communication breakdown

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love My Mom

It's Mothers Day, so I figured this was the perfect occasion to write about a different topic - my mother.

I don't often write about my family, nor do I get to see them often, but my mother is very important to me. Here are a couple of reasons why she is so special:

10. She created a positive and nurturing home for me and my sister. Nowadays, it seems like a rare occurrence to find parents who are willing to take the time and invest it in their children at a young age to ensure that they get the early education they need. But my mother was there for me, and my sister, to help us when we were at our most helpless. She read to me often at a young age, and thus I was able to read before I ever started school. It's a simple thing to do, but so many people take it for granted. And it's not like she's a college professor or anything, either; her own education ended with high-school. But she was wise enough to know that helping her children to learn at a very young age would reap rewards later. And she was right. While I'm sure that some of my academic success has been due to natural ability, I'm a firm believer that natural talents must be combined with a healthy environment to produce optimal results. She did her very best and I'm thankful for that.

9. She brought me into church at a young age. Obviously this was one of the most important things my mother has ever done for me, because it put me on the road towards salvation and Christianity and a personal relationship with Christ. What amazes me is that she wasn't even a Christian when she started sending me to church (in fact she had had a pretty sketchy background, to be honest), but she knew she wanted her children to be in church and be raised right. That kind of wisdom blows me away. Life is so crazy, you never know how things would have turned out if any one thing in your life was done differently. It's entirely possible that, if she hadn't brought me to church when she did, I might have never gone. I can only imagine with fear how that might have turned out.

8. She suffered through a failed marriage for her children's sake. I could go on and on about this, but I won't. From a personal standpoint, this is the one that amazes me the most, probably because I feel it was the most difficult to accomplish. Suffice it to say that my mother and father had an ill-fated relationship, and the marriage should have ended long before it did. Yet she stayed in the home, and put up with all of my father's issues, just to prevent me and my sister from having the stress and hassle of a divorce. She finally reached her limit and left, but not until my sister was near high-school graduation and able to handle the situation. Talk about being selfless - I could not imagine making such a personal sacrifice.

7. She was always fair and reasonable in her parenting. I've heard so many horror stories about how unbearable some parents can be, but with the exception of a few times where we just didn't see eye-to-eye (and even those times were probably my fault), my mother was a very just parent. Punishments were always fair and justified, and nothing was banned without reason. She honored my good behavior with a large amount of trust as I got older, which made me want to avoid anything that might betray that trust. As a result, I'd say I made it through adolescence without any major issues or behavioral incidents.

6. She always encourages me and has faith in me. This has always happened, and continues to this day. Whether it is school, sporting events, work, or anything else I'm involved with, I know that she is fully confident in my abilities to succeed and always supports my decisions. This has always had a positive effect on my self-esteem and has helped me achieve a lot of the things that I never would have thought possible.

5. She never pressures me and lets me accomplish things in my own time. I didn't really think about this one until recently, but it's very important to me. A lot of parents try to force things on their children, either because they are sure it's the right thing to do, or because they want to live vicariously through their kids. My mom has never done this. She didn't want me to leave state for school, but when I made it clear what I wanted to do, she supported it fully. When I graduated and decided to move to Minnesota, meaning that I would see her even less, rather than attempt to dissuade me, she really encouraged me to take the job because it was the best opportunity at the time. She has never put any pressure on me to get married or give her grandchildren - I guess she's trusting that it will all happen in good time. And it will. It's a lot easier for things to happen when you're not being pulled in another direction by someone else. Thankfully she's never done this to me.

4. She has always been youthful and fun. Surprisingly, this has become more and more evident as she gets older. Some moms of people my age spend their nights in a bingo parlor and then use their walker to get back to the nursing home van. Not my mom. She is a free-wheeling spirit with an insatiable craving for life. She goes out on dates all the time. Every time I talk to her she tells me about how many guys are after her (not something a son really wants to hear about his mom, but I digress...) She's very hip for a mother-of-two; in fact, at this point in my life she feels more like a close friend than a mother, which is very cool.

3. She has a great sense of humor. This is obviously related to her youthful spirit. She laughs all the time, and I always enjoy going home and joking around with her. Plus she always laughs at my jokes, which I'm sure is tough, since nobody else does.

2. She is always around whenever I need her most. I've always tried to be a very independent person, but every once in awhile, I need someone to be there for me, for advice, or a favor, or just to listen to me talk for awhile. Mom never fails - she is always there when I need any of these things. Plus she always seems to have an answer when I need one, which is a definite plus.

But most of all...

1. I wouldn't be the person I am today without her. And I mean that in every possible way. Every single good thing about myself I can trace back to her influence, wisdom, and care. I guess that makes me a momma's boy. So be it.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you...

Changing of the Guard

Two interesting photos for your enjoyment:

Who's that second cyclist in the blue, you ask? Well, I'll tell you: Lance Armstrong. That's right - Lance Freaking Armstrong. The Tour de Georgia wrapped up last week, and since it ended right in the heart of Alpharetta (which happens to be where I live), I figured there was no excuse for me not going down to catch the ending. I'm not what you might call a cycling enthusiast, but I have a sense for sports history, and I'm guessing that never again will I have a chance to see the next-to-last major race for arguably the greatest athlete of our time. The crowds weren't ridiculous, so we actually got a decent view as the riders entered Alpharetta and cruised through the 6-lap circuit. I must say, it was thrilling to watch the speed and skill of the competitors, but most of all, to catch a glimpse of a living legend...

I've been meaning to put this up for awhile, so many of my friends could salivate over it, but I just haven't had the time until now. This was one half of the groomsman's gift that I received from my good friend Matt Steele. It's a little hard to make out, but it's a complete sheet of GT basketball season tickets from 2003-2004 (the National Runner-Up year), signed and personally addressed to me by coach Paul Hewitt! I'm fairly sure no gift could ever possibly trump this, though I welcome the two other gentlemen whose weddings I will be in to try. Maybe a signed jersey? New car? The "T" from Tech Tower? The possibilities are endless...

It seems like forever since I've posted a blog entry, and compared to my usual frequency in writing, it practically has been forever. Part of it results from apathy on my part, as I've been in one of my funks where I get absolutely nothing done - for example, in addition to the lack of bloggage, I have laundry sitting in the dryer that's been there for over a week, and my desk is covered in about 100 receipts that I have yet to record.

However, in my defense I've also been pretty busy. The last few weeks have been a heavy combination of fraternity-related events and wedding stuff. I've been in two weddings this past month - the first two I've ever been in, for the record. It was an honor to be part of both Matt and Kevin's weddings (both fraternity brothers of mine). I had a great time at both events and I was happy I could be there to see each of them make a lifelong commitment to the women they love. They were both so relaxed and happy during the time leading up to their respective ceremonies, which was so refreshing to see. Another fraternity brother of mine (Eric) was married this month as well, but I was unable to attend because it was the same day as Matt's. I wish all three of them the very best as they embark on this new phase of life.

The weddings ate up several of my recent weekends, and any remaining free time was spent on the fraternity. This past weekend was Founder's Day, when we celebrate the founding of our chapter. Unfortunately, turnout was somewhat low, though there were several alumni there who I hadn't seen in awhile. One brother in particular (Sammy) was there for the first time in years, and it was great to see him, because he was such a motivating influence on me during the first couple years of college. He was a member of a select group of individuals who I can point to as being instrumental in my development as a leader and a man.

Besides that, life has been pretty status quo. Of particular note is the fact that things at work are getting interesting, because I basically wrapped up both projects I was working on within a week of each other, so I'm starting on several brand-new things now. That's always a slightly nervous time for me as I get uneasy when faced with something that is fuzzy. The sooner I can nail things down, the better. I always feel better about something once I can get my mind around it and understand what exactly needs to be done. I'm still in that fuzzy stage on all of this new stuff, so it's a little challenging, but that usually means I will learn something in the process. As far as my old projects are concerned, it was awesome to see one of them mature into something finished, especially since I created it from the ground-up. That's my absolute favorite thing about software development. Taking an idea, fleshing out the details, implementing the solution, and seeing it turn into something usable.

Since this entry is full of images, let me add another one:

I rented the Office through Netflix - boy am I glad I did. This show is outright amazing. Several times I just about rolled onto the floor. It's a perfect combination of raucous humor, highly awkward situations, and surprisingly touching interactions. For those who may be wondering, I'm referring to the British version of the show, not the American one. Don't get me wrong, the American one is pretty good, but it is still a pretender to the throne. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that The Office has replaced Newsradio as the funniest show ever. You should absolutely try to watch this if you get a chance - if you can get through the thick British accents, I can almost guarantee you'll love it. If you have BBC America on cable, it comes on every Saturday and Sunday. The show only totalled about 8 hours total, so it's not that hard to catch the whole thing.

Before I wrap up, I want to comment on some of my favorite shows, just because I haven't lately, and feel the need to communicate some of these thoughts:

• 24: For most of the year I've felt that this fourth season, while good, is the weaker than the previous seasons of the show. Keep in mind that it is still better than 99% of what's on TV, which is saying something. (SPOILERS ahead) I think the main problem was that they replaced a lot of my favorite supporting characters with new ones this season, and most of the new folks weren't very interesting. But lately they've been reversing that trend. Slowly they've been eliminating the new characters and bringing back the old ones, and for me, the show is regaining its old swagger again. The last few episodes have been nothing short of phenomenal, all building up to the finale in a couple weeks. I really hope they maintain the tension and high-caliber action that we've seen recently.

• Lost: This show has been excellent from the very beginning, and nothing here has really changed. I've been discussing possible season endings with some friends, and I'm starting to lean towards the conclusion that they will not be resolving the whole storyline this season - I expect some things to be resolved, while many questions will go unanswered until next season. I say this because there are very many open issues right now, with only 4 hours of new programming to resolve them in. It reminds me of The X-Files, at least in terms of execution - I wouldn't be surprised it all to have more questions than answers at the end of the season. If you're not watching this show yet, it's never too late to start...

• The Shield: This season has been a mixed bag, starting slow, but really picking up steam lately. The last two episodes have been two of the best ever. One thing is certain. Glenn Close is amazing. Don't be surprised if she's up for Best Actress come Emmy time - she provides a sense of stability, class, and firm determination to the police department which has as of yet been sorely missing. It's been interesting watching Vic play a decent cop for once, but he's pulling it off admirably, demonstrating the fact that the writers have developed a very well-rounded character here. The season is only 4 episodes in - if you're not watching, you really should start. Now.

• The OC: I read something about the show which I thought was very accurate: their problem is that they cycle characters in and out too fast. Sure, some of them have been duds and it was good to get rid of them, but others (like Alex and Jimmy) should have been made series regulars. Despite this, the show has stayed true to its core and as such is still good. The adult drama still dominates the show, which is the secret to their success. The only thing I'm wary of is the marital drama growing between the show's rock of a couple. If that materializes, I won't be very happy, but I have faith it will resolve itself.
  

For the literally tens of people reading this (even that is probably an overstatement), don't worry: the next update will come much sooner than this one did!