It's just a body...it's not like it's permanent

A lot of people seem to put a lot of emphasis on their looks. I know people that have had surgery to fix some bad thing and then had plastic surgery just to clean up the scars. While it certainly isn't a crime to look good or even take pride in your looks. However I think it is a little obsessive to go to extreme measures to retain a belief that you are still young.

For example, I met a woman on the bike trail that looked amazing from 500 feet away. Her tan and tight legs were jogging down the trail very confidently and her breasts were swaying in perfect unison. From a distance she looked amazing. But when I got closer and allowed my eyes to notice the fine details, it became clear that she had surgery done on nearly every part of her body. The tan was fake and had been for many years. Saggy, tanned, leathery flesh covered her upper chest and neck and her face was one that had obviously been lifted. I said hello as I rode past and she flashed me a terrifyingly bright smile of perfect teeth. I'll admit that parts of her looked very good, but when combined, it looked like a sad older lady desperately attempting to cling to her younger beauty. And don't act like you don't know what I mean. We've all seen people try hard to look young, cool, pretty and natural. Hard to believe people actually try to look natural, but it happens.

I think about myself. I have three stab wounds, slices where I had a chest tube, scars from where I had a cyst removed, and a trachea tube installed. There is even a place where I had a stomach tube for a few weeks. It looks like a misplaced belly button. My legs are tracked with remnants of scrapes, cuts, and injuries of all sorts. And while I will never be accused of being a supermodel, I know who I am, and I know people that love me and accept me no matter how I look. Because of that, I feel good about myself and that makes everyone around look at you with a different eye.

A friend of mine was worried about the scaring from vascular bypass surgery. It looks like someone tried to lop off her head with an ax, slicing down through her shoulder. Not to mention the scars from where she had the other vessels rerouted. She is alive. And were it not for those scars, the blood clot may have entered her heart and she would have died. So what is better, to be alive and scarred beyond belief or to be dead with a perfect complexion?

A body...it's just clothing for your soul.

An introduction

I've been considering doing a blog for many years. In fact, on my own web page that I started back in 1994, I had what many consider to be the first blog ever. It was essentially my journal that I would post to the web site. This is much more fancy.

So I'm a new father and that's always interesting. The kid is a year old now and I'm still thinking I'm a new father. Then again, I could probably ask my dad if he is a new father and he'd probably say that he just makes it up as he goes along too. Apparently older kids are still challenges to their parents. So I have that to look forward to as well.

Recently, I've started cycling. It was just one day I woke up and said "I should be riding a bike more often". That would be easier if I actually owned a bike, so I had to buy one. Bikes are expensive when you are as tall as I am. But I got one that fits my hugeness and feels good to ride. You never get used to that butt pain though. Even with cycling shorts, gel filled or padded, it still is less than comfortable.

My wife is trying her best to be a good mother. While I find her a little over protective at times, I'd rather her be that than under-protective. We also have different cultural views on parenting. So we usually have to compromise with things. But being a man, compromise to me means doing what my wife tells me and not raising a fuss. That's not entirely true. If I strongly disagree with something, we will discuss it and then make changes.

Some of my friends know about my noveling addiction. Yes, I do have a series brewing, yes I do have a character that is written well (most of the time) and I do have a substandard plot device. But it should be a fun read. Now to get someone in the publishing world to return my calls. I've won the NaNoWriMo.org challenge the past two years and I plan on doing it again this year with the same character I've been developing. Wanna read some of it? Ask.

More later...I gotta get a shower and get ready for a birthday party (not mine) and then do a work project until sleep overtakes me.