He Read All of These

I wonder what he thinks about Justin Bieber? Hmm...

If you asked me about my first memory of church, it was sitting in the pews next to my Dad (he insisted on making sure I was next to him in those days), and then watching this giant of a man approach the podium, open the hymnal, read out the number of the hymn we were about to sing, raise his huge arms, and say in a booming voice "Let us rise to sing this hymn!" Rarely did we ever sit down to sing a hymn; that never happened actually o_O LOL

Whenever I see him, whether it is on Sunday morning or during the week, I must have my handshaking hand ready and an answer for how your day/week is going ^_^ It's great to know people, who were around a block, to tell you things and keep you in check, much like him. I knew his family for as long as I was alive, and they are just as HIP as he is. I could see the bridge between the generations of his family, and while they are in different places they remain very close. Plus, there are great life lessons taught through the ages like God, love, respect, honour, sacrifice, and understanding; the focus in today's world is less about those things and what makes us happy, pop culture, and what Justin Bieber is having for lunch (Twitter).

I still see him from across the sanctuary, and we get the occasional hymn ^_^ Today's generation has a lot to learn, but if we were more receptive and had more people like my friend I would feel a little better about our future.

Hi, if you are reading this now, then that means I'm in big trouble come Sunday o_O LOL ^_^

She Sometimes Reads These

Just a random Hayley Williams picture ._. What? o_O

After the church service ended, I was standing in the foyer. I didn't know anybody, when I arrived, but I recognized and met a few people by the end of the night. So while I'm standing I hear someone singing from inside the sanctuary; it was such a beautiful voice, although I never heard that song before, so I rushed back into the sanctuary to find out who it was.

One of her friends was playing guitar, and she was singing along. I never heard anyone sing as beautifully as she does. Some people say I have a good memory, however I feel terrible knowing that I can't recall LARGE segments of that night. We share one particular memory, one which I would like to forget: She informed me that we crossed paths years before, but I couldn't remember that. She was only visiting my area for the day, however she knew who I was because I was bouncing off the walls and being my boisterous, HUGE self. During that particular episode, I didn't bother to find out who she was back then, because if I took the time out it's possible I would be a better person for knowing her then as I do now. As crummy as I still feel about, she still forgave me and reminded me I was HIP ^_^ She is also very warm and sincere.

It's hard to stay in a foul mood when she is around, because she will find a way to get a smile out of you. If you are new to the group, she will find out who you are by the end of the day! She is also as humble as she is talented, for showmanship and bravado are not what she is after, however that's what draws me and so many of her friends to her. There are a few other things I didn't mention here, nevertheless I hope I can tell her how much I appreciate her friendship and kindness ^_^

Why did you do this?

If you don't "eulogize" the people you love, like, respect or admire while they are alive, how will they know what you mean to them when they are dead. Of course, there are no secrets in Heaven, so if you believe in the truth, then they will find out EVERYTHING about you when they die. It would be far worse to keep such positive secrets from those you care about; that's something I struggle with. Now that I'm almost halfway to collecting my pension, people I grew up with my whole life are beginning to go away: Some across town, others across the country, and a few people are no longer with us, unfortunately.

This will not be a BIG series, but over the week I hope to share some stories about people I know, and talk about how they shaped my life, and all without divulging names or personal information o_O If my real life friends reading my blog know who I am talking about, then congratulations ^_^ (For the sake of the internet, please keep your answers private? Thanks!)

In case you are reading this: Yes, that's a portion of what I think when I think about you. I'll be out of the house on Monday, so if you want to chase me with a stick I'll be outside in a public park with plenty of witnesses LOL

That Thing I Used To Do

Oh yeah, blogging ^_^ Right o_O

"If You Reference We The Kings, They Will Come..."
o_O Who said that?!

I'm back from my unscheduled break to write again. I was busy with real life, outdoorsy type things: Baseball practice, baseball games, baseball writing, and music practice (threw a curveball there ^_^). While I disappeared from the literary scene, I checked my stats and discovered this blog peaked over TEN THOUSAND VIEWS! I know I say this every round number milestone divisible by ten, but from the bottom of my heart I thank each of you for coming back to the blog time after time, reading my wacky posts, and sometimes commenting ^_^ Thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks.

"Phil Wood is quitting writing?! NOOO!"
T_T Oh no, Taylor! Don't cry!

This gives me an awkward opportunity to make an awkward segue to the next topic of my blog: Before and during my break, I took stock of what I wrote thus far, who reads the blog, how often readers follow it, what needs to change, and if I'm doing enough. One post I wrote many moons, if not months ago, was a little factoid about listening to We The Kings music ^_^ To my amazement, most of my views come from that post, and I was not thinking at all when I wrote it. If you take all those views away, however, my blog has only a couple dozen views per post with the occasional Taylor Swift spike. Now, I could write about my undying love for Taylor Swift for the next seventy years, however to stake my claim in the impressionable teen industry is late and fool-hardy at best o_O

I considered stopping writing altogether, and searching for a paying writing job instead. I like doing this, but I'm at the stage where I should be getting on with life, and making a career out of what I love to do instead of doing something because it's my hobby (does that make sense? o_O) Side note: My unique faces provide the occasional comic relief, yet they are a disservice when you mean to be serious and thought-provoking. Do you mind the ^_^ and o_O, or $_$ and >_<? How about *_* and T_T and =_= and @_@?

I drew a lot when I was young. I miss those days.

The future is a scary thing, and not everyone wants to grow up, and became a 9-to-5 dude with a mortgage, dog, and five pairs of shoes (15 pairs of shoes falls out of Phil's closet) What was that sound? Anyway, if you are in a similar boat, then what you want to do is consider all those things you enjoy doing, listen to your family and friends as they serve as good indicators of what you do well, and keep doing those things! For example, in church I would draw while taking notes. Ordinarily, that would get me killed by one or both of my parents, one of the men of the elders boards, the parents of an impressionable youngster sitting two rows over, etc. (Good evening to each of you o_O Awkward...). What I learned, from discussing the matter with them after the service, is my pictures were not doodles but helpful reminders of what the pastor spoke about. Often whole sentences and paragraph could be bundled into one or two pictures. Maybe there is a future for me in cartooning? Unfortunately, that would be outside of what I already do in this blog, so maybe I can do something else with it?

My Notes from Years Ago O_O

I do like writing, and I want to do this for another three years. In the meantime, I will experiment with what worked in the past with my blog. Perhaps it will turn into a sustainable career; you never know if you don't try. I like that saying; I'm going to patent it. Wait, what? Oh...never mind o_O

Birthday Blahs

My Kind of Place: Instead of berating you for being
single on your 30th birthday, the Danes give you
heartfelt speeches, songs, and pepper mills (ACHOO!)

My thirtieth birthday is coming soon; no, I'm not going to tell you which day it is o_O Unlike in previous birthdays, I feel really upset about it. All day I thought about what tangible difference I made in the world up to this point, and I couldn't think of anything. Yes, there are great family and good friendships forged along the way, and sound advice I followed that kept me from serious harm or worse; as undeserving as I am for all these things and more, I am blessed by God and thankful to Him for all that I have. However, I feel I took more than I gave in return.

This could be the realization I lived a sheltered and selfish life, and I should undergo a thorough life examination, overhaul the life I live, and seek objective, professional help, or perhaps some of what I call ordinary and everyday happenings are actually life-changing and thought provoking moments for others? I would be selfish to demand answers from others, so instead I hope this would spark a discussion about ways each person can realize their potential and opportunities by making a difference in the lives of the people around them.

To lighten the mood, I am studying the internet for ways cultures around the world celebrate one's 30th birthday.

1. In Germany, a single 30 year-old man receives a broom from his friends. He then sweeps away all the ashes and dust off of his front step, which his friends place beforehand, only for his friends to mess it up again.
2. In Denmark, thirty year old single men and women receive pepper mills as gifts o_O They are also seated at tables for six hours surrounded by family and friends, who regale them with speeches and songs between meal courses.
3. One online source suggests giving 30 year old men beer and whiskey making kits. Dear friends: Don't give me any homemade alcohol kits, thanks.

Happy Canada Day!

I'm wishing a Happy Canada Day to from this happy and thankful Canadian to all my readers and subscribers ^_^ Make today an awesome day filled with fun, family, and fireworks!

By the way, a word of advice about fireworks, don't make the same mistake I made years ago o_O Have a good one! ^_^