A list of things for men to do.......

I just read an article linked on facebook (purposely written lowercase) about 20 things men today should not be doing. A list of twenty things starting with "don't" or "stop". Which to me is kinda negative and I'd rather see a list of 20 things to do instead. Taking their article and rewriting it to be in a positive voice, here is there advice (not that I agree with all of it, but still the same):

1. Take pictures of things other than yourself.

2. Work for the things you want.

3. The only person you have to be better than in life is the person you were yesterday.

4. Have sex with real women. (hard to reword as their advice was 'stop watching porn')

5. Read books.

6. Do what you can to make things better rather than complain about them.

7. Being clean and hygienic is more important than being well dressed.

8. Stand up for what is right. There is right and wrong and fight for right and for those who can't fight for themselves.

9. Choose to no longer let fear be a motivator for you.

10. Admit there are things you don't know or understand.

11. Accept responsibility for your own actions and their outcomes.

12. Take 'a job', not 'the perfect job'.

13. Smile, be kind.

14. Kindness is real strength. Have the strength to be kind.

15. Strength is for lifting, not for putting down.

16. Wake up early.

17. Actions are better than plans.

18. Endure your trials.

19. Choose to reactive with a positive voice when asked about yourself, life, work or others.

20. Spend money on experiences and other people rather than physical things.

Bonus 21. Talk about ideas, concepts. Not other people.

The four most important summers of my life.

Not in any order of importance:

1. 2015 in Spain. It's recent enough and powerful enough I can still smell, feel, hear just everything. My room, my classroom, my hall, the people, the food, the heat, the metro, the trips, the city, the mountains, the bulls. Just all of it. Oh how I wish it had been a true semester length class. I was a 40-something fake community college student surrounded by 20 somethings and it still worked out. Spain, and specifically the stuff related to my semester abroad are buried deep in me. I get lost when I look at my pics and totally transported back in place and time. I'd never loved a "place" as an adult until then. Wow.

2. 2007 in Iraq. A civilian in a war zone, working for cash. April, May, June. I was supposed to be there a year but Crohns, dysentery and disillusionment all brought me back home. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for this experience and there is quite a bit I'd trade to do it again. I went all over the country, usually on my own, and got to do and see more than most people. It helped me transition to different work for a while stateside. A chance I had to take and I grabbed it and went for it!

3. 2001 in Arizona. I had just graduated from college. I was divorced. I had no job. My degree took me to finish an externship at a hospital in Yuma AZ. Moving from the Cascade mountains and small towns of my young adulthood to the dirt and desert of southern Arizona. To have my first real adult job. To live in the very first town that didn't have family in it. To never be able to visit my kids from first marriage as they lived too far away and I worked constantly at the hospital for free. But I was learning how to do my job. How to live on my own. How to be "me".

4. 1990 in Oregon. I was running away from real life. I just graduated high school. I didn't get into college. I wasn't going on a church mission. I was in a relationship I loved and feared at the same time. I moved to Oregon to live with my grandma from where I had been in Washington. I had no car, just a motorcycle. I just was clueless about life and really about myself. I was gone just for like July, August, Sept. I moved back in October and was married in December. I should have done soooooo many different things that summer but fear and doubt ruled me. Sad.

Seguro

Sitting in the movies last week and the exit door pops open a crack. I'm instantly nervous and hyper aware. A majority of movie theater shooting the person came in through the exit.

As I'm scanning and prepping and cursing the fact I don't have my AR ccw yet I decide to act.

I get up, approach the door obliquely, I do a quick peek, I open the door hard and fast ready to pounce. No one is there, no equipment was staged. So I close the door hard and listen for a few seconds, look over at the other door. Nothing.

As I sit down a few people clap and one woman says thank you.

I wish more people would pay attention to their surroundings and then act on what needs to be acted upon. Have courage! Overcome your fears.

btw I was nervous and the fight or flight deal was surely kicking in. But if it was the 1/1,000,000 chance it was going to be an active shooter I didn't want to be sitting there!

Happiness

Now this ranks pretty high up on the things that make my smiley and happy list.

Happiness

Now this ranks pretty high up on the things that make my smiley and happy list.

Not Sorry

I am not going to apologize ever again for:

-having free time to practice greater than most
-having some of my match fees paid for, including travel, food and lodging
-having an athlete fb page
-practicing while most people are at their 9-5 job
-doing more live fire than dry fire
-promoting myself all over
-being on a shooting reality tv show

Life's not fair, the end.

The struggle

I'm having a real struggle not developing a strong dislike towards most of the people I'm competing against in shooting. It's like it is easier for me to be motivated when I'm angry and dislike people.

The nice side of doesn't think this is right and fights against it. So I feel unbalanced in my emotions and motivations right now.

Both Feet

Yep, developing plantar fasciitis in both feet.

My favorite 4ths

#1. Any Fourth spent in Klamath Falls where I got be off work,watch a parade, be with extended family, swim in Granny's pool, eat food off the grill, shoot guns, shoot off my own fireworks and see fireworks. Thankfully I've had more than one very such day with all of those, either visiting as a child or later living there as an adult. Can't be topped!

#2. Landing in San Diego on the 4th of July, 2007 after my time in Iraq. Can you imagine, your first day back home after being in a war in a foreign country is the 4th of July? That was special.

#3. Spending the Fourth in a different country, Spain. Seeing K in his all red, white and blue mish mash of Apollo Creed and Uncle Sam. Eating hamburgers at the Hard Rock Cafe. Swimming in the pool. But mostly just having this reflective, internal, peaceful day of realizing the benefits of our independence.

#4. The future ones I might yet spend with kids, family and friends.