What I’ve Done To You

You responded with shock when, in an impromptu conversation that you initiated, I respond to your reference to “what I’ve done to you” with “I didn’t do anything to you”. You need to pull out of your denial like I did, 5 years ago, after making the very painful and difficult decision to stop pretending that everything was normal and healthy, something you pointed out the absence of for the preceding 10+ years. Ours was NOT a healthy marriage. We may have cared about each other based on history and shared experiences and familial connections, but we were not well suited as husband and wife, and it was not working. You know this, brought it up more than I ever did, yet have buried that knowledge since this began.

A14 Mitchell on a B25 Mitchell

1st visit 5/2011

About four or five years ago, my son and I went with the Cub Scouts to Moffett Field for the Wings of Freedom tour. A collection of World War II airplanes held by the Collings Foundation, flown around the country on an annual tour. When first spotted the planes flying over our house, we got details of the event, and we've gone every year since. He has long been interested in the history of the warplanes and is always a great opportunity for him to see them.

#nosmearcamp

Election season is upon us, as evidenced by the increasing onslaught of lawn signs, mailers, and of course radio and TV ads to follow. I am taking a stance, and I want you to consider doing the same. If a politician wants to publicize their experience and political agenda, I’ll listen (and fact check). But if they’re using their campaign funds to produce and distribute or broadcast slam campaigns against their opponent, I won’t give them a second thought. They’re automatically disqualified from my consideration, or my vote.

What happened to integrity? Were they not taught that mud slinging is dirty, or that if you don’t have anything positive to say, don’t say anything at all?

I know this has worked in the past. and that’s why it’s done. Let’s all put the past behind us and set a standard for behavior moving forward. Please. I don’t care who they are or what they say they stand for, their lack of ethics are on full display if the point they want to make is how awful their opponent is. That’s no longer how anybody should win.

Join me in this. Spread the word. Share this and act on it too. #nosmearcamp

Throwing In The Towel

I’m done. I’m serious, sadly, done. Although I’ll aggressively vote my conscious, and I’ll aggressively research and vote against anybody who’s soft on gun regulations or is aligned with the NRA and their agenda, I’m throwing in the blood-soaked towel on any hope that we, as a collective nation, will do a fucking thing to address gun violence, school shootings, and the carnage that is the accelerating unraveling of a society once founded on morals, integrity, and respect. Life, liberty, and happiness are all under siege. Because crossed the line of both tolerance and influence.

The Space I Needed

After a difficult week with an excess of stress, taking time this evening to lie in the hammock with the house lights off, with SkyWalk (in Night Mode) on my iPad mini as a guide, was relaxing and allowed me to reflect on the universe, and my strikingly inconsequential place within all of it, let alone all of time… it was a much needed reminder. So having that behind me, I’m taking a little break in my night to watch “Nova Wonders - Are We Alone?", to further open my mind to more perspective adjustment.

As The Carousel Turns

It's official. I just bought season passes for my kids to Great America for the summer they'll turn 15 in. I am taking them Sat to formally close the circle in person, and to hand off the keys to Orleans Orbit. I'm excited to think that they're entering this next phase, having left Gilroy Gardens and Raging Waters behind. And yeah, I'll be riding along too. I have fond memories of many summer visits with friends throughout high school and after, of rides long gone and some still present.

Up All Night, Down All Day.

I haven’t had a good nights sleep for months. I probably haven’t had more than a handful of good nights sleep every year for the past five years. The stress of the divorce process has taken it’s toll in immeasurable ways. My job performance, my focus, my sleep, my confidence, my tolerance, my self-esteem, they are all compromised. And although I will walk through the day pressing forward to do the best I can to make it until that next restless night begins, the truth is, I am still broken.