Duesr

I was driving home last night at about 11:00 from Blue Sky. I turned on the radio because I was hoping that I would hear some good music on a Sunday night. I turned on Duncan McAllister and he was talking to a young woman about her wanting to go to college.  She had stated that she wanted to go back because she felt that God was leading her in a different direction. Duncan talked to her and helped her out a lot. He mentioned that what was happening to her was a calling. I liked what he had to say and for the most part I find McAllister to be a person of great intelligence.  He has been very helpful to a lot of people and what he said has made an impact in my life.

I am going to point out my faith here so for those of you who might not like to talk about religion with your friends this may be the point where you tune out. I do believe in God. I believe in an Almighty God. I believe that he sent his only son here to Earth to save us from our sins. I believe that Jesus Christ was the most important man to have ever lived on the earth and I do believe that I have a calling from God. I know that sounds funny coming from me for some of you. Some of you might look at me and say “Really?” but it is what I believe.

When I was in high school I always said that when I got older that I was going to go overseas and teach. I took two years of Spanish(Peruvian actually) so that I could do just that, then shortly after High School I went to LCCC to become a teacher. The problem was that I was not quite ready yet. I was still naive in what I knew and who I was. I lived a sheltered life and never really got to experience the world or understand its people. I was lost, but you know what that original calling was still there. So I rebelled in my own way, tried to walk another path and still I ended up doing exactly that. I went to the Philippines and I taught. I thrived there in fact. Life was good for me and then I came back. I came back to rest in my comfort zone. Where I was protected. At least for a time.

A  year later I was fired from the job that got me to the Philippines and I was adrift for a long time. It was during this time that I got really depressed for the first time in my life. My grandmother was slowly dying of stage four liver cancer. My mothers best friend(an aunt to me) died suddenly and I could not find a job for the first time in my life. (There are other things that I will go into detail here about)

That’s when things also started to change for me in good ways. Here I was down in a deep dark hole and the truth was that I was still alive. Not only was I alive, but I was also presented with the opportunity to go back to school. I stiffened my jaw and realized that my calling had changed. Here I was a person that had intimately studied movies and I was doing nothing with it. I knew that I should be doing it. And now I am.  I had found my new calling. I had found the next phase of my life.

Here is my challenge for the day: You don’t have to be a believer in God or Jesus or any of those things, but ask yourselves this, What is my Calling?

Later Days,

Duesr

Spoilers for those reading Song of Ice and Fire series….

I am currently reading the awesome A Storm of Swords, the third book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, and there is a great quote that is heard often in the book. It is “Valar Morghulis.”  The saying is translated from High Valyrian to be “All men must die.” In A Clash of Kings Arya Stark is given an old coin by Jaqen H’ghar who tells her that if she gives the coin to any Braavosi and says the words something will happen. Later in the book she gives the coin to a ship captain and she says the words. He replies “  Valar Dohaeris” which means  ”First we’ll live.” So when said together it means  ”All men must die, but first we’ll live.”

I like that idea. I like the idea that we are creatures that are meant to die, but that we are also meant to live.  My doctor and I recently spoke and I have found out that I have a couple of things going on medically(nothing serious) that I need to work on. One of the things that he said to me was that he “liked my positive energy.” A week later a professor that I have grown to respect said “I like your determination, you seem to have a lot of focus in your life.”  Five years ago I was not this way. Certainly I was not a bad person, I was nice enough, but is that what you want on your epitaph? John R Duesenberry II, Nice Guy. Not at all. So a little over a year ago(shortly after I was fired.) I began to make some changes. As I look back I am no longer the same man that I used to be. I am a lot more opinionated, I am pursuing the goals I have set, and I am more what I want to be.

So where do I go from here? I do not know. I am growing and changing. I love it.

Later Days,

Duesr

I was sitting early this morning at about 3:00 am talking with some good friends at the Serfozo Beach Party. We were discussing as always what it is that makes us happiest in life. I mentioned that one of the attitudes that I have adopted in life is when I am on my deathbed I am not going to be upset that I have not worked more hours, spent more time at the gym, or what I looked like what I will regret at that moment is the time that I did not spend with family or friends.

Last night I listened and had a conversation with a woman that I have known for years who shared with me her desire to be a writer. I will not share that persons name because I can understand that when we make ourselves vulnerable by telling each others secrets that telling someone else can hurt them. I have gotten to know her a great deal better and because of it I know that she is going to be a fantastic writer. I can’t wait to see her first book published if she ever decides to write and I sincerely hope that she does.

I also got to speak with a good friend who I have noticed is completely happy in his life. He works at a job where many people would give him grief and yet he is without a doubt one of the happiest people I know. We reminisced for hours about the time that we spent together. He even reminded me of a time where I helped him out a lot, something I had forgotten. That was a great time.

I also got to speak with a friend about our general beliefs. I shared with him some ideas that I have, some that may come to pass and some that might not. He has always been positive with me about things.

Today I went and spoke with a friend about the purchase of his new home in Elyria. His eyes lit up as he showed me the new place and we talked about the future a little bit as well and the accomplishments that he has made.

The last year or so my life has changed a lot. A friend of mine recently said to me that my personality reminds of a pushover and that there are a lot of people that think of me that way. Another pointed out and has on several occasions that I am a Sacred Cow, but that is turning as well. I never saw myself that way. I have always just seen myself as well myself. There are things that I have changed. The hoops that I have jumped through at the college would have sent 19 year old me running.  I am determined that I am going to do what makes me happy and in the mean time I am going to spend a lot of time with my friends and family.

That’s all for this little diatribe. For those unnamed in this piece thanks for sitting, listening, and sharing last night. Once again, good times.

Later Days,

Duesr.

The last week has been very good and very odd to me and I just wanted to share a few things that have been happening with all of you:

1.) Last week I was given a project that I am going to be working on my own for my internship. Not to say that I don’t love working with Dan and Eric, because I do, but I really want to flex me editing muscles on this one and it is going to promote the Telecommunications Major at the College.

2. Eric, Dan, and I were recognized for our contributions to the Samuel L. Felton Athletic Club in Downtown Lorain. When a room of a hundred people applaud something that you worked on, that’s a great feeling.

3. During the aforementioned recognition I met a gentleman that is interested in working with all three of us and we might be doing some video with him this weekend.

4. Janina Gavankar liked a comment that I made on her Facebook. Geeking about this right now.

5. My doctor said that he likes that I am being so proactive about my health. This makes me very happy.

That’s it. I have more stuff to talk about soon and I have a feeling that the projects are going to start lining up some more.

Now that I have been on Google+ for over ten days there are some things that I have to say that I really enjoy.

Circles

This is by far my favorite feature. I really enjoy the idea of controlling who sees what. I can send it to everyone or I can keep it to a small group of friends. This is not unlike being able to choose who you want to send an email to in the form of Social Networking. I have gotten to the point now where I can include people in more than one circle and that is a huge help.

Sparks

I know that this may not be something that a lot of people like, but I enjoy it.  Sparks have made it so that I am getting a lot of information from the power of Google Search.

That’s really all, but I am sure that I will have more to say when I get the chance.

Later Days,

Dueser