Posts in the “personal” category

Back when I was 18, I had a choice of three colleges I was going to go to: Kentucky Wesleyan College (KWC), Western Illinois, and the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP). Our family was relatively poor — my dad didn’t even have money to pay the bill for my oldest sister’s wedding that summer — so I went to KWC, which seemed like it might be the cheapest. Every once in a while I wonder what life would have been like if I didn’t go to KWC first, even though I eventually graduated from Texas A&M and lived in Texas for three years. So this morning I’m thinking about the people of El Paso.

The thing about people who kill other people is that they’re not born that way. You can easily imagine babies and young children who are black, white, hispanic, asian, middle eastern, etc., all playing together with no racist thoughts. They’re just children, so they naturally play together. People are made racist by their family, friends, and society, including the hate speech of the current president of the United States.

My condolences to the people of El Paso.

Some people say that they don’t like living life on a schedule. I understand that, believe me. I lived the summer of 2007 wandering around Alaska, not living on a schedule.

But the reality is that no matter where you are and what you’re doing, at the end of every day you lived your life by some sort of schedule for those twenty-four hours.

Once you realize that, the only important thing is, whose schedule are you living? A schedule you put some effort into — a schedule of your own choosing? Or a schedule you haven’t given any thought to, perhaps a schedule that’s imposed on you by others.

~ Me, paraphrasing something I thought Zig Ziglar once said

“E is for existential crisis.” I had my first existential crisis when I was 16 or 17, then my second one when I was 33. These days, no problems, at least not in that area. :)

(I don’t know who originally created this Cookie Monster image, but I appreciate it.)

The wine guy at the liquor store was way too helpful yesterday, trying to sell me some very nice bottles of wine. I finally had to tell him, “Look, I just want some cheap wine to help me fall asleep faster at night.”

“Like Boone’s Farm,” he asked.

“Pretty much.”

“A good choice. Right over here, sir,” he said as we walked to the cheap wine section.

~ a note from august 1, 2014

I reloaded Gimp with all of its custom special effects and in my copious spare time at night I’ve been working on a simulated sketch of yours truly (Alvin Alexander).

Creating a huge federal deficit during times of low unemployment seems like a ridiculous idea. It’s like racking up a huge credit card debt when you’re making good money. When times are hard, you’re not going to be able to pay off that debt and you’re going to have to declare bankruptcy.

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” ~ Epictetus

(I learned of this quote while watching the movie Serendipity last night.)

“You become what you give your attention to. If you yourself don’t choose what thoughts and images you expose yourself to, someone else will ... and their motives may not be the highest.”

~ Epictetus

To love the right,
Yet do so wrong.

To be the weak,
Yet burn to be so strong.

Go rider, although your ride has been through lies.
Go rider, see your soul through the devil’s eyes.

If I could live my life again,
Would I live that life in sin?

Go rider, go ride into the night.
Go rider, now see your soul through a woman’s eyes.

I am sinner,
Hold my prayers up to the sun.
(Hold my prayers up to the sun.)

I am sinner,
Heaven’s closed for what I’ve done.

.
.
.

What have I done ...
(What have I done?)
What have I done?

I am sinner.
(I am sinner.)
Hold my prayers up to the sun.
(Hold my prayers up to the sun.)

I am sinner.
Heaven’s closed for what I’ve done.
Heaven’s closed for what I’ve done ...

~ Sinner’s Prayer, Salvatore P. “Sully” Erna

On the ice-blue line of insanity
Is a place most never see
It’s a hard-won place of mystery
Touch it, but can’t hold it

You work all your life for that moment in time
It could come or pass you by
It’s a push-shove world
But there’s always a chance
If the hunger stays the night

It can cut you like a knife
If the gift becomes the fire
On a wire between will and what will be

~ Michael Sembello

One thing that’s overlooked with Trevor Bauer throwing the ball over the center field fence when he was mad is that he threw it over 340 feet — more than the length of a football field.

“Effort takes no talent.”

~ Orlando Franklin, former Denver Broncos player

Mike (Pastor/Lawyer): Why’d you want to see me?

Sam (Prisoner): Papa told me you were a spiritual man, and that we need to help each other.

Mike: Help each other? Well ... you’re the one in jail.

Sam: [laughs] Well, there’s all kinds of jails. One of the worst is the prison of wrong thoughts. I was locked up there for many years until I found the key and opened the door.

(from the movie Mountain Top)

A lot of people seem to create/self-inflict a lot of stress in their own lives, and that’s based on how they perceive situations. In that regard I like this quote by Broncos backup quarterback Kevin Hogan:

“Control what I can control and move on from there.”

A behind the scenes photo of Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, from this link of 66 behind the scenes photos.

“My current advice to everyone is this: fall in love with your life. Pursue the things that bring you joy. Let go of things that don’t. Know the difference.”

~ Edie Freedman, Creative Director at O’Reilly Media

I just saw this “Prayer of Saint Francis” in a collection of photos from a church in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and it reminds me of the creed of a superhero. :)

When planning my brother-in-law’s funeral with a woman at the funeral home (I don’t know if she is considered a funeral director or something else), my father-in-law decided to get a limousine for the immediate family members. The limo would take everyone from the funeral home to church, then to the cemetery, and finally back to the funeral home.

When we were told that the limo could hold seven people and we calculated there were eight people we wanted to get in, I was voted off limo-island, but the funeral home woman said I could ride in the hearse. After clarifying whether I’d be sitting in the front or laying in the back – she said the front – I asked if I could drive the hearse. While she never said “yes,” I think she said, “Um, sure,” and I know that she later told a co-worker that I would be driving.

“People inspire you, or drain you. Pick them wisely.”

~ Hans F. Hansen (image from positivelifetips.com)

A favorite quote from an all-time favorite movie, Peaceful Warrior.