2012 – More than just 15 minutes to Remember
I was watching a movie with my daughter the other day and the father/husband character on the show had a line that went something like this:
Husband/Father: “There are 529,600 minutes in a year.”
Other character: “I know, I’ve seen Rent.”
Husband/Father: “But of those minutes, there are only 15 or so that you really remember. And am going to make this birthday party one of those moments.”
Since watching that, I have asked myself, what are those 15 or so minutes that I will remember from this year. Of course, there are countless personal, family moments that I will always remember. But here are a few of my favorite, memorable events from 2012 as captured in social media.
Kansas Mission of Mercy (February) – So much time and effort by so many people help make this annual event memorable. One of the moments I’ll always remember is celebrating the 20,000th patient treated by KMOM. When I told Roxanne Brown that we had a special presentation for her and that she was going to be recognized alongside the governor, she immediately began crying with joy. It’s moments like this that make my life so rewarding. A big thank you to Heather Yows, Sarah Pritchard and Tanya Dorf Brunner who helped pull off this celebration effortlessly.
Wrigley Field (July) – Knowing someone who knows someone put my on the field prior to a Marlins vs. Cubs game in July. When I got to sit in the front row for a few innings, I got an applause when the catcher tossed me the ball at the end of the inning to give to a young girl who had walked down the aisle. (I briefly thought about keeping it, but I knew I’d go viral the next day as the worst fan in sports). Although this photo didn’t go viral, it did spread through the Miami Marlins fan sites during the game.
Kansas Turnpike (July) – A few days later while traveling to Wichita, I encountered a strange cloud formation as I approached the Matfield Green Service Station along the Kansas Turnpike. I wasn’t sure what it was, but my first fear was that it was a giant tornado. I took this photograph and uploaded it while I waited out the storm.
Within minutes, I was receiving media requests to use the photograph and when I arrived at the next service station, I had requests from national weather organizations to use the photograph.
LiveStrong Sporting Park (August) – In August, I saw a championship in what is my favorite sport, soccer. Sporting KC hosted the Seattle Sounders and won in dramatic fashion in a shootout during the Championship of the US Open Cup. Of course, I had my camera recording to capture the celebration.
Winfield (August) – In late August, I traveled to Winfield for a meeting and with a few minutes to spare, I drove by my old house, which I built as a first-grader (with a little help from my father and grandfather). Truthfully, if someone showed me a photograph of it, I probably wouldn’t recognize it and the address has even changed as the neighborhood built up around it. As I was driving by, reflecting on my childhood, a young boy with blonde hair walked out of the garage. That prompted my favorite post of the year.
Just after I snapped this photo of this house, a boy with blonde hair walked out into the front yard and grabbed his bike. “You looking for someone?” He asks. “No,” I say. “I was just looking at your house. I lived here when I was your age.” “Really? Cool,” he says. As I drive off and thought of another blonde haired boy that lived there 33 years ago, I smiled and said to myself, “I think I have found who I was looking for.” Thank you kid, you made my day.
A Heart Attack (October) - In early October, my sister posted on Facebook that my father had gone to the emergency room with chest pains. The next day, he was undergoing a quadruple by-pass surgery. I can’t begin to count how many hundreds of friends of our family members posted prayers and thoughts during this time. Dad is doing great and I thank you for your prayers.
Christmas (December) - I’ll admit, the longer I’ve been married to Gwen, the more I have fallen in love with Christmas. Children have a lot to do with that, but so does the time and effort she makes to decorate the house. When the two come together, I think it’s quite magical.
A boy, each year growing a little older, finding new reasons to enjoy the Christmas season. Then he watches his children, as they too discover that magical Christmas spirit.
The Future (2013)
I’ve enjoyed sharing bits and pieces of my life in 2012, some funny, some serious, some geeky, and some pointless. But that’s who I am. I have some fairly ambitious goals for 2013 and I am excited to turn that page.
For 2013, I pray for peace and health. I pray for Paul and RJ as they fight cancer. I pray for our leaders. I pray for my family and yours. And I pray for a 2013 full of happiness.
Happy New Year!
Lovely