One Hundred Things .... Paul

A collection of lists. Take the challenge. 100 things about yourself. Streaming flow of consciousness, as personal or as general as you care to make it...but make it count. You might learn something about yourself and I promise it's better than 20 questions!

1. I found the love of bonsai during one of my trips to Japan. That was 1987 and 23 years ago. I teach, collect and find friendships worldwide because of this artform.
2. I work with children who for many circumstances have made decisions that have impacted their own lives and the lives of others in some occassions. I truly believe these are good kids making very poor choices.
3. Throughout my life I have worked with various human services, either by volunteering or working directly.
4. I stuck a short Navy career in the middle of my life. I will never forget the men and women I had met in those 8 wonderfully experienced years.
5. I stole a squad car when I was 16. Borrowed without permission won't cut it anymore...
6. Stole a car and a motorcycle too.
7. I was an altar boy growing up. I put “Hi Mom” on the bottoms of my shoes so that they faced the congregation while I kneeled at the altar.
8. I was raised in the Catholic faith. I remain grounded by this upbringing but have traveled the world and continue a spiritual path not nessarily away from the Catholic faith, but along side it.
9. I believe in God as the creator of all. I believe that Buddha and Jesus are brothers...spiritually speaking, not biologically....duh. I am in awe of Native American spirituality as well.
10. I have travelled around this globe. Actually all the way around the earth by the time I was 21.
11. I was born in Wiesbaden Germany in 1966.
12. From Germany we headed west back to the states.
13. I have lived in Virginia (state), Florida, Texas and Minnesota. Minnesota is my home.
14. I love Lake Superior for all its power and beauty.
15. My journey continued west through my life. I ended up in Central Africa in 1989, almost directly below Wiesbaden Germany (longitude-wise).
16. I crossed the equator 6 times.
17. South of the equator, I had to make sure I flushed a toilet to prove the water circles opposite.
18. I have seen the Southern Cross.
19. I have stood in the pouring rain and winds of both hurricanes and typhoons. Trust me, they are the same thing.
20. My kryptonite is pine nuts.
21. Pine nuts have almost killed me on 3 occassions.
22. I walked away from death on 9 occassions, which is weird because I am a Leo.
23. Not looking forward to the 10^th time.
24. I have witnessed both the miracle of birth and death first hand.
25. I believe in ghosts.
26. I am a tattoo enthusiast. Full right arm sleeve, back and chest piece and a start to a left sleeve in the works.
27. The brevity of man is the theme of my right arm. Tempus Fugit Memento Mori. (Time Flies Remember Death)
28. My daughter designed the chest piece tattoo. She is 7.
29. I play guitar. I picked it up in high school in 1983. I am still a student. If I practiced, I might be pretty good some day.
30. I ran a rescue farm for domestic and farm critters for a decade.
31. I owned a Scottish Highland Cow named “Bubbles”.
32. Animals have taught me many things about values and my own existence.
33. Thomas Merton, C.S. Lewis and Thich Nhat Hanh are my favorite reads.
34. I like to write. Whether poetry, songs or stories....I find written word an excellent way to vent.
35. I draw too. Sometimes I put my written word to a drawing.
36. I dabbled in smoking marijuana for many years. I get it. But understand lack of control and how life can be wasted.
37. I was married for 7 years, and divorced.
38. The day of the divorce I went sober. I didnt have a problem, just wanted to live my life chemical free.
39. I discovered wine making, and decided chemical free sucked ass.
40. I love wine.
41. I couldn't tell you what wine to drink with fish or venison, but I can tell you how buzzed I can get on a great bottle of Merlot or Shiraz....
42. 10 years ago, I would never had known what the hell Shiraz was. I would have guessed it was some new latin female singer.
43. Speaking of....Shiraz makes me want to dance.
44. I was told once that my daughter is a Rainbow Child. You are gonna have to look that one up....I did.
45. I dated a girl once that introduced me to the Tamarack Dance Association. They meet once a month and do square and line dancing with a live band and callers. Was the most fun I have had in a long time. I miss the dancing, not her.
46. I actually do miss her, but not in the loved loss sort of way. She was good people.
47. I used to polka with my mom.
48. I miss her bunches. She passed on almost a year ago this coming February to cancer.
49. Cancer sucks ass.
50. My pops died of cancer too.
51. Cancer sucks ass times two.
52. I have two brothers.
53. One brother is a police detective in Florida. He didn't know I stole a squad car til just this year.
54. My other brother is a brilliant man full of math facts and stats that blow my mind.
55. I am completely and utterly math stupid.
56. He has Cerebral Palsy, but that doesn't define him.
57. My only sister is a giver. She has sacrificed much of her life these past three or four years to the care of both my parents until they passed. She is our angel.
58. My parents celebrated 50 years of marriage. You don't see that too often anymore.
59. Dear Cancer, you can suck it. Sincerely. Paul.
60. When I was 18, I had a tortion of the left testical. Which by the way is equivelant to an elephant standing on your testical....pain wise.
61. I no longer have a left testical.
62. I believe in Karma. That said, I still have no idea what I did to deserve the pain of an elephant standing on a testical. Oh wait..... I think I know....see #5 and 6.
63. I lived in the Phillippines where I had a housemaid that put a curse on me. I am kinda weirded out by that still.
64. Life goes on curse and all.
65. I think I have the answers to all life's questions. That is probably why I don't ask questions....I just do.
66. I passed that knowledge on to my daughter....she has the answers to everything. At least she thinks she does.
67. I am in trouble in 8 years....probably sooner.
68. I kind of feel sorry for any suitor that may come her way. I am a guy. I know how guy's think.
69. I own guns.
70. I am a pretty good shot too.
71. My daughter has two uncles and a boatload of serbian kin that are pretty good shots too.
72. Speaking of.... I am ¼ each of Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian and Hungarian.
73. My daughter is 1/6 of each including Polish and Irish.
74. I guess I really shouldn't worry about any suitor my daughter may have. She is gonna be able to defend herself without a doubt.
75. Twenty-five more to go!!!!
76. :) I know these last two were cheap adds on this list.
77. I have a Gordon Setter named Fas. (Foss). Or as my daughter calls him Fozz or Fozzy. Fas is latin for “fate”.
78. I really enjoy the companionship that dogs give. Unconditional loyalty and love. They see you at your worst and and at your best.
79. I live like that too. Giving my all for my friends and family. Unconditionally.
80. I am a night owl. My mom was too. We would stay up late just talking or playing cards til the wee hours of the morning. Good times.
81. I know that sleep is needed, but find that I function well on the sleep I do get. In spite of knowing that it is healthier to get more sleep. I could argue with myself about this all night.
82. Coffee helps me get through this argument in the mornings.
83. Mornings are always the best times to drink coffee.
84. The worst time to drink coffee is in a jeep on a really rough road. Not cool.
85. I like tea too. Chai mostly, but I can enjoy a good black tea. I doll it up nicely with loads of honey, sugar or creams.... so it tastes like coffee.
86. I am in my office right now, thinking I started this some hour or so ago. I liked the concept of this 100 list, and am grateful for my new friend to challenge me with the task.
87. I find her to be a mystery right now, but she is like the first sip of a morning cup of coffee. Awakening the senses that have slept through the night.
88. I am looking forward to sleep in about 10 more minutes.
89. That leaves me about 1 minute for the remaining ten items on my list.
90. I plan on changing jobs soon. Not that I do not like the one I have. I am a person that doesn't stay too long in one spot.
91. I enjoy variety and diversity. With that comes new experiences and connections.
92. I enjoy being connected to people \....and once connected, always connected.
93. The spiritual journey I am on is filled with these connections. For these, I am truly blessed.
94. I strive to be the man that God intended me to be. A good father, a good family man, a good friend. God is love.
95. I hope that through my connections, I can give more than I have received from them. I learn much about myself and this great world with every breath.
96. I am a student of life and love, laughter and understanding.
97. My brother has taught me that life is about accepting and appreciating all that I have.
98. I am a better man because of all my family, friends and the love that I have shared with all who I have met through the years.
99. I look forward to the years to come, so that I may become closer to who I am supposed to be.
100. Thank you Kathleen for the opportunity to share this with you.