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.

Picture of the day: Sept 29, 2014

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

There's something serene and calming about this lily pond that I've always loved.

What calms you?

Doctor Who and the Incredible Hulk

By Douglas Clark

I often find myself wondering what would life be like if I made other decisions and choices. It’s not so much that I regret my current state or that I’m unhappy, quite the contrary. For me, imagining the ‘what if’ scenarios that life can/could/does bring keeps me from getting mired in apathy and monotony. When I was young, I wanted to be a writer (duh), a millionaire, a super genius, and world traveler; I also wanted to be Indiana Jones, the Incredible Hulk, Captain Kirk, and a companion of Doctor Who (notice the Sci-Fi slant here?).

So what would have happened if I made different life decisions, and one of those dreams came true? (Obviously, some of those dreams will sadly never come true, so there goes my ride in the TARDIS… L, but I digress). Well I went to college and earned really good grades, so that’s probably the closest to ‘super genius’ I’ll get. I joined the Navy and did see the world, so I’m good there. I’m obviously a writer (still waiting on Random House, Harper Collins, or Simon and Shuster to give me a book deal), and try to keep writing every day. So that just leaves millionaire (guess that will have to wait until one of my books becomes a movie… see I have it all planned out).

It’s the ability to daydream and imagine the ‘what ifs’ that keep my mind fresh and vibrant. Now obviously I keep my focus and do my work, get the job done, etc., but the way I see it is this: If you imagine yourself doing something you really want to do, it’s the first step in making it actually happen. Do you see what I mean? That old saying “The power of positive thinking”, although somewhat cliché, is still true. Imagining yourself in a new job or taking on a challenging task opens the door to the skills and mindset of accomplishing those goals. (However, my boyhood dreams of building a TARDIS might not qualify. If I master Relative Dimensions and that wibbly wobbly timey wimey… stuff, I’ll get back to you)

Imagining each ‘what if’ possibility opens a new door to an entirely different life, vastly different experiences and varied knowledge and skill. Granted many of those ‘lives’ would be similar to the one I’m leading, but the more I let my imagination go free, the greater the variation. Those variations let me be me, only in a different setting. 

When you begin to see yourself living a different life, you can start moving toward that life. Now I’d love to explore the Universe like the Doctor, or command a star ship like Captain Kirk but I know that really isn’t going to happen. Refreshing my imagination with those far flung possibilities stirs up the mental pot and re-energizes me. I use that energy to focus myself and do what I do best, write. 

Where have your choices brought you?    

Thanks for reading. 

Questions and comments are welcome

Face the day smiling

I know it's Monday, but you can make it through. I have faith in you.

Here's something simple to brighten your day - Pics I took from around San Diego

Just a quick thought

A old english professor of mine once said, "you'll find that sometimes you will feel that everything you write is amazingly brilliant, and other times it's utter crap. But the truth is, most of the time it's somewhere in between".

The writing session I had at lunch felt like utter crap. Hopefully it's somewhere in between. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

The Supernova Dream

by Douglas Clark

I wish there was a way to make my dreams come true. I mean an easy way. Doesn't it just seem like everything we want is always hard, involves tons of work, discipline, and determination, and takes so damned long, it makes you wonder why the hell you tried in the first place. When someone says "If it were easy, everyone would do it" or "Nothing worth doing is easy", why is that true?

I think the answer, in a word is Imagination. Life is the way it is. Nothing more, nothing less. But a human's ability to daydream, imagine the 'what ifs' and yearn for something more makes reality that much harder to simply accept. We know that things can be different, we understand that through our decisions, actions, efforts, and aspirations, we can make a difference. 

Without the recognition that we can change the world, we'd all just be worker ants, drones, the type of zombified shadows that drudge through life merely existing and not living. Without ambition and imagination, we would accomplish nothing new, and when we expired, no trace of our uniqueness would remain. 

Power, greatness, immortality, these elements make for great motivators, not just in stories, but in life. We can't have it all, and as mortal beings, we know this. But as imaginative creatures we yearn for that thing just out of reach, just over the horizon, barely possible, so that we can leave our mark on existence.

Dreams are hard because they are up against the cold harsh truth that in our reality, so very little of us remains once we are gone. And while we are here, so very much else drowns out our fragile individuality. 

Our dreams give glimpses of who we are, what we long for, and what we long to leave behind. Like mini supernovas, a dream realized is still a brief flash in the universe that nudges attention toward it, for just a moment. When you realize a dream, you tell the universe, I was here and I mattered. And it listens. 

Go nudge the universe. 

Thanks for reading.
Questions and comments are welcome. 

The Inspiration Engine Book Review

-  By Douglas Clark

A Universe from Nothing by Lawrence M. Krauss

Lawrence M. Krauss is a physicist and university professor with a long distinguished career. Holding a Ph.D. in physics from MIT he currently is the Director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University. He has authored multiple books and been recognized by his peers with awards such as the American association for the Advancement of Science, the Presidential Investigator Award, and the Gravity Research Foundation award, to name a few. http://krauss.faculty.asu.edu/biography/

Brief Description

Lawrence Krauss takes the reader through a detailed view of the universe as we understand it today. By providing concise explanations of how we came to this knowledge and what it means, Krauss beings to expose the nature of the universe to the layman. With a strong foundation and clearly reasoned belief in the Scientific Method, Krauss makes his case that the data we have explaining the universe provides a reasonable and factual model of how it began, evolved and ultimately will end.

 Memorable quotes

“Our universe is so vast that, as I have emphasized, something that is not impossible is virtual guaranteed to occur somewhere within it. Rare events happen all the time. “

"Empty space can have a non-zero energy associated with it, even in the absence of any matter or radiation.”

“At the heart of quantum mechanics is a rule that sometimes governs politicians, or CEOs­ -- as long as no one is watching, anything goes.”

What makes this book Unique or special…

Krauss employs an epigraph at the beginning of each chapter to help focus the reader and put them in a mindset that will frame the discussion.

The inclusion of graphics, charts, and photographs help when some of the data needs a visual representation to clear things up.

Krauss doesn’t dumb down the narrative. His explanations are straightforward and concise, but sometimes you’ll actually have to think to completely grasp his meaning.

As a bonus, Richard Dawkins provides an Afterwords. Admittedly, there’s just a bit of pandering to Krauss on Dawkins part, however, the point is made that Krauss provides his explanations and reasonings by way of scientific fact and empirical data, not faith or revealed knowledge from divinity. Combating theologian derision is something which Dawkins has a bit of experience combating.

Readability

Throughout most of the book, Krauss keeps the scientific jargon to a minimum and explains the analysis of data in a reasonably understandable fashion. There are, however, spots where the conceptual explanations become complicated and demands that the reader fully pay attention. This happens mostly in the latter chapters, such as when he explains how empty space actually contains energy and contributes to the expansion of the universe. Chapters 8 and 9 contain the densest of material so paying attention is critical.

Final Thoughts

Overall, A Universe from Nothing is a pretty good read. Krauss stays on topic and supplies just enough data and history to keep it interesting without bogging down the narrative. It’s very clear Krauss knows what he’s talking about and wants you to understand his meaning. He is earnest in his attempts to impart a bit of scientific knowledge to his readers. If you’re looking for a deeper understanding of how the universe works, read this book.

Thanks for reading.

Questions and comments are welcome. 

DouglasHClark.com

What a Disappointing Turn of Events

By Douglas Clark

About a year ago I applied for a job and had an interview that went great. I related very well to my potential new boss and his team, the work seemed interesting and the prospects of advancing appeared good. Everything looked like a good fit. After leaving the interview, I not only expected a job offer, I knew they would extend one. 

What I didn’t anticipate was the lackluster benefits package they would ultimately offer. Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect a silver platter full of gold. What I got, however, amounted to only about one thousand dollars more than I made at the time, only at the new position I would be doing twice the work. Also, the healthcare and retirement package was almost nonexistent. 

Needless to say, I felt a bit perplexed. It’s a major thing to uproot yourself from a long standing position. One needs at least a bit of enticement to make such a switch. Obviously, I didn’t take the job. It led me to realize though, there’s nothing more deflating and de-motivational than getting socked with the knowledge that all your efforts resulted in something less than favorable or desired.

So how do you handle disappointment? It doesn’t have to be a job offer. It can be a sporting event, a diet goal, a physical challenge, pretty much anything. If you put effort, time, money, and devotion into something and the result falls woefully short of your expectations, what do you do? For me, I just kept trying to find a new position that fit my expectations, skill set, and professional needs. I just kept trying.

Now it’s kind of hard to just keep at something if you continually fail. So in that regard it’s necessary to reexamine your goals, your approach and your reasoning for pursuing that dream in the first place. This is where it gets unpleasant. You see, you might find that the dream and goal you work so hard for will never come to fruition. Certain obstacles might just be too big. That’s a hard pill to swallow. And believe me, I’ve given up on a few things in my life, like being six foot tall, running a mile in less than eight minutes, playing basketball, for example. Now everyone has limitation and difficulties, but the hard part is realizing they might be getting in the way of you achieving that goal you set out for yourself. That hurts.

However, we all have skills and abilities that set us apart from others. Many of these skills and abilities may lay dormant simply because you don’t explore them. Clearing away old and tired, unsuccessful habits can open up possibilities never imagined beforehand.  If you reexamine your goals and approach you might realize something else can take your old pursuit’s place and still provide a meaningful return. 

There will always be sorrow and lingering doubt when/if you stop pursuing a dream. Thoughts like, “If I just gave it a bit more time, I might have made it”, or some such. If you turn that around and say something more positive like, “I’m free to pursue something new and exciting with a real possibility of success now”, you might just find new motivation and energy that you thought you lost, or didn’t know you possessed in the first place.

Remember, every end can be a new beginning.

Thanks for reading.

Questions and comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Happy Birthday!!!

By Douglas Clark

It's my Birthday today! I hope you all have a great day!

Thanks for reading.

DouglasHClark.com 

Think Big

by Douglas Clark

Have you ever heard anyone say “I want to get second place”, “I’m working toward being mediocre”, or “My dream is to be average”? Probably not in a serious way you haven’t. It reminds me of a Monster.com commercial that’s pretty funny. Nobody consciously decides they want to be just another face in the crowd, not without giving up first. You see the thing is, most people try, experience difficulty, muddle through, and then find a certain amount of equilibrium with their environment, situation and circumstance, but then never really break through and excel beyond the status quo. This is where people become apathetic.

You can’t counteract apathy though. Think of this from a different perspective. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say “Aim High”, heck the Air Force used to use that as a tag line in their TV and radio commercials for years. Or maybe you’ve heard the saying ‘reach for the stars’, or ‘the sky’s the limit’. The common theme here is striving for something just out of reach, pushing yourself to achieve something slightly beyond your abilities or just to experience something new. What’s the point though?

The goal here is Success. Success does take an extraordinary amount of effort though, and it starts with something even more important. Thinking Big. That’s right. Putting your mind and thoughts on the right track, allowing yourself to believe what you dream is possible, and accepting the possibility that you might just be able to make all you want possible is the first step in achieving your dreams. It does not matter how you characterize or quantify success. Reaching your goals, and accomplishing your mission requires being positive. Sometimes I lean toward the negative, pessimistic side of things. When I feel that type of thing seeping into my thought process, I counter it with positive, sometimes grandiose daydreaming and proclamations. They’re designed to refocus my mindset, forcing me to accept the possibility that the great and wonderful things I want to achieve are at least thinkable, let alone possible. That’s why I still believe I’ll be a world famous writer one day.

You’ve got to want it. Thinking that you will be the best, achieve the highest goals, win the most prestigious awards, earn the most money, be the most famous; it all starts with you thinking big. Daring yourself to simply imagine the great possibilities of ‘what if’ is the first step on your journey to greatness. Take that step!

Thanks for reading

Questions and comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com