Gobble gobble gobble

What is Mark thankful for I ask myself.  It takes slowing life down a bit to really assess my situation to truly see everything I am thankful for.

 The first thing I am thankful for is really simple.  Each little breath I take is a gift.  Trying to fill each breath of each second of every minute of my life with meaningful things to cherish is to be thankful for.  There are plenty of people everywhere in this world that do not have anything to be thankful for. 

I am very thankful for my wife Lyndsey in so many ways.  For here continuing patience with her slightly immature at times husband is monumental.  She is much younger and very wise in her ways.  We make one heck of a team.  I am thankful for that. 

I am thankful for my extended family; my wife’s family has embraced and loved me like a son.  My father in law is one of my best friends.  I am unbelievably close to them all.  Closer than I have ever been with my own flesh and blood. 

Two of the best things I am thankful for are my little monsters.  Princess Ava and Prince Isaac except me into their kingdom and share their love for me with every single breath they take.  I love them so much. 

And I think the thing I am really most thankful for that just hit me.  I lost my father nine years ago on the day after Thanksgiving giving me a cruddy taste in my mouth I haven’t been able to shake until this year.  Thinking of him and all he was thankful for and to all of the people and animals he made better lives for makes me realize I should simply be thankful for the time I had with him and not the manner or timing of his departure.

I will be forever committed to my family and of the memories we will carve into each others lives as we share our time here together on this big spinning rock.  As long as all of them keep smiling and living wonderful, fulfilling lives with me included, I will continue to be very thankful, and humble as I gracefully age.

Oh, and one of my true passions, one of my greatest treasures that I am very thankful for, pumpkin pie, enough said!

            

Week 10 blog-tattoos

I remember my first of four tattoos.  I remember the flat five as my friend called it bouncing off the bone in my spine at the base of my skull.  I remember thinking, what the heck am I doing man?  

I have a friend that does the ink in his spare time and is quite good at his craft.  He has done three of my four tattoos.  One of them has many more agonizing hours of work to finish the piece before it will be complete.  Ugh!  

         I personally love tattoos if they are located properly I shall say for a few reasons.  Mine all mean something.  And all of those meanings will ever change making me possibly regretting the tattoo, as they are kind of permanent.  And I love the choices I made; each piece makes my heart tug in different ways.

         There is a true art form in tattooing.  The canvas they use is always different on every single person.  The different pigments in the skin affecting every pigment in the ink differently.  I find it to be a fascinating craft. 

         There is a lot of very interesting history behind tattooing in every corner of the earth.  With every single corner having a different style and belief system associated with the tattooing. 

         I already have my next two tattoos planned.  One should only require a few hours.  The other is a portrait so it will need many bloody hours of pain to be complete.  But both of them have been in the plans for years.  And they will both take years to probably complete.  Ugh again!

Co$$ege

Well, the three different writings about college and all of the different angles that I could understand really, really got my attention.  The student essay about reducing college costs was right up my alley.  I have scoffed at the way college courses are required for years, as I have had a few extra years to analyze before I returned to school.  With roughly half of my requirements having absolutely nothing to do with my degree except that they cost a lot of money, it makes me really wonder a few things. 

Number Uno, what the hell man?  What is the purpose of having walking, bowling, badminton, art, music, geography, anthropology, theatre, biology, physics and many other offerings have nothing to do with my major?  I come up with nothing.  It really gets me scratching my head bloody.  It just seems wrong somehow.  So why is it so, I just don’t know.  I do find it nothing short of at least ridiculous with a side of ouch.

I have found taking some of my courses now that don’t relate to my degree have changed or broadened my view, affecting my thinking and how I arrive at that thought.  So there is some sense in the critical thinking skills associated with those courses being a benefit worthy of achieving. 

 And then also the essay from a parent’s perspective was enlightening as well.  I knew all of those kids that went on to college just because.  And many of them never stayed in and have made completely different career choices.  Some of them I say, well chosen my friend and others I wonder if maybe they should have completed school for some sort of guidance because they have to yet find that niche.

 And then placing economic value on getting my big, bad degree seems to make sense looking at those figures.  I have seen many people in my already many years get great jobs either in their field and a lot of times not just because of a degree.  My sister in law just was hired in a medical field with a four-year degree in business.  There were more job related qualified people her new boss said, but her degree is what they wanted.  She could be trained, or so they think! 

I definitely see value and many good things coming my way as I continue down this road of higher education.  I do think no matter what transpires when I am done that I should in some way be able to justify the debt incurred as worth it in the end.  

I am really having a hard time writing about this and coming up with an example.  Possibly due to me still struggling with the meanings.  I know the Pathos to be appealing to me based on emotion somewhat.  I see this everyday.  Fellow classmates mentioned the starving kids and animal cruelty commercials hitting you in the heart.  And of course those darned politicians pumping you full of what the other guy did and does and will do wrong if you elect them.  I have a tendency to get down right angry when I see that stuff.  The ones that get me the most are the starving children in other countries.  I am a compassionate man I would say, but I have a huge problem supporting anything like that for a few reasons.  Number one being when I was younger I knew two people that sent money, less than a cup of coffee a day they said and they both received the same picture of the same kid.  That told me right there that it was not what it seemed to be.  And the second reason is simply that I would have a hard time supporting anything overseas when we have many, many hungry and homeless people right here on our own corners.  It down right pisses me off.  I am the guy that gives them handouts, usually food and supplies for them and their pets they happen to have with them.  I never give them money though.  And I take a good analysis of if they are smoking, wearing new shoes and such.  maybe someone gave them new shoes but I think not.  I seen a fella the other day and he was smoking-five bucks a day habit, brand knew shoes, and they were Nike Air Jordans.  I assumed he was working the system as they sometimes say they do.  My biggest soft spot is for our veterans that seem to get treated like they did nothing and deserve nothing.  I am not sure if this is on target with the assignment, but it is what I pulled up in my craniums hard drive so to say.