The Puzzle

Do you ever get the feeling that something big is about to happen? That some life altering event is about to take place. Good or bad, you know something is coming. That some piece of your life's puzzle is about to fall into place. I get a lot of windshield time and recently, I happened to get this same feeling. That I was on the brink of something great.


This got me thinking about my puzzle. I know that God has a plan and I take great comfort in that. He has the box to use as a guide in my puzzle. Sometimes, I wish He would share that box with me. Give me a glimpse of what is to come. Sometimes, I like to be surprised. Not knowing what's around the next corner can be an invigorating feeling. Terrifying, also. The key is knowing that there is something around the corner. That there is a master plan.


My puzzle is not complete. It's already been started. I have the outside (you know, the part with the straight edges) already put together. I think each side to my puzzle has a meaning. Each side represents one of the four most important aspects of my life. Faith, Family, Friends, Work. I know it's strange that work is in there, but my work is something that I really identify with. I consider work ethic as a major indication of character. I think my puzzle is probably a square with rounded edges. There is no clear definition between these four elements of my life. They all overlap in some way, with Faith running through all sides.

My work has strengthened the friend side of my puzzle. I have gained some of the most important friendships of my life through my work. In return, my work has been strengthened by friends and family. As my Faith strengthens, the relationships in the rest of the puzzle are strengthened at the same time. These sides; this foundation; are what I base all of my actions on. I would like to say that I don't care what people think, but I do. Immensely. Granted, it's only God and the people that mean the most to me that I care about. Why shouldn't you care what they think of you? If they are the reason that your life has meaning, wouldn't you want them to be happy with the direction you were taking your life?

Part of life is not knowing. No matter how much we plan. I've heard it said that if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans. No matter how much we think that life should be one way, it may not be. There are many things I thought would have happened in my life by the time I was 25 that haven't happened yet. However, there are many things that HAVE happened that I never dreamed would have. I have to admit, I've had a hard time dealing with some of those things that haven't happened. The things that seemed to be missing. Until I realized that they aren't missing, they just haven't revealed themselves to me yet. "Yet" being the key word. Everyone knows that patience is a virtue, but not one I possess. It's one I work on every day of my life. If you know in your heart that you want something, it will happen for you when the time is right.

I still don't know for sure what I'm on the brink of. I do know that we all have our own puzzle. Each one is in varying stages of progress. We are all waiting for the pieces to fall into place. My advice? Don't rush it. You won't have anything to look forward to if all the pieces fit too early. Don't wish your life away.

Monument Valley

I finally got to make the trip to Monument Valley that I've been wanting to make for a long time. I really wasn't sure what to expect. I had seen this place as an icon in several of my favorite western movies throughout my whole life. Monument Valley is as much a character in those movies as John Wayne, Ben Johnson, and Walter Brennan. I was afraid, briefly, that this place would not be as majestic as I had hoped and imagined. That it wouldn't hold my attention the way it does in countless movies. Was I going to feel like I had wasted the trip to the Arizona/Utah border? Was it just tricks of the camera to make it seem so amazing? Was I really going to feel like I was standing in the same place that John Wayne led the cavalry through and searched for Debbie who was stolen by the Comanch? Had I built this place up in my mind so much that it never had a chance?

As I drove up the road from Kayenta, I could suddenly see the mittens in the distance. I recognized them immediately, though I had never seen them in person. We paid our five dollars to be allowed onto the Navajo reservation and made our way to the visitor center. It happened to be closed, but we pulled over to the end of the parking lot and walked over to the edge to get our first real glimpse of Monument Valley. I was truly taken aback. This was, by far, one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. The movies do not do it justice. It was a very raw beauty. An awe-inspiring view and I knew that God had out-done himself. I knew that I had not wasted the trip. From The Searchers: "I don't believe in surrenders. Nope, I've still got my saber, Reverend. Didn't beat it into no plowshare, neither" This, I knew, was certainly a place that hasn't surrendered.

As we made our way down the winding dirt road it was hard to take in the true expansiveness of the place. With each stop, there was another amazing sight. The most impressive thing was when I saw the sign for John Ford's Point. This was it. The one stop I had been looking forward to most. As I stood there, on the same ground that John Ford filmed many of my favorite movies from, I felt like I was in the wrong place. Like I had been born in the wrong generation. Like I had finally found where I needed to be. It wasn't the most beautiful spot on the tour, but it certainly meant the most to me. Everyone thinks that I am just a John Wayne fan. It's so much more than that. I truly believe in the person that he was and the things that he stood for. People aren't like that anymore. They care too much about what other people think to stand up for what they truly believe in.

After we made the 17 mile round-trip through the area, I was excited to hear that there was more in store for me. Across the road, stood the cabin that John Wayne used in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. I could envision him walking out of the cabin as Captain Nathan Brittles and walking off to lead the cavalry on one last mission.

After I got home, I decided it was time to watch some of those movies again. I popped in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Stagecoach, and The Searchers. I was able to watch these movies, which I have seen countless times, in a new light. Monument Valley was more a part of those movies than they had ever been before.

John Wayne once said "Tomorrow hopes we've learned something from yesterday"

I certainly have.

New to blogging

My best friend told me once that I should start a blog because I was funny. Here we are a while later and I have yet to think of anything funny, but I do have a blog. I think she might just be easily amused.

She said that with all of my travels I would have lots of great stories to tell. She obviously didn't know where I have to travel to. I do get to go to places like Athens, Paris, Edinburg, Buffalo, Atlanta and even Venus. Of course, these are all the Texas versions and not near as glamorous. Do you know the Brian Burns Texas version of "I've Been Everywhere"? That's my life. I like it, though.

I was in Pearsall at the Wal-Mart getting name tags (because, of course, I forgot them). If you know where Pearsall is, you will understand this. I pretty much felt like Davy Crockett at the Alamo. There were chihuahuas running around loose in the parking lot. The irony cracked me up. It wouldn't have been near as funny if they had been German Sheppards or Blue Heelers. Chihuahuas. You can't make this stuff up.

I lost the keys to my company car in the mall in Lubbock. Talk about being freaked out. I was already a little freaked out that I was in a mall in Lubbock, but then to lose the keys. Geez. That wasn't a funny story, but it was a story and you must start with the baby steps when it comes to blogging.

I have noticed an increase in these large gorilla statues that people have outside of their houses around the state. I have yet to figure out the purpose. It's not like it's even a beautiful, majestic lion (which I would never do either), but it's a gorilla. A plain old black gorilla. It doesn't even look particularly mean. Just there. Hangin' out. It's really random and if anyone can explain that to me, please, by all means do.

That last paragraph made me realize that I have forgotten when to use commas. It's really a basic skill. However, it must not be a skill that is like riding a bike. I have forgotten it.

I'm not sure how to end a blog, but I feel like a need a cool sign-off slogan. I will work on that.