In The City

As I rested in the lounge chair that paralleled the infamous Peachtree Street I found myself enthralled with the magic of the city. The lights that shown from the theater across the way seemed to mimic the same twinkle in my own eye. Cars rushing by, hot coffee poured by the attentive waiter, the thought of a weekend of endless activity captivated me in the way Christmas does a child. I was indeed smitten with the fast paced life of Atlanta.

A quick three day exploration in the city had me begging for more. Fabulous restaurants, thought-provoking museums. entertaining shows, and enough shopping venues to never see the same thing twice. The thoughts rushed to my brain like blood to a bruise..."How neat would it be to reside in the city! To work and play the city life!" 

As I saw the last of the 20+ storied buildings fade in the sunset-filled distance I found a new emptiness within myself, needing to be filled with this city life again, but at that moment a playlist of soft R&B would have to do. 

But, as tides change, so did my longing. You see, In the same way that big cities entice, small towns comfort. I entered my home church Sunday morning, still needing to feel this air of the city around me, but as soon as I swung the door open, a warm feeling gave me a hug of comfort. "Happy Birthdays!" filled the room with excitement. Hugs and questions abounded me in a way that usually only happens in movies. I was loved. As that day, and the days following, progressed the feeling of encouragement and warmth embraced me in a most caring fashion.  The knowledge that the majority of the  people in this small town recognized my existence, and took the small time out of the day to say "Happy Birthday" is a feeling that no amount of shopping and twinkling lights can fill. Seeing my friends and family want to share in my celebration will never be topped by any off-broadway production. And most of all, feeling the love of family as you blow out your birthday candles while the sweetest 3 year old rests in your lap is a feeling that compares to nothing. 

So even though the idea of living a bustling city life can enthrall a person for a few days...the idea of having friends and family close by, and watching my "Niece" and her new, growing baby sibling (due in 7 months) grow up is a feeling that fills my whole life...and it is something no amount of Brooks Brothers polo shirts can ever become equal too. 

To everyone who helped make my 22nd birthday special, I thank you. I has been a truly memorable week. I love each and every one of you. 

Staying on the Tight-rope

A bead of sweat forms at your brow line. You cannot move to wipe it...any sudden movement and you plummet 9 feet to the ground. You step gingerly ahead, hands protruding as eagle wings, keeping you in balance. Balance, that is the key.

Life is like walking a tight rope. 

For a person's life to go smoothly, everything has to be in balance: diet, friendships, time. etc. Everything must work smoothly and in harmony. Any slight skewing from the balanced proportion and everything comes tumbling down. If you spend too much time with one friend, others in your life feel shorted.  If your diet gets out of balance, you balloon up like a blimp (trust me....its not easy to get it off), and if you don't balance your time, important moments get away from you. Soon, you start considering all the aspects you have to keep balanced and suddenly.....you're overwhelmed. 

Life isn't easy...never was intended to be. But the key to holding everything together is this...Take life lightly...if you consider it too heavily you will only depress yourself. Just as keeping things balanced...if you think about it to hard, you only end up failing. You only get one life, and once it is over, its over. 

-Is it better to protect yourself, and be pristine at 100 years old while all of your acquaintances are dead...or live a more thrilling life, and take more chances? 

I have a sign hanging in my kitchen that reads as follows:

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out proclaiming, 'Wow, What a Ride!'"

With that said, I urge you, as we approach the weekend (and beginning of summer for some of you) don't be overwhelmed by life...Take things lightly and have fun....soak up the little moments in life: Enjoy a sunset, take a boat ride with the people you love, make a spontaneous road trip with friends, or just treat yourself to an expensive meal for no particular reason at all, and I promise you after enjoying a free and fun weekend, you will feel more relaxed and easy going than ever before...and remember to skid your tires every once in a  while. 

"...Give Me The Simple Life"

I found out Tuesday that I would once again be an honorary uncle. After a week of complications, two of my best friends found out that their new baby is alive and well, and will be here in January. What can I say, God is Good! Being the enthused uncle that I am, I just had to get the perspective of my 3 year old "Niece" on the recent developments. She told me that the baby (she calls Kelly) came back, and that it was in mommy's tummy wearing cowboy boots (I just love her wild imagination and creativity) Later in the evening as we sat down at a local restaurant she made it known that she wanted to say the blessing. As she progressed in her usual form, she threw the group for a loop when she prayed to God to take care of the baby. It was a moving experience to hear this little girl verbalize such a grown up idea. Being able to watch her grow up, and study her as she grows and begins to understand new things is truly a treat for me...watching her thought process, and hearing her communication abilities grow and develop  really makes me think about my own life and how I often take things for granted. In the fast paced world that we live in each day it is very easy to get caught up in the everyday tasks, and we forget to literally stop and smell the roses. I realize that this post seems very elementary and cliche, but how often do you take time to study a child that is growing up and really get to see how excited they are when they figure out something new, or how any little toy can totally make their day? I guess you could say that this post is an extension of the previous, but it seems that as my day progressed, Alzina Toups life secret of " Simple life; you happy" really began to stand out...I heard the anecdote earlier today of a man who came into quite a substantial amount of money very suddenly, but after 6 months of uncontrollable spending he still wasn't satisfied...he was left with homes full of expensive merchandise that required pampering and constant upkeep...and in the long run it just created a world full of stress, and no easy way out. So, I guess the moral of today's events is this:

          Sure, the luxury automobiles, technologically advanced homes, and grand toys (boats, planes, etc) are wonderful to have, but are they really worth the headache? For myself, in the long run, I think not...but that's for each person to decide on their own...but for me, right now, the only luxury I need is a big coloring book, a whole lot of crayons, and one bright eyed 3 year old who thinks I am the "Bomb-Shinizzle" and I will be as happy as a fat kid eating cake. 

Maiden Voyage

In an effort to mark a new beginning for myself, I have decided to start a blog. Call me crazy for throwing one more iron in the fire, but social networking outlet just wasn't doing it for me anymore.There are certain times when one just needs to chill and decompress after a long day. This used to be my social networking time but, seeing as I needed a change, I no longer had a venue to waste away a small amount of time at the end of each day, So this will be my first attempt at filling this new-found void in my day-to-day routine. My musings, however interesting I may find them, will admittedly be random and pointless at times, but I hope that they will keep my followers (given that I will eventually have "followers") on their toes.

First, a little about myself. I am a southern college male in his early twenties. I am about as unexpected as they come seeing as I fit no social stereo type that is directed at my demographic. I consider myself "well-rounded" in that I have a passion for literature, fine food and clothing, and I can be a big sucker for a good movie. I also consider myself a novice purveyor of the arts, if you can call someone who enjoys seeing a good play every-now-and-then, and has a thriving passion for photography a purveyor...I enjoy cooking a good meal for friends, and on the annual occasion a fun weekend of deep sea fishing. I have a fetish for automobiles, especially those of a German pedigree from the 1980's and 90's ( My dream car is a 1980's Mercedes 560SL)  I am also fascinated by men's wrist watches, and one day hope to have a ridiculously obscene collection of watches. I love the state of Georgia, and enjoy traveling it at every chance I get; St. Simons Island is one of my favorite places in the world. After much internal arguing I have finally set my career path on small town government and politics. I love my hometown, and the idea of running it one day really gets me going. I enjoy the bachelor life, and eventually have the plan to settle down with the traditional wife and kids scenario, but right now I am enjoying my life to the fullest. Two of my best friends are a married couple who have blessed me with a very sweet and, much to my delight, mischievous 3 year old "Niece". It is truly a blessing watching her grow and learn and sometimes even let her curiosity get the best of her. As for my other friends, I have a vast array of cohorts ranging in age from 20 to 60, and however random they may be they are my friends and each on of them brings something special to my life. Growing up I couldn't have asked for a better family. I have a Father and Mother who have supported my every move, and who have loved each other unconditionally for over 30 years. I wouldn't be the man I am today if it wasn't for them. I also owe some credit to my Aunt and Sister who taught me everything my parents couldn't. My parents also brought me up in a strong christian home, and hold my values close to my heart, some may call it being prudish...I call it well mannered. But, that's enough about me...On to new enlightening subjects.

As I stated earlier I am a bit of a literature buff, and with that title comes the nasty little obsession of surrounding yourself with mounds of literary material. Every room in my house has a random stack of books or magazines ready to take that needy mind to far away places. My most recent periodical acquisition is Garden and Gun magazine; a fascinating magazine dealing with all things southern. The recent issue dealt with barbecue restaurants and travel. Among its slick and enticing pages I found an article about a little old lady near the Bayou Lafourche who's outlook on life is as insightful as her eccentric cooking methods. Alzina Troups is a spunky 84 year old grandmother who has a passion for cajun cuisine, and enjoy's sharing it with others. I Alzina's methods and stories very intriguing, but what caught my eye most was her theory on life
                                                        "Simple Life - Be Happy"
When my eyes grazed over this morsel of wisdom, I had to stop and ponder this ideal to myself. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made to me. The less complicated we, as humans, make things the less happy we are. Fancy cars and electronics only need constant pampering and fixing. The bigger the home, the more time it takes to clean, and the more complex we make our day to day life the harder it is to keep the routine going. So as embark on the rest of my life, I will keep Alzina's words close to heart, and maybe my complicated life will be a little less complicated.

- Randy