B.F.T.

 I'd like to begin my story by sharing some words from the noted author/hunter/conservationist/poet, Steven Rinella:

......"Nobody goes to an amusement park and several years later says, "Remember that roller coaster ride, that was fun." This is because that brand of fun was easily earned. You stood in a line, then sat down. Real fun must be earned, and often times the highest brand of fun is attained through intense struggle. Those earned experiences are the stories told for lifetimes......"

The Black Forest Trail first made my radar about a year ago. At the time, Kris and I were considering it as a trip for the two of us. The weather and  Providence had other plans and the trip never happened. Fast forward to the present day, and the trail continued to call. In need, perhaps selfishly, of some hardcore distraction, I began the process of preparing to have another go at it. This time, Aiden was on deck for the adventure. The short story on the BFT is rather simple.  It boasts 42 miles of legit back country terrain with the added nuance of 8,000 feet of elevation gains/changes. It is often regarded as the most rugged hiking available in the eastern United States. The internet has no shortage of information on it, so have at it, if you wish. How hard could it really be, right? People do this. YouTube is littered with videos detailing every aspect of all manner of people completing this hike. If they can do it, so can I. Maybe I wanted to test myself.  Maybe I wanted to test the trail and see if the hype was well founded. Either way, I found things I would have missed anywhere else. I witnessed strength, maturity, and wisdom uncommon among humans. None of it having anything to do with me.

Our plan was to complete the trek somewhere between 4-5 days. If it took six, so be it. Planning to be off the grid for any amount of time can be tricky. Add in the notion of being a parent, toting your 12 year old along, and things get considerably more complex......at least for me it did. I value the opportunity to place challenges in front of my kids, but surely there is a line of safety somewhere that shouldn't be crossed, isn't there? Kris reassured me we were not there yet, so off we went. What I'm not here to do is give you a report of what we carried, what we ate for dinner, and where we slept. I'll simply say we each carried just over 30 lbs of gear and hiked for just over 4 days. The finer details of the mile by mile journey belong solely to Aiden and I. 

For the first two days I held my own. As you might expect, I handled the strategic decision making; when to eat, where to sleep, where to and where not to walk. Yadda Yadda. While these may sound like minor details, I assure you, out there, a mistake can lead to dire circumstances very quickly. At some point, probably halfway through, subtle shifts began to take place. Aiden began to be more than my son or even more than my travel companion. He started to assert his opinions and began making sound decisions for the both of us. It truly became a collaborative effort, a partnership. He demonstrated superior map reading and navigation skills. He successfully procured water in difficult circumstances. He displayed an uncanny ability to understand remaining hours of daylight relative to distance(s) needed to be traveled. Around camp, he pulled his own weight sharing in all the chores and tasks that needed to be accomplished night after night. He truly became a force to be reckoned with. One that would not be denied success. 

In the end, I needed Aiden with me more than any map or piece of gear. I say with confidence that I would not have made it without his encouragement and ability to think clearly and communicate properly in a stressed moment.

The BFT belongs to us now. No one else will ever understand our unique experiences out there. Our struggles that created fun can never be erased. Perhaps the real beauty of this place lies not in its rugged reputation, nor in its rattlesnake dens or extreme mountainside descents or bear encounters. Its real majesty was making father and son into friends. Odd.....no YouTube video or trail review site mentioned that part.

Africa Is God's Country.....

.....And He can have it! (GM)

He can have it, but I'm going to rent it for about 30 days real soon.
Its been a bizarre time for me since I last posted here. There has been a great deal on my mind and being quiet is not a skill I have mastered, nor am I interested in doing so.
There are many things I could write about retrospectively, since my last post. Some of them funny, some sad. Maybe a few scary or depressing. I'm sure there is even an adventure or two in there. The topic I have chosen for my return has a little bit of all to offer.

Last Mother's Day, I sat in a gathering at LCBC like I do most weekends. Unlike other church environments, LCBC is quite unpredictable. Yet, if you go there long enough you can sometimes tell when their intention is to beat you with an emotional sledgehammer. This was one such morning.
On this particular day, Kris was out of town on business and Aiden had chosen to sit beside me in the main gathering rather than attend his age appropriate haunt. One thing led to another and I can tell there is about to be a beat down, LCBC style. This video shows what followed. Don't chicken out or tell me you don't have time for it! It's seven freakin' minutes and if I had to sit through it....so do you.

Knowing enough about Orthopedic Surgery to be dangerous, it was easy for me to recognize many of

the issues CURE worked with were of an Orthopedic nature.
For several years, my reason (excuse) for walking away from these kinds of presentations was simple. I had no emotional connection to the type of work being done, clinically speaking. But here was something right in my wheel house. Orthopedics. I could not stop crying, and I could not look away.

It was Sunday but I called the office number for Cure anyway, located just outside Harrisburg (go figure). They returned my phone call the same day. A Sunday. A holiday weekend.

From there on out things just kept happening that gave me the green light to travel. Far too many details lined up for this to be a coincidence. The last time I experienced this many green lights was when we moved from NYC to Lancaster PA. Back then, things happened that were not of our doing. Our life took shape in a way we surely could not have manufactured on our own. When these kinds of things happen, you get on board, you don't ask questions. Circumstances spin wonderfully out of control and the right thing to do simply becomes known to you.

There are many more details than I can go into right now. Perhaps I can add to this story as it continues to take shape. I will also fill in some of the blanks that have gotten me to this point. 

I am hopeful that this adventure is merely just the beginning of significant change that points me and my family towards the further pursuit of real value, in this world of so much misdirection.  

My promise is to not say "no".

This is a link to a page CURE has set up for me. From there you can read about the work in Zambia, specifically.  If you are inclined to donate financially or otherwise, you can also do so from this page.

More than anything else, I value conversation about this topic. To that end, kindly pass this information along to people of value in your life so there can be enough dialogue to go around. I fully believe that when good people talk with one another about topics of significance, great things happen.
I don't use Facebook, and I don't understand Twitter, but if you do, feel free to pass this around.

Holy sixth!

Kris put on quite the show today in celebration of Aiden's sixth birthday. Following the concept of Man VsWild, our food and decor were themed accordingly. The kids were also treated to a survival obstacle course.
Happy birthday Aiden! There is not much I can promise you with a great deal of certainty. What I can promise you is that you will always be understood, here, with me.

Atypical

Kris and I don't recall when and where we met. We do know it was fifteen years ago yesterday that we began the wedded portion of our lives together. And yes, we do know unequivocally that we will be together for the rest of our time here on earth. After that, she's God's problem.
Its not really possible to describe the depth of our relationship in a blog post. It's not even possible to describe just the past fifteen years. What I can tell you is where we have found peace and what we aspire to for our family.
We wish to be atypical.
We want the difficult discussions. We do not fear the hard times. We do not guard our souls or bodies so much we inhibit growth. We thrive where others fear to look.
These statements are not made to be boastful. This is a testament to where we have found success to be, and what has proved useful for our lives.

Today we spent the day together. Out on the road enjoying one another's company. It was not much different than the dates we had all those years ago. Lots of laughs, lots of good food, and lots of learning. Learning about what interests one another. In so doing, we learn more about one another and this marvelous friendship is fed and nourished for the journey ahead.

Happy Birthday,Evan

Cap (updated)

CAP from shamus smith on Vimeo.

I'm quite certain I can't explain all things Cap to you in a blog post. She was far too grand a person. Cap went home to be with Jesus on Friday, April 17th 2009 after living a blessed and fruitful life among us. Here are a few of my thoughts and experiences taken from her last moments with us.

1. Completely humbled.
I had no problems looking Cap in the eye or touching her hand as she laid in the I.C.U. bed. The beeping of the life support machines or the tangled mess of I.V. line doesn't phase me much either. What did cause me to look away, to recoil in shame, was the sight of Gramps struggling to get through this mess of medicine in a meek and determined effort to lean over the bed and pull Cap close to him. He simply said "my wife". He placed a kiss on her forehead, and promised to return when visiting hours permitted later in the day. I have never witnessed such a perfect example of love. One so completely devoted to the well being and care of another person.

2. Why we call her "Cap"
Nowadays there are (in my opinion) many ridiculous names given to people who used to be called simply Grandma and Grandpa. Often with no real rhyme or reason as to why. Cap was both wonderfully simplistic, and years ahead of her time with regards to her name. It has often been said that I learned 85 percent of everything I know while sitting next to Cap. Even her name came to be from this very posture. For years, she and I would watch a T.V. show called Emergency! One of the main characters held the rank of Captain. And there you go. We would role play, and recite lines along with the actors, Cap always assumed the role of the Captain. It stuck. BIG TIME. Thirty years later, more people know her by Cap than the name her parents gave her in 1928. Interesting to note, how I would come to earn my living, and the part Cap played in all of it, watching this show with me. Perhaps 85 percent is a conservative estimate.

3. Say "cheese"
When arrangements for Cap's memorial service were coming together, my family asked me to create a video(to be posted here on 4/20/2009) for the gathering. To accomplish this I would need to get my hands on as many photographs of Cap as possible. No easy feat given the location of various family members scattered over several states, some more Internet savvy then others. Furthermore, there were sure to be an abundance of photographs that pre-dated the digital camera era. My final concern was that people, in the hustle of the weekend's activities, would procrastinate in getting me the pictures. All of my concerns were quickly put to rest. In under 12 hours, I had received 127 emails, all of them containing more than one picture attachment. I stopped counting them somewhere around 3A.M. It seems that everyone wanted to have their picture taken with Cap. Cap always obliged. What a wonderful record of love we have been given because Cap never turned down a photo op.
That's me with Cap in the photo below. Soakin' in a few percent.

Happy Birthday, Aiden

Ouchy

My apologies for the audio quality. It comes to you via a freakin' iphone.

I clearly remember a similar incident many years ago. There was no iphone camera, no blog or internet.
Gramps, nevertheless, did a bang-up job on a young patient who bares a resemblance to Aiden.

Numbers

3

The number of years Kris has been in pursuit of her black belt. 

2

The number of children she cares for day in and out without fail.

39.3

The number of miles Kris has run in competitive events while advancing her martial arts status

4

The number of days in the week Kris dedicates to educating Aiden.

10

The number of hours Kris spends in the gym lifting weights each week.

0

The number of goals Kris has set for herself and not met.

Calmly and methodically Kris makes her way through this hurried life. All the while providing an outstanding example to our children and to many other people who are fortunate enough to call her friend. The photos and video below tell a small part of her story. The larger part is seldom seen by many people at all.

The hours and minutes she gives to us all on a daily basis cannot be counted.
Kris, you made me very proud today, as you have done countless times in the past.
No many how many numbers you continue to tally, I will be honored to keep count.

Kris found another New Yorker in her program. A 76 year old from Brooklyn.
Victor is a 2nd Dan and holds several other black belts in a variety of martial arts disciplines.

.

Somebody Told Kris To Go Climb A Tree

(Actually, she was told she was not able to climb the tree)

Tommy, I Can't Live Without Your Love And Affection

(click pics for larger view)

 

 
 
 


Is it possible for a "Nelson" song to get any worse??
Watch this video for the answer.

Random Thoughts For Not So Random Violence(Redux)

Ho Hum.
Another year, another school shooting. Another teen aged murderer. Another group of students killed.
Another community in mourning. Another press conference leaving more questions then answers in the wake.

A few of my opinions on things.....
1. Random? I think not. There are solar eclipse events that only occur every few dozen years, and we refer to them as "regular" or "scheduled" These shootings, meanwhile, seem to come around at least twice every few months.
2. I agree with Chris. Sometimes people are in fact, just crazy.
(interesting to note, this video is 13 years old!!!!)

..........HOWEVER, with this now a part of our culture in America, is there not some kind of script for this? With all the marvels of science and modern day crime technology, can't we spot these events ahead of time?
C'mon.....Lonely kid or kids.
               Some form of music or video game influence.
               Bullies are involved, either as victims or perpetrators.
               A school building/campus/cafeteria.
               Warning signs on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media.
               Massed education. Either public or private.        
               Firearms, and the pros and cons thereof.
Once it has been established that such events are a regular occurrence, and it is also decided they are undesirable, I believe blame can/should be assigned. Don't care for the word blame? Fine. Call it responsibility. I blame the family for a lack of involved parenting. I blame the school. Not any one specific school, but the entire concept of herding hundreds of kids into a building and trying to educate them equally. To say NOTHING of keeping them safe. The simple math of it all spells out disaster. Someone is going to get missed. Someone will not be educated. Someone will not be reached. And sometimes that someone will bring a loaded gun into the building and finally crack. Yes, maybe the problems are at home. Maybe dad is a drunk and mom is a whore. Those two wonderful parents send their kids off on the bus each morning and expect, if not demand, that the magic school will teach their kids everything from table manners to math, sportsmanship and sex.
All these things have been taught in the home, or in small communities throughout the history of our country. Not in some complex that stretches over several acres and houses 1200 students at a time, and was architecturally designed like a prison.
As for the guns.... Ya know what's funny to me? Guess where there is never a gun fight or mass shooting.
At a gun show. With the tables full of everything from handguns to hand grenades and all manner of oddly dressed people, a shot in anger is never fired. Therefore, the presence of a gun does not equal the presence of violence.
Facebook, music/movies and social media have replaced a social life for students and families alike. Everyone needs to look up from their phone, turn down the ipod and talk a bit more. This goes for teachers, parents, students and bloggers. If nothing else, you just might notice danger coming at you before it's too late.
Yes, this kid was crazy. That's easy.
Why was he crazy?...... Chew on that one for a while. I don't think the answer is very abstract at all.

WOW

Today Kris earned the rank of Red/Black belt. She began this journey in March of 2009. Now almost three years later, her goal of black belt is in sight. The testing ceremony today was merely a display of all the hard work, through all the weeknight classes, over the past several months. Somewhere in the midst of being a full time Mom, making her own laundry soap, baking her own bread, caring for our two boys, being a wife and friend to me, running half marathons, and so many other things I can't even remember to describe, she managed to commit to memory a full three years worth of form and curriculum. She put it all together today, perfectly.
If you need inspiration, if you want strength in your life, get closer to Kris. You will not be disappointed.

As Kris studies up before hand.....

                                                

............her final opponent today waits across the room

Reflection

Accomplishment

Reward

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Somethin' !

Introducing a lesser known member of Santa's support team.

Thanksgiving 2011

Making A (several) List.........

Perfect People Need Not Apply

The following was written on 10/24/2011
I am a firm believer that everything and everyone can be improved. Every business can do better. You can be a better friend, a better husband, a better wife. A better mom or dad. Better employee or employer. We can all do better. The minute you cease to work on a given area of your life, is when you are actually at your worst in that area.
In trying to hold true to this way of thinking, Kris and I want to make strides in how we feed ourselves and our family. We both make it to the gym a few times a week. We both enjoy a wide variety of foods. We both like pizza and a bacon cheeseburger as much as the next guy. With children in our lives now, we feel it is incumbent on us to teach them about making good choices when it comes to nutrition. Do I want my kids to be vegetarians, consuming only grains and berries all their lives?......NO. I do want them to know there is another way to feed themselves, besides what the world around them is likely to teach most often. The world around them will offer obesity and diabetes at staggering rates. The world around them offers food allergies never before seen on this planet. I simply want to make sure they are equipped to make choices on their own, when the time arrives.
For the next 14 days(at least) Kris and I will consume nothing other than fresh fruit and vegetable juice, made in our home. This is not meant to be the end-all. I don't think any person can or should make a lifestyle of this. For us, this will provide a pivot point for changing the way our family views food.
Kris and I have decided to keep track of some of this. We'll both be writing a bit as we go.
For Shamus' next entry, click here.
For Kris' entries,  click here.

Big Fish

It is my concerted opinion, you cannot understand the breath of creation until you stand in close proximity to a creature like this. Suddenly you become aware there is a great deal more to this world, other than the likes of you.

Way To Be, Babe

Six months ago Evan came into our lives and changed our family forever, for the better.
Minutes after he arrived via c-section, him mom was telling the doctors to get the paperwork in order because she was leaving the hospital the next morning. The next morning rolled around, and there was Kris in her hospital room, packing her bags and opening the laptop to register for her spot in this half marathon. It would be her third such experience. The only people confused by all this were the doctors and hospital staff.
Now, six months later, Kris saw her goal through. This person, my friend, my wife, is forever an inspiration to me and to our family.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!, Jon Stewart

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook