Staring me smack-dab in the face was the logo that adorns the vast majority of my shirts. I sat and admired that bag and that wonderfully simple logo. That logo has a story behind it, I suggest you do some digging into it, if that sort of thing interests you.

The bag got me thinking about my own brand and identity. I mean, sure, I have a mascot in my Skid Vis character:

The mascot, which of course I adore, is way too complicated in comparison to the simple rhino. So, I started working on something new..

I had a lot of thoughts running around, trying to think outside the box, and whatnot. Eventually, I settled on what I call “The Devil’s V“. I don’t know why I call it that, but it’s what came to mind when I imagined it on my Jeep a few years ago, and it’s been my go-to V ever since.

I got to work on testing out that version, but the more I looked at it, the more it looked like someone just scored a touchdown.

Not exactly the worst thing ever, a guy signaling “It’s good!”, considering my slogan is “Making Things Gooder.” But it just didn’t feel right. I was just about to give up, when I looked back at my sketches and was drawn to the very first one I put down. This time around, I saw things hidden in it that just made it the obvious choice. So here it is, the brand new brand:

As you can see, it’s pretty damn simple. It works in full color, and even in solid colors. It’s the letter V, for Vis; it also turns out to be someone flexing their muscles, which is perfect because the word Vis is Latin for Strength! But wait, there’s more!

In my universe, much like in Star Wars, Spawn, and heck, even traffic lights; Red is the color of Bad, and Green is the color of Good. They are both a part of us, so the “head” being green and the “body” being red represents the eternal struggle we all deal with.

Anyway, I just wanted to jot down how I arrived at this new brand, mainly for me, but hopefully you enjoyed tinkering with the inner workings of my lunatic mind. Who knows, maybe some day I’ll have a fancy bag of my own?!

Tumultuous?

Yea! Totally. Wow. I fell in love, but that all went horribly awry. I pushed all the wrong buttons and was left to the reality that I’m just not meant to have that sort of life.

Aww c’mon, it couldn’t have been all bad?

No, that’s true. There are tons of great memories. But goodness, remember mid-summer??

I could hardly forget, the time your were a po-et.

lol, yea. But wow, those were dark times. In all my life, I’ve never had to endure such pain and dispair. I didn’t think I’d get back out of that. To lose someone that seemed to be an extension of your soul, that’s just such heartbreak. Eventually, with the help of some friends, I was able to accept that, as Mickey Rourke said in Barfly, “That’s just the nature of the way things work.”

I made my mistakes, I ruined many a good thing, but I cannot sit around in sorrow. I still have to live because, true to my moniker, life undeniably goes on.

Indeed. So now what?

Well, I’m glad you asked. This summer was hard, as they usually are. You see, since the age of twenty-two, I’ve been living birthday-to-birthday. I never looked beyond my next birthday. However, I once heard said that those who achieve greatness, usually do it in their thirties. In eighteen months, I’ll be hitting the big 4-0. That doesn’t leave me much time, as evident in that counter on the right.

Oooh, that’s what that is!

Yessir, a countdown to my most important birthday yet. It’s sure to be a blast. It’s my finish line. I’ve decided to go all-in and all-out for the next eighteen months. I’m going to pull out all the stops and follow every dream I can. I have less than 600 days to find my grail.

Hey! This year wasn’t all bad, you got to see Spamalot again!

Yessir, and wasn’t that just a barrel of monkeys! XD
Anyways, buckle up and wish me luck. I plan on it being a very bumpy ride.

Well, I can hardly wait.

The impact has caused an uprising of debris that’s blocked out the sun. Your nightmares have ripped through your soul and now stand before you, smiling, taunting you. What do you do?

What can I?

Nothing. You sit there, you watch the timer as it counts down the end of your miserable existence.

Yes.

They were all right. Remember them? The ones who said you’d never amount to much? The ones who predicted you’d die by a gutter?

Yes.

Way to go, champ. You’ve made psychics out of those bitches.

Yes.. I suppose.

You’re a fool. Look at me. Listen to what I have to say.

Fine.

Do not fear the wolves when they’re pups.

Yes, I know. I said that just the other day.

You did, but did you fully understand it?

Yes, we shouldn’t fear things when there’s still time to make changes.

Exactly. You can still make the pack yours. You can still rule the world, your world.

Yes, I can, but so much has gone wrong. I’ve lost control.

You’ve never had control, That’s an illusion. You’re a reactionary beast, you’re born to adapt.

You’re right. I did not get here by following.

Yes.

I still have options.

Yes.

I still have my strength.

Yes.

I am a force, light and nimble.

Yes.

Stop dwelling on all that has gone wrong, find yourself, find..

..the right in what’s left.

“Feels better to be lost, but haven’t felt the choice” — Chevelle, Revenge

The last 18 months have been quite turbulent, they’ve been a testament to the range of human emotion. I’ve felt happy, hopeful, angry, sad, loved, abandoned, useful, and useless. This is the cost of being the spirit that I am, ducking and weaving in and out of the lives of many.

The last 18 months have been hard to face. I found many moments where life finally made sense, where I had hope. Like bubbles floating in the air, they were gone as quickly as they appeared. The memories of the laughter we’ve shared almost makes it all seem worthwhile. I like to think that I’ve left a positive mark in your life. I like to imagine that your world is a better place because I’ve been there.

I’m in the middle of my life.

The last 18 months will be hard to face alone. It is my last chance to become a monument to goodness. I have a lot left to do and not a long time to do it. I’ll have to knuckle down, I’ll have to dig in and stand firm in my beliefs. I’ll have to open up and explore new ideas.

The last 18 months are my last chance to prove to the world, to you, that I can follow my own rules. That I can put the needs of the many above my own needs. It will be my self-serving attempt at happiness, to determine if I truly can feel happiness by providing it to others.

I’m in the nexus of my existence.

The last 18 months have led me down a path unlike any I’ve ever encountered. I’ve had to face many demons, I’ve had to deal with how I’ve let my fears hurt people. I feel disgraced by the very thought. I had slid into a mode of self-protection that made me lose sight of how much I affect others. I apologize deeply to those I’ve hurt, and I promise to be more vigilant to avoid further pain on either side.

The last 18 months are an experiment, I’m walking into a void where I can’t help but be afraid. Yet, I have no options. Time will not wait for me. I have to push forward and deliver on my goals and objectives. I have to spread my wings and let my hopes and dreams carry me toward the height of my abilities.

I long to be happy, I long to make you happy.
Thanks for your love in the last 18 months.
Love me in the last 18 months.

“You either fail or you rise and reach to other worlds” — Chevelle, Arise

How do you let them know that they still exist? How can you tell them that they are constantly in your thoughts, that they are a huge part of you? How can you show them that, even though they aren’t around, they heavily influence your life?

How can they see that you miss them so much and want to give them what they want, but you can’t because it would compromise your integrity and dissolve your identity? How do you make them understand that you’re not against their happiness, just saddened that you can’t be a part of it?

How do you explain that the intense pain in your soul pushes you to move forward, because there is no going back? How do you thank them for being a catalyst for your self-discovery, for your growth, for your drive?

How do you prove that their laughter, their hopes, their dreams, their successes, their failures, their life is just as important, if not more, than your own?

How do you apologize for disappointing them, for scaring them, for driving them away? How do you make amends and fix the past while still sticking to your core? How do you prove your goodness and love without surrendering your soul?

Me? I’d prolly blog about it.

Blog, huh? Hmm, I’ll have to consider that.

Your mom.

No, try again..

Your mom?

Ugh.. no! Tomorrow’s the day!

You mean?! Tomorrow you lose your virginity??

What?! No! Tomorrow I’m going SKYDIVING!!!

Yay!! ..wait, what?! I didn’t approve this!

haha!

Um, can we talk about this?

Sure! What do you wanna talk about?

Ok.. can we not do this?

Why the hell not?

Cuz, I dunno, I DON’T WANNA DIE!!!

Oh relax, you big ninny! Skydiving is one of the safest sports in the world.

Yea, falling out of a plane at 120 miles per hour sounds pretty damn safe!

It is, Serious! First off, you have not one but two parachutes, so you’re almost guaranteed to survive the fall. Once the ‘chute is deployed, you’ll slow down to a measly 20 miles per hour, that’s nothing! At worst, you’ll twist your ankle. Well..

Well what??

Well, I heard of a guy who broke his leg, but he was an idiot who decided to land in a pick-up truck! We won’t be doing that, we’ll just be landing in a corn field somewhere in BFE.

Well.. I dunno..
Wait, weren’t you against stupid stunts like this??

Yes. Things like skydiving and bungee-jumping never made much sense to me. I never quite understood why anyone would voluntarily put themselves in so much danger. Back then, however, my life was pretty dangerous, so adding to that didn’t make sense. I still feel that way about bungee-jumping, but I’ve been reading up on skydiving and it’s gotten a lot safer over the years. I mean, riding my motorcycle is a lot more dangerous! I fell off of that at 45 miles per hours and survived, 20mph should be a cakewalk.

mmm, cake

Yea so, wish me luck. If I do well, I’d like to get certified.

Well, you are certifiable!
Why get certified?

What do you mean?? Think of how awesome our vacations would be! Take Colorado, for instance. We’ve been there, what, a hundred times? Been there, done that, right? But imagine seeing the mountains from a totally different perspective.. FREEFALL!! How about Puerto Rico? A beautiful island, but what about falling from a plane and getting a bird’s-eye view?? Doesn’t that sound awesome??!

One man’s awesome is another man’s crazy.
Well, try not to die; I’ve got more insults I haven’t tried on you yet!

Roger that.

“Show me where forever dies, take the fall and run to heaven.”
– I Will Not Bow, Breaking Benjamin

Golly gee, am I ever! ..not really, but whatevs.

Great!! Well, today I wanna talk about the rules of looooove.

lol! You? Have you seen your love life?

Hey, even the greatest pilots can crash and burn. We all make mistakes, especially me. Just because I know the right way, doesn’t mean I always choose it. That’s why they say, “Knowing is half the battle.”

Go, Joe!

Right.. so today I want to talk about the three things that I’ve come to believe are important for a successful relationship. They absolutely won’t guarantee kittens and rainbows, but they’ll at least give you a fighting chance. I’ve mentioned them before, and anyone who knows me well has heard me go on about them, but here they are for the rest of you.

-Never Stop Dating-

Typically, when we meet someone new we like, we spend months trying to impress them. We share our favorite places and our favorite things in an effort to reveal ourselves and to absorb them. Eventually, however, we usually get to a point where we reach an equilibrium. We start to feel that we’ve exposed all there is, or we’ve learned all we need to learn, and we stop dating and make the transition into routine.

The truth is that we’re all in a constant state of flux. Living is learning, and as such we’re constantly evolving. We will never know everything there is to know about each other, and we will never run out of things to share. When we date, we feed the relationship and it grows. The second we decide to stop dating, the relationship starts to starve, and we open up for the opportunity to have that hunger satisfied by an outside source.

Dating is not just a step you take in the beginning of a relationship, it’s not something you do to just to impress someone. It is more like exercise, it strengthens a relationship and it should be continually repeated in order to keep the relationship healthy and strong.

-Relationships Are A Privilege, Not A Right-

Being in a relationship is great, we feel like we can share everything and anything with each other, we’re free to be ourselves and expose parts of us that we would typically withhold from the public. It’s liberating and makes us feel safe. The problem, however, is that forming such a bond creates a false sense of security in us. We start to feel possessive about the relationship. We start to think that because our partner has exposed such intimate parts of themselves, that we have something to own. We begin to imagine that what we’ve shared commits us to each other unconditionally.

When we feel ownership, our expectations change. We start to think that we can get away with treating our partners in worse ways than we’d even treat strangers. This line of thinking is a horrible mistake. Each of us is a unique individual, trying to establish intimacy with someone who’ll accompany us on our journey through life, someone who’ll be supportive and nurturing. Instead, we find someone who starts off that way, but slowly evolves into someone who is primarily concerned with their own journey, and not at all participating in ours.

We are all individuals, we all have our own hopes and desires. Your mission in a relationship is to share each other’s hopes and desires. It’s a partnership, and if it isn’t treated as such, there is no reason for the relationship to continue. There is no obligation for your partner to stick around if you’re going to be self-centered and not be an active collaborator in their journey.

-Everyone Leaves-

From the very moment you meet someone, the clock is ticking. There is absolutely and undeniably a coming end to the relationship. At some point, the relationship will be severed. It may be caused by failing to follow these rules, or perhaps work separates you, or illness, or tragedy, but it will happen.

We need to keep this in mind at all times. You need to consider every moment with your partner and ask yourself if you’d be satisfied with your current treatment of your partner if you never got to see them again. It’s not a pleasant thought, I know, but it’s imperative to be aware that there are circumstances out of our control. We must be diligent and put the moments within our control to good use.

People fight, people argue. Strife is unavoidable, but don’t let it consume you. Try to put your disagreements into perspective and always consider that the words you say may be the last they’ll ever hear. Give your relationship the respect and care it deserves so that you’re never left with the opportunity to regret your words or actions.

Well.. that’s all I have to say on that.
Hello? Are you still here?

*sniff* *sniff*

Are you crying??

What? No.. it’s.. allergies!

Why the hell are you crying??

I’m not.. I’m..

I love you, man!

You’re such a wuss. ..I love you, too.

Word, you’re pretty cool.

No, I mean I rule!

Yea, that’s what you said. Oh, you mean like a king or something?

Bingo, Gringo!

What?! You know I’m not.. never mind, go on.

Thank you, kindly.
I operate, or at least I try my damnedest to operate in this world according to a rule set. Sure, I live under the idea that rules are often meant to be broken, but it certainly doesn’t apply to my rules.

Ok, I see.. so what are your rules?

-Vis Boni-

My first rule is so damn important, I had it etched into my skin, “BGOOD”. The Desiderata says,

“As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.”

, and that’s a key component of my being. Everyone struggles in this life, everyone has fears. It’s not my place to introduce any more stress or grief into anyone’s life. In fact, I find that my purpose is the opposite. While I exist, I should strive to make gooder the lives of those I meet. If I can help someone, I should. If I can teach someone, I should. If I can make someone smile, I should.

I come from a place where negativity oozes out of everyone like a plague. Bad things happen daily, and people forget to be good. People start to defend themselves without knowing if there is even a threat. Everyone becomes an enemy. That has been one of my biggest hurdles to overcome since leaving that place. I’ve had to constantly remind myself that people are good. I eventually start to believe myself, but unfortunately I’ve been proven wrong a few times, which restarts the process. I become defensive and aggressive, and have to once again remind myself that one rotten apple does not spoil the bunch.

Seeing “BGOOD” on my skin reminds me of that, and it also serves a second purpose. It reminds me that I am not “A Good”, meaning that if I were grading myself, I am not the best I can be. I can always do better, I can always be better.

So are you telling me I CGOOD? I know I sure FGOOD!! LOL

Oh, you. Anyway, Rule #2:

-Vera Dico-

As the great Mark Twain said,

“Truth is the most valuable thing we have, so I try to conserve it.”

..and that’s my second rule, honesty. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I don’t lie. We all lie, usually about silly stuff that we really don’t even need to lie about. What I’m saying is that I try not to lie about anything important, anything serious. That, and if you know me, you know I’m brutally honest when it comes to my opinions and perceptions. If you don’t look good in an outfit, I won’t sugarcoat it. If you’re doing something I consider evil, or wrong, you can bet I’ll be the one to point it out.

Honesty is so important to me, that I even try to appoint what I refer to as “The One”. That means that, at all times, I like to have one person in my life with whom I can be completely honest about everything and anything. One person who knows me so well, that I can completely expose every single thought that flows through this magical noggin of mine. It’s a very important position as far as I’m concerned, and it’s of the greatest honor when someone appoints me to that position.

Also, and let’s try to keep this between you and me, I have a fail-safe. If you ever wonder if I’m lying, all you have to do is ask me three little words.. “Are you serious?” and I will never lie to that question, ever. Let’s not abuse that though, ok? :}

Sooo.. your rules are “be good” and “be honest”? Anything else?

Sure, I have plenty of rules. Alas, I’ve got shit to do, so some other time.

Are you serious??

No, I don’t actually have “shit” to do, but I do have some work I need to attend to. :}
Peace and I’m out!

“But I would be lying, if I didn’t tell you the truth.”
- Counting Crows, Le Ballet D’or

I hopped out of bed and decided to get a jump on my day. Did I say my day? No, No! For the first time in a while, this was not my day. It was my best friend’s birthday!
Frickin sweet! You hear that Ego?? Today, you take a back seat!

I decided to take all the sadness I’ve been feeling and smoosh it down into a teeny, tiny little ball and stick it deep in the darkest recess of my mind. You know, right next to where I keep math. I was filled with joy as I imagined all the fun and surprises I would bestow upon the lucky birthday girl. I smiled as I remembered her laughter and I tried to picture the look on her face as I dropped my surprises on her.
Oh, man! She’s gonna love this!

I hit the bricks, as I still had some last-minute shopping to do. Mainly, I needed new tennis balls. Tennis was in the plans as the first activity of the day. I’ve never really been a fan of the rules of Tennis, so we don’t play it like you’d imagine. We pretty much just lob the ball back and forth, we know it’s a good game when we can do that for a while without missing. The side-effect is, the more successful the volley, the giddier we get. Eventually we reach a point where we’re too busy laughing to be able to maintain the volley.
I get happy when she laughs.

She showed up for our tennis match. I could swear the first thing she did when she saw me was look at my hands. Probably her mind wondering what gift I was about to bombard her with.
Sorry, Lady! I’ve got nothing for ya! ..yet

We played a good game. There was plenty of laughter, and she talked and talked and talked. Some topics made me happy, and some topics made me sad. I hurt my back a little, but nothing really bad.
What, I can’t rhyme??

Once we’d run out of tennis balls to hit, we split up to desweatify. Shortly after, we met up again for lunch. I’d asked her to think of where she wanted to eat, after all.. she’s the birthday girl! I put on all-new threads to mark the occasion. She chose… Ruby Tuesday? She said it’s our place, it is where we first met, after all. It’s hard to believe that happened over a year ago. We got there after what seemed like an eternity.. traffic was just so backed up! We sat, we ate, we talked. Mainly, she talked. ..and talked. ..and talked.
Nom Nom Nom

I know you might think I’m complaining about her talking, right? That couldn’t be further from the truth. You see, she and I really haven’t been talking much lately. I’ve been all kinds of mopey, and she’s been all kinds of distracted. So recently, when we do meet and chat, it’s kind of awkward. There’s lots of silence, lots of weird looks. But not yesterday! I had Mr. Mopey tucked far away, and she was focused and present. It was amazing.
Her voice is like dental floss for my soul.

After lunch, we drove around a bit. She kept on rolling, talking about this and that and the other thing. I helped her find the place where she’ll be playing volleyball soon, and then we said our goodbyes. She invited me to swing by in the evening for cake, and I was excited!
Shit Yea! Cake!

While we had played tennis, she asked me a math question. Yes, you heard that right. Like I said, she’s been distracted lately. Obviously she forgot that she had to help me last year when I took a math class. Anyway, once I was home, I decided to take on her math challenge. Turns out it wasn’t the hardest thing ever, once I had all the variables. I solved it, but I had to be careful. As you recall, I stored Mr. Mopey right next to my math center! I shot her an email containing the answer, and then killed time until cake time.
I don’t think I killed time, but I’m sure I wounded it!

Quicker than the time it takes to google how to spell that Mary Poppins song, I got the text for cake time! I loaded my car with her surprise gifts and hightailed it on over. There were balloons all over the floor, balloons her coworkers had given to her the day before. It was festive, and cute. She greeted me with a great hug as she tried to finish up the cake. The Pirate was nowhere to be seen, but the Scientist was around, and it wasn’t long before we were playing volleyball with balloons. Soon after, some friends showed up to share in cake time. The Pirate finally came down, all dressed up for mommy’s birthday, looking more like a princess than a pirate. She wanted to add a little pizzazz to her outfit, so she poured a whole container of glitter on her head. That’s how it seemed, anyway; There was glitter everywhere, and people were quick to point it out!
That’s gonna be in her hair for years!

We sat down and enjoyed the yummy cake, strawberry flavored! The Pirate excused herself to go cry for a second, the constant glitter-talk was starting to get to her. We put a stop to that, then the guests presented their gifts, but not me. Nope, no gifts from me. Then we all went our separate ways, the guests left and I had to go pick up some dinner for us while she put the kids to bed.
I drove like, 100 blocks for dinner! But it was worth it!

I showed up with dinner, we sat and ate while she made sure the silence was nowhere to be found. I sure hadn’t felt this good in a while. Once we were done grubbing, we had two episodes of Falling Skies to watch, the season finale. I expected us to plow right through them, but surprisingly, she wanted to chat a bit between episodes. Once we finished watching shows, I helped her clean up a bit, and beat her up with balloons before finally hugging her goodbye and heading out the door.
Oh yea! Presents!

She thought I left, but I really just went out to the car, fetched the gifts, and came a-knockin. Once she saw what I had, she gave me an “oh, you devil” look which I’ll remember fondly. She started ripping into the gifts, as I provided a narrative for each one. Finally, she got to her birthday card. Not some hallmark bullshnikey, but a product of my own creation. She started to read it and I could see her eyes fill until a tear decided to make a break for it. We talked for a few minutes as she tried to convince me that I’d gone too far. But she’s my best friend, there’s no such thing as too far.
Get to steppin’

I left with yet another hug, I think it’s a new record. I must have gotten something like 62 hugs from her. It was past midnight, so officially her day was over. For a whole day I was filled with joy. I saw her laugh, I saw her cry, She told me stories. August 26 has got to be the best day I’ve had this year so far. It was just the thing I needed to lift my spirits.
..and that about wraps it up!

We all live divided lives, but in order for things to add up, we need to multiply the joy we bring to others; otherwise we miss out on taking away something worth cherishing.
Now, where did I leave Mr. Mopey?

Don’t you ever knock? I was in the middle of something!

Oh yea? Like what?

I was.. um.. well, I wasn’t playing with my Star Wars figures, I’ll tell you that!
So what’s with the twenty questions?

What do you know about swords??

Huh? Uh.. they’re long and hard? heheh heheh

Right! But do you know how that happens???

No, do you?! ..and what are you on??

I do! ..and nothing!!
Let me break it down for you..
First, the blacksmith has to find the metal. It has to be just the right type of metal, not just anything will do. Once he has it, he burns it. He burns it, then bashes it with his big ol’ hammer, and it starts to take shape. When he’s happy with it, he drowns it! He soaks it, which cools it down and tempers the metal. Afterwards, he drags it on stone and sharpens and polishes it.

Hopefully he bought it dinner first.

Exactly, it’s not easy or fun, for either of them. It’s work. It’s an arduous experience for the both of them, but what remains is a masterpiece.

Great, I’ve always wanted a peek into Hattori Hanzo‘s life. Sooo, what’s this really about?

It’s about Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Less TV, more sleep. K?

No, you see.. in life, we have options. Everyday, we have options. We usually choose that which is easiest. Nobody wants to challenge themselves all day long, so for the most part, we choose what’s easy. However, there are times when the choice we need to make is an important one. Those choices aren’t always easy.

Some choices scare us, they’re too important and look too difficult. Sometimes, we stick our heads in the sand and wait for someone else to make the choice for us. We wait and wait until a variable changes and we’re no longer left with a choice.

Sounds like a good plan.

No! That’s fine for the unimportant stuff, but not for the big stuff! We need to drop the hammer on them! The choice must be made, and most often than not, the hardest choice is the one that’s going to yield the best results.

Gimme an example

Fine.. Last year, I had just bought my motorcycle. I was terrified of it, and more times that I’d like to admit, I would stare at it for twenty minutes trying to decide if I should ride or not. I chose to ride many times, and each time I became more and more confident. I started to get cocky. One day, I was too cocky and tried to outrun a semi onto the highway. It didn’t end well, I wiped out on the highway and I’m lucky the semi didn’t run me over. I stood up, dusted myself off, and rode the twenty miles back to my house. I did this, with two fractured wrists and a fractured elbow.

owwy

Yes, owwy indeed. It was at this point that I had a choice to make.. The easy choice, get rid of the murdercycle and spare myself of anymore life-threatening excursions. The hard choice, heal, get back on the bike, and be less cocky.

oooh! oooh! What’d you choose??

I was in my garage every day I could, making repairs to the bike, and testing my hand strength until I could finally squeeze the clutch without pain. Once that happened, my twenty-minute stare-down became a forty-minute stare-down. I thought I was terrified before the accident. I still managed to push through it and ride. I didn’t go nearly as far, and I was always afraid that my tires were going to just fall off, but I rode.

Now, it’s a year later and my stare-downs only last a few minutes, if any. I love Rita. I’ve learned how she handles, how she sounds, and how she feels. Sure, there’s always a chance that I’ll wreck again, some things are out of my control, but the pleasure that comes from being on two wheels far outweighs the fear I have.

So making the harder choice was the right thing?

I don’t know. If I’m rolled over by a semi tomorrow, in hindsight it may seem like I made the wrong choice. I do know, however, that facing my fear has left me feeling more satisfied and accomplished than running for my life.

Our ancestors could have survived on rats, but they chose to challenge themselves and kill bigger game. Benny Franklin could have stayed indoors when it rained, but he chose to go fly a kite. The Wright Brothers could have stayed on two feet, but they made the hard choice so that they could fly.

I could have just put headphones on and sung ‘la la la la’

Right! ..but you didn’t. You made the hard choice and stuck it out with me.
The easiest way to live a spectacular life, is to not take the easy way.

“My friends we’ve seen it all, when it made no sense at all. You dared to light my path and found beauty in the aftermath.” – Give Me Strength, Snow Patrol