The Road to Happiness

This is a must read during these times. Happiness is within. Read here

Chapter 7: The Lion looks after it's cub

Making mistakes as a parent should be celebrated especially if this is your first rodeo. The fact that you and the child you helped bring into the world are absolutely clueless as to what to do with each other should be a testament that the human race can and will keep chugging along. Take for example Parental instincts. No one knows how that happens, but it does. All of a sudden you become crazy protective of this little human. I've noticed how this has happened when it comes to bringing him around people that I know. I noticed how I want to keep myself, and my son around people who are naturally, good people who have integrity and are about something and all others can...well just go to hell. What can I say it's the lion in me looking after it's cub. Some people might not get it, but I honestly don't care about that and I refuse to have my son around people that I do not respect.

However no one is perfect and no one has the right answers on how to raise a child. I guess the thing that keeps me a float is that I usually follow my gut instincts and those instincts only came when I had Banneker. Some days are perfect some are not and often times I am fine with that. I am a hopeful realist. Even when my son is screaming bloody murder (which is downright brutal I should add) one should have a sense of calm. I guess as a dad that is one of the things that I contribute as one half of the team. This is important because I believe I am showing my son that I am here for him and I can be that wall for him to lean on as he is trying to work things out. I've seen it in his eyes when he is so tired that all he can do is yell at the top of his lungs and Lord knows I don't like having that experience, but during all the madness I do see a glimmer of hope as he stops to gather his strength for the next round of attack, then we make eye contact. It's at this moment he knows that I am there for him. For better or worse and when the Sandman finally begins to sprinkle the last few grains of sand over his eyes I can't help but hold my son a little tighter while I'm noticing the peace that has finally arrived for him. I lay him down kiss him gently on the forehead and watch him sleep before I go about my business.

And so it is I am...
L. Jeffrey Moore

Chapter 6: They Say it's your Birthday...

Today is my birthday (I'll hold for applause), and this is the first birthday with my son. These events are crazy when you put it in perspective. For this year the coolest thing I wanted wasn't a PlayStation 3 with DJ Hero (hint hint) but an Ergo baby carrier. Yep that's right something for the baby. I didn't feel obligated to want it, I truly wanted it. I mean I wouldn't have to wrap myself in yards of fabric to hold him up anymore. After my wife sang the obligatory "happy birthday" the little man, that is my son, looks at me as he does everyday with sheer amazement and a blind sort of bliss; again another shinning example of being grateful in the world. This day is more for him as his eyes are wide open and the virtual record button has been on since 6am this morning. We're showing him a human ritual that will be passed on to him as he is showing us that all is well in the world and that he is the greatest gift anyone could get me.

After all the singing and breakfast that was made by my wife and visiting sister-in-law I was told to sit on the couch as they began to shower me with gifts that my dear son Banneker has made for me. One of them is a hand made card


with B's hand printed on paper with finger paint. The very last page of the card was a pleasant surprise. Somehow B decided that he would let us know that he was part Vulcan as he placed his "Live long and prosper" greeting on paper.


Apparently he did this all his own proving to me that the apple,thankfully, does not fall far from the tree.




The next thing I received was....get this: The Ergo baby carrier. For an instant I thought the "Cool and Hip" police were going to kick the door down and take my membership card but then I remembered the reason why I wanted this harness to begin with (think Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back) Yep I will call this contraption the "Yoda Harness."




So for the rest of the day I think I will kick back, dust off the ole PlayStation2 and wast a few hours playing video games and/or watch a few movies. Of course this will be done after I put Banneker to sleep and send the Mrs. to work. It's up for grabs, I mean today is my day after all.

And so it is I am...
L. Jeffrey Moore

Chapter 5: Gratitude and the world we'll leave behind

Fear, Scarcity and Bad news. The world's going straight to hell if the pandemic called swine flu isn't dealt with.

That's what we hear everyday at least. I remember when my wife was pregnant, and I was working, a client had caught me day dreaming. "What's wrong?" he said "You thinking about money?" Of course I was. I had recently told everyone the good news of my child coming to the world earlier this year so I simply replied with a smile and a nod. He responded with another question: "You want the baby right?" I quickly responded with a resounding yes. "Then don't worry. Money's always gonna be there. You'll find a way." I thought about that for a while that night and have come to discover that I simply don't have time to worry about it, and every time I did start to trip over it, I would immediately start thinking about the things that I was grateful for (i.e. we eat well, the bills are paid, nice clothes, etc and so forth). What I'm getting at is this: thinking consistently of the things you don't have will bring you down. Depression will set in and this is no good for everyone. I know that this way of thinking is not productive.

Now my son is here I have been given a rare gift of being able to see him every day and watching him grow. getting to know him and making him smile. Just by looking at him I can see his eyes full of ambition and discovery. Banneker is just glad to be on the Earth to check this whole experience out. By looking at how blissful he is I know what he's grateful for. He is clothed everyday. He has two loving parents. He's a happy baby and gives a smile to all the ladies that makes them blush (that's a trait I'll take credit for thank you).

Having abundance is not in the number of material items, or the money that's in the bank. Abundance is about taking inventory in what you do have (healthy children, good friends, healthy food, transportation) I mean the list can go on forever, and that's the idea. This will be the one of the first times that I will mention that I am unemployed. I was laid off about six months ago and let me tell you, the first emotion was not fear. I swear to god I almost smiled with gratitude. Hysteria...maybe, but I thought about it for that day ,as I was preparing to leave my pregnant wife to go to Mexico with the boys for one last week of freedom before fatherhood sets in, and all I could think of was: "Wow I can finally do what I want to do. I turned this event of my life into an opportunity not into a pity party, and it's helped me out a lot. That's when I started taking inventory in what I have and now and if I was to pass on into the after life what kind of world will I leave my son. Will I show him that all is lost so just give up now or show him that no matter what you gotta press on and never settle for what you do not want. So to set an example for him I'm starting the creating process to turn my goals into reality. This blog is one of them. So what do you guys think? Healthy optimism or delusional? Give me your thoughts.

And so it is. I am...
L. Jeffery Moore

Two Nights only....Black Dynamite

November 20 – San Francisco, CA
Castro Theatre
429 Castro Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
http://www.castrotheatre.com/


November 21 – Oakland, CA
Grand Lake Theater
3200 Grand Ave
Oakland, CA 94610
http://www.castrotheatre.com/

Yours Truly will be attending the Grand Lake Theater screening. Spread the Word.

Chapter 4: These are the Voyages...

Last Sunday Joe (my new found friend in all that is geek and I traveled down to San Jose to the Tech Museum's Star Trek Exhibit. Taking Pictures inside were absolutely forbidden (which sucked so I won't post them on the blog but I found these cool pics) But I was able to capture some cool stuff outside the exhibit..

As a spectator I was a little disappointed in the exhibit in that there wasn't enough multi media interaction, it was just a bunch of foam board signs on the wall noting great moments in Star Trek history and mixing real science and the science of the show. So for you parents out there you will have to be in a reading mood for your younglings. However the props and video that they did have were very informative and fun to see.

For example actress Nichelle Nichols who played Lt. Uhura in the movies and series was very close to resigning from the show.

It wasn't until Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. convinced her to stay with the show due to the lack of positive images portrayed of people of color during the 1960's. As a matter of fact her role also led to the first inter-racial kiss with William Shatner aka James T. Kirk (Take that backwoods former Louisiana Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell). This moment in Television history pushed the envelope of reality and the future promised to us by Gene Roddenberry.


A Star Trek exhibit wouldn't be complete without the set of the original series bridge, where we had our picture taken in the
hopes of me paying $30 dollars for it (Yeah right). There was also a section of the Enterprise D hallway along with a replica of various sets and of course the teleport room.











On a scale of 1 to 10 and paying the $25 admission fee I'd have to give this exhibit a 7. On the account that I'd like to see more exhibit pieces with more flare and the merging of real history interweaved with Star Trek lore and the opportunity of taking pictures for personal use and without the option of paying thirty bucks for a computer print out of a photo that I can very well do at home. Live long and Prosper!

And so it is I am...
L. Jeffery Moore

ps
video to come with blog soon.

Not the Reaction we were hoping for