timely advice

"Work hard enough at your own self improvment and you won't have time to be critical of others."

or something like that... it was in a bunch of quotes I read the other day... I believe it. I believe living by it could change me. It could change the world.

This was the last of many waterfalls we visited Tuesday morning... Multomah Falls. Absolutely beautiful. Snows are melting in the mountains, it was raining... water was everywhere and the falls were full... guess that's what a waterfall is all about, rivers being full when they hit the cliff and overflowing... falling... water falls. It doesn't take much effort, gravity takes care of it all- the running downstream, the falling, the violent impact... the water just falls.

Critical comments, negative attitudes, refusing to believe we can, come just as easily. It's easy to believe that our situation, society, life... pulls us that way.

Positive attitudes, faith, working at our own self improvment takes effort- we've got to swim upstream -against the way of most of the world... but even water can fall, it only takes gravity. Change requires a choice, it takes faith, determination, a willingness to think, to dream, to work for the best in our selves- to pull it out -building one day on the next. Believing.

We can.

blessings,

Eric

hanging out with Debi

Debi- in front of our rented Dodge charger -cruising the Columbia River Gorge

We've been married over 28 years and we still have a lot of fun together. Speaking in Portland this week and Debi was gracious enough to join me for a few days. She laughed when she saw the rental car: called it our "G" car... not exactly sure what that means. It's a fierce looking Dodge Charger. Not a bad little ride.

We hadn't been off the airplane for an hour and we decided to head up the Columbia River Gorge and count waterfalls. Drove the old historic road out to Multomah Falls then returned by way of the 84. Stopped at every fall, hiked up a number of them, took lots of "fall" photos. Got wet. Got cold. Had Fun!

I'm blessed... still love hanging out with Debi and most of the time she still loves hanging out with me. Eating dinner in a student dining hall at the college, then spending the evening in a class as a "guest lecturer." Mostly just answering questions for the instructor. We'll cover some important stuff... but in the back of my mind I'll see Debi at the waterfalls and smile.

Sometimes the sidetrips are the best part of life.

blessings,

Eric