Relentlessly pursuing what connects us.
One person, one moment at a time.

Category: Observations

The ongoing pursuit. Observations, reflections, and moments worth paying attention to. Written when something is worth saying.

Cinderella Moment, Important Bucket and Change in
(Composed; 2017-Dec-10 )
Damn? I have no clue where to start. Where am I? Where have I been? At the moment I’m on a KLM flight from Helsinki to Amsterdam. I can finally manage to say, we have been to HELsinki. Passing through the aisle at the moment, the young female KLM flight attendant. I extended a genuine thank you and shared how her smile is nothing but infectious and she is beautiful. Of course, only made her smile more.
A genuine compliment can go so far, a smile lasts, laughter can make things lighter in almost any situation. Wondering earth, exploring one take off at a time, isn’t it about creating a human connection to the world around us, not foregoing the opportunities to; connect, make an impact, even if small? I believe that it is not we should, rather we must, leverage each and every opportunity to do just that.
Why haven’t I posted in a while, or over a year? I realize that I sacrificed my time to collect my thoughts for other things in life, reflecting back, some trivial in nature, others just a full distraction to what is in my ‘important bucket‘. Tasks for the HOA board, neighbors, and some work activities. I never stopped yearning to express my ramblings, even if zero people ever read these words. Accepting I had no time to read a book, yet a clear opportunity for mindful growth before me in a list of novels; placing so many other things in life before those of importance to me when shouldn’t I do something that expands my mind? Reward my efforts, help me find calm, learn myself better and share along the way?
What has been going on in the past year. Travel has been a blessing, venturing into so many places around the globe. Connecting to people along the journeys, glued to the window like a child for each take off, the twinkle of stars in the darkness of night crossing the ocean, and that single moment where the jet touches down on the runway. Realizing, I’ve arrived. My weekend, a trip for 36 hours to Helsinki, exhausting, but wouldn’t change the trajectory. See as much, learn as much, share when I can. Sharing, I have transitioned my thoughts to what content I post on Instagram (Instagram: the.humanelement) . Compared to the monotony of Facebook. Scrolling through photos on Instagram, seeing the world, emotion, creating, rather yet, evoking feeling from others shared moments. Avoiding the endless selfie people, striking a pose, gym bunnies, torsos, the same pose, oversharing and using the platform to live life through likes. Moving away from Facebook has provided an opportunity to opt out of most of the political swirl, hurtful words, misunderstanding of reality and lack of depth which continues to grow within humanity around us. People accept word as truth, gospel, when all too often, it’s false. Easier to accept versus validate.
Giving thought to moments, all too often people spend seconds trying to create the illusion of a moment in a photo, whereas the photo should be capturing only but a second of the moment. One could say sharing the photos of my travels is an some way a means to make others jealous, conversely, so many appreciate seeing the adventure, understanding the focus on connection in the captions of recent. Asking, answering, why did I capture the photo? What was the second in that moment.
Change… the thought to my ramblings continues to reinforce my focus, The Human Element ( Post: A journey to define The Human Element (THE) ) Why? When I reflect on a journey, the greatest moments in life, good or sad, they all are underpinned by The Human Element. In life, we have a choice of which side of the bed to get up from. We have a choice in our career path, too often people share excuses of why they can’t change their own course. Key word, their course, no one can change it, not a right, rather a series of choices. Choices; my sister shared words of wisdom on a journey home. We are all three choices away from being homeless. Give thought to that? A small choice, a big choice. Should a choice limit consideration to exploring a different path? Should we avoid change in our lives which for so many have been entrenched in repetitive routines, bringing us minimal feeling of contribution and satisfaction, the mere drive for us to get out of bed? Should it make us feel in that small moment, I didn’t make it to the gym and feel guilty, I enjoyed time with friends over laundry – choices.
Change, living, humanity, what is around us? Do we even see what is around us? What we have? What we need versus what we feel we need? Nick looked over at me a few minutes ago with concern during our take off from Helsinki. Why was I staring out the window? Why did I have tears in my eyes? Watching us accelerate along the runway, passing the lights below, the moment of rotation and our journey takes towards the sky. Two things, when we take flight we are closer to those in heaven, second, our life is like a takeoff, the plane needs the runway, has to accelerate, and the pilot has to make a decision to rotate. It requires a commitment. I am so fortunate to have explored the world one take off at a time. Candidly, my childhood was not easy, I made tough trade offs in life, my father played the role of two parents balancing out four children. Why tears? As a child, I never would have imagined I would be looking out the window in darkness, returning home from another trip to Europe this year with Nicholas by my side.
I’ve been fortunate through means I often cannot comprehend. Over the past few months I connected to a person that relocated to the “ATL” from SF. Those coming from west coast or north east, yes… ‘the’ is required. While I have only been in this persons presence once in person, we manage to check-in throughout the week via text. At times, it allows me to check out, re-calibrate and reset. Over the short time, I have felt a genuine connection to someone that faced similar life obstacles and recognizes it’s the choices we make that can allow a different outcome, versus the outcome dictated by the cards that we use as an excuse, “being dealt”. I ask questions on leadership, philosophy on life, balancing, family, coping, celebrating; one takeaway – pick one thing that gives you personal satisfaction and pursue it. Thus, this post at 8am. Cliche, we say don’t judge someone by their shoes unless you have walked in them. For this individual, don’t judge someone by their shoes they wear today for you most likely cannot fathom the sacrifices they have made not only for themselves but others in their ‘important bucket‘. Cinderella went to the ball with a glass slipper, a shoe of envy, the audience around her showed no compassion prior to the ball, nor would they at 12 once she reverted back. She took a chance, she had, was has become, a Cinderella moment. For a few moments her life was surreal. Do people realize when they have one? Does it have to be of great magnitude?
Illustration of an original glass slipper design fit for capturing a prince
No, a simple connection to those around us, that can be a Cinderella moment not for me, rather for others. A true moment is genuine with no expectation of personal gain. You could say the satisfaction one gets is personal gain, perhaps, but as long as we continue to seek out ways to make one person’s day better, one moment better, one second better, the tide will reflect well on us, it always comes back ten fold.
The Dalai Lama has an incredible philosophy on when we wake up. ( Post: How One Restless Night Changed My Life )
Put the effort into making the world a little better, I assure you, it can be the most empowering feeling, calm, and connection.
Be humble, be grateful, be true to you.
– Douglas
Photo: Zurich, 2017-11-26

December 13, 2017
The Magnitude Factor of 49, The Math – Orlando
First thing this morning Nick began updating me on the Orlando news before getting out of bed. Thinking to myself, the counts have to be wrong, and once it’s confirmed it won’t be that bad. Departing the city and the connection online to kayak was a blessing.
The Magnitude Factor of 49 (excluding shooter), victims that lost their life in Orlando early this morning. I believe those that lost are souls we lost, not simply victims.
49 – People confirmed as of 18:53.
77.9 – Average Life Expectancy in the US
30 – Average Age of the Victims (Rough Guess)
47.9 – Years cut short by each soul lost in Orlando
2,347 – Years of life lost by the 49 souls
857,290 – Days of life lost by the 49 souls
20,574,948 – Hours of life lost by the 49 souls
1,234,496,880 – Minutes of life lost by the 49 souls
74,069,812,800 – Seconds of life lost by the 49 souls
To put this in perspective for the 49 souls:
2,347 Birthday’s missed out
37,034,906,400 Breaths of air
98,759,750,400 Heart Beats Missed
Catching up after kayaking I clicked on the initial list of those identified as souls lost. I was perplexed, why did the first person, Edward Sotomayor look vaguely familiar.

Scrolling through his wall I could see the pivotal change in posts from a video 23 minutes before the shooting a friend shared seeking his status to sharing of his loss of life. The still of the video below, probably one of the last moments of his life captured but of happiness.

I’m not going to say he was an in person friend, rather just an online friend that belonged to an online frequent flyer group (DDMF) that I once belonged to. Edward was 34 years old, loved to travel, fellow Diamond Medallion, loved seeing world, and those attributes hit home, hard to my heart. I believe in God Moments, and his actions to have me to explore a name, a list, and of course, feel the warmth of the sun as I type this.
Love will conquer all, let’s not dwell on the loss but on the love that these souls gave to the world and celebrate 2,347 birthdays lost by living life to the fullest, loving those around us and chasing our dreams.
The below post was shared on his wall, isn’t it all about love in the end? For the first time in 15 years I wish I could put up a rainbow flag but living in the south, I know just how poorly that situation could go. May Edward Sotomayor rest in peace, may the photos below remind us of love, may we relate to how being gay, straight, pink, purple, we are all like one another. How if we spent less time focusing on our differences and that of what we have in common, the world would be a better place.
June 12, 2016
Farewell to my best buddy, my shadow, Jasmine the Beagle
I have been struggling over the past 10 days on coming to terms with the passing of my best friend, Jasmine the beagle. I felt it fitting to share the story of Jasmine in my life, how she chose me, and her final few minutes with me last Monday.
In early November 2006, Victor and I were casually walking along Mag Mile. We entered the shopping center to visit Nordstrom, along the path we ran into a baby beagle rescue available for adoption. The scent of the puppy, nibbling on my fingers, my heart melted before this dog. My rationale brain of the heavy travel kicked in but Victor was so passionate on how we could make a dog in our lives work. We made each other a deal, if we finish our errands and the pup was available, we would adopt him. Upon the return, they were packing up but he had not been adopted and would be available the next day at another shopping center. It was meant to be, the next morning we called and he had been adopted.
Out of intrigue, I clicked through the puppy profiles for the Chicago Animal Rescue, filtering out by beagle, down to three full bred, and two mixes. Off to the shelter we went knowing it would be gut wrenching to see so many puppies available wanting to be loved on.
Walking through the shelter, the first dog was a female beagle, the fine print “doesn’t get along with males”, that explained the growling. Next dog up, a beagle russell mix, adorable, until it began to jump 3 feet high, scratch at the crate, nope, not a fit. Next dog, a 6 year old beagle that was noted “needing to lose a little weight before the summer season comes upon her”. Opening the crate, this gentle dog walked out, sat down and licked my hand. We instantly thought this could be the one. Last dog up, I don’t remember as dog #3 won our hearts.
2006 – Jasmine at Chicago shelter, ready for adoption.
The shelter has an outdoor area where you can walk with the dog, bond, see if a fit. This 6 year old beagle was house trained, knew how to sit, heal, and she stayed within 2 feet of my side. We sat down on the bench where she sat beside us, we felt whole. We finished the paperwork and purchased all the needed dog supplies for this new addition to our home. This beagle had been in the shelter for three months after the original owners opted for a pet restricted high end apartment over their pup of 6 years. She was scheduled to be transferred to a kill shelter in the upcoming week. Jasmine picked us.
We opened the door to our flat in Chicago, she explored every inch and quickly realized it was her home. Having heard beagles are extremely loyal and demonstrate separation anxiety we crated her the first night. Our lack of sleep the first few hours allowed us to rethink that strategy. We moved Jasmine to her bed in the master bedroom where she quickly fell asleep, we chuckled to realize how loudly she snored. Since that first night Jasmine slept within a few feet of me when not traveling. The sound of her snoring was soothing, something I still have a hard time not hearing in the still of the night.
One early morning while being let out to the back of our flat in Chicago a neighbors pit bull dog quickly latched on to Jasmine’s neck. I heard her yelping, Victor fighting the dog to get the jaw to release. I ran downstairs, a very severe wound in her neck. I carried her upstairs, her licking my hand to tell me she was okay, always such a strong pup. My neighbor felt horrible, how was she to know this would happen. Jasmine was on crate rest for several months.
Over the ten years we experienced several times where we thought we were going to lose her. Luckily we found alternative medicine, acupuncture and laser therapy helped to reduce the lingering damage done on her discs from her attack in Chicago. If a cat has 9 lives, Jasmine had 10. Though my dad quickly sad when we adopted, she will probably only live until she is 9. In October 2014 Jasmine went into the backyard, did her nervous pant and laid down in the grass and grew slightly unresponsive. Recognizing it could be her neck pain flaring up, on this cool fall morning I surrounded her with toys, blankets and laid next to her for several hours. Jasmine visited Dr. Hayley Grove at Trusted Friend who opted to deviate from the normal steroids and put Jasmine on less evasive medication that would not impact her liver and restart laser therapy. Within a week Jasmine began to return to her normal self, tail wagging constantly.
2014 – Jasmine laying in the grass while I feared losing her.

Jasmine brought joy to my life everyday. She never growled, snapped and always was a good sport whether it be how she let Victor dress her as a lady bug for Halloween or her velcro shoes she grew to appreciate during the snowy days in Chicago. Of course, the highlight of her life was time in the car, window down even in freezing temps. Nick grew incredibly fond of “Miss J” over the past 3 years. Often he would speak third person about Jasmine and her wanting to go for a quick ride around the block. When Nick traded in “Old Blue” he was devastated to see that the seats in his new car were not high enough for her to rest her head out the window. A pursuit for a pillow commenced, she grew to love every second in Griswold.
Jasmine Enjoying a cool fall car ride in Atlanta

I dropped Jasmine off of Trusted Friend Vet Clinic on Thursday (4/21) just 1.5 weeks since her annual check up and teeth cleaning at Banfield (PetSmart). After returning from our weekend in San Diego, I went to pick her up on Monday (4/25). I settled my boarding bill and they gave her bag of treats, stuffed animals, blankets and food bowls. In minutes the vet returned asking if she could do an ultrasound on Jasmine as something wasn’t right and her health drastically changed. I was allowed to be with my baby girl, Jasmine. She was doing her nervous pant, gums lost color and her tongue almost the color of turkey. Something indeed was wrong with best buddy Jasmine. The ultra sounded indicated internal fluids in her abdomen which prompted an x-ray. Sadly, the results revealed a tumor in her stomach the size of a small bowling ball that most likely put pressure on her organs and was causing internal bleeding. I was faced with a tough decision, Jasmine needed immediate surgery that would have a 50/50 chance. With no cell signal in the building I tried Nick but he was in meetings, luckily Karen answered. I wept, thinking of the reality of losing my best buddy, my shadow, who was her normal self just minutes prior.
Jasmine was put on oxygen and resting on her side. I made the tough to decision for the vet to prepare Jasmine to go to heaven. Unfortunately her blood pressure had dropped that they could not locate a vein and she looked adorable with four legs shaved, luckily one leg became a viable option. Dr Hayley Grove stroked Jasmine’s head telling her that she was a good girl, showing such compassion for my best friend. I crouched down low, kissing her forehead, rubbing her side, and stroking those soft beagle ears. I knew in my mind surgery wasn’t an option for my buddy, and she would decide her own fate.
Nick arrived at the vet and froze as he saw Jasmine lying on the table with an oxygen mask. Nick came up to her side and wept, telling her how much she meant to him, how she changed him, and how he adored her. Within minutes of Nick arrival Jasmine made a whimper and groan, she began to pass on her own. We took her off oxygen and Dr. Grove provided us an exam room. She delicately explained the process of when a pet passes; her gasps of breath further apart, heart slowing. Dr. Grove brought in Jasmine’s blanket to place on my lap allowing me to hold her tight against my chest. Jasmine gave one final gasp for air, her heart slowed and she passed away in my arms, her heart close to mine. My dear friend Karen immediately left work, arrived and spent time with J, Nick and I. This turn for the worst was so unexpected. Dr. Grove explained options post passing, it was so tough to place my best friend in her arms. Jasmine fell ill within 3 minutes of me arriving to pick her up, died 3 minutes after Nicks arrival, all of this happening in just 45 minutes.
April 25-2016 – Final farewell to Jasmine

Karen, Nick and I shared a round of drinks at the pub. We laughed about goofy memories of Jasmine and Tink and other random things we had grown so accustomed to. The finality of Jasmine’s passing hit me when I returned to my car to see in the rear view mirror the seat cover without her. Below is a photo when I dropped off Jasmine on 4/21 and the gut wrenching day when I had to head home without my buddy on 4/25.

4/21/2016 – Jasmine on her way to boarding

4/25/2016 – Leaving Trusted Friend without my best Friend – Jasmine

It has been an incredibly tough 10 days. I found myself placing food in her bowl in the mornings and calling for her to come downstairs to go outside. On returning from work, I often found myself unable to walk in the door as I felt the house was no longer whole. I take peace in knowing that Jasmine chose to wait for Nick and I to arrive, and left this world on her own. In texting Victor we both have so many funny memories and shared photos with us both feeling the gap in our hearts.
Jasmine was cremated on Wednesday and today I picked up her ashes from Paws, Whiskers & Wags. I cannot say how kind they have been to ensure that everything is taken care of right, the first time. In calling Trusted Friend to settle my bill, they insisted I not worry about the bill for now as I was going through a tough time and part of their family. A card from Trusted Friend arrived on Thursday full of heartfelt sentiments from their team, and some incredible words from Dr. Grove that allowed us to put our minds at ease of should we or could we have done something different.

Nick lost his dog Bailey several years ago, last night he confessed that losing Jasmine was harder then losing his own dog and his grandparents. More so, that he loved Jasmine over any other dog in his life. He has taken the lost of Jasmine hard, each day he finds himself thinking of the funny habits of Jasmine that we absolutely loved. When we went to the zoo in San Diego we would identify which animal in the exhibit would be Jasmine based on it’s actions.
Just a few things I will miss…
- Body slamming against my feet under the dinner table
- Raising my voice to “Jasmine get out of the kitchen” for her to appear on the opposite side of the kitchen
- The scratch at the back door when she was done outside
- Whimpering at night, me following her to find she sits at the door of the pantry for a treat
- Her pointing on command, this had Nick on Day 1 when she picked the habit up and he could never say no
- Car Rides and Plane Rides, she always did so well in both
- Her snoring and not wanting to get out of bed on my early gym days
- Standing in the backyard with the rays of light from the sunset on her face
- Frog legging, frog legging, frog legging…
- Frito feet, toughest for Nick right now
- Her laying in Aunt Karen’s backyard enjoying the warmth of the sun
- Hiding in my closet whenever I put my shoes on
- Secretly sleeping on the couch to try so hard to slide off when I would come home early
- Work From Home days, they were her favorite, she would be within 4 feet of me all day long
- Walking downstairs in the morning, she would hear “get in your crate”, use her paw and open the door of her crate, turn and sit
- Making her howl by her neck resting on my vocal cords as I would howl
- Snapping photos or videos of her
- Face timing when overseas and she hearing my voice, head turning
- Laying upside down by the fireplace, tail wagging
- All of her nicknames, Tech-tard, Dumb Dog, J-Dogs, Jazzy, Jasminia, Piglet 2, Baby Girl, The Boodle and countless others
- Her ability to come close to me when I would be shedding tears and assure me everything would be alright.
We adopt dogs knowing we will most likely out live them and have to deal with them departing. Jasmine was part of my life, but to Jasmine, I was her life.
Her bed and a bowl of water are the last items of Jasmine in the home. Eventually this bed will welcome another pup, but for now I can’t imagine any other pup then my Jasmine.
The bed with Jasmine Missing

Jasmine returned home today, a memory box being built for her. She resting in a tin next to Cooper (ceramic beagle we found along the street one night), a sign Lo made while dog watching and the fireplace that she loved.
5/3/2016 – Paw imprint of Jasmine
05/04/2016 – Jasmine Resting Back Home with Cooper

While nothing could have saved her the comprehensive exams completed by Banfield clearly leave room for improvement. After spending $500 on the annual dental cleaning and comprehensive exam, receiving a 3 year supply of medication, upon cancelling her wellness plan I had to pay the remaining commitment due for services completed 10 days prior. I will never use the Banfield Optimal pet plan again, nor recommend to anyone.

Post dental cleaning, tuckered out

April 2016 – Not wanting me to pack for San Diego

April 2016 – Happy as can be

Little dizzy after the teeth cleaning

The joys of the car ride

Puppy sun dial

Jasmine napping

Helping with laundry

Cousin Tink at Karens getting bathed

Car Rides

Enjoying Aunt Karen’s

My buddy and I in Chicago

The protest of me packing luggage to travel

Frog legging

Christmas Time

When it’s too sunny, just hide

Chicago days

Point

McD’s Ice Cream

Pointing to the carrots in the fridge

Never happy I’m going to work

The trooper on spin cycle

Chicago dog beach

Always looking outside

Always Happy

Chicago Dog Beach

Best gift

At Aunt Karen’s, digging through the trash, gnocchi and flour, too funny to scold

Road Trip to CHO

Asheville

Brooklyn and J

Tink and J

Christmas in CHO

Of course sneaking in time on the couch

One of her dads favorite photos, Jasmine at the top of the stairs

J riding in the Mini Cooper to her Dad’s

Buried under her pillow by the fire

Always happy, always an eye on us

Jasmine with her dad, Victor, good memories

J and Piper in November 2015
May 4, 2016
A craving for empanadas & beer that helped to make my life whole
Struggling to see my monitor with the vibrant light of the sun blinding me as it begins to set over the rooftops. I hit mental roadblocks in adding to this blog when too many topics cross my mind; Life, learnings, friendship, quotes, love, sadness and my journey exploring the Human Element.
A rollercoaster of a Sunday, two friends added rich context to the fragile nature of life, and in response to the warp speed of life my adopted mom said “Yes it does. Never realized it when I was 36”. The “milestones” we pass; birth, graduation, first job, engagement, marriage, children, divorce, retirement, grandkids, death of spouse, and the inevitable departure from this beautiful earth. I gave thought to my feelings of retirement for the loved ones in my life that will enter it many years before me. No doubt a well deserved milestone but a celebration for those people in which will be painful in my heart.
I remember my father as a child. My dad knew every answer, why is the sky blue, when will the light change, why do planes fly, but the toughest question of all, why did mom take her life. Since the young age of 13 I can never forget that overwhelming feeling of loss, the void and accepting that we all are here for such a limited time. My father was strong, he could pick us up, he was loving, he would rock all four of his kids to sleep every night, place our bowls out in the morning, and after mom died, never missed a beat. Dad got married, retired, and it seems he has aged double the time span since that day. The comfort of an airplane seat may outweigh the willingness to take an adventure to new places.
I thought about my adopted mom, Kathy, didn’t know I was adopted did you? Kathy, a Delta flight attendant, adopted me when I was 35 on May 1st (Jet Drag). After arriving from Europe, she caught up with me at the Renaissance Atlanta Airport. While we sat, a club of retired flight attendants gathered in the restaurant. Casual conversation with one of the members had me standing before them to share the journey. Kathy stood behind the group, hands clasped, navy blue dress, smiling, radiating a sense of pride as I shared the accomplishment achieved over the past 23 days. The guests all generously donated and signed the banner, Kathy stood with that smile. Later that evening, she texted me how proud she was of me, and that she while she could not be my mom, she would be happy to be my adopted mom.
On my birthday last year, she made dinner at my house after spending much of the earlier part of the day preparing. She checks in with me if it’s been a day or two. She encourages me to write, listen to others, captures stories and cherishes my ability to connect with people. Conversation over breakfast is always the best, and if my mother was alive today, I think that it would feel like this.
People deserve the rewards of retirement, Kathy celebrated 47 years with Delta on November 26th. Sitting here, choked up, I can’t imagine this incredibly special, beautiful spirited person not in the skies overhead. When I fly with her, I feel like I am home. Though, if anyone in this world deserves a break, it’s her. She gives all she can to her family, friends, peers and customers while asking for little or nothing in return. While she isn’t retiring soon, the day will come, I will look forward to our journeys ahead in the skies and the path of life.
I sat down thinking that I would be writing about a post from August 2013 Trust me, on the Sunscreen; Does History Repeat Itself? 24Aug2013 . Here I sit 584 words in on a completely different thought process, tears, but feeling special to think about how very special I am to have Kathy in my life.
On January 29th, 2015, with a craving for empanadas and beer, I boarded a flight to Buenos Aires from Atlanta. I met a flight attendant aboard named Kathy. On May 1st, she became my adopted mom. Thank you and love you.
Be humble, be grateful, be true to you.

Downtown Barcelona to the airport

Buenos Aires

Stone Mountain

Atlanta to Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires to Atlanta, Jan 2015

Dinner an Argentina on 1/30/2015
(Featured Photo: Arrival into Buenos Aires, 30-Jan-2015)
March 7, 2016
An Apology to the Sun, God Moments, Day In The Life
The long haul flight boredom helped me discover the sitcom Jane the Virgin. For those who have not watched the series, the name may perplex you. The show about a mistake impregnating has light humor and enjoyable moments when Jane’s imagination takes over.
A snippet of a short sponsored by Wells Fargo aired on TV which I curiously went online to see the complete version. Wells Fargo? This is an ad campaign with Wells Fargo sewn throughout but, I was wrong.
For those on my Facebook, I have highlighted my heightened focus on my core, body, mind and heart. This has included dramatic changes in diet, exercise, removal of stressors and meditation.
The short captures A Day In The Life of the actor, Justin Baldoni who plays Rafael Solano. I watched the short, clicked replay, again, texted over to Nick. Four minutes and four seconds encapsulated the level of importance of the commitment to myself, actions over words, disconnect to connect, kind to others and we all can learn a little something from the sun.
Watch the short now available on youtube.
(The Narration)
Time, What is it? Who invented it?
There are Somethings in this world that you will never find the answer to, things you have to be okay with not knowing. But it’s those unknowable things that makes life so rich, so fulfilling, so scary. Life can be scary, and dark. but What is darkness except for the absence of light.
Good, the world is filled with it, love, the world is made with it.
Just look at the sun, the sun rises each day with one purpose, to simply give, give, everything beautiful comes from that word if we choose it. What if the sun chose to be too tired to wake up. What if it said, no it’s too much trouble, I think i’ll go back to sleep.
Sometimes I wonder if the sun could talk to us, what would it say. I think it would say, Love me so I can love thee. If I had the chance to talk back to the sun, I would say this, Dear sun, I am sorry for falling short, for not lighting up the world each and everyday like I know I was meant to. But from what know about the sun, it doesn’t need to know I am sorry it just needs to see it. And if the only thing it needs from me is love, then I have to show it not through my words, but through my actions.
So when you think you are too tired to light up the world, when you think darkness has surrounded you, when you are growing so much it hurts, just stop, breath and remember the sun and it’s selflessness, because my dear sweet Maya. Where there is love nothing is too much trouble, and there is always time.
I began this post this morning as the sun began to rise, the light on the mantle fragmented through the blinds. The timing could only have been a calling to what was already on my mind. I retreated to the balcony to enjoy the warmth of the sun after the many cold days of winter. Jasmine was elated to spend the morning being the beagle sun dial.
The sun, what about the sun? In all of its glory brings us life everyday. The day has baffled me, full of reminders of the sun, glancing through IG seeing photos of friends enjoying a breathtaking sunrise, sunset on a bay and the vibrant sun from 30,000 feet up. The warmth of the sun on our skin, the glimmer of sun through the woods, reflection in a stream and sometimes blinding in the morning. Those moments where I am speechless, I call them God Moments.
Memories are full of light, so many with light from the sun above. The cloudiest days have a silver lining from the magnificence of the sun. The sun allows the moon to illuminate the darkest of nights. Tomorrow I will enjoy the sunrise over the lake at Concourse while working out. I will give thought to the glory of the sun, it’s magic, its warmth, how it symbolizes new beginnings when it rises and closing of chapters as it sets each and every day. The days are getting longer, allowing all of us an opportunity to build moments in the beauty of the world around us.
Where there is love nothing is too much trouble, and there is always time.
Have a wonderful week, Be humble, be grateful, be true to you,
Douglas
February 28, 2016
The perfect piece of art, a song, and a napkin
Over the weekend Nick and I stumbled upon Sugarboo & Co at Town Brookhaven. I entered the store and froze, gazing at a piece of art while a song (Spotify: Heartbeats; Jose Gonzalez ) hit my heart giving me a sense of calm. A minute… or two passed, unaware of the price I grabbed the art and gave it to the employee to purchase it. This store has incredible things, all unique, many intricate things that you cannot find anywhere else.
This new addition to the house needed to be in the heart of the home. In a location where the simplistic words would remind me often. Typing this on the couch, Jasmine asleep by the fire, classical music playing and the shelves illuminating the fleet.
Such similarities the words have to my guiding principle that I briefly talked bout in Post: Undercover Boss, Clergy and a Californian #HumanElement #TuesdayTakeaway .
The you, your and your resonated with me, “CHANGE YOUR WORLD” . Exploring every inch of the store, afraid to miss a thing, I randomly pick out a folded linen to read.
My sister passed along many pearls of wisdom while we traveled on vacation in Europe. On our flight home from Paris we both became a bit emotional thinking of Parker’s passing at the very young age of 15. Her wisdom, we have 86,400 seconds in a day to live, live each and every second for all we have now. I thought about, if our heart beats 60 times per minute, our heart beats 86,400 a day, that’s 86,400 opportunities to be thankful we are alive and make a difference. It’s not about money, possessions, it’s about being kind to one another and believing in the Human Element. Post: A journey to define the Human Element (THE)
The Song playing in the store – Heartbeats, Jose Gonzalez.

Have a wonderful week, Be humble, be grateful, be true to you.
Douglas
February 22, 2016
Undercover Boss, Clergy and a Californian
My adventure to Europe with my sister is coming to an end, posting this from Delta 170, CDG-MSP. Heidi with Delta has been top notch, a great trip back to the US. Trump, that’s the Apprentice… am I the Undercover Boss… say what? Over the past week I had three interactions which made me reflect on my journey in life and give thought to pivotal moments that changed me. A quick search through my site, I found a post from July 2, 2011, Helping out a Stranger in the Armed Forces, Reflecting Back on my Day where I first openly shared my goal in life in quote I discovered in 2009.
Each day when I awake I know I have one more day to make a difference in someone’s life.
James Mann
Author
Time to circle back to this trip. My trip began with an overnight stay at the Holiday Inn Express SF Airport North. In the morning I met the breakfast attendant, an elderly woman named Jackie. In lieu of dashing to the airport to wait for my sister’s arrival I wanted to get to know Jackie.
In sitting down, I thanked Jackie by name which she was perplexed, “you are the second person to do that today”. Jackie joined the hotel 12 years ago under a different brand but is a fan of the brand, and an ambassador. Jackie works two mornings shifts a week to allow her lunch money the other days . The more we talked, the more she was intrigued, who was this stranger listening to her. What appreciation I had for Jackie’s walk of life when she posed an interesting question.
“Have you heard of Undercover Boss, are you from that?” I frequently watch the show, more enlightening at it’s series start, I was stumped by the question. “You used my name, asked me about working here, not many people care that much, I am thinking to myself, you must be Undercover Boss”. A chuckle in my response, I confirmed I was not connected to the show, but was also an employee of IHG. I shared how much I appreciated her, a genuine thank you, and she wished me a wonderful day.
Now that we are leaving reality TV behind us, let’s join the clergy? Barbara was the flight leader on our Delta flight to Atlanta from San Francisco. In passing through the galley, Barbara asked if I was a member of the clergy. Clergy? Perplexed, had alcohol, traveling with my sister, unsure why she would think that. We talked for a bit, she explained she thought I was potentially in the church because I expressed a genuine interest in her, appreciated her, used her name and engaged with her directly. In passing, my sister explained that I was in the hospitality industry which for Barbara, that explained it.
Now that we have walked away from Undercover Boss, opted to not pursue the clergy, let’s revisit California. A young french mother of two young kids was boarding the Eurostar to Paris. The steps were high, the bags were big, and her hands were full. I retrieved her bags from the platform and stowed them away. I brought her other items to her seat. as full, another rider of 3 had luggage, two young kids, and in need of settling. I thought nothing the more of it, mid travel she pardoned to interrupt us with a question, “Are you from California?”
This being my third moment of inspiration in just the first 3 days, she explained, “I was in California last year, the people were so nice, you were so helpful, you must be from California. People in Europe don’t do that for others”. My sister and I briefly talked about chivalry and the world we are in. While being originally from California I don’t believe that’s the connection.
It all comes back to – The Human Element. Read: A Journey to define The Human Element (THE) . Jackie, Barbara or the young french mother cost me nothing and made me richer in life.
Each day YOU have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of other, if you miss that moment, it may not come around again. Pay it forward, use peoples name and never assume peoples walks of life, never discount them and appreciate everyone you come in contact with.
February 16, 2016
The frail Dove takes flight and how we can live to Infinity
What the hell do I write about? I wish I could yell at the top of my lungs, give out hugs, call my family, say I love you to everyone. My heart has ached all day,how I feel tonight in my heart. On May 15th, I wrote about Jane Mitchell and her daughter Gretchen – Blog Post : An unsung hero, daughter battling cancer, will you dance?
At 12:26 am Gretchen’s soul took flight to the heavens above, leaving behind her husband, two baby girls, and her mother Jane. From the time it took me to write that sentence, I have stared at my laptop, from 46% to 5% still can’t articulate.
I recall our many phone calls, the most gripping before today was when Jane texted me that Gretchen was ill again, I had to pull over as I became numb while driving home, staring aimlessly at my surroundings. Thinking of that moment still brings me to tears as I type this. I began to type, Jane was… but Jane IS strong, optimistic, loving, and persistent. Jane held tight until the end that Gretchen would be okay even as optimism began to fade, I can still hear her southern charm accent talking about her baby’s girls.
The news today brought back heart tendering moments in my life of the crushing feeling that loss brings. My mom took flight in 1993 when I was 13, I have tried to overcome my fear of abandonment and rejection but it’s a battle each day. My close friends understand how I look forward to things, the opportunities to build memories and when they end I solemnly reflect, even on the happiest of occasions, a vacation, Jet Drag, or company flying back home to Chicago. Everything ends, but it’s the journey we take that makes all the difference.
My Tuesday Takeaway, our time on earth is finite yet everyday we must take advantage of every opportunity to make a positive lasting imprint on the world around us. For then our lives become infinite.
While Gretchen is no longer with us this evening, she soars above us free of pain and suffering. Part of Jane died today, I love you Jane, you are in my prayers, text from May.
Celine Dion wrote a song called Fly about the loss of her niece Karine from Cystic Fibrosis. I saw her perform this haunting song live, it especially holds true for a parent who lost their child all too soon. Takes about 30 seconds for the story and her singing in this 1997 video.
“Fly”
Fly, fly little wing
Fly beyond imagining
The softest cloud, the whitest dove
Upon the wind of heaven’s love
Past the planets and the stars
Leave this lonely world of ours
Escape the sorrow and the pain
And fly againFly, fly precious one
Your endless journey has begun
Take your gentle happiness
Far too beautiful for this
Cross over to the other shore
There is peace forevermore
But hold this mem’ry bittersweet
Until we meetFly, fly do not fear
Don’t waste a breath, don’t shed a tear
Your heart is pure, your soul is free
Be on your way, don’t wait for me
Above the universe you’ll climb
On beyond the hands of time
The moon will rise, the sun will set
But I won’t forgetFly, fly little wing
Fly where only angels sing
Fly away, the time is right
Go now, find the light
For those with Spotify –

https://open.spotify.com/track/2IlZNGEdntVlKnIgKD436x

July 8, 2015
Need a Puzzle! 1000 Piece Jigsaw, Operation, Jenga, Rubix Cube?
Walking the toy aisle doesn’t resemble my time as a kid, picking out the right puzzle. The electronic gaming ushered a different experience, engaging with others yet more solo.
I have been giving thought to my life over the past month, being quiet in my posts and hopping off social media briefly. What does my life resemble most to me?
1000 Piece Puzzle – Immediately out of the box I am overwhelmed by the number of pieces. ,Similar colors in the photo, unsure where to begin. I can build the frame first or perhaps from the center out. Daunting, question, where to begin?
Operation – Like the scene in the Delta Safety Video, turbulence in life can make this game a tough one. The slightest twitch, the patient dies. This game seemed incredibly stressful, high risk, and often I questioned, why would anyone want to be a surgeon? Perhaps I have things that are out of place that just need to be removed for my life center to return?
Jenga – While the stress of Operation is greater, from the buzzer and light, Jenga is also a nerve racking strategy game. The foundation is strong in the beginning but as the game progresses, I have to take risk determining where to sacrifice strength to continue to build. My life is built on a foundation, will jiggering things differently collapse my foundation or help me climb higher?
Rubix Cube – The ultimate puzzle that consistently made me feel defeated especially when some can solve it within minutes. Though not quite as bad when a former boss gave me a MENSA calendar, talk about deflating my balloon. Can I figure out the Rubix Cube, get the colors aligned?
Walking down the toy aisle, I connect with the Rubix Cube. The design of the cube is set, I need to give greatest thought to how to solve the mismatch. I find this familiar seeking calm to the chaos in life, getting the right colors unified. Solving the cube doesn’t require others, many may have an opinion but it is something only I can do.
In giving thought to my core, I know I have the potential to solve the cube, get my life in order in all aspects but I need to develop a strategy. Not move too much at once, give thought, and continue to adjust. I continue my journey to define the Human Element, solving my Rubix Cube.
Calling it a night, sometimes the greatest hurdles in life can be solved with a good night of sleep.
June 30, 2015
HURRY! Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Abraham Lincoln?
On Saturday, May 16th I was fortunate to tour the FAA tower at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport through the New PDK Airport Association. The tower has a 360 wrap around deck where you can see the entire airport and downtown. Photos | Exploring the tallest ATC Tower (ATL) in North America #avgeek
Do you remember as a kid when you drew a Perspective? At a view of nearly 400 feet above the worlds busiest airport (2014 Passenger Volume), the wind whispered the word Perspective in my ear. Did that word call out to me because the view before me seemed like it continued on forever? Perhaps
Having travelled 800+ flights, air travel is an intricate experience with hours upon end spend at airports. An airport is similar to a ride at Disneyland, You rush to wait.
Hear me out on this tangent… a typical day of air travel out of Atlanta – You rush out of the office to avoid the afternoon traffic while contemplating is MARTA a better option today. You rush up to the platform at the MARTA station, to wait for the next train. You stand by the doors because you are nearing the end of the line at ATL. You rush out the door to beat the long line of people with their luggage awaiting the escalator, inevitably behind one. You rush to the kiosk or pull out your mobile to double-check the TSA Pre-Check stamp. You rush through security screening to not lose belongings or hold up the screening queue. You rush down the escalator to wait for the plane train. You rush up the escalator to the gate to see the plane hasn’t arrived and wait. When the plane arrives, you rush to the restroom when the plane arrives being keen to not miss the boarding zones, to return and wait. You briskly walk to scan your boarding pass knowing the carry on baggage space saga. You rush into the jetway to wait to board the plane, which in Atlanta is miserable in the summer. You rush to pass down the aisle to put your bag up, to then sit, and wait…Arrive at your destination, unfasten seatbelt upon the chime to then wait to exit the plane.
Knowing first hand the annoyance of the announcements, lines, obnoxious people, screaming children, yet it was all drowned out by the warm calming breeze. When can you recollect an airport moment you would describe as peaceful?
Gazing down from the tower on the airport below, I felt that I had stepped out of my body and soared like a bird overhead, it gave me a different perspective.
Having you ever been pricked by a thorn of a rose? Abraham Lincoln shared his perspective –
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” – Abraham Lincoln

I was stressed last Tuesday and I briefly closed my eyes and recollected the moment atop the ATL ATC tower. The warm breeze that drowned out the loud jet noise and the sunshine that blinded me with warmth. After only a minute, my body was calmer and reset simply by thinking of changing my perspective.
We all could use a little more waiting and a lot less rushing.
June 2, 2015