Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Morning Edition - 4/10/07



Auto-man-ic
With subscriptions to Road and Track, Car and Driver and Motor Trend I am a veritable connoisseur of cars. Most would say it’s one of those quirks in my personality that don’t seem to fit with the rest of my more flamboyant qualities. Sure, I’m not a swoosh-and-primp kind-of guy, but I do have my fey-ways about me. With that all sorted out, it should come as no surprise that each year I take to the New York International Auto Show – now at the Javits Center through April 15 – to ogle over the amazing new inventions in automotive wizardry. My partner for this event was J’Moo – blogger family member and lifetime friend who also knows how to appreciate a large block V-8 engine dressed in 22” wheels. There’s only one thing J’Moo and I noticed more than the new-fangled motor works this year – the men. For some odd reason there appeared to be an inordinate amount of gorgeous young specimens this year. The kind that had us turning from the new Audi S5, to the trunk on the 6’2” Dominican man leaning into the hood of a BMW 750. All was not lost, we did see the vehicles we set out to see, but all the while we couldn’t help but revel in the beauty of the men who may someday sit in them.

Leopards and Their Spots
The old adage says that a leopard does not change his spots. It’s a saying that I live by, but try to prove by example that it may not necessarily be true. Case in point, there was a period in my life when I was deceitful, calculating and unable to live in my truth. I thought I did a good job at pulling off some pretty elaborate stunts, but in the end, I only fooled myself. The feeling that you are a liar, a cheat, and a deceiver is one that will diminish all the good you may accomplish in the same time period. Ultimately, I reached a moment when I couldn’t outrun myself. I didn’t like the person that appeared to want to have his cake and eat it too. It was then that I took a courageous stand to be truthful. I say courageous because it was then that I realized how scared I was to honor the people around me with the truth and strangely, how freeing it was to feel that I was being judged for who I really was and what I honestly felt. Recently, I realized that though I may have taken a stand to change, others may still be living in the haze that is deceit. It never pays. Deceit breeds contempt, drama and unnecessary stress. My truth tells me that I’m disappointed in realizing that maybe a leopard can’t change his spots. All I can say is that rather than losing his spots, this leopard graduated to becoming a proud panther.

Groin Gab
Thank you for all the well wishes during my groin pull recovery. I have taken exactly one week off from the gym and although I still have pain, it feels better. I’m not comfortable running yet, but I will be hitting the gym today and biking as cardio exercise. I’m really hoping I fully recover before my May trip.

On Blast
Everything must change. Nothing stays the same. Everyone must change. Nothing and no one goes unchanged. The lyrics to the Oleta Adams song are simple, but so strong in their fundamental clarity. Sometimes we hold on to people or things and it takes a slight jar, snag or shove to recognize that change has occurred and you have to transition with it.
What incident in your life served as a moment of clarity to help you recognize there had been or needed to be, a change?

Keep passin’ the open windows…

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