Category Archives: Observations

My views on the crazy world we live in.

Re-Launch: Dream Big

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Steve Jobs was a dreamer… and a visionary.  The kind of person we all could look up to and admire.  The kind of person that we would all like to be– if we had that kind of drive.  

Thing is, instead of just dreaming, Steve Jobs did what he dreamed about doing.  If he had an idea, he went for it.  If he wanted to change the way people thought about things, he tried it.  He didn’t always succeed.  But for every failure, there is the possibility for a success. Steve Jobs never let his failures get in the way of his success.

The text used in the above image comes from an Apple Computer ad from the early 1990s. I couldn’t find the original ad anywhere online, so I re-created a new version of it using an image of Steve Jobs and the Apple Logo.  I hope I don’t get sued.

The story below was posted to my blog on October 22, 2005.  

 

Many years ago, I was visiting my cousin with my family. I was in my early twenties, just starting college. The year was probably somewhere around 1990-1991.

My cousin had a poster on her closet door. It wasn’t the typical poster for a teenage girl– one would expect Kirk Cameron or even still Duran Duran at that time– it was actually an ad for Macintosh computers. Macintoshes were still quite new at the time, and Apple was doing everything they could to make people realize what they could do. Their ads were moving and inspirational.

The poster/ad didn’t have pictures of icons or screens or a mouse or anything like that. It merely contained text and an Apple logo.

The text of that poster struck me immediately. I grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote down every word. And that text has stuck with me ever since. Every now and then, I remember this text, and it helps me to remember why I must continue to pursue my dreams in life. The text was titled:

Dream Big

If there were ever a time to dare,
to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing,
it is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily—
but for something that tugs at your heart,
something that’s your aspiration,
something that’s your dream.

You owe it to yourself to make your days here count.
Have fun.
Dig deep.
Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy.
There will be good days.
And there will be bad days.
There will be times when you want to turn around,
pack it up, and call it quits.
Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself,
that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,
determination, and the right tools,
you can do great things.
Let your instincts,
your intellect,
and your heart guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power of the human mind.
Of doing something that makes a difference.
Of working hard.
Of laughing and hoping.
Of lazy afternoons.
Of lasting friends.
Of all the things that will cross your path this year.

The start of something new brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible.
There is only one you.
And you will pass this way only once.

Do it right.

No matter what curve balls life has thrown me, I always remember that there is a greater goal ahead of me. I may not know what it is, and I many never know what it is; but as long as I continue to dream big and keep trying… and living… and loving life, I’ll find happiness, somehow.

Thanks for sharing this with me.

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Resuscitation/Procrastination

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So you may have noticed that I’ve posted here again.

Yes– it’s been a while.

I think my last post was just before my 40th birthday.  Right about then I got busy with chorus and the holidays, and next thing I knew it had been a month or two since I had even checked my blog.

So once again, I abandoned ship.  Surprised?  Not really.  I’ve done it before.

Seems I’ve been doing that a lot lately– I start something gung-ho and then let it slip into memory.  Consider the casualties:  My blog, the gym, my intentions to date again… all have slipped me by at one point or another.  And all make re-appearances only to slip away again.

I posted today on Facebook that I was going to give up procrastination for Lent.  An ironic statement, being that I haven’t been a practicing Catholic in years; but the punch line made it funny:  I said I’d start on it tomorrow.

Yup, so many things get cast aside, and yet time keeps ticking along.  I guess in the grand scheme of things, some things have to remain constant.

 

New York City, 1994

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The year was 1994.

My sister and I, still enjoying our first computer and the friendships we made through Prodigy (a precursor to America Online and the Internet as a whole), decided to travel to New York to visit our new friend Tony.  He lived on Long Island at the time with his parents, and the plan was to visit New York City for a day, and then see the Elton John/Billy Joel concert on another day.  We also planned a trip to New Jersey to visit the Six Flags Great Adventure park, since my sister and I both worked at Six Flags Great America at the time.We did all the touristy things while in New York– the Empire State Building, Macy’s (back when Macy’s was a novelty), taking the Subway, and visiting some of the neighborhoods.

But the highlight was what we did at the end of the day– we went to the World Trade Center.

Our visit happened only a year after the bombing that occurred in the parking structure beneath the towers.  I remember being a little nervous about that– not terribly so, but since it was still so fresh, I couldn’t help but think about it.  By the time we arrived at the WTC, it was late in the day.  It had been muggy all day, and the evening haze was setting upon the city.  That didn’t hinder the views from the top, however– they were spectacular.I took photos from that trip and scanned them a while ago (this was, of course, before digital cameras were around).  Here is a slide show of photos I took that day, including those from the World Trade Center.


Looking at these, it still seems so hard to believe they are gone. Every year as September 11 rolls around, I find myself re-living the moments of that terrible day in 2001. And we should remember those moments– as horrible as they were.

But sometimes it’s good to recall what life was like before September 11, 2001.  We remember what we once had, and of course, we remember those who were lost that terrible day.  Hopefully, nothingd like it will never happen again.

Way to be timely, Yahoo!

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I just happened to click on this Yahoo Music article (the headline did not say that it was about Justin “Lesbian Boychild” Bieber) and could not help but chuckle when I saw the “More Artist News” articles in the sideline.

Note the date.  They are ALL from 2000.

Way to be timely with your music news, Yahoo!

Six Months

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I just had a slightly terrifying realization:

In less than six months, I will be 40 years old.

I say “slightly” because I’m not exactly obsessing over it.  In actuality, the realization I had was really the first time I had thought about it since I turned 39 last December.

Still, though… the number alone is daunting.

Forty years.  Why does that seem like such a huge number?

Forty years.  That’s four decades.

480 months.

2,080 weeks.

14,610 days.

350,400 hours.

(Deep breath)

22,024,000 minutes.

(Take that, “Seasons of Love.”)

Eight presidents.

Ten Leap Years.

And so on…

So yeah, it’s a lot to process (and I apologize if my math is bad– I’ve never been great with math).

But I’ll be okay.  I mean… I don’t feel a day over 30.  Heck, I still feel 20-something.

I’m not afraid of 40.  At least not right now.

After all, I still have six months to enjoy my 30s.   And enjoy ‘em I will!

Brittany Murphy – the new Karen Carpenter?

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I awoke today to the news of yet another celebrity death, albeit not anyone I was particularly a fan of, nor did I know much about her… but the news struck me as eerily similar to another celebrity death that still, to this day, haunts me.

Take a look at the pictures below.

Brittany Murphy and Karen Carpenter

On the left is Brittany Murphy, who died today at age 32 of cardiac arrest.

On the right is Karen Carpenter, who died in 1983 at age 32 of cardiac arrest (which was later attributed to Anorexia Nervosa).

Aside from those similarities, note the similarities in their facial features.  The gaunt, stark chin.  The long, flowing hair that disguises the thinness of the neck.

I’m not a doctor by any means… but I can’t help but wonder if Anorexia didn’t play a part in Ms. Murphy’s death.

I find it frightening that the entertainment industry as a whole has still not learned its lessons from Karen’s passing.  Why are our actresses, singers and other performers being subjected to this mentality?  What is this teaching our children?

These photos do not show either woman at their worst.  I have seen much worse photos of Karen Carpenter, where she looks like a skeleton with skin on her face; and I have seen much worse photos of Brittany Murphy, where the effects of what had to be an eating disorder were very apparent.  But photos aside, the similarities– which COULD just be coincidences– are just too obvious to ignore.  Time will tell.

The Rule of Threes – Ed, Farrah and Michael

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The Rule of Threes struck again, and it struck with a vengeance, especially today.

I remember as a kid, when a celebrity or notable person would die, my Dad would say, “Well, two more to go – they always go in threes.” He was always right. Somehow, another notable person would die, and then another, and the three were chosen.

This never became more apparent to me in 2006, when my family suffered three losses — first my cousin Arlene, then my Dad, and then my cousin’s Grandma Madge. The Rule of Threes was most painful that year.

When Farrah Fawcett died today, I posted a tweet on Twitter that said, “Rule of threes – Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett… will Walter Cronkite be next?” It seemed to make sense. Just days earlier, news reports stated that Cronkite, the veteran news reporter, was “Gravely Ill.” I didn’t realize at the time just how wrong I could be.

I never expected Michael Jackson to be the one to round up the Rule of Threes, and certainly I never expected it to happen that same day.

So what to say of these three losses…

Well, for one thing, each of them reminds me that I, myself, am growing older. The heroes and idols and superstars that I remember from my youth are quickly fading away.

I look at their careers and wonder if they lived happy lives, good lives, fulfilling lives.  Some did… some had harder times.

Ed McMahon lived a long, full life. He had many careers – military, music, entertainment… he seemingly did it all, and did for a very long time. As memorable as Johnny Carson was, so too was Ed and his hearty laugh and his legendary introduction to the Tonight Show, “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” Many nights I can recall laying in my bedroom trying to sleep while my parents were in the living room watching Johnny walk onto the stage through the rainbow-colored curtain after that hallowed call. Then when I got old enough, I, too, enjoyed Ed and Johnny’s antics. They were friends of mine too. And now they’re gone.

Farrah Fawcett, with her windswept, dirty blonde locks, was every boy’s fantasy… even a burgeoning gay boy like me. I can’t deny that I wasn’t fascinated with her– I was. She got all the men, and she did it all with the flip of a feathered lock. But there was much more to Farrah than “Jiggle TV” showed, and she knew it. She knew she had the talent to make a name for herself, and stuck up for herself to prove it. She was a survivor, and a fighter. Those truths about Farrah don’t come out often enough, and I hope they do now, because she needs to be remembered for all of her accomplishments. Her final fight, cancer, was probably her greatest. Angered by tabloid trash talk about her disease, she decided to the turn the cameras on one last time, and tell the truth… and she did so with amazing dignity and perserverence. I watched “Farrah’s Story” and was moved by her bravery in the face of death. She knew– she HAD to know– that her end was coming, but she wasn’t afraid to tell the world that she wasn’t afraid. So she kept on fighting, right up until the end. Ryan O’Neil said he loved her more than ever during those months… and I have to say that I did too. Rest well, Farah… you’re truly an Angel now.

But Michael Jackson was the greatest shock of all. Poised for a comeback after many years out of the spotlight, which was rare for the superstar who had been in the spotlight since he was a very small child; it looked like Michael Jackson was on the road to recovery after the trials and accusations that faced him just 4 years ago. There is no sense judging him for all of that now. That isn’t my place, anyway. I want to focus on the brilliant music he made, from his meager beginnings with the Jackson 5 to his incredible years with Off the Wall and Thriller… and his countless charitable and humanitarian works. Michael Jackson may have become a persona later in life, and his odd behavior turned off a lot of people; but most of those who were turned off by the oddities agreed– the man knew music. The King of Pop? Maybe an overblown title… but he sure as heck sold it the best way he could. He truly was a legend, and I’m still stunned that he’s gone.

Each of these legends… icons… were present in my youth and adolescence. And now they are gone. Life goes on, but it’s a little sadder than the day before.

Change is here… hopefully!

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This should be the happiest moment in many years for all Americans.  

We have just inaugurated a new president.  The air is filled with a spirit of hope and change, and all of that is for the better.  The prospects of a happy and healthy future for America look better than ever, and that has nothing to do with Republican or Democratic politics; but everything to do with a fresh outlook and a new, positive direction for our country.  

But as with every change, there is sure to be resistance.

Naturally, I am seeing resistance from staunch Republicans who think that Barack Obama’s policies are “a lot of talk that will cost us a lot of money.”  They are sure that he will fail, and that America will not step up to the challenge to come together and work for a better future for our country.  And while I respect these people for having their opinions– because they are certainly entitled to them– I wish they would just step back and give Mr. Obama a chance to prove himself before they declare him a failure.

The most frustrating thing about this whole situation is, the same can be said for many of my GLBT brothers and sisters. 

I have spent the past few weeks being a relatively silent observer to the historic events taking place around me.  

When Prop 8 passed in California, I, like many other GLBT people across the country, felt the sting of disappointment.  I wanted to join the protests but couldn’t; yet my feelings on the situation were the same as everyone else’s.  The GLBT community voiced its disappointment with a resounding and unified cry– the likes of which has not been seen since the days of Harvey Milk or the outbreak of AIDS.  It was inspiring and exciting to see.

However, in recent weeks, I get a sense that we as a community are going way too far… to the point where we could be called “The Community Who Cried Wolf.”  

Since that first group of protests, there have been at least 4 other organized protests around the country, including here in Chicago.  Those protests started out with clear goals – one was in protest of the Cinemark theatre CEO, who supported Prop 8; one was demanding that Obama repeal the Defense of Marriage Act- but when the protests actually happened, they were paired with other, much more obscure measures– measures that I had never even heard of.  Instead of unifying our voices to one cause, we began spreading ourselves too thin, and our voices became muddled.  I decided that I would not participate in any of these protests unless they were for clear and completely understandable goals.  

This spirit of anger has also begun to permeate into the support of our new President.  We have grown entirely too gun-shy… too skeptical of every move he makes; and most of the criticism came before he even took the oath of office.  

When friends and acquaintances bemoaned the selection of Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church, to give the Inaugural invocation; I kept my opinion to myself until I got all the information I could on the selection.  At that point, I decided that his selection was probably not the best move, but the message it sent to people on all sides was a message of inclusion for all- even differing viewpoints.  Later, when Bishop Gene Robinson was selected to give the invocation at this past Sunday’s “We Are One” event, I felt that the gay community’s concerns were alleviated, and we got the reperesentation we needed by our incoming President.

But when the broadcast of the event occurred, and Robinson’s invocation was cut, immediately the community started crying “Foul!” and “Betrayal!”  Granted, I was disappointed that his invocation was cut, but once again our community started laying blame before we got the whole story.  I’m sure protests against HBO and the Inaugural committee are sure to follow.

The point I’m trying to make here is:  We have a new president, with much more progressive ideas and beliefs than our former president.  As his new whitehouse.gov website outlines, he is planning to do more for our community than has ever been done before.  I just wish that our community would give the man and his administration time to find their footing and get the ball rolling before we start condemning him.  Besides, there are much bigger fish for them to fry than our concerns anyway.  They have an economy to rebuild, two wars to manage and hopefully end, and countless wrongs from the past to hopefully right.  Our concerns are just a few of a great many.  Will they all get addressed?  Probably not.  But let’s see where things go before we pass judgment.

Oh… the Agony…

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I missed last night’s Emmy Awards ceremony because I was at Chorus rehearsal.

Thank God.

I’ve heard and read such awful things about the broadcast that I’m not sure I’ll be anticipating next year’s ceremony with any sort of excitement.  Honestly, after that painful writers’ strike of last year, you’d think these guys and gals would come up with something that would have given us, the viewers, something to relish and appreciate.  Instead, we got train wrecks like this:

(WARNING: Please do not watch if you have recently eaten a meal.  You may involuntarily purge)

Clip courtesy of Best Week Ever

Overheard in the Doctor's Office

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A pair of older ladies– a mother and her daughter– were seated opposite of me at the doctor’s office yesterday.  The daughter was probably in her mid to late 50s.  The mother in her mid-late 70s or early 80s.  The daughter was reading the Chicago Tribune to her mother, and I couldn’t help but overhear a portion of their conversation:

Daughter: Oh my goodness, Mom did you see this?

Mother: What, dear?

Daughter: These two women got married in California.  Ellen DeGeneres and her girlfriend.

Mother: Really?

Daughter: Yes, you know they passed that law in California that allows them to get married.

Mother: What does it say?

Daughter: Oh it says what they wore- Ellen wore a white pantsuit and Portia wore a white dress.  And they talk about the cake and the music and who was all there.

Daughter: Hm.

Mother: Hm.

Daughter: Well to each his own, I guess.

Mother: Yep.

Daughter: I guess if they’re in love, it’s a good thing.

Mother: Yep.

Daughter: Oh doesn’t she look pretty?

Mother: Sure does.  Just lovely.