Robin,
originally uploaded by Britt Parrott.

A snowy day. A walk with the family. A robin in a tree. And I remembered my camera.

In memory of Ray Underhill.

One of the most perfect moments in my life happened in early January 1985. I was following a small red Ford hatchback just outside Nashville, Tennessee. The song “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin came on the radio. I was hoping the driver of the little red Ford was also listening. The person I was following was Ray Underhill, and we were driving to California to pursue our dreams of making it big in skateboarding.

Ray was a great inspiration to me, and I’ll never forget the wonderful times we had.

I don’t look forward to it, and, at times, and with the right amount of caffeine or alcohol, I can get into it, as much as one can get into something that passes the time on a sunny day that doesn’t involve beaches, pools, lounge chairs, or swaying palm trees.

What was really scary was that I couldn’t get weeds and clumps of errant grass out of my mind when I plopped into bed after a long day of mowing, trimming, weeding, watering, and whacking. Was I on the edge of obsession, like some of my neighbors seem to be? Is it the first step down a dangerous path of finely edged, perfectly trimmed lawn, flagstones placed under each step?

Someday, I’ll wake up and buy a new pair of shoes.
I never said that I’d break your heart
but it was easy to do.

He provided the musical backdrop for my decision to quit my job as managing editor of Transworld Skateboarding Magazine in the late 1980s and go to college in Illinois.

These three applications would be delicious, Bloglines, and Backpack. Those are the ones that bring the most comfort to my online world, a place where I’m surrounded by my own trinkets.

Amid all the new stuff coming out, I’d still go with these old favorites. They serve me well.

In my present case, the goal I’m nearing is the completion of a first draft of a screenplay. First draft means one thing: the beginning of more work. Revisions.

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve put aside several other goals and projects in order to focus on screenwriting. Occasionally, I get sidetracked, such as when I started redesigning my blog. I got the main design framework finished and then shelved it. I knew the rest of the coding and design would take me too far away from my main project.

Staying focused on one thing causes me difficulty. I’m always coming up with new ideas for sites, businesses, scripts, etc. I’m great at starting something but have difficulty staying focused until it’s finished.

In high school, I took three years of drafting. Next, I got a certificate degree in graphic art. My B.A. is philosophy. And I have a master’s degree in urban planning. That all explains why I currently work fulltime as a corporate communicator and my main hobby is screenwriting.

Somewhere out there is the perfect job for someone like me. I just haven’t figured out what it is yet.

There are times when I’d rather not be where I am. Those times tend to take up more calendar space than I prefer. Solutions to my problem aren’t simple but they are available.

If I had time to think, I could get where I need to go. I’m looking for a pub to duck into for a drink so I can melt into the ambience without any tasks poking my ribs.

Don’t act surprised by the news. We both knew it was coming. I wanted to tell you in advance but I wasn’t sure how you would take it.

Whenever I get a chance, I will pack up my things. For now, let’s just pretend that everything is all right. Life’s too short to face reality.

I’m working on a few new things that I hope will make our lives easier. At least when this is all over, there will be something to talk about. One day, we’ll forget what it was.

It makes you think twice about your next move. At times, I can’t move.

Where was I? One cannot be too sure. I was scheduled to be at a certain place for an alotted amount of time, but that time can be used in many ways.

What is the best use of my limited time? Well, there are many uses. How do I weigh each use?

I don’t have answers to these questions, but I do know that sometimes I have to get lost. In getting lost, I feel I am more apt to find myself. When everything is scheduled, I stare at the clock.

I want to forget the clock and think about life. Life is played out in many ways. Some of them I will take in whatever form they come. Even if it’s made up, I can still relate.

Perhaps I tend to avoid my own life. Is that an answer? Maybe you didn’t ask that question.

“Some day I’ll wake up and buy a new pair of shoes.”
—Nikki Sudden

I really want to pursue a new idea. It’s a bit outside my comfort zone. It’s different. It’s exciting. It’s what life should be about. It’s the latest rage.

It’s not about benefits, stability, and retirement plans. Even if it fails, life goes on.

There are processes, paper work, brainstorming, testing, time, and money. These aren’t obstacles but they do cause one to pause. Ducks have to be brought into order.

The fear of failure is real but look at all the lame businesses out there. This one is not lame. If we don’t do it, someone else will. They’ll succeed. Why give them all the glory?