Re: "WAKE UP Timmy," yelled the coach, then he hollered,

Hi Gordon, Michael, Dien, T-man, and everyone else,

I have had to bite my tongue many times with those reply to be's. But fortunately, I usually can't think of the best thing to have said until after the fact... hours, days, sometimes weeks later.

Re: being asleep - Has anyone read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." I like it a lot so far. Only 50 into it. But I am really into it. And it's making me think about how asleep I am to my surroundings sometimes. How I'm looking at the scenery in the frame of a window from inside a car.

"How many people a day do you come in contact with that need to WAKE UP?"

A few, Gordon. But there are also those people who are awake who I get to talk with every day. And then there are those of us in the middle, I hang around there a lot.

The good news is, I think almost everyone can wake up. Just takes the right jolt. Or maybe series of jolts if they continually go back to sleep.

What it means to be awake....

- to not overlook the bigger things while pursuing small steps and details
- to pay attention to your senses
- to have something you're looking forward to without ignoring the good around you right now
- to experience things you've already done like it's the first time again
- to be right where you are
- to be aware of minor frustrations raining on your parade so to speak so their effect is minimized

"And, do you appreciate or resent when someone might tell you to WAKE UP and get in the game?"

I used to resent it, but now, properly pushed, I appreciate it. Most of the "wake up calls" come from myself though.

Success,

Erik