Un-common sense

It's my spring break, but you certainly wouldn't know it. I'm working 10 hour days, and working on all those household projects and chores we put off. If that wasn't enough, I have an article to write (due TONIGHT) on the history of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. Spring break really just means more free time to do more things!

So today, to help keep myself motivated after a tough, action packed weekend, I picked up my ipod and dialed up the usual latest Disney podcasts. While that always helps boost my mood, it doesn't necessarily help with motivation for work or some of the heaiver issues in life I've been faced with of late. I mix things up and dail up an old audio book that I absolutely love. "The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

It's a little over 4 hours long, so it should help keep me on track for the rest of my day 10 hour day. It always builds me up and makes me think of the "uncommon sense" that all of us seem to lose sight of.

In so many ways, Randy reminds me of myself. Listening to this always reminds me that my logical approach to life is not so odd. I'm no "Spock", but I tend to look at problems as an engineering issue - something to be overcome and resolved. In that way, I don't resemble most of my fellow artists who tend to focus on expressing their feelings over resolving an issue. Maybe it's what helps keep me grounded (and not starving)? Either way, I owe it to my parents and I'm forever grateful for the gift of balance.

One thing that Randy talks about is the day he was told that the fight for his life was ending, and the comfort care began. The nurse hadn't logged off the computer showing his medical records, so Randy poked around on it while waiting for the doctor. There he found the lab values and tumor imaging that proved the fight phase was over. He and his wife were (completely understandably) devasted by the news. As he puts it, "In my inability to stop being rationally focused, I realized there was no box of tissue in the room. Shouldn't a room like this, at a time like this, at least have box of tissues?"

While the moment is heartbreaking, it makes me smile a bit as well. And those that know me know why...

That's exactly the type of thing I would have noticed. ;)

Sometimes life isn't about the mountains we move or the desitations we reach. It's about the climb.