Not much to say lately, I guess

Seems it has been a long stretch since my last posting here, I have covered a lot of ground since I repaired my garage door and reported on the USA today article about everyone leaving the social networking sites. I was planning on writing an oratory about turning 45, which on did on Valentines Day, but I did not write. I was planning to write an oratory about passing one year of writing oratories, but I did not write. There have been a couple of other topics I wanted to write about as well, but did not write. Not sure, what is going on with me or maybe I am too engrossed in my Parks project and working on the jalopy. I realize I have been neglecting the Oatmeal Oratory so I am committing to producing more content for it. Yesterday I was not feeling so hot so I completed this today and here it is.

So, about turning 45 – seemed like any other day to me. I think that this is the age that the midlife crazies are supposed to set in right? Have not seen them arrive yet, kind of nervous thinking about what that period may look like for me. I do not want to relive any of my younger days, those oats have been sown and I see no sense in checking in on those fields of amber grain. I cannot afford a Corvette so I do not see me rushing out to buy to a new car. I quit drinking a very long time ago and quit smoking just 3 years ago so I do not see me resorting to either of those. I am more in love with my Bride than I was 22 years ago when I met her and I do not see that changing at all. I am not sure how the midlife crisis will manifest itself with me, that I suppose is why I am somewhat nervous by its approach. Who knows, maybe it will pass me by and I will be unaffected. I suspect that is what will happen and here is why.

Of the folks that I know who went off the deep end at mid life they all had a pretty common theme going on. Regrets spanned over their lives. Regrets about not getting the chance to do this, see that, or date her or the regret of marrying someone for the wrong reasons or even the wrong person. I have none of those issues. I found girls, alcohol and pot at a young age and went full tilt until I could take no more. Being in the Navy afforded me opportunities that my small hometown would not have allowed. Opportunities that proved great learning experiences and others that were somewhat self destructive, they were all there for me to choose from. I took gigantic helpings of both. I tried to go on every tour that was available to us Sailors when we were overseas. I wanted to see the culture of different places in the world. I wanted to sample the drink and the women in all these different places in the world as well, and did. I got to see things like the Sistine Chapel ceiling, I stared for what seemed like days. I got to stand in the valley of the kings and climb on the pyramids. I have been to Rio and I have been to Jamica, I have been all over the world.  Nope, I have not one regret in my life and am the most content I have ever been.

I am more in touch with who I am now than ever before and I like who I have become. I am not saying I liked, or disliked, who I was up until now but today is the best day of my life. That is until tomorrow and then that will be the best day of my life. I have found that this ride is so cool, if we just slow down and examine it. Not for what we want it to be but for what it is. What is actually going on is where we need to look, if we spend our time on coulda, shoulda or woulda’s we are missing the ride. None of that matters in the here and now, it only matters in that you can make changes in your life to make those into realities in your life. So many people get hung up on what they want their lives to be instead of living the lives we actually have – time wasted in my opinion. Today, right now, right this very second is life, it could be gone that quick. Bam a heart attack or cancer or some other litany of maladies that are life threatening and then what do you have – regret. Regret that you were waiting until things were right before you did this or did that – not me friends, I am living each day and each moment and suggest you do the same.

So I also wanted to talk about being at this blog thing for over a year now, 161 oratories down and who knows how many to go. I have been negligent lately but I am rededicating myself to write more, not for you but for me. I find these things very cathartic, a self healing mechanism if you will – and I might. I had no idea this would last this long when I started. I had no idea I would be writing about getting my first year under my belt. When I started I suspected I would run out of things to say after a few weeks. In the beginning I was pounding them out three a week, I do not think I will get back to that volume but I do want to do more of them. The topics will be as they always have been, all over the place and completely dependant on what I feel like talking about. I have talked about all manner of topics, I have even played with fire with a few political ones. Here is a link to that very first one http://mroatmealsoratories.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-i-saw-in-my-bowl-of-oatmeal-this.html

I have started another project that is bringing me A LOT of satisfaction and that is my Day in Park blog at http://www.jaxparx.com/. It has me visiting every park in the largest urban park system in the country – that is Jacksonville Florida. I am a bit over 70 visited out of nearly 400. I started off strong with a ton of visits in that first month but have slowed down considerably. I initially gave myself three years to get it done but have backed off that since then. I am not in a race so why do I need a deadline? I also initially thought that I would become this outspoken advocate for the parks system. I am not so sure that is what I want to be though. I find that every time I brush up against government I get pissed off, be it local, state or federal. In my opinion, all of the politicians (except my Sister who is Champaign County Auditor in Ohio) are crooked and up to something that is not in my best interest. I am so sick of hearing, well it is just not that simple. To which I respond – why not?

Anyway, I fear that if I become an advocate for the park system I will be brushing up against a bureaucracy that will no doubt piss me off. I did not start this project to get pissed off, I am doing it to honor my Mom and Dad. I am convinced now that my goal with this project is to blog about the conditions in the parks, as they are. Not how I think they ought to be or how I think they could be, but how they actually are the day I decide to visit. I am hopeful that someone else picks up the mantle and uses the information I provide on my blog and becomes the advocate, the champion of the cause. I will do the initial work of evaluating but I will have to let someone else lead the charge, someone who is better equipped and can deal city hall to make the system better. We have an outstanding Park system in Jacksonville and I have REALLY enjoyed seeing the ones I have visited so far. I am looking forward to seeing them all. Well that looks like enough for today, more to come my friends and remember – go outside and enjoy the day.