Todd Mead’s Blog

“Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds” Gordon B. Hinckley

Sit back and give that quote some thought. Once it processes it should make a lot of sense. When I was a child the grass grew like wild fire on the flat spot at the top of the hill behind the house. My father began to clear it and before long it was a beautiful baseball field. I played baseball throughout my younger years and that field was a crucial part in the development of my game. The imaginary fence was highlighted by tall grass, which wasn’t mowed in order to make it clear that any ball that reached it in the air was considered a home run.

Time moved on and before long I was buried in books. The college years passed quickly and the days of yesteryear presented me with a gentle reminder that weeds will bloom if you don’t take care of the diamond. One thing led to the next and before I knew it the baseball field on top of the hill disappeared. One weed turned into two and then the whole field was taken over by the invasive plants. My father had stopped mowing it after I quit playing baseball. The beautiful diamond was now nothing more than a cardboard square. It hurt, but I realized the events that had transpired reflected the changes of life.

After I graduated from college I returned home. Playing baseball had long since faded out of my life, but shooting archery became my passion. I could stand for hours in the lawn and shoot one arrow after another. The arrows glided effortlessly toward the target. More often than not they found their way to the center of it, which brought me a lot of joy and happiness. Archery allowed me to grow. It centered my mind and brought me inner peace. I found a passion that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It has allowed me to travel all over the country shooting in tournaments. I’ve also been lucky enough to go bow hunting from the Northeast to the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains. Archery became my life.

In order to improve I needed a good practice range. The diamond below the weeds still existed. It required a lot of work, but the diamond reappeared and a new archery range was built. Once again the weeds were gone. To keep the weeds from growing I put in a lot of work. I started shooting local tournaments before feeling comfortable enough to head to some regional tournaments. After tasting success at the regional championships and state championships I decided to jump into the big pond. Since I had become a big fish in a small pond I wanted to see if I could swim with the big boys who ruled the depths of the water. After finishing in fifth place at my first national event I knew I could compete on that level and the diamond remained.

Now, almost 20 years later, the diamond still exists. The hard work has kept the weeds from growing. Not only has my hard work helped, but my father’s hard work has brought him a record that still stands in the National Senior Games. All of his practice allowed him to shoot the third highest score ever recorded in his age bracket.

No matter what we choose to do in life hard work is necessary if we want to be successful. The weeds might not make their presence known for a while, but gradually they’ll take over and run rampant. Once they settle in the beauty of our work fades away and the hard work is forgotten.

Diamonds are forever. Don’t let the weeds overtake their beauty.

I’m sitting here looking at the calendar. There are only a few more days left in January. A month ago many people made resolutions for the coming year and I’m sure the vast majority of those resolutions have already found a hiding place. I’m not sure why people do it every year. Maybe it makes them feel better for a few minutes, hours or days. Some might stick it out and make wholesale changes while others never came up with plans to achieve their fabricated resolutions. With all of that being said I guess that’s why this quote shows up on my calendar for the month of January: “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”

What does that mean to you? Every time I read it I’m confronted with a variety of thoughts. Unfortunately none of the thoughts remain consistent. Sometimes I think I get it and other times I feel as if I’m grasping at a leaf blowing through the sky on a windy fall day.

We’ve all made choices that have led us down different paths. When I examine the quote tonight it reminds me that we will meet our destiny no matter where we go. Although we can make choices that bring us in and out of happiness we can’t control what will ultimately happen to us.

I could go to the store tonight and find myself in the hospital after hitting some black ice. I could see someone at the store who I haven’t seen in 20 years. I could pick up a hitchhiker only to find out he is a veteran of the United States military who is searching for his family.

No matter what the circumstance things happen to us based on timing. Timing is everything or nothing all at once. A matter of five seconds can be the difference between life and death. A matter of minutes might keep you from meeting the most influential person of your lifetime. A day or two might keep you from getting swept away in a tornado.

Very rarely do people think about timing and the effects it has had on everyone around them. We are all in the position we are in because of perfect timing or maybe not so perfect timing. If my mother hadn’t become pregnant in 1965 there’s no guarantee my parents would have gotten married or decided to have two more children. My parents were kids and they were going to start having kids. It was taboo back in those days to have children out of wedlock, but my grandmother took my mom and my father in and allowed them to start a family. There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for everything that transpired after my mother and father found out they were going to have a baby.

I’m sure it was a scary time. I’m sure they probably thought of alternative plans, but they stuck it out and gave it  their best. As with any marriage there have been ups and downs, but they have succeeded at becoming the best parents any child could ever ask for. Their destiny was to raise a healthy and loving family they could be proud of. The original road they were traveling on probably had no children crossing signs on it, but their destiny was to erect the signs and watch them disappear over time as their children became adults.

As I sat in the church today for the funeral of a very well-liked young man it was another situation where timing led to his destiny. For a reason nobody will ever understand it was his time. He might have been here to enlighten all of the people he touched. It might have been his job to show people how to love unconditionally. He might have been here to show us that nothing lasts forever. No matter what the case there’s no way anyone could have stopped it. Although we all want to go back in time and hope for a different outcome we can’t do that. Instead, we have to accept the pain from the tragedy and find a way to help others get through it. We have to put our hands on their shoulders. We have to squeeze them tight. We have to tell them we love them. We have to use our strength to help others deal with the pain that will take a lifetime to subside. Maybe he was put here to show people it’s okay to help others.

None of these questions will ever be answered. That’s why we have to find strength in others. Don’t take people for granted. Life is fragile and it can be taken from any one of us at any time. Do the things you enjoy and include the people you love. You can love them as a partner, a sibling, a parent or just a friend. It’s okay to love a lot of people. The most loving people usually find the best support.

As you pick the roads you will travel realize that no matter which ones you choose there will never be a wrong choice. All roads lead someplace and the one you’re on is meant to take you where you’re supposed to be. Always enjoy the ride and everything will happen as it’s supposed to happen.

Throughout my elementary school days my classmates and I were asked a number of times who our heroes were and why we choose them. As my classmates answered I sat back and took it all in. I heard all of the normal stuff such as famous baseball players, football players, ballerinas, actors and actresses, but very rarely did I hear, “My parents!”

From one year to the next I never hesitated with the answer or my reasoning behind it. My parents always provided me with everything I needed to grow up on a good environment. I was always well-fed, clean, rested and well-mannered. I was taught to respect people even when they don’t respect you.

My parents always told me to kill them with kindness. It’s very hard for someone to be mean to another person when the person is smiling. Give it a try sometime and you’ll see how well it works. Depending on the person it will either drive them crazy and make them extremely angry, especially if they harbor a lot of internal anger or it will make them calm down and smile, too. You can find out a lot about a person’s character by examining their reaction.

As I moved from elementary school into high school my parents remained my heroes. Both of them were hard workers and they did everything they could to ensure the happiness of me and my siblings before themselves. They were and still are the perfect models for what parents should be.

All of us kids were taught about the importance of money. We had to earn our own money and hold jobs when we were old enough to work. The three of us got lucky enough to land good jobs right out of the gate and gain ground quickly while working. Before I left for college I made my way into management and stayed there throughout college. I enjoyed what I did because the employees under me liked me, but more than anything they respected me. I ran a loose ship, but when it was time to work I accepted no excuses. I wasn’t a micro-manager as so many unqualified people in management are today. They taste some power and become power mongers without knowing how their actions affect the entire workforce.  When morale begins to spiral out of control the power mongers begin pointing fingers. They blame it on other employees rather than accepting the blame. It’s always easier to blame someone else than to own the problem.

Now, as an adult in my mid-life years, I tend to take it all in and ride the wave. I like to imagine myself as a surfer. I ride the wave without letting is suck me under and pound me into the sand on the ocean floor. Once the wave breaks and the water takes me toward the shore I hop off the board, hit the beach and walk away. It’s a simple way of avoiding the backlash of the waves. The younger version of me would still be out there fighting every wave rather than letting it take me where it wants to. There’s no sense in fighting a battle that can’t be won.

Even now I still have the same heroes as I did 40 years ago and better yet both of those heroes are still alive. I know how fortunate I am, especially when I look around at all of my friends who have all lost parents and siblings alike. My entire family is here and I know how lucky I am. Although I’ve lost all of my grandparents and a few aunts and uncles along the way  the roots of my tree are still planted in the ground around me.

Some days these roots seem like they belong to an unbreakable tree and other days I wonder how much more the trees can take before the big nasty storms blow them over. The weather was calm for many years, but the last few have brought one storm after another. The wind and rain keep pounding and the trees bend but they haven’t broken.

Heroes come and go in life. My heroes have walked beside me for the last 45 years. No matter what happens in the future I’ll always have their characteristics, which have been instilled into my personality for my entire lifetime up to this point. Choose your heroes wisely and do the things you have to do in order to be a child’s hero. Anyone, no matter who you are, can make a difference in someone’s life.

Here are my heroes.

I’ve been involved with athletics of some sort or another since I was six years old. It all started on a little league field in Hudson Falls, NY and continues today on all sorts of softball fields throughout the area. I’ve always enjoyed being part of a team and the sport played with a bat and ball has piqued my interest more than the others. Although I enjoy playing in adult hockey leagues there’s something about baseball and softball that hold my attention year after year, even as I head toward the half century mark.

Fifteen years ago I was asked to play on a softball team with a lot of guys who where considerably younger than me. At the time I was in my early 30s and most of these guys were in their early 20s. As most people know, the age gap in those years is a little different than the same age gap when you’re in your 40s or 50s. Most 20 somethings haven’t had much in terms of life experience, so they tend to live in a fantasy world where reality hasn’t clicked in yet.

When I was asked to play I gladly accepted. I worked with a few of the guys and the rest of the team was made up of their friends. I’ve always been able to fit in quickly with the people on all of the teams I’ve played with over the years and this team was no different. When I took the field with these guys I had a pretty good feeling we were going to be in for a long season and boy oh boy was I right. Actually it wasn’t a long season……………….it was a long decade. We got lucky and won a game here or there because the opposing team would have to play a game with eight guys, but it was rare. Over the last few years we finally started flirting with winning records.

From those first days there have been a lot of people who have come and gone, but the core group of guys still play today. The very first year I met Marc Wilson. He was a young kid who was full of life. He wasn’t a freakishly athletic specimen, but looking at him from a distance I figured he would probably be one of the guys on the team who could hit for power and drive in runs. After a few games I realized I was wrong. From my observations it appeared that he hadn’t grown into his body yet. Although he had a long way to go before becoming a good softball player he had something that very few people have and it was evident in the first game I played with him. I’ll never forget when he hit a ball down the right field line and headed toward second base with all the speed he could muster up. About halfway there everyone on the field knew he wasn’t going to make it, but he didn’t break stride and launched into a headfirst slide. Dust flew all over and Marc skidded to a stop. I couldn’t help but laugh when it was clearly evident that he hadn’t planned the slide too well. The shortstop stepped off the base and walked a few steps forward to tag Marc on the head. He never made it to the base. I still laugh about it today, especially when I see how far Marc came from that day.

Marc was always a stubborn guy when it game to softball. He would listen to advice, but almost always persisted on doing it HIS way. Kevin would lecture him about where to throw the ball and thankfully that finally stuck in his head the last few years. If a ball was hit to him he was mentally aware of the game around him. In prior years he was always unsure, but he allowed himself to learn from Kevin and listen to him.

When Marc started playing softball he always wanted to be a power hitter. He could never understand how a guy as small as me could repeatedly hit the ball over the fence. He always thought that since he was bigger than me he should be able to hit the ball farther than me. I had to explain to him that the size of a person doesn’t have much to do with how far he can it the ball. My bat speed and transfer of weight contributed to my power.

Eventually Marc found his place and realized his potential. I’ve never played with a right-handed batter who could place the ball so well on the right field line, especially when we needed a big hit. If the game was on the line he was always one of the guys who I wanted at the plate. He became a master at finding a hole between the fielders and did it consistently. Over time he realized he could also hit the ball on the line to left field. Whenever he game up the other teams would always yell, “Good hitter! Can hit it anyplace, but watch right field.” When you get a reputation in softball and all the teams know you it means you’re a good player.

Whenever I listened to the other teams chattering I always thought back to that slide into second base and couldn’t help but laugh to myself. Marc, the guy who was lost in his own body, became the guy who other teams feared and sought after. Along the way he found his place on the field. One year he tried pitching and became one of the most sought after pitchers throughout many different leagues and on tournament teams. If he was a major league pitcher you could say he was a nibbler. He would get two strikes on a batter and start throwing moon balls in hopes of landing one on the plate. He almost always got at least one strikeout per game and that’s good pitching in unlimited arc softball. He was proud of that, too, as he should have been.

About ten years after meeting Marc I got the feeling that in some ways he hadn’t really found himself among people other than his immediate friends. Since he was a good player and an even better guy I asked him to play on one of my teams. I knew these guys would welcome him onto the team as part of the family. As anyone would be, Marc was nervous the first time he played with us, but the nervousness didn’t last long. He went 4-4 that night and pitched a near perfect half a game (since he split time with our normal pitcher) and his contributions were the main reason for our victory.

As one week led into the next Marc became part of the family and one of the top players on the team. He lit it up with his timely hitting and shut down the other team with his half-time pitching role. My friends (who were now his friends) thanked me every day for getting him on the team. In the previous 10 years I hadn’t seen Marc experience anything like it. He went to the bar with us and hung out after the games. We ended up winning the league that year with only two losses. Although we got eliminated in the playoffs the rest of the year was an eye-opening experience for everyone.

Marc played one more year with that team before the league rules changed and you could only play on two teams. Since he had been on the other teams longer he chose to play with them. I was on one of those teams, so I understood what he had to do. I also knew by watching him where his heart was really at. Although he didn’t play on our team he continued to show up for our games and give us support. He remained really close to everyone on the team and came to the bar a few times even though he no longer played with us. After all………….he had become part of the family and our family has strong roots. He was one of us and he knew it. I knew it made him feel good.  When he showed up at the bar he always asked where the team picture was from the year we won the championship. He knew he was in it and he wanted to be in the photo hanging on the wall that said “League Champions” on it. To this day I’m to sure if that photo ever got hung up, but I’ll never forget how important that was to him. It was important to us, too, because without him I’m sure we wouldn’t have won the league.

When I was coming home from Colorado last week I was in an out of sleep in the backseat. About 24 hours into the trip I got the news. I sat in silence and glanced out the window as we drove by Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. I couldn’t process the news I had just heard. “Marc Wilson died.” How was that possible? Marc was only 35 years old and I played softball with him the night before I left for vacation. I talked to  him at my desk before I left about the games to be played when I returned. He told me how he was going to fix a hitch in his swing. He always tried to get better and I knew he meant what he said.

When I got home I still couldn’t believe the news and then when I got to the softball field on Thursday I expected him to be there even though I had said my goodbyes the day before at the funeral home. He was too good of a guy to go this soon and it hit me pretty hard. I went to the wake early so I could be by myself and deal with it on my own terms. I never expected to say goodbye to a guy 10 years younger than me who I played ball with two to three nights a week over the last 15 years. As one of my friends told me the other day, “God always picks the best flowers first.”

For the people who didn’t know Marc they missed out on a genuine and caring person. Since I wasn’t in Marc’s inner circle I’m not sure how he acted around his closest friends, but I do know that I’ve never been around a more respectful guy. He let his actions speak for his character. In all the years I played ball with him I never once heard him criticize anyone or say anything negative about the game, opponents or an umpire. I made an abundance of errors behind him over the years and he never once rolled his eyes at me or said anything about it. He was the best teammate a player could ask for. If someone made an error he thought it was his job to pick the person up. Although everyone wants to do this very few people are actually capable of getting it done, but he was one of the few.

Marc was a guy of few words around me, but his quick witted humor could make anyone laugh. Marc had a way of quietly spitting out a one-liner in a way that you couldn’t help but smile when you heard it. He was a guy who could make anyone smile without putting any effort into it. Marc was a guy who worked very hard to better himself in whatever he was doing. I saw it in softball because that’s where we shared the most time together. He would go to the batting cage to perfect his stroke. Some days he would go there before the game and then perfectly place the ball onto an empty green spot in the outfield. It was a pleasure to watch. Many days Marc’s work schedule wasn’t too accommodating for softball, so he would take his lunch break to play and then return to work. He went out of his way to make sure he gave everything he had in everything he did. He gave 100% in every at bat and with every pitch he ever threw. I respect him for that because so few people give 100% in anything, let alone a recreational softball league. Marc was a gamer in life.

Marc was never satisfied either. He always tried to get better and studied the game to do the right things to improve himself. One of the things that made me laugh is when people would misspell his name and spell it with a “K”. He would make sure he informed them they messed it up and politely ask them to get it right next time. I enjoyed that because one of my biggest pet peeves is when people spell my last time with an “e”. It was probably just another way that we quietly connected.

I’m glad I got to know Marc, especially after the first season of softball. I feel lucky to have watched him grow up on the softball field as well as in life. I remember asking him a few times in the parking lot where his car was and he told me he was having work done on it and he was driving his mom’s car. I appreciated things like that. He told me on a few occasions how thankful he was that his mom let him use her car. You can learn a lot about a guy by the way he speaks of his mother and that was true with Marc. Marc was a good guy and it showed in many different ways. I’ll miss him on the softball field, but I will also miss the days when he wandered up to my desk in the middle of the afternoon just to talk about this and that. As he found his place on our team a few years back, I hope he finds his place in the new world he is in now. He deserves to be surrounded by great souls just like his own. Rest in peace Marc. We’ll all miss you.

It seems like summer dropped from the sky the last two days without allowing spring to gently slide into place. It appears it won’t last long as a small dose of winter has been forecasted for the next two days. That’s the beauty of living in a place where you’re able to experience the four seasons. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine how many people in the world never experience the seasonal changes we encounter every year.  I listen to many people bitch and moan about the weather and I must admit, even I do it on occasion.

In the grand scheme of life I thoroughly enjoy everything each season brings with it. Now that spring has arrived I’ll enjoy the unpredictability of the day to day temperatures and weather. One day it could be 80 degrees and the next day might be in the high 20s. Spring reminds me a lot of the things we encounter on our journey through life. Our lives could be cruising along on a freeway without a care in the world. Our car windows are down and it seems like we have the pedal on the floor as we put miles and miles behind us.

Suddenly a deer can dash across the road in front of us and everything in our life can be shattered. If we collide with the deer we might end up in the ICU unit in the hospital. We might wreck our car. We might crash into another car and hurt someone else or we might even drift into the sky in search of a new nesting ground. No matter what happens it’s painfully obvious that there are no guarantees in life. Life has no favorites and father time is undefeated.

When I was a child I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I was five years old, but I remember very clearly what the doctor said to me at the time. He told if I stayed away from smoking and drinking it would increase my odds of living longer than expected. In the early 70s there wasn’t much known about diabetes. Heck, they hadn’t even developed blood glucose monitors at the time, so it was virtually impossible to see any patterns. I did my four urine tests a day, but urine could sit in the bladder for hours on end and present false readings. The readings might show negative for any glucose in the urine and that was because four hours earlier there was none present. When I was given my set of directions with all the do this and don’t do that items highlighted I made special note of it.

That is the reason why I get so frustrated with some people when they will not change for the betterment of their own health. We only get one life and it is up to us to increase our odds by listening to what the professionals tell us. Last winter when my dad had a heart attack I knew it would be a life-changing experience for him. I know it scared the heck out of him as it did all of us family members. We listened to the doctors when they told us he would have to make a lot of changes and we were ready to help him.

For the first few months everything went well. He stayed away from the stuff on the menu that he wasn’t supposed to indulge in and I felt good about it because I know there are many things I would like to experience, but have always avoided for the benefit of my health. Lately I’d like to pull my hair out when I sit back and watch him from a distance. How can you tell someone you care so much about to stop doing what they’re doing? He passed his stress test in flying colors so he thinks he’s all okay. I just can’t imagine being that ignorant to the real problem, the problem that can’t be seen or felt from the outside until it’s too late. It was minutes from being too late last time, yet that seems to be long forgotten. It’s not forgotten in my mind. I live it every day and the lack of concern and disregard for following a more strict diet that avoids foods that are not good for people who have had heart attacks is alarming. How can someone so smart be so ignorant to the fact that he was given a second chance?

I’m sure this happens to people all over the world, but for me I just wish my own blood could see the things I compromised while growing up and even into today to ensure I could live the longest life possible. I know old habits break hard, but they never break at all if you don’t give them an honest effort. Food tastes good. I get that, but continuing to fill your body with the things that led to first episode isn’t good.

I also know that one person can never help another person unless the other person wants the help. I’ll sit back and keep doing what I do while cruising down this highway. You never know when a deer will bolt out in front of you and at that point I guess it doesn’t matter what precautions you have taken along the way. As hard as it is to watch I believe I have to sit back and let the events unfold in front of me because whether I like it or not I’m pretty sure none of us have a lot of control over how it all ends because our path has been predetermined.

I’ve rambled a little bit tonight. This didn’t go in the direction I had intended. That’s the beauty of writing. Once you start writing you never know where you’re going until you dot the last sentence with a period.

I slept in on Saturday morning. I didn’t have enough energy to roll out of bed at the crack of dawn. It seems as if the energy has been drained out of me over the last few weeks.  Earlier in the week I had committed to attending an archery tournament to benefit the Hunt of  Lifetime Organization, so I planned on getting a little extra rest before heading to Plattsburgh in the afternoon.

The ride through the Adirondack Mountains was phenomenal. It’s the time of year when you can see large blocks of ice falling from cliffs as the sun warms them enough to set them free before they crash to the ground. It’s a phenomenon that has a different meaning for each and every person that is able to witness it. It reminds me of life.  No matter where we go or how high we climb we must always return to a base. The base may be our home if we have been on the road for a while or it could even be a trailhead if we have gone for a hike. No matter what or where the base might be it gives us a sense of security and with security comes warmth, not necessarily happiness.

Actually security too often feeds upon happiness and without stepping outside of ourselves we sometimes never have the ability to see the full effect that security has on us. We might find security with our jobs, hobbies, or partners. No matter where we find it we learn to accept things because we’re afraid to welcome change into our lives. Without knowing it we become stagnant and let life dictate to us what we will become and where we will go. If we have outside activities to draw us away from the security of everyday life it usually brings a lot of happiness to our lives, but if we don’t we can be doomed without any possibility of escaping from it.

While I have been a victim of security over the years I’ve also made sure to find things away from my security blanket to help me grow and become the person I want to become. I’ve set goals and made a plan to achieve them. In doing so I ventured into unknown areas and welcomed the obstacles I encountered along the way. When I stumbled upon blocked roads I simply put the blinker on and took a detour. Although there was no mapped out route I did my best to find a way through the places I had never seen.

When I returned to familiar roads I was secure once again. Security in a few areas of my life have been challenged recently and I find myself scrambling for other options. Scrambling can cause chaos and chaos can lead to panic. I’m thankful for being a laid back person. I tend to sit back and tackle things when I’m confronted with them rather than worry about things that haven’t happened yet.

Since security seems to be slowly disappearing in one area of my life I’m going to have to run my hands along the forest floor and grab a handful of leaves. I’ll toss a few into the wind and watch them disappear into thin air as the air currents carry them off the mountain. Just as a leaf doesn’t have the ability to predict its travel route neither do I, but I do have ideas and dreams to chase. Although my feet are gently carrying me across the dirt I’m sure they’ll lead me to the place I belong as long as I start walking in the right direction and don’t turn around until I arrive.

It appears that Spring has finally sprung. I’m sure we’ll still get some chilly weather, but I’m pretty sure the brutal cold has passed. In the last few days the snow has begun to melt at a rapid pace and I couldn’t be happier about it. With everything we do there always comes a point where we need a change of pace. It might be from a job, a hobby, or even a routine. Too much of the same thing can become stale and focus is lost.

That is the reason why competitors need to take a break from competing whether it’s in individual or team sports. Too much of the same thing leads to mental exhaustion. Once the mental fatigue sets in the desire to compete can quickly be lost. Every year when I used to compete in archery I was always happy to see September. I knew I had a solid three months of limited shooting. I could unwind at that time and approach it with a new and fresh outlook in January.

It has taken me all winter to find my shot in archery. I think I’ve finally found it now that the indoor shooting is coming to an end. Although I would have liked it to happen sooner I can’t complain because some people never truly find their shot just as many people never find their true purpose in life. For the vast majority of people their purpose escapes them. There have been times when I’ve looked in the mirror and thought I had it all figured out. I’ve never really felt lost on my journey with the exception of the agony I experienced during a painful divorce. Looking back at it I can easily say that the divorce led me to things I never thought much about other than in passing. When I sunk to the bottom of the barrel I dug and clawed my way out of the darkness to find a new light. The new light was lit when I began writing my first book and the candle burnt brightly for the next few years as I knocked that one off and wrote another one.

Now that I have two books behind me I seem to have fallen into another dark and gloomy barrel. I’m stuck in the monotony of a daily grind where I encounter the same thing over and over. My mind has raced from one thought to the next, but it always brings me back to archery and writing. It doesn’t take much common sense to figure out that I’m passionate about these things. I’ve been trying to see a future in them, but the road is not clear quite yet. I’ve had a number of brilliant ideas pop into my melon, but I always find myself questioning if these wonderful ideas can get me to the end of the rainbow.

That’s a question that nobody can answer. It’s a question that many people have faced while pursuing their own goals in life. It’s the reason why risk takers have no fear. They go all in with hopes of making it big. I’m sure failure crosses their mind, but it doesn’t stay there and prod them. Thoughts of success must outweigh the thoughts about failure. If I look at the target and fear missing I’m programming my mind to miss and the misses will come more readily than if I look at the target and expect to shoot the center out of it.

I’m at the point where the daily routine needs to be changed. One of my readers recently sent me a note saying he had reached this point, too, so he quit his job. I applaud him for doing something he believes will bring him a quieter mind and more internal peace. We all need to remember that although money makes things easier for most of us, it doesn’t bring us genuine happiness. We have to pursue the things we are passionate about and give it everything we have to ensure we can stay on that path…………………….spring is here and it’s time to experience new life.

How do people find success? Is it something we find or is it something that comes to us after a lot of hard work? I guess the answers to these questions all depend on the situation. I’ve seen a few people attain levels of success by simply being in the right place at the right time and knowing someone who put them in a position of significance. This type of thing can test the nerves of even the strongest person. When a person puts everything they have into a job or a project and the person next to them is rewarded for a lesser job just because he’s in the clique there is something wrong with the system. I’m sure anyone reading this knows exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not always about how much you know or how much you put into it. More times than not success in the workplace is directly related to who likes you and who does not. If you challenge authority you are looked at as a problem. People take advice personally and decide something has to be done to punish the employee who has spoken up or given insight into problems that could be avoided or corrected. I’ve never figured that out, but it’s an everyday part of corporate America.

That’s why I find so much enjoyment in most of my hobbies. When I’m doing an assignment for my editors I always listen to what they want and I try my best to give them the best article I can write. Once the assignment is given everything else is up to me. My success is directly related to how I approach the topic. If I think a narrative will strike the tone for the readers that is what I give them. If I believe interviews are necessary to drive home the points I go out of my way to speak to the right people, so I can prove or disprove any theories on a topic that is controversial. In the end it makes it all worth it when my editors send congratulatory notes and thank you notes expressing their gratitude for the pieces that have been submitted. I’ve had this happen over and over again. There’s no better motivation than interaction with a boss who appreciates the work that is being done. I also take constructive criticism well, too. If an editor tells me something needs to be changed I listen closely because I want my article to be a success and I know the editor wants more people to read the pieces in the publication. Constructive criticism is always a win/win if it is presented in the proper way, however, if it isn’t then a lot of animosity can brew and become a hot stew. Many people aren’t capable of listening without instantly reacting. I’ve always tried learning from these individuals, so I know the proper ways to behave and react in any situation I may encounter in my travels and with my work.

I find an unbelievable amount of joy in the success I’ve had in archery and that is because nobody is responsible for it except me. I practiced for hours on end for many years and I was able to achieve a lot of things I never imagined. Although I never got to the top of the mountain I gave it a good run before my shoulders failed me. Now that I’ve had reconstructive shoulder surgery I appreciate the things I did with a bow and arrow even more since I can’t practice hardly at all anymore. I would love to shoot for hours on end again, but it simply isn’t possible.

I’ve been helping people shoot for the last month or two and it feels good. Their success is also my success. I want them to succeed and learn as much as they can as they improve. Yesterday I helped a small child. This kid loves shooting a bow. Just by looking at him I can tell that he is something special. He definitely has the ability to be a great shooter because he’s so passionate about it at such a young age.  I would love to show him the way.

Never forget that success comes in many different forms. If you haven’t succeeded in one thing it certainly doesn’t mean that you haven’t succeeded in others. I can look at the path of my life and very easily see why I’ve found success in different arenas. It all follows a very common theme……………………..My success comes from my passion. Anything I’ve succeeded at, especially at high levels, I’ve been very passionate about. My advice to everyone out there is to follow your passion. It will bring you happiness and a greater sense of yourself and who you are.

This winter just doesn’t want to let go. I’m not sure, but I may have written the same thing last time I visited my blog. If I did I won’t apologize because it’s true. The cold began in late November and has continued right through today. The weekend gave me a glimpse of spring, but it was fleeting. The birds sang loudly in the morning and the sun warmed the air enough to start melting a lot of the snow. As I inhaled I could smell it even though it seems so far away right now.

As I said last time………..spring brings new growth. That means it’s time to leave behind the cold and misery of winter. It’s easy to understand how depression can settle into the depths of even the strongest souls that wander through the north country. When the daylight hours begin to extend into the evening hours a new hope comes with it. Many people find happiness with more daylight.

I’ve always been fortunate enough to have a few winter hobbies that consume a lot of my time and energy. Sometimes I’d like the winter to last a little longer so I have more time to perfect my crafts. This winter I’m not sure what I need. I’m searching for some ambition, which I seem to have lost over the last few months. I’m still torn about my next project. Should I start the novel or should I stick to the narrative style books I’ve already written and do another one, which wouldn’t take too terribly long?

After talking to my good friend and fellow author Bob Elinskas a few weeks ago he gave me an idea I should probably consider. He thought it would be good if I could use some more of my own experiences and incorporate them into stories about others who hunt in the Eastern Adirondacks. It actually hit the spot when he spoke about it. There are a lot of people who I’m sure would be more than happy to tell their stories.

The next few weeks should give me time to sit back and analyze all of the possibilities. After that process is over I’ll have to decide what path to follow. Since we all choose our own paths I’m sure my feet will direct me down the one that is best for me in my current situation. Only time will tell where my feet will lead me……………………..follow me and you’ll get there shortly after I arrive.

It’s amazing how many people are affected by bullying. Bullies come in different forms, but they all share similar characteristics. In one of my recent visits to a primary school I was amazed when I stood in front of 150 students and asked for a show in hands from all the kids who get bullied. More hands than I would have liked were raised.  When I asked how many kids bullied other kids I was amazed to see some students actually raise their hands.

As I started speaking to the crowd I knew I had their interest. I shared a few stories to ensure them that everyone, no matter who they might be, has been affected by bullying. It happens in school, in athletics, in the neighborhood, and even at the workplace.

Bullying in the workplace can create an unbelievable amount of morale problems. If it isn’t properly addressed it can gain speed and create a disaster. I’ve seen it first hand. When the bullying begins most people will complain, but nothing will be done because of fear. The fear of the bully or what might happen if a complaint is filed becomes the primary concern of the person affected. Eventually the person loses hope, gives in, and takes on the same qualities as the bully so he or she will become accepted. At that point the acceptance leads to more power for the bully. Once the above scenario takes place it splits the employees down the middle because sides are set and the line in the sand turns into a cavern.

Trust is lost and respect goes with it. As the bully gains more control he or she will continue intimidating others in order to achieve more power. If enough employees recognize the problem they will begin falling like flies. The people who leave are the ones who decide it isn’t worth the fight to expose the issue. The people who challenge the intimidator become a target because the bully cannot mentally handle if someone doesn’t buckle under their pressure.

I’ve witnessed this many times, but never more than the last few years. It’s a shame to watch such good people cave in because they lose all hope. It’s even more of a shame to see people leave their jobs because they can’t handle the unprofessionalism of others.

If you encounter this type of thing in life make sure to stand up for yourself and remain confident. Confidence will carry you through many things including petty stuff like this that sometimes demolishes even the best of people.

Although the weather has been horrible this week the longer hours of daylight are a sure sign that spring is on the way. With spring comes new growth. I’m ready to grow and sprout new leaves.