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
I didn’t expect this news today, but finding out that Prince has passed will most definitely send shockwaves across the world, and fill up Twitter and Facebook for the coming days. I didn’t know much of his music when I was growing up, more of a reflection on me than his music, though. In the last decade or so, I’ve come to love a handful of his songs. Another thing that I kinda LOVE is that it’s pretty much impossible to find his music without buying it. So along with this list, I’ve included links where you can listen to the track, and buy it, too. Here’s some bonus content, Billboard’s list of Prince’s Top 20 hits.
7 (yes, it’s just the number seven, click, then scroll down to the track #15 to listen to it)
In my neighborhood a few days ago I came across a relatively new home that had the roof torn off, and everything inside was scattered about. Utterly destroyed, it was. I could tell a lot of effort went in to building this little home. I know what you’re thinking: it was a tornado, right? No, that’s wrong. It wasn’t a tornado. Nashville’s been having pretty great weather.
The victims weren’t anywhere in sight, although just a few minutes before I came across the destruction a female flew by me as if she were being chased by a monster. As it turns out, she was being chased by two monsters! I was right on two assumptions: 1. She was the homeowner as I’d suspected, and 2. Those monsters were my two sweet docile loving cuddly dogs!
OK, they were not being cuddly at this particular moment. They were being savages, as wild as wolves, howling like sirens. They were in hot pursuit of the female… rabbit! Yes, a rabbit. Despite their best effort, though, they didn’t catch her and once they realized she was out of reach they snooped around and found her home. A rabbit hole. They began to sniff and dig. Dig and sniff. Rabbits make their homes by piling up sticks and leaves and their own fur, and usually do it in plain sight as a way to trick any wild animals that might prey on them.
I entered the story (besides the bunny fly-by) when I caught up to my dogs doing the sniffing and the digging. I saw a bunch of fur an thought, “Did they catch the rabbit??” Then as I got closer, I realized they didn’t, but that they’d found the rabbit’s home.
Fur, debris, and an empty hole. That’s all I saw. I’m going to assume (for my own peace of mind) that the baby bunnies, if any were tucked in there, scurried away safely before the monsters arrived.
Next time, I hope mama bunny doesn’t make her home in the middle of a dog park!
My effort to not take a single day of life for granted… kayaking downtown Nashville this afternoon.
Downtown Nashville across the Cumberland River
Pedestrian Bridge
Heroes on the waterWindow washers hanging beside buildingTurtle on a logDowntown MusicianThe little dot is a drone that flew over meTaking my kayak and going home
It’s been over 10 years since I left Tallahassee, Florida to pursue a burning in my heart that brought me to Tennessee. My delight in video production started way back when I was a little kid but it really grabbed ahold of me in college. Soon after graduating, I had the opportunity to volunteer with a local church youth group and a lot of what I did with them was make videos. Each week I got to know the kids better and realized they were a pretty special group.
Well, in this group was a young girl, I think she was in middle school at the time. She had short, curly, blonde hair. I remember how much she smiled and was friends with a lot of other kids there. She had a spark and you could just see it, that she would be a spark in a lot of people’s lives. I didn’t know how, and I guess no one did at the time. At that age, and even the age of me and my friends who were also volunteering there, it’s hard to know exactly what mark we’ll leave on the world. We were all so young.
A few days ago this girl, now an adult, was killed. The moment I found out moved in slow motion. It’s not like I knew her anymore, but still, it was a total shock. No one ever wants to hear of someone dying way too young. She was 24, the reports say. Her death continues to weigh heavy on me. I can still barely believe it, and don’t want to.
The sad news has reminded me how precious life is. I sit in the back yard, letting the heaviness pin me to my camping chair. I think about all the little concerns I have that, if I knew I was about to die, those concerns would not even be the very last things I’d worry about. They’d be so far off the list. One of my dogs lays about 10 feet in front of me, next to her frisbee. My other dog’s inside, under the sheets napping. My family in Florida is probably at the soccer field, baseball field, or eating lunch, or a few of them jumping on the trampoline, or swimming in a pool. I blink my eyes as my mind goes deeper and deeper into thought about what really matters. My faith. My family. My friends. My neighbors.
Then more thoughts about what I’m doing that’s a waste of time. What I’m doing that I need to keep doing. What’s important? When it’s my time to go, what I’ll be most proud of. Least proud of. What I’ll regret. Will I have been a spark in the lives of those around me; my friends, my family, anyone I work with?
I’ve tried to express the current state of mind I’m in, but maybe this quote I’ve heard before is more appropriate, “When you don’t know what to say, sing.” This song by Greg Holden is what I’m singing along to…
A few days have passed since her death. Clicking over to her Facebook page I’m reading comments on her wall, all confirming the spark she was to so many people. Because of Shannan, I’m not taking today for granted. I’m soaking in the sun and sights of kayaking downtown Nashville, and thinking of Shannan.
Hope you’re still a bright shining spark in Heaven.
Hi there and thanks for stopping by. As it says in the purpose of this blog, I write about a few parts of my life, one being that I’m single. So with that in mind I compiled a list of things I’ve learned in my 30s (and a few from my 20s) while not being married. This might apply to single women as well, but I wouldn’t dare assume anything about “the single woman,” which leads perfectly to the first lesson on the list…
Never assume anything about women.
When the tv show Friends originally aired, it didn’t mean anything to me. Now watching reruns in my 30s, I get it. And I can’t stop laughing.
The woman is always right. And no, I’m not only talking about contra dancing 🙂
There are certain songs that will forever remind you of someone you dated.
Someone in your family will know of the perfect girl for you.
If you try online dating, it might not be as bad as you expect. And yet, it can go horribly wrong sometimes.
Questions about a girl you might ask in your 20s: Is she nice? What’s her faith like? Is she cute? What does she like to do? What’s her favorite kind of music? Does she enjoy the same things I do?
Questions you might ask in your 30s: Is she married? No? It’s on.
I’ve learned how to spot a ring from sniper distances.
It’s perfectly OK going to the movie theater alone and what’s even better, you can see any movie you want.
It’s possible to not know exactly what Pinterest is.
Something you might say in your 20s: “Wow, my co-worker’s 35 and not married yet? Hope that’s not me one day.”
Something you end up saying when you’re single at 35: “35 is the new 25.”
I could’ve married in my early 20s but I’m guessing I would’ve been divorced in my late 20s.
It can be a little scary wondering if the girl I might marry one day is even in the same city as me. Same state? Same country? Has anyone ever actually found a needle in a haystack?
According to a social experience performed by me sometime in 2002, you can wear the same clothes 1 or 2 or 5 days in a row, and no one will say a word about it. (Except for Rosemary, she suspected)
I can cut my hair any way I want, and that’s kinda awesome.
Married folks might read #18 and think, “Ew, gross.” But inside they’re slightly jealous. At least some of the married guys are. Right???
Time by yourself can feel pretty lonely.
Time by yourself can feel pretty incredible.
A song you heard when you were 15 meant nothing to you. Hearing it again at 35, it rips your heart out.
Bathrobes are amazing.
I’m sure there are many more, but I hope you enjoyed reading these 23!
I didn’t expect this news today, but finding out that Prince has passed will most definitely send shockwaves across the world, and fill up Twitter and Facebook for the coming days. I didn’t know much of his music when I was growing up, more of a reflection on me than his music, though. In the last decade or so, I’ve come to love a handful of his songs. Another thing that I kinda LOVE is that it’s pretty much impossible to find his music without buying it. So along with this list, I’ve included links where you can listen to the track, and buy it, too. Here’s some bonus content, Billboard’s list of Prince’s Top 20 hits.
Out of the Wilderness 