Tuesday, January 25, 2011

"And I hear them saying you'll never change things, and no matter what you do it's still the same thing.  But it's not the world that I am changing.  I do this so this world will know that it will not change me." - Garth Brooks "The Change"

One of my closest friends is a 43 year old man who lives half a world away with a beautiful wife and three beautiful children.  He has an amazing job and is incredibly successful.  From the outside looking in, you would think that he has everything, and yet, every time we speak, send an email or otherwise communicate, he says "thank you for choosing me today."  I found this odd because why would he care if someone from Buttfuck, Alberta was his friend?

So I asked him about it one day and he told me that every day that I wake up, I make a choice.  I "choose" to be his friend.  It isn't something that he can force me to do and that my choice is important to him.  That every day we speak, it causes him to want to be a better friend, a better parent, a better husband and that he is grateful for the changes in his life that have happened because of our friendship.

I never really thought about people making a choice to be my friend.  I am the sort of girl who used to "buy" my friends, be over accommodating, and determined to be the "best friend ever", when really, the people I call my friend are the ones who choose to be mine every day, not because of what I do for them, but because of what being my friend means to them.  I don't want them to choose me because of what I can do, but because being my friend has intrinsic value in their life.

Thank you for choosing me today.

Monday, January 24, 2011

"I have always believed, given another chance, I could defeat anyone I had ever lost to, even someone who had defeated me twice." - Rich Franklin

Happy New Year and all that...once again and hopefully for the last time I will apologize for my extended absence from blogging.  Let me see if I can catch everyone up:

• My boss was diagnosed with colon cancer - bad news
• Potential opening for Interim Executive Director position - good news
• Potential position thwarted by evil boss off on sick leave - bad news
• New boss is previous peer - good news
• New boss has quite a swelled head about the new position - bad news.
• My aunt, after a long battle with cancer passes away - good news/bad news
• My brother doesn't speak to me at the funeral - good news/bad news
• My cousin's father-in-law passes away unexpectedly - bad news
• It's Christmas - good news
• My mom and dad come out for Boxing Day - good news
• Had a great new years with most of the cast of JDFT that I see most often - good news
• Back at work after a week off - bad news
• Work seems to be okay - good news
• Rock Star at JDFT - good news
• Workouts slow down in new year - bad news
• Work isn't so bad this week - good news

There you are all caught up....now for the great news!

I am going to Las Vegas!  Hooray.  I am going to see UFC 126 where Rich Franklin is the co-main event fighting Forrest Griffin.  The main event is Anderson (hate your guts) Silva fighting Victor (kick Silva's Ass) Belfort, but I am not as interested in that event.

I am all about Rich Franklin.  I think not only is he a tremendous fighter, but he is also a tremendous person who has a kind heart and treats his fans well.  I had the awesome pleasure of meeting him a few years ago, and truly, he gave me his complete and undivided attention. There was no attitude, no "look at me", just a really honest individual who is grateful for the opportunities that life has given him.

Now don't get me wrong, but I LOVE this man.  I sit on the edge of my seat for every one of his fights, I am elated when he wins, and devestated when he loses.  I had a great email chat with his wife today and if she doesn't think I'm a total lunatic and stalker, I may meet her when I'm in Vegas next month. 

Always looking for the next great life experience!