Beaches, Blogs n Balls

Funny how life gets in the way of...well, life.

I wonder in the big list of bad things that people do (like lying to a friend, park in handicap spots or squeezing the Charman*) - where does neglecting your blog rank? Is it high on the list, I wonder? I guess I'll find out when I'm standing in front of the big cheese at the pearly gates.

My guess........ it's #132.

It's interesting the stages one goes through when they start a blog - there's the honeymoon stage where you write every day about everything and then...... comes the lull. Have I run out of things to say? No, don't think so. For me, it's a question of focus, energy and committment- or in my case - a lack of these...

Ok - time to pick this baby up again.....

Update on me - been through an interesting time of soul searching, fear management and life realizations over the spring months. I think I have some clarity now on how to proceed in the next few months and will let my upcoming actions speak for me.

Thank god for streetcars and the Beaches. If you need to reflect and think about things, take a long streetcar ride through downtown but make sure you get a good window seat. As you watch people going through their motions, it's amazing how soothing it is as you comtemplate life. Then there's the boardwalk in the Beaches in east part of Toronto. Walk along the boardwalk. Listen to the waters and let the surrounding sounds take you away. Take a seat at one of the benches facing the lake just as the sun is going down. It's just perfect. With some luck, you will get a deeper persepctive on life. Another soothing exercise is to walk to a local baseball diamond and watch a game. The sounds of a baseball game are among of my favourite (along with the bartender saying 'what'll you have, mate?'). The sound of the crack of the bat and the ball being caught brings instant serenity to me. Puts life in perspective and in its place. Brings calm to the disorder.

If there's one thing I have learned over the last few months, it's my continuing amazement at my lack of balls when it comes to life. Now I have taken risks, not many, but some - and I am proud of each one. I do want to add some more to my trophy case but my process in making life choices, is to look the safe first and foremost. Is this fear dictating the game plan? Is this smart or a cop out. Some will say yes, others no. I do know one thing - that the more you put into life - the more you get out of it.

As the deeper philospher that I am - I will compare this question with the trendy game - Texas Hold'em poker: When I play it safe throughout the entire game - I end up losing (although it takes quite a long time); now when I risk early and often - I lose early and find myself watching TV; but when I play it safe mostly and choose the spots when I go 'all-in' - I usually win. The key is to realize the moment of truth. Much, of course, has to do with luck of the draw but each time I won a tournamant, it's this 3rd strategy that brings home the big bucks!! (Note: only play money - see comment re balls)

So it begs the question: Is Life just a big game of Texas Held 'em?

Play it safe until the moment comes - when you go 'all-in'... and find out if you live or die.

Balls.

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*Charmin - used to be a commercial on Canadian TV years ago about a loaf of bread called Charmin. It was so fresh that people would squeeze the loaf when no one's looking. So the commercial is about the supermarket employee running around the bread department yelling "Don't squeeze the Charmin!"
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Update (June 19): I have been corrected - Charmin was toilet paper NOT bread. Much thanks for the correction. Heh - funny how one remembers things way back in a certain way after a few years n' beers.