http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLlYQQrHmh8
I've been under a lot of stress as of late because of the amount of work I need to get done. My tenuous grasp on concepts like time and dates, coupled with my desire to please all of my customers led me to double booking this week with projects.
Shortly after waking from a whiskey saturated, stress laden slumber, I got a call from one of my customers asking to be pushed back a week. Once again, I have this insurmountable feeling that someone is looking out for me. In truth, I've always felt this way. There are too many clear examples in my life of situations that could have gone horribly wrong, but somehow turned out just fine.
In grade school, I remember walking away from friends just before they made decisions that would live with them forever. In high school, I survived hundreds of hours traveling highway speeds on windy, hilly, 35mph roads. In college, I was lucky enough to go out on a limb and connect with some guys who are now my best friends. In grad school, I was lucky enough to be paired with a professor who cared in a program that would push me to pursue something I've always aspired to.
As I look back on my life, I can't help but feel blessed. I'm so unbelievably fortunate that I have the opportunity to pursue these goals, because I've had so many unbelievable people backing me up. I wouldn't have been able to start the business I'm building without the charity of a few generations of grandparents. I got a shit-you-only hear-about-in-movies check for $1,000 from a distant Aunt, and then hundreds more from Aunts and Uncles in graduation money. Pretty good timing for a guy who just lost a $1,500/mo stipend. I don't know anyone else that has been given an opportunity like this.
How often have deadlines been extended, opportunities arisen, solutions been presented, crises averted? How often have I looked failure in the eye, only to come out unscathed on the other side?
So, am I just part of the Lucky Sperm Club- the guy that gets all the breaks? Or is there someone out there working overtime to help bail me out of all my stupid decisions, and make sure that I've got a life to be envious of? How lucky am I.
Whatever the case, I'm just so thankful. And I really really hope I deserve it all.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Dear Summer
Tonight. The Media Five Miler. One of my favorite nights of the summer; and more than an actual date, for me, it marks the start of summer.
The night invariably starts off at Fat Ted's house on 3rd Street in media. Whether I'm drinking Irish whiskey out of an iced coffee cup from Dunkin Donuts, or coming late to the party because I was finishing up a tattoo session, there is truly no better way to begin the evening than by getting drunk and cheering on Fat Ted as he and several hundred others runs past his home.
As the race winds down, your best bet is to make your way to the finish line in front of Joclyn's and muscle your way to the bar for whatever is on special. The hours from 8-12 are pretty much amateur hour, so you're better off avoiding the crowds and drunks by continuing the pre-game back at Ted's house.
There, we start a fire pit and play Bag-O until around midnight when the town is ours again. There are still more transplants there than usual, but at least by this point they've had enough to drink that they're not bothering anybody but themselves.
For me, this night marks the start of summer. Flip flops, tank tops, aviator shades, day drinking, and the smell of sunscreen. This night is such a clear marker for me that I can recall more details and memories from this night than I can from virtually any other night of the summer- Jameson mixed with the last bit of iced coffee, the cake with a picture of Fat Ted pole vaulting in a speed suit, Mr. Heron pointing out where his neighbor gets changed in front of the window, putting a pair of 60lb cellar doors (most
beautiful phrase in the English language) through the sidewalk in front of Media Theater because I was hopping on each one we passed.
So tonight is the start. I'll drive to Ted's around 6 with my family and friends, and my freshly splinted nose. We'll guzzle beers as we cheer on "Fat" Ted, the only one amongst us who actually competes. We'll lock down a corner of the bar in Joclyn's and defend it with our lives, because this is our turf, and we're not going to wait in line for a beer like a bunch of noobs.
Let's get it.
The night invariably starts off at Fat Ted's house on 3rd Street in media. Whether I'm drinking Irish whiskey out of an iced coffee cup from Dunkin Donuts, or coming late to the party because I was finishing up a tattoo session, there is truly no better way to begin the evening than by getting drunk and cheering on Fat Ted as he and several hundred others runs past his home.
As the race winds down, your best bet is to make your way to the finish line in front of Joclyn's and muscle your way to the bar for whatever is on special. The hours from 8-12 are pretty much amateur hour, so you're better off avoiding the crowds and drunks by continuing the pre-game back at Ted's house.
There, we start a fire pit and play Bag-O until around midnight when the town is ours again. There are still more transplants there than usual, but at least by this point they've had enough to drink that they're not bothering anybody but themselves.
For me, this night marks the start of summer. Flip flops, tank tops, aviator shades, day drinking, and the smell of sunscreen. This night is such a clear marker for me that I can recall more details and memories from this night than I can from virtually any other night of the summer- Jameson mixed with the last bit of iced coffee, the cake with a picture of Fat Ted pole vaulting in a speed suit, Mr. Heron pointing out where his neighbor gets changed in front of the window, putting a pair of 60lb cellar doors (most
beautiful phrase in the English language) through the sidewalk in front of Media Theater because I was hopping on each one we passed.
So tonight is the start. I'll drive to Ted's around 6 with my family and friends, and my freshly splinted nose. We'll guzzle beers as we cheer on "Fat" Ted, the only one amongst us who actually competes. We'll lock down a corner of the bar in Joclyn's and defend it with our lives, because this is our turf, and we're not going to wait in line for a beer like a bunch of noobs.
Let's get it.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Those who do not learn from history are... I'll just Google the rest.
I've watched a couple documentaries over the past couple days Gonzo, When we were Kings, and You can't be neutral on a moving train. All of these films expressed, in one way or another, the importance of history and the effect that politics and world events had on the subject of these films. Howard Zinn talked about riots being broken up by police, and uniting young dock workers; Hunter S. Thompson talked about how deeply the McGovern scandal and the Chicago riots affected him; and people today can still recall things from Ali's fights- like the phantom punch, and what it meant for them when he beat George Foreman; I know people who can remember the years of album releases and what each album did for music, and what year a movie was released and the exact theater they saw it in.
I feel like today news only exists long enough to be the punchline of a clever facebook status, or a bit for pundits like Stewart and Colbert or morning talk shows. Our generation seems to be almost totally clueless about the world that surrounds us. We don't know if we're at war, or how many wars we're fighting. We don't know who the potential candidates are for 2012 (except for Trump, because that was funny). History for us is events like the ban of Four Loko and the release of the iPhone 5.
Perhaps more troubling than our oblivion, is our complete lack of knowledge of the past. As Zinn stated; without history, we have nothing to compare things to- folks in charge can tell us whatever they like, and if we can't look for similar examples we'll just have to accept it blindly.
I can't tell you what the riots in Egypt were about, and I'm not entirely sure of the reason for the switch from Iraq to Afghanistan, I'm an avid follower of UFC fights (and I while I can tell you the result of MANY of the more prominent fights) I can rarely tell you the exact combination that ended it.
Whereas people from previous generations talk with excitement and detail about where they were, how they felt, and what was said by whom; people from my generation seem to talk in generalizations and with uncertainty.
Perhaps we've grown numb, and world events no longer seem like world events. Perhaps we're living in a slow time and important/life changing events aren't as commonplace as they were 50 years ago, perhaps things just don't seem that big and important when you're in the middle of them (I always think of Dazed and Confused and how one of the characters states that 'the 50s and 60s were cool, but the 70s are lame).
What I really think is that everything is just too accessible now. Why bother remembering dates and events and numbers and circumstances when we can just Google it? Many of us have smartPhones, and those of us that don't have a laptop at home. I don't need to know the combination that Silva threw to knock out Jackson, and I don't need to remember who ran against Bush in his first term, I don't need to remember when Metallica released their last album; because I can research all of it in a matter of moments and then forget it again just as quickly.
I'm not sure that technology is making us stupid, but I do think that we're living in epochs. We type in less than 140 characters, and we fast forward through commercials, we're only interested in a story or celebrity until the next exciting thing comes around. We have gadgets at our fingertips and can find a way to distract ourselves from even the simplest of things (I now use my time in the bathroom to catch up on words with friends).
The part that scares me is that one day I'll look back and say 'I missed ALL of that?'
Maybe I'll just enjoy every sandwich.
Zevon
Zevon2
Enjoy every sandwich
I feel like today news only exists long enough to be the punchline of a clever facebook status, or a bit for pundits like Stewart and Colbert or morning talk shows. Our generation seems to be almost totally clueless about the world that surrounds us. We don't know if we're at war, or how many wars we're fighting. We don't know who the potential candidates are for 2012 (except for Trump, because that was funny). History for us is events like the ban of Four Loko and the release of the iPhone 5.
Perhaps more troubling than our oblivion, is our complete lack of knowledge of the past. As Zinn stated; without history, we have nothing to compare things to- folks in charge can tell us whatever they like, and if we can't look for similar examples we'll just have to accept it blindly.
I can't tell you what the riots in Egypt were about, and I'm not entirely sure of the reason for the switch from Iraq to Afghanistan, I'm an avid follower of UFC fights (and I while I can tell you the result of MANY of the more prominent fights) I can rarely tell you the exact combination that ended it.
Whereas people from previous generations talk with excitement and detail about where they were, how they felt, and what was said by whom; people from my generation seem to talk in generalizations and with uncertainty.
Perhaps we've grown numb, and world events no longer seem like world events. Perhaps we're living in a slow time and important/life changing events aren't as commonplace as they were 50 years ago, perhaps things just don't seem that big and important when you're in the middle of them (I always think of Dazed and Confused and how one of the characters states that 'the 50s and 60s were cool, but the 70s are lame).
What I really think is that everything is just too accessible now. Why bother remembering dates and events and numbers and circumstances when we can just Google it? Many of us have smartPhones, and those of us that don't have a laptop at home. I don't need to know the combination that Silva threw to knock out Jackson, and I don't need to remember who ran against Bush in his first term, I don't need to remember when Metallica released their last album; because I can research all of it in a matter of moments and then forget it again just as quickly.
I'm not sure that technology is making us stupid, but I do think that we're living in epochs. We type in less than 140 characters, and we fast forward through commercials, we're only interested in a story or celebrity until the next exciting thing comes around. We have gadgets at our fingertips and can find a way to distract ourselves from even the simplest of things (I now use my time in the bathroom to catch up on words with friends).
The part that scares me is that one day I'll look back and say 'I missed ALL of that?'
Maybe I'll just enjoy every sandwich.
Zevon
Zevon2
Enjoy every sandwich
Thursday, June 2, 2011
I'm not a business man. I'm a business, man.
So. I've done more than half a dozen projects, and I've made more than half a dozen thousands. I haven't seen any of this money yet, but I'm at least breaking even.
It's slow right now, but I'm sure I'll wish for this type of leisure time in a few months. Anyways, it's given me time to catch up on the book keeping, tidy up loose ends, address issues with previous jobs, and worry about how much money I'm not making.
I'm also learning a lot about what it means to be a small business owner. I always thought it was super cool when people said things like "I don't pay for gas", or "that's a write off". I can say that too I suppose, but the fact it that I really do. Sure, the money might be coming out of the business account, but I'm the one filling up that account. And guess what? If I don't do a good enough job filling up that account, nobody is paying for gas- and that's a big problem. As a friend said, " you don't eat unless the business eats".
I am wholly accountable. I've never been a detail person, and I'm always put off when I come across people that are. 'Yeah, I guess I see what you're talking about, but why are you looking for it?' The fact is that people are paying good money for my services, and they expect perfection. I think perfection is a little steep for something a fraction of the price of my competitors- but I should still be getting close. So I now know that owning your own business means dropping whatever you're doing to go address a potential issue, it means that it's always easier (and cheaper) to do it right the first time, and that bad news can travel halfway around the world while good news is still putting on it's shoes.
So. I'm taking stock and analyzing and adapting and trying to do the best job I can on every project I touch. From start to finish.
It's slow right now, but I'm sure I'll wish for this type of leisure time in a few months. Anyways, it's given me time to catch up on the book keeping, tidy up loose ends, address issues with previous jobs, and worry about how much money I'm not making.
I'm also learning a lot about what it means to be a small business owner. I always thought it was super cool when people said things like "I don't pay for gas", or "that's a write off". I can say that too I suppose, but the fact it that I really do. Sure, the money might be coming out of the business account, but I'm the one filling up that account. And guess what? If I don't do a good enough job filling up that account, nobody is paying for gas- and that's a big problem. As a friend said, " you don't eat unless the business eats".
I am wholly accountable. I've never been a detail person, and I'm always put off when I come across people that are. 'Yeah, I guess I see what you're talking about, but why are you looking for it?' The fact is that people are paying good money for my services, and they expect perfection. I think perfection is a little steep for something a fraction of the price of my competitors- but I should still be getting close. So I now know that owning your own business means dropping whatever you're doing to go address a potential issue, it means that it's always easier (and cheaper) to do it right the first time, and that bad news can travel halfway around the world while good news is still putting on it's shoes.
So. I'm taking stock and analyzing and adapting and trying to do the best job I can on every project I touch. From start to finish.
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