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February 9, 2013 By 1 Comment

Dear Former Acquiantance,


Maybe one day I will see you in a different light. Maybe one day you will see me as such too. Maybe one day we’ll just get each other better. Maybe we’ll listen better. Maybe we’ll care more deeply. In the mean time, may you be that person for the others in your life. May you listen well and care deeply. And may I too grow in that regard. I’d be a foul to suggest your presence doesn’t make my heart skip a beat. I’d be a foul to say your words don’t make my heart flip. I’d be a foul to say I can converse without butterflies. You to me are the unknown. The unexpected. We are new to this story. Cast as the lead characters, may we find our way individually of each other. And if that brings us together or leads us apart, may we at least grow as people. May we not snuff each others passions or stop listening or stop caring because we are not together. May we not give the wrong impressions. May we keep our distance. May we not care about each others choices as were not together. But, dear friend — promise me this: you will love her, when you meet her, more then you ever could have me. Know this is for the better, though it breaks my heart to say it so, it is true. We know this. We cant talk like we use you. We don’t care as we did. And we don’t listen. But promise me this: you will be perfect for her, wherever she is, she deserves all of you.

Today’s letter was written by Anonymous
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Written From: North America
Filed Under: Love
0 were inspired.Were you inspired?
July 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Stuck in the middle

Dear Middle Man,

It occurred to me this week amidst all of my moaning and bitching that you probably have the worst job possible. Decisions are made that need to be implemented and regardless of which way the outcome goes, you get the shaft. Great outcomes mean that those above you get praised for being so insightful and forward thinking while you get a pat on the back for doing job. But what’s worse is if things don’t go according to plan. When the shit hits the fan you are the one holding the bag, trying to salvage what you can from a decision gone terribly wrong. You are the one that people point fingers at. You are the one who takes the frustrations of those negatively effected by a terrible call. You are the only face that people know to blame.

You are still just doing your job.

That whole saying of give credit where credit is due doesn’t really seem to apply to you. I was once told that there is no such thing as a wrong decision. There are only decisions that lead to other decisions. Regardless of who negative the outcome, there will always be another decision tomorrow.

It’s now my time to decide. I will do my best to decide to put my big boy pants on and quit taking petty crap out on you, The Middle Man.

Cheers,

        – Dave

Filed Under: Decisions Tagged With: , ,
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July 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Dear Punk Rock Dads

Thank you for giving a shit and reminding me what a real father looks like.

By society’s standards you are the least qualified human beings to ever enter parenthood. You’re irresponsible, you’re immature, you’re never home and you look ridiculous with your leopard print hair. Your entire youth has been spent fighting against the authority that you have now become.

Which is what makes you the most qualified person to ever raise a child.

You get the pain and the angst that kids go through. You understand the toll that a broken home can play on the life a child. You understand, more than most, the sacrifice that is involved in keeping a family together. You choose to be present in the moments that you are physically there because you know that those moments can be few and far between.

For those of us dads who are physically there most of the time but absent nonetheless, there is a lot that we can learn from you.

Your language may be foul. Your antics may not win you father of the year. But you have given a voice to entire generation and now you are raising the next one. You will do well and the world will change because of it.

‎Maybe the way we change the world is by raising better kids and being more attentive to those kids. Instead of writing a punk rock song maybe we just need to be better parents. I want to be around my kids, I want to be there when they want me to be there. I think that’s the punkest thing of all.

– Jim Lindberg (Pennywise)

 

Filed Under: Actions Tagged With: , ,
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June 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Finger Lickin’ Good

Dear Finger Licker,

It would be super ironic if you just had KFC. It would also mean that their branding is bang on even decades after launching it.

Please say you just ate KFC.

     -Dave

Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: , ,
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June 23, 2012 By 1 Comment

Life is just beginning

Dear You,

Today I turned 30.

It’s an age that we’re taught to dread. 30 means the end of your youth. It means gray hair and carrying a keg around your midsection instead of a 6 pack. It means the end of fun and adventure. You are growing old wether you like it or not.

Who cares?

Here’s what I’ve found out growing through my 20’s. Gray hair can show up when you’re 18. The keg around your midsection can show up when you’re 25. Fun is still around every corner, it just doesn’t last until the wee hours of the morning ’cause bed time is at 11pm (on a very late night). Adventure doesn’t just mean risking your life doing some extreme sport or moving across the world to live by yourself just to work, surf, and meet new people from different cultures. And even though society tells us to have it all figured out by 30 so you can settle down into your nicely packaged life, it’s not going to happen.

I still have no idea what I’m doing and that’s the adventure.

I have had to deconstructing the image of who I was told I should be and embrace the reality and truth of who I am. My view and perspective of the world has changed so drastically in the last decade that all I see now are endless opportunities. With each passing decade, new things are learned and new perspectives gained. 30 is just one of those milestones. 40 will be another and an even greater adventure than the one I am about to embark on.

So this year I am not getting old. Rather I am stepping into the adventure that I was trying to find in my 20’s but am only able to fully appreciate now.

Here’s to 30.

 

         -Dave

 

 

Filed Under: Change Tagged With: , ,
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June 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Making People’s Day, One Chicken Breast at a Time

Dear Blue Haired Meat Seller,

I’m turning thirty, have a full head of gray hair and am so out of shape that I’m starting to resemble Mr. Potato Head. A simple compliment about how cool my hair looks and how the color of my shirt makes it that much better, absolutely made my day.

Everyone has to work at some point. What you reminded me is that it’s not what we’re doing but rather what we DO with what we’re doing.

We can choose to grumble through the school course we hate or shitty job we have making sure that everyone knows how terrible life is and how we are so hard done by. That’s easy. Playing the victim is easy. But instead of focusing on how crappy our situation is and putting our energy towards bringing a bit of light the gloom that may be surrounding others, our crappy situation becomes that much less crappy  because life is not always about us. And we forget that all too often.

“Everyone likes a compliment don’t they?”

That is a question that I will not forget for a very long time.

Thank you.

        -Dave

Filed Under: Actions Tagged With: , ,
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June 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Today we celebrate you…

Dear Fathers,

I have been reflecting on the impact of your presence in my life and I honestly couldn’t not imagine what my life would be without you: ALL of you. I have been blessed to be the son of one of the greatest men to ever walk this earth and I made sure to tell my dad just that. But he is not the only father that has helped to shape who I am.

The finger prints of fathers are all over my life, from wise words of a grandfather and the sound advice of an uncle to the encouragement and challenge from a friend’s father to my own friends who are now fathers themselves. You have made me who I am and I am so grateful for each and every one of you.

I hope that today is filled with joy, love and fantastic breakfast of waffles whipped cream and bacon.

You deserve it.

From one father to another,

         – Dave

Filed Under: Presence Tagged With: , ,
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June 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Dear Maimed Cyclist

It’s frustrating that the first thought to enter my head as I drove passed your limp body sprawled out in the middle of the highway was “What in the hell are you doing riding your bike in the middle of the highway?”

It’s frustrating that so many others were stopping but I didn’t want to get involved so I kept driving.

It’s frustrating that I assumed I couldn’t do anything anyway and that I’d simply get in the way.

It’s frustrating that this was and usually is my default position.

It’s frustrating that I don’t know if you’re okay. It’s frustrating that this letter is about me when I’m safe at home rocking on a porch swing with a drink in hand while you may not even see the sun rise tomorrow.

 

 

(Why does everything have to be about me?)

 

               – Dave

 

Filed Under: Actions Tagged With: , ,
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May 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Restored Soldier

(Originally written Nov. 6, 2010)

I just came across a letter I wrote back in November 2010 after hearing the stories of and meeting former child soldiers from northern Uganda. It’s ironic now, because I had forgotten so I posted it again. Dear Restored Soldier, After hearing your heart breaking story about life as a child soldier, I can’t help but think of what will happen in a week. Will I forget the impact your story had on me? Will the cash I tossed your way somehow make me feel better about myself, as if I actually helped you? Will I slip back into my cynical, self-centered, North American life like I always do? I wish you hadn’t come because you forced me out of the comfort of apathy. – Dave
Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: , ,
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May 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

So full of promise and endless possibility

Dear Baby Dancer, Tonight you made your TV debut…and you killed it. You danced as though you were by yourself in your living room with your favourite song playing on your moms iPod. But you weren’t in your living room. And it wasn’t your mom’s iPod. You were dancing on a stage with millions of people watching and were totally in your element. You are only a toddler. There will be many tough years ahead of you filled with voices that will discourage you. They will tell you to be normal. To fit in and do what everyone else does. I beg of you, don’t listen. Keep dancing your little heart out and follow it wherever it takes you. Don’t listen to the crowd that tells you to be like everyone else. Because you’re not. You probably don’t know what happened tonight, other than you were just dancing, not paying attention to who was watching. But I hope that tonight the stage captured you and won’t let go. It ultimately may not be the dance stage. But whatever stage is yours, grab it. Don’t ever let the lights go out. – Dave
Filed Under: Inspiring Tagged With: , ,
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