#Thankmyluckystars...by Jim Terry

Just the other day I was on one of my hikes after work at Coyote Point Recreation Area. It’s a great area to hike due to the scenery that one can experience whilst taking in nature.  The trail starts out flat but then goes up a bluff so you can get some elevation gain and have more of a bird’s eye view. At the top of the bluff, you can then take in the view. It encompasses the bay water, the city by the bay, the towering eucalyptus trees, and, if nightfall, you can even see some stars. The quiet stillness that is created from a gentle breeze that quietly rustles the leaves in the trees and the reflection of the lights from the city and the bay bridge which echo and flicker upon the water’s surface, brings a sense of peace and tranquility somehow.  It really is something to witness at least once in one’s lifetime.  

As you all know, we just had one of the most “attention-grabbing” presidential elections to date. So after work on November 3rd, not only was I hiking this amazing trail, but I was also trying to read and learn what the results of the election were. Now keep in mind, that it is now about 6 pm as I continued my journey that evening. This means it is totally dark outside and I have a bright screen on my phone. This situation is very similar to when you walk into a dark room and flip the light on. Initially, you are “blinded by the light” and may get vertigo or dizziness for a moment but then, after the fact, you “see stars.”

If I had a crystal ball and could have seen into the future, I would have put my reading about the election on hold that day. As you know and because of the pandemic we are in, we had delayed results anyhow because of all of the mail-in ballots. 

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Life can change in an instant?” If so, this is exactly what happened to me that night…As I continued to hike and towards the top of the bluff with daunting cliffs just below me, I continued to look down at my screen and then back up again at the blackness that surrounded me. I did this time and time again but on the last occurrence, it created the scenario I spoke of while entering that dark room and flipping the lights on.  Not only did I  “see stars” but it also generated a bit of disorientation for me. With my newfound awkwardness, I then took my next step.  Needless to say, that step was off of the path, which encompassed a very steep embankment where I then lost my footing.

Have you ever rolled a rock down a hill? At first, it starts out a bit slow and then continues to speed up as it continues down that given slope as long as nothing is in its way.  My body and I did not know a fifty-year-old man could recreate this scenario and do this so effortlessly.  After I catapulted myself from the path I was on, I literally sped up as I continued to roll down the hill.  During this incident, I first saw the dirt as I hit the ground…then the towering trees…then the stars in the sky…then the city landscape, and repeat again as I continued rolling down the steep ridge. This “amazing view” I spoke of happened not once, not twice, but five times as I plummeted down the hill.

During my fall, I also witnessed my lit-up phone and water bottle that I was carrying, just like a scene in a movie and what seemed like in slow motion, go flying through the air as they flew from my hand’s grasp. It wasn’t until I hit a big rock that I finally stopped my would be tumbling act, that, unbeknownst to me, I had NOT performed yet…at least proficiently. 

As I got my bearings and stood back up, I first felt some areas of pain. Again fifty-year-old people shouldn’t be rolling down a hill without at least utilizing some protective gear of some sort. I then walked back up to where I thought my phone landed, sat down, and turned on the light so I could observe the biggest source of pain, which was located in my right pinky finger and in my right ribs where the rock stopped my fall.  My ribs bruised a bit in the week to come, but if one was to witness my finger at that time, they would have seen a lot of blood dripping from my hand and noticed that most, if not all of the skin on the knuckle was removed from my most recent mishap. 

As I sat there to take a moment to catch my breath and contemplate what had just happened, a quote or two came to mind. The first one I thought of was, “Forgetting our intentions is the most frequent of all acts of stupidity.”  Did I forget I was there to HIKE and not read news? 

Secondly and probably the more appropriate quote, “sh** for brains,” seemed to more clearly define my performance that night. 😂

You will be happy to know that I completed my hike without further incident. Also if one would have witnessed the completion of that hike, they may have noticed a limp or two and the groans of a humbled old man realizing his stupid mistake. Since that time, my finger and body are doing well and on the mend. I have also purchased my protective gear so the next time I perform, which may be the new and upcoming act for Cirque du Soleil, I should be able to do so without the calamity that turns into a catastrophe.  

So since it is the month of “thanks,” I want to tell you how “thankful” I am for my life, my family, my friends, my health, my job, you (the readers), my everything that I tend to take for granted during my busy life.  So much to be grateful for.

Oh and one more honorable mention to THE ROCK that stopped my fall, I too want to say, “I thank my lucky stars” you were there that night. If one was to measure the position of the rock that stopped my fall, it is literally about twenty feet from the edge of the cliff. If I had continued down the steep grade, I may have fallen an additional fifty to sixty feet over the edge of the cliffs onto the rocky shoreline below. #thankmyluckystars #givethanks #HAPPYTHANKSGIVING

Be safe! Be well! 

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Feeling Small?...by Jim Terry

Boy how time flies, as I am getting older. And with the swiftness of time, as it passes, I sometimes find myself feeling a bit deflated, insignificant, unimportant or small in this big ole world we live in. A minute becomes a second, a month becomes a day and a year becomes a month. As I look back on what I have written in past posts, I have mentioned this before but it really is true that time really does speed up as we age.  Maybe a better outlook, since I am a self-proclaimed optimist, is to say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

So in light of mentioning time and it now being officially September, I wanted to know what last hoorahs or plans you have for the end of the summer (Labor Day) and the beginning days of another school year?   If you don’t have any ideas for that last-minute trip, don’t worry. I have one that may help you make a decision on where to go and what to experience.

Just recently, I found myself in a conversation with one of my patients. Most of my patients know about my love of the outdoors and how much I love to hike, raft and just experience nature. It recenters me and helps give me a bit of focus and peace in the crazy world we live in.  So upon further discussion with this patient, he mentioned an area that I should visit, that was close to work, doesn’t have a lot of foot traffic and is easy to get to. The place he mentioned is called Purisima Creek Redwood Preserve.

Upon entering this serene place away from the hustle and bustle of life, a small squirrel greeted me. This little guy was either welcoming me to his home or was looking for a quick free meal.  I think it was the latter! 😀 Once I passed by my little friend and started my hiking adventure, I had to stop for a minute, close my eyes and take a deep breath. There’s always something so refreshing and energizing about clean mountain air that's laced with pine and freshness isn’t there?  It literally rejuvenates my soul and magically clears my mind somehow.   It was right after that moment, when I reopened my eyes with now more tranquility and clarity in my mind, that I noticed a wall in front of me. It wasn’t a “wall” per say, but it was a wall of green created by some of the biggest trees I have seen to date. 

As I continued on my journey, I began to notice my environment around me.  The impact and quietness of my shoes upon the forest’s floor was gently cushioned with the evergreen leaves that had fallen to the ground. The canopy above me was slowing closing in around me not allowing much light onto the forest floor but provided just enough to generate some of the most beautiful and biggest ferns I have seen. The faint whispering of the wind gently rocking the trees to and fro was only subdued by the distant hoot from the hoot owl waiting for night to fall in order to capture his next meal.  And with the few openings in the canopy above, if there was a ray of light that hit the forest’s floor, it generated one of the most amazing Technicolor hues that anyone could witness.

Now I may be biased now that I have experienced this, but the redwood trees really should be the 8^th wonder of the world. Did you know that redwoods can live over 2,000 years and can be nearly 400 feet tall? Did you also know that they can have branches up to five feet in diameter and bark that grows up to 12 inches thick? 

And do you know or have you seen the pictures of redwood trees that get so big and wide at the base that you can literally drive a car through them? This then means that the average width for a giant redwood tree can be up to 30 feet!

So if by chance you live anywhere near the coast of Oregon or all throughout northern California, make it a priority and see one of the MANY State and National Parks associated with the Redwoods. You certainly will not be disappointed. And if you, like me at times in my life, may be experiencing some sense of “smallness” in the big ole world we live in, maybe it’s time to stand next to a giant.  Where being small is just A-Ok!

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!

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HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

With a recent trip to San Diego within the last year, I had to take a minute and stop when passing a certain landmark.  I was on my way to see Cabrillo National Monument and before arriving there I was taken back by another nationally recognized place known as “Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.”

As I entered the gates of this serene place, I couldn’t help but to think about all the stories I would hear if I were able to speak to the war heroes themselves or the families of the soldiers who had fallen.

“What was their life like? Why did they choose to serve? When did they die and where?” I had to ask myself and then continued…"Whom did they leave behind? What did they witness and experience in order to provide the freedoms we have?”

With row after row, line after line and “V” after “V” witnessed of the perfectly aligned headstones, I found myself contemplating my own life and freedoms I have in this country and why I have them.  My thoughts then wandered to focus on some of my own family who have served in wars past and are currently serving...to friends and their families who have served...to friends of friends and so forth.

So with Memorial Day upon us, make sure to give “THANKS” to those that are serving or have served and remember all those people in your lives who are important and may no longer be here with us. I recently came across a quote that really sums up how we should remember this day..."In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." 
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!

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Sacrifice...by Jim Terry

Just the other day, I was lucky enough to take a long walk after work along the cliffs adjacent to a beautiful beach, designated as a state park, here in California. If one walks to the brink of the cliffs and gazes over the edge, one might notice the beach. The sand is a pale yellow that has been fashioned by the slowing eroding clay-based cliffs just adjacent to the beach that are slowly surrendering to mother nature’s fury.  As you gradually gaze along the horizon, you also will notice the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. With its never-ending movement and white caps that are formed as the crest of the waves yield to the gravity that pulls it down, one might also witness a few ships coming into and out of port. And if you keep moving your head from left to right, now gazing towards the north, you will once again observe the faint silhouette of land jutting out into the sea all the while hearing the faint cry of seagulls in the distance and feel a gentle breeze that carries the sea mist that caresses your face.  

Photo © Jim Terry

As I finally found that one vacant bench to sit upon, I decided to take a minute to reflect upon and take in my beautiful surroundings. While sitting there and knowing of the upcoming holiday, I couldn’t help but to think of and be grateful for those that I have in my life but also those people I had in my life, which have been great influences.

Of course, one of the first people I thought of was my mother. Vast expanses of an ocean view were always one of her favorite things to experience. As they say about mothers, “A mother is she who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take.” There isn’t a day that doesn’t go by that I still don’t think of my Mom, her kindness, her love and her influence in my life… "thanks, Mom!”

I also thought of several of my ancestors and how they had loved and influenced me. My Grandma Hattie was always fun because when we would stay with her she would transport us into a magical world by telling us stories about leprechauns and fairies. She had a room in her home that was “off limits” because that’s where the “fairies and leprechauns” lived. We could only peer into the room at certain times of day if we wanted to try and catch a glimpse of one.  To this day and because I believe in magic, I still believe that I had the one and only “leprechaun sighting” in my Grandma’s magical room. Oh and JFYI and because I now believe in leprechauns, I am going to totally disregard and discredit the fact that my grandma probably didn't want us in there because she had a lot of nice and breakable things that she didn’t want us kids to break! J

© www.brightersideart.com

In the morning after a good nights rest and if we followed her rules, she would also allow us to experience a small part of our Dutch heritage by making us ebelskivers filled with homemade jam or cinnamon glazed applesauce.  To this day, this still one of my favorite foods and memories I had the privilege of enjoying with my grandmother.

As I sat there, I also thought of my Grandpa Oliverson, Hattie's husband. I never met him because of his passing in 1965 at a young age. He worked for the civil service and was employed at the Toole Army Depot for twenty-four years. I have heard stories about his love of hunting and what a good man he was.  Someday, I will look forward to knowing him even better.

© www.brightersideart.com

I thought of my Grandpa and Grandma Terry and their love of the outdoors and fishing for bass at a place called Hot Creek in Nevada. One of my favorite trips every summer was to go and see them and go fishing with them in the middle of the Nevada desert. I enjoyed my time with them but also because there was a remarkable natural spring that sprang forth out of nowhere that became our swimming hole to escape the heat of the summer’s sun.

I also thought about all of my relatives that have served our country, present and past, and how important their service is to me. My Uncle Paul who served in the Army was always a fun guy to be around. His love and dedication to his family also carried through to his service and commitment to our country which also found him participating in the Vietnam conflict.

My grandmother's pendant.

My great Uncle Joe who served in the Navy during WWII was also a pilot. As the story goes, his plane was in combat and fired upon and hit­–both my uncle and his plane survived. I remember asking my grandmother one day where she got a necklace that I noticed she always wore. The necklace also included a pendant that was in the shape of a white heart.  On the face of the white heart was a hand-painted red rose.  Apparently, my great uncle had this pendant made for my grandmother from a piece of the shrapnel left inside of the fuselage of my uncle’s plane after it was fired upon. As my grandma continued on with her account, I noticed a slight break in her voice and a tear in her eye as she said he told her he made it for her because he wanted it to be a reminder of “his love of family; which could overcome any obstacle.”

As I continued to sit there on that bench and enjoy my surroundings, thoughts of loved ones and story after story filled my mind that afternoon.  As a young boy, I really never understood the Memorial Day holiday and I was always confused when I would see my Grandma cry when we would drive to Mink Creek, Idaho, year after year, to put flowers on my Grandpa’s grave.  Funny how I “get it now.”  It’s the sacrifice of others when acknowledged, that truly makes us better people. And whether that is one witnessing a loving grandmother placing flowers upon her husband’s grave in acknowledgment of the love and provisions he afforded his family or for the dedication or even the death of a serviceman or woman who serves their country, each and every sacrifice is significant. 

So on this MEMORIAL DAY, enjoy your time, be safe, be happy, enjoy your family and friends, remember loved ones lost, be grateful for those that are serving our country and always remember, “Great achievement is born of great SACRIFICE, and is never the result of selfishness." ~Napoleon Hill~

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