The older I get, the more I realize that everything in life is about time. The time we have on this earth, the time we have to spend with friends, families and loved ones and how we choose to spend our time.

I recently published a post on my consulting website about being in the moment. You can read that post here. I believe the point to that post and this one is taking the time to enjoy the moments you are in because all of the moments will be over soon enough.

We have approximately 25,000 sunrises in our lifetime. When was the last time you enjoyed one? When was the last time you phoned a friend or family member just to talk and, more importantly, just to listen.

When was the last time you cherished the time you have with the realization that it will be gone all too soon.

Thanks to a Tweet this morning by C. C. Chapman, I checked out Twitter Mosaic. This is just cool! He learned about it from a post by Dave Delaney. This is one of the great things about Social Media; ideas spread quickly through our digital world!

Check Twitter Mosaic, enter your Twitter name and then sit back and watch.

Get your twitter mosaic here.

For some folks, a Wii for Valentines Day may sound odd, but not for us! Since our home consists of just me and my bride, and our cats, we spend our money on toys, trips and stuff for us; one of the advantages of not having children!

So for Valentines Day, we got a Wii system. The appeal to us? The interactive, get your rear end up off of the couch part of the system. It is so much fun! So far this weekend we have enjoyed bowling, tennis, golf and even boxing. Note to self and others: be careful with boxing game if you are not in shape; it is easy to get too involved and injure or re-injure your shoulder!

So, what do you do for fun? Do you have a Wii or a similar system? If so, let me know what games you enjoy!

Okay, from the start I know this is going to sound like a parent talking to a child, but I will take the chance. This will not refer to me walking ten miles in the snow uphill both ways going to school, but it may make you think about it.

I grew up in West Virginia and we rarely closed or delayed school for the sake of weather. You have to also keep in mind that in WV, we truly have rural roads and communities; nothing compared to the roads and communities here.

In Southwest & Central Virginia schools are delayed and closed for no apparent reason! In the past couple of weeks, the weather forecast has called for snow showers – not accumulation, but snow showers – and school has been delayed and in many cases closed! Then the next day, the day of this winter weather event, it was in the 40’s! What gives?!?

Tonight we have snow on the ground and I am sure that means another round of school closings for tomorrow. Could it be that we are raising a generation of children that are scared of a few snow showers? Will this serve them well later in life?

Just some thoughts to ponder….

For anyone who doesn’t know me that well, I am a huge Frank Sinatra fan. So I was more than pleased when my wife surprised me with the Ocean’s 11 DVD for Christmas! Just to get this out of the way, when I refer to Ocean’s 11, I am referring to the 1960 Frank Sinatra movie; and in my own humble opinion, the only Ocean’s 11 worth watching. Hat’s off to George Clooney for admitting, during the filming of the updated Ocean’s 11, that while they had a better script, no one could come close to the cool factor of the original. I could not agree more.

During the Christmas holiday, I settled in one night with a glass of scotch and the Ocean’s 11 DVD; to me it was a very enjoyable evening. This movie was the pinnacle of The Rat Pack and is a lot of fun to watch. It also gives you a window in time to old Vegas; since I have stayed in the Sahara Hotel in Vegas, it also reconnects me to a great vacation that my wife and I shared in Las Vegas.

Watching Dean Martin sing “Ain’t That A Kick in the Head” is one of my favorite sequences in the film, along with a the pleasing sight of a young Angie Dickinson!

If you are a Sinatra fan, a Rat Pack fan, a Vegas fan or just someone that wants to see what cool used to be, rent or purchase Ocean’s 11.

I also encourage you to click over to The Frank Truth and listen to Brian Noe’s podcast about Ocean’s 11. If you are a fan of Sinatra, Martin & Lewis or that old time cool, you need to listen to Brian’s podcasts.

You will not be disappointed with Brian’s podcasts or the Ocean’s 11 movie!

I have a treat for my readers and subscribers. Tamara Brown Mills is a friend of mine and, in my opinion, a terrific writer! She is working to promote herself as a freelance writer and I am doing everything I can to make some connections that will help her with that goal. So, read this post, respond and let me know if you would like to connect with her. I also ask one other favor, please forward this to as many people as you know; we can use the power of our social network to help her!

The Comfort of Home
Although I have traveled very little in my life, I have dreams of traveling to faraway places. I long to learn new cultures, experience ancient architecture, dine on exotic cuisine and leave all my cares behind. When I have had the opportunity to travel a few times in my life, I was running recklessly in whatever direction my chosen destination took me with not even a quick glance back over my shoulder. Every single time, around day five, I ached for the familiarity of my beloved Roanoke Valley. Feelings of comfort return at different points, depending on my route home.

When returning home from the air, I prefer to fly during daylight. Cresting the mountain tops and peeking from my window seat, waiting impatiently for the cup to emerge from the circle of green. The southern tip flanked by the star on Mill Mountain I have been in awe of since childhood. The warmth and comfort returns as I take pride in recognition of the landmarks. First the Mill Mountain Star, with memories of riding the small train around the zoo after petting the animals when I was a child and watching fireworks on the fourth of July from the overlook and feeling like you could reach out and touch them if you had the nerve. Then, looking down the span of 581 and Williamson Road and remembering when Valley View Mall was nothing but a field of green alongside the highway. Then landing at Roanoke Regional Airport, wondering why the hot-air balloon festival didn’t last and thinking the new airport is so much more architecturally pleasing while retaining the neighborly feeling I adore about Roanoke.

When returning by car from the south on 220, Dodge’s Store in Bassett is the point I begin to feel close. Everything is familiar from that point in. The curve in the road resumes, the rolling hills once again have effect on the blacktop. The road signs begin to indicate lower numbers in the miles until I am home. Anxiety decreases with each lowering number. Boones Mill punctuates the feeling as I know I must slow to obey the 45 mile per hour speed limit or pay the price. I often warn out-of-towners of this point on 220 north as well. The little store is where my Dad would buy me fireworks when I was young. The apple festival is something all Roanokers look forward to every September. The festival offers a fresh apple harvest, the homemade apple butter, cider and a touch of country so close to the city.

When returning from the south on I-81, Christiansburg is my point of release. I always hope for time to stop at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant, as we do not have one in Roanoke. Past this point the road begins curving like with its 220 sister road. The tar cuts through the mountain side rockiness as it envelopes me and carries me into the valley. Salem is a crown jewel of Roanoke, a small city in its own right, also combining old and new with the perks of being a college town. Roanoke College is well known and respected from afar. Memories of hanging out with the locals at Mac-n-Bobs and eating tasty sandwiches named after family and local folk you only get to know by living and working there. Memories of taking my oldest to Longwood Park when he could barely walk because there is no other place around like it. People sunning on blankets, riding bikes and children squealing with delight while being pushed on the swings. And, oh how we all miss Lakeside Amusement Park. Our very own roller coaster, ferris wheel and fun park. It has been replaced two weeks every summer by an awesome Salem Fair, but only those of us over 30 have the grand Lakeside memories from our childhood. All, once again, just around the bend as I-81 curves right and takes me home where I belong.

When returning from the North, Lexington is the point I long for after so many miles of I-81 south with uninteresting landmarks. Memories of my son’s excitement the first time he went to basketball camp at Virginia Military Institute. The history of the small town, the statuesque landmarks to enjoy and learn from, the quaintness of the small town, the pride and knowledge of the residents. Then the amazement of Natural Bridge and disbelief something I have been so close to all my life is one of only seven natural wonders of the entire world. And, once again, the fondness I have for the zoo and the memories of not only going there as a child but also seeing the excitement in my children’s eyes when I took them for the first time. Feeding peanuts to the monkeys and interacting with all the animals, picnicking on the lawn and not leaving until a trinket to cherish was bought from the small gift shop. All of which we are lucky enough to experience on a day trip from Roanoke.

Returning to Roanoke, my home sweet home, returns a feeling of comfort, contentment and relaxation. Where I don’t have to look for road names, or wonder where the best place to go for any reason is. I have my favorites I share with others when they visit from out of town. I have yet to beat the taste of the cheeseburger at Burger in the Square, though I fear the destiny of the Roanoke Market Building will be to permanently close as I listen to daily updates on WSLS, my favorite channel 10 news station. My favorite place to shop is still Tanglewood Mall although I am forced to the youthful crowds and larger square footage of Valley View at times I need a greater selection. For a Sunday breakfast, Famous Anthony’s on Crystal Spring Avenue can’t be beat, particularly in the spring when we sit on the patio enjoying the neighbors strolling by and the tree-lined streets in bloom. And the market downtown, any time of year, has seasonal fruits and vegetables, crafts from local artisans and friendly folk not afraid to smile. Occasionally offering the added excitement of a parade, live music or a food or seasonal festival for all ages to enjoy. Roanoke is the perfect size city to grow up in and I do not dream of taking my children elsewhere to spend their childhood. Without being overwhelming in size, the community is constantly improving itself, like recently adding the incredible Taubman Museum of Art, while holding on the quaint familiarity that makes everyone feel so welcome.

I told you she could write! Let’s do all we can to help her.

Thank you -
John

Wow! Someone at Classmates.com reads my blog! Okay, they have Google alerts set up and my recent post alerted them…but they still read it!

I was happy to receive the following email from Kyle at Classmates.com:

Hello John,

Kyle
Department Team Lead

What is fascinating to me about this is that the blog post achieved the desired results, but previous requests to remove me and delete my account did not! While I do not believe in the Classmates.com business model, it does prove the power of online and how a single voice with a blog can make something positive happen!

Thank you Kyle and Classmates.com, you have earned my respect for responding!

This is an open letter or rather an open blog to Classmates.com.

Please remove, purge, cancel, delete and otherwise forget about me in all of your systems. Please, I am asking nicely this time, but that may not last!

Now I know, once upon a time, maybe fifteen or so years ago, I had an account with you and I am sure that the blame for your never ending emails rests on my shoulders. That’s okay, I accept responsibility. Now that we have that cleared up, let’s get back to you leaving me alone, or more importantly, how your business model is ancient and outdated.

It is no secret that I am well connected in person and online to a lot of different people, so I no longer need your services; nor do I wish to receive your emails. I have two blogs, one with my own name as the URL, http://johnlusher.com, this means that the people that I went to high school with can Google my name and find me! They do not need you! Combine this with the fact that I am on Twitter, http://twitter.com/johnlusher, LinkedIn, http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlusher, and Facebook, means that folks can find me and usually do. I have had five people that I attended I high school with find me this week on Facebook!

So, to Classmates.com, I politely ask, leave me alone. Better yet, revamp your business model and then I may take a look!

John

PS. No, that is NOT me in the photo above!

My wife and I went to the movies this weekend and we saw Marley & Me. It was a great movie, especially for animal lovers and that description fit us perfectly. If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, I encourage you to do so and to think about unconditional love.

Here is the Wikipedia definition of unconditional love: Unconditional love is a term that means to love someone regardless of his actions or beliefs. It is a concept comparable to true love, a term which is more frequently used to describe love between lovers. By contrast, unconditional love is frequently used to describe love between family members, comrades in arms and between others in highly committed relationships. It has also been used in a religious context to describe God’s love for humankind through the forgiveness of Christ.

I have long thought that God gave us dogs to teach us about unconditional love. Think about it, dog’s love us the way God loves us, unconditionally. Neither one cares about our bank account, whether we drive a fancy car, or what size house we live in; they just love us.

I think we could learn a lot about loving others from dog and the way that I think God intended us to love on another.

No, that is not my dog in the photo, but it is a yellow lab, just like Marley. Read the book, see the movie, adopt a dog and support the SPCA. Oh, and love unconditionally!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

I know, I am a few days late with that greeting, but I say Merry Christmas every chance I get, so Merry Christmas!

2008 will go down in the books as a good Christmas for me and my family. Nothing out of the ordinary other than the opportunity to spend time with family and friends and just enjoy life. For those of us that have lost loved ones, you know exactly what I am talking about when I say enjoy life. I spent time with my family, including my brother Paul, his wife Anne and their VT College boys, Brian and Daniel. My mother Vivian was there as was my sister Chris and her husband Jim. The photo is of the Lusher family gathered at my mothers house. Our uncle Bob commented to our mother that he is proud of Brian and Daniel and what fine young men they are, mostly due to the wonderful job that Paul and Ann did raising them; I could not agree more.

The Lusher Family

I also had the joy of spending time with my wife’s family on Christmas day. I am truly blessed to be part of two terrific families. We had a lot of people at my mother-in-law’s house on Christmas day, we had a great time and we ate too much food!

I can still remember the first Christmas after my father died in 1972; I was eight years old and torn between the excitement of a kid at Christmas and the sadness of not having my dad with us. It was a pain that you can never describe to someone, until they experience it for themselves.

As 2008 comes to a close and we make New Year’s resolutions and set goals for 2009, make this one of your goals: spend more time with your family. They may not be perfect, but they do love us the way we are!

John