Bird Droppings January 2, 2012

There may be side roads in life

 

“We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory.” Bern Williams

 

I was reminded recently as we searched the area several springs ago for flowering plants; the object was the plant had to be flowering at the time of collection. This was my son’s undergraduate botany project. It was as interesting as we found plants that contained flowers far more beautiful than many commercial flowers but tiny literally microscopic as we searched. As I look at the statement above, what is it really that Williams is referring to? Is it the times we over look something when we are so intent on a specific goal.

 

“I consider a goal as a journey rather than a destination. And each year I set a new goal.” Curtis Carlson

 

“You are not likely to get anywhere in particular if you don’t know where you want to go.” Percy H. Johnson

 

Sometimes as we search, as we wander in life, along the way there is still so much to see and to learn, one goal will lead to another. But having a goal, keeps us motivated to attain that goal. So many people do not even have a goal and stumble around, floundering almost as if they have blinders on.

 

“Set your goals high and don’t stop until you get there.” Bo Jackson

 

Just a reminder to those avid Georgia football fans a great ending to this year and there is always next year and the possibility of a national championship.

 

“When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.” Greg Anderson

 

“The person with a fixed goal, a clear picture of his desire, or an ideal always before him, causes it, through repetition, to be buried deeply in his subconscious mind and is thus enabled, thanks to its generative and sustaining power, to realize his goal in a minimum of time and with a minimum of physical effort. Just pursue the thought unceasingly. Step by step you will achieve realization, for all your faculties and powers become directed to that end.” Claude M. Bristol

 

Often as I have experienced for myself, Friday was a good example as I went out feeling some driving purpose to the day beyond simply driving to Southern Pines North Carolina, nearly three hundred and fifty miles away. Not truly knowing what it was that was on my mind and anticipating each moment and each contact as I went about the day. I had a goal to go see our granddaughter, son and his wife and hopefully see as much of the area as I could and yet under that was a search a constant looking for more meaning to the day and weekend. In my looking I found so much, I completed my goal and we took pictures, held, hugged and shared for three days and it was all we hoped to do.

On another trip to see our son looking for an apartment a similar happening. Nearly four years ago as we headed back to the property rental office to return the keys to an apartment we looked at, I noticed a flyer on the counter for a new property. A quick question and we were on our way to look at and eventually get that apartment. We were so focused at first on what we had been told and our own goal of finding something Saturday we nearly missed the new apartment. In the process of the day we each had so many encounters and pieces to our puzzles in life. It might have been locking the keys in the car, seeing my son’s chemical plant, seeing Florence and Lake City where he lived and worked for nearly three years and spending many hours together.

 

“There are those who travel and those who are going somewhere. They are different and yet they are the same. The success has this over his rivals: He knows where he is going.” Mark Caine

 

“We aim above the mark to hit the mark.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Recently I read an article while morbid in a way; it is also very true when speaking of goals and how so many people lead their lives. As we became more technologically advanced many human skills gave way to technology. In Viet   Nam marksmanship gave way to weaponry that could fire numerous rounds per second and kill ratios were one kill per thousand rounds of ammunition and marksmanship was lost. Recently in an article on the National Sniper championships, snipers have been attaining kill ratios of 1.3 rounds per kill in theory; I do not think they use live targets in championships. While a morbid comparison so true in our society that rather than focus we scatter our dreams our goals and hope for the best or that common word used far too often creeps in “whatever”.

 

“Concentrate on finding your goal, then concentrate on reaching it.” Michael Friedman

 

“The goal you set must be challenging. At the same time, it should be realistic and attainable, not impossible to reach. It should be challenging enough to make you stretch, but not so far that you break.” Rick Hansen

 

We will be giving out transcripts and new schedules for our new semester on Monday next week. Some students will be fine others will complain and as I go over all of my advisees others will continue to complain. I recall last time when one student said no way that had he missed so many days. I explained, four teachers had the same information and his response was “whatever”, they are still wrong. Then he began whining, “How am I going to get into college?” I sat there looking at a transcript of a second year ninth grader who was failing because of attendance not ability and being asked “how was I going to get into college?” Some days I am amazed at the thinking processes some kids have.

I sat back and said first simply passing as you strive to do will not get you into college I knew this student would get a good SAT score but that alone will not get a college acceptance. A high school transcript of seventies and failures just doesn’t look good. As we talked I wrote of a piece of paper 70% and 100% and asked “you go to find a doctor since you are talking of medical school, and you have in front of you two doctors, one learned 70% and one learned 100%, who do you want as your doctor?”. Guess who he picked? I hope his eyes were opened.

 

“You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things — to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.” Sir Edmund Hillary

 

A few years ago Hillary passed away but Saturday in my crazy search for purpose I was driving Saturday morning gazing east at a glorious sunrise. I actually was thinking what it might have been like for Hillary to be standing atop Mt.Everest that first time looking over a world not just looking down Interstate 20. He attained the highest point on earth yet considered himself a common chap.

 

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.” Diana Scharf Hunt

 

“Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.” H. L. Hunt

 

“It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is a sin” Benjamin E. Mayes

 

Every day I talk with students whose only goal is right now this minute, trying to guide them is difficult for in that self-centered world there is no direction, no plan, and no pathway. I can show them a road map and point them in the right direction but sooner or later they will have to take the first step. All of us have been there and may be again so watch for travelers who need help and always offer a hand. Trying myself to get back up to speed and back in a routine after several days of being lazy, I still end today with please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts and always give thanks namste.

 

Wa de (Skee)

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