Welcome to my blog! From time to time, I'll be posting updates, previews from games and sessions or whatever I feel like talking about on here! :-)
35 years in........
Good day all, I hope this finds everyone well today. Today is a rather special day for me, as it’s my birthday…….my 35th birthday. For many adults, it’s no real concern, just another day. For me, it’s a day to be sure, but it’s a chance to reflect upon the last 12 months of my life, and it’s been an absolute roller-coaster of an adventure, wrapped up in multiple enigmas.
Looking back on where I was a year ago, I had no real direction and purpose in my life. Well, I did but I had no idea where I wanted to go with it all. But in taking advantage of a big opportunity that presented itself, I completely change my life. Aside from the financial improvement, I feel like within my craft, I can accomplish anything. In the last year, I’ve been printed in Sports Illustrated FIVE times, secured my positions with Rice and Houston Baptist and totally re-defined and revitalized my business. While I’m exhausted with the weekly crushes of work, I wouldn’t trade where I am right now for anything.
I do look back on where I was a year ago, and while I miss certain individuals and settings, most notably the student-athletes of Lutheran South Academy, I am confident that those same people would be proud of where I am now and what I have achieved in the past 12 months, well, MOST of the people, not all. For all those who were detrimental, disrespectful and dishonest towards me for so long………I sincerely thank you. I hold no malice towards any of you, but you’ve given me the confidence and fire to live my life my own way and achieve my goals amidst the cancer, toxicity, poison and laziness spewed out. And for those who believed in me when I lost faith in myself, words can’t express how grateful I am to you, especially three very special people who have touched my life and actually SHOWED that anything in life is possible.
One more thing, last year on my birthday, it was my sincere hope that people could come together and make the world a better place to live in. I do apologize for that unrealistic and Disney-themed bullshit. If I have one thing to pass along this time around, it’s this: If you have a dream, make it come true no matter what. If you have people in your life who love you, love them back with all your heart (within reason) and be honest. If things or people make you unhappy or frustrated in your life, fucking cut them loose and don’t look back. To loosely quote Marshall Mathers, “life’s too short to not go for broke."
And that’s that, thanks to everyone for the Happy Birthday wishes, and I hope to have another eventful 35 years, maybe longer. Take care, thank you all and fare thee well.
Chapter 1, Page 1, Paragraph 1......
Good morning all, I hope this entry finds everyone well, especially with summer starting to wind down. (THANK GOODNESS!) Anyways, with the end of summer comes the beginning of an American tradition – football season. And this year looks to be a very busy one for me, shooting three different college football teams AND the Houston Texans. However, along with the Texans and Rice University football, the team I’m most looking forward to shooting is Houston Baptist University.
For those unaware, the 2013 season marks the inaugural season for Houston Baptist Football, as the school is starting a program from the ground up. And their very first game is this upcoming Saturday against future Southland Conference opponent and FCS powerhouse, Sam Houston State. While I’ve been an invested part of football teams in the past, on the high school and collegiate levels, this is the first time I’ve been a part of a brand-new football team. And the first few seasons for HBU will be building and establishing the program, to ensure competitiveness in the Southland Conference and in the region. But with all big things in life, it has to start somewhere, and Saturday evening will be the start of something big for the school. And it’s going to be interesting to be a part of it on the ground level.
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Anyways, with a busy two months coming up, blog entries may be pretty sporadic until October. But I hope everyone has great days ahead. Thank you for viewing and the support, and until next time, fare thee well.
Strength Revealed....
Good afternoon all, I hope this finds everyone well today, on the eve of U.S. Independence Day. I know it’s been a while since my last blog entry, but real life intruded for a while, especially in the month of May. Things got pretty busy in May, most notably my covering both the Conference USA and Southland Baseball tournaments in the same week (May 22-26).
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One would think shooting a lot of baseball in a week would be fun. And to an extent, it was. But it was also very draining. All told, I shot 15 games in five days, splitting time between Reckling Park (where the C-USA tournament was being played) and Skeeters’ Park in Sugar Land (where the Southland tournament was). It meant getting up very early some days, long drives in between the stadiums, editing en masse, dealing with the BRUTAL heat and humidity. And in all fairness, by the day of the C-USA Tournament Final (May 26), I was completely exhausted, with nothing left to give. At least that’s how I felt before the game when trying to psyche myself up. And it also didn’t help that I was having knee and hamstring issues as well. In other words, I was burned out and beaten up. Even looking back upon it now, I have no idea how I got through that last game, especially in the searing heat, and especially with it going to extra innings, but I did. I guess that one day has been a microcosm of things lately for me, because even when things have been bad or I cannot go further, all that’s left to do is to just push through, no matter how hard it is.
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Anyways, that’s pretty much it for now. I hope to have more entries and photos to share in the second half of the year. Thanks for the time and attention, many thanks and fare thee well.
Coming to Grips.....
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(DISCLAIMER: This entry is full of personal introspection again, some of which could be offensive to those with sincere medial vices. For those offended by my thoughts, I implore you to close the browser and wait for my next entry.)
Good day all, I hope this finds everyone well thus far, as March comes to an end. As the month nears its close, I’m thankful for the slowing of work. Between the beginning of February and now, I was on a murderous pace that lent itself to both financial stability and health issues as well. In other words, I kept busy doing cool things, but I got sick three times along the way. Now that I have a short break this week, its only now that I realize what I’m capable of in life, but I’m also coming to terms with a “problem”.
I have an addiction, of sorts, an addiction to my work. I’m not content just to sit around and do nothing or rest on my laurels and accomplishments. But still, I take my work to an extreme and I push myself too hard at times, to the point where I frequently get ill. And I will never be content with where I am, I want to get better with each passing week.
Why succumb to this addiction? Well, I will never have a wife or a girlfriend, nor will I be a father in my lifetime. I’m just not that sort of person, nor do I wish to “just settle” for just anyone, that’s just making a “bad” situation worse. With what time I have left in my life, be it 70 years or 70 weeks, I will make an impact doing what I do best. It’s only now that I realize that I don’t have a choice in the matter. I have to work this hard.
I’ve now delved into rambling so I’m cutting myself off here. Thanks for the attention and the support. Until next time, Fare thee well.
An undercooked blog entry to go, please........
(DISCLAIMER: This is going to be a rather disjointed and free-flowing entry on my part, so I apologize if my thoughts or words are a tad confusing or potentially offensive.)
Greetings and salutations all, I hope this finds everyone well this afternoon. I apologize for no blog entries in over two months, but things have been a tad hectic, mainly because of work. Not just that, I’ve had a lot of time to do some personal reflection as well, as 2013 has arrived with a vengeance.
In all fairness, while I hate certain decisions and such that have been made, I do appreciate where I am in life right now, at least professionally. I will never care for certain people and their crappy actions and crappier complaints about their lives, but as of now, I have the strength not to allow that types of people in my life any more. I have no time whatsoever for users, abusers, liars and hypocrites, and have made it clear that I will not have that in my life. I do hate the sort of collateral damage it’s has created, but to quote many athletes of the day, “it is what it is”.
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As far as work, things have been busy, well January was busy, but this and next month are due to be exceedingly demanding for me. But I’m looking forward to it all, not just to keep busy and to make some serious bank, but to actually re-take my work to the next level, and push myself even higher. Even working towards next year, I already have some big plans regarding the 2013-14 football and basketball seasons for Rice and Houston Baptist, among others.
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Anyways, I’m dry on words, so I’m signing off for now. Always hold onto your dreams and don’t be blinded by your fantasies. Those are fleeting, but achieving your dreams and goals, that’s long-lasting. Until next time, thank you and fare thee well.