Life on Pause and the Batteries are Dead

So I thought I would do a personal post as I've revived my writing website after some time away from it.

Check it out here: http://jrwoods.snappages.com

In about one week, it will have been one year since my college graduation and like many college graduates over the past few years, I'm exactly where I started before I graduated. Thankfully, I have a job that pays the bills.  While I know many out there are not as fortunate, it's still hard to sit idly by with no prospects of anything new. We go to school, study hard and make good grades to make it into college. From there we study some more and maybe party as well, all with the hope of graduating and getting a degree  that is believed to "open doors". We bounce around a bit from job to job and hopefully find that career that makes us feel pretty good. Something we can at least tolerate for 40 plus hours a week. For me (and my wife), that's something that is still being sought after.

Unfortunately, with our modern economy it seems like we're all stuck on pause. This not to say that I haven't tried to dig myself out of the mud. As in my last post, I made an attempt at fire fighting with no luck. I was just a bit too much "Batman" and not enough "Superman" on paper for their liking. The next attempt was a couple of applications with no call backs. And the most recent attempt at a change was a complete tease. The job was listed as paying in a range less than what I make to more than what I make. As any logical person would conclude, had I gotten an interview and done well, you'd expect I'd be offered either my current pay or better. Well, as it turned out, I did get an interview and made the top of the list, yet the pay changed and not for the better. The offer was for less than my current salary. I had no choice, but to turn it down. Still on pause.

Changing gears, my wife and I have also gotten antsy feet in wanting to move out of our neighborhood and our state. With 100 degree plus days nearly every day this summer, we are wanting something different. Maybe even another country. What has happened to the world of adventure? It almost seems like the world is boxing us in more and more. It almost feels like a modern day '1984' (the book) where any sense of adventure, change or uniqueness is all out of reach or dead.

I won't lie, it's been hard... and yes, I realize how blessed I am in many things, but I find it hard to believe that this is it. A job with steady pay is nice, a home with superficial things are nice, but I care more about a life of joy rather than being a machine. My wife brings me joy and my dog makes me smile. I'm blessed for sure, but I want us to live a life that is fulfilling and not just routine.

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So while I wait for life and the economy to get back in gear, I'm doing the one thing I know I can do that maybe, just maybe, can help get us out of this slump... writing! Yes, I know it's a long shot, but I've played most of the cards I have (which aren't many).

What Keeps Us Alive Is Probably Killing Us!

So I've always had my reservations about big business and those with lots of money and power. I've also, over the last several year, been a little leery about food products, trying to find organic when I could, but not sweating it too much. I always figured I was just trying to prevent myself from eating extra preservatives my body didn't need.

Over the past several weeks my wife has been really getting into gardening and growing our own vegetables. Something that has been a progression from our joint plan of eating better and healthier foods. A few weeks ago, to compliment our growing observation of food, we started watching 'Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution' on ABC. While I've always known cafeteria food for students was crappy, it was amazing to see how much worse it has gotten and how the school systems and "powers that be" continue to force it on students. It didn't help that parents contribute by setting examples of poor food choices at home. Long story short, Amy and I were surprised how little people knew about healthy foods, eating right, and what food was what. One classroom of kids could not identify a potato!

Last weekend, Amy and I went to a Green Living Expo here in Austin, more out of recreation than learning new things. Before I begin, let me just tell you. Yes, I live in Austin, but have never considered myself some sort of Austin hippie especially having grown up in Houston. My pants are full length, my hair color is natural, I have no tattoos, no piercings, and most days am clean shaven. Now you know I'm not someone who is gonna go tell you to make out with a tree, let's proceed.

During the expo, we got the privilege to screen an independent film called, 'Fresh'. Later that day we rented 'Food Inc.' having heard about through various sources. I won't go into the details of the films, but I will recommend going to each film's site and reading up about it and watching them for yourselves. Needless to say I always kind of knew what modern day farms looked like and generally accepted it, but after these two movies I realized just how bad and criminal our food system really is. This isn't just call PETA and save the animals type of stuff. No, this is form a militia (because the government knows about it), call on God to rain fire from the sky type criminal. Forget terrorism, our own country (government and big business) is almost literally killing and abusing us (and others) and making the most profit they can in the process.

If you are new to this, I would recommend 'Fresh' first as it is a little lighter and more positive about supporting local farmers and seeking out local, organic foods while providing some of the truths I've alluded to. If you are ready for raw truth and a gut check to how you look at food, then proceed with 'Food Inc.' This is our food and the food of future generations. Unacceptable!

Jesus, Love & BBQ!

"You underestimate the power of the weird side!" says the booming voice of James Earl Jones as Darth Vader.

No, the original dark lord never said that, but I thought it inside my head as I quickly reflected on my life and the last 7 years in Austin after a few email exchanges with my wife discussing medicine and healthy living. For those of you familiar with Austin or have heard "stories", no, I'm not a starving musician/ filmmaker who hopes for that big break (now or 20 years from now), I'm relatively well-groomed, and I have no plans of naming any of my children Sunshine, Lilac, or Pine Tree but I have adopted many "Austinish" ways and mindsets. [Side note: My wife and I will soon be moving to South Austin after having been Northees for a while.]

I blame my wife mostly seeing as she is one of few native Austinites. No, her name is not Sunshine either, but since meeting her and being married I've discovered things my conservative, "Christian" southern upbringing would not have allowed me to such as the tastiness of tofu (when cooked right), challenging the status quo even if it's religious, and thinking for myself. While I'm no conspiracy theorist, vegetarian, eccentric governor hopeful or some indie band aficionado, I do feel like I have learned to view the world in my own way rather than adopting someone else's. I think things like this were always in me in some way, but growing up in Houston, you either go with the flow or just get looked at funny... and growing up as me, I didn't need the help.

I still and will forever enjoy some down home country fried cookin' (yes, I said cookin' and not cooking), the occasional country song, living for Jesus and not some cosmic energy that holds us all together no matter what we believe, and at least one meal if not more than one that centers around something that once had a face... after all, I still live in Texas.

So while I will never be a full convert and I seemingly knock my humble upbringing (pun intended if you know me), I do appreciate the unique blend of life from both worlds I've lived in. What that said, "Jesus, Love, and BBQ to ya!"