Observations 050317AFS

Observations Monday

It's Monday and it's sunny thank God. After coffee, we walked over to the post office to send over a couple of parcels we sold on eBay. I admit we do sell a lot of stuff on eBay and why not. I have sold things minutes after posting on eBay.After coffee, we walked over to the post office to send over a couple of parcels we sold on eBay. I admit we do sell a lot of stuff on eBay and why not. I have sold things minutes after posting on eBay and it feels good to recycle rather than destroy and waste.

Gin & Post Office

In the post office in front of us are two 35-something women. They say 'hi' to each other, clearly, know each other a share some conversation whilst the two-year-old son of one of them runs around in circles in the post office whilst pretending to be an airplane.Within minutes the conversation turned to alcohol or Gin and Tonic. They had both been to some event or party together and were talking about how a simple Gin and Tonic was served the size of three G&T in one large glass. Both boasted about how much they can consume and how another friend who wasn’t there slept on the floor of this party and when I say slept I mean lay there unconscious from drink according to the women laughing about it. Both of these women tried to outdo each other in the conversation about who was drinking what and how much. Both admitted they were 'blind drunk' to the point not only do they hardly remember the end of the night. I think I am old enough to say there will be a price at some point for this excess. I stopped drinking any alcohol around 11-years ago now. I never drank a lot but it feels better to experience everything without alcohol.

A Man Name Ali

I have been mentoring a wonderful guy named Ali on how to write. Ali is an office worker and English is his second language although his English is better than mine. I have been working with this guy for around 16 weeks now and the changes have been huge for him so far. I am not sure he sees what I see but the changes are gigantic. Today we are finishing his client building plan and it isn’t even online – all offline. He is taken a route for clients that take more courage and guts but I think his Afghanistan history is in his blood. I admire what he has done so far and what he is doing. So tonight we are working on his plan to create his first live mini-seminar where he lives. I always admire those that make changes so dramatic that the changes are so obvious people actually don’t believe you when you tell them. That is Ali!

Professional Coffee Drinker?

I do get asked now and then what I actually do because as far as the village where I live most people see me walking around with my wife going for coffee. Clearly, I am not a professional coffee drinker but explaining what I do takes a bit of explaining because I do so many different things. Author, writer, advisor, mentor, father, lover, husband, creator, and wanna be guitarist and Ukulele player and more.I was brought up to believe hard work is the only way. It isn’t’ I don’t believe it. I was also brought up like most people to believe money is the only way to create true happiness. It isn’t. Yet without hard work, the human isn’t really satisfied and without money, if we live in the modern world enjoying the world is that easy so both are important. I just think it's more important to realise and be aware they are not everything. Money is a reward for hard work but it can slip away as fast as it arrives. So if happiness and life is attached to money what then takes place when money vanishes?

Alcoholic

I was just thinking about the 'too much to drink' story above as I was typing. I have a member of my family that is an alcoholic. She has been for as far back as I recall. I've seen her drink 3-4 bottles of wine and many bottles of beer in one go. Sickeningly sad. It has been a huge stain and blot on her family that has fallen apart so many times I cannot remember. We are not close in the slightest so this knowledge of mine is 2nd hand. Anyway this weekend I heard she had gone to prison and then bailed after 24-hours after a violent attack on one of her ex-husbands. Yes, there have been a few. I am not sure what happened but the result of the violence from drink is massive. Now she has lost her position and job as the top person in the building where she directs over 500 staff from one single office. Not anymore. I am not surprised due to her history but it's very sad. I remember this person when they would have a small drink – like we all did – just for the sake of being social. The problem is that became her addiction and has never let go of it. It’s desperately sad. I stopped drinking anything alcoholic about eleven years ago now. I am happy for me that I did.

My Georgian 'meomari' Wife and The Gym

When I first met my darling wife and lover around seven years ago I pretended I went to the gym a lot to try and win her over. I thought she'd be more impressed with a guy caring for his health than a guy that didn’t give a damn! Once we got together I had to then keep up this new fitness regime otherwise I’d get busted. Seven years later I have rarely missed time for my health and that includes the gym. I go every day apart from the odd break (like this weekend) and take supplements that might fill gaps missed by food. I never eat anything processed and stick to organic and as fresh as possible. My wife is an amazingly organic cook and cooks food like a traditional Georgian 'sopeli' countrywoman – not America Georgia – European Georgia). I adore her.I have pals from the past I rarely see but when I do see them sometimes I am shocked. One guy I know works every hour sent and is always broke. The last time I saw him he had lost a lot of his teeth. They eat processed foods, do no exercise, get home tired, leave home tired and watch TV until the are so zoned out they cannot even switch the TV off. There must come a time when you ask yourself is this really my life? Sadly most never will yet those that do can make changes so profound it changes everything. You can't blame or condemn people that live this way. This is the zoomanic system we are part of.I am happy I discovered how to look after my body despite the soreness after the gym because by default my sons now do what they see their father doing. Two of them go to the gym and are almost fitness fanatics themselves after coming once or twice with me in the early days – despite the fact they did not want to. One is now heavily into Wing Chum!It is better to thrive than just survive that is for sure.

The Man and The Boy

I have just left the gym and am walking over the old railway bridge. On the bridge the same guy sleeps and sits everyday 7-days a week. He looks a mess a real down and out mess. Thin, frail, skin cracked, aged well beyond his years and toothless with matted hair and filthy fingers. A four year old child walking just in front of me has a conversation with his mother.‘That man has no food so he must be hungry. Do you have food in your bag I can give to him mummy?No son you shouldn’t feed them?He is hungry mummy and we should feed him.No just ignore them please.If I had money I would give the man money because I have some and he has none. if I had food I would give it to the man because he has none and we have lots. Then we could feed all the men that sit on the path and give them money if we have too much money.Son please stop talking and keep walking.As I walked behind them I thought what a wonderful lesson from a clean and innocent mind. The mother also is teaching a good lesson.

New - Change - Time and Deliberate Recreation

I began work on a new project that I have loved so far. I have mentioned it a lot but it’s coming together with no real time frame. It’s my Deliberate Recreation Project. Why no time frame? I have a watch that cost a lot of money. I never wear it. It’s an Omega and lies in a drawer gathering dust. I don’t like watches and I don’t like time restraints. And I don’t like to give a new project a time restraint.In my experience change awakens a fear in most people yet change is as natural as the sun rising in the morning. What is not natural is the lack of change and restrictions to a human being. Looking back on life when I decided to make a career from writing I had no time restraint. I simply knew that is what I wanted to do and carried out the needed actions until I arrived at the point where I was earning more as a writer than I was as a hairdresser. I have made at least three major life changes so I think I understand the point. Of course, that doesn’t mean I know everything. I think I do but clearly, I don’t.So my deliberate recreation project is well underway in the background and will talk the time it takes. Just one thing on that springs to mind that is also interesting. People that say they really want to make changes, in their life usually resist changes. That means changes never come and cannot come due to the force of that resistance. Interesting right?OK, I’d better get moving I have a lot to do today and of course, one more coffee to fit in.If you have any comments or feedback let me know.Talk soon.Alan Forrest SmithMore about my deliberate recreation project here