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Memoires on the Trail of Life

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You are here:  Home  » Memoires on the Trail of Life  Nico and Christopher on summer vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. July 26, 2025. August 21, 2025 As I grow older, hopefully wiser, I can't help but notice the memories of life I leave behind—some fade quietly, while others, vivid and stubborn, stick with me for life. The good ones I hold close, but those intrusive, unwanted thoughts creep in, stirring guilt long past its prime, pointless yet persistent in nagging at my peace. I'm working to bury them under happier moments, reminding myself I'm a good person, even when negative thoughts try to drown that out.  The pile of memories in my head's landfill grows higher like refuse at a landfill, a testament to moments I can't fully shake, no matter how hard I try to leave them on life's trail. Broken dreams, sadness, and guilt linger—not just forgotten but buried deep, waiting for a dark moment to resurface and knock me off balance. It's crazy how something ...

Teenage Memories

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You are here:  Home  » Teenage Memories  Pizza nights are the best nights with the boys! March 5th, 2025 June 10, 2025 "What do you want from me?" I incredulously asked.  This blog is based on one of my random thoughts when I was a teenager. She came to my house and asked me for things I couldn't provide. She was a nice girl. I've known her for about five years. I mean, we hadn't said much to each other in those five years, and suddenly, she wanted to be my best friend- dang. I have been her brother's best friend for as long as I have known her! For some reason, after longing to be with her, I was skeptical of why she wanted to be my friend. She was offended when I asked "what she wanted" from me. Still, she didn't realize how much I loved her. I felt as weak as Ross from the NBC hit television show Friends, who longed for Rachel! It's weird when one loves someone as much as I have her, and they act as if you're a hindrance, and suddenly,...

Beyond Our Past Trauma

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You are here:  Home  » Beyond Our Past Trauma  Christopher and Nico at the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World. March 28, 2025. We enter the world screaming in a traumatic fashion. Too bad that won't be the only moment of shock during our lifetime. It sucks that we are faced with trials and tribulations during our lifetime that is well beyond our shock at birth. Trauma in our daily life and living in a distressing moment is not fun. Still, the overwhelming experience exists and is a reality for most of us. It’s so dang hard to move on from our past trauma.  How do you untangle a mess that has devastated you and controls your life? Sometimes we hear that God won't give us any more than we can handle, or that all things happen for a reason. If you are trying to lessen the blow of the past with those lines, it does not help.  When that tragic event occurs, most of those who are lost in themselves due to a traumatic event finally figure out, clean up, and rebuild...

Digital Life Versus Nature

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You are here:  Home  » Digital Life Versus Nature  The family at a Miami Dolphins game! (November 24, 2024) I pulled my car off to the side of the road because I did not want to be on my phone while driving. There were things to be done that couldn't wait, so I thought I would be safe to pull over. I was wrapped up in what I was doing, and something tragic was about to occur. The sun was rising and I almost missed it. This was a moment of digital life versus nature. Allow me to explain. So here I am, buried in my phone, focused on what I was reading when I glanced up to survey my surroundings, glanced back down, and suddenly stopped. I closed my eyes, shook my head side-to-side, and thought, what a fool. Moving my head back slowly, I opened my eyes, gazed eastwardly towards the horizon, and paused as if I were stopped in a knee-jerk reaction. This rising sun was a sight I had seen before, yet I was captivated by the rising sun, breaking the horizon and the color of the sk...

A Drive Through a Zombie Apocalypse into Work

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You are here:  Home  » A Drive Through a Zombie Apocalypse into Work Christopher Jr. and Nico at The Swamp at the University of Florida. Go GATORS! July 12. 2024 July 5, 2024 I started my vehicle. The rumble from the motor shakes the ground, rattles the surrounding environment and alerts the neighbors that I am off to work. The vibration rattles me awake. Or could the jitters be from the 12 ounces of caffeinated coffee I chugged down before I left the house? It's Sunday, but it's not a fun day for me. I have to work. It sucks, but thankfully I only have to work every other weekend. The morning drive was deprived of human activity, so it was quiet ride into work since it seemed as if everyone was still sleeping but me. The birds' chirping broke the silence, voiding out any thoughts that an apocalypse could be upon us. Why don't we have more zombie animals? I dock my phone, set the music, don the sunglasses, and head out in search of the occurrence of crime and disorder. ...

Lack of Motivation to Write a Blog

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You are here:  Home  » Lack of Motivation to Write a Blog Nico, Christopher Jr., Blake and Max partaking in a little KFC. May 25, 2024. 8:18 P.M. June 1, 2024 Lately, I have needed more motivation to write a blog. Seriously, I can't write a single word. Allow me to tell you about it. There are no words to use to be witty, creative, or helpful; l have nothing to say. It pains me that I have typed out this much so far. Tap, tap, tap on my keyboard. I stretch out a string of words to create enough sentences for a useful paragraph. I'm writing aimlessly, hoping to have something tangible to publish, something inspirational, informative, or funny. I don't know why I do not feel like being vocal about this or that. I just don't want to write—no offense to those who write daily. Pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, or, in this case, standing naked beside the shower while steam from the hot water attaches itself to the glass of my phone as I mash out this note on my iPhone...

Along Came Max

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You are here:  Home  » Along Came Max  Left to right. Blake, Max, Nico and Christopher. April 28, 2024. May 1, 2024 And then there was Max. Max is my fourth son and, more than likely, my last child. I am fortunate to be a father of 4 living children. I had 2 twin daughters who passed away. I never wrote about the birth of Max. He is my Covid baby. Conceived in 2019, born into history in 2020. What a time to be pregnant. Lockdowns were prevalent, and shelter-in-place was ramping up. It was mass hysteria in the United States and the world. I would ask myself several times what kind of society we were bringing my boy into? Being blessed to have a child should be an exciting time for parents. But when there is so much uncertainty about the world, restrictions regarding who can attend doctor appointments, and witnessing a tanking society, there sure was doubt on bad days.  Max came pretty quickly after his brother Blake wa...