Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Slacker

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Dear Logan,

This blog thing is hard.  I’m just in the habit of filling my alone time with nothing but work.  I’ve managed to keep your Flickr pictures going almost every week by getting into the habit of doing it on Sunday nights.  But writing to you is a habit I still need to create.  I’m going to keep trying.

A couple weeks ago, your mom asked me what was the most important thing that I wanted to each you.  Her answer was “Don’t worry.”  What I came up with was this:

Do your part to make the world a better place.

This is the closest that I’ve been able to come in my 34 years to a meaning of life.  The entire human race has always been tightly connected — much more so than most people ever realize — and we are racing toward a future of more and more connectedness and interdependence.  When you help others, you help yourself.

Meteor!

Monday, January 19th, 2009

http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireball/fireball_log2009.html

Check it out!  Search for my name there.  Anyway, I was just sitting on the couch last night staring out the window, and I saw a meteor!  It was really bright and really fast.  Just like in the movies.  I wasn’t sure if it really was a meteor until I saw everyone else in the list on that web site confirming it.  I made a wish when I saw it, for you to have a long and happy life.

Today on our jog,  we saw a bride riding a bike.

You’re getting pretty good at walking.  Today, you were walking down the hall holding my hand, and before I think you realized what you were doing, you let go, and just started walking on your own…until you made it to the hardwood floor, and fell on your butt. 🙂

Courage

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

Dear Logan,

Today, I woke up to the sound of you crying.  Your mom had watched as you turned around and took your first step all by yourself, and fell flat.  She was proud of you, but mad that she let you fall.  She was just too curious to see what you would do.  In your first 7 months, you haven’t shown much fear of anything so far.  Mostly just your grandparents. 🙂  But you got over that pretty fast.

Courage is an interesting word to try to define.  Here are some definitions that I found:

The Compact Oxford English Dictionary:

The ability to do something that frightens one.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:

Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary:

That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart; valor; boldness; resolution.

I like the first one the best.  It doesn’t waste words, and it captures the most important part of the definition; that you’re scared, but you do it anyway.  Webster’s Unabridged not only wasted the most words, it didn’t even get it right (“without fear”).  I think you have to have fear to have courage.  Courage is understanding what you’re afraid of, choosing to face the fear, and being prepared to accept the consequences of failing, in exchange for the chance at being rewarded.

It’s different from being “fearless”, which just means not being scared in the first place.  Fearlessness is stupid.  Fear is a healthy thing.  It will keep you alive, and help keep you from getting hurt.

So many people go through life without trying things because they’re too scared of what might happen, and they lack the self-confidence to face those fears.  I’m going to try hard to raise you to be courageous, and be smart.  I won’t always be there to catch you when you fall, but I promise to always be there to pick you right back up when you do.

Grandparents!

Friday, December 5th, 2008

Dear Logan,

Ok, this is harder than I thought it would be!  Maybe once I get in the habit it won’t be, but clearly I’m not yet! 🙂

Playing with Grandpa In the past week, you’ve learned to pull yourself up and you waved at your mom for the first time.  “Walking” is all you like to do now, and you yell when nobody is walking you around the house.  Your tooth doesn’t seem to bother you any more, but you’re still a very needy sleeper.  From about 10-3, you don’t want to stay asleep unless you’re next to one of your parents.  At least we got you to stop nursing all night.  Baby steps…

Your grandparents came to vist you at Thanksgiving.  When they first got here, they were so excited to see you that they were a little aggressive.  You freaked out and were scared of them the whole first day!  But you warmed up to them fast, and you all had a great week.  You especially love playing with your grandpa.  We’re going to be burning a lot of jet fuel I think.

“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.” — George Burns

Dear Logan…

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

Dear Logan,

Hi kid.  Today is your 6-month birthday. I felt your first tooth coming in today, and teething has turned you into a very needy sleeper, and your mom into a zombie.  Your new favorite thing to do this week is walk around the house while you hold our fingers.  You do a happy scream the whole time you’re wobbling around. 🙂

A few nights ago, you and I were on a jog, and we passed four clowns on stilts doing a photo shoot with the Pacific Wheel and the sunset in the background.  It reminded me that ever since your mom and I moved to Santa Monica, and I started jogging on the beach, I’ve been saying that I should start writing down all of the weird things that I see on my jogs.  The clowns rank right up there.  Other stuff I can think of:

  • A seal on the beach with a dozen dolphins circling just off shore.  Do dolphins attack seals? 🙂
  • A bunch of pirates just hanging out on the beach.  Seriously, all the way down to the beards and swords.
  • A giant sand sculpture of Mount Rushmore to promo National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.
  • A guy kneeling on a board, paddling down the marina with his hands.  I’d have fallen off from exhaustion after about 10 minutes of that.
  • A Japanese pop star hanging from a crane, parachuting onto the beach with skis on, shooting a music video.
  • A skateboarding penguin
  • 2 enormous schooners firing cannons at each other.

Anyway, after the clowns, I thought that maybe writing to you would be a good way to remember some of the crazy stuff we see around here, and to maybe keep track of the important stuff that I want you to know some day.  Hopefully I’ll be able to keep this up, and eventually, you’ll one day have some writing to go along with all of your Flickr pictures and videos as you one day look back on your childhood through the eyes of your parents.  And maybe your friends and family will get a kick out of reading some of this, and hopefully contribute some comments to you too.

It’s been an unbelievable 6 months.  Can’t wait to wake up to your happy squeals and big smile tomorrow morning.

Soooo big

Love,

Dad