One-eyed monster

I was riding home tonight and really enjoying it. The following thought came to mind. It is about biking in part, but it is really more about a way of thinking:

I am Cyclops
My single eye shines bright
I do not shy away from the twists and turns of life
Instead, I push it to the edges but I never cross any lines
I bob and weave, finding my own path
Make way, I'm comin' through

I am Cyclops
I look over at those in their cages and I chuckle
I can see better than them with their two eyes
I see it, I hear it, I smell it, I feel it, I live it
I am uninsulated from the winds that blow and the bumps that throw me
And I wouldn't have it any other way

Sherpa

So what is a Sherpa? Why is it in the name of this blog? What does it have to do with me? How did this whole Sherpa Dale thing start? And why does it matter anyways? All good questions, if I do say so myself.

First, a Sherpa is a mountaineering guide from the Himalayas. So while western adventurists (like Richard Branson) gasp for air and freeze their way to the top of Mt Everest, these guys chuckle their way to the top while carrying 200 lb packs.

What does this have to do with me? Very little, as far as I can tell. But when I was hiking in South Korea in Seoraksan National Park, Tova and Daniel (don't remember who started it) started calling me Sherpa Dale. And if you know them, when they start something, they don't let it go. (Case in point, their current Facebook thread on Nacho Libre.) And it kinda stuck in my brain.

So, I'm not from Nepal. I'm not some hiking machine. I'm not some wise eastern philosopher. But I do like to go on trips and visit interesting places. And I do teach for a living, which is kinda like being a guide. And every once in a while I come across a small piece of wisdom. That's the kinda stuff I want to talk about on this blog. Thus the name.

Grandpa

It's a bit strange to use this word in reference to myself. Maybe if I were a bit older it wouldn't seem so weird to me. But hey, story of my life, I guess. The only model I have to go by is Grampa Nauert.

He may have been old of body, but never old of mind. He always was pretty active and had a really good sense of humor. Not a bad model at all.

So welcome Eliana. At 7.7 lbs and 19", you are such a beautiful baby.

And I will enjoy spoiling the heck out of you, as all grandparents do. I wish you weren't so far away! And congratulations to Tova and Daniel. What a joy and a blessing.

Three years

Anniversaries are a good time to look back.
Anniversaries are a good time to look forward.
Anniversaries are a good time to take stock of where you are right now.

Anniversaries are a good time to remember.
Anniversaries are a good time to forgive.
Anniversaries are a good time to forget.

Anniversaries are a good time to hold those you love.
Anniversaries are a good time to heal your heart.
Anniversaries are a good time to let go of the past.

Anniversaries are a good time to laugh.
Anniversaries are a good time to cry.
Anniversaries are a good time to say "I love you".

Happy anniversary babe. Enjoy the fireworks.