to keep a good pace despite the lack of action and adventure. The tempo of the movie seemed seemed to echo the fact that a story was being told and that a life was being reviewed. Some movies I will forget, this one will remain with me.
Here are some of the highlight quotes that made me:
Think about moving forward
Captain Mike: You can be as mad as a mad dog at the way things went. You could swear, curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go.
Laugh out loud
Dr. Rose: Where'd he come from?
Queenie: My sister's child. From Lafayette. She had an unfortunate adventure. The poor child, he got the worst of it. Come out white.
Consider the opportunities
Benjamin Button: Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.
Be grateful for the future
Benjamin Button: [Voice over; letter to his daughter] For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.
I've been told that I don't watch movies the way that most people do. Generally when I'm watching a good film I am dissecting the psychological motives and emotional underpinnings of the characters. I get involved in the character development and the story line and connect emotionally with the way the events effect the characters. This movie provided a lot of fodder for a guy like me. There was a lot to consider. To avoid writing an exhaustive list I will simply say that I was moved by the main characters desire to experience life and care for those he loved. He seldom considered his financial stature, perhaps because he had a better understanding than most of us that when you're old all that matters is the sum of the points of views you have gathered and the total of the experiences to which you've been privy.
Do you ever just flip open the scriptures and find, seemingly at random, a verse that conveys a message that is tailored to comfort, guide or otherwise assist you in your present circumstance?
That happened to me twice this week. First it was Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 on Monday, and then just now 2 Corinthians 4:17. That our light afflictions worketh in us for a more eternal glory I concur.
Which scripture verses have touched you recently.
