one of those

I've been thinking. And that often means one of these philosophy-laden blogs, with insights gained and unfortunately not often used. The phrase "a life less ordinary" has been stuck in my head all day, as I continue to stroll aimlessly through my everyday routine. Everyone wants to live a life less ordinary. Not everyone wants the run-of-the-mill, 2 kids, 1 dog, white-picket-fence-filled picture of a normal life. Not everyone wants a comfortable, slightly above-average salary and the corresponding occasional moment of higher enjoyment. Not everyone wants to slog through a thankless 8hr work day in order to save enough money for a once yearly, one-week trip to an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean. Not everyone wants to constantly scan restaurant menus for the affordable or more practical item or look at the price-tags on clothes before registering anything else, like style. I could keep going but hopefully the point is emerging.

At some point in your life you have to take careful stock of where you are and where you want to be. And if you're not where you want to be, you'd better make a plan to bridge the gap or forever be stuck in the poisonous world of "what-ifs". What if I took the lower-paying job with better long term potential? What if I went back to school to upgrade my education? What if I got up the nerve to ask that girl out? What if I quit my job and traveled the globe without a care in the world? What if I chose substance over superficiality? It's a constant, mind-numbing world of second-guessing and doubt that can become overwhelming. Even painful.

But most of us will never reach those heights, most of us will never be the superstars. Most of us will never reach our dreams. Why not?

I would assume most people strive for self-improvement. I think and hope that it is inherent in all of us. The world though, and life, gets in the way. Instead of becoming caught up in a tidal wave of self-doubt and disillusionment, bridge the gap. Make a plan. Don't become one of the mindless cogs in this ever-intrusive world of ours. Make a change and make a choice. If you're not on the path to success you're on the path to mediocrity. (Thanks I just made that up. Fuck you Tony Robbins!)

Lazy blog

So here is the latest article on offer and worth a few minutes of your time: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4582421.ece

Happy Monday everyone!

Once

After months of hearing hype (not the whiz-bang in-your-face hype of your regular Hollywood blockbuster, but more the growing swell of appreciation hype type that is often associated with smaller, independent pictures), I finally decided to rent the movie "Once". To describe it as a romantic-musical-drama-comedy would do it injustice, even though it takes each part of that description to great heights.

While I have hyper-linked the title above, which links to Rotten Tomatoes, I wouldn't suggest reading any reviews prior to watching it. Go in blind, your experience not tainted by the suggestions of critics, and it will be hard not to be swept up by this tiny movie (budget, not experience). Yes, I do realize that in reading this I have forced you to do the opposite of what I suggested above, but what the fuck, no one's perfect.

I had cast away the notion of seeing this film, despite overwhelming positive response, because it was described as a musical-romance. Then I heard the live performance of the Oscar-nominated (and Oscar-winning) song by the film's two leads during the Oscar telecast. And I was hooked. This is a great movie. And the soundtrack is phenomenal, I downloaded it at soon as I returned home and have been listening ever since. Very much recommended, a very good date movie, and perhaps one of the more uplifting movies you'll see all year.
Enjoy.

.....

The finite nature of our time here on earth is a topic for many a great song, movie or book, but it is not, for obvious reasons, a topic that we spend much thought reflecting on. To reflect on it constantly would likely send any sane person to the edge of darkness and depression. Last night it was a theme that intruded on my life abruptly.

A young guy, a few years older than me, who played on my soccer teams often over the past few years, died. The how of it is unimportant, but needless to say his time on this planet came to an end much, much earlier than it should have. He leaves behind a group of grieving family and friends that are now forced to deal the gut-wrenching unfairness of it all. He was truly a great guy and though I will not endlessly extol his virtues in this forum, I will say that he was type who made a lasting impression just by being nice, and that is a rarity.

It's a wake-up call of the worst kind. We are mortal - our time on this earth is limited, and so is that of the people we love most. And while it's not the best idea to think endlessly of our mortality, it really does serve to focus your priorities once in a while.

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R.I.P. J.V.

here we go again

It is again late evening on a Sunday night and I am once again refreshed and ready to face another week, the end of which will find me sleep-deprived, exhausted and looking for reprieve from the all-too-familiar pressures of the great North American rat-race. Sometimes I feel like a hamster running around in the same spot on a spinning wheel. But thankfully this post is not about that. I think that is a subject I have broached one too many times and it is boring me to tears.

This is the first of my lazy blogs, where instead of babbling on about getting old and day-to-day minutiae I will link to interesting stories that have caught my attention and demand a few minutes of your time. Here's the first. Let me know what ya think:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-klein/the-olympics-unveiling-po_b_117403.html

Enjoy.