The meek shall inherit the earth ...

This video (below) is one of the best explanations for my feelings about some peoples need for constant interaction. The world demands that I be an extrovert, so I try very hard. The reality is that I am not comfortable with feeling like I must be engaged at all times, or be perceived as being rude or aloof. I am able to be gregarious only in short stretches. Using my sometimes hard to understand allegorical language I can say; To me, being outgoing is like a sprint, being introverted is like an easy walk. I can do one for a short while, but the other is more sustainable in the long run.



Also check out this excerpt from the book just published by writer Susan Cain as seen in the video. It goes a long way towards explaining that feeling I have had inside all of my life. It feels good to know others feel the same. Like most introverts I have always felt that I had something to offer, it just feels strange that others sometimes feel the need to verbalize it. Like the name of the blog says, Gratitude and Humility are the quiet places where my mind seems most at home.

Yosemite HD Video

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

Murmuration

This is the kind of thing I see all of the time while I am hunting. Did you know that Robins are sometimes flock birds? Two flights of geese folding into each other quickly reform as one larger V. Chickadees are very territorial and will sit mere feet away and complain to try to get you to leave... etc..

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

The Grand Tetons

Easy Maintenance Goldfish

"Goldfish Salvation" Riusuke Fukahori from ICN gallery on Vimeo.

Forever Young

I can still remember, like it was yesterday, the day we pulled our Honda Civic into the Emergency entrance to Piedmont Hospital. We got Debra into a wheelchair and began speaking with a maternity nurse about check in procedures. She had been experiencing a contraction when we came in so we began walking down the hall to the elevator. As we waited for the doors to open she began to have another contraction (in much less than the 5 minute duration they told us meant imminent birth). The nurse was so alarmed we turned and RAN down the hall on an alternate route to the next floor. Within a few hours Lauryn was born. I can still remember the overwhelming fear that engulfed me... "Will the baby be healthy?" "Will I be a good parent?" "Is Debra OK?" "Am I really ready to grow up?".

After the birth, and after making sure Debra was OK I moved over to the bassinet where they were doing the initial checkup on our new daughter. I looked down at her tiny body, at those tiny toes and fingers and reached my hand towards her. She quieted, turned her head, looked me straight in the eyes and reached out with her tiny hand, grasping my finger. At that moment I knew that whatever it took, I would be up to the task. Taking care of my daughter for those few years where her welfare was in my hands was a responsibility I was ready for. Somehow God knows us better than we know ourselves. It is an awesome feeling when he gently steps in and assures us.

Merry Christmas!!