Well, it has been a while since I posted anything. Today it has been a year since Alicia and I got married. It has been an amazing year. I got laid off only to find a better job. Alicia went back to school and is working hard to get her degree in Dental Hygiene. We have two new vehicles that needed to replace two broken down ones. We bought a house just recently. All while trying to enjoy our married life together.
I am very proud of what we have achieve together this past year. I fully believe we wouldn't have been able to do it if we wouldn't have worked so hard the three years of dating to over come our short comings and our struggles. I could not imagine being with any other women. Alicia makes me the happiest man on earth. She is truly a treasure!
We have much more to achieve in the years to come and together, I know we can do it.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Hero I Lost
Tonight I cried for the first time in a long time. I have no clue what caused me to think about someone that I miss so very much. As I laid in bed, I just started to think about a man who means so much to me. I got out of bed and came and sat in front of the computer and looked at pictures, and the next thing I knew I was crying my eyes out. I do not think I have ever fully allowed myself to believe that he is gone.
It is summer and I am young boy on a farm in Wisconsin. This is a place that I loved very much and have so many memories of. Playing in the yard of the farm house with a wire frame of a chair, a plastic truck, and plastic peddle tractor. When I got bored of those toys, I would go to the tobacco shed and play with the tractors and anything else I could find to use my imagination with. I loved being there so much, and I miss it even more. What I miss even more is the strong and even stubborn farmer that ran that farm, my grandfather.
I remember watching him drive the tractor through the fields. I can feel myself sitting on his lap while he lets me put my hands on the steering wheel of the 4x4 tractor, that he wouldn't let anyone else drive, as we go through the fields. I can see the country side as we drove down the road with me in the back of the pickup. I can even hear the TV blasting in the living room as he sleeps in his recliner. I remember family get-to-togethers, as everyone stood and sat around the kitchen table laughing and talking about past and present.
What makes me cry most though, is that those memories are surrounded with guilt and regret. As I got older and he got sicker, I took less and less time to call and visit him. I should have taken so much more time for him and taken advantage of the time I had left with him. I should have asked him so many more questions and listened to so many more stories. I was so caught up with my own life, that I put aside another.
He is a hero to me. He was a fighter to the end and always worked hard in life. I wish he could have been at my wedding. I pray that I can bring a male in to this world to carry the Erickson name and honor his Great-Grandfather. My Father and I are the only males to carry the Erickson name after my Grandfather, and I know he would have been so proud to see my some day son. I hope he would be proud of me today. I love him so very much.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Reality, The Death of Good TV
I am a huge fan of reality and the fact that one must have a firm grip on it from time to time; however, I am not a fan of it on my TV.
For those of you who know me, you know that I love GOOD TV and movies. I capitalized the GOOD for a reason. For I believe that GOOD TV has been lost. Now I am not talking about the morality issue of TV that is so often discussed, no, I am talking about TV that inspires thought and imagination. I blame this on reality. The TV watching public seems to have been over taken by reality on their TV. At first I thought it was just a fad that would go away, but it is still hanging on with such dear life.
I love nothing more then sitting down to a good program that inspires thought or imagination, or better yet, both! Shows that make you think about the “what ifs” or the “how comes”. Shows that make you ask questions or show you some hidden thing in society. Shows that make you wish you were there or doing what they were doing, even though you can't. Shows that make you imagine a better place or a happier time. Shows that just show you the good that can and/or does happen.
Reality TV does not do anything like that for me. For the most part with exceptions of shows like "Extreme Home Makeover", reality TV shows the worst of human nature and makes me angry and frustrated with the world I live in. It shows me how petty and selfish we can be as humans. Yea, for most of the shows, something "good", and I use that word loosely, comes out of the show; but for the rest of the show it is nothing but humans fighting and showing their worst to one another and the world. Why do we watch it and what does it do to the world's psyche?
I have always said that TV shows us a lot about the people who watch it. You can tell a lot about a person by the shows they watch and enjoy. I guess that is what scares me the most about reality TV.
Personally, I am a fan of any show that provokes thought, imagination, and feels of pride to be a human being, even if it is in their own special story line or character development. Take a classic like "M*A*S*H" for example. "M*A*S*H" said and says so much through its story lines and character development. It shows the horrors of war during a time when people needed to see what war is really like. People needed to see that war is not simple and should not be entered in to lightly and when even the government wants to make a political statement. Or shows like "NCIS" which shows you the good people that are fighting against evil everyday. Plus, it makes you imagine what the world would be like with more "Special Agent Gibbs" around or what it would be like to be him. It inspires people to be like "Gibbs" and do the right things and fight the fight for justice in their own way. And while these shows speak these things, they also entertain us, its really the only way that their messages can be showed to some people.
To close, Parents, limit your kids TV watching. Force them to go outside (even if it’s by them self in the backyard while you watch them) and let them use their imagination. This world has had too much TV and has lost its ability to use its imagination. There is nothing wrong with pretending you are a cop chasing a bad guy or a captain of ship, reality hits eventually, enjoy the imaginative world when you can! Some times parents could stand to join the imaginative world.
For those of you who know me, you know that I love GOOD TV and movies. I capitalized the GOOD for a reason. For I believe that GOOD TV has been lost. Now I am not talking about the morality issue of TV that is so often discussed, no, I am talking about TV that inspires thought and imagination. I blame this on reality. The TV watching public seems to have been over taken by reality on their TV. At first I thought it was just a fad that would go away, but it is still hanging on with such dear life.
I love nothing more then sitting down to a good program that inspires thought or imagination, or better yet, both! Shows that make you think about the “what ifs” or the “how comes”. Shows that make you ask questions or show you some hidden thing in society. Shows that make you wish you were there or doing what they were doing, even though you can't. Shows that make you imagine a better place or a happier time. Shows that just show you the good that can and/or does happen.
Reality TV does not do anything like that for me. For the most part with exceptions of shows like "Extreme Home Makeover", reality TV shows the worst of human nature and makes me angry and frustrated with the world I live in. It shows me how petty and selfish we can be as humans. Yea, for most of the shows, something "good", and I use that word loosely, comes out of the show; but for the rest of the show it is nothing but humans fighting and showing their worst to one another and the world. Why do we watch it and what does it do to the world's psyche?
I have always said that TV shows us a lot about the people who watch it. You can tell a lot about a person by the shows they watch and enjoy. I guess that is what scares me the most about reality TV.
Personally, I am a fan of any show that provokes thought, imagination, and feels of pride to be a human being, even if it is in their own special story line or character development. Take a classic like "M*A*S*H" for example. "M*A*S*H" said and says so much through its story lines and character development. It shows the horrors of war during a time when people needed to see what war is really like. People needed to see that war is not simple and should not be entered in to lightly and when even the government wants to make a political statement. Or shows like "NCIS" which shows you the good people that are fighting against evil everyday. Plus, it makes you imagine what the world would be like with more "Special Agent Gibbs" around or what it would be like to be him. It inspires people to be like "Gibbs" and do the right things and fight the fight for justice in their own way. And while these shows speak these things, they also entertain us, its really the only way that their messages can be showed to some people.
To close, Parents, limit your kids TV watching. Force them to go outside (even if it’s by them self in the backyard while you watch them) and let them use their imagination. This world has had too much TV and has lost its ability to use its imagination. There is nothing wrong with pretending you are a cop chasing a bad guy or a captain of ship, reality hits eventually, enjoy the imaginative world when you can! Some times parents could stand to join the imaginative world.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Reality Check
Normally I am the preacher of positive thinking. My wife will attest to the fact that I always say that you have to have control over your mind, or you have control over nothing. I stand by that, I believe that if you have control over your thoughts you will have control over a large part of what happens in your life. Everything we do comes from the mind, feelings, actions, ideas, and words. It only makes since that if you control the one part of you that controls everything you do and feel, then and only then do you have control over your life.
That being said, I also believe that things happen to had and come our way that we have no control over. We have all experienced hardships in life. You introduce me to one person who has never experience pain or suffering of any kind, I will doubt that person to even be alive. Those that believe they have it all figured out or that are on top of the world, will soon understand what I mean by pain and suffering. As humans we will continue to ride the roller coaster of life. We will go up and we will go down, we will twist and turn through life, and I personally would have it no other way.
Hardships in my life have made me who I am today and will continue to make me who I am going to be. I do not regret or wish to erase a single hardship, because I am a stronger and wiser person because of them. It is my experiences with hardship that has caused me to believe in positive thinking and power over ones mind. We are who we are by what we have experienced and how we have allowed those experiences to affect us. When hardships come we are left with choices to make on how we allow our mind to process and use them. It all comes down on how we allow our thoughts, feelings, and actions to change by what we have experienced.
This is shown even through how we see other peoples hardships. Since being laid off at the end of January, I have heard many peoples thoughts and advice since then. Each one of the being different because of the person who is sharing them. A person who is experienced with losing a job and having to start all over will have different advice and thought, then the person who has never experienced. For example, a person who has experienced it will provide words of encouragement through point out that persons strength and drive, because they know that a person who has lost their job will begin to doubt their own worth and ability. However, a person who has not experienced it will job start to advising the person how to spend money, apply for jobs, or even point out their own hardships or others. Although their intentions are good, and it may help in some cases or at some point in time, the person experiencing the hardship does not need that, because that is not how their mind is processing it at the time.
How we process things and allow things to affect us changes who we are, even when it comes to the things we can not control. It is our mind and we have the power over it.
That being said, I also believe that things happen to had and come our way that we have no control over. We have all experienced hardships in life. You introduce me to one person who has never experience pain or suffering of any kind, I will doubt that person to even be alive. Those that believe they have it all figured out or that are on top of the world, will soon understand what I mean by pain and suffering. As humans we will continue to ride the roller coaster of life. We will go up and we will go down, we will twist and turn through life, and I personally would have it no other way.
Hardships in my life have made me who I am today and will continue to make me who I am going to be. I do not regret or wish to erase a single hardship, because I am a stronger and wiser person because of them. It is my experiences with hardship that has caused me to believe in positive thinking and power over ones mind. We are who we are by what we have experienced and how we have allowed those experiences to affect us. When hardships come we are left with choices to make on how we allow our mind to process and use them. It all comes down on how we allow our thoughts, feelings, and actions to change by what we have experienced.
This is shown even through how we see other peoples hardships. Since being laid off at the end of January, I have heard many peoples thoughts and advice since then. Each one of the being different because of the person who is sharing them. A person who is experienced with losing a job and having to start all over will have different advice and thought, then the person who has never experienced. For example, a person who has experienced it will provide words of encouragement through point out that persons strength and drive, because they know that a person who has lost their job will begin to doubt their own worth and ability. However, a person who has not experienced it will job start to advising the person how to spend money, apply for jobs, or even point out their own hardships or others. Although their intentions are good, and it may help in some cases or at some point in time, the person experiencing the hardship does not need that, because that is not how their mind is processing it at the time.
How we process things and allow things to affect us changes who we are, even when it comes to the things we can not control. It is our mind and we have the power over it.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Still Waiting
I hate waiting to know what will come next. I hate waiting to know where the next pay check will come from. I have had one interview with Robert Half Technology and that is it. No one else has called me back. I just hope something comes a long soon...
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Happy New Year, Now Find A Job
My wife and I have now joined the many other Americans out there that have been told that they need to find a new job, because the one they have will no longer be. Yesterday, January 2, I was informed that my contractor position at the refinery as Workstation Technician will no longer be needed. From what it sounds like it is because of budget and the centralizing of IT services to Wichita, KS.
Alicia (my wife) and I have wanted to move to the Tennessee area now for some time. I struggle with if this is good time for that move. We have a lease with our current apartment until the end of May though. It is also hard to search and interview for jobs in another state. I would almost need to live in the area that I am looking for a job, unless I found a job that would be able to cover the cost of travel for interview and help with moving. The other idea is if I could find a free place to live while I find a job and Alicia and continue here in the Twin Cities until the lease is up. This makes tough issues with being married and all.
If anyone has any ideas or job offers, please let me know. We are tossing and turning with what would be the best solution for us.
Alicia (my wife) and I have wanted to move to the Tennessee area now for some time. I struggle with if this is good time for that move. We have a lease with our current apartment until the end of May though. It is also hard to search and interview for jobs in another state. I would almost need to live in the area that I am looking for a job, unless I found a job that would be able to cover the cost of travel for interview and help with moving. The other idea is if I could find a free place to live while I find a job and Alicia and continue here in the Twin Cities until the lease is up. This makes tough issues with being married and all.
If anyone has any ideas or job offers, please let me know. We are tossing and turning with what would be the best solution for us.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Time For New Government
In the past few months more and more things have happen that just make me want to scream. I have spent some time reading thing about America's fore fathers and government through out the ages. It is through this study that I have become more and more frustrated with our current government. A couple years ago while sitting at a fast food joint with some friends I told them that my prediction was that the only way America was going to get turned around is if the people picked up arms and did something about it. I still stand by that today.
Yes, I like the rest of the country hope that President-Elect Barrack Obama will do some good in this country, but when it comes down to it, he is still part of the same party system that has been in power for some time now. People thought Bush was going to make some changes, and look how that turned out. The problem is, that the people that would truly make some good changes, people are able or don't give the time of day to.
I also am not talking about the President only here, because lets face it, they do not hold the majority of power in our government. The Congress and Senate holds the power. The same people that even through we are facing a tough economic time approved to give themselves a raise! People are losing their jobs, homes, and savings and the government officials that we elected, are giving themselves more money. WAKE UP AMAERICA, WE ARE BEING ROBBED!
When will the American people finially say enough is enough! Stand up again the government like the fore fathers of this country designed the system to be. They specificly wrote the governemtn to be able to be pushed back in to right, when it was wrong, by the American people.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree?
Yes, I like the rest of the country hope that President-Elect Barrack Obama will do some good in this country, but when it comes down to it, he is still part of the same party system that has been in power for some time now. People thought Bush was going to make some changes, and look how that turned out. The problem is, that the people that would truly make some good changes, people are able or don't give the time of day to.
I also am not talking about the President only here, because lets face it, they do not hold the majority of power in our government. The Congress and Senate holds the power. The same people that even through we are facing a tough economic time approved to give themselves a raise! People are losing their jobs, homes, and savings and the government officials that we elected, are giving themselves more money. WAKE UP AMAERICA, WE ARE BEING ROBBED!
When will the American people finially say enough is enough! Stand up again the government like the fore fathers of this country designed the system to be. They specificly wrote the governemtn to be able to be pushed back in to right, when it was wrong, by the American people.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree?
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