One week ago yesterday, I was notified that my position was being eliminated, along with a half dozen others. While jarring at first, I now find myself inspired and driven by this unforeseen change in my path. I’m excited to see this journey unfold and where it will take me, my family, and the new connections that I make. I am looking for a position that will leverage my passion and talent for growing partnerships (pre and/or post sales), while simultaneously influencing the evolution of the business internally as we strive toward success. I am seeking roles that are similar to or related to these titles – senior director/VP of Customer Success, Strategic Alliances, and perhaps eventually moving in the direction toward something like a “Chief of Staff.” Ultimately I love working with the humans…we are so much more complicated than software.
Be Silence
thoughts, travelsAs an experiment, I crafted a weekend to be alone in silence for two days. What does “silence” mean? It meant no phone, no texting, no Internet, no journaling, no reading, nothing but eating, sleeping, meditating, and possibly yoga if I felt compelled. The rules were clear and I believed a platform for introspection and peace. Introspection, yes. Peace, no.
My mind is alway spinning with ideas and thoughts and discussions and debates and regrets and replays of past and fantasy of future and…spinning is the correct word. Never ending. Or as my lovely has donned it “a roller coaster.” Riding this coaster alone in “silence” isn’t much different than riding it alongside others. The benefit is to the others. So no peace found here.
However this experience did reveal the clear wisdom of mindfulness and focus on the breath. The breath is always there, like the racing thoughts, but the breath brings peace, nourishment, grace, and focus. Through the breath, I find now. Between the breaths I touch silence.
My breath reminds me, now, what it means to be alive. To feel. To enjoy the moments. To allow the spinning mind and appreciate the gift it brings me – desire to seek the silence. So similarly to the wisdom of Mozart on music1, I now see that life is not experienced in action or thought, but in the silence between.
Absence in Me
textYou know the simple.
The space between fingers.
You are the absence in me.
Time will fill the spaces.
Distance finds its places.
In me.
Shared absence brings silence.
Lacking. Craving. Hurt.
Distance? Irrelevant.
Disgrace? Never.
Dance between your fingers.
Walk between spaces.
Be within me.
In me. Absence.
Leeroy Jenkins!!!
truckOne of the last adventures with my mom before her passing was the purchase and acquisition of this ride. Leeroy wasn’t truly road worthy, as pictured above. Looks good but engine locked up (sort of). No engine damage and had to call father-in-law for a rescue. This truck will always remind me of my mom and I know she is there every time I drive the truck , or breakdown on the side of the road.
A 1960 Ford F-100 with some sort of Ford Windsor V8 Engine. Original body. Original bed covered with a rusted sheet of metal. Good truck. The following journal provides the story of this humble truck’s evolution.
My Glimpse of James Baldwin
tables, text, thoughtsWho is James Baldwin? A beautiful, articulate man who carried the heavy burden of understanding a dark reality in his time and sadly mine too. His words are moving, challenging, nurturing, and sobering. A time traveler.
“The responsibility of a writer is to excavate the experience of the people who produced him.”
My first exposure to Mr. Baldwin came from this documentary I’m Not Your Negro. His smile, his words, and his passion reminded me of the power of the human. His love, frustration, joy, sadness is tangible in his voice and his language. I never met this man but will continue to hear his voice. His voice is for our today. Listen.
Holy Spanish & English Bibles
art, pixeltext
This PixelText is a comparison between a Spanish translation (Reina–Valera) and an English translation (King James) versions of the Bible.
The Reina-Valera is a Spanish translation of the Bible originally published in 1602 until United Bible Societies in 1909 revised the earlier translation produced in 1569 by Casiodoro de Reina. This translation was known as the “Biblia del Oso” (in English: Bear Bible) because the illustration on the title page showed a bear trying to reach a container of honeycombs hanging from a tree. Since that date, it has undergone various revisions notably those of 1602, 1862, 1909, 1960, 1977, 1995, and more recently in 2011.
The King James Version (KJV), also known as the King James Bible (KJB), sometimes as the English version of 1611, or simply the Authorized Version (AV), is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, commissioned in 1604 and completed as well as published in 1611 under the sponsorship of James VI and I. The books of the King James Version include the 39 books of the Old Testament, an intertestamental section containing 14 books of the Apocrypha, and the 27 books of the New Testament. Noted for its “majesty of style”, the King James Version has been described as one of the most important books in English culture and a driving force in the shaping of the English-speaking world.
The King James Reprise
art, pixeltext
For PixelText added a clockwise circle placement instead of left to right + carriage return + line feed.
Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont
art, pixeltext
PixelText
art, pixeltext, projectsPixelText is a content visualization concept to translate each unique word from the targeted text (e.g. books, lyrics, poems) to a color (specified or random) and then display the word as a pixel in order as they appeared in the original text. Simply put, translate these words to pixels. The hope is to create novel and compelling art from sources that already possess meaning as well as possibly provide a new perspective on the text.
The image above represents the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. The palette was determined at random. Many different texts, versions, ratios, and palettes have been experimented with to yield something at the least interested. Additional experiments shared below.
why
textw h y d o w e e x i s t w h a t i s t h e p u r p o s e t o b r e a t h t o e a t t o s l e e p t o f i g h t t o l o v e t o d i e w h y d o i c o n t i n u e t o b r e a t h t o e a t t o s l e e p t o f i g h t t o l o v e w h y w h y y o u a s k b e c a u s e o f m e y o u w i l l u n d e r s t a n d o n e d a y b u t n o t t o d a y
Three Greatest Treasures (Haiku #0)
textPlain motion and mind
Kindess both friend and rival
Gentle to oneself
Thanks for the inspiration JF
The “Should” Fast
thoughtsSimply stated, from my decades of experience and research, the use of this word is very powerful however can be very damaging. So, for a very simple experiment, I challenge you to consider fasting and let’s discuss. Namaste.
Tractor Repair: 1951 Ford 8N w/ a warped PTO shaft
tractorsIn my first attempt at real tractor repair, the target is Beffie – my wife’s 1951 Ford 8N tractor which is painted pink in honor of her Aunt Beth who passed from breast cancer. We miss you Beth!
We bought the tractor with the original Power Take Off (PTO) shaft which required an adapter to connect to modern implements. Not a big deal but not ideal. At the advice and nudging of her uncles, they purchased a replacement and I was off to change all by my lonesome, the best way for me to learn.
My glimpse of Chomolungma
pics, travelsOnce in a lifetime opportunity while in Kathmandu. I hitched a ride on a helicopter to Everest base camp. Approximately 45 mins each way with views that cannot adequately be describe or pictured. One of the most beautiful places on our humble planet for sure.
You don’t know the Kingdom
thoughts, travelsIn March 2018, I visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Simply amazing and inspiring. I didn’t realize how narrow minded we Americans, or at least myself, can be and the potential of this nation and its people. So yes, this article is mainly for my American patriots, but I also want to share my experience with others around the world that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is beyond what you know. I’m hoping you’ll open your eyes and take a closer look.
Antique Software & Tractors
thoughts, tractorsDue to my wife’s awesome family, I’ve been exposed to the wide world of tractors. With as little as 100 hours of driving, plowing, bush-hogging, breaking, repairing, and maintaining, I’ve grown so very fond of these old machines. Picture above is our 1954 Ford 600 tractor “upgraded” to a 640, in Powder Springs, GA, USA. This my wife’s grandfather’s pride and joy.
Contraptions, People, and Everything Else in Between
tables, tractorsSo while in Singapore on a walk, I calmed my breath and pace. I let my mind do, without judgement. After two hours-ish of walking, something came to me.
I love my life and want to enjoy it with everyone I meet. I love to learn. I love to experiment. I love people. I love journeys and then returning, sharing. I love to laugh. I love to talk and listen (some might disagree). However in sharing these experiences through social media, I’ve felt torn.
Part of me felt guilty for this blessed life that I’m living. Part of me felt like I was bragging with every post. I was more interested in “giving” my pictures and stories than sharing my experiences. Sharing takes energy, time, and patience. Life is about creating, taking and giving. Sharing requires pause.
As walking with patience I decided to share with patience. Create something. Give something. With that I will take something but not exactly sure what it will be.
Social media for me, was my fast food for sharing. Many use it more wisely. Not I. I don’t journal, but I’ve always wanted to. I write lots of emails but not words. A blog. Yes! Why? For me and others that find me, I think. What do I share? Everything in between. Oh and for some odd reason it is must start with ‘t’.
I love old tractors. Not sure I understand why. I love food. My belly knows. Food brings people together for sharing. Tables! First name was “Travel, Tractors, and Tables” but not right. Travel too overplayed. Tractors are about humans working and creating. Tables are about work, access, and sharing. Food! Creating, taking and giving is sharing.
Who am I? It doesn’t matter.
Tractors & Tables 