Merry Christmas!!!

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

Merry Christmas!!!!

Enjoy the time you have with your family and friends. 

Thanks for reading.

DouglasHClark.com

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Don't eat too much, but remember to enjoy the time you have with family and friends.

Thanks for reading

DouglasHClark.com

A Hot Pastrami Sandwich With a Side of Nostalgia

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

Standing in the lunch line I notice hot pastrami on rye is on special. I haven't had one in a very long time and immediately I'm flush with memories of my dad taking me to New York City for his work and treating me to a classic deli style sandwich. I order one and as I think about eating it my mind wanders into its own past. 

I think of my childhood: that huge park with the weeping willows lining the long driveway up to the playground, baseball games at Yankee Stadium, my best friend Brian, and a strange feeling of nostalgia for an age where the future seemed so positive and the feeling that greatness was a certainty. 

The cook calls out my number and I grab the hot Styrofoam container. I pick up some mustard and open the lid. Bonus, curly fries! I get some ketchup packets and as I head for the counter I hear Brian's voice echo in my head, "it's cool when you get those bonus fries down at the bottom of the bag. It's like they're a surprise when all the others are gone". Right on B. 

Sipping on my cherry coke I pull out the money and pay for lunch. I look right at the napkins but fail to grab any. It reminds me of junior year in college. I grabbed napkins after every meal and had a dresser full of them at year's end. Funny enough a few months after that I got the Black Death version of the flu and used every single napkin blowing my nose. It's hotter than hell outside but I'm stuck in a cube all day so I find some shade and dig into my sandwich. 

For a moment I remember all the lunches I had eaten alone while working at a job I had in Texas. It was always hot there. Those memories fill me with a profound sense of loneliness. It was a sad time in my life... Then I remember here in SoCal the ocean is just a few miles away. I'm happy again. 

The pastrami is good but not great. No golden spicy mustard just fancy yellow. Its not the same but I deal with it. I miss my dad. We haven't seen a Yankee game together in decades. Lunch time is always just a few minutes too short. I'm wishing I could just leave and go to the beach. I know that's why we have weekends but there's just something so alluring about playing hooky. I chomp on the last few fries and suck up all the cherry coke left in my cup. 

I wish Brian could have joined me for lunch. Good friends are hard to find and always worth keeping. I've got to go back to work even though I wish I would working on my novel. I need a vacation. 

Thanks for reading. 

Questions and comments are welcome.

Taking a Break

Long ago, on a TV schedule many of you may or may not remember there was a show called Cheers. Remember it? Well they had a theme song and it started out: “Makin' your way in the world today takes everything you've got - Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot - Wouldn't you like to get away?” 

Some of the allure to that show was the idea that other people knew who you were, and knew your name. They had your problems, other people knew how you felt and could relate to your feelings. It also offered a break from the daily grind; a place where you could relax, blow off some steam and just have fun. Being able step away from your worries for a little while is a great idea. Do you ever do it though? Think about it. We all have goals and aspirations; we all work and pay bills; we all are striving for something, but how often do you just set it all aside and relax? I’m guessing if you’re like me, you don’t relax anywhere as much as you should and even when you try, you’re still a bit tense about things.

Don’t worry, you’re not crazy. We live in an overcharged, hyper-active society. It’s hard to disconnect from our technologically dependent lifestyle. If you think about it, getting away from the electronic distractions is almost impossible. For me, I would have to get rid of my TV, my computer, my laptop, my iPhone, my radio, and my car just to eliminate the immediate distractions I have right at my fingertips. Granted I’m not going to do that, but those devices do offer a somewhat false escape from the world. The TV and internet offer entertainment but you will invariably be bombarded with commercials demanding you buy the next great thing, even though you don’t need it, same with the radio. Heck, phones nowadays are TVs, radios, and computers all rolled into one. Makes you wonder why we have any of the other things in the first place. Point is, getting away from distractions is hard, but if you try you might just find something interesting. Instead of being bombarded with commercials demanding you money, why don’t you try something completely different – A real break from the norm.

Recently I went to a dance; a waltz and polka. Now that isn’t something I try on a regular basis but I was keen to tackle something new, just for the experience. It genuinely was a break from the norm. Okay, so nobody there knew my name but I didn’t care. In fact, the entire dance was a period piece focusing on the 1800s. You wouldn’t find a TV or cell phone anywhere back then. The thing is, even if you are totally focused on your mission in life and wanting to achieve things, you really need to take a moment to look around and enjoy the moment you are in. Ever hear that old saying “stop and smell the roses”? Well it’s actually a good idea from time to time to actually take a break. At the very least you can catch your breath for the next round of insanity we call modern life.

Thanks for reading. Questions and comments are welcome. 

Humor can alter any situation and help us cope at the very instant we are laughing.

-Allen Klein.

Can you laugh?

They say that laughter is the best medicine.  Obviously that isn't always the case, but having a good laugh, just at the right time can really ease the tension and release stress.  Have you ever had one of those laughs that was fueled not just by humor, but stress and nerves.  I have, and I've found myself laughing all the harder because it was a release.  The funny thing was (pun intended) as I was laughing I knew it was making me feel better.  Not just because of the funny thing that caused the laughter, but because I needed to let go of the tension and burden of holding on to things that kept me down.  There really isn't any reason to hold on to baggage and when you let it go, it feels amazing.

Humor makes it fun

There are times when serious attitudes and outlooks are wholly appropriate.  At the same time, there's no reason to be uptight and deliberately coarse or mirthless.  You don't have to use crude or offensive jokes to be humorous.  In fact, you just need to see things in a different light.  Sometimes the most innocuous comments can be funny if timed just right.  Humor among coworkers, friends, family, can help build a special bond, and laughing makes things more memorable. 

When people get together and talk about shared experiences, it's a lot more fun to say "remember that time..." and end the story with a great laugh that everyone can share.  And really that's the best thing, being able to share a good feeling with people you care about. 

So go ahead, have a good laugh!

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.

- Arnold H. Glasow. When things are really down and everywhere you look is dispair and hopelessness, look for one of your true friends. They'll be there for you.

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