The Beginning of the Ending of 2021

We are coming close to the end of the year. Have you done all the things that you wished this year, or are you missing things that you thought you were going to do? There is still time to do what you wanted to accomplish but you need to get on it. You can do this as long as you just keep on going. 

All you need is whatever will charge you up to get ready for going into what is about to start.

The holidays are upon us and they will be there for the next couple of months. This is the time to charge your engine before Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah and the New Year.

So remember that this is the end of the year—a time that is wonderful but also very difficult. Remember to take care of yourself and your loved ones. Measure yourself for you have time but you also have to remember that you need to keep your strength up and still do the best that you can do!

Time Goes Fast, Don’t Waste It…

It is interesting when you see the other side of the mountain. Does it make you feel accomplished or just older? To me, you have to look at where you’re at and where you want to be. There are many things that I want to do but I can’t just get up and go anywhere. I used to go where I wanted to go and I would just get up and go. I can’t do that anymore because my children need help as one is going to college next year and the other one starts high school. It makes me think about what I have wanted for my family and I think it’s going well. 

However, I never really thought I would need to talk about the future and what it would bring. I thought that this part of life would be easier. My dad used to say little kids have little problems and big kids have bigger problems. I should’ve listened to what he said because it is coming true. For a person who was a second language learner my dad made sense with what he said. The old time teaching still is pertinent. 

I am realizing how quickly time comes and goes. I hope that there is time for us to still have memories while our boys are with us. I feel like our time is going like Cat Stevens’ immortal song Cat’s in the Cradle. If you have never heard it you are missing out. Time goes before you know it. Just like life. Don’t waste your time.

Have a good week!

Fall is Here and We Need to Hear What it is Saying

When you hear your body telling you that it is time for a new regimen, listen. We are going into the fall and have to listen to our bodies. It is essential to know what we need to eat to help our bodies with vegetables and fruits. This morning I had a wake-up from my body telling me to spend more time stretching. Yesterday, I was not wise, and I pulled a back muscle. I didn’t listen to my back, so I am spending more time relaxing from this morning.

These are some of the issues that we encounter. We need to take enough time to do things right. Taking enough time to do things right is going to help you in the long run. If you are a person that gets up early, then you are ahead, and that will make it easier for you. If you are behind, see what you can do to help you get started. Find ways to get yourself motivated. It can be a reward at the end of the week or whatever you feel is appropriate for you. 

In the end, it is all about you. Again, believe in yourself and what you want to do for yourself. Nobody should be telling you what to do. Remember, it is all about you and what you want. You are the only power in your life. Have a good week!

A Small Nugget Where My Dad Showed He Cared

Cherish the Fleeting Moments before they Pass

My father is 93 years old, and he has had a good life. Sadly, he is now suffering from forgetting names and seeing people that are not around anymore. He forgets our names at times, and it is somewhat disturbing when he calls you and it is not your name. That happens as well with my brothers. He is a different person from the tough guy that he was when I was younger. I have to say that I wish that guy would show himself before he goes and not forget our names. 

I remember one time, and it was only one time that my dad let go of some tears in front of me as a child. My brothers were at summer camp, and I was too young to go. That morning my dad decided to play games with him that day (chess, board games, even shooting hoops). I knew that my dad had to work that day, and I was crying because he had to go to work. I looked up, and I could see through the window that he was crying too but not as much as me. I never forgot that day. That day was the only time where my dad opened up.

I know that his time is coming soon, whether it is now or later. None of us are perfect in terms of our children. However, on that particular day, it was something that I have always remembered. It is important to remember our friends and families. Those moments are like precious diamonds. It is important to cherish those moments because they disappear in a blink of an eye.

Have you had your MRI Tonight?

I Have

What are you doing tonight? Is it a dinner and a movie or something different? For me, I am getting a MRI. This has been coming since June and tonight it is finally here. This is not what I would like to do this evening, however, it is important. I need to know what is going on in my head. It seems like aphasia but it might be something else. In any case, I am hoping that there will be a diagnosis in September. 

The good part is that I hope to get more information about what is going on and what can be done. In a situation like this I had a MRI about three years ago and it was a rather incomplete. I hope that this is better because I will be taking something before and during that will help me relax and find what is going on in my body. 

After the MRI

I decided to finish what I started about the MRI. The MRI center was very professional and I felt a lot better about the procedure. Yes, there were loud noises during the MRI but it goes with the territory. Now it will take about a month to get the report. So when we left the hospital we did what many people often do we went to In and Out and then went home.

How are you normalizing a difficult experience in your life? Want to talk about it with someone? I would love to hear from you.

On the Positive Side

What can you appreciate?

It is time to do things that you want to do. We have been cooped up for a long time and that has to change. Yes, we know that we have seen more movement in terms of being outside and doing activities with friends that you haven’t seen in a while. As an example, yesterday my family and I went to visit our close friends that we had not seen in about a year and a half. It was so interesting because both of our families had major growth (both physical and emotional) and it was astonishing. Of course it was a good thing but it also reminded all of us of what we had missed for more than a year. We all have to adjust to this new reality. 

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Well, it is hard to tell. However, I would put this in the good category. Yes, we lost some time from being with them, but it was really exciting to see their two boys that have grown so much and ours have grown as well. It was a restorative time and I’m glad that we could connect with them. It made me think that it was ok to be away for a while because both families were more mature and more able to talk about issues and express themselves. 

So now I am seeing one positive side of this pandemic. I know that it is perhaps sad to say that we did not see our dear friends and family for the last year or more. However, it was wonderful to finally connect with them and have great conversations. I know that this has been a difficult time but see if you can find that thing that you appreciated during this time.

Share what you appreciated with me in the comments. I would love to hear about it.

Learning Restraint

How will you use restraint?

I learned the word restraint one night when I was going to pick up my girlfriend at the time. The year was 1982 and my car was a Corolla 74. I remember that I was speeding and suddenly I had police car behind me using his loud speaker telling me to stop and not to move — look forward, keep my hands on the steering wheel, and don’t move. I was in Inglewood and I had never been pulled over by the police. The officer kept saying not to move. He had his gun out and cocked on me. That was when restraint became a word that I would never forget. 

It is interesting how some words just stay with you for a life time especially when they have an extra story to go with it. I am sure that many of you have words that mean much more because they remind you of situations that you loved and others that you hated. This was one I hated. The officer got to the front of the car and he saw that I was just a 19 year old kid that was late for a date. Yes, I was cited for driving too fast. Yes, I was cited many times. And yes, I always used restraint. I had to because as a male Latino you don’t get much sympathy from the LAPD. 

In life we are always put into situations that can be difficult. It is important that we remember that restraint is hopefully an option that you can use. There are too many people that  are getting hurt. We need people who can help others. Perhaps you can be one of those people that can help others. Think about it.

Summer Journeys

Where will your path lead?

I have committed to the journey of finding out more about my condition. We will see where that leads. I will provide updates as I learn more. It takes time some to get all the testing done and it doesn’t happen in one or two weeks. In the meantime, we are in summer! 

This is the time that usually is for sun, fun, and vacation! However, it also feels rather awkward with some people still feeling not sure that they are safe to go out and others trying to makeup for the time they have lost. There is no right or wrong. It really just is how you feel and what you want to do.  

Now I know the world is a big place but it is important to find places where you feel safe. My thought is to go where you feel most comfortable for you. This is our world and we need to live in it! Your sense of what you like and where you want to do is completely your decision especially now that you can do it. All you need is to decide what you want to do! Where do you want to go? 

Good luck and have fun!  

Life as I Know it

I am scared. I have spent my life working in education. This spans elementary, middle school, and in college/university. If you follow my blog you will see that I talk about education, psychology, and people in their daily lives. I like talking about spending time with family and friends and getting out in the world. However, I am possibly facing something that might change my life from now on.

What I am facing started in 2018 when I was assigned a class at MSMU and it was different. Usually, I was a meticulous teacher. I would set up the class at least an hour before it started. However, this time I had difficult setting up and what I was going to do. Sometimes I would blame the traffic for my sluggish mood particularly because it took me somewhere from an hour and a half up to two hours and a half to get there when it was really slow. However, I did what I could do. I decided that it was a one off. I managed to continue working at other schools but I noticed a different work ethic where I was not as I had been. 

Now with almost a year of not working in a school it has been surreal. Like most all of us it has been a challenge to get a job or several jobs to make things work. For me, I am still writing and life coaching. I miss being in schools. The plan now is to go through some tests to make sure that there aren’t any severe problems with me.

What about you? Are there any things that you are thinking about for your health or family? Your health and family are the most important things in this life!