Be A Story

... through the highs and through the lows one must wonder where to go, but through it all we must never forget... we are here to be a story, and to be a part of a much bigger one...


Today I write with a fresh look on all the crazy hits that have come in these past few years, from parents re-marrying to brothers divorcing, to people struggling and the top man glowing, from being in love to being said goodbye, from standing up to the evil that exists to falling on my knees begging God for forgiveness for my sins, to all the folk who come and go, to the politicians who lie while the statesmen stand for truth, it has been a time of trial... a time to produce my story.

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You know it is funny I just took a look at my last blog to see when I last wrote... one year ago tomorrow. Destiny would have it that I would open my digital journal and write at this particular moment in time. But rather than go into detail of all that has occurred over this past year, I would rather delve into the place I have come to now, and the stories that light my fire.

My writing abilities have probably deteriorated a bit from this long hiatus, but bear with me while I attempt to bring them back.

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This country is in a very prime place right now... prime for making REAL changes, prime for growing, prime for listening to our hearts once again, prime for learning humility again, prime for re-awakening the dreams that exist in our hearts.

For the sake of not wasting your time, let me just say this. I am on my way up. On my way up with God, man, work, and all that I am capable of doing for others. My dreams are alive and well, and God is at the helm. I pray He keeps this crazy horse on course, because it will inevitably be a wild road ahead.

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Let me just tell you about a little experience I had the other day that I would like to call "Sessions with 'The Man'."

To preface, let me tell you that I have recently begun working for a unique financial services brokerage firm with a huge vision. (Don't worry, I still teach/play tennis & the bagpipes and hopefully will continue for years and years to come.) I have already become licensed in Life Insurance & Annuities and I sit down with people and help them get into a feasible financial plan to improve their future without the downside risk that stocks, 401(k)'s, 403(b)'s, and Mutual Funds come with. Let's just say, the right products for the times, and the right vehicle to help. The company is called People Helping People, or PHP. It has been around for only 2 years and has grown to over 5,000 Associates and is playing big time offense in this downtrodden economy. I am sure you will be hearing about them from more than just me over the coming years...

At the helm of this company, sits a 6 foot 5 inch Iranian Christian man named Patrick Bet-David, who immigrated here as a child during the first Iraq War. You can read his story here. I read his story, read his blogs, his vision, etc. I think they are great. I have met him before, but this past Thursday I got to really spend quality time with 'the man.' He was coming into Atlanta to do a Corporate Overview for the Atlanta Headquarters. We first had a meeting at 2-4pm with licensed associates only. He frequently mentioned me during the meeting as a hopeful leader to emerge within our company. I knew this beforehand, as they see my ability to work with people and my drive to become a success. But I wasn't really interested in this, as much as where my 'leader' was in mind and soul, in particular. We all sat there and listened to a man very well versed with his tongue, but through all the great stories and thoughts on his beliefs, I wanted to come up with a question for him that he was not used to hearing. I didn't want to stump the man, I just wanted to hear him answer a simple, but also tough question that was outside of his comfort zone.

The question was this: "What is the number one quality of a leader?"

He immediately spun the question around and asked me what I thought it was. Though I knew my answer, I refused to say it, as I wanted to hear his answer. I could tell he was a bit bothered just by the fact that I was not going to tell him my opinion. So, stuck there, he went on to answer the question, stating many many good qualities of a leader, but he could not say one to be the greatest, nor could he say the one thing that I believe it is. It wasn't until later on after our Corporate Overview meeting that I had the pleasure to sit right in front of him where we all met again for dinner at Chili's. Yes, I sat down right in front of him, so that I could look him in the eye and get a true feel for his presence and what it really is he stands for. I heard him speak about some great things in one sentence, but then in another sentence about expensive purses for his wife and a huge mall in Houston. I knew at that point that he is struggling with the same things that every wealthy American is faced with... greed. This is not to say he is full of it... it is just an inevitable struggle of being in his position. It was at this point that I was asked what my answer to the question I had asked earlier was, to which I responded: "A servant to the many."

Tick tock, tick tock, I knew this answer would certainly bring the conversation to another level... and... it did. Patrick is a very strong stature character who usually is able to wield himself by his amount of wisdom plus the above, but I knew for this time, he felt threatened. I could sense it. I wished he would simply say, "Good answer Nathan", but I knew he wouldn't go down without another challenge. So, I asked him another question. It was this: "Since this company is very much about obtaining leaders, what is it that you want to use these leaders for? In other words, why should leaders work for PHP?" Immediately he stormed back with the comment, "Why are you working here?" To which I responded, first off to help people, secondly to pay for certain things and get into a better financial situation (or get out of my 'shituation' so that I can help other people with theirs'... haha just kidding), but also, to learn more about the financial services industry. So, we sparred back and forth with each other while everyone listened in. What the reason for my questions came down to was this... Is this company reeeaaaalllly what it claims to be, or is the talk a front for a means to an end? Afterward I came to the conclusion that this company, along with every profitable organization, struggles with the balance, the balance of making money and following your vision. Yet this company has such a better vision than any other company I have found in recent history, that naturally, I must hold them to a higher standard. Gosh, this sounds a lot like me! Yet, I know in my heart of hearts that there is such a thing as a fine line that we can walk to fulfill both. I am constantly striving to stay on (and sometimes find) that line.

One word keeps us on it... and that is prayer.

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After the great sparring session at Chili's, Bo, our head of Atlanta Operations and all of the east coast as well as CMO of the company, convinced Patrick that he needed to check out the famous Veggie Bus at my home, so he did. We all trucked over and hung out for a bit while showing him the famous veggie bus. Here is a little video Patrick made from that experience... I hope you don't hold it against him... or any of us!



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You see I have so many incredible stories and I am sure you do to, but I haven't hit the road in such a while. How badly I would love to get the veggie bus ready for a road trip you do not even know. I just need to focus on my PHP business and hopefully I can help many of you through this company while you in turn help me to hit the road... where many stories await... If you are curious and would like more information as to what I do, please write back and I will be more than happy to tell you!

What else is going on right now? I am working out early mornings with Bo, our CMO, who has also become a good friend and mentor. Lots of other stuff going on, but maybe we'll just have to catch up in conversation. But boy, how I would love to hit the road...

In the meantime, I plan to continue building on my story... I hope you build yours too...

Hope continues... faith envisions... and love thrives. I miss you all and hope to see you soon...


God bless you big time. I am signing off...


~ Nate


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Lyrics:

Josh Garrels - Farther Along

Farther along we’ll know all about it
Farther along we’ll understand why
Cheer up my brothers, live in the sunshine
We’ll understand this, all by and by

Tempted and tried, I wondered why
The good man died, the bad man thrives
And Jesus cries because he loves em’ both
We’re all cast-aways in need of ropes
Hangin’ on by the last threads of our hope
In a house of mirrors full of smoke
Confusing illusions I’ve seen

Where did I go wrong, I sang along
To every chorus of the song
That the devil wrote like a piper at the gates
Leading mice and men down to their fates
But some will courageously escape
The seductive voice with a heart of faith
While walkin’ that line back home

So much more to life than we’ve been told
It’s full of beauty that will unfold
And shine like you struck gold my wayward son
That deadweight burden weighs a ton
Go down into the river and let it run
And wash away all the things you’ve done
Forgiveness alright

Chorus

Still I get hard pressed on every side
Between the rock and a compromise
Like the truth and pack of lies fightin’ for my soul
And I’ve got no place left go
Cause I got changed by what I’ve been shown
More glory than the world has known
Keeps me ramblin’ on

Skipping like a calf loosed from its stall
I’m free to love once and for all
And even when I fall I’ll get back up
For the joy that overflows my cup
Heaven filled me with more than enough
Broke down my levee and my bluff
Let the flood wash me

And one day when the sky rolls back on us
Some rejoice and the others fuss
Cause every knee must bow and tongue confess
That the son of god is forever blessed
His is the kingdom, we’re the guests
So put your voice up to the test
Sing Lord, come soon

Chorus

Land of the Secure... and the Home of the Wimps?!

It hit me hard while doing some hill sprints yesterday that America is becoming the 'Land of the Secure and the Home of the Wimps!' I was just contemplating on the fact that America was originally supposed to be the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave." This means that people who are brave and like freedom live in and will love this country. If someone does not want to be brave, but instead prefers a sedentary, easy, and secure lifestyle where things are taken care of for him, then there are plenty of other places in the world where he would be very happy... or maybe not... enough doers to cover his costs and make him happy? I have to be blunt here. I have been really irritated with Americans as of late. It seems too many people are asking what can be done for them and why things aren't so great for them... as if they are entitled to this stuff! The more I talked with people from all over the country I noticed two very different types of people: Those who do... and are irritated, and those who look to receive... and are also irritated.

These two types of people seem to be in the biggest battle I have witnessed of my life so far. The doers are constantly irritated with the receivers for sucking the life out of this country. The receivers are irritated with the doers because they are doing everything they can to keep the receivers from getting it so easy. Clearly a country cannot survive with two such different thinkers... or maybe it can. Maybe that is the only way that the receivers can survive. Maybe that is the only way for the doers to remain humble from their work. But... how humble are these doers going to be forced to become? Do you think they are going to keep wanting to do while the receivers keep on taking more and more from them? I don't think so. Something has got to give.

Clearly, I classify myself (and I don't like to put myself into any class) as a doer. Yes, I could do more. I believe we all could. But the main thing that differentiates me from a receiver is what I ask of myself the minute I wake up in the morning... that is, "what can I do to work towards my goals?" While a receiver asks, "What can I get to come closer to my goals?"

So as this country becomes more and more of a receiver country, it becomes more and more of a failure country. I meet people everywhere... even a lot of doers... that just annoy me. They do, but then they start complaining too early and don't ask enough of themselves. They have no faith. They are falling... falling... falling... slowly but surely into that receiver category as they ask less and less of themselves, and more and more of others. These are the people that I am targeting this blog toward. These are the people that, with a simple change of thought back to the way they used to think (if they can just remember how that was!) could start back on the real doer road again. These people are still effected by what I write, or by an inspirational quote, or by a Rocky movie, or by a great speaker that begs in a flashy way for people to give life their best! These people need to snap out of it.

How? One might ask. Simple, just ask yourself, what is the most I can give today. If that means quitting a job that is sucking the time and life out of you and going with a dream you had when you were a kid then do it! Jeez, how many people I have met who just totally discounted their dreams once they reached adulthood only to make an almighty dollar a little sooner and to live comfortably... is beyond me! What is comfort without joy? Love? Passion? Zest? Energy? God??? Nothing, if you ask me.

Of course there are the worries... the almighty worries. You know, those things that control our lives. They walk hand in hand with fears... and I hate them. You know what I am talking about, the 'what if's!' The 'I can'ts!' The 'oh man I am sure there is somebody better out there so I might as well not even try!'

Then there are those who forgot altogether what life was like outside of the tiny little box they have put themselves in. That box that just kept getting smaller and smaller until the littlest things, like going for a walk, now seem like too hard of labor for them. They are much more comfortable sitting inside and watching other people do things on a 40 inch flat screen television. These (I don't know how many million) people have driven me nuts too! I can't get their attention for a simple, nice, person-to-person conversation if I try! (Well, I can, but I would much rather see them get up and walk away from that colorful screen of nothingness, realizing that there is so much more they could be doing with their time! Gosh, life is too precious for this, people! America is, and always will be... what we make of it.

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I am going to end this blog with a story of when Megan and I went to Barbados in the southern Caribbean for the last part of our month of adventures on our Jetblue 'All You Can Jet' pass. I saw and spoke with many natives. I stayed with a native, played tennis with a native, and constantly hung out with the natives. I noticed all sorts of things that opened my eyes to the crap that goes on in the U.S. that I just had to write about it. People there do not have nearly as much as people here do in terms of material wealth. But, they do have a beautiful place to live in and an environment where people are united in their love and respect for one another. All the little things that seem to bug Americans and make them so difficult to continuously get along with roll right off these peoples' backs like rain off a leaf. They work less... but get more done, because they think clearly and with zest and energy and they work together! They take the time to engage in fun conversations with one another... gosh I miss that already! They don't worry so much about what tomorrow will bring, but instead have so much energy and liveliness and focus on the moment they are in at any given moment in time. This is all true! I saw it! I saw it in Ireland last year too. Go and see for yourself if you don't believe me! Oh yes, they take care of each other like you only see very rarely in America today, where the focus seems to be mostly on one's self. Ok, they do have their problems, but they do know how to enjoy life.

One night there was a group of taxicab drivers and friends hanging out playing dominoes at the local taxi stop in Holetown, Barbados. It was about 9pm on a Tuesday night and these guys were just laughing it up, filling the night air with the wonderful sound of laughter. Megan and I heard and walked up to see what was going on. They looked at us, some with smiles, others with a bit of confusion... maybe that two white tourists would even care what they were doing, and others couldn't care less that we came up. We talked for a minute with a few of them and they asked if we wanted to join their game. We had no change at the time, otherwise, I might have. But anyway, the point is, these grown men were outside, laughing and having fun with friends. This is something I very rarely see, if ever, today in America. So many people have an agenda, a chip on their shoulder, or maybe ten paranoid worries constantly going through their mind while in public that they are unable to engage in and enjoy times like these.

I wish these things would change... I believe they can. I can't afford to believe otherwise.

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Travel Chronicles:

September 7 - 9th: NYC - Couchsurfed with Nat Chua - Went to U.S. Open

9 - 13th: Boston - Stayed with Megan's college hockey friend Rachel Przybylowski - played tennis with someone I met in a CVS Pharmacy - played my pipes in an Irish Pub in South Boston on stage with an Irish Band.

Late 13 - early 15th: Pit Stop @ home in ATL via flight to Charlotte - Ran errands, worked a day teaching at the club - received some important items in the mail, including my newest attack, the Uilleann Pipes

15 - 21st: Long Beach, CA - Couchsurfed with Sharon Hammer - Played in Pro Futures Tourney in Costa Mesa - Rented a Smart Car Convertible for the time - Ate dinner with friends I met in '07 when I crashed their party - swam in the Pacific - broke my pipes in the same place as '07, out in front of the same house, literally in the same place on the pipes - met a new friend at the tournament - read all about the uilleann pipes - made friends with other couchsurfers staying at Sharon's too

21 - 22nd: Las Vegas - Stayed with Megan's cousins - off-roaded in their Rhino

22 - 29th: Prescott, AZ - brother Luke picked us up in LV and traveled over Hoover Dam to Prescott - met up with my bagpiper/tennis & racquetball playing friend Sandy Massie - watched a multiple-type bagpiping concert - played racquetball nearly every morning around 7 - dinner at Massies - Thumb Butte Hike w/Megan - traveled on foot and bike most of the time - gave Megan two tennis lessons - camped and slid at Sliding Rock in Sedona w/ Megan, Luke & niece Sierra

30 - 6th: Barbados, South Caribbeann - Couchsurfed with Alison Johnson (no link available) - amazing place/views - relaxed - swam in Caribbean - rented motor scooter for 3 days - went on a Sunday Group hike - ate at Fish Fry Friday night - met other couchsurfer who is married to a local tennis pro - played tennis with him - toured much of Barbados (not east coast though) - drank Barbados' own Mount Gay Rum - hitchhiked - enjoyed the simple life

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Signing off,

~ Nate

Back out of the Matrix

Me sitting with my bagpipes outside the 2010 US Open.

If you read the blog I just posted before this... then you will know that I am currently on the road again traveling on the Pro Tennis Circuit. Let's rewind for a few minutes though, back to May 28th, 2010, the day my baby came home...
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It is Friday, May 28th, 2010, my heart races as I hastily prepare to pick up my girlfriend of 3 1/2 months, Ms. Megan Dovell begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, up from the Atlanta Airport. The last 3 of those months she has been in S. Korea teaching English. Only three weeks were we together since we began dating before she left. Megan booked the ticket the day before we met. ***
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That brisk Monday evening on the 8th of February, 2010, was a night I will never forget. It had been over a year since Megan had first messaged me on Couchsurfing, but we were finally meeting up. We had talked a few friendly messages after that, but circumstances kept us both from meeting up until now. Funny thing, when I asked Megan where she lived so I could go pick her up I found out that she was literally just around the corner from me, a two-minute drive. It is about 9pm, I arrive at the door of a nice new Duluth suburbian home, ring the doorbell and wait. A friendly and beautiful lady (whom I assumed was her older sister but found out later was Sheri Kaminski. She was the mother/wife in the ex-neighbor family that was putting Megan up. Her family of 5, the Kaminski's, grew up with Megan's family of 6 but Megan's parents moved to Ohio a few years back. Thom & Sheri are in the picture to the left where we all went out to a really cool improv theatre in February.) answers the door and has me come inside as she tells me that she will get Megan. A little "woop woop" dance by the banister with a smile as she looked up to the top of the steps and Megan walks down, humbly dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. She hardly looked at me before we walked out the door but I could tell she was happy to go out with me this brisk evening.
Fast forward to an amazing 2 hours later. After dinner we drove to my favorite spot at Lake Lanier and walked & talked along the lakeside. She wanted to see my house and bus, so we ended the night lying on top of my school bus looking at the stars as we drank our McDonald's hot chocolates. We talked about all kinds of things and found out that we matched up on about a gazillion different levels. (We still find more to this day... and hopefully for days to come.) It was then time to take her home. We spent every day hanging out together from then until that morning she left for Korea on March 1st, 2010.

We talked every single day while she was in Korea, most of the time twice a day. We either talked on Magic Jack or Skype, depending on if I was at home or not. Since Korea is 13 hours ahead of Atlanta our nights and days were flip flopped. This often made our conversations quite interesting, one always waking up while the other winding down, but we knew how strong our love was before Megan left... so all was very worth it. Megan kept a blog of her time there at: http://mommamiaimlivinginkorea.blogspot.com
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*** Anxiety and excitement are brewing in my heart as I try and get all my stuff together before I go and pick up Megan. Finally I am finished and as it looks I will make it there right on time as long as the traffic is good... not. A big accident provides for a half hour delay in downtown Atlanta and I am freaking out because Megan has called. She has arrived and I am not there... Oh boy, not good! The car is fresh and clean, the shells I picked up on the shores of Maryland laid across the dash of my '87 grey Bimmer Convertible look beautiful, my two favorite U2 cd's (Joshua Tree & Achtung Baby) I bought for Megan sitting perfectly in her door compartment, the flowers I picked from my back yard sitting on her seat, but no Megan.

Finally I arrive, park, and run to the arrivals level of the ATL Airport. After looking for about 5 minutes I find Megan. She looks like a traveler who just flew 16 hours should. But when our eyes met we both lit up like two Roman Candles as we grasped each other... our life together has been reunited after a brief stint before she left. Oh what a feeling that was. I couldn't stop hugging and kissing her... my love, my future, my dream, my life was at my side... never to part again.









I know, my eyes were half open, but I was all there :)

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Fast forward to this day, this month, September 2010!!! As you know I have been training to get back out on the road, now that I have spent this past year breaking free from the Matrix, the grips of society. In this time I have gradually taken out the things that were slowly picking at my character like bugs slowly destroying a leaf. At first I was so numb it felt like I didn't know which way to turn. Just broken and weakened by the matrix that I was living in. In this time I really realized how important it is to NOT compromize in this life. If you have faith in God and you work on that faith daily along with what you strive to succeed in, you will find that everything you need He will provide and your life will be so much more alive, not numb at all but warm as a cup of hot chocolate on a brisk February night.

To the bed I go. Much more to catch up on, but first I must rest... Good night all. It is so good to write you again.


Signing off,

~ Nate


P.S. Please read the blog below if you have not already...

P.P.S. I love comments, so please feel free to. Each person that receives this is my friend and I want to hear from you.

The Final 10%

The Journey is alive again!

"The men I pity are those who do 90% of what it takes to succeed." ~ someone famous


Okay, with exception for the video I actually wrote this blog about 6 months ago and I am finally posting it because things are just now coming to fruition. I will be writing a new blog soon, but please read this one first so you know what is going on!

~ Nathan

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Written on March 26th, 2010, but highly relevant stuff!

If you saw my last long blog entry I told you that I had a surprise to tell you. Well... here it is! This is a rough cut, so it is a bit drawn out and needs to be cleaned up, but for blog purposes it should help you to see what is going on in my life... (see video below)



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Moving on, I have some big news on my end, where to begin telling you... oh wow I do not know! I am & have been training since January to go back out on the Pro Tennis Satellite Circuit again for a part of 2010. I will be heading to Joplin, Missouri on July 15th to play in my first tournament there. I will again be staying with the Meekers, a beautiful older couple that own an incredible little bed & breakfast called Bit of Eden. Then I will be training & going to the southern California tournaments in mid-late September, including Claremont, Costa Mesa, & Irvine. I am not going to pretend that I don't need help getting me through this successfully. Beyond my two incredible trainers, Betty McHan (super-slow strength training) & Josh Rohr (explosiveness, agility & speed training), I need finances to back this up. As you know if you keep up with my blogs I spent the last two years paying off debt and getting myself into a good financial position with owning a house, two (old :) Bimmers, & a 35-foot (school bus veggie converted :) RV, & a (free) German Shepherd named Jack, & most recently God has put the most beautiful woman in the world into my life, Ms. Megan Dovell. You will hear much more about her in the future I am sure, but for now she is teaching English in South Korea. She is amazing, but I am going to spend more time talking about her in my next blog.

So I am wealthy I know, but to take that leap into the great beyond, back outside of the Matrix that is the societal gravitational poll into the great unknown that is the place where my dreams lie, I NEED YOUR HELP! Yet if you know me, you know that when I ask for help I always want to give more back to you in return. So here are some awesome ways YOU can help:

1. Go to FeedtheVan.com (soon to be FeedtheBus.com) and you can sponsor me in one of three ways. You can buy a sweet "I fed the van." t-shirt for $15 bucks. You can purchase a bumper sticker ad on my Veggie Bus for $50 (to be placed on both the bus & on FeedtheBus.com with a link to your own website!) Lastly, you can make a simple donation to this great cause right from the website.
2. Tell as many friends as possible about this blog and get permission from them to have me put them on my blog list. Get 15 people to sign up by sending me their e-mail addresses & I'll send you your very own FeedtheVan.com "I fed the van" T-shirt! Do I have the van anymore? No, but her spirit (and website) lives on...
3. As I am sure you know, to do what I do well, a great diet is paramount. Beyond my normal healthy eating habits, I supplement it with a priceless product called Vemma, the #1 liquid dietary supplement on the market, made of Vitamins, Essential Minerals, Mangosteen (whole wildcrafted), & Aloe, also where it gets its' name. I have been using this product for a year & half to help keep my health at its' peak & it is a key contribution to my life goal of being a centenarian. Recently I decided to begin selling this product as I believe in it so much. It can be purchased in many forms, including the regular 32 oz bottles, the single-use double-shots, Verve Energy drink, Vemma Next for kids, & Vemma Thirst Sports Drink in individual powder packets. This being said, you can click on the Vemma link above to go directly to their website and purchase with me as your referral. It's got a 30-day empty bottle full refund guarantee, so no risk... only reward!!! As I have found, it is the tastiest & easiest to drink of all the liquid dietary supplements I have used, which is one of the main reasons I have stuck with it! By purchasing this product you will be helping yourself to live a long & healthy life along while helping me out on the road!

These are three awesome ways you can sponsor me on my way to becoming a success on the road. Thank you for reading and considering and God bless.

Signing off,

~ Nate
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So there you have it, this blog I wrote about 6 months ago. I will be following it up soon with my current situation/adventures.

Love Song to our Maker

With all the strife and struggle out there, and the ignoring of the One who made us, I just wanted to pay tribute to our Maker with this tune. I hope you will relax, put on the brakes, and listen to this tune & read the scripture quotes that go with it, including the one I added below :).

That is what is meant by the Scriptures which say that no mere man has ever seen, heard or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord. ~ I Corinthians 2:9



:) I love you all.

~ Nate

Taking Responsibility For Your Life

WATCH THIS WHEN YOU HAVE 40 MINUTES... NO MATTER WHAT RELIGION YOU ARE, IT IS VERY WELL WORTH YOUR TIME! Grab those headphones and really get into this... it's awesome!

Blessed are the Dreamers

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A Reunion at the U2 Concert October 6th, 2009
(Danny, Peter, Ted, & Me)

We do what we do

Only feet from the Bono

My brother Dustin, Jack (my dog) & I at Centennial Olympic Park sometime in August.

My Mom's Wedding 9-12-09 (brother Luke walking her down the aisle)

In order from left to right: Me, Dustin, Peter, Luke, Mom, Steven, his Mom, Tiffany, & Moria
aka the Brady Bunch

Mom & Steven

Some mountains in Tennessee... or was it Kentucky? on my ride home from the wedding.

Over 5 months have passed since I last wrote. I have been in shock & awe over all the happenings in my own life since then.

Here I sit with the usual beer at my Mother's home in our nearly 200 year old home in the study, my favorite room in this house in Groveport, Ohio to tell you a majorly shortened version of what has happened over this time. It's been nuts as usual. Yet, it feels good to write again.

Last time I wrote I had just purchased and moved into my new home on Mattison Street in Duluth, Georgia. Since then I acquired pretty much a houseful of free (or really cheap) furniture. One family from Sugarloaf was redecorating most of their house and asked if I would like to come over and look at some stuff. "Sure" I said, thinking it would probably be just a few things. Above is the first truckload full. My friend Joe helped me pick it all up in his truck too.

I had a great housewarming party with a keg of Guinness and Irish food. Several friends/clients from Sugarloaf came, as well as my friends and newfound neighborhood friends. As I remember the power went out that night during the rainstorm. We ended up singing to my friend Graham's acoustic guitar as he played some Irish jigs. No, I'm sorry, we ended up playing water basketball into the night at my neighbor's.

Moving on, two roommates moved in August 1st. Both are female whom I found on Craigslist through a roommate ad I posted. They were the first two to come take a look, so no conspiracies please. It has worked out well (so well that I am adding a 3rd roommate in the basement come January 1st... another female... my next door neighbor's girlfriend... so it will be a happening place... don't know how much time I will spend there :) )

Then my 27th birthday came on the 25th of August (starting to dislike these birthdays already... would rather be like an aboriginy and never fully know my age.)

Sometime in here I quit my tennis teaching job at Sugarloaf and began working independently and at Hamilton Mill, a 2500 home community in Dacula, Georgia.

September came, and with it came a lot. My Mom got re-married to a man named Steven Thomson. My great Irish friend Gary Kilduff came all the way from Dublin, along with all my brothers and their families, plus all of Steven's family, including his two daughters. Yes, very similar to the Brady Bunch. It was a wonderful wedding, a truly beautiful time.

While we were there we were all thrown a curveball, finding out my Father had gotten re-married to the former Susie Gualtieri that weekend as well. It was strange and a bit unnerving to find this out the way we did, but we all kept our cool.

Moving on, October 6th was the Atlanta U2 concert, where my brother Peter came from South Florida, my great friend Danny came from Maryland, and our friend Ted came from North Carolina just to meet and experience the concert together. What a time we had. The pics will tell the words.

Later in October an amazing thing happened, the story of the year, but I will save that story for the next blog.

Also in October I was called and asked to be assistant high school tennis coach at Duluth High School right by my house (3 minutes away.) I will be starting in February.

We did a Halloween Party at my place too. I was a pretty bad version of Chuck Norris (pics.)

November brought work and organization... fine.

December is bringing big plans for the future.

The rest is in the pics.
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Once I said that the joys lie in the cracks and crevices of all we do in life. Lately it seems I have been too busy to really appreciate those joys like I should. I plan on getting back to that place in 2010...

I still have the bus and am working to get the veggie system running again. 2010 will bring out a dream inside of me. I have a dream we all get off our butts like we did in the times of the American Revolution and take this country back over to be used for what it was meant for... freedom. Dreams, dreamers, the fire inside being let out for what one believes in. Wimps, well, wimps will just need to take note and get on their own horses and ride! Learn from those who know, drop your pride, and find the life that God has set for you. It is there. Quit crying, quit lying about our yesterdays and even todays. Why not spend that energy on planning a beautiful tomorrow... not for ourselves so much as for others... for the best self you can get is in the joy of giving to others. When you're lying on that deathbed you won't say you didn't give it your all, right? No regrets, right? Let's turn off our televisions, stupid habitual websites on our computers, pray, get down on our knees and pray to our Maker for the strength to walk that line. Walk it humbly, with the Love that only a maker could give. Come on! No more petty small talk... get with it. Feel the power of the Maker, God himself rise up inside of you. Nurture it and it will grow... beyond our wildest dreams... feel it... don't be deceived... never let it go! Don't be afraid to make a sound.
It gets better each time around!
Just remember to keep your feet on the ground.
But let that joy grow abound

Am I making a point? Boy I hope so.





Merry Christmas



Signing off,



~ Nate