Thankful? You Betcha!

This will be a brief entry. Though there will still be plenty of gold in here for it to be just incredibly profound. Perhaps, even having some worth, of some kind or other.

I am sitting in the living room of my cousin (one of three cousin's I grew up with in my idyllic Tuscaloosa childhood of those magical 1980's...and, wow, some the 70's too).

Keith, the eldest of the three 'Redmans' or, 'Redman boys' or 'Nellie's boys', (the older brother of Don and Mark) has been hosting Thanksgiving dinner the lat few years. Open house, as my grandmother--herself a central figure in those Rockwellian days of yesteryear--says.

It is a beautiful moment.

Sure, I am bloated. Too full to move, and frankly disgusted with the gluttony I have demonstrated (and that this nation has made this holiday about.)

Of course, I am tired. We have covered many miles today. And I have many miles left before I...ah, you get the point.

Though I am surrounded by beautiful people. I refer to our beautiful faces and bodies, sure, though really...well, this is my family. I have seen much of my family today, in different parts of the state. Its been bliss.

And though I must admit, I have really struggled to blog this...searching, and fighting for a new password, and all sorts of junk.

But I just had to share. Its a special day and I have known such joy and contentment. Therefore...I'm bringin' bloggin' back!

What these few minutes lack in substance and profundity, they carry a life's worth--at least a year's worth--food, music, food, more food, good cheer (and all the ways one may know cheer) and family. It's worth a lot. Certainly worth this digital space taken up, and this new password I fought tooth and nail. I just had to blog it.

Peace to you all, and rooooooooooooll Tide, roll!!!!!!

6 Minutes Dougie Fresh, You're On!

Well, that flashback to the glory days of hip hop are used to describe my post. I have to create various and sundry challenges for the writing discipline, because, well, I want to become a writer!

I'm doing the 6-minute challenge. I have 4 minutes left!

I overheard a (actual) writer on NPR, saying, "whatever you do, do not 'not write'" or something to that effect.

So I am trying to write. A lot. Maybe I should say 'often' because I'm just not going to get that much written in 6, make that 2, minutes. At least I am writing again, and I will be writing more.

Your gift, gratis, from me!

Late Christmas gift? Sure. New Year's blessing? Mos def!

THough I will end it with a friendly 'hello'. Wait, make that a friendly, 'aloha'.
Cause I gotta say buh-bye too. Six minutes are gone!

~pax~
MMS

The Stormy Calm Before the Calming Storm

So here I am, a roarin' back!!! Back for the attack!!! Well, perhaps more like tomorrow I am back.

You see, today is Labor Day. A day to do anything and everything other than real work.

Though I cannot look at this--writing--as work. It has become so very mch more than that to me. Its an interest, a passion, a pursuit: all of these thigns, mos def!

And it is slowly, but surely, becoming a lifestyle. It is something I love.

This brings me to two of my very favorite quotes. The first has to do with that 'work' thing. Something I belive in, support, and try to do well. And its somethign I often find mysefl avoiding like the proverbial plague!

The quote in question is, "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life". Well, its something like that. And, its from someone like me. I think this way too, and its exactly what I am seeking with, for, and through my life. My life's work is to not work. Well, it is to do something, make something, say something, paint something (whether through words, music, electricity, wood, or even, say, paint?). My goal is to leave my mark on the world, on history and humanity. Though the goal is to devote my life to it, work as hard as I can in doing it, and never having it be work, per se.

A labor of love, if you will.

Now, the question is, what exactly is this? What is that true calling? What is my vocation to be?

I preach. I feel called to preach. I feel I do this well. Though there are so many parts of the preaching lofe that are NOT me. So much to ministry that is not minstry. I tmakes one wonder about being in ministry! And sometimes Christians make it so hard to find Jesus and help the gospel live in the world. Though I believe in nothing, if not sharing Christ's gospel--the true, biblical gospel, not some 'church culture of the 20th century' tradition of a meeting and eating club. I have to keep at this one--Jesus doesnt seem to let me stop! And that's cool with me.

I am a musician. At least, I hope I am. I play guitar, I have for a long time. Though the key is to go from being 'one who plays guitar' to 'guitarist' and then from 'guitarist' to 'musician'. And then, the ultimate transition is to go from 'musician' to 'artist'. Here's to that!

Then there is writing...you know how I feel about writing. At least, if you read the first paragraph, you know how I feel about writing. I want to find some way to bring writing into a predominant part of my life. Work? Well, maybe more like one of those "things I do".

I love animals and work hard to take care of as many as I possibly can. I'd do just about anything to have a shot at becoming a navy chaplain--or any other branch, for that matter. I love cooking and I cook very well, if I do say so myself. I actually enjoy doing electrical work, and--believe it or not-- I'm good at that! I could really see myself pitching for the Atlanta Braves and they can always use another good relief pitcher. Hey, as far as that goes, I love smoking and drinking and ordering in restaurants! (Not really, well, not all of those. Not anymore, at least). Point is, there is so very much I could see myself doing. Things I would hope to do--and I do hope to do them. I hope to do them well, and maybe make it a life's work. Maybe all of them.

To help narrow it down a tad bit, I use one other quote. I discovered this up in Harlan County, Kentucky. Not exactly where I would expect to find a real key to my future, but hey--you take what you can get!

It has become a guiding principle in my life, and I find the more closely I am to this ideal, the better things are.

"Don't ask 'what does the world need?', ask 'what makes me come alive?'. Because, what the world needs is people that have come alive".

Here's to that!

Have a day of rest and relaxation. Chilax a bit, if you will. Though tomorrow, I am getting down to business. I never been so serious about getting serious. And I aim to be hard at it--trying to devote my life to spending every free moment, using every gift I have, to make this world a better place. And in so doing, never work another day of my life!

happy Labor Day amigos!

MMS~

Me and General MacArthur

To the masses--the scores and scores of readers, to my dear friends, to complete and wayfaring strangers:

Hello there! Yes, it's me, the long-lost bloggist.

Though I first let you down. I am sorry to say that you will not have too much to read. Take a second. Compose yourself. I let you down gently.

It's not all that bad. Maybe it's more like all-good? You see, I will be back to feed your literary and intellectual hunger once again. "An enigmatic union of esoteric thought"*. It's just a matter of time.

I am using the remaining days of (unofficial) summer, that is, the days leading up to Labor Day, to rest, work, think, compose my self, and compose...myself~

The return is tentatively scheduled for the Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday after Labor Day, whatever date that is. I know, I know. I do this a lot. Though hey, I love me some national holidays! There are such excellent opportunities to regain strength, regather steam. And they are a professional procrastinators dream! Hey, it's just my way.

I am seriously pondering adding a bit of new--to me--technology to my repertoire. I have avoided Facebook and other 'social networking' sites and groups and web-based communities like the plague. No, not entirely because I'm an adult (I borrowed that joke from Entourage, one of my very favorites. And I don't entirely agree with the joke). I just get lazy with some techno-trends. Some I stay away from just because others are go so completely ape-sh#t over them. I tend to do this with over watched, over-hyped, and over-discussed t.v. shows. Por ejemplo, I have never watched an episode of American Idol, Survivor, The Apprentice or any other piece of reality-based garbage. I'm sure that makes a powerful statement and completely shifts the balance of power on the world.

I routinely stay 2-5 years behind most everyone else with new stuff. Unless it's musical in nature. Or, unless I can afford it.

Though the dear and beautiful Mary Ann seems fairly interested in Facebook. It seems to be the least dork of the choices out there. I know several other very cool people that are Facebook enthusiasts. And some of them are even over the age of 30! ( I still think that people under 30 completely cringe when the over-30's break into those domains, though it's becoming more and more tolerated.) They go with the millions of others that are completely uncool with Facebook, the dreaded Myspace and any others that are fly by night, day, week, or year. And Twitter, well, Twitter seems to be fairly blog-friendly in nature. I suppose that's like the main goal of it, actually. And so that just may be a perfect compliment to this here 'Artesian well' of written-word brilliance. Put that with the coming storm--make that the coming Storm (a Blackberry at long last!!!) and we may just have a full-on artistic and technological revolution and renaissance. We shall see.

In any event, I shall return.**

best,
Mateo~

ps-for the theologically-minded, spiritually-pulled, homeletically-curious, or those who just like to read, speculate, pontificate, or argue, please don't forget about my more ecclesially-oriented blog, www.bum-cat.blogspot.com! there will be an update or to added to that sooner than later. pax~

*borrowed form the most brilliant Dream Theater, and their song, A Rite of Passage

**borrowed from the famous declaration of one General Douglas MacArthur:

"The President of the United States ordered me to break through the Japanese lines and proceed from Corregidor to Australia for the purpose, as I understand it, of organizing the American offensive against Japan, a primary objective of which is the relief of the Philippines. I came through and I shall return."

The Process

hi there. good Wednesday to you, good people. the morning is fine, the latte is smooth, though stout! life is good and off to a good start today.

I am increasingly drawn to this craft. writing. what makes writing good? what writing do we want to read? how does one write? why?

this here blog was created, and is, hopefully, created often with the intent of exploring these questions and quests. ah, to write and be read. or, simply, to write. the process.

the last thing I want this arena for the great craft to be is a sort of electronic journal. an e-diary. well, one doesn't necessarily need blog or other electronic medium or space to keep a daily journal (that's what Moleskin's are for!)

and why write a personal journal or diary to share with the world? I mean, some folks do it--its their cup of tea. anyway, others are much better at that than I.
but let's face it, if it was the inner-most, or most-mundane, dia rhetorical thoughts of a celebrity...it would be a hit.

with the occasional inner-voice gone outer (the classic "inny" v "outty" debate), the occasional self-musing, or the oft over used parenthetical phrase (of which I am quite fond [obviously!]), notwithstanding, this place must be another thing. it will be something different. I hope.

to that end, I will keep write. writers write, and I want to be a writer. my last teacher of Christian Thought--that's a particular class, not a lifelong devotion of connecting with Jesus--was Brooks Holifiled. I know, he sounds like either a kind of shoe or child or the latest wife of the great champ Evander! (Evander is Holyfield) He is neither. A is a good teacher. He was a very difficult teacher for me, and thus, a good teacher. In this case, though=good. That's not always true. But for me, and him, it was true. HE was a good teacher because I learned some things.

Well, I learned one thing that I know of, and it's about writing! So, God bless Brooks Holifield.

In his class Brooks stressed the importance of writing for those past-present-future practitioners of the Christian faith. (btw, it is not a true Christian faith if it is not practiced. theoretical theology never saved the world). He told us what, ihho, writing is.

Writing is re-writing.

It took me a little while to fully grasp that. But I am still starting to get it. It you simply go with the first thing that jumps in your head, its not writing--it's journeying. It's a stream of consciousness. It's a diary.

Those are certainly forms of writing, though not the kind of writing I am after here. I want to create a body of work that is good. Good work is important.

While we may not think work is necessarily pleasant, unless you are a work-a-holic, I think it can be. If you love your work. Business should rarely, if ever, mix with pleasure less the two become confused with the other.

I love this kind of work, and would so love for writing to be my work. I already employ writing in my work in many ways. That's a real gift from God. And so, I will write. And re-write. And write.

An important element of which to be aware with these musings is the particular process I use for this particular medium. I tend to arrive at the 'publish post' button-pushing-time somewhere between 'editing ' and 'finished'. That would mean there's been some re-writing done, and that there is plenty more re-writing left to do!

One could say that my 'publish post' button needs replacing much more frequently than my 'save as draft' button. And one would be correct in so saying.

The reader's of The Digital Moleskine will typically see something like a 3rd draft with each first version. And then, over time, the post will be progressively more and more re-written. Re-fined. Re-al.

Many, many things bring this about. Occasionally I will lie awake at night fretting the possibility of glaring typo's (imagine the embarrassment of trying to text 'I forgot' with a misplaced 'r' for a 'g'!) or other mistakes and errors. Occasionally the notion to add, delete, correct, clarify, qualify, or otherwise alter and change something from the first stab.

Point being, pretty much all the time, it's a work in progress. Though hang in there with me, won't you? It is my joy to try and offer you something of worth over time. It is my hope that this little blog o' mine be worth your time.

I aim to provide some good work, good reading, good stuff. I aim to not only write, but re-write and re-fine and give you something that you can re-gurgitate. Not make you re-gurgitate, mind you. Though something you can and will want to remember. And maybe, pass it on. And maybe, re-spond.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.*®

M~


P.S.--that tag line is some one's good work. It's Garrison Keillor, from The Writer's Almanac.
That show is some great work. Do check it out: writersalmanac.publicradio.org

Part II

Yo, ho, ho and ahoy mateys!

"I'm back, baby!" (Bender, Futurama)

Typically, I see alligators on t.v. I have seen some at the zoo, of course. And to tell the truth, my folks tell of a wild adventure down through the Florida Everglades when I was a wee tot. Though, I rarely--actually, I have never--seen an alligator at the donut shop! Great minds think alike, I suppose. This Florida gator is just the latest addition to the cast of characters and incredible moments that I have experienced in these past three days.

We must start by saying how very fortunate--how truly blessed beyond any proper appreciation--I am that I was born in these here Unites States of America. And to the Republic, I give thanks to God. I am proud to be an American. I kind of hate that song, no offense to Lee Greenwood, but hey...

What I really hope is that this sense of pride I feel never turn to arrogance. That my patriotism never see nationalism. And may I always be painfully aware that the only thing I did to deserve such freedom is to be born inside the lines. Well, I suppose I did dabble with the United States Air Force for a brief time...

Though as my wife and I stood at The Hangout, a faily new, well, hang out in Gulf Shores, and watched a bang-up fireworks display, I realized how good we have it. And one should always remember that there are just as many, if not many more, that do not have it so good. And more than likely, those that have it good usually benifit from those that dont have it so good. Every action, equal and opposite reaction and so on, and so forth. Those that dont have it so good? Well, they were born outside the lines. Funny ole' world.

But its this nation's birthday that got us down here. Well, thats what gave MA a less than common off day, which gave us a nice little push down the highway. The 4th of July holiday is an extraordinary time. And its a meaningful moment to soak it all in. Reflect. Celebrate. Eat.

In the next day or so, you will be reading about my new love and appreciation of all things Jimmy Buffett. There is much to tell of how we ambulated round the streets of Gulf Shores, seeing the sights, eating the shrimp, and swimming with the fishes.

THough the best part, which means its really, really, good, is the sights and sounds of children in the time and place. There was a little crying (I think resulting from a live band's full sonic assault and repeated droppings of the F-Bomb). There was some bossing around, and some bullying (brothers and sisters will be brothers and sisters). But best of all, was just the chatter of wonder and the laughter of youth and summer and sand and sea. It took me back, a long, good, way.

I had a great life goring up, with a better-than-great family. From our first trip in the Everglades, to our next, last trip (for this trip) to the beach today, its still a good life.

I'm ready, excited, and committed to start really living it. Take a huge bite of that peach that is life and let those juices drip from my chinny-chin-chin. Bt first, I have to go save Mary Ann from that ole' donut loving reptile. Perhaps I'll name him "Homer". TTFN.

ciao,
M~

The Pirate, the Sea, and Luca Brazzie

Face front, true believers!

Yes, it is true. I am back! And this time...of, its all been said before. Just know that I am back, and I am ready to write. And write I will. And, later it will be. You see, I am square in the middle of a wonderful adventure. And its sharply dinnertime in this particular wonderful adventure. My bride of 13 plus years (the fare Mary Ann, of course) and I have yet to dine. And dine we will! More than that, we will sup together on this fine day--it is a fine day, the 4th of July, a fine day, indeed--with some fresh catch. Tuna I am thinking. Of course, the obligatory fresh shrimp, probably some crab--legs or claws--taters, maybe some maters, corn, and the rest...well, leave that to your imagination.

This entry is a quick one. Check that. This is a rushes entry. I have so much to tell, and yet MA is actually ready ahead of schedule! So, the opportunity, as the day, must be seized!

I will be back, although it may be, technically, July 5th. But in an effort to show my readership (hopefully more than the triumvirate of "me, myself, and I") that I mean business, and pleasure, with my new commitment to write...I am back, as promised. And its Independence Day.

Happy Independence Day. Come back. There is much to tell. Read. Celebrate. Live.

See you soon.

M~