I always look for heroes to admire.

Helen Keller, and those who cared for Helen, especially Anne Sullivan are people worthy of admiration.

Helen Keller was not born blind and deaf; it was not until she was 19 months old that she contracted an illness which left her deaf and blind.

I read this quote from Helen Keller and felt inspired.

I want to say to those who are trying to learn to speak and those who are teaching them: Be of good cheer.

Do not think of today’s failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow.

What do you do when you have one agenda, and someone else has another, but you’re supposed to be “on the same page”?

Your parent may be right.
Your parent may be wrong.
Your teen may be realistic.
Your teen may be deluded.

One principle helps me make sense of other people — even very smart people — who make stupid choices.

The principle: Most people do what they believe makes sense.

This weekend teens  will:
– Lie to their parents about where they are going
– Lie to their parents about what they will be doing
– Lie to their parents about where they will spend the night
– Lie to their parents about who they will be with

This weekend at Anika’s baby dedication we shared parenting advice with the new parents Angi & Aaron.

My wife Amy said, “If you screw up, fess up.” 

She elaborated, “when you make mistakes admit them.”

Unfortunately, Amy learned that lesson from my…umm…from me.

You see, I’ve had to fess up a lot.

When I Mismanage My Life I Neglect My Highest Priorities

When I have mismanaged my life it’s my wife and God who get cheated. Sadly, I take for granted those who love me the most. I haven’t rejected my faith in God, I’ve just gotten so busy that I have not included God in my thoughts, feelings and plans as often as I would prefer.

This weekend with a flurry of activity, a wonderful conversation-filled open house, and, as my friend Julia remarked, “the social media Birthday bandwagon”, I turned fifty.

Then, yesterday I became godfather to cute little Anika.   

It was a busy, but great weekend.

Today, I’m fifty years and two days old.

The celebrations are over, now what am I going to do with the rest of my days?

What Now?

Even as I typed that I have tears in my eyes.

Sometimes I feel like a failure.

Whether it’s feeling overwhelmed, “I don’t have enough money”, “there’s not enough time”, or just being lazy, a fear of failure or the fear of success, or the classic “I’ll get to it later”, sometimes things just don’t get done.

What else can go wrong?

So many things, including:
– Unexpected car repairs: ~$600
– Two computers that stopped working
– Late for work
– Misplaced paperwork
And, that’s just in the last three days

How Can We Fight Back?

Here’s a formula I’m using:

This week on mysilentscream is not just about How To Make Your School Year Easier, it’s how to make your life more enjoyable.

For instance,
– My office is covered with post-summer, unsorted remains that need to get put away.
– My study is still a mess, and I’m married to a great professional declutterer!! (It’s NOT her fault!)
– My book — Beyond Whatever — is well-past due for my self-imposed deadline.

But, I know that I’m not the only one who procrastinates out there.

This week is Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game.  One of the pre-game celebrations is the Home Run Derby.

The MLB Twitter-feed was filled with anticipation.

“Will @theCUTCH22 be McCrushin’? How many Trumbombs for @Mtrumbo44? Can Prince or Cano win ?#HRDerby? again?“

Here’s my interpretation:

Will (the Pittsburgh Pirates’) Andrew McCutchen win? How many home runs do you think (Anaheim Angels’) Mark Trumbo will hit? Do you think former Home Run Derby champions (Detroit Tigers’) Prince Fielder and (NY Yankees’) Robinson Cano win the Home Run Derby this year?

Last Year

I love baseball.  Love it!  In fact, I am watching the Ken Burns Baseball series right now.

I have loved baseball since I was seven years old.  I love baseball, and my love includes a sentimental affection.  I even know one of the players I found in the very first pack of baseball cards I ever bought. 1

Scott, the Baseball Player

My parents, and especially my dad, supported my desire to play baseball.  I played a couple of positions, but I primarily played catcher.

 While driving through the mountains of Colorado more than once I felt afraid.  While there are times when fear is unwarranted, trying to drive along a road, without guardrails, with blind curves which with almost 180-degree turns, I felt the discomfort — my fear — was justified.

Some fears are justified, some not.  Sometimes we’re blinded by fear. 1

Blinded By Fear

Robert McGee has identified nine reactions — what I’m calling blind spots — people have when encumbered by a fear of failure. 

Yesterday I identified the first four reactions, here are the other five:

As the NCAA Basketball Tournament continues I think back to the only basketball tournament I even played in.  For some reason the adult league in which I played allowed most if not all teams to play in the end of the year tournament.  Injuries, absences and poor play contributed to our team’s terrible record, but during the tournament all the pieces came together and we nearly won.

I love playing defense, and then, and now, I played with determination and success.
On the other hand, I dreaded every time I had an open shot.