Michael

Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind. - Henry James

I don’t know about you but when I read the newspaper or watch the news, you would think that kindness was something rare and unusual, rarely happening in our society. But, I know better. The news is skewed so far to one side that it rarely reports accurately the “good” things that are happening in the world.

We are bombarded with numerous problems, a terrible crisis somewhere in the world, someone attacking someone else, one human tragedy after another, disease, environmental disasters and on and on and on. It’s so bad that I rarely watch or read the news. I don’t want to be affected by all of the negativity. It’s the best change I’ve done.

But, I know something different. I see numerous acts of kindness every single day between total strangers. In fact, so many in a week that it would completely take up the entire news time to report them. Despite the terrible things that are reported in almost every news outlet, we live amongst some of the most amazing people ever. Miracles occur regularly. People are doing good deeds every day. Innovation and creativity are alive and well solving problems that “plague” our society.

Kindness is rampant. Are you part of the movement? Have you practiced any kindness today? You get an exponential return on your effort. Don’t wait.

Have a great day!

Michael

My Daughter at the Top

My daughter, her boyfriend and I hiked to the top of Lembert Dome yesterday. Lembert Dome sits on the eastern side of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.

Our 2.8 mile (4.5 km) hike started at 8500 foot elevation (2550 meters) and rapidly climbed to 9400 feet (2825 meters). If it hadn’t been for my daughter giving continual words of encouragement, I might still be walking to the top.

It was quite difficult for me due to two things: 1) I wasn’t used to the altitude and 2) I’m not in that great of shape at the moment. So, I made it by focusing on 75 yards at a time. It was a tough one but well worth it when we got to the top. The wind was blowing quite hard which made it difficult to hold on to hats and things.

Me at the Top

If you look at the photo on the top left, you will see a sliver of road on the bottom right. The small green trees surrounding the road are full grown pine trees; i.e. 70 - 100 feet high. It was like being on the top of the world. We could literally see for miles.

We stayed for a little while, but the wind was getting harder and it seemed to be turning colder, so we decided it was time to walk back down.

I had a challenge coming down. As I was trying to find the best route down along the sloping face, I ended up going too far down and missed the turn for the trail. I then had to climb back up to the correct path. I found that incredibly difficult due to the altitude. My daughter and her boyfriend were getting concerned because they hadn’t seen me in a while. He came back down and found me sitting on the side of the mountain trying to catch my breath. How embarrassing! With his help I got back to the path to get off the dome.

After that the hike down was much easier. My daughter and I saw a mule deer and two osprey on the way up which added something special to the hike.

The lesson for the day was that if we are reaching for a big goal (hiking to the top of Lembert Dome for example), sometimes the best way to get there is just one step at a time. Don’t look to far ahead. Keep your focus on the goal but keep your attention on the next step.

Have a great day!

Michael

Tufa Towers Pre-Sunrise

Around 4:45 a.m. this morning, I dragged myself out of bed to drive from Lee Vining, CA to Mono Lake which is only about 10 miles. For a long time now, I had wanted to take sunrise photos around the tufa towers of Mono Lake. In my excitement about this opportunity, I woke up about 45 minutes too early since the sky didn’t become light until about 5:30 a.m.Oh well!

Tufa towers are composed of calcium carbonate that forms unusual shapes typically underwater. The reason that some tufa towers at Mono Lake can be seen above water is simply due to the fact that the lake level now is much lower than its original level.

Coming to the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve feels like being dropped onto an alien planet. The towers are so unusual that one cannot stop staring at them. Many birds use them as perches. In fact, I was able to see two ospreys that were tending to their nest on the top of one tower.

Tufa Towers at Sunrise

I feel very fortunate to have come here. Nature is never anything less than fascinating for me. I am continually amazed at how life adapts and thrives in harsh and seemingly unsuitable environments. The ecological balance in the lake is based on a very simple food chain. Bacteria and algae use the minerals and sun to proliferate. Brine shrimp and alkali flies eat them. 80 species of birds eat the brine shrimp and flies. That’s basically it in a nutshell.

I was the only human in this vast natural place on this very early morning. I enjoyed watching all the birds and other species (jack rabbits for example) go about their morning ritual of feeding, talking and generally hanging around.

I plan on visiting here again in different seasons. Mono Lake is ever changing naturally but new legislation in California will now help to restore the lake level to 6392 feet elevation. This is not as high as 1941 but it is a good balance for the wildlife in this region. Please go to the Mono Lake Organization website for detail information about the restoration.

I feel fulfilled and elated. Time stood still for a little while this morning and that’s a good thing.

Michael

One of the greatest gifts you can give to anyone is the gift of attention. - Jim Rohn

It’s a simple thing to give someone attention, but most of the time we choose to do something else. We are more involved with our own thoughts, actions and “responsibilities” and so we are too involved to give another our time.

The gift of your attention will be something that will be remembered, consciously or unconsciously. Sometimes the feeling of getting attention will be subtle and the person will not be clear on why they feel good when being around you. Others, especially children, will know and consequently will develop feelings of being cared for and liked.

True listening is one of the easiest ways to give another attention. A person practicing listening skills will not be thinking about what they are going to say next. True listening involves completely focusing on what the other person is saying and being totally in the present moment. Practicing this skill will be a gift very much appreciated by the other person. Nowadays it seems to be a rare experience. Maybe you can help change that.

Have a great day!

Michael

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music. - William Stafford

There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them. - Vicki Baum

Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another. - Author Unknown

I don’t want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance. - George Balanchine

As I said yesterday, I flew into Austin to see my niece dance after working hard in the three week Joffrey Ballet Workshop held in San Antonio, TX every year.

Well, I haven’t seen her dance in almost two years and the progress she has made is dramatic. There were moments where she seemed to defy gravity and float across the stage. How does she do that? I was very impressed.

It’s obvious she enjoys dancing. The glint in her eyes gives it away. The other thing I love is that she is fulfilling a dream. I believe when you do that, your life fundamentally changes in very positive ways. Thanks Morgan! You’ll be bringing a lot of joy to many people with your dancing ability. That’s a really good thing.

A bonus for me: I got to practice some technically challenging photography; i.e. low light, lots of movement and etc. Very fun!

Have a great day!

Michael

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. - Joyce Brothers

Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. - Author Unknown

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.  Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. - Jane Howard

Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family.  Most of us would give our own life for the survival of a family member, yet we lead our daily life too often as if we take our family for granted. - Paul Pearshall

I’m in Austin, TX this weekend specifically to see my gifted niece perform in a dance recital. I’ve missed the last two or three performances and I didn’t want to miss another.

My niece is 16 and has been dancing since about the time she could walk. Dancing has been a consistent dream of hers and she clearly enjoys it. Plus she is quite good. I’m always surprised by her ability and try to imagine what she will be able to do when she is 20. I’m convinced it will be extraordinary.

I enjoy getting together with my family. We are a close group even though we live in many different cities and consequently don’t get together that often.

I do know one thing though. If I’m ever in dire need of someone to help me, I have a bunch of people that would drop what they are doing to give me hand. I would do the same.

In that, I feel blessed.

Have a great day!

Michael

A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun.  Enjoy the trip. - Author Unknown

You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely. - Author Unknown

I’m sixty years of age.  That’s 16 Celsius. - George Carlin, Brain Droppings, 1997

Birthdays are good for you.  Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. - Larry Lorenzoni

Yesterday was my birthday. It was a great day. I got numerous phone calls from friends and family wishing me a Happy Birthday. It was nice to chat with everyone.

Bonus: I got some great stuff. A few of them I didn’t even know I wanted. Seriously though, I appreciate the generosity of my friends and family. It’s a good feeling.

Erica took me out to dinner. We had a really nice evening and I got to open more presents. I love the whole “giving and receiving presents” activity. Years ago, I had a friend who always wore a button on her shirt for her birthday. It said “It’s my birthday. Where are my presents?” That always made me laugh.

I never fret about age. It really doesn’t matter. It’s all about what you are thinking the majority of the time. The rest is just noise.

I appreciate my life, my family and my friends. Those are the important things.

By the way, I’m close to 10^o Celsius.

Michael

A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that “individuality” is the key to success. - Robert Orben

Your families are extremely proud of you. You can’t imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing.  This would be a most opportune time to ask for money. - Gary Bolding

I went to Houston to see my oldest nephew’s high school graduation. It was an outdoor cermony for 780 students. I’m guessing there was five times that amount of family in the stands vigorously supporting their student.

I’m glad I was able to make it. The ceremony was really nice. There were numerous rain clouds forming all around the stadium as it was a typical hot and humid summer day in Houston. I noticed the clouds formed in the distance. But as they approached the stadium, they seemed to part and pass on either side.

Nothing was going to disrupt the graduation ceremony. I found that quite inspiring. In fact, everything proceeded like clockwork.

I wish my nephew well on his next chapter. Remember, the world is your canvas.

Michael

I spent the majority of the day with my Spanish friend’s father and friends. Later we visited with her mother, grandmother and friends. It was a fantastic day. The scenery, food and conversation were quite special.

My friend’s father lives in S’agaró, Spain which is up the coast north of Barcelona about 60 miles. This is a beautiful seaside upscale resort area with stunning views of the Mediterranean. Most of the time was spent eating lunch (for over 3 hours) and talking. I was doing very little talking since I didn’t speak Catalan or Spanish. But it was fun to be involved with this close knit group of people. At one point, we had four countries represented; Spain, America, Ecuador and the U.K.

Near the end of the afternoon, my friend’s mother drove us to Vinyoles which is up in the mountains. In fact the area around Vic, Spain is a stunning valley surrounded on all sides by mountains. To the north, I could catch glimpses of the snow covered Pyrenees Mountains. They were simply stunning. I have to go back and explore this area some more.

My friend’s mother and grandmother were lovely! Her grandmother made a fantastic dinner composed of bread with oil and tomato, vegetable soup, omelet, and a very tasty dessert called A Gypsy’s Arm; some kind of cake with a crème filling. All the food was fresh and cooked on the spot. You can’t get any better than this.

I loved being able to experience the Catalan and Spanish culture at this level. I was able to see and experience how they live, eat and enjoy life.

At the end of the day I was feeling somewhat stressed because of some meetings I have on Tuesday. I was told to relax, enjoy the moment, tomorrow is tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Michael

To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter. - Euripides

Today is my daughter’s 25th birthday. It’s really amazing at how fast 25 has come. It only seems like yesterday when she was three and I was watching her play with our black cat, Connor. Time has flown by. Many things have changed and many are still the same.

As a parent, it’s been fun and difficult at the same time to watch her grow into the person she is today. Parenting is a fine balance between letting your child learn their own lessons and intervening when really needed.

I believe I’m like most parents when I question every decision I’ve ever made as a parent. You can drive yourself crazy or create a lot of guilt if you aren’t careful. I believe that I did the best I could at the time. If I’m questioning those decisions now, it’s because, hopefully, I’m wiser and more experienced. I should not be using that wisdom to make myself feel bad. That’s just plain silly.

One thing I know. My daughter knows that I’ve always been there for her and always will. Throughout all my issues and challenges I’ve had to face as a person, the one constant has been I’ve always tried to do my best for my daughter. That will continue.

So, Lindsay……I’m proud to be your dad. I’ve never felt anything different even though I may have not expressed it. Happy Birthday!!!!! It was great to spend the time with you in Yosemite.

Love you,

Dad