35 Things I've learned in my lifetime

I borrowed this from a father who was passing down life's knowledge to his son when it was time for the son to head off to college. I think it expresses some exceedingly valuable ideas. I know there are still several years before it is time for you to go to college, but from my point of view there could never be enough of them. I always love you son.




35 Things I have learned in my lifetime,
In no particular order.



1) You’re likely to meet your future wife in the coming 4 years. Choose wisely. If she’s anything like your Mom, don’t let her go. They simply don’t come any better than that.

2) Call your Mom regularly. It’s something that will make her very happy. Make her happy by calling her, even if it’s just to say hello.

3) Email us both – it’s a way of honoring your parents.

4) I don’t know it all… and when I think I do I find out how little I really do know.

5) When things seem to be really bad, they usually aren’t… just wait a little while, it’ll get better. Trust me. Better yet, trust God.

6) Christians will let you down. It’s a fact of life. Christ won’t. It may seem so at times, but it’ll get better.

7) You’re likely not going to have the desire to find a decent church. Remember that you are the church, it’s not necessarily a building. God is with you at all times. Talk to Him. Develop that as a habit. Prayer doesn’t have to be with eyes closed and hands clasped. Thinking thoughts directed at Him are prayer. Pray often.

8) Organized religion is a mess. This does not however diminish your need for God.

9) You will be tempted like you’ve never been tempted before. It takes character, lots of it, to not succumb. You have a very large reservoir of character. Don’t forget it. Tap into it at every turn.

10) Following the leader without asking questions is usually followed by trouble. Be a leader. It’s harder yes, but it’s more rewarding and much less likely to get you into trouble that you have no control over.

11) You will occasionally (sometimes more than occasionally) have to do things you don’t want to do. Just don’t let it become a career.

12) You’ll face many decisions in the coming months, even years. Think through them. Acting without thinking usually ends badly.

13) I’ve found that doing things just for the money has short-term benefits. You’ll have more money. That’s it. I’ve also found that the contentment is short-lived. If you’re going to do something for a long period of time, your heart has to be in it. Or you’re going to be miserable.

14) Working hard sometimes seems futile. Be persistent in your hard work. It does pay off in the long haul.

15) Don’t cut corners or take short cuts in your work or in your studies. Don’t just do that which is easy. Try hard. Do that which is hard. It does eventually get noticed and does produce results.

16) Sitting near the front in class is likely to help you pay attention. Sitting in the back has the opposite effect. Sit wisely.

17) Read, read, read. New stuff. Old stuff. All kinds of stuff. The more you read, the better prepared you’ll be, the better you’ll be able to communicate, the better you’ll do in school (and in life).

18) True independence is achieved when you’re no longer dependent on anyone else. Seems logical right? But remember that we’ll always depend on God.

19) Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I was paralyzed for too long because I didn’t want to screw up. I’ve learned since that I learn best from my mistakes. This can be painful but usually only in the short term. No pain, no gain.

20) Alcohol can kill you. Either quickly (binge drinking) or slowly (alcoholism). Kirsch’s (your band teacher’s) advice is good. Moderation is key. And drinking alone is usually an indication of trouble.

21) You come from a conservative family. Your values are largely conservative. Those values will be under attack at school, by your professors, by fellow students. Think with an open mind but not so open that your brain falls out. Liberalism can be trouble. It’s good to hear the opposing perspective. It’s better to read those who can defend the conservative perspective. They’re out there but you have to look for them. Have liberal friends however. They keep you sharp.

22) Beware of pop culture. It’s faddish and shallow.

23) When things aren’t going well in a relationship, ask yourself if you’re really listening to the other person. I’m a lousy listener… not just hearing someone but listening… hearing has to do with noise, listening has to do with understanding. You can hear without listening.

24) Words are killers. I’ve ‘killed’ with my words. Choose them wisely. Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, you can’t get it back in. Think before speaking. I tend to speak before thinking. And it’s hurt people, it’s hurt me. That’s trouble.

25) Older people aren’t anywhere near as stupid as younger people make them out to be. Unfortunately, you’re usually an older person before you figure that out. Figure it out now. And seek wisdom from older people. Experience is the best teacher. Yes, that’s a cliché, but it’s a good one.

26) Life’s too short to stay mad at family and friends. You never know when your words to someone may be the last one’s you have with them. That terrifies me sometimes. And it should.

27) Breaking them down into easily handled pieces best solves big problems. How do you eat an elephant? Piece by piece. Don’t be intimidated by the magnitude. Think through the problem, break it down, plan an action and implement the plan. And remember number 19.

28) Keep a journal. Commit to this task. It’s amazing to go back and read something you’ve written some time ago. You’ll learn more about yourself.

29) Eat right. Lots of fruit and vegetables. Avoid what happens to many college kids who gain weight big-time their first and second years away from home.

30) Exercise regularly. It’s easier now to make it a habit than it will be when you’re older. Trust me on this.

31) Sometimes, the best thing to do or say in a situation, is absolutely nothing. I continue to have problems with this yet I do believe it’s true.

32) Experience is enhanced when that experience is shared with someone you care about. Whether it’s a sunset, a hike, or a good movie.

33) Sending Mom a card or an e-mail on her birthday would warm her heart. Figure out a way to remind yourself of other people’s birthdays.

34) Money in hand is money easily spent. Put yourself on a budget. Purposely make it inconvenient to get more cash. You’d be surprised how easily money disappears from your wallet.

35) Budget your time. Prioritize where it’s spent. Time can be spent faster than money can. And it can be wasted just as much as money can. And in my view, time is more precious than money. We have precious few days on this earth.

The Citie of Henricus

A Field Study of The Citie of Henricus
For my field study I chose to go to the Citie of Henricus, located in Chesterfield County along the James River at Dutch Gap. This is a fantastic park that not only reminds us of historical occurrences that have shaped our present day, but also provides us with some valuable examples of how human impact continues to change our world around us. What was a peninsula in 1611 when Sir Thomas Dale set out to establish a new colony named for the eldest son of King James, is today an island because of a 1930 initiative by the Army Corps of engineers to shorten the trip down the James River. Where the river once did flow is now only a wetlands. Also, there now exists a mountain created by the by-product of burning coal which was produced by the electrical power plant located in that area. A large lagoon now exists as well that was not originally there in 1611 because of man’s intervention. This site is also the place where the first ever college in America was founded which was intended to teach English settlers and native Americans alike.
Several important people have left their mark in this historically significant site including Sir Thomas Dale who was ordered to find a more healthful spot to create a colony than Jamestown which was located in swampy conditions. Pocahontas, of the Powhatan tribe, whom later would take on the Christian name, Rebecca and become married to the English tobacco farmer, John Rolfe. Rolfe also having great importance to this area as his tobacco crop would soon become the most valuable cash crop the colony had. Reverend Whitaker was responsible for the education and baptism of Rebecca and would eventually officiate this wedding. By the time this colony came to its tragic end in 1622 another heroin would arise, Mrs. Proctor, who held off the native attack on her home for upwards of three weeks before she was taken over due to a shortage of supplies. To this day the water treatment plant nearby on Coxendale Road bears the Proctor name. I noticed the name of this water treatment facility specifically when my car broke down right in front of it as I was leaving.
My favorite thing about the tour at the Citie of Henricus park is that they have people wearing clothing from 1611 who live and work as if they are still apart of the time period. They have the weapons and tools that were really used in that day and still demonstrate how it was done. I feel this is a very important part of this historical site in that it allows the people of our present generation to visually see what we can only read about in books giving us a much stronger connection to the people and times of the past.
Due to the nature of the circumstances there were a multitude of people who lost their life in this location. Later human intervention such as the mountain of fly-ash that was left here it is nearly impossible to ever know just how many people truly are buried here. Of these I find the story of Reverend Whitaker most interesting to me personally mainly because of a personal connection to this individual as my mother’s maiden name is Whitacre. This was a person who I was not familiar with prior to my field study and I am now beginning to research if there truly is any connection to this slight variation of the family name.
I would rate this tour an absolute 10 because of the great importance of the lessons that can be learned from this site. Not only about the history of the second English settlement in America, the first college founded in America, or the story of the struggle for these settlers trying to live in peace with the Powhatan tribe; But also of the impact we humans have on our environment around us and reasons why conservation is so important. I would strongly urge anyone to visit this site and enjoy the live action tour. If I were to take another field trip in Virginia it would surely be to Jamestown to learn more about the history and connection between these two settlements.

six months

The past six months have been exciting, rewarding, and exceedingly enlightening for both your mother and I. Even more adjectives couldn't express the true emotion and insight that have born themselves upon us. You weighed in today at 16 lbs and you are now attempting to swim as you take a bath. You are such a smart little man and I certainly am impressed with your intellectual gains over the past short six months. I have spent the last half of a year getting to know you and your personality and I must say it has been the greatest from start to now. You enjoy covering your face as to play peek-a-boo, you are thoroughly fun to be around. Your beautiful smile continuously brightens my entire existence and the only downfall to any of it is how quickly it has been seeming to go by. There just is not enough time that I can spend with you making it certain that it is all the more important to enjoy as much passing time with you as is possible. Your hair is growing quickly also and soon we will be finding that it is time for your first haircut. We will also be acquiring for you a new car seat in the near future as you are nearing the weight capacity of your current one.

He

He moves his fingers back and forth with great haste. He is not yet sure, nor is he yet aware of the greater annotations of this feat, how he controls precise grasps with those fingers and yet that little brain sends continual constant sparks to those fingers inspiring them to open and close, open and close. He now does push-ups. Not the military form of push-up that has strict guidelines which constitute what a push-up is, however it is a pushing up using the arms in this fashion to get the back straightened and the belly brought up above the ground surface while using his knees as a point of support as opposed to his toes. This is a huge step in the process of learning how to become more greatly mobilized by the art of crawling. He is now just over 5 months and becoming ever more vocal. Not yet always forming words but instead forming those forms which support language functions as a whole. He is learning the fundamentals of the concept of what language is and what it can be used for. Using "trigger" vocalizations to communicate a feeling of hunger or a need to be comforted. He is my little boy, my blue eyed little boy and he is growing so exceedingly quick. The great things that yet amaze him in this world as he learns of all his surroundings, may he never cease to find wonder in this creation.