High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure? Me? No, not me. I mean I haven't ever had any health issues and am rarely sick. But I had a pre-employment physical the other day and my blood pressure was really high.

They said some people have elevated pressures just by going into the doctor's office but mine was really high. And my weight is way up there too. Not a good combination. I have been feeling something different and having headaches last few months but I thought it was just atmospheric with the change of altitude. Now I'm convinced it's not.

I've got to keep my diet together. I have to keep it raw.

Out of respect for the Earth and my body

Look how great she looks. Terilynn, the love of my life and my main motivation for trying to be healthy. She said something to me last week, "isn't it good to know you have someone to grow old with?" When she said it I first thought of growing old and that kind of scared me; but I did find it comforting that I would have such a great companion. Comfort and companion; that does sound old.

The thing that scares me though about growing old is that I won't be in good health to enjoy life. And really, with the way I've been treating my body recently, it's not going to be in any shape for the golden years.

The path is clear to me right now. For the present, for the future. For myself, for my love, for my children. I have to take care of this vessel.

My mom always taught me that my body is the temple of Christ. I knew she meant that I should take care of it but why didn't make sense. I thought it ridiculous that the all powerful god of my Christian upbringing would fit into my body. And hopefully he wasn't about to hold church up in there. But I think it does go a little deeper.

Not litteral, and not only spiritual but representational. When one looks at a body like the one I've abused, they see the neglect and mismanagement. They sense the lack of control that lets such a temple dilapidate. It shows a lack of respect for one's only connection to Earth. And as temples, I feel that we are god's connection to the Earth. And God can be whatever your life experiences have formed him to be. Even the agnostic must have some belief system that includes a power greater than us, even if it's not controlling us or watching over us but maybe just observing.

There is something happening to our planet right now. It's the direct result of our lack of respect for our surroundings and our own bodies. It's as if we've become a cancer to our planet and if so, it must shed us in order to survive. I'm sure it needs some us for general maintenance but it won't be the ones of us that trash it. It'll be those who show respect and love for all it's wonders and natural gifts.

Knowing this, I need to start here with me. I need to stop playing around like there are no consequences for my actions and take care of this problem in any way that I am able . Protecting my health, teaching my kids, reducing our consumption, and reversing our impact to bring about positive changes to our environment.

We've almost become vegetarian. My wife is raw-vegan. The kids eat very little meat and I refuse to bring raw meat into the house. I've been trying to be raw vegetarian but it's time to stop trying and start doing. I can't wait any longer because my planet, my god, my wife, my family needs me right now to be in the best of shape and as I grow old to do so in good health.

So at this time I make an oath to myself and to my environment to go forth with respect to my body and to god's earth. I will only put in those foods and beverages that keep me running at optimal levels. Raw, mostly organic, mostly local produce.

What is it?

Mushroom

No it's not a real mushroom. It's a shell on a stick stuck in Irish Moss. I got this picture of it just in time because my son broke it. He's awesome like that. He'll be good for the economy when he grows up. Buy it and break it. I used to take the kids to the dollar store and let them get a toy but their toys would either not work at all or be broken within the hour. I used to buy lots of cheap toys for their birthdays and Christmas but I don't think I'll do that anymore. I now see the error of my ways. I see the waste as well as the disappointment. One good sturdy toy is going to last and never get lost at the bottom of the toybox. When it's real, it is worth something later. All this cheap stuff from China is bogging us down. Not only are we broke but also disappointed with the crap we have. I wish I could just throw all this crap away, but that would compaound the wastefulness and there's probably some kid at the thrift store to give it one more play before they throw it away.

"Whatever," Avery says.

My Valentine don't like Roses

Candy.
Chocolate hearts and little message hearts.
I love my valentine
But my valentine don't love sweet candy.

Flowers.
Long-stemmed roses and calle lillies.
I love my valentine
But my valentine don't love smelly flowers.

Beaches.
Toes in the sand and the fog rolls in.
I love my valentine
But my valentine don't love rainy beaches.

Jewelry.
Shiny silver heart on an invisible chain.
I love my valentine
But my valentine don't love cheap jewelry.

Me.
Not sweet or smelly, rainy or cheap.
I love my valentine
And my valentine loves me too.

Don't call me Mom, Mister

It's really tough being a dad. It's rewarding, I'm told. Eventually all this hard-ly appreciated work must culminate into something worthwhile. Like when your son plays in the superbowl and there you are in the stands, some goofy mom-, glitter-shirt. Yeah I said mom because somewhere in the past, when I was a kid, it was traditional for mom to be the mom. But now it's not uncommon for the dad to be the mom. It's okay with me but there are many times throughout the day that I wish I was at a job. A job with an adult boss would be perfect.

I have conspiracy theories.

Some of my theories are admittedly outrageous and even paranoid, but I'm driven by my inner-driver to concoct them anyway. For example: Television programmers are brain-branding our children and altering their behaviors thus causing them to act so badly that a parent would go out and work for the corporations who paid such television programmers to provide wrongful behavior modifiers for no more than the minimum wage.

I know people who work two jobs and pay the babysitter the total wages of the second job.

I now understand.

I empathize.

I apologize.

I owe my wife a lot more than that.

It's my turn to be the stay-home parent.

Released

Wow.
Time has flown by.
And where was I?
Moving here to there.
All around everywhere, the dust must settle finally.
Allowing for acceptance, acclamated, but finally?
May be soon, my heart works to balance.
My head rings in the night.
Unrested, humbled to near silence.
Falling from cliffs inside my head.
But falling is still scary.
Yes, it beats incarceration.
Cells of stagnant imagination and creation choke like mold spores.
I still fall but there is time even as it flies.
There is hope even as the world won't wait.
I still fall but I should fall still.