The Power of Snow

This past weekend, Virginia Beach experienced what folks out west call a "powder day." Nine inches of snow fell on our area, an amount that forecasters said "we haven't seen in twenty years." (Pretty sad when you think about it.)

It didn't take long for me to see the power of a snowfall. Wii and Playstation controls were idle. Sleds and snow boots were dusted off and put to good use. Kids found their creative side; building snow ramps and finding completely new things to laugh at. Snow helps us remember (and discover) the simple pleasures of life.

I ran five miles in the snow.
I was pulled on a sled through the neighborhood (and through at least one slushy puddle) by a friend in pickup truck full of rosy cheeked, excited middle schoolers.
I went on five times as many walks in the neighborhood than usual.
I found comfort in under armor and turtle necks.
I helped my son gear up repeatedly and laughed when he put on his jacket, "sherpa" hat, neck gaiter and gloves BEFORE putting on socks and boots. Oh, the things that snow teaches you.
I fell once and enjoyed the view.
I watched our cat tip-toe through the the snow with an expression of "WTF" on his face.
I sat around a fire pit with friends and traded "snow stories" from years past.
I ate chili for dinner two nights in a row and enjoyed every bite.

The snow will melt over the next couple of days but the memories will last much longer.

What's in a Name?

Last night when I was trying to figure out some of the technical features of this blog space, I realized that the name for my blog was, well, my name. ZZZZZZ. Not terribly inspired, but don’t let my parents know. Admittedly, I went down the dark and scary "path of puns" where I encountered possible blog titles like: The Last Ward, the Ward is Out, Wards on Paper, The Spoken Ward. The list went on and on and haunted me again this morning with the geekiest title of all:

Ward Download 2.0. Uh.... no.

I suspect many of my blog posts will deal with simple things I encounter or observations on places I will go. Chances are I won't comment on politics, business, or social issues. My friend Chris Bonney blogs and is also excellent photographer. His blog is called: "What I Saw." It's simple and to the point. Plus, it pulls double duty for his writing and for his photography. As a matter of fact, reading his blog through Facebook has inspired me to get back to writing.

My blog posts will serve as a creative outlet for me. If folks happen to find the posts entertaining and want to comment, all the better. But it still needs a name.

On the bulletin board in my office I have a number of quotes from authors. Some famous. Some not too famous. One is by a former writer for Outside Magazine named Mark Jenkins. Whether you are an aspiring writer, budding photographer, part time adventurer or desk bound number cruncher, heed his words to change the way you look at things.

“Lying on my bunk that night, musing on our progress so far, I realized another salient truth about adventure: It doesn’t matter where you go. It’s not what you see, but how you see. To the jaded eye, Paris is dull. Everest a sham, Africa stuffed with animals already seen on the Discovery Channel. But if you think of your mind as a microscope and take a close look, there is not a chunk of earth on this planet – maybe right around the corner – that isn’t original, even explicable.”

So there it is, the title of my blog: No, not “Salient Truth.” Sounds too like a David Baldacci or a John Grisham novel. I’m more of the Mayberry type. So, the blog title will be “Around the Corner.” Bear with me, here. “Around the Corner” for me can and will be places near and far. My promise to myself and to anyone who cares to read will be to look at things, and write about things differently. See you around

College Planning

This past weekend, my son and I attended a seminar at The College of William & Mary designed to educate him on possible courses and related careers in his growing fields of interest which now include aviation, environmental sciences and engineering. The sessions I attended were mainly geared toward college preparation, including creative ways to fund part or all of a four year degree which, by the way, is pushing the $20K a year mark when you include tuition, room and board.

My son is 12.

College for him is still a good six years away, but it doesn't hurt to start planning now. More importantly, simply introducing him to a college setting during a non-sports, booz and party filled weekend will give him a sense of what college live may be like. This past summer he enrolled in a week long, all day engineering camp at ODU which also gave him a taste of college life.

I bring this up because as a college graduate, I recognize the benefits of a college education. Attending college expands your job options, helps you grow as a person -- in terms of making friends, managing time and and workload -- and it's a lot of fun. Plus, as a parent I want the best for my son.

Going through this exploration with my son brought back memories of my first college exploration some 35 years ago. (Yikes, doing that math hurt.) When I was 12, my older brother Mike was starting his freshman year at Hampden-Sydney College, a small liberal arts college in south central Virginia. Naturally, I attended numerous "friends and family weekends" which gave me my first taste of college life. I loved it. I loved the people. I loved the place. And, I wanted to be like my brother; someone I loved and respected. It's no surprise that I ended up going to college there. But enough reminiscing.

While at William & Mary, my son and I enjoyed getting lost and roaming around campus, eating lunch in a dining hall, and sneaking on to the football field. I wonder if these activities will have more of lasting impression on my son than the sessions he attended. If so, that's fine by me. It's all part of the learning process.

Here's a recommendation to all you parents out there. If you have dreams of your son or daughter attending college, and they are in late elementary school or in middle school, now's the time to explore. And along the way, it will bring back fond memories of your own college days.