Fargo Bliss and Other Ramblings

One reason I don't blog very often is that it takes me forever to do it. I am a slow writer. And a perfectionist. And I'm trying to stay away from my computer while not at work. But, I wanted to get people at least a little caught up if you are checking my blog.

One of the benefits of having a "summer break" if you work in education is that it's a great chance to reset the switch, so to speak. I can put the past school year behind me, get re-focused on other things, and be somewhat recharged to get after it again. I really don't have the luxury of extended summer breaks anymore. But I did get a chance to take a little over two weeks off at the end of June. It took me a while, but I was finally able to reset my switch. Fargo did the trick.

I went to Fargo to visit my very dear friends Dawn and Jon. That may not sound like a hotspot for a summer vacation, but it was for me. They have about 9 acres out in the country, and a six-month old who is just figuring out how to sit up on his own. Tons of fun. Jon and I got to powerwash their deck. Also tons of fun.

It's so great to be around them. It just feels like family to me for some reason. They are kindred spirits. It was finally on my drive back to Iowa that I had that little epiphany moment of "I don't have to be dictated by timelines and deadlines right now." I stopped at a little hiking trail in the Loess Hills region. I took pictures, but I don't think they are really worth posting. I enjoy them, but that's probably about it on that front.

I have such a hard time slowing things down. Frustrations come too quickly, and relaxation and calmness come way too slow, because I can't keep my brain from stopping. But every since I went to Fargo, I've been able to slow things down a bit. Pray that I can keep that up, God willing.

There is actually another thing, one of several I guess, that has helped me feel a little about the world. I have an affinity for Disney's Pixar movies. I really have no desire to watch or participate in any other Disney things. Nothing wrong with them necessarily, just really not my cup of tea. But the Pixar movies are just awesome, starting back with Toy Story. The weird thing, to me anyway, is that I never want to see them when they first come out. I just happen to run across them, and fall in love with them. The latest version of this for me was the movie Wall-E.

This might sound like a bit of an exaggeration, but Wall-E is one of the most amazing movies I've ever seen. The animation is of course beyond awesome. The story is great. One of the biggest things that blew me away is that they were able to tell an awesome story with a fairly major chunk of it having no real dialogue. It was just robots emoting and experiences all of these feelings that we all feel, whether we care to admit it out loud or not. This movie just pulled me right in. I've posted a pretty cool trailer below.



Here is the take home point for me with all of this. These are two really positive things that have accompanied me since my last blog. There have been many others as well. The common theme for me has been love and acceptance. We are made for this. I know, as Roach has told me several times before, that it is not natural to fight love, or to believe you are not worthy of it.

In having these experiences, and slowing down and being quiet just a bit the past few weeks, these things seem truer for me. That makes me happy. Pray for my brain to slow down, to run at a turtle's pace. Pray for others, or even yourself, to be open to love and all things beautiful. Be still, be quiet, and be satisfied.