A World Without Love

     Imagine a world without emotions where even the everyday happenstances that comprise our lives seem as grey and desolate as the skies. Imagine a world where emptiness reigns supreme and nothing is of value not even our very own feeble existance. We can't live in a world like that. Our humanity ( and maybe even our sanity) will very likely be lost. And yet, when we really stop and think about our very own limited time here on Earth, the question begs to be asked why are we not happy? Maybe I should rephrase that into something more tangible. If you know you were to die tomorrow, how would you like to live TODAY? I can   see the gears in your mind turning now, fathoming the endless " Things I need to do" items in your last and final list. Ever wondered why adventurers( or daredevils, for that matter) live for that split second instant which can dictate life or death? It's because only when they cheat death do they feel truly alive. I know you know that nobody in their right mind wanted to feel alive THAT way and everyday of that sort of encounter can drive anybody to a psyche ward anywhere. There is, however, a better way to live a long and contented life. And it starts NOW.

     We are not trivial beings. You can bet almost anything that the things that make you laugh or cry isn't that much different from what makes another individual laugh or cry from a different corner of the world. The point I am driving us is we have SIMILAR NEEDS,no matter what our race, color, or creed maybe. We are not unique in that our standards may be higher or that our statures or professions dictate that we remain special or separated. That is not even important because all that really matters is the legacy we will be leaving behind. How is it that a CEO from a Fortune 500 company be any different from that of a shoe cobbler who takes pride in his work on some alley way in India. Money changes our perspectives in life and it clouds us into believing that our very existance depends on money. Remember that each second which comprises our lives will never be returned to us. We will watch and learn as we grow old, fading into the distance, awaiting our turn to finally becoming one with our maker. That is a fact of life. Time takes away everything, even memories. So how do we start living life to the fullest when we don't even know how or where to begin? The answer is really very simple but it eludes us to the point where we don't really see it or recognize it anymore. So here it is:

LOVE MORE  

     Love more. Just two words but with infinite meaning. How does one love more? Start by loving the people you already love. Words are hollow without action to back them up. When you love somebody,SAY SO AND PROVE SO. In order to reach a higher level or plane of understanding how love really makes the world go 'round there are several plans of action you need to practice on a daily basis until they become habitual. Only when you pass this primary challenge can you progress further. The feeling is indescribable. Only when you GET THERE will you TRULY UNDERSTAND. Here are the things you need to do:

1. Remain CALM at all times

2. Understand FIRST before you speak.

3. Listen with Patience and Earnest.

4. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

5. Learn to Overlook Imperfection

6. Don't take ANYBODY for granted.

7. Practice a different act of selflessness daily.

8. Share your blessings

9. Keep an OPEN MIND

10. Believe in what only YOU CAN do 

11. Learn to LET GO of PAIN and REMORSE

12. Regret NOTHING

What do the 12 things listed above actually prepare you for, you say? Why don't I leave it at that and you can tell me later how you cope with each of them above. Not easy, these 12, but when you take the time to contemplate on how they can change your life, you'll begin to understand that it's so much more than just simply acquiring a different perspective. It's more of about opening your heart to love. Only when you receive love can you share it or even begin to understand it. So, good luck with your journey ahead and remember that whichever way the road may fork, you are never alone. Someone out there always holds you near and dear to their hearts. It's time you do the same for them. Thank you for spending some of your time and for giving me the opportunity to share with you. We can only journey through this life once and it doesn't make sense travelling alone. JowelMD signing out but not signing off.

My Perfect Car

     Everyone has a dream car. Our love affair with automobiles and the freedom they afford us never ceases to amaze me. Car enthusiasts like myself see the connection as more than just a love affair but a passion, which, among car nuts, can lead to hours of car talk. I also see it as a way to express my creativity. picture this scenario; you are driving home one day and by the side of the road of some unrecalled street you see a car with a "FOR SALE" sign taped haphazardly on the windshield. It can be any car,for that matter,as long as it has been in your "I-want-it-so-bad" list and just like any misdirected priority in our life, we go about to seeing we take that car home. This is, in fact, a daily happenstance in everyday America and it still happens even this very second. 

     Well, let me indulge you for a minute on a great story, one, which, in all intensive purposes seems like just another love affair with a car and an enthusiast wrenching away to help him or her relive the glory days of youth. However, this story has a twist. You see, for a long time now, I have great passion of for classic american iron of the muscle car era, to be exact. The deep rumble of big V8's has always been music to my ears. Combine that sweet sound with the perfect stance and a set of "slapper bars" tucked behind steamroller wide drag radials and you've concocted a formula for a perfect street bruiser. Never mind the fact that driving these cars enable gas attendants around a 2 block radius from your house to get to know you better, even on a first name basis. Of course, never mind also the fact that these cars had very poor handling and tend to squeak and rattle over time. All you ever cared about is you looked good driving in one of these behemoths and that no one dared challenge you when the light turns green. Can this be a car you can live with on a day to day basis? Probably not. But you don't care, right? Then you turn 40 and the next thing you know you start paying attention to the Viagra ads by the time 50 rolls around your corner. Then you come to the conclusion that you don't really want to drive around in your old sled anymore. Sounds familiar? Of course it is.

     This is why I love Porsches. What, you say? Well, my perfect car is a 1970 911T without a sunroof, converted to Carrera RS specs but with  modern engine, close ratio transmission, and brakes. Going back to what I just typed; why I love Porsches? Well, they are light, nimble, you can set them up for the track or slalom and still have an infinite number of combinations to fit whatever driving you plan to undertake in. Besides that, that enduring design has been around for as long as anyone remembers and still takes in rants and raves from just about any car nut out there. Ever see a 911 with a Venetian Blue paint reflecting the setting sun? Sinister and mysterious, that one. But looks and performance alone doesn't quite complete a car into the "perfect car" category. There has to be something more. With a 911, there is. 

     One hot summer day back in the day ( 1987 to be exact) I was picked up by a good friend of mine who had just purchased a Porsche 911 Carrera. Blacked out with that signature whale tail that car rode like its on rails. After a leisurely afternoon of just cruising around hoping to run into someone we knew (so that they can tell the girl we had crushes in we were in a Porsche), he decided to go to the freeway and stretch the Carrera's legs a bit. The sound of that flat six wailing away near redline as you row through the gears is music to any car lover's ear. We thought we had the coolest ride until another Porsche came abreast. A 911S probably circa 1969 or 1970 in Signal Orange and wearing 15 inch Fuchs didn't really pose a threat to a much newer sibling. Or so we thought. That car revved so effortlessly and just danced around our black Carrera as if we were just parked and standing still. Until this day I still couldn't figure out why we couldn't catch that little orange 911. Nor can I forget that sweaty summer afternoon back in '87.