Inspiration

The daffodils bloomed, I noticed this morning after another week out of town... this one attending an important week-long meeting for work. Maybe the blooms were there before but I haven't been home much and I've been too busy to notice. Something tells those things to bloom at this time every year, whether somebody is around to see it or not.

Why did I bloom? ... and acquire my past and current responsibilities? Why not stock a grocery store? Why did I pursue the dream instead of staying home and taking care of my mother? Or of my crazy ex? Why did I even have the dream? Did I get "lucky," or was it inspiration... spiritus... the divine breath?

Does the fact that I bloomed matter? Do I delight someone's gaze? Did I help something happen or help somebody out? Have I made a difference? Did I contribute? Did I follow The Plan? Those are good questions that may or may not have an answer, but I hope for the affirmative.

But I did not bloom by myself, and I am counting on staying on... on the straight and narrow... by using a wish and a prayer. That seems to work better than anything else.


- © 2010 by Willy

P.S., Chaos Theory says that everybody and everything matters.

Amazing

There's this rotten tree on my favorite hiking trail. It's about 18 inches in diameter at eye level and about twenty feet tall, so it must weight a ton or two. For years it's been dead and completely rotten, but still there, at the side of a mountain road. It delights me to see my old friend still standing. I can't see what's holding it up other than a wish and a prayer. Probably the same wish and prayer that holds me up too.

Thanks, whoever you are, that's doing the wishing and prayering. And a wink and a nod.

- © 2009 by Willy

Buy Low?

I noticed that Circuit City just filed for bankruptcy protection and its stock dropped to eleven cents a share. Sirius-XM's has been below a quarter and bankruptcy is expected next year. Both of these two companies could recover nicely in years ahead, returning maybe five times my investment today. On the other hand, the thousands invested could just go down a rabbit hole, never to be seen again. It is a lot like Las Vegas casino gambling.

The same can be said for a troubled relationship. It's a gamble to buy low... and invest time and money in a relationship in trouble... with the hope of recovery, if it will just go to hell anyway. It's a crap shoot here too. Is throwing dice all we can go on?

Of course, I've had my good moments when I bought high on a relationship... I will cherish the times my relationships elated me, before the trouble started. Relationships consume, and sometimes it's just time to go on. So, maybe the trick with relationships is to buy high and sell low. Some things work opposite of others. That is, if you opt for a relationship at all. It may be best to stay out of that market too.

- © 2008 by Willy
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Luck

I know that luck favors the prepared, but sometimes preparation isn't enough.

Last Saturday I was baking in 104-degree desert heat in the sun, walking at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Visor, sun block and packed Camelback were not doing it, I had left Cottonwood campground and I had a couple of hours to get to Phantom Ranch. I hadn't seen a soul for a half an hour when I saw a Sahara hat atop a rock. That's freakin' luck.

Tuesday morning the group leader woke up in a bad mood because my snoring had kept him awake for several nights in our crowded shared-room sleeping arrangement. However, at our destination motel in a crowded Zion vacation/tourist destination, a vacant room existed. That's pure luck.

Who knows how many bad occurrences were averted. There were no accidents or injuries other than sore feet. That's luck too.

I've been lucky many a time. A dozen years ago we had a recession in town and layoffs but I was able to find jobs for me and my group through help from connections as well as a good work ethic reputation. After my divorce, my kids came to live with me and I had the discipline and privilege to raise them. A good young friend of mine became a priest, so we maintain a unique relationship. I've survived two traffic wrecks, storms at sea in small craft, climbing and caving accidents, a point-blank shooting, divorce, teenagers, many different kind of heartbreak and countless other physical and emotional events. This was due to preparation, work, people's kindness and asking for God's mercy... luck.

I'm a lucky man: I prepare and I pray to get lucky. And I do.

- text © 2008 by Willy

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P.S., Yes, OK... North Kaibab down to lodge in 7, next day from lodge up thru Bright Angel in 6 1/4 hrs. First down, and first out, of a dozen or so.