Who Needs a Ferrari, I took my Family to China!!!!

  This week's blog is dedicated to those of you that read my blog last week and put up with my rant.  The best response of the week was, "Who would dare criticize your writing? Certainly not me. Your writing just flows, sometimes like a geyser, but it flows."  The person who wrote that quote will recognize it.

  

Taking the Bull by The Horns

  This week was a special one because, as most of you know I finished my 50th year.  So I will tell you more about what happened later in the Adventure section of the blog, but first this week at school.

SCHOOL:  Well after last week's rant, this week was pretty mild.  Last week was more about letting you know that teaching here is not perfect by any means.  I know I have written many weeks about how great it is here.  We all still really enjoy it, but our school has the same problems as any other school.  So, with that said I can tell you that as I walked around school visiting Cecelia in class or going to the canteen for lunch, there is one thing that you cannot beat.  The one thing that we love the most is having the first and second graders walking as a class to the canteen, shouting out as a class "Good Morning Teacher or Hello Ms. Celia".  They are so stinking cute.  Also, as you walk down the hall students do a slight bow and say, "Hello Teacher".  The respect you are given as a teacher makes you feel like it is all worthwhile.  It has really been nice not having any kids telling me to F&%# Off this year.  

  So, this next week is the Language Festival at school.  Somehow I have been roped into doing a poetry reading on stage.  I am also hosting a program that I am calling Poetoake.  I have a few poems that I have collected and I am making slideshows with music for participants to read their poems too.  I will let you know how it goes next week.  (Actually-  he volunteered, go figure from Cecelia)

ADVENTURES:  This week's adventure has been the completion of my 50th year.  I say the completion of my 50th year because it is actually the end of my 50th year.  I never understand why people say you are turning 50 when you actually start turning 50 the first day after the end of your 49th year.  So anyway this is the way I have approached this last year.  I told Cecelia that I was going to try to do something meaningful everyday of my 50th year.  I can proudly say that I have done something meaningful almost everyday of the year.  It began in the winter when I started taking quiet time to sit and listen to God.  I then continued to work and volunteer for The First Tee.  To follow up with that it actually got easier, because on top of doing those things the adventure of coming to China began.  Spring and summer were seasons of coaching and spending meaningful time with my father and brothers.  Finally it was time to head to China.  Everyday is meaningful here.  The friends I make and the experiences that we have will make a lasting impression on all of us for the rest of our lives.  Finally this week, I was wished Happy Birthday when it was Thursday here and then the next day when it was Thursday in the States.  I played golf on Thursday here for my birthday and the Lord blessed me with about four hours without rain in which to play.  If I haven't mentioned it yet, our weather has changed from being in Houston during the summer to a strange mix of Seattle in the winter and San Diego in the spring.  I will give you an example of what I mean.  While playing golf on another day it started to rain, which isn't so strange except for the fact that I was sweating as I walked down the fairway under my umbrella.  It just seems that sweating and rain should not be in the same sentence.  What comes to mind is the scene in Forrest Gump when he is walking through the rice paddies and he said, "One day it just started to rain and it just kept on raining'.  Then later on in the movie he is still walking in the rice paddies and he says, "Then it just stopped raining."  It has been raining for almost two weeks straight now.  Anyway, after golf my friend David then took my entire family out to dinner for my birthday.  It was an outstanding dinner and we had a great time.  
 On Saturday we had my birthday party.  The party began on a dinner boat that cruised down the Pearl River and then ended at a bar near the river.  A group of us ended up smoking cigars (Cubans by the way, thanks to my brother Paul's gift to me.  Paul I really loved that smooth Cohiba!!!)  and having a few drinks in a private room.  The party ended at around 11:30 where Paul, Cecelia and I headed to our hotel that overlooked the river. 
 All and all it has been one amazingly and unbelievable year.

Having a couple of drinks with our Friends Luke and Jenny from Wisconson

  This last part is a thank you to all of my friends and family as well as some things I have been thinking about regarding the first half century of my life.  

  To my friends and family.  My life is rich and blessed because of the valued friendships and relationships that have developed over the years.  I can truly say that I live a charmed life.  On top of the many friendships that I share with you, I have a Gorgeous and loving wife, two beautiful children and a relationship with brothers that I cherish.  On top of that I am living in China.  In my wildest dreams I never saw myself living in this amazing country.

  A small few of you have known me my entire life, but a large majority have known me for quite a few years.  I really appreciated all of the emails and notes on Facebook.  There are so many of you that sent me notes, that I hope that you will accept this as my thank you.  Currently I have over 230 of you following my blog and nearly everyone sent me a message.  Just know that you all hold a special place in my heart and are a part of who I am.  Also, I want to thank every single one of you for the great messages.  I believe it is a testament to all of you really knowing me that I didn't get a single reference to ExLax or Viagra.  Nothing about being over the hill either.  I surely don't feel like I am over the hill and definitely don't need any of the aforementioned items.

  As I sat this week contemplating what life has been like for me over this first 50 years, the one thing that kept coming to mind is can I say that I am proud of what I am as a person and would my parents be proud of me.  I can say that as I look back on my life that there are some things that I would like to do differently, as I am sure everyone does, but they are still a part of who I am.  The other side of the coin is that I can say that I am proud of myself for the things that I have accomplished.  I remember learning a long time ago the difference between being prideful and being proud of what you have done.  The difference is in how you say things.  So indulge me for a moment.

  The following is a list of the things in which I feel proud:

• I am proud of being a Christian and continuing to work on my walk with the Lord
• I am proud of my attempt at being a good husband (Cecelia will have to be the final judge of this one.  Remember this is a list of the things that I feel proud of in my own mind!)
• I am proud of being a good father so far (I don't think I have scarred my children that much yet)
• I am proud of being a good older brother (I don't think I scarred any of them, well maybe Mike when I put the pillow on his face when he was little.  Those of you that know Mike will understand why I did it.)
• I am proud of being a teacher (I am not just a teacher at school but my wife says in everything I do.  I am proud that I have recognized the gift that God has given me.)
• I am proud that I accomplished graduating from college and the many degrees and certificates that I have
• I am proud that I am a professional golf instructor and am part of The First Tee
• I am proud that I am willing to take risks in life (This obviously comes from my parents and scares the heck out of Cecelia sometimes!  Does coming to China come to mind)
• I am proud that I have written a book and actually gotten paid for it.
• I am proud that I have had a few articles published on the internet
• I am proud that my wife and I redesigned and remodeled our home
• I am proud that I have a Caboose on our property
• I am proud that I have been published in a magazine
• I am proud of being a good friend ( I think most of my friends would agree with this one, well except maybe for Mark Nesti and Michael Jilke.  They are like brothers so they fall into the brother category.  Sometimes they get the brother treatment.)
• I am proud of still having goals in my life (I still have the Champions Tour at the top of the list)
• I am proud that I don't look or act like a typical 50 year old (Age is all relative.  I learned this from my father in law)
• Finally, I am proud of being a Renaissance Man.  Someone described me as this the other day and I have to admit that it fits who I am.

  There are still other things that I am proud of, but to wrap it up I wanted to challenge all of you to live a rich and fulfilling life.  Mine has been very rich and fulfilling and it is going to continue to still get better.  You have all been a part of it and I hope that I can continue to reciprocate the love and caring that you have shown me.

  Here are some pictures I wanted to share with you, from the evening.  The only way it could have been better is if all of you would have been able to make it.