May 28, 2011

Which way now Bobby Frost?

One of these days you girls will start thinking about what you want to be when you grow up.  You'll have a long time to figure it out and I encourage you to go to where you're drawn.  Sometimes I think about it myself.  I guess I think about it all the time.  I love being a U.S. Marine, but there's something attractive about the freedom and opportunity on the other side of the fence.  One of my dreams is to open my own business.  Of course, I would start a business in a field that interested me, but thoughts sometimes go to money too.  The business grows huge, yada yada yada, your dad gets to own that Steerman (biplane) he's always wanted to fly.  What a dream: doing something you love and getting rich doing it.  What could be wrong with that?

What if the thing I love to do in no way makes a real difference in this world?  What if entertainment, gadgets, or other offerings I could produce, and the enrichment they could provide to people's lives, just isn't the kind of fulfillment I'm looking for (not that there's anything wrong with any of those)?  What if the job that changes the world for the better and fulfills my drive to make a difference is one I hate?  I'd be changing the world, right?  Maybe I'd make a ton of cash as well.  What could be wrong with that?

Happiness versus fulfillment.  Which path do I follow?  I don't make any claims that I could make it big or that I could make a huge difference in this world, but hopefully you get the point.

What a dilemma.

May 24, 2011

Go Forth

Beware of confidence, girls.  It can lead down so many different paths.  It's another example of the old maxim: everything in moderation.  Clearly, too little of it makes timid souls and too much leads to blunders.  The question is, how do I foster the right amount with you two?  I think it's better to err on the side of too much, as long as you recognize the dangers and are self-aware enough to catch yourself before you fall.  At least then you will act toward realizing your goals.  Go for it.  Be bold.  Don't go forward with naivety, and keep your eyes open as you move, but go forward.  There certainly will be times when you realize too late that you went down the wrong path.  They may be painful lessons, but lessons worth learning.  Have enough humility then to admit your mistakes and learn from them, because sometimes the greatest learning comes from getting it wrong.  But go.

I'm a big believer that fortune favors the bold, as the saying goes.  It's amazing the good that can come your way when you look and act confident.  Not arrogant or pompous, but confident.  Doors will be open and you'll have a better shot at getting what you want.  And sometimes, unintended benefits will come your way.  Rarely does this happen as a result of timidity.  Move forward and you will succeed.  I'm sure of it.

May 16, 2011

Me and the Bear

So you (The Bear) and I went to California, just the two of us, last weekend.  The mood was solemn. We went to introduce you to your great grandma, possibly for the last and only time, but we had fun.  You loved your "Nana B," and she thoroughly loved being with you.  We got some good pictures of you two playing together and you laughing with her.

It made me think a lot about relationships.  Seeing Nana B for what may have been the last time was difficult.  I hope we get to see her again.  She has certainly lived a long (96 years!), rich, and fulfilling life, as far as I can tell.    So if we don't, I know that she will be living with God and we'll see her again "soon" enough.  Being there with her and seeing how happy she was to meet you was another illustration of just how important relationships are.  Of course, job success is important as it allows us to live more comfortably and propagate our family and friends' successes as well.  But you have to make sure you foster the relationships with the people most important to you.  One of these people was Nana B.  The other one was you.

You love everyone, Little Bear.  You'll probably be the social one so relationships will be easy for you.  Until this trip, I had never really gotten to spend a significant amount of time with you.  Your bigger sister likes a lot of attention draws it away from you.  A lot.  So a weekend with the two of us was perfect.  The plane rides were difficult, but it was all worth it (and Continental still gives free beer to military).  Now we're back, and I can tell it made a difference.  There's a connection.  A relationship built.  A foundation we can build upon for the rest of our lives (at least for me).

So thank you.  For a great weekend.  And for reminding me, again, how important it is to be close to the ones we love.  It shouldn't be so hard to remember.