The Best Thing I've Ever Done

Do you ever wonder if the best thing you have ever done is the one thing that you have never done?

I always wanted to be an artist, but I was always told by the one person whose opinion means the most to me that there was no way I could ever make any money by pursuing the thing I loved the most.

Now that most of my life is over and I have never done anything that has brought joy to my life other than being a husband and father to two of the most talented and most fantastic sons any man could ever hope for, I find myself wondering if the things that I have never done are better than anything I have ever done?

Somewhere there is a blank canvas or a blank piece of paper waiting for a masterpiece that I could have created had I realized that there is something called passion and that pursuing your dreams is actually something worth doing.

Hopefully it is not too late for me to find out.

I dream of heaven, I dream of hell, I dream of the place where my soul will dwell

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there," is an African proverb that describes the twists and turns our lives can take.

My journey took a very different path last night.

I used to think when good things happened, that was your heaven and when bad things happened that was your hell.

That does not explain why bad things happen to good people, or why bad people seem to get away with things they should be punished for, but like I mentioned earlier, my thinking changed last night.

I had the most wonderful dream a person could ever imagine.

My late wife Joan, seen here in the photo with me and I were on a journey with two small children I had never seen before, a little boy and a little girl.

These children clung to Joan throughout the journey, and at the same time they seemed almost impossible to describe. They were there but I could not really make out their faces.

They were not laughing or happy or doing the things that make us all love little ones.

They just held on tightly to Joan as if their lives depended on it.

We were in a car driven by my late Aunt Shirley and my late Step-Father John.

What made this even more strange was since they both passed away I had never given much thought to the loss of my aunt or my step-father other than the usual mourning for family members.

I had never been visited, or ever expected to be visited by them in a dream.

Despite that, here they were almost as if they were chaperones for the two of us and it just seemed strange that we needed someone to watch over us.

My late wife Joan, however, is a very different story.

I had been visited by her in dreams several times in the past, and since she has passed away five years ago, those have been some of the happiest times of my life.

I remember hearing once that when we die our spirits return to the point where we were happiest in our lives.

Whenever Joan visited me in my dreams, she always looked the way she did the day we met.

I do not know if it was my wish - or some secret desire on my part - that the happiest time in her life was when we first met.

In the dream I remember my Aunt speeding through town after town, city after city, while my step-father sat silently in the front passenger seat.

Joan, the two children and I were in the back seat, completely detached from what was happening until we came upon a major intersection that was blocked by police.

My aunt started to panic because this roadblock was going to make us late and she had to be somewhere by 5 a.m.

It was Midnight and we were six hours from our destination.

Since we were unable to go anywhere because of the roadblock, Joan and I got out of the car and went into a store that could only be described as part amusement park - part candy store.

We wandered around the store talking and catching up and looking for items for the two little ones.

As we talked the mental images of when we were first married came flooding back and it was then that it became clear who the two children were.

Joan had miscarried twice before we were able to have our son, and that is when I realized the little ones clinging to her were the babies we had lost those many years ago.

In heaven, my lovely wife had been reunited with the little ones we had lost.

More importantly, when I die I will be reunited with my beautiful wife and my precious children.

The dream was my small glimpse of what heaven will be like.

Now I must avoid all roadblocks that are placed in my way and stay on the right path until we all can be together again.

Nothing on the planet beats Christmas shopping in New York.

Here's a shot that most of us who are over 40 grew up with, and that is the skating rink outside of 30 Rock.

Mardi, Mardi, Mardi

Just got back from Mardi Gras and if you have never attended one of America's most unique events you must add it to your list of things to do before you die, (or at least do before you get too old to enjoy it!)
Although these celebrations take place all over the planet, what goes on in New Orleans is so unique it has to be experienced to be believed.
I will be posting photos soon.
All of the photos are family friendly.

Ou est ici?

In very bad French, Ou est ici? translates, again, very badly, as "Where is here?"

The history behind Ou est ici is very simple.

Twenty one years ago I was working for a travel company based out of St. Louis.

It was a fantastic job and it allowed me to travel all over the world.

One destination was Rome, Italy and one night while in Rome I had the chance to go out and walk around the "Eternal City."

I had no idea where I was going or if I knew how to get back.

All I knew was the hotel name and if worse came to worse and I was unable to navigate back I could always jump in a cab and tell the driver "Hotel Excelsior."

My wanderings led me to this huge area with a large open plaza and ornate statues all around.

I approached the guard who was on duty and asked him in English exactly what this incredible place was and he looked at me with a surprised look on his face.

I assumed that he did not speak English, so the next words out of my mouth were "Ou est ici?"

Now his look was even more surprised and he said, "Vatican City."

You would think the uniform of the Swiss Guard would be known to everyone, but since I am not Catholic I just thought it was a costume similar to what the British guards wear, only more stylish, after all, I was in Rome!

Every story has to be about something, I suppose.

This one has to be about not ever taking anything for granted.

I assumed the guard didn't speak English and he assumed I knew where I was.

We were both wrong and that started me on my journey of trying to find out "Ou est ici" because everyone needs to know "where is here," even if it is a very bad French translation.

Sooner or later!

Sooner or later, your legs give way you hit the ground - The English Beat - "Save It For Later"

When the beginning?

Every story has to be about something I suppose - The English Beat "Doors of your heart"