Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
Reaching 200,000 miles is rite of passage for cars today. It’s not every day that a car crosses over this hallowed ground. Well, I take that back. It probably happens every day somewhere in the world, but it’s still something to celebrate. This beaut has been with me through many ups and downs, figuratively and literally, and in the next day or two, we’ll cross the threshold of 200,000 miles, hand in hand–err, hand on wheel.
From a cracked windshield to the cruise control that hasn’t worked in years, the broken door handle to the many, many dash cam videos, the roof rack carrying kayaks to a downtown snow accident, carrying me to dates and back home after breakups, what a ride it’s been!
I named her Black Pearl and perhaps that makes me Jack Sparrow. Till we sink or reach another shore, she’s my ship and I love her. Here’s hoping for another 200,000!
I’m walking around in a robe, I’ve taken back-to-back baths in back-to-back days, and I have a cold. That can only mean one thing…
I’m back in Nashville after a busy, yet terrific, holiday vacation in Florida!
Like this cat, I’ve pretty much quarantined myself indoors to rest, recuperate, and catch up on Netflix. A couple of so-so movies? Done (Bright and Pottersville). Fuller House? Done. Riverdale? Working on it.
While I’ve been wasting away on the couch– not reaching my goal of 160 miles in 60 days, tissue within arms reach, cup of apple juice on the table tray, covered in 37 blankets– the thought dawned on me that I seem to get sick every time I come back from Florida. So is it that I’m allergic to Tennesseee, or do I just wear out my body in Florida because who else is going to beat my nieces at croquet, lose to my brothers football team on the beach, brag way too much on the driveway playing knock-out, or help build a gigantic sandcastle?
So now I pay for it. But there’s something else I sometimes catch when I’m down visiting family in Tallahassee. Nostalgia. This trip I got a big dose when we dug up a few VHS tapes from the 80s and 90s. Long story short, we’ve been looking for a couple of specific events that were recorded but haven’t been seen in years. While we were looking through tapes one day, we found video of our entire family taking part in a live nativity scene. My dad was Joseph, Mary was one of my sisters, and my mom was a wise man. Not sure how those parts got divied up, but whatever. I was a shepherd, along with my oldest sister and my brother.
We also found video one of my sister’s high school track meets, and another tape had both sisters’ “after prom” party. If you’ve ever wondered how teenagers danced in the 90s, wonder no more.
I think one of those dancers would be reported for sexual harassment in today’s world, but I’m not saying who *cough, cough, white guy doing pelvic thrusts*
Since returning to Nashville, I’ve been going through VHS tapes I brought back with me. I’ve seen clips from my family that I haven’t seen in decades. It’s definitely put me in a nostalgic mood. I also am fortunate that my birthday is late December, so the past couple of days have included thoughts about what I want next year and my next year, to look like. Watching these old videos helps me to reflect on the almost 4 decades I’ve been on the planet, and what direction I want my life to go in the next 4 decades. Of course, I also stumbled across this: me playing the trumpet next to my best middle school friend, JR:
Dang, I wish I’d held on to that trumpet!
My goals for 2018 are pretty simple, but if I can accomplish them, that’ll be a big step in a great direction.
Give more. Serve more.
I know it sounds a bit vague but this theme encompasses my time, my money, my attitude, and my heart. So when opportunities arise to give or serve, whether it’s helping a neighbor, serving at church or in the community, I want to say yes when I’m able to.
As for me in this moment, I’m taking my robe, my apple juice, and I’m turning on Riverdale. Good day to you, and have a happy 2018!
By now we’ve all heard of “ghosting” (disappearing from a conversation, whether it’s online or texting, and then zombieing… reappearing days, weeks, or months later). Other more traditional terms like “DTR,” “red flag,” and “an item” have all been used in or about relationships over the years, but for recent trendy terms, here’s a list. One you won’t see on there yet is a dating word I’m coining today.
Broadbacking.
Broadbacking is when you’ve met someone and within a short amount of time they dump an overwhelming amount of emotional baggage onto you because they think you can help them carry the load.
This behavior can happen online through long and drawn out emails that take you 29 minutes to read, text messages that are broken up into 17 different sections that you have to piece together to make sense of it, or even in person/on the phone where you may have to practice the art of listening…a lot.
So I said to her, “I don’t care how cute you look, Asia, you CANNOT be Mary in the church Christmas play. The world’s just not ready for it yet, darlin.”
Out of the Wilderness 