Before Its Too Late

This weekend I attended a funeral for one of my Dad’s closest friends. He was like an Uncle to me and I really admired him. His eulogy was read by one of his cousins. Now all eulogies are very touching and emotional, but this one really got to me. I don’t know if it was the stories that his cousin decided to share, or the perfectly chosen adjectives to describe his laugh, or the list of his accomplishments, or perhaps it was looking around the room and seeing all the people that loved him. I don’t know what it was but it really got me thinking. After the service we had a luncheon and we had a toast to his life. A few family members, friends, and coworkers said a few words about his life and how his affected their lives.

After all was said and done I began thinking about what people would say at my funeral. I don’t mean to be morbid, but my thoughts quickly changed to what would I say at my best friend’s funeral. Now at funerals/wakes/memorials everyone shares their own stories on how wonderful that person was. Why do we wait until they are dead to talk about how much we are affected by the people we love? It seems to me that in our society it is taboo to really let someone know how important he or she is to you. Perhaps it’s just me, but I find that it would be incredibly awkward to sit someone down and tell them something that personal. I suppose it would be easier to do this with a close family member or a significant other, but to do so for a roommate, ex-girlfriend, or your father’s friend, it is a bit harder. Which is a shame, because everyone should know just how important he or she is to others.

Even though it is slightly awkward to do I plan to let my friends and family know how important they are to me and I hope you also plan to do so. Don’t wait until it’s too late to tell someone they mean a lot to you.

Ten Random Thing I Wish Would Happen To Me

Here are ten things I wish would happen to me. They are kind of random, but are things I always have daydreamed about. This is not really a “bucket list” because I cannot personally make them happen. A person must genuinely perform these for them to be crossed off. This post is not a call for someone to do them just for the sake of doing them; the sincere spontaneous nature of the act is just as important as the deed itself. This list is not in any particular order.

1) To be called up in the middle of the night by a friend because they need me to help them with a problem. Bonus if we take a walk.

2) Have someone recognize me from a movie I have made or been in and complement me on it.

3) To have an old friend contact me out of the blue to meet in person and catch up.

4) Be someone’s mentor.

5) Have a girl ask me out on a date, instead of me asking her.

6) Inspire someone to do something amazing. Bonus if that amazing thing changes the world.

7) Have a car full of friends show up at my house and take me on a random road trip.

8) Have a person mistake me for someone else, but they strike up a conversation with me anyway. Bonus if we become friends. Double bonus if it is a cute girl.

9) Be playing my guitar and have someone randomly join me. Bonus if more people join us. Double bonus if we start a band.

10) Wake up to a Great Morning.

What are some things that you wish someone would do for you? What do you think is so special about random acts (like the ones on my list, or your list)? Why are the items that are on your list, on your list?

Nostalgic Summers

One of my favorite words in the English language is: nostalgia. Besides being a cool sounding word, it also exemplifies summer to me. Summer is my favorite time of the year and along with it comes tons of fond memories. I remember when I was young and would play outside until well past sunset. Back then everything was a little bit easier and it seemed like everyone got along. I recall summers, not to long ago, back in high school, when the future seemed so bright and the skies were the limit. I reminisce about my time as a camp counselor and the crazy stories that have been generated by those summer nights. I’m brought back to times of warmth, happiness, and endless possibilities. I long for those lost times, with lost friends and lost dreams. I can’t decide if those times feel like yesterday, or a million years ago. I can remember riding my bike, with Josh and Ryan, up and down the block until my mom would yell that it was time to come in as if it was yesterday. Yet it seems like it was an eternity ago when Alex, Josh, Nick, and I would spend almost every summer day playing NHL Hitz and Gauntlet: Dark Legacy.

I always felt like the summer was my last “hurrah!” of the year because my birthday marked the beginning of a new school year. The summer was a time to celebrate the end of a school year and a time to prepare for the new one. As I have gotten a little bit older I feel like I have either lost that feeling all together, or have gotten confused over the years. These were times when everyone rejoiced for the harbinger of freedom, relaxation, and fun. Everyone wanted to do something, hang out with friends, and be happy in each other’s company. Yet as the summers melt away and new ones emerge those sentiments seem to have lessened. I honestly don’t believe my past summers to be the “glory days”, even though they will always hold a special spot in my heart. I think that saying “those were the best times of my life” is like giving up on the future. What is there to look forward to if you already are past the prime?

I want desperately to feel the rush of excitement of the bright summer days and the long summer nights. I want to throw the baseball or Frisbee around with my best friends, sit side by side with friends around a roaring fire, and lie down next to a summer romance while gazing at the stars. I don’t think that, just because I have grown older, summer has lost its power. I am a believer of making your own destiny and I am going to do everything I can to rekindle that smoldering summer fire.

What does nostalgia mean to you? What are your fondest memories of summers past? What used to be important to you as a kid, but seems not to be anymore?