Mustangs, Thoroughbreds and their offspring

How do you capture all that is good and decent and worthwhile in the human experience and pass it on to the children? Or in this case, my children?

The sooner you start, the hotter the fire burns later in life.

An "old" friend of mine used to quote "there is nothing more powerful than the human soul on fire", or something like that. Truer words are hard to find.

I hope Natalie and Ethan can learn faster and are smarter than I was. Recognize what they are, recognize the strengths and weaknesses they came hard-wired with, and make the best of them. They have the best of both worlds, refined and improved from the previous generation. Let's see where they take it. Let's root for them. Let's help them make the most of their blank canvas. It takes a village to train a Thoroughbred.

So let's train them like Thoroughbreds. But then, let them run.

Like Mustangs.

The attitude of the knife

Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife — chopping off what's incomplete and saying: "Now it's complete because it's ended here."

If you've never read Dune by Frank Herbert, I highly recommend it. Lots of interesting insights and quotable lines like the one above. Arrakis is a harsh desert planet, difficult and dangerous to survive on, and over the centuries teaches the people there to be strong. To further quote from the book, "God created Arrakis to train the faithful."

But back to the original quote. The attitude of the knife. Easy enough to understand. If it doesn't work for you, cut it off. But how should one wield that knife? And, how do you keep that knife sharp? A dull knife makes it hard to live that philosophy, to any degree.

What happens if you rush thru life, dagger in front, wounding everything first before you even get to know it? Are you then surprised when people act harsh, distant and unaccommodating when they are around you? Worse yet, do you wonder what could have been had you not slashed the relationship before it began? I know a few people that, rather than deal with what frightens them or they don't understand, just kill it in the name of self-mastery. Um, excuse me, but how is that self-mastery and not just a defense mechanism? A defense mechanism that protects you from...yourself? I understand the notion that if you want to change, you have to change your environment. This is what drives people to empty all the Twinkies and HoHos out their pantries before they start a diet. Okay, easy enough, and a good first step. But seriously, if you can't go through life with a HoHo in your pantry, what have you really mastered? And besides, what did that HoHo ever do to you? It serves a purpose. Just don't eat 200 billion of them. There's a big difference between a diet and a lifestyle; between sprinting and finding the balance and equilibrium that allows you to finish the marathon.

On the flip side, what if you wait too long to use the knife? Well that's easy. That which you should have cut off will probably consume you. That could be good or bad, depending on what you're considering giving the knife. Killing something like exercise probably isn't good for you in the long run. But killing smoking, or anything you deem to be toxic, is probably good for you. Just make sure you know it's toxic. You may suffer more learning what's truly toxic, but you'll know.

So how sharp do you keep your knife? And how quick are you to wield it?

I should use my knife more. But I need better eyes.

The Goldfish Princess

Natalie likes goldfish. Like the little crackers, not actual goldfish. I'm sure she'd like real goldfish too, but that's not my point here. Digressing already. Do over...

Natalie was sitting on the couch yesterday eating goldfish (the crackers, not the real thing. That would be weird, unless it was sushi, but who ever heard of goldfish sushi? And who feeds their 3-year old sushi? Argh.)

Take 3.

(See picture above) I went over to the house yesterday. Natalie was at the door holding a bowl full of Goldfish, The Crackers. She immediately grabbed my hand, dragged me over to the couch, and sat me down. No greeting, no excitement...all business. She sat down next to me, leaning on me, and continued watching Cinderella, which was apparantly playing when I got there. She's a girl that clearly knows what she wants.

Ethan came over a few minutes later, after waking up from his nap, and the sharing games began. Ethan still hasn't figured out how to ask for something, so he does like he usually does and just starts reaching for Natalie's goldfish (the crackers, not the...ah crap). This is never acceptable to Natalie, so Dad has to step in and coach them through it. Eventually, after the lesson is taught but not mastered, I just get Ethan his own pile of goldfish. And they sit there, one on each side of me, consuming their goldfish-shaped, trans-fat-free carbohydrates and enjoying the end of Cinderella. In spanish. (Yeah, don't ask)

At this point, Natalie's bowl of Goldfish, The Crackers is empty so she decides the bowl should be a crown and it should be on my head. So I'm sitting there, with the bowl/crown on my head, and Natalie begins to explain her world:

Natalie: "You gonna be a king, Daddy"

Me: "Really? So what does that make you?"

Natalie: "I'm a princess. Princess Natalie!"

Me: "So what do princesses do?"

Natalie: "They're not crazy."

Me: "Okay, so...what do Kings do?"

Natalie: "Kings love their princesses."

Sho 'nuff, kiddo. You got that right. And all this time I thought those crazy Disney movies were filling her head with...well...craziness, but it looks like she picked up something worthwhile after all. Eventually she'll need to learn to distinguish between Disneyland and the real world, but mainly, she needs to learn that she can't live in Disneyland. Funny how some people never figure that out, yet they expend so much blood and treasure to try and live there. But for now, enjoy it kiddo.

Is it telling that Natalie has always just automatically called herself Princess Natalie? Maybe. I can see the tendancy in her to think highly of herself. That's good, because she's going to need to cling to that if the ship goes sideways on her. And maybe she can learn something from those goldfish:

Just keep swimming...Just keep swimming...Just keep swimming...

F-bombs and wasabi

I'm not the type to argue with someone if they are not into sushi. It's different. It's fish. It's Japanese. It's raw. But I do have to wonder if holding out on experiencing sushi when, deep down inside, you really want to experience it, even if only once, is healthy. Now I know there are some things that merit at least a second thought, like, say, running with the bulls in Pamplona. (Which by the way, both my brothers have done and so will I some day) And there are other things that don't merit a second thought, like skydiving naked, high on PCP, without a parachute. Duh. But c'mon people, ya gonna throw the baby out with the bathwater on everything?

Very recently I was "awakened" to the fact that I was part of a culture and people that, for the most part, I have abandoned. Why? Because every time I have tried to apply their "wisdom" to my life I failed. It's my own fault, and especially ironic because when you think about that wisdom, it actually makes sense. Makes sense for the most part, anyway, until you think about how the rubber is going to hit the road. Good in theory, bad in practice. At least for me. And all around me all I can see are the babies, precious as they may be, discarded "in the name of". But are they really as precious as babies?

I was taught 10 years ago;
To bide my time and take it slow.
Then I learned just yesterday;
To rush and never waste a day.

Now I'm convinced the whole day long;
That all I learned is always wrong.
And things seem true that I forget;
But no one taught that to me yet.

(Thank you Trey)

Why do I seem to forget that which once seemed to be truth? Is it the same reason I'm tired and sore after a workout? Just haven't exercised those muscles in a while? I'm always seeking a challenge...

Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife - chopping off what's incomplete and saying: "Now it's complete because it's ended here." Do I need that attitude? Do I need to use it now? Can I do it?

Or do I need a reckoning first.

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So what is the plan from here, Morgan?

Virgil?

And where the hell is Doc?

Long road ahead, lots to be seen and experienced, but more importantly, conquered. I think we are all in the same place, my brothers. But...long road in front of us. We should work on filling out the team, but carefully. The last thing we need is more bottom feeders. We're better than that, as Morgan has proved. Time to roll quickly and fiercely forward, drop a few bombs along the way, put down some wasabi, then get out of Tombstone. That bastard across the river deserves all he gets and then some, but that's not the end of the story.

I just hope Doc is ready. (Where the hell is he?)