I’m just standing here watching airplanes…

When I played Little League, I’d say a conservative estimate of all the airplanes I looked at when they flew over the fields was all of them. I remember coaches telling me to pay attention. I was paying attention. To the airplanes. I can’t say what it was that captured my attention so wholly, but they did.

And they still do.

I’ll be standing on the mound about to toss an underhand lob to an eagerly waiting batter in adult league co-ed softball and I hear one. I look up to see the lights flickering overhead.

Or like today when I was mowing my front yard for the first time this year. Standing still, mower running, glaring into the blue sky as a plane that just took off screams overhead.

I don’t know why I do the things I do. Maybe I was a pilot in a previous life. Or an airplane. But one thing is for sure… I WAS PAYING ATTENTION, COACH! Whew, sorry. I’ve had that bottled up for 20 years, I guess.

-Out of the Wilderness

Brief encounters

I’ve discovered that there are quite a few people you’ll come in contact with that you might only see once…ever. In fact, scenarios like that are so common even Craigslist has a part of their website dedicated to these casual encounters, as they call it. While I’d recommend scanning those for entertainment purposes only, there’s obviously a need they’re filling, or trying to fill.

Time has distanced me from the college years where I might’ve seen hundreds of people a day and a lot of times see those same hundreds and a hundred more all the time. And now, depending on your job, your weekly activities, you might see just a sliver of that amount on any given day.

I’ve never really been brave or outgoing when it comes to dating, even to this day, so I’ve realized these brief encounters with a woman I find interesting are, or could be, something to act on. Because it might be the only time I ever see this person.

There was that girl when I worked as a photographer’s assistant at a wedding.

Then there was Brooke from a local tattoo shop.

Once I talked with a girl at Kroger.

One and done, that’s what those were. Because I wasn’t really thinking past the moment. A buddy of mine had an experience like this recently. He was at Pinewood Social here in Nashville and was sitting in a sort of common area; a long couch, a table, basically a section you can chat with a friend or group of friends, and still order food and drinks. A pair of girls were sitting near him and because of where their computers where plugged in, he and at least one of the girls had to communicate. Afterwards he told me that he found one of them to be very attractive. The full story is that both were, but one had a ring on. 😉

So chance encounters like that do happen. But the older we get, they’re just not as frequent. If I’m being totally honest, most days I couldn’t care less about talking to anyone. Give me a chair in the backyard with my dogs and a cool breeze, I’m pretty much set! But every once in a while there will be tattoo shop Brooke. Or Kroger girl. Unfortunately for me I come up with great conversations I could’ve had about an hour or a week after. Lame-o!

So today I’m asking myself, “What am I doing about it now?” When the next Brooke comes along, or the next Pinewood Socialite sits down next to me or my friend, what shall be done about it?

-Out of the Wilderness

The dancers in Keith Urban’s “The Fighter” music video

Keith Urban has two music videos for his latest song “The Fighter.” The song is a duet with Carrie Underwood. The first video features Keith and Carrie with clips of a lone female dancer. The second video, dubbed the Dancers Version, leaves Keith and Carrie out visually but adds in a male dancer along with the female from the first video. You’ve probably already seen it, that’s why you’re here but click here for the video on YouTube. The pair was most recently seen on stage at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas as part of Keith and Carrie’s performance, but who are these dancers, anyway?
Lindsay and LyleTheir names are Lindsay Richardson (left) and Lyle Beniga (right). The pair are an item, as my parents would say. And they were also part of the Tennessee Kids (Justin Timberlake’s band and dancers for the 20/20 Experience tour).

[click here for more about Keith Urban’s new video “We Were”, the post will open in a new window]

Lyle Beniga
Starting with Lyle, he’s got quite the dance resume. He’s danced with A-list artists who are known for their own dance skills: Justin Timberlake, Usher, Jennifer Lopez. Adding to that list, he was part of a Michael Jackson tribute that aired on MTV. So yeah, dancing in any professional capacity as it relates to Michael Jackson is definitely saying something! A few more fun facts:

  • His hometown is Waldorf, MD.
  • College major was engineering.
  • He has his own clothing line.
  • You can follow him on Instagram here, and Twitter here.

Here’s the Michael Jackson tribute performance, although I can’t tell which one is Lyle.

Lindsay Richardson
Moving on to Miss Lindsay Richardson now:

  • She’s a dancer, a yoga instructor, and an actor. Her dance resume includes Justin Timberlake, Tinashe, Justin Bieber, and Britney Spears, just to name a few.
  • Her hometown is Berlin, Vermont.
  • Her first concert was Hanson. In an mmm bop they’re gone.
  • She has two dogs named Bruce and Charlie.

You can follow her on Instagram here, and Twitter here. 
Lindsay posted a couple of videos of Keith’s take on using her and Lyle for this video. Take a look by clicking these links.
Part 1 and Part 2

These two dancers are amazing! Keep an eye out for them in all types of forms: live, music videos, and who knows where else! And since you made it down this far, you might as well check out my children’s book and pick up a copy! 🙂

-Out of the Wilderness

Why we care about AMBER Alerts

amber1n-3-webOne of the top stories (at least in Nashville) is the recent disappearance of a girl under the age of 17, which drew an AMBER Alert warning. She’s reportedly with one of her school teachers and they’ve both been missing for a few weeks now. For more information and the history of the AMBER Alert click here.

There are a few reasons news like this makes headlines. The most important, obviously, is that a child is involved. When some poor innocent soul is preyed upon, it makes anyone with half a heart outraged, and rightly so. It’s just sick what adults will do sometimes. I think most people get that. Don’t mess with kids!

Another reason these types of stories gain attention is that just like in the movies, people want a rescue. A happy ending. A hero.

There’s something wired deep in the human soul that longs for a hero.

When a hero rises, the child is returned safely to their family, and the guilty party receives justice, that’s when everyone can exhale a sigh of relief, and by golly, give the hero a standing ovation! Unfortunately it doesn’t always end that way because the world we live in has evil in it, too. There’s disappointment. Heartache. Despair. And villains like this guy in the news who probably thinks he’s a hero.

Recent updates show that the two haven’t even been spotted in the last few weeks. And now her mom has filed for divorce from her dad. Talk about drama. Talk about mystery. The story has it all.

It has a main character. It has intrigue. It has a villain. Now all it needs is the hero or heroes to show up and save the day. Let’s hope and pray law enforcement is making progress every day to solve the case. Meanwhile, the hero could be you so keep your eyes pealed for the pair, you might be part of the happy ending everyone is hoping for!

-Out of the Wilderness

I’ve loved you all over the world…

I first laid eyes on her in 2007. Great curves, light, and sporty. My Nissan Versa is nearing it’s 10th anniversary as my main squeeze when it comes to getting me from A to B, and I gotta say, what a ride it’s been! With her CVT and her auxiliary input and all 4 of her cylinders, she’s made zipping around the southeast something to write home about.

And although I’ve never literally written home about her, I did jot down some landmarks in the first year of our relationship. They honeymoon phase, if you will. Here ya go…

mile 10 got the keys.

mile 110 drove to Percy Priest Lake for wakeboarding and cliff jumping.

mile 340 bought the first tank of gas.

mile 655 returned home from a Nashville Sounds baseball game.

mile 684 sneezed in the car for the first time.

mile 747 returned home from a couple garage sales.

mile 1,623 trip to Cincinnati, OH to visit family.

mile 2,300 drove to corn maze in Whitehouse, TN.

mile 3,717 rock hits windshield, crack begins to spread.

mile 4,265 fighting to stay awake on 231 returning to Nashville from Tallahassee, FL.

mile 5,263 first oil change, location: Action Nissan in Nashville, TN.

That’s just a glimpse, but I’ve had a lot of good memories thanks to my car. She’s nearing 180,000 miles today. That’s probably 93 in car years! I know I won’t have her around for a whole lot longer so for now, this post is for you Black Pearl!

-Out of the Wilderness