Recharging…

Funny how life is…one minute you’re cruising along at mach speed, nothing can get you down and then outta nowhere a brick wall pops up for you to ram into. In my case, my brick wall was work. And lots of it! Not that it’s a bad thing, obviously…but you string together so many weeks of no time off and you’re gonna find yourself burning out at some point, right? And that’s what happened to me. To much time at work, too little time at home. And the effects were somewhat overwhelming. And then a friend died. And then I was all over the place and from one hotel room to another. Life on the road is an odd life. You spend too much time by yourself ya go a little crazy. And then you spend to much time out with friends and you go a little crazy. And then…well…it’s a cycle that’s hard to break out of.

Aaaaanyway…4 days off this week has done me some good. I’ve gotten reacquainted with my wife & kids. Got to see a buddy who I haven’t seen for a few months. Got some time to relax, watched some tv, played with my kids in the backyard, went to football pactice, and had NO PRESSURE for 96 hours straight. It’s been great! And I feel recharged and back to my old self…to some degree. It’s always gonna be like this, I realize. My job dictates it. And to be honest…I LOVE my job. Find me a job better than mine and I’ll call you on it. It’s a great gig and I’m so blessed to be able to do what I do and be successful at it. But with every opportunity that comes along, it usually takes me away from my wife and kids. It’s difficult seeing the things I’ve seen and doing the things I’ve done and not really being able to share that with them. I love to travel. I love getting on a plane and going somewhere and seeing and experiencing all new things. It’s refreshing. However when I’m out on a job, after a while it can wear ya down. I got energy, but I’m not the Energizer Bunny anymore. It takes a lot out of ya when you’re constantly thinking about work. Where am I going? Who am I working for? Where’s the next job coming from? What will I be doing in 3 months from now? Next year? It’s a cycle that never ends! Because if you think about it…sports NEVER ends. You like sports? Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, tennis, badminton, boxing? Any type of sport is being broadcast these days and work is in surplus. Which means…I work as much as I can to bring in the money! It’s what we are ALL trying to do…right?

Anyway…I’ve been a little down. It’s not uncommon for me towards the end of baseball season to get into a funk. And then it happens in February. And then I get back on the horse and work my way out of it. Sorry if I’ve been a downer but…it’s who I am and I need to work it out when I can. So it seems as if the post-summer blues are over now. I got my time off. I’m feeling refreshed and ready for my next challenge! And I’m sure there will be plenty down the road. Speaking of roads and traveling…here are the lyrics to one of my favorite Bryan Adams songs. It’s called “Open Road” and I have always identified with it. I look at it this way…I’m 41 years old and I have very few pleasures that equal my travel and listening to music. I love the freedom I’ve had and there’s nothing that replaces having my windows down, cool breeze blowing in, music turned up and an open road in front of me. I’ve always felt life is like an open road. You see the lines and you go for it. Sometimes you hit a dead end…but in most cases, you see green lights and you just hit the pedal and go. For now…I got my foot planted, I’m speeding along and I’m refreshed and recharged….

I’m sitting at the wheel
I got a green light
Not afraid of nothin’ cuz heart and soul
I’m built for life
So let the engine roar
Push the pedal down
I want the white lines on the highway
To lead me out of town
I’m rolling on and on and on
Who knows where I’m goin’?
Life is an open road – it’s the best story never told
It’s an endless sky – it’s the deepest sea
Life is an open road to me
Life is an open road to me
I got headlights to guide me thru the night
I got the window down and the radio playing
It makes me feel alive