Hey, It's just me... Mike

[mike50401]

Just like most people I never can think of what to say. I live in Kansas City for right now. I love to travel, but often wish I had more people to go with me.

I have a son that is 24. I took him in as a teenager and adopted him. He is in his final year of college. I get to see him once a month or so, and enjoy the time we to get to have dinner or whatnot.

Not much that I can think of to say, but I will my journal entry in from today. Might give you some idea about me.

This is my blog post today, thought you might like to read it..



I spent the morning reflecting on my life, and what it took to get here. Isn’t it strange how we become the whole of our experiences?



The whole morning started as usual. I looked to see if my friend El was on-line, checked my eBay sales, scanned my junk emails, and checked MySpace.



It was during my time on MySpace that I found a tribute page to Matthew Shepard. I don’t get why the story is so moving to me, but throughout my adult life I have run across a story or something about Matt. I never knew him, so it is so strange to me that I would feel a connection to him.



I started thinking about how any one of us could have easily been “Matt”. He was there and we weren’t. That is the difference. I guess we may never know how close we come to being the victim of a crime, and how luck we are that we can be alive today to share our thoughts, our lives and our futures.



Our future may be down the road, but our past is what shapes our future.



I think about my son, and all he has gone through in his life. Foster homes, group homes, and the success of living through a system that he didn’t ask to live in. Then the college years. The successes in class, side events, jobs, and throughout this college days. Of course the parties, drinking, drugs and the other problems he has faced. Now I look at him writing a program to help other kids that have to face drugs and drinking. The strength to write the program and the knowledge of how to help comes from his past and what he has learned.



Of course my friend Ell comes to mind. He lived a rough life of abuse and living in the “system”. Ell is also deaf. I suspect the trials of being deaf have given him the strength to face abuses and situations he has lived through. It is those life’s trials that make him as strong as he is today. In the face of health problems and discrimination he remains strong and continues to work and love. Would he be able to face today’s problems if he had not grown through the trials of the past?



I reflect on my own trial growing up. Abuses, successes, failures and everything that makes me who I am. Would I be as strong as I am without having gone through what I did? I doubt it.



I remember Steve from school giving me a frog the first day I was in class. I felt much more relaxed with the gift from another kid. I learned that day the value of giving something of yourself, and how good it can make someone else feel.



Throughout life, I have had those little moments where I learned something small. Those small lessons became who I am.



I may not face death the way Matt did, but I hope to face life the way Casey and Ell do. Not looking back and feeling sorry for myself, but looking to the future.





Namaste



Mike

[Jennifer5]

Originally Posted by mike50401

Just like most people I never can think of what to say. I live in Kansas City for right now. I love to travel, but often wish I had more people to go with me.

I have a son that is 24. I took him in as a teenager and adopted him. He is in his final year of college. I get to see him once a month or so, and enjoy the time we to get to have dinner or whatnot.

Not much that I can think of to say, but I will my journal entry in from today. Might give you some idea about me.

This is my blog post today, thought you might like to read it..



I spent the morning reflecting on my life, and what it took to get here. Isn’t it strange how we become the whole of our experiences?



The whole morning started as usual. I looked to see if my friend El was on-line, checked my eBay sales, scanned my junk emails, and checked MySpace.



It was during my time on MySpace that I found a tribute page to Matthew Shepard. I don’t get why the story is so moving to me, but throughout my adult life I have run across a story or something about Matt. I never knew him, so it is so strange to me that I would feel a connection to him.



I started thinking about how any one of us could have easily been “Matt”. He was there and we weren’t. That is the difference. I guess we may never know how close we come to being the victim of a crime, and how luck we are that we can be alive today to share our thoughts, our lives and our futures.



Our future may be down the road, but our past is what shapes our future.



I think about my son, and all he has gone through in his life. Foster homes, group homes, and the success of living through a system that he didn’t ask to live in. Then the college years. The successes in class, side events, jobs, and throughout this college days. Of course the parties, drinking, drugs and the other problems he has faced. Now I look at him writing a program to help other kids that have to face drugs and drinking. The strength to write the program and the knowledge of how to help comes from his past and what he has learned.



Of course my friend Ell comes to mind. He lived a rough life of abuse and living in the “system”. Ell is also deaf. I suspect the trials of being deaf have given him the strength to face abuses and situations he has lived through. It is those life’s trials that make him as strong as he is today. In the face of health problems and discrimination he remains strong and continues to work and love. Would he be able to face today’s problems if he had not grown through the trials of the past?



I reflect on my own trial growing up. Abuses, successes, failures and everything that makes me who I am. Would I be as strong as I am without having gone through what I did? I doubt it.



I remember Steve from school giving me a frog the first day I was in class. I felt much more relaxed with the gift from another kid. I learned that day the value of giving something of yourself, and how good it can make someone else feel.



Throughout life, I have had those little moments where I learned something small. Those small lessons became who I am.



I may not face death the way Matt did, but I hope to face life the way Casey and Ell do. Not looking back and feeling sorry for myself, but looking to the future.





Namaste



Mike

Beautiful Mike! WELCOME!

I am incredibly happy to see that you have found us, I feel I could learn a lot from you. I think very highly of the way you look at life, it's a good wake up call for the rest of us.

I would love to live my life the way your friend and son have. Feeling sorry for yourself is never a good option and I believe that the strongest people you'll ever meet, are the ones who have survived the most heart-ache.

I hope that we'll see a lot of you around the forums! Welcome!!

[Gennee]

Welcome to Soulforce, Mike. I read your blog with rapt interest. I posted a blog similar to this on my site. Life may not come out the way we planned but we learn lessons from the experiences we went through. We can encourage and help others in the process. Thank you for your wonderful intro.

Gennee