Approaching the 3-0

It’s definitely been a while since I’ve taken time to post some thoughts on here.  My thought process has been quite active but I haven’t had that overwhelming urge to share many of these thoughts until now.  A thought that has had a constant presence in my mind is my perspective on my life and how I approach many situations now.  My perspective has evolved after having the amazing experience of traveling to Cambodia and being back home almost saddens me.  Let me explain…I have regular thoughts of how people are living in Cambodia knowing a little about what they have experienced. This has humbled me greatly.  I am a very fortunate person who has been able to achieve many things in life that some people will never experience or even have a chance of experiencing.  I’m not just talking about driving (nice) cars, traveling around the world, or having a well paying job.  It’s the things that we consider simple that others yearn for….running water, eating regularly, traveling more than a few hours away from the place you were born, being able to experience other cultures and places, a roof over our head, and stability.  Over these past few months I have been focused on really appreciating everything that I am able to have in my life especially the simple things. 

Life is tough.  But one thing that I think many of us forget is we don’t have as tough a life as many others do across the world.  If we learn to appreciate the simple things that we are able to have on a more consistent basis we will only improve as people.  This will start a ripple in your life that will allow for a greater appreciation for many things leading to a greater appreciation for your life in general.

As I approach my 30^th birthday I find myself less and less excited about that day.  Instead I’m becoming more excited for everyday that I am able to wake up and appreciate the people who I have been fortunate to meet and have relationships with, the job that provides me with flexibility to do many things outside of work, a healthy body that allows me to be able to still play sports, a wonderful family that has always supported me, great friends that don’t always tell me what I want to hear, and living in a great city that is very diverse and allows me to meet new people and experience many other cultures.  This list could go on and on, but I’ll leave it at that.  

I hope that soon I will once again be able to travel abroad because I know that these experiences will only help me in my life journey.  Opening our minds to others and their experiences only enhances our mind and perspective.  Life’s a journey…embrace every moment of it.

Fred

29

Another year has gone by and I am a year older and wiser. At least I tell myself I’m wiser LOL. I’ve had some great experiences over this past year and I’m thankful for having the opportunity to experience those things. Although I am one year closer to being “the big 3-0”, as some people would say, it doesn’t bother me. I try my hardest to have a different perspective than most about life. Every year and every day that I am allowed to spend ten toes down is a great day. I’ve seen people lose their lives very young and very old and I know that any day could be my day. So I remind myself often to take advantage of my time on this Earth and try to experience as much as I am able to. It’s not always easy to push yourself to do those extra things because it’s easy to become complacent and comfortable in your everyday life. There is nothing wrong with becoming complacent and comfortable, but for me it is not ideal. There are too many people to meet, too many places to see, too many cultures and societies to learn about, etc. I will push myself to experience as many of them as I can. The next trip plans are in the works and hopefully will be ironed out soon but it will be a blast!!!

On that note…I’m off to enjoy the rest of the night with some great food and entertainment by the Blue Man Group. Should be a great time!!!

Fred

Blame It On Football

I’m a day late writing in my blog, but it’s all to blame on the beginning of the NFL season last night. Gotta love the beginning of football son! It will be nice to be able to relax on Sundays lounging on the couch watching football again. I may not watch all the games that come on each day, but I’ll catch at least one.

I had solid last weekend at my first Florida Gators football game. It was a very entertaining crowd to say the least, but unfortunately I forgot my camera so I didn’t get many pictures other than the few I took with my iPhone. All in all it was a fun weekend in Gainesville and it was nice to be around kind southern folk. I felt a little old Friday night while we at a bar/restaurant called The Swamp. There was a group of students playing drinking games that made me reminisce of the good ol’ MSU days…good times. I can’t do things like that anymore though. My body wouldn’t be able to handle it LOL. Shot out to Dave and Shema for escorting us around campus all weekend and making our UF football game experience that much better.

Fred

Heading To The Swamp

Tomorrow I will be having my first experience of a University of Florida football weekend. I’m looking forward to some good ol’ college football. I’ve enjoyed the games that I’ve went too over the past couple of years and I wish I would have went to more games while I was in school. The college football atmosphere is definitely one of a kind. Hopefully I’ll be able to capture a few of the amazing moments from this upcoming weekends shenanigans with my camera.

Cheers to opening college football at the swamp!!!

Family Reunion

I’m feeling quite good after attending the Drakeford, Gaskin, Kirkland family reunion this weekend in Charleston, SC. I had an amazing time conversing with family members that I haven’t seen in almost 10 years and it was great to see my 95 year old great aunt moving around as if she was at least 20 years younger.

We took a tour of Drayton Hall Plantation on Saturday which was extremely mind opening. The guides explained the lives of the enslaved Africans at Drayton Hall and also some of the history of the plantation. I learned that my ancestors (on the Kirkland side) originated from Kershaw County South Carolina and the one of the owners of my ancestors was a man by the name of Daniel Kirkland who’s father John Kirkland was born in Scotland in the 1750s. I also learned about the Gullah people who were the African Americans who lived in the Lowcountry and that night we had some Gullah cuisine which was phenomenal.

It was amazing to look at my family tree and see the connection that I have to the men and woman of my family who lived during the slavery era of the United States. The slavery era seems so long ago but I’m only about 5 generations separated from it. That’s mind blowing to me to say the least.

The little that I learned this weekend about my ancestors was amazing and definitely motivated me to learn even more about them. Overall, I had a great time this weekend with family and friends, and I definitely am looking forward to spending more time with them in the future.

Fred

Good Times

It was a fun filled weekend. Great times hanging out with friends and exploring a little more of the Tampa area. We started off Friday with a Keiko Matsui concert. I recommend her music to any smooth jazz fan if you haven’t heard her music. She is extremely talented and looks amazing for being 50 years old. It was a very entertaining concert. Saturday we walked around downtown Tampa looking at different light art exhibits during the Lights on Tampa art show. The weather was great and it was nice to walk through the downtown area and experience the different pieces of art. Sunday we ate probably too many calories at the Florida State Fair…oh well I’ll run it off today LOL. It was fun though. We were able to spend some time with friends, which is always nice, and people watch, which is one of my past times LOL. All in all it was a great weekend and it felt nice to experience a little more of Tampa. I’m looking forward to many more weekends like this...

Posted at fk3.blogspot.com