A couple things came up in the last day that I want to point out. One of them is that Dina made the announcement about her moving to Little Rock with me. I have some major issues with moving to a new city not knowing anyone. I did it once and I just don't have that in me to do it again. This time it is different seeing that I am going into a small group who are are about to go through the same masters program as me, but it is still nice to have someone there with me.
Little Rock is also different than when i moved to Vegas because I know myself so much better know than ten years ago and I am so much more geographically close to people I love and respect and hold tight in my life. When I moved to Vegas, I had three people who were all at least five hours away and now in Little Rock, I will have about twelve people with in a five hour radius, not to mention the list that is only eight hours or that my family will only be twelve hours away opposed to the thirty-two in Los Angeles.
Having Dina in the city though will make things a lot easier. No matter what my circumstances in life, I will always make friends so having a loved one close by can only be a positive.
With us being in Little Rock, we will bringing the Dina and Gregg Show to a new level. Not only will we be doing the show a couple times a month, but we will also be keeping a video blog of what is happening in Little Rock and how our lives are going being in the south where "alternative" lifestyles are not so prevalent. Here is the first vlog...
The next thing that I wanted to bring up was Gay Parenting, namely with Neil Patrick Harris and his fiance, David Burtka. As I was sitting at my father's house last night watching Entertainment tonight with Patti, a segment came on talking about how Oprah was having an exclusive with the couple and their twins. My first thought was "awww, how cute" and my second thought was, "look at what we are continuing to see on nation wide, pop-culture television? The actual version of a modern family that isn't about a gay couple, but about a couple in love who loves their children."
I can't seem to get the embedded code for the video so here is the link. http://www.etonline.com/media/flash/coincident/popOutPlayer.html?media=http://www.etonline.com/news/122216_Oprah_s_Aha_Moment_with_Neil_Patrick_Harris_Family/home_popout.ctv&playat=3.968
Here is however, the promo for the Oprah special. Despite what we see every moment on main street media, we are evolving.
Find out what's on my mind and what is going on my life. Or, maybe just drop a note and tell me what you think.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The Importance of a Detour
This last week I had planned on making an exciting road trip across country. I am a huge road trip person. Ever since I was twenty, I've taken one, two or sometimes three big road trips a year. It is the best way to see our country and leads to spontaneity and experiences that we may have not been exposed to if we were taking a different way of travel.
Well this road trip was going from Wisconsin Dells to Austin, TX and then onto San Antonio through El Paso and then finally to Los Angeles for a few weeks and then back through Colorado. Even though this was my plan, something much greater than me was saying my plan was wrong.
I should have been more vulnerable to the things happening around me in the days leading up to the trip. My car is not at the full potential of a car that is going to be driving across country but I didn't focus on that point. I decided to get fixed only the parts necessary to get from point a to point b. This would mean taking a trip with no cruise control and not air conditioning; not my one of my best ideas. The finish to admitting that this idea wasn't a thoroughly planned trip was that as I was leaving my grandmother's house, my car completely stopped. I was in reverse when the connection from the battery was interrupted. I called the mechanic and he rushed over to my assistance. With no more red flags, I took off for my trip.
I was moving smoothly until I was half way through Iowa. Just as I was getting into the Des Moines city limits, my car started to lose acceleration. I was pushing on the gas but the car wasn't moving any faster. This was also in the middle of a storm and I figured maybe my car was hydroplaning and I just was over reacting but when my car was dead on the side of the road, I realize that I was under reacting.
I sat there for about three minutes and then began to think of the next thing to do. I didn't panic, but I couldn't think of what I should be doing. I should have thought to call 911 but that didn't even come to mind. Thankfully a man pulled up in his red truck who happened to be a mechanic. He looked under the hood quickly and then had me try to get the car going but it just wasn't working. Then the hail began and he jumped in the car and called 911 for me. With this phone call, he also got the emergency road service dispatched. A state trooper showed up who then waited until my tow truck arrived.
The storm finally let up and before I knew it, I was in Howard's tow truck on my way to an area that had a Firestone, Sears and some a selection of hotels to choose from because it was looking like I was staying Des Moines for the night. Howard was the driver's name and not the company name. It's surprising on how much you can learn about someones life in the span of a twenty minute drive.
When I got to the mechanic, I then realized how kind and genuine everyone had been. I will always believe in the kindness of people and this experience just re-affirmed it.
The next day I awoke in my Econo-Lodge hotel room, fully slept and ready to take on the world. The mechanics called to let me know that my car was ready and as I got to my coffee destination with ideas in my head, I sat down to make an alternate plan that wouldn't leave me in a similar situation of break down. So, with thought and conversations with parents as well as loved ones that I was going to visit, I made the decision to go up north to my father's cabin and spend the rest of Memorial Day weekend there. The detour really came when I found myself at dinner in Minneapolis with old friends. Sitting there in the presence of two of the most phenomenal people I know, mean while making new friends with people who had joined us, I became fully conscious that a plan had came about that was perfect in which I made not one decision. As dinner was ending, I realized that the main purpose of this trip was to get myself together as well as to connect with close friends going through similar situations. It wasn't the friends I originally thought I would see and surely staying the night in a strange city wasn't the way I thought I would collect myself, but it was exactly what I needed. As I was going to bed that night in the hotel room, my friend Dina texted me, "it's all working out in a perfect way!" It really did.
This scene is from one of my favorite movies, Threesome. It is the closing scene where the lead talks about his college experience and how detours, both literal and metaphorical, can be extremely magical and sometimes the best part of our journey.
Well this road trip was going from Wisconsin Dells to Austin, TX and then onto San Antonio through El Paso and then finally to Los Angeles for a few weeks and then back through Colorado. Even though this was my plan, something much greater than me was saying my plan was wrong.
I should have been more vulnerable to the things happening around me in the days leading up to the trip. My car is not at the full potential of a car that is going to be driving across country but I didn't focus on that point. I decided to get fixed only the parts necessary to get from point a to point b. This would mean taking a trip with no cruise control and not air conditioning; not my one of my best ideas. The finish to admitting that this idea wasn't a thoroughly planned trip was that as I was leaving my grandmother's house, my car completely stopped. I was in reverse when the connection from the battery was interrupted. I called the mechanic and he rushed over to my assistance. With no more red flags, I took off for my trip.
I was moving smoothly until I was half way through Iowa. Just as I was getting into the Des Moines city limits, my car started to lose acceleration. I was pushing on the gas but the car wasn't moving any faster. This was also in the middle of a storm and I figured maybe my car was hydroplaning and I just was over reacting but when my car was dead on the side of the road, I realize that I was under reacting.
I sat there for about three minutes and then began to think of the next thing to do. I didn't panic, but I couldn't think of what I should be doing. I should have thought to call 911 but that didn't even come to mind. Thankfully a man pulled up in his red truck who happened to be a mechanic. He looked under the hood quickly and then had me try to get the car going but it just wasn't working. Then the hail began and he jumped in the car and called 911 for me. With this phone call, he also got the emergency road service dispatched. A state trooper showed up who then waited until my tow truck arrived.
The storm finally let up and before I knew it, I was in Howard's tow truck on my way to an area that had a Firestone, Sears and some a selection of hotels to choose from because it was looking like I was staying Des Moines for the night. Howard was the driver's name and not the company name. It's surprising on how much you can learn about someones life in the span of a twenty minute drive.
When I got to the mechanic, I then realized how kind and genuine everyone had been. I will always believe in the kindness of people and this experience just re-affirmed it.
The next day I awoke in my Econo-Lodge hotel room, fully slept and ready to take on the world. The mechanics called to let me know that my car was ready and as I got to my coffee destination with ideas in my head, I sat down to make an alternate plan that wouldn't leave me in a similar situation of break down. So, with thought and conversations with parents as well as loved ones that I was going to visit, I made the decision to go up north to my father's cabin and spend the rest of Memorial Day weekend there. The detour really came when I found myself at dinner in Minneapolis with old friends. Sitting there in the presence of two of the most phenomenal people I know, mean while making new friends with people who had joined us, I became fully conscious that a plan had came about that was perfect in which I made not one decision. As dinner was ending, I realized that the main purpose of this trip was to get myself together as well as to connect with close friends going through similar situations. It wasn't the friends I originally thought I would see and surely staying the night in a strange city wasn't the way I thought I would collect myself, but it was exactly what I needed. As I was going to bed that night in the hotel room, my friend Dina texted me, "it's all working out in a perfect way!" It really did.
This scene is from one of my favorite movies, Threesome. It is the closing scene where the lead talks about his college experience and how detours, both literal and metaphorical, can be extremely magical and sometimes the best part of our journey.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
A Couple Movies
I love movie trailers. If you have ever looked at my website before, you would definitely know this. I saw these featured yesterday and wanted to share them.
What are you going to do with your one and only life?
What are you going to do with your one and only life?
Monday, May 21, 2012
Opportunity Equality
I didn't have a fully functional computer for most of my life. I was blessed when a friend gave me her used lap top in 2004 so I had something to type my stories on and slowly use the internet. Because of this, I was never one for technology; Out of sight, out of mind. You can ask all of my friends, I didn't text until late, never checked my myspace and was one of the last in all of my circles of friends to join facebook. It wasn't until Thanksgiving of 2009 when I purchased a computer that would catapult me into the technological age, high impact correspondence and a plethora of opportunities that I had no idea that I was even missing.
This segment from The Rachel Maddow Show with Ezra Klein does a great job of sharing the inequality of opportunity. It is all about the resources we each have. I couldn't get the computer until I had a descent salaried job. The salary and computer has opened up doors that allowed me to quit my job and pursue my own endeavors. I am blessed; I know this. I am also humble because I am no where near rich and still have found my happiness through the opportunities that have crossed my paths. I don't want this post to be about how sad it is for those without opportunities or a vent on how the rich are able to get richer. It is just a moment to be thankful for what we all have and continue to bust our asses as we move forward.
This segment from The Rachel Maddow Show with Ezra Klein does a great job of sharing the inequality of opportunity. It is all about the resources we each have. I couldn't get the computer until I had a descent salaried job. The salary and computer has opened up doors that allowed me to quit my job and pursue my own endeavors. I am blessed; I know this. I am also humble because I am no where near rich and still have found my happiness through the opportunities that have crossed my paths. I don't want this post to be about how sad it is for those without opportunities or a vent on how the rich are able to get richer. It is just a moment to be thankful for what we all have and continue to bust our asses as we move forward.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
LGBT News Besides Obama's News
This was from The Rachel Maddow Show last night. It is an excellent update of what else is happening on the level of LGBT rights in our federal and state governments.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Clarity
I'm currently re-learning a lesson that we all learn over and over again. The lesson is that everything will work out. This is so brief and so androgynous, but yet so true. Obstacles come up and the outcome is going to happen and just going to work out. It may not work out in our favor, but we will have to handle the outcome no matter how difficult yet we will still have opportunities when we get through it. Getting through the obstacle unfortunately is when we tend to think that these are the cards that we are stuck with. We get stuck there instead of keeping our eyes beyond that point and acknowledging that what ever is in your way will soon pass. Today, I send love to all of you out there fighting through something trying to get to a point that is bigger and brighter. Keep you eyes on the prize and just breath, everything will work out.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Opportunity of Time
I am back to the place where I love being the most; Having my days to work on what I feel is the most productive projects that allow me to use my talents in the largest form of influence that I feel possible. I most identify myself as a writer. Through words, I feel that I can connect to people the best. I know we all wear many hats. The hats I wear under the category "profession" alone varies from radio host to entrepreneur, restaurant manager, consultant and of course writer.
Writing is definitely where I feel most comfortable and most fulfilled. Through writing I get to examine my experiences along with the experiences of the great many people that have crossed my path. I share these experiences, dissect them, and hopefully find ways to establish common ground so that through either reading or writing, we can become greater human beings. This happens in the comedic moments, the sad moments, and the moments that happen so quickly that if we don't identify them, we will just loose them and the lesson those moments deliver.
I also write because I am a student of people. I learn from everyone and every moment I find myself in. Being a student of people has allowed me to find my own philosophy in a time where it seems that philosophy is something only found in a section of the library. Yet, the rows of books that fall under this category has a purpose that needs to be transformed into this post-modern, technologically advanced time. For me, my writing helps give reasons to why and hopefully translates to others. As I write, I still give my thanks to the modern philosophers of our day like Micheal Hardt, Martha Nussbaum and Cornel West. Even though many of them would never self-identify as philosophers, they very much are.
For the next two months, I get the opportunity of time to write, re-connect and find my center on where I am and why I write. I say this with the title of "Opportunity of Time" in an ironic form because time is always there as an opportunity. Despite what is fed to us through the media and most other outlets, time itself does not actually cost us anything. Time is the constant and we are the ones who decide how we spend it.
For the next two months, I will write and connect and share; it is my commitment to myself. As I share, ask yourself, what can I commit to? What do I want to do for myself that I never make time for? Give yourself two months, two weeks or two days and share what it is and what you are accomplishing. I repeat sharing because it is the most important part. Sharing gives inspiration, it allows others to share their stories and it makes a platform for collaboration for even greater things to happen.
For whatever reason it is, make the decision to give yourself the opportunity of time.
Writing is definitely where I feel most comfortable and most fulfilled. Through writing I get to examine my experiences along with the experiences of the great many people that have crossed my path. I share these experiences, dissect them, and hopefully find ways to establish common ground so that through either reading or writing, we can become greater human beings. This happens in the comedic moments, the sad moments, and the moments that happen so quickly that if we don't identify them, we will just loose them and the lesson those moments deliver.
I also write because I am a student of people. I learn from everyone and every moment I find myself in. Being a student of people has allowed me to find my own philosophy in a time where it seems that philosophy is something only found in a section of the library. Yet, the rows of books that fall under this category has a purpose that needs to be transformed into this post-modern, technologically advanced time. For me, my writing helps give reasons to why and hopefully translates to others. As I write, I still give my thanks to the modern philosophers of our day like Micheal Hardt, Martha Nussbaum and Cornel West. Even though many of them would never self-identify as philosophers, they very much are.
For the next two months, I get the opportunity of time to write, re-connect and find my center on where I am and why I write. I say this with the title of "Opportunity of Time" in an ironic form because time is always there as an opportunity. Despite what is fed to us through the media and most other outlets, time itself does not actually cost us anything. Time is the constant and we are the ones who decide how we spend it.
For the next two months, I will write and connect and share; it is my commitment to myself. As I share, ask yourself, what can I commit to? What do I want to do for myself that I never make time for? Give yourself two months, two weeks or two days and share what it is and what you are accomplishing. I repeat sharing because it is the most important part. Sharing gives inspiration, it allows others to share their stories and it makes a platform for collaboration for even greater things to happen.
For whatever reason it is, make the decision to give yourself the opportunity of time.
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