My Sport can kick your sports......

Ice hockey players are without question the most well conditioned athletes in the world. Hitting a 98mph fastball is indisputably the toughest single act in all athletic competition. Basketball players possess the most explosive agility, hands down. Football players use their superior size and strength to dominate opponents. Golfers employ incredible mental fortitude to allow them to keep their calm for 72 grueling holes and gymnasts display incomprehensible balance and power in every gravity defying flip, spin and twist. The list is never ending, and I have only covered about a tenth of prime time sports worldwide. The point? Every sport and/or athletic endeavor, if sold & spun correctly can arguably be classified as the "Toughest, hardest, challenging, demanding" sport in the world. It is a debate undertaken daily, nearly hourly, across every medium imaginable. In classrooms, gyms, stadiums, speakeasy's, dinner tables, couches, bar stools and more, the argument for which sport rules supreme has raged, ineffectively, for as long as sport has existed. The consensus winner after all of this ? Every sport, well, depending on whom you ask of course. That is the paradox of the problem. 

Athletes are prideful people. Athletic competition breeds egotism, and egotism is naturally essential to success via confidence in performance in athletic competition. This same pride & egotism often transfers over into life and creates imprints, often significant on who and how athletes are as people, after the game is over. Consequently, when a specific occupation occupies much of a persons life and defines so much of who they are, the natural reaction to be proud and boastful of their endeavours can only be seen as natural and expected. So when you put two, or more, individuals in a room, whose chosen sports happen to differ, good luck in witnessing this group come to a common conclusion on whose athletic calling reigns supreme. It simply won't happen, or at least I have not seen it yet. 

I am a hockey player. The sport has invested heavily in who I am and how I go about handling myself in life. For twenty plus years I have committed a great deal of time & discipline to the craft and would be dishonest if I said that I was not very proud and encouraged by the success and progress I have accomplished. I would not be the same person today without the sport. In saying that, I enjoy believing that being a successful athlete in hockey is arguably the toughest, most demanding, and skill combining position in sports. Yet, I possess simply an opinion, the same as every other athlete and person in the world. I have played tennis, attempted surfing, soccer, baseball, football & basketball recreationally but only in hockey have I experienced high, most demanding levels of play. My point being, I truly have no idea how difficult and demanding any other sports at their peak levels, are, and can be. Conversely, a extremely small percentage of top athletes really ever experiences more than one sport at a top level. The time required, discipline demanded, and strenuous claims on the mind and body make excelling in multiple athletic events mathematically minute across the whole. 

But if the sports we all play, are each the most difficult, most challenging, than transferring and expected excelling in other forms of competition should be most easy then right? Of course not. Today I swam 4 laps in a 50 meter swimming pool and was exhausted. I have attempted to hit a baseball and am awful. Football is fun, except for the bone crunching body slams to the turf. Surfing is easy except for the whole standing up and riding the wave bit. These examples can go on and on. If all of my claims that hockey is supreme are correct, than logic would say that in essence, all other sports should be gradually more simple, less challenging to succeed in. 

Perhaps that is what makes athletic competition so entrancing and captivating, constantly alluring participants and spectators alike. Just as not every person is equipped with the same tools and talents, the diversity in sports and each of their consequent demands varies and differs with each discipline. It is why football players love watching basketball, why basketball players love watching football, hockey players love golf, and so on. One of the most underrated aspects of sports is the deep, underlying respect that develops and grows between athletes, particularly of different occupations. As much as a baseball player believes I am crazy for stopping 90mph pucks, I am in equal envy of their ability to track and smack a hurling ball 400+ feet. The root of athletics is competition, it is the lifeblood and the carrot dangling in front of every athlete. We love to compete, and love to watch others endure its trials and tribulations just as much. 

Sport is beautiful. In all of its forms. The same as every person is unique in their existence, such is the same for athletic competition. The truly fortunate, and successful are those who pair their existing skill sets, talents and motifs to a consequent athletic discipline spawning the highest levels of achievement. The athlete, and person who can truly step back and embrace and recognize every sport in equal glory and impressiveness is one who understands. For that is what sport is all about. The ability and drive to challenge yourself, to push your limits, expand your disciplines, improve your skills and conquer your fears. It is finding the fire within yourself and harnessing it in order to take yourself and your abilities to the next level. How and where you choose to enjoy sport is the choice each and every one of us have. From the triathlete to the rower, from the three hundred pound lineman to the hundred pound jockey, sport accepts and embraces us all. Sport provides the outlet, the opportunity and that is all we can ask for. Those who celebrate and respect the hard work of others are truly the desired end product of athletic competition. To be able to put aside the ego of your own endeavours & accomplishments and selflessly stand as a witness to unequivocally appreciate the feats of competition by someone else is the essence and center of the heart of athletic competition. 

The next time you are confronted by the query of what form of athletic competition truly is the premier, I challenge you to instead try and prove which sport is the most inferior, can you? 

Satisfaction Sans Acknowledgment

After a week in Australia for the second bout, I am once again reminded how technologically enslaved I am as a person. Living in a mediocre flat attached to the ice rink, without phone, Internet, or cable luxuries I truly found myself perturbed and uncomfortable and even questioning my motifs and desires to make this trek again. Hilarious almost I know. I am in a gorgeous, virgin foreign country and yet the lapse in modern amenities which I enjoy countless times a day in the US actually did for a brief moment make me a miserable person. I feel embarrassed. Such is the burden of my generation. 

Our parents never had such means of information and communication. Their telephones made sparks, research assignments were done in texts (Books!), math calculations with a slide rule and automobiles were built by people. Things were what they were, and those who weren't happy did not posses "status update" capabilities to inform the world of their displeasure. They couldn't blog it away, or tweet it about to all of their "followers". Those poor poor fools. Consequently, with every breakthrough innovation such as cell phones, the Internet, the laptop, hybrid cars, this theoretically prehistoric generation is absolutely blown away with every consecutive modern marvel. It must be like those elementary Christmas mornings we all have stashed in our memories. 

As a twenty six year old male, the shock and awe of things really fails to register. Spoiled? Entitled? I don't quite know how to classify it. The simple fact is that I view technological innovation as almost 'expected'. I feel confident in my assumption that nearly every other member of my generation shares similar acts of acceptance and presumption. From a child, to adolescent, to teen, to academic, to bachelor I have been witness to countless miracles of invention and in looking back, admit to hardly blinking with each products arrival. It is the evolution of the technological realm. Perhaps that's what makes evolution such a hot topic, it's so subtle and camouflaged that few who are in the thick of it truly can identify its happenings, until hindsight, which is 20/20 of course. Or until the things you never acknowledge, suddenly fall away and disappear. Cue the cliche "You don't know what you got til it's gone." 

Australia is not a third world country. In fact, in terms of technological access and capability I would estimate it at being at a USA 2004-2006 level. It's clean, modern, much less crowded and has every imaginable modern amenity that we enjoy in the United States and in other fortunate countries that lay on the cutting edge. The lack in luxury I experienced in this instance is more attributed to the fact that I am a foreign traveler in a unfamiliar land, outside my comfort zone, ergo my discomfort. But for three days void of Internet capability, grounded from cell phone use, restricted from queuing up desired programming, I felt pathetically deprived and increasingly flustered. 

Thankfully in under a week I have for the most part sought out and obtained all of the modern luxuries I 'need' to exist, as sad as that sounds. It's life for me, and although it shouldn't be in the grand scheme of things, it's life for nearly all of us who had the privilege, or curse, depending on your outlook, to have such technological access in our upbringings and existence. Now, from frustration has come revelation. In a way I feel like my parents, and their generation. Losing these axles of existence have granted me the ability to skew my outlook so that I may see and appreciate the tools and capabilities for what they are again. Rather than rank and file as "Expected" and "Routine", I hope that I may be more like myself on those early Christmas mornings, amazed and surprised and excited to embrace and utilize. So as the Internet, the digital television, the personal computer, automobile, aircraft and on and on evolve, as our cultures &  communities absorb and embed their capabilities in our way of effective living, that perhaps we as a whole may take more notice. I believe the potential in this revamped and appreciative outlook is unbridled and it's potential infinite. For I dare you to test this philosophy yourself, banish yourself from these modern 'perks', if only for a day or two, and see how you must adapt your way of living, the results might surprise you, or make you feel pathetically chained to technology. The line we walk between the two is forever thinning. 

I leave you with a short clip from comedian Louis CK from an interview he did on Conan O'Brien. It's titled "Everything is amazing and nobody is happy." Enjoy, and maybe give it a thought? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk

A Good Memory Is Good Business

Nearly four years ago I purchased my goaltender mask from Promasque. A prideful "Little guy" in the goaltender equipment industry, tucked away in a small Massachusetts township. Promasque has made their name with unrivaled customer first philosophies, a solid, consistent product, and a level of accessibility unbeknown to the larger players in the field. Granted, the masks themselves are what attracted me to the outfit, but it was the reviews, chalked full of praise for the care and commitment infused into every transaction that made my buying decision for me. To this day my head is still in one piece, the mask continues to hold up its end of the bargain, and I have no qualms or hesitations in generously recommending their products and services to any who will listen. Yet, this doesn't mean I am opposed to any future acts or instances that would furthermore enhance my post sale satisfaction, and today, one little act spoke volumes to me about the way this company continues to do business. 

After "Wearing" slap shots to the nose on more than one occasion in the hundreds of skates my mask has endured, I opted to pick up a new cage, one that wasn't bent nearly onto my nostrils. I dialed Promasque and immediately was connected with the owner, Matt, the only person I have dealt with since my original transaction. He quickly diagnosed the issue, explained the options, and prescribed a solution. I agreed and within five minutes was placing my order. But it was upon him asking my name where this instance of "Good" business occurred. 

"Lowe....Ah The Eagle Skull mask! That thing was awesome! I was just talking to a customer about the design on that baby the other day!" Exclaimed Matt. The guy, in under ten seconds, completely remembered everything about my order, nearly four years old. This ladies and gentlemen is how you keep customers. At that point the price of the new cage didn't matter, the shipping, none of it. I was comfortable and completely satisfied in giving Matt & Promasque my business. One impressive act of memory had made me feel important and appreciated and that my friends is the crucial element in any business transaction. 

People like to feel appreciated. It's human nature, even more so human desire. The want and need to feel appreciated. In this particular instance, it took literally ten seconds of conversation, and a heck of a memory to give me that emotional satisfaction. 

I've waited tables for years now, and at my current place of employment "The Grill On The Alley" a massive part of our clientele are known as "Regulars". A regular is a guest who is known by the staff, almost always by name, and is treated to the same level of service and satisfaction every time they select our restaurant as their dining destination du jour. People love to be regulars. Note that there is no discount, no real perks, no incentives to frequent customers. They come back because they feel appreciated, wanted, welcomed. There is a special something in knowing that your salesperson knows "Who" you are and a calming relaxation that consequently you are assured to be "Taken care of." This message and emotion translates into every type of business,  in every conceivable industry. Additionally I believe I am far from alone in believing that it is this effect, more so than any other, that keeps them coming back for more time after time. 

The ability to memorize and save data and experience is a natural gift we all too often take advantage of. Yet Those who recognize it's power, and it's capability and sheer potential stand to reap benefits inconceivable in many areas of life, and in this instance, the field of business. For we as a people commit countless energy and efforts to maximizing our ability to sway others to see our way, to want what we can provide and to return for more, whatever more may be. A miniature act of sincere appreciation and acknowledgement made me feel important. It probably all but ensured I call Promasque again when in need, and even has compelled me to spread the good word about the companies business ethics, via a blog in this case. I want to have this affect on people. 

I am admittedly bad with names. I even attempt to use the old "Say it 7 times in your head to remember." technique, often to no avail. Yet until today it was never something I focused much of my self improvement energies on. This will not remain accepted practice. Experiencing the effectiveness of a memory, and the resulting appreciation has compelled me to immediately improve and implement a steady diet of enhanced appreciation towards others. I don't care if it's by ginkgo, more sleep, managing stress, or any other accepted methods of memory enhancement, I am excited to work on this. For today I witnessed a simple act of supplier consumer appreciation and it did wonders for my post sale satisfaction.  This one small act did so much that the limits and sheer untapped potential of larger acts of appreciation is nothing less short of exhilarating. 

Just Win It ! And forget it!

Ah Tiger, how we missed thee. He's back ladies and gentlemen. Completely re-outfitted with Buddhism, a fresh moral philosophy and the insatiable desire to completely dominate every competitor in his path. "How do you feel about your performance Tiger?" quipped the post round reporter. Tiger, par for the course, as robot-esque as ever "Well. I finished fourth." Thank you Mr. Woods for that invaluable insight. 

So there he was, dropping the final put on the 18th at Augusta to a standing ovation from thousands of fans. Had they forgotten his antics? Surely not. Yet, as we see in so many ways, ever so many times, people love to forgive and forget, sympathize and console, especially when those at the center are so damn enjoyable to cheer for. And let us not kid ourselves, Tiger simply does it for us. 

Why ? What is it about this guy and his socially hazardous ethics that makes us so entwined an enamored with his success ? Imperfection. Tiger blends two worlds. More so recently than in the past but that is besides the point. He brings sandpaper to the shiny, glossy glamour of pro golf. He is cold, cutthroat, and utterly and completely asphyxiated with winning. He curses, javelins his clubs, dons the glorious red every Sunday and fully expects himself to win "Every time I enter an event." Nice guys are great, they really are. The Mickelsons, the Vijay Singhs, the Tom Watsons, and golf as well as any sport will always be better with every new addition. But Tiger is the sports car, he's the pissed off horse in the stable, the rogue, a cold blooded bad ass on the links, in short, the dude's a beast. He's cool, and cool will never wear out it's welcome in the hearts and minds of the global sports fan. 

Remember Kobe Bryant? Remember his "situation" five years ago? Hardly. The saying is that Time heals all wounds. Winning heals them a hell of a lot quicker. We devote ourselves to admiring athletes and professional sports for one reason, winning. Consequently, those who perfect the art, and do so with style, no matter how brash, always rise to the top of our psychological ranks. Everyone wants to win, some simply are more clever in masquerading their true desires with eloquent politically correct dialogue than others. When a Kobe, or a Tiger loses, restraint and composure is not in their repertoire. They are pissed and everyone is about to know it. We love that and they are brilliant for it. Anger incidentally fuses beautifully with passion, desire too. "The guy cares so much" we might tell ourselves and in doing so, our projected aura of respect and envy slowly expands around these individuals. 

To the victor goes the spoils. It's black and white. Cut and dry. If we can't very well be out there ourselves, raising the cups in our hands, we may as well jump on the back of the figure most likely to bring us that elusive sensation of victory. It's playing the odds. The fan knows what they are going to get from the Bryants, or the Woods of the sporting arena and that's a no holds barred pursuit of winning. We all want to drive the Ferrari for the adrenaline rush and it's wickedly cool aura.  But what if it came with a scratch? Even a dent in some instances, are you telling me you would not get in that baby? Of course not. And thus is the story in sports, as it will forever be. The human mind has a way of blissfully separating athletics from reality and spinning the outcomes in the most positive, comfortably numb directions. Tiger is merely the latest recipient of this incredible cerebral act and is sure to not be the last. Tiger is yet another drug, complete with his side effects but also that sweet sweet high of winning that we as a people can never get just quite enough of. 

Again, time heals all wounds. But why wait when you can simply knock your competition aside, grab the prize and be on with it. Go ahead, we won't mind.  

Music. Making sports awesome since....forever?

Sports and Music. Two radically different yet passionately entwined disciplines that when chemically blended in perfect dosages can create an atmosphere and emotional wave that is nearly impossible to rival. What? Let me explain. 

Being an athlete, nothing can substitute the feelings and motivation one derives from music. I am convinced this feeling is universal. There has never been a locker room that I have been a part of that is devoid of some type of musical Amp'age. And why ? Because music acts like an emotional centrifuge. Spinning your mind and soul, sucking every ounce of passion, excitement, anxiety, anger and nerves to the surface. Athletes love this feeling, I know I do. 

So what's the best part? It's that for every inch of diversity amongst athletes, there is even more variety amongst music, enabling each individual to find and select nothing short of the absolute most effective sounds to put him or her in that holy 'mode' pre battle. Everyone brings a different routine to the table, with music acting as the spine of each plan more times than not. 

And what makes that perfect pre-game sound? Only the listener can tell you. I've been wedged between a teammate blaring country while the other listens to underground hip/hop. I've heard Madonna and Rammstein. That's why it is so damn beautiful. The most random, eclectic, and mismatched combinations of musical taste often lead to the most cohesive, prepared and focused teams on the ice, or field. 

Personally, I lean towards the Biggest, most obnoxiously catchy ballads when it comes down to the moment. ACDC will forever be a staple, Metallica, The Offspring, Pennywise, you get the idea. Simple is better in my world, words are negligible, and all I want to hear is emotion, loud electric guitar, bass and drums. I'll even throw in the occasional movie sound track, Hans Zimmers 'Rock' Theme never lets me down. My current favorite goes to Black Tides "Warriors of Time". If you've watched a NHL game this year you have heard their "Oh-oh-oh-oh!" chorus blaring in the background, firing up everyone within earshot. 

" We are the ones, We are the warriors, We are the ones who fight for our right, We fight alone, And yeah we get what we want, We love the battle, And we will die for our cause " 

It's perfect ! It's cliche, simple, decipherable and thrown against metal-infused instrumentals creates a perfect sports psych up ballad. As I said earlier, the lyrics are not at the top of the sports song priorities list. See "The Hey Song" for reference. It will definitely crack my esteemed pre-game play list for the upcoming season. 

Sports sans music would suck, for lack of a better word. The music feeds of the emotions of all involved and ushers the aura of competition to that 'NEXT' level. What would the final seconds of a game be without "The Final Countdown", or even the starting lineups with "Sirius", or pre puck drop without "Thunderstruck", it would be nothing short of an epic fail in comparison. 

In closing, from one passionate arena to another, thank you music for providing that supplement, that spark to the disciplines that countless athletes hurl themselves at in every imaginable forum, playing surface and moment. Personally I would not have had the success I have enjoyed had it not been for the sound track to my car rocking, ipod blasting, lip syncing pre-game routines that I have cherished for years and can not wait to continue. 

Help me, help myself

For the past two years I have been on a reading tear, churning through printed text faster than a Peregrine falcon ( World's fastest bird ). My tastes lie in the non-fiction variety, more specifically business books and "self-help" titles. The philosophy I practice in selecting my books is one of future benefit. I want to gain something by investing my time and mind into these works. I enjoy reading, but I also "See" reading as a fantastic opportunity to broaden and enrich existing skill sets and even once in a while create new ones. This again can be traced back to my "Productivity" paradigm I attempt to exist in during this stage of life. 

Before I even crack the cover of a new text I perform the necessary homework to make myself aware of what exactly it is I am committing myself to absorbing. Diligent online searching, reviewing, digging goes into filtering, and eventually selecting a book. Being business minded, and career focused, I want to read exactly what the "Greats" of current and past generations have read. I absolutely believe that to be the best, one must study and learn from the best. I fear that with the countless number of available books in the world, the odds must be fairly high of picking up one which fails miserably in it's desired intent to captivate, influence and mesmerize the reader. I am proud thus far in my figurative success rate in finding "Good" books versus "Bad". 

People are proud of the books they read. I would be lying if I said there was not a smidgen of inner satisfaction with myself of the text covered in the past two years. Consequently I can appreciate and understand the fact that people love to discuss conquered texts. Why? Because it's a commitment, it is time consuming and often takes a great deal of discipline and effort to "Get through" a book. I now understand the allure of book clubs because of this phenomenon. I challenge you to ask someone close to you to share with you the "Best" book they have read in the last three years and to tell you why. I believe their response will be more receptive and enthusiastic than you might think. Personally I am excited to discuss books with others for the first time in my life. 

We as humans love to judge, rate & rank everything. Experiences, products, services, shows, sports, the list goes on and on. We take pride in our opinions and gain satisfaction in sharing these thoughts and feelings. The same principle is no different with books read and I believe great advantage can be found in this behavioral pattern. I have recently implemented a practice into my lifestyle in which I try to ask for book recommendations from anyone in any position or role or lifestyle that might posses some thing, whatever it may be, that I admire. In interviews, over coffee, at a sporting event, wherever! I have found great satisfaction in the results it produces, the conversations it induces and consequently have found and/or reaffirmed many of my book selections this way. I suggest you try it for it beats simply searching under the "20% off" sign at your nearest bookstore. 

My point being, just as a man enjoys the "chase" so much with a woman, I enjoy seeking out the next installment of my literary library just the same. OK, maybe not quite as much, but you can sympathize. Sharing experiences with others, asking others for theirs, researching and reviewing opinions, reports, and so on has helped me ensure nearly 100% satisfaction with my selected books and I believe it can do so with everyone. We all enjoy receiving a little credit for a job well done, and committing ourselves to conquering a book is no different. Yet the great thing about books lies in their reward, in the new thoughts, feelings and re-evaluated outlooks they can provide, and by sharing these with others you are not only reaffirming their intentions, but positively influencing the endeavors of other eager conquerors of the literary realm. 

Up in the Air

Yes. The George Clooney movie. I enjoyed it. Being a mid twenties male with a looming career on the brain I felt the film provided a complete package in the trip it took viewers on. The guy fires people, wears nice suits, lives out of posh hotels across America and has a hefty expense account. What's not to love? Well, except for maybe the firing part ( He also does motivational speaking engagements!? ) Clooney adds the expected sandpaper to smooth everything out and makes me want to do what he does. 

Now the film had me engaged. I was interested. This is where they start working in the undertones and themes that will later make the movie. Does Clooney, or Ryan Bingham in this instance really have it all ? Well it wouldn't make a movie if he did. So they begin stripping away the layers of his world, injecting vulnerability, a dash of emotion and of course a gorgeous on screen female presence. Funny how a woman can always provide "more". 

Up In The Air was effective in its intent. At least on myself. I envied this guys lifestyle, picture myself in his shoes, strolled around the block, enjoyed my time. Then, aided by the previously stated vulnerability injections, and on screen emotions and messages, realized, again applying my own experiences and feelings to the role, that maybe Bingham didn't have it all, maybe there IS more to living than just nice "luggage". 

I think everyone enjoys movies that lets us infuse ourselves into them, swish them around, coat the pallet and form our own conclusions and end feelings. Maybe it's the sensation of feeling accomplished. As if there was purpose in our viewing. I enjoyed imagining myself in Ryan Binghams shoes, and equally appreciated acting as if it was me coming to the on screen revelations that life is more than a ten million mile card, even if there are only 7. 

Back to the Internet!

My back is extremely angry. Neglecting to shut down my daily routine for 2+ weeks despite persistent lower back pain finally struck back this morning. Ten minutes into the weekly Tuesday skate, my back effectively quit functioning, leaving me nothing more than a padded, gelatin filled puck target hunkered on the morning ice. 16 hours later, I am still on the couch, icing, heating, pill popping and praying for a miraculous healing in time for me to arrive in Australia healthy and ready to play. 

Of course I did not seek medical help, I own a laptop for that. Spending the day wikipedi'ing, googling, yahooing, webmd'ing and spine.com'ing I successfully diagnosed myself with a Herniated disc. Tingling feet, severe pain in the lower lumbar region, pain while sitting & standing, this case, despite being my own was a no brain er. Of course at seven o'clock when I finally saw my chiropractor on an emergency visit ( Thank you again Adam ) after 2 minutes of rigorous limb and muscle manipulation he quickly threw my hard sought diagnosis in the proverbial waste bucket. Instead he convinced me that the cause was merely numerous ligaments and muscles plugging into my lower back had decided to wage wore after god knows how long of daily abuse. He is a pain practitioner. I being a proud mid twenties male like to believe that because I can bear the treatment, and bite my lip, am somehow earning a quicker and more effective heal. At least believing that makes the eye popping, profanity inducing "treatment" that much more bearable. I am back at home now, affixed once again to my favorite cushion, ice on, hoping for a quick heal. 

A friend of mine told me to "Have a conversation with my back." With only two and a half weeks before the first game in Australia, I will rule nothing out and will be holding numerous performance reviews and feedback sessions with my lower lumbar region beginning first thing tomorrow. I will update as I see fit. Wish me luck. 

As for my Internet medical career. I can't help but think of the thousands upon thousands of similar individuals who incorrectly diagnose their symptoms daily. It really is a brilliant idea though in hindsight. Provide people with medical prompts, a shiny, clean format, and complete with superbly placed commercially fabricated medical staff photographs and you truly can empower anyone to feel as if they are wearing the white coat. Granted, if I wasn't currently in a world vagabond state of life, and actually had medical insurance, an urge to phone my physician would of been granted much quicker. Perhaps therein lies the brilliance of online medical sites. Accompanying every symptom, cause, therapy, prevention and diagnosis page with a disclaimer encouraging medical help might actually subconsciously compel many more of our injured population to find a way to seek real, live, beneficial medical advice. I mean a hockey player without health insurance was compelled to spend an hour of complete pain at the hands of a licenses professional thanks in large part to the soothing advice of html formatting and text. Ah the life of the web generation. 

Wake up call

Everyone has heard of the timeless phrase " Be thankful for what you have, for you will not have it forever." I have countless times and in infinite ways. For most, including myself, it remains just that, a phrase. Yet every so often, an event happens that reaffirms this simple notion, enough for one, to stop, pause and really take a personal inventory of the privileges and benefits we are fortunate enough to receive. In this particular instance, this occurrence was Friday, and involved my grandmother, Caroline. 

My grandmother has been a rock in my life. Her mood is forever bright, her smile simply constant. She brings positivity, support and strength to every single member of her family, and countless others who have the chance and privilege to know her. She has supported me emotionally, mentally, financially and a myriad of other ways throughout my life. In return she asks for nothing and to that I offer my love. She is 87 years old, and until Friday successfully lived alone, in decent health in a beautiful coastline condominium in Redondo Beach, about one mile from the house I grew up in. On Friday, she experienced severe heart palpitations resulting from a blood clot in her left leg. Consequently she immediately underwent a emergency angioplasty which was successful, and now is resting on a steady diet of blood thinning medications and recovery medicines at home with her three daughters, one of whom is my mother. 

Age happens to everyone. It is an accepted law of the land. No one denies its existence, nor claims to be immune from its effects. Yet, like so many things in this world, until it directly affects ourselves, do we truly feel the emotional symptoms and appreciate its power. I have watched my grandmother age, her movement decline, her words shorten and her way of living become more simplified.  All the signs are provided, as in every instance, with every human being. But it just has not registered to me until now, the severity of her health digression. I guess I blame a false hope, one that I foster. A hope that obediently lies to me and tells me that she WILL always be there, that she WILL always be the same grandmother and always be just a few coastal blocks away from home. It's easier that way I guess. At least, that's what I want. Unfortunately, as we all ultimately learn, age and health rarely grant wants, at least in the long run. 

My grandmother will need supervised care for the rest of her life. She is most likely moving to Arkansas to live near her two eldest daughters in a beautiful lakeside residence. No longer will I be able to see her on a whim, and for that I would be dishonest if I said I was not a little regretful. Did I spend enough time with her while she lived so close to me? Did I establish and nurture a strong enough relationship while it was so easy? No, I did not. But in lieu of regretting I intend fully to commit more time and personal resources to maintaining and growing a relationship with my grandmother while age allows. Nothing will change the past, yet the past if utilized and studied correctly can have exponential effects on the way we live the present and plan for the future. 

Yesterday I stated a few professional related goals I plan to implement. Todays focus will be a personal goal. To revitalize, foster and grow relationships with those who have shown and given me the most in life. My parents, my sister, my grandmother and grandfather, aunts, cousins and all. For in my Grandmothers instance, I will not weigh myself down with regret on the past, and rather inspire my efforts towards the future in further building and maintaining quality, loving, understanding relationships with those who have shown me the finest feelings life has to offer. Because despite our most disguised false hopes, there are some natural facts that will always exist. We can embrace them, or we can not. 

Conception

The intent of this blog is solely for the expression and organization of the ideas, thoughts and experiences I live from this day forward. All content is strictly opinionated by the author and purely reflects my explanation and reasoning to everything. 

Writing a blog is an idea I have "kicked around" for a year or so now. I've done quite a lot of reading, nearly entirely non-fiction and of the business centered variety. If you know me, you know eventually I plan to attack the business world, and I will. During my extended time of further self discovery and adventure this type of "centering" of myself with reading has enabled me to feel productive, even while I am traveling the world and pursuing my sport while my body allows. In this instance productive translates into growing and preparing myself as professional so that when the next epic chapter of my life arrives, I will be prepared, and confident in my chances of success. The individuals whose literary works I have studied, all share the common trait of recording their knowledge and experiences in written word, and all attribute large segments of their endured success to this practice. Ergo, I am aiming to harvest similar rewards through implementing this new, literary discipline into my daily life. 

In two plus weeks I return to Australia to play in my second season with the Canberra Knights in the Australian Ice Hockey League. Despite the belief that I was ready to move on in life, outside the rink, the temptation of exploring such a beautiful, exciting country for a second time was too much to pass up. Briefly, after deciding to return, I experienced mix emotions regarding whether I was making the right choice, in contrast to taking up employment and pursuing a career. I sought out the advice of others, I read books about finding ones true calling, and performed an abundance of inner soul searching. I am proud to announce that I am utterly and completely satisfied with my decision and intend to enjoy every minute of the next six months in the land down under. 

However, pertaining to the practice of being productive towards the eventual goal of success in the professional arena, I intend to accomplish a series of objectives while abroad, and furthermore, using this written ledger as a means of holding myself accountable. Currently, I am learning French solely for the fact that I want to learn a second language. I want to prepare myself to take the GMAT upon my return to the US because graduate studies IS on my career to-do list. I also want to educate myself more completely on the art of "The Deal", sales to be specific. The reason, being an aspiring business professional, is that I have witnessed the massive shift to performance based positions with companies in todays economy. And frankly, I accept the fact that if you want to succeed, you need to know sales. Fitness is another area where I take pride in continually improving. Improving my health I consider a hobby, and one I extremely enjoy. I fully intend to be in better shape when I leave Australia, whenever that may be, then when I enter the country on April 22nd. As I develop and implement more targets for my development, I will make them official and include their inception into this blog. Stay tuned. 

In closing, at this point, I have no idea on a specific direction, organization or style for this blog. I fully intend to keep it that way. Whether it be to vent, to reflect, to lobby, or merely recount, I want to approach this mechanism daily for what it is. A blank tablet, void of any preceding impressions, an open space, fresh soil, for me to use in aims of improving and bettering myself one idea and literary creation at a time. You've been warned.