“Live in Deep Water”

I loved this article when I read it..... made me want to transform some parts of my life. It rang true to me. Enjoy!

“Live in Deep Water” by Mitt Romney

If you were looking for a family motto this would be one to consider —

I don't remember when it was exactly that I finally went past the sandbar. My family had
a summer cottage on the shores of one of the Great Lakes. For the first forty or so feet,
the lake is shallow, warm, and protected from big waves by the sandbar. That's where I
spent most of the hot summer days as a boy. I liked it there.

One day, my brother got me up on water skis. Perhaps fearing that a turn would make
me fall, he drove the boat, and me, straight out into the deep. By the way, this lake is
over 100 miles wide. I screamed at him the whole terrifying ride. He took me about a
half mile out. But ever after, the deep water was where I wanted to be: surfing in the
breakers, water skiing, diving. I got out of the shallow water for good. Over the years, I
have watched a good number of people live out their lives in the shallows. In the
shallows, life is all about yourself, your job, your money, your house, your rights, your
needs, your opinions, your ideas, and your comfort.
In the deeper waters, life is about others: family, friends, faith, community, country,
caring, commitment. In the deeper waters, there are challenging ideas, opposing
opinions, and uncomfortable battles.

Almost every dimension of your life can be held to the shallows or taken into the deeper
water. Your career, your involvement with others, your spouse and your children, your
politics, each can be lived with you comfortably at the center. Or, they can draw you out
of yourself, into service and sacrifice, into selflessness.

At some point in your life, a few of you may be presented with the opportunity to step off
your career path, to give yourself fully to some kind of service. When I was asked to
leave my investment company to run the Olympics in Salt Lake City, I dismissed the
idea out of hand. I was making too much money, I didn't know bupkes about running a
sports event. The job would pay me nothing. The organization was in the worst
condition of any I had ever seen. And, after the Games were over, the position would
lead nowhere. It was a dead end. I took it. It was the highlight of my professional life. I
gave more of myself than I ever had before. I came to know and respect remarkable
people.

There are currencies more lasting than money. It can be enormously rewarding to take
the unobvious course, to jump into the deep water. Bias is shallow thinking and shallow
water. Read widely, particularly from people who disagree with you. Argue to learn
rather than to win. If you don't respect, I mean really respect, the views of people who
disagree with you, then you don't understand them yet.

There are smart people on both sides of almost every important issue. Learn from them
all. If you have life all figured out in neat little packages, you're in Neverland, not the
real world. And it's boring there. There's one more thing I've seen in the people who
swim in the deep waters of life. They don't fashion their values and principles to suit
their self-interest; they live instead by enduring principles that are fundamental to
society and to successful, great lives.

I learned important lessons about those principles from some of the Olympians I saw in
Salt Lake City, like bobsledder Vonetta Flowers. Vonetta was brakeman on USA sled
two. All the attention, however, was on sled one, the sled that had taken the World Cup
and was a lock for the Olympic Gold. But just before the Olympics, the pilot of sled one
dropped her partner and invited Vonetta Flowers to join her.
Vonetta had a tough decision. On sled one, she'd get a gold medal for sure; the first
Olympic gold to be won by an African American in the Olympic Winter Games. Those of
us rooting for US medals hoped she would jump to sled one. She didn't. She decided
that friendship and loyalty to her longtime teammate on sled two was more important
than winning the gold. Of course, sled one did well. But when sled two beat them all,
coming in first, the crowd went nuts. And tears dripped off Vonetta's cheeks. Friendship
and loyalty above gold.

You live one time only. Don't spend it in safe, shallow water. Launch out into the deep.
Give yourself to your family, to your career, to your community. Open your mind to
diverging viewpoints. And live, not by what suits the moment, but by the principles that
endure for a lifetime.
Jump in, the water's fine!

Easter Weekend at Maymont and the Kids Science Museum

Chelsea and family are here visiting this weekend. So today we took Chloe, Felix, Evie, Leo and Fischer to the science museum.
Yesterday to Maymont.....with my niece Stephanie and baby Cash. The weather has been awesome. They had so much fun running around exploring and learning new things. They both are great places to take kids. We spent 4 1/2 hours in their today and now I need a nap before our big fun night with the grown-ups.

Happy Easter !

Happy 2nd Birthday Rocky!

Rocky turns 2 on Saturday.
If ever there was a cute little boy, this guy is it. He has so much personality and charm. He loves his pappa......and his grandma too. But ever since he was little, he has wanted to go to Greg and lay on his shoulder. Greg carried him around church when he was a baby and beemed when everyone told him Rocky looked like him. It is a thrill when he sees us and comes running to say Hi!
He is getting to be a big boy now and loves to do everything Fischer does.....espeicially karate chops. But he will still sit quietly on Greg's lap and take a nap or watch TV. Greg better enjoy it now because it probably won't last long.

He has a way about him that is going to charm the ladies.....or anyone for that matter. What a little cutie!

Happy Birthday Barbie!

In honor of all the years of "Barbie " playing as a kid.......I decided a post to her was in order.
Poor Barbie....she went downs the tubes like many of us. But she did learn how to use a computer.
It was always brains in the end anyway:)

Somebunny Loves Easter...Guess Who?

Another Suzie table and decor. I have had the same stuff for a long time but I still like to get it out. I like to think of a funny time when my mom came to visit me in Alabama and I had alot of country fabric bunnies and baskets throughout my house. My mom ( in her old and honest age) said " I think you need to lose some of these bunnies...have you seen how ugly their faces are". I laughed my head off. I don't have those anymore ...they were in the fire. Good thing. But whenever I get out my Easter stuff and see all my bunnies, I laugh thinking of her. She did teach me to set a fun table and to love entertaining. She loved cooking more than me. She was a fabulous cook and made almost everything from scratch. I just love eating it all . I think the cooking gene skipped a generation and went to Denton...and maybe Lindsay too. I do cook something great once in a while....as long as it doesn't take too long. Patience is not one of my virtues:) Now recognizing good chocolate....that is a virtue I have. Watch out chocolate bunnies....I am after you.

CTR: MY VIP

Here is Clayton working in Mexico City signing a protocol for Mexico ....a big deal for them, I guess.

Goodnight Irena!

April Fool's

Lindsay called me today and faked crying and told met she got laid off. I just about had a heart attack when I heard her crying...
expecting the worst. That little RAT. I get no RESPECT:) But I deserved it for doing an equally outrageous call ( fake pregnancy) a few years back. That was after my friend Angie did it to me...then I did it to Denise..then she did it to her kids and on and on. It was a good one that tricked many people.

I almost posted a fake menopause pregnancy today.....just for April Fool's fun.....but then I thought better. I thought someone may not read the whole post and start rumors a flying. I would have to be admitted if it were true.

But next year I will be back in full force with something really good......so get ready Lindsay Marie.

Hope you all had a good day and had a little April Fool's fun...and no real bad news.

Does it get any better?

A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed home.

He wanted her to see what he went through so he prayed:
'Dear Lord:

I go to work every day and put in 8 hours while my wife merely stays at home.

I want her to know what I go through.

So, please allow her body to switch with mine for a day.

Amen!'

God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish.

The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman.

He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate,
Awakened the kids,

Set out their school clothes,

Fed them breakfast,

Packed their lunches,

Drove them to school,

Came home and picked up the dry cleaning,

Took it to the cleaners

And stopped at the bank to make a deposit,

Went grocery shopping,

Then drove home to put away the groceries,

Paid the bills and balanced the check book.

He cleaned the cat's litter box and bathed the dog.

20 Then, it was already 1P.M.

And he hurried to make the beds,
Do the laundry, vacuum,
=2 0
Dust,

And sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

Ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an argument with them on the way home.

Set out milk and cookies and got the kids organized to do their homework.

Then, set up the ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing.

At 4:30 he began peeling potatoes and washing vegetables for salad, breaded the pork chops and snapped fresh beans for supper.

After supper,

He cleaned the kitchen,

Ran the dishwasher,

Folded laundry,

Bathed the kids,

And put them to bed.

At 9 P.M .

He was exhausted and, though his daily chores weren't finished, he went to bed where he was expected to make love, which he managed to get through without complaint.

The next morning, he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said: -
'Lord, I don't know what I was thinking.

I was so wrong to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day.

Please, oh! Oh! Please, let us trade back.

Amen!'

The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied:

'My son, I f eel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were.
You'll just have to wait nine months, though.

You got pregnant last night.'


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