This past Friday night I went downtown to watch the University of Louisville men's basketball game. This is not uncommon as I attend most games. This night was different, however, because "Light Up Louisville" had been scheduled for the same evening. There was to be an expected turnout of around 75,000 people for the event, plus 22,000 fans heading to the game. Needless to say, packing 100,000 people in the same vicinity downtown, was a traffic nightmare.
I drove around for 45 mins looking for some way to get to my regular parking spot, only to learn that a parade was going directly around where I needed to be. I eventually gave up and parked several blocks further away. Fortunately, it was a nice night and I am capable of making the trek. I am not sure who to blame for this debacle, but if the city knew of both events ahead of time (which I am not sure of how much notice they had, especially for the basketball game), making a change in the schedule would have been appropriate.
I am all for attracting people to our revitalized downtown, but this was not a well planned or well executed strategy. I realize that times for sporting events are often dictated by television and it may be the week of the game before you actually know what the game time is going to be. With that said, this was Louisville vs Ohio, a game that was not to be nationally televised. I am sure that "Light Up Louisville" had been planned some time in advance. You would think that something could have been done to prevent the craziness I experienced. Oh well, I made it, and the Cards won!
Go Cards!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Family Comes First
I was taught at a very young age that nothing is more important than family. Family can mean different things to different people. Having lived here my entire life and, by virtue of being the offspring of people whose families have been in Louisville for several generations, my family is very much biological. My wife, however, is a first generation Louisvillian. Her family consists of people that her parents befriended when they first came here over 30 years ago. Through various organizations to which they belonged, they have developed life-long relationships. So, family is not always biological, but more so the people that you know you can depend on in any situation.
There is no doubt that life will test you. Regardless of your economic status, race, religion, sexual orientation; we all have our struggles. Whatever it takes for you to get through it is generally fine by me. One thing about life that is certain: none of us will make it out alive. I just feel that, while we're here, it is most important to focus on the things we can control.
I have lost several people that I was closely connected to recently. Many people will turn to God for the strength to get through times like these. Again, whatever it takes for you to get through this life, I will not judge. For me though, my family is who I look to for strength and who I try to be strong for.
My dear friend Justin Ford once wrote "I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of uncertainty about different things, but I am not absolutely sure of anything and there are many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here." The truth is nobody can tell us for certain, what our purpose is. As individuals, we have to figure it out. One thing I am pretty certain about, however, is the importance of family. As you wander through life searching for answers to age-old questions, remember that you do control your own destiny...on Earth.
By focusing on doing what is necessary to take care of yourself and your family, and worrying less about how others take care of themselves and their families, I feel that people in general, can really get the most out of their lives. When I say that you control your own destiny, I mean it in a philosophical sense. I believe that all humans have and should be able to express their free will. In this country we can do that more so than in most others. You cannot control the situation you are born into, but you do have the ability to choose your own path as an adult. It may not be easy, but your reality is ultimately what you create within yourself.
I am an idealist. I can't help it. As I get older, I realize more and more that the world is not always fair or fun. I have been hardened by situations I have gone through, but I still remain eternally optimistic. I will get what I want out of this life. The road has been more difficult than I imagined it would be, but I will get to where I want to be. It is sad to me, though, that people as a whole remain so divided. Whether its religion, politics, ethnicity, or social status we are all subject to certain labels. I try to disprove stereotypes and stigmas, but again, I am an idealist.
As I've mentioned, I do not have a problem with people believing in certain things. I just don't want someone to try and force me to believe what they believe. You may suggest that I am trying to do just that in this post, but my goal is not to change your convictions. I just hope against hope that our society will eventually learn to live together peacefully. I realize that there will always be crime and heartache, but so much of it is baseless and truly tragic. If you do not like me, that's fine, but hopefully it is based on what you know about me as a person and not the fact that my family is Jewish or that I have freckles or dress a certain way. There are assholes in every subcategory of humans you can think of. It doesn't mean, however, that everyone from that particular subcategory is an asshole.
We have progressed so much in terms of technology, but as far as I can tell, the thought process for humans is very similar to that of humans 1000 years ago. Virtually every country has been annexed through war. Fighting and conquering. Is there no better way? I do not expect all of the world's problems to be solved, but I would like to see some global progression. What if today was your last day on Earth? Would you care about what God someone else believed in? Would you care about the skin color of the person sitting next to you?
The world will go on without me. This much I know. While I'm here though, I plan on enjoying the ride. It takes enough energy to be productive for those you care about. I really don't see a point in worrying about how others choose to live their lives. As long as it doesn't interfere with or infringe on my personal freedoms, I don't have a problem.
My family will always be my biggest influence. We do not always see eye to eye, but our love and respect for each other does not wain. There is an understanding; we don't always have to agree, but we are still family. It is an unbreakable bond. As long as I do right by my family, I will feel good about my time here.
After reading this piece you may think that I am unrealistic. You may be right. Maybe there is no hope for a better future, but I just can't help thinking that the future absolutely can be better. You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
Go Cards!
There is no doubt that life will test you. Regardless of your economic status, race, religion, sexual orientation; we all have our struggles. Whatever it takes for you to get through it is generally fine by me. One thing about life that is certain: none of us will make it out alive. I just feel that, while we're here, it is most important to focus on the things we can control.
I have lost several people that I was closely connected to recently. Many people will turn to God for the strength to get through times like these. Again, whatever it takes for you to get through this life, I will not judge. For me though, my family is who I look to for strength and who I try to be strong for.
My dear friend Justin Ford once wrote "I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of uncertainty about different things, but I am not absolutely sure of anything and there are many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here." The truth is nobody can tell us for certain, what our purpose is. As individuals, we have to figure it out. One thing I am pretty certain about, however, is the importance of family. As you wander through life searching for answers to age-old questions, remember that you do control your own destiny...on Earth.
By focusing on doing what is necessary to take care of yourself and your family, and worrying less about how others take care of themselves and their families, I feel that people in general, can really get the most out of their lives. When I say that you control your own destiny, I mean it in a philosophical sense. I believe that all humans have and should be able to express their free will. In this country we can do that more so than in most others. You cannot control the situation you are born into, but you do have the ability to choose your own path as an adult. It may not be easy, but your reality is ultimately what you create within yourself.
I am an idealist. I can't help it. As I get older, I realize more and more that the world is not always fair or fun. I have been hardened by situations I have gone through, but I still remain eternally optimistic. I will get what I want out of this life. The road has been more difficult than I imagined it would be, but I will get to where I want to be. It is sad to me, though, that people as a whole remain so divided. Whether its religion, politics, ethnicity, or social status we are all subject to certain labels. I try to disprove stereotypes and stigmas, but again, I am an idealist.
As I've mentioned, I do not have a problem with people believing in certain things. I just don't want someone to try and force me to believe what they believe. You may suggest that I am trying to do just that in this post, but my goal is not to change your convictions. I just hope against hope that our society will eventually learn to live together peacefully. I realize that there will always be crime and heartache, but so much of it is baseless and truly tragic. If you do not like me, that's fine, but hopefully it is based on what you know about me as a person and not the fact that my family is Jewish or that I have freckles or dress a certain way. There are assholes in every subcategory of humans you can think of. It doesn't mean, however, that everyone from that particular subcategory is an asshole.
We have progressed so much in terms of technology, but as far as I can tell, the thought process for humans is very similar to that of humans 1000 years ago. Virtually every country has been annexed through war. Fighting and conquering. Is there no better way? I do not expect all of the world's problems to be solved, but I would like to see some global progression. What if today was your last day on Earth? Would you care about what God someone else believed in? Would you care about the skin color of the person sitting next to you?
The world will go on without me. This much I know. While I'm here though, I plan on enjoying the ride. It takes enough energy to be productive for those you care about. I really don't see a point in worrying about how others choose to live their lives. As long as it doesn't interfere with or infringe on my personal freedoms, I don't have a problem.
My family will always be my biggest influence. We do not always see eye to eye, but our love and respect for each other does not wain. There is an understanding; we don't always have to agree, but we are still family. It is an unbreakable bond. As long as I do right by my family, I will feel good about my time here.
After reading this piece you may think that I am unrealistic. You may be right. Maybe there is no hope for a better future, but I just can't help thinking that the future absolutely can be better. You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
Go Cards!
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