Appreciative of the Little Things

You have heard that you need to focus on the "Big Picture" right? You cannot see the forest for the trees. Don't sweat the small stuff and on and on. All these sayings are very good words of wisdom. They tell us how important it is to make a master plan of things (no matter what the issue) and develop all the smaller pieces underneath. When you write a story, you come up with a point, and then define that into usually three sub-topics. When I design a building, I don't begin with the lavatory or door knob first, I have to begin with the overall concept and then return to the smaller items when it comes time.

But I think sometimes we don't appreciate the little things as much as we should. We look at the overall and miss out on the minuscule. Minuscule, not insignificant. How many times have you missed out on something precious because you were rushing around doing something else. Something that was obviously more important.....at least it was at that time.

When we are younger, we strive to become successful, to develop our careers, to initiate the "plan", whatever that may be. It isn't usually until later in our lives that we begin to realize that all that running around has made us miss some of the more special times. We were always focused on the big picture that we missed out things that we didn't realize (yet) how important those little moments would become.

I look back now and wish that I had spent more time with my grandmother while she was living with us when I was in high school. I could have found out about the history, about her life during the depression, about my grandfather that I never met and countless other stories.

Or how about hearing stories from my father, unfortunately he passed away after my first year of college. I didn't even get the chance to understand about life to ask him questions about what it all meant. Or his life growing up. Because of those missed little moments, I will always have an incomplete hole in my life.

That makes me wonder what I have missed about my kids. While I was so busy building a business, what was missed when they were growing up. I know I wished I had taken more pictures than I had. It is so much easier now that we live in the digital world. Cell phones with cameras and the wonderful social network that allows us to post everything.....if we choose. Sometimes too much....sometimes too little.

What was I thinking about? Probably the big picture. I do remember some of the little moments. I do recall the funny things the kids said or did. They make me laugh when we recount them. You know it was just the other day that all four kids were just little babies. Where did the time go? They are all grown now and either married or about to get married. They have their lives now. They have their relationships now. They have their ambitions now. Just like we did.

I have to force myself to slow down sometimes and look more closely at the little pieces or moments. The times when my wife and I can sit in our garden in the mornings and enjoy a nice cup of coffee before work. Or maybe the moments when my flowers begin blooming in that garden and I get to trim them up and enjoy how wonderfully beautiful they are. Even the patio is wonderful with the fire crackling while we relax in the evening after a long day.....or a short day.

When we travel I so much dislike the drive. I have to force myself once again to take the time to see what is special and not miss out on the moments. Driving back from Lubbock Texas this last week I joked about what there wasn't to see. But there were a dozen times that I wanted to pull over and take a picture of the old rusted gas station in that tiny town to small to even be called a town. Or the cactus plants that looked amazing growing up along miles of barbed wired fences held up with crooked wooden posts. There was this one shot that I could visualize in my camera lens where there were a cluster of trees barren of any leaves or for that matter any signs of life. It wasn't warm enough for spring to kick in yet. These trees were dark and the branches just looked wicked like some sort of menacing black forest. But alas we didn't stop at any of those spots.....it was more important to make time down the road. A missed opportunity.

My wife and I visited New Orleans this last week and while there was so much big stuff to see, we chose the small stuff. Yes we took some times of some of the main architectural structures but we spent the majority of that brief afternoon taking pictures of all the unique homes around the French Quarters. And not just a picture of the entire home but I focused on the idiosyncratic characteristics of their doors. So many different colors and shapes. And then even further looking at the iron work on the garden entrances and the brass door knockers. You could see the age in these pieces and possibly a story behind each. I wonder what story each held? I may never know, but the families that have lived there certainly may....I hope.

I realize now that before long my kids will have their own families. We will just be the grandparents. You know that long road over the river and through the woods? It is long sometimes. This weekend our oldest son had to have emergency surgery. He had problems with his stomach that was ultimately discovered it was his gallbladder that was infected. It was minor surgery but any surgery is scary. He was certainly in pain. It troubles us as parents when our children are suffering and we cannot help. We didn't do much to help. We just sat and waited the weekend. Yes, I could have accomplished so much after being gone on the trip for over a week and my wife for two weeks. But that wasn't important. Being there was important. Just a small moment in the overall big picture, but still important.

You don't know when time has slipped away until it is already gone. Once it is pasted you cannot click the remote control of life to step back in time to replay. (I do that to often. Look for the remote to replay what someone said or did like everything could be controlled by a armchair electronic. Well not today anyway but maybe someday.) When it is gone....the moment is gone. Rarely do we really catch the moment....the real precious moments on camera. I guess that is why they are special because they continue to live with us in our hearts and minds. Not in some digital folder. But if your not there....even that won't exist. I am glad we were here, even if we did nothing but sit. And sit. And more sit. We are here.....for the moment.

Be sure my friends to spend time with your family and enjoy each and every moment.....not just the big ones.....but appreciate even the little ones!

This song just came on the radio: Cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon!

Etthisibelieve

March Madness - AFTERCATION

Ok, here is my last blog post for our trip. It is no longer a vacation but an aftercation. Wednesday's journey from just outside Atlanta was pretty much the end of rest and relaxation and the beginning of work. Actually, the moment we left New Orleans was the end. There is the moment when you realize that your vacation is over that sort of feels like the last Christmas present that is being opened. It is all over.....backup to the normal....whatever normal is in our lives.

I will have to qualify this not really as a vacation though. That would have to be a period of time that exceeds 24 hours, maybe even more like 72 hours could qualify. However, a minimum of a week would be preferred. We had the destination of Lubbock with a purpose for that portion of the trip......driving great distances across Texas and Louisiana cannot in any way be consider "part of a vacation". New Orleans.....yes that was a respite for a period of 6:15PM on Monday night to 2:00PM the following afternoon......less than 24 hours......does not qualify as a vacation but certainly a nice time. We will have to do it again to see more.

We were trying to head out of New Orleans to make it into Atlanta to possibly visit with an old high school buddy but unfortunately staying longer in NOLA prevented that. There are some other friends there that make Atlanta fun as well. Perhaps another trip? Then it was on to Columbia for the first jobsite meeting. After a few hours of field measuring and photographs on one of the strangest and largest Wendy's I have ever seen. We are going to have to be creative to figure this anomaly out. My wife also has a good friend that she wanted to visit with that evening for a time but our client pushed another Wendy's up in the work schedule in Durham, North Carolina and we needed to head that way. There could be some fun in that part as well but alas it looks like we are going to push to make it home tonight. See I did try to throw a little pleasure into the mix.....or a lot of pleasure into a little mix....or maybe it was just a sprinkle......okay can you tell I am bored driving....well riding right now as my wife drives.

I am really not a fan of driving long distances. Not sure how my wife does it. She left almost two weeks ago from home driving to Texas and now back.....no thanks. Maybe we can come back soon. We will more than likely have to come back down to Columbia when the construction drawings are completed. That could be a fun trip. The city looked like it had some fun sites to see. A long weekend would be good. And then again in June once the construction begins. I am sure that there will be some things that need figured out as we begin demolition and expose some of the structural concerns. A short stay in Columbia and then maybe on to NOLA for another visit....a summer visit.....sounds fun. I can't wait.

But until that time friends you will have to wait as well to hear about another madness trip......June Madness? Summer Madness? Not the same ring. Until then my friends.....enjoy!

PS. Before I got the chance to post this, we had arrived home that evening around 6PM. My wife briefly talked with my oldest son who lives nearby with his wife about some health problems he has been experiencing. He had some stomach problems that were giving him some great pain. Then at 3AM that morning our daughter in law called us saying they were taking him to the hospital. He was having problems breathing. Long story short, after many tests they confirmed it was his gallbladder. Several surgeries are needed to clear out the tubes of stones and then remove his gallbladder. See......the madness always continues around here.

Love your children NOW my friends.
It hurts us parents to see them in pain or trouble.

Et this I believe

March Madness - New Orleans style

We couldn't wait to get to New Orleans Monday night. I had made reservations to stay in the French Quarters at Bourbon Orleans Hotel. A fun historic place right in the middle of it all. Unfortunately our drive took us much longer Monday than we would have hoped. We weren't going to make it in until after 6:00. We were acting like a bunch of kids on their way to Disney.....counting down the miles!

It was awesome as we pulled up to the hotel and checked in. The hotel was beautiful and the room we selected was in the older section of the structure....of course! What else would suffice? We had a sweet little balcony over looking the courtyard and heated saltwater pool. We read up on the history of the hotel while waiting for our bags to be brought up. A quick clean up and shave and we hit the town.

It was awesome to see the sights that I have only really seen on tv. All the famous locations we had to take a quick snapshot of before we found a place to eat. We were starving by now. We were recommended a casual fine dining place called Orleans Grapevine where we sat out in the garden courtyard under a heated umbrella. It was fantastic. We enjoyed a bottle of red and relaxed enjoying a night to ourselves. Appetizers, fresh bread with bourbon butter, of course my wife got chicken.....she always does. Lol. I had bowl of crawfish soup and swordfish steak. All of it finished off with....what else? Key lime pie! The best!

Okay enough eating.....lets see what this Bourbon Street is all about. It probably isn't going to be too busy since there isn't a party and it is Monday night......WRONG! Every night apparently is a party in The French Quarters! A live band in every bar, people singing, people dancing and yes people drinking. It was funny just to watch it all......and then.....yep......the clock struck 10PM and we were both pooped......had to go to bed......lol. We are so old. Less than four hours and we are done. What a bunch of party poopers we are. It was still craziness.

We awoke the next morning and got a nice breakfast at the Roux downstairs before heading out to get souvenirs and t-shirts. We always get the traditional pair of ear rings.....not for me....my wife. And new coffee mugs. Once that was checked off the list it was time to set out walking to see everything we could over the next five hours or so before we needed to get back on the road.

We got the chance to see a few of the sites fresh in the morning light without all the crowds. I guess they didn't go to bed at 10 and were still in bed! The architecture is so diverse and unique in the French Quarters. Different styles side by side. Some with porches, some with full balconies, some with small partial ones. Some had yards in front and some had courtyards. Some were just a single skinny salt box while others were comprised of three small structures surrounding a garden in the middle. It was great.

There were areas where many homes had been completely refinished yet others that were about to fall down. So strange. Of course there was the thought of IONIC NOLA......what do you think? I like it. I think this needs to be given some more thought.

We did a quickly study of all the different doors in the area....okay not all of them but a lot. You will have to wait and see my results of the research. With tired feet, we grabbed a fried crawfish po boy sandwich and headed out of town. On to the next adventure.

Goodbye NOLA, we will be back to visit again soon.

Enjoy my friends.
Et this I believe.