Country Meets City. Day #1

So yesterday afternoon I picked my lil' brother up at LAX. This was Michael's first time to California. In fact, this past December, he took his first commercial airline flight so this was just his second time flying, and first time venturing out on his own! He's come out to visit me as well as scope out a potential job down in San Diego.
For those of you who don't know "Lar" (a nickname he's had since he was a toddler), he is your all american country boy. This was going to be quite the trip - country meets city! I couldn't wait to see his reactions to the city, the people, the traffic, the mountains, the ocean, the cars, everything! Other family that has visited all have said the same thing: "This is a whole different world!"
He landed and we found each other at baggage claim. I guess he met some other guys from NDSU on the plane. They were a bit nervous so they had a few cocktails on the plane to keep their nerves down. Oh great! He was fine when he landed. We walked to the car, I think it was his first ride in a Mercedes Benz. He tried to roll down the window but his seat reclined instead. He couldn't figure it out. (And so the entertainment begins...!!) I showed him that the window switches were in the central counsel. He replies, "all fancy!"
We're both starving so we go to In-N-Out where he's amazed at the simple menu and the cheap prices. Total for both of us: $8.80! Yes! While we're waiting for our food, he's standing and people are knocking him left and right. He says to me, "This is crazy, everything goes so fast!". We proceed to sit outside where he enjoyed feeding the pigeons - something everybody knows is a major no no. Cheap entertainment for him I guess! hahA. Then he starts naming the sparrows and tells me a story about him shooting some at home and how the robins are rocking mom's bird feeder at home. I love having him around!
Then out of nowhere, a little asian guy puts 2 keychains on our table and walks away. See picture. I immediately say "no thank you" and Lar goes "what? we have to!" He throws a $5.00 and decides he'll give the keychains to Aubrey. Then he says "If he would've put 'I'm deaf & dumb, I would've drop a $20". Oh no you didn't!!
Time to get on the road! Traffic is nuts. We're at a complete stand still when we finally start rolling up to an accident. Lar has his head so far out the window scoping out the accident and counts out loud while all the accident victims are standing there, "1...2...3....4!! There's 4 cars!!! Holy smokes!!"  This kid is the best entertainment!
As we get on the PCH to drive home, he sees some dump trucks going down a pretty steep incline. We drive through the canyons and he loves it! He can't believe the landscape change up.
He gets his first frozen yogurt experience at Menchie's.
We head home and he can't believe I live in a gated community. He meets Kent and our producer Shane and as him and Kent start talking, I see a bromance developing...ohhh great!!
We had to go drop something off for Kent and it takes longer than we thought but we still make it back to Ciscos for the Happy Hour appetizers and drinks.

Malibu Canyons

Once we get home, we hear Aubrey's voice. She says "Sarah! Is your little brother here?!!?" She finally gets to meet him and is a little shy at first but warms up. We're so wiped and we watched a few youtube videos and decide to call it a day.

Don't keep it to yourself; share it!

I went and watched Nick Vujicic speak last Friday night. Nick asked when was the last time you told someone you loved them?
I didn't have to think too long. I was content with knowing that I had just texted my mom that afternoon a few hours earlier, "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

My family has always said "love ya" at the end of conversations. After my Grandma Mim passed away and then my Grandpa Bill two years later, I realized the importance of those words. Both deaths were from cancer so we time to share our words with them. Then this past year, we were shook with something we didn't expect: mom had a serious accident. She was delivering the mail in rural Minnesota and struck by another car while on the route. Being in California away from home was the toughest. I was informed she was being airlifted but there was so many questions still. After learning she had broke her neck and there was a chance she wouldn't walk again, something inside you dies. Yet, she was a live and we were so thankful for her life being spared. A few days after surgery, they tried walking mom with a walker. It was tough at first and she was shakey but as time went on, she stayed strong (mentally and physically)! So when the doctors said, she's lucky she's not in a wheelchair, let a lone a pine box, you realize just how precious life is.
 From then on, I made more of an effort to let people know how I felt.
What am I waiting for? Am I waiting for someone to get a life threatening illness to tell them I love them? Am I waiting for someone's dad to die to show them I'm there to support them?
I think I mentioned before, I was keeping a blog of these lessons but had it set to private because I thought some of this stuff was silly. I was afraid. I had the fear of others judgement and critism.
 I would have a friend call me or talk to me about a tough time and everything they needed to hear, I had just written in a blog! I can't remember what finally fueled it but I decided life is too short to not share this....we're going public!

You can think up anything in your head, you can act in your head but if you don't say, do, act, sing, speak it out loud, well then, it doesn't do much good, does it? You need to share it!!

I've been doing the sharing portion with books for the last couple years. I know it looks cool if I have "Eat, Pray, Love", "The Help", and other great reads on my shelves. But I've already read them....so when it comes down to: it looks cool on my shelf vs. sharing a great read with others, I've forced myself to share. I made myself pass books onto others because it's no good if I keep such a great work of art to myself.
Learn to do the same with other materialistic items: necklaces, purses, clothes, etc.  I had a guy tell me he liked my necklace last Friday at dinner. I asked him if he wanted it and he thought I was nuts. I said, "do you want it for your wife/gf?". I would love for them to have it. I've had a good run with it and it's brought me great satisfication with many outfits but I would love to pass it onto someone else. He thought I was nuts and denied it. Oh well, I tried.
Sharing doesn't just go with materialistic items, also learn to share your love, speak it.
Now a days everybody is afraid of everybody else. Everybody has fear of everybody else's judgements....including me!
We're all silly, just afraid of everybody else's judgements and burns.


 so I encourage you to overcome that fear because there's a good chance they'll admire you for your courage. (or like that guy from Friday night, think you're nuts :) haha)
Share it! Pass it on! Give it up!