Thibodaux Public Pool

       As I enter the locker room, I catch a whiff of childhood past. The strong smell of chlorine is just as potent as it was so long ago. As I walk towards the far side of the pool, I pass the spot that I spent countless hours warming up with the famous Thibodaux swimming lessons move...the "bob". I couldn't help but bob a couple of times for old times sake. Right next to my lane, was also a familiar smell. The smell of fear that struck many children as they approached the high dive, one of my favorite parts of the pool  that is no longer with us. The one thing that has remained over the years is the debris that welcomes you with every lap. Not as bad as I remember, but still gives you that warm feeling. About as warm as the pee filled water. The potent chlorine brings a magical sting to my eyes that makes me feel alive. The 10 foot abyss that was the deep end that may have housed the infamous Nessy is no more. No more races to see who could touch the bottom and return to the top the quickest. Never again will a child feel that relentless pressure in their ears as they near the bottom of that pool. Yes it is was a magical place with a deep history that I enjoyed visiting again and will continue to visit for years and years....or until my $50 2 month fall membership runs out.

Long live the Thibodaux Municipal Pool. 

Exceeding Limitations

          Limitations are only set from within. I've found that curiosity and patience erase many expectations I have set for myself which gives me the opportunity to keep raising the bar. The old saying is if you never try, you'll never know. I never knew how mechanically inclined I could be until I bought a house and started trying things out. I guess it is because I've never had the opportunity before to try out electrical, minor plumbing, replacing shingles, and small motor repair. There are some things I don't attempt, because there could be some major repercussions, but I've noticed that I have gotten more comfortable with pushing my limits with attempting things that are foreign to me. I think I lack a prior knowledge that some have about how things work because they have experienced them before, but I like the challenge of trying to figure it out for myself. That is what self improvement is all about. I sometimes get caught up setting my expectations for myself pretty low when it comes to certain things, but thinking back on what I've accomplished gives me that minor confidence to take that next big step into a major project. My wife has a way of reminding me that I've never really been taught how to do the things I attempt, but that I have a natural instinct of figuring things out that most don't possess. See when I hear this, I immediately think that there is a whole bunch out there that I can't do. I guess a better way of thinking about it is that there are a lot of things I can't do.......yet. I am ready to explore more ways to increase my limits of capability in all aspects of life. Which makes me think, what other aspects of life have I not yet tried to set new limitations in?

Social Media: The New Front Porch

           As I ride through a new neighborhood being constructed, I can't help but notice the front porch is a thing of the past. The front porch used to be a place where family got together to talk about their day, their likes and dislikes, and how everyone they associated with was doing. A conversation with our neighbors was more frequent because we could usually find them on their front porch. Face to face interaction with the people closest to us was frequent.Then Social Media was introduced to the world.

          Slowly, this changed the landscape of how and where we interacted. For the most part, sitting down for a conversation on the front porch is a thing of the past. Now everyone can be updated on the who, what, when, where, and why in 140 characters or less.
          
          I am a big fan of story telling. This is where we are losing that art form. Before the instant updates, there was catching up with friends face to face about things that you have done or trips taken. The fun was usually in telling a story with a couple of embellishments here and there while describing the emotional roller coaster you went through. Now we get the new sensation of a play by play of our friend's trip as picture after picture is posted in real time. No picture can take the place of seeing your friends reactions as your story unfolds. If you aren't getting the attention you crave from social media, try telling an interesting story in person. All eyes will be on you.      

         There is also a certain cowardice associated with social media. People would rarely say the things they post in a face to face conversation. The nobility of calling someone to go on a date is disappearing. It is much easier to use that social media buffer instead of running the risk of hearing the rejection over the phone. You really want to show your confidence to a girl nowadays? Call her.

         Post after post of glamorous lifestyles is creating an envy and jealousy that has snowballed into a mass depression across the social realm. A majority of our days are dedicated to wasting our lives in a zombie like trance gazing upon how great everyone's lives are when we should be focused on our own. Our real social status should not be portrayed through how many likes we can get, but how we interact with others. And besides, do all those likes matter if no one likes you in person? Our face to face interaction still means something. If we can find a way to put down the phone, we can spend more time focusing on making an impact on our own lives as well as others.

        If we start to look at the big picture instead of just staring at the little ones, we will realize that there is a world beyond our computer screens to see and learn from. If you don't look up every once in a while, you just might miss it.