iheart Faces Photography Challenge-"Smiles"

For all of the other great entries, you can go here. I mean, where else can you click on that many smiling faces?

Why I Love Ted Williams' Story

You had to have been under a rock to miss Ted Williams' story this week. He's the homeless man who is getting a second chance at redemption thanks to a Columbus, Ohio news reporter who stopped and taped the golden radio voice Ted advertised on his cardboard sign beside a busy highway. After years of addictions and livings on the streets, he's getting job offers and has been reunited with his 90-year old mother. Their honest, touching interview on the Today Show this morning had me shedding tears. Happy, warm tears. I have soaked up every report of his progress this week and smiled every time I watched something about him.

I love his story, for the same reasons everyone else does. It's just a feel good story of a man who has big opportunities for the comeback of a lifetime thanks to the curiosity of a news reporter and the viral nature of the internet. But it's more than that. To me, his story is about hope. Despite all of Ted's run-ins with the law and his battle with addictions, he kept his hope for better days alive. And it paid off.

There's a quote by someone whose name I can't recall that goes, "Never destroy a man's hope. That may be all he has." I believe in that. After all, what are we without hope? It's what drives us to study years for cancer cures or to work at feeding children in starving nations. It pushes us to invent things that make life better. It propels us forward, day in and day out. I've never been without hope, so I can only imagine how defeating it must be to be without it. And I often think about it because of my sister-in-law's suicide.

Many times since her death, usually when I'm lying in bed trying to fall asleep or in quiet moments around the house, I wonder what made her lose hope. I try to nail down that one thing that finally caused to her say enough. I run through the various aspects of the last few months of her life, even the final days, and wonder what caused her to stop believing there was a reason for her to go on. It's a dangerous mind game to play because it always leaves me feeling very hollow. And guilty. What could I have said that could have made it better? I'll never know.

Our words have such power, and maybe there was something I could have said or done to make her feel like sticking around. On the other hand, perhaps, there were things I said in the past that actually kept her from giving up previously. It's hard to know. What I do know is that our contact with people can be very powerful, whether we realize it or not, especially for people struggling with demons such as depression or drugs and alcohol. The reporter who stopped to hear Ted Williams' voice said he never imagined the way this story would spiral into a such a big deal and propel Williams into the opportunities that have come his way in recent days.

I suspect we all have contact with folks that result in good things we don't even realize. Wouldn't it be neat if we all took more chances on the Ted Williams' of the world? I wish him the best and hope to hear in a few years that he's still doing well in the world of broadcasting and making his mama proud. I love Ted's story becauses it gives ME hope that good things can happen in a heartbeat, if we expect them.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #329

In 1976, Hula joined the rest of the Franklin Lancer Band in numerous parades in celebrating this nation's bicentennial with homemade knickers, white stockings and tri-corner hats.




Because Hula's legs were too scrawny for the sexy twirler boots. Oh, and she couldn't twirl.

Have you ever stood on top of a dam?

In 32 degree weather?

And then turned right around and saw two, count 'em TWO bald eagles?

Sometimes, I think I have the best job in the world.

Playing Around

The local photography club theme this month was isolation. Fine by me. January makes me want to hibernate. Oh, and am I the only one who has to fight the urge to explore rundown buildings? The more delapidated it is, the more curious I am. Mama says I'm just nosey.

And We're Off!

2011 is underway. Honestly, I can’t believe 2010 is over, but then, I’m still reeling over my *(%#th birthday, and that was six months ago. Sometimes, I have to stop and think about what day of the month it is, and then I put on my best old fart voice and declare, “Whew, where does the time go?” Time flies faster than I can move these days, and frankly, it’s a little disturbing. When your life is more than half over (unless I live to be 93), you start feeling some pressure to get some stuff done. I want to see the Eiffel Tower while I’m still able to go the top. I don’t want to be the old women sitting on the bench below, holding everyone else’s purse while they all ride to the top. I also don’t want to be the one carrying the spare roll of toilet paper in my purse, but that’s a post for another day. A new year is before me, and I feel obligated to declare some goals. Not resolutions, because those are too difficult to keep. Just some goals to work toward.

For instance, I’d like to improve my photography. This means getting some help from various photography friends on lighting and exposure. This means you, Glen H. I would also like for it to include an 18-70mm f2.8 lens, but that means doing a few paying gigs, which is fine by me. The shoots I did this past year were great fun. I just don’t want them to intrude too much on my summer pool time.

Speaking of pool time, the man cave/pool project is nearly finished. It appears we will be hosting some 3,791 people who have invited themselves to our house this summer. We don’t mind. That’s what we built this entertainment area for. I just need to start saving now for all those hamburgers I’m going to be grilling this summer. Here’s hoping we don’t scare the neighbors into thinking we’re even worse than the party hounds who live up the street.

I would like to get more serious about running longer distances. I have dabbled with it irregularly in the past couple of months, but as mama says, it’s time to quit fiddle fartin’ around and just do it. I’d like for this to be another half marathon year, but we’ll see. Right now, I’m struggling to find time on the weekends for long runs. I’m going to have to do some juggling to make it work, but I’m really going to try. I’ve had three really good consecutive running days, so I’m optimistic today. I don’t know why I’m so much better in really cold weather than warm weather. Perhaps, because I just want to get it over and get back inside.

It will be a year of special moments. Teen Angel graduates from high school in the spring and then there’s college. The heart of this mother is feeling the squeeze of Teen Angel’s independence right now, but overall I’m very proud of the young woman she has become, and I look forward to enjoying the moment she tosses that cap into the air. The week prior to graduation we are traveling to New York City for her senior trip. None of us has ever been, so we’re very excited. I’m not sure New York is ready for the Hula-gen’s, but we’re going to find out. I can’t wait to take pictures there! Naked Cowboy, get ready. Prepare to be worn out with photos of the big city about the end of May. I’d like to take Teen Angel to Europe this summer, but it just depends on the cost. It’s very iffy right now. I haven’t found a decent deal yet, but I’m still searching. We’ve never been to Europe, and it’s high time we went. Also, on New Year’s Eve next year, Hubby and I will leave for a short Caribbean cruise with my cousins. Thanks to daddy’s huge family, I have fourteen gazillion cousins, spread out around the United States. Even though we have an annual family reunion, we really don’t get to see each other much, so we’ve decided to cruise together, and we’re really looking forward to it. We got a really great deal by booking more than a year in advance.

In the meantime, we shall work to stay healthy, try to be kind to each other and to others and work hard to take care of those around us. As the folks at the Army used to say, we want to be all we can be. And hopefully, there won’t be any major injuries along the way. It looks to be an interesting year, and I am hopeful we will use it wisely. Here’s a toast to health, prosperity and maybe a half marathon. Oh, and to the three painters I passed on the sidewalk while running today…I could HEAR you. And even though I’ve always found it rude for men to comment aloud about a woman on the street, the fact that you thought I had a nice boo-tay’ did get my year off to a good start. Just don’t let it happen again. Unless of course I’m feeling a little old.

iheart Faces Photography Challenge-"Favorite Face of 2010"

For the other entries you can hop right on over to here. And enjoy.