Fried Chicken and Waffles

Sometimes things just don’t seem to go together. When I first heard about the concept of fried chicken and waffles I thought to myself…. “This just may not work out”. But I pressed on as a group of friends decided to give it a go at Gladys Knight’s Fried Chicken and Waffles in Atlanta, Georgia.

When the plates arrived we all kind of circled around them not exactly sure how to approach this unholy concoction. I was afraid and uncertain on whether to slather syrup on the waffles for fear of it getting on the chicken, only to realize that the combination of the sweet waffle and the savory chicken was a natural combination. Our fears were wholly unfounded and we were both shocked and delighted.

I’ve tried it again in several places; Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in Los Angeles and Maxine’s in Indianapolis. Each time I am delighted by the combination and I think back to my initial trepidations.

Life is kind of like that. Sometimes your initial angst over a situation is overtaken by the joy that it brings in another moment. Maybe it’s a first date that leads to a soul mate or a sports tryout that leads to a full trophy case, but we’ve all had those moments when we realize that our initial fears were completely unjustified.

It’s ok to let a little self doubt fuel you, if you don’t let it stop you. It’s ok to fear an outcome, as long as you’re open to the possibilities.

Don’t worry about it…. that is the good stuff. That’s the fried chicken and waffles of life.

“Every tomorrow has two handles.

We can take hold with the handle of anxiety or the hand of faith.”

- Henry Ward Beecher

A Wanderer's Heart

“Not all those who wander are lost.” -J.R.R. Tolkein

It’s hard to love where you are when you’re always traveling. I mean that figuratively not literally. I have a difficult time being settled in one place when my heart is always wandering.

My heart lives in places where I am not.

I am a man with two hometowns, seven favorite cities and a damned good reason to be in at least five other places. So, my heart travels without me.

When I’m in Indy, I long for Monterey. When I am in Dallas, I miss Boston and don’t even ask me about Phoenix…..

It’s exhausting.

I can think of nothing sadder than unrequited love and when those lost loved places are ignored they will demand attention: whether it is physical or emotional.
What should I do when these thoughts take over? Should I ignore the pull of places long lost or should I smile and make a plan to find those places again?

I think today, I shall plan…….

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends,

but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers.

The mind can never break off from the journey.”

– Pat Conroy

The Perspective that Cancer Brings

Life is short, Live it.
Love is rare, Grab it.
Anger is bad, Dump it.
Fear sucks, Face it.
Memories are sweet, cherish it.

I once read a book written by Richard Carlson called Don’t sweat the small stuff….and it’s all small stuff.  The book was about dealing with life’s simple irritations and pressing on under adversity. I liked the title and considered it a great catch phrase when little things started to mount. I tried to take the philosophy of the book to heart, with little actual success, insisting on dwelling in the minutia of the daily grind.

For many years, that is how I have lived my life; sweating the details and waiting for the next issue to become a distraction. I have made mountains of molehills and had too many sleepless nights to count.

But a few months ago I had a revelation or should I say a revelation was thrust upon me. My Mother was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. When the Doctor looked at us and said the phrase ending in “nothing that we can do” it was one of those surreal moments that you only have when life hands you a big one.

My Mom and I have always had a close but trying relationship. It was tense at times due to our overall life philosophies and the differing ways that we viewed the world. We were both rigid in our beliefs and these differences were sometimes debated, sometimes screamed about and sometimes the only thing we could agree upon was to disagree.

Her guarded, small town, fearful ways were in direct conflict with my wish to live by the seat of my pants and see the world mentality. I thought she was wasting her life because she was missing it and she thought I was too flighty and could never settle. I traveled and she stayed home. I had many friends and she was somewhat of a loner. There were so many differences, but thank God for the few similarities otherwise there might have come a time where our relationship might have gotten strained beyond repair.

But, I will tell you this….when the man in the white coat says “cancer” and “terminal” in the same sentence those differences really stop mattering quickly. I found that the small stuff (and compared to that it all is) just fades away. Dennis Miller the genius comedian has a theory that he calls “The lump in your armpit theory’’. In his theory, you stop sweating the daily crap when you discover the lump. At that moment, nothing else matters.

So, I’m spending more time with my Mom visiting and cooking meals. We talk more on the phone and I exercise a patience that I have never showed before. I will not lie and tell you its easy and that every moment is a priceless gem but they are moments that I will not get back. I hope to make the most of every one of them now and I hope that this serves as a reminder to live each day fully because there are only so many tomorrows to go around.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,

                                      but by the moments that take our breath away”

Reflection

Day 3-  

“Am I the son I think I am? Am I the friend I think I am? Am I the man I think I wanna be?” - Train

After creating my Bucket list and hearing the comments from many friends, I have come to a few conclusions. I am a man with two souls; a Gordon Gecko with a hippie bent, equal parts mogul and minstrel.

At times feeling like a one man band playing just as fast as I can, albeit just a bit off time.

So it begs the question, how does one man serve two masters? Maybe more importantly, can he?

And I wonder why I have been confused. Maybe I’m on to something here.

So, to create a business that fuels my passions and allows me the opportunity to serve others.

“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”- Luke 12:48

I have heard this quote in various forms for many years. Not being a religious man, I had no idea its origin was a bible verse. But I trust in its meaning and believe in its premise. I hope to use this as one of my daily mantras.

Bliss