One day at a time.

Life is quite the emotional rollercoaster.  There are good days and bad days, and within those, good moments and bad moments.  We can go from smiling and quiet to barking and crying in 60 seconds around here.

I've been trying to fix a bunch of nagging issues with my car.  I guess you haven't really heard this from me yet, but I enjoy my cars.  Currently I'm driving an 04 Volvo V70R MT, a fairly rare, 300 hp all wheel drive station wagon.  It's a blast to drive.  It has nearly 100k miles on it though, and so its starting to have its creaky issues. In the last few days, I've wrestled with check engine lights, my floppy switchblade key, some electrical gremlins, and a hard wired radar detector.

They, like life, have had their ups and downs.  The other morning I fixed one electrical problem and introduced another. Yesterday I nearly cut off my thumb trying to cut a key in half.  Tonight I actually finished the key project and have all of my metacarpals.  Nice.

Sitting here before bed, it reminds me that each day is a little battle...you win some and you lose some.  I'm starting to think that as long as you keep getting up each day and going to battle, you can't lose the war.

I've talked to some people this year about how much of a circus 2009 was for me...and how much better 2010 has been.  The Ultimate season is winding down (or is it just warming up?), I'm settling into my new job, and home is finally feeling comfortable again.  It's nice to reflect on things and feel like each day is another good reason to be happy...instead of another set of obstacles trying to break you down.

I hope you're feeling some clarity and peace as well.

Which reminds me...I need to write a post about church.

Until next time,

John

Joy of Child

Helping out with the subsheet

Everyone always said having a child would change your view on life.  They couldn't be more right.

It is awfully difficult to come home after a rough day at work and not smile at my son.  He's happy to see me, wants to have a catch in the yard (even though he's still a toddler) and knows that his mommy and I love him very much. It is even tough to be selfish...he has changed my focus onto something outside of myself. (Sure, everyone still has their selfish moments...) His healthy, safety, happiness and otherwise well-being trump things that I used to think were important.

He comes to Ultimate tournaments, puts up with my mood swings and is good to his mother.  He goes with the flow, has more patience than I'd have if I were him, and already loves being my little helper.  I'm lucky to have him in my life and look forward to seeing him next.  Speaking of which, it's just the two of us for dinner tonight...what should we have?  Burgers on the grill maybe?

The Guy in the Glass

This has already proven therapeutic.  The blog is providing a forum for me to put thoughts into words for nobody in particular...other than myself. It has me feeling very introspective all of a sudden.

A former boss of mine (who I'm convinced sees a shrink on a regular basis) cautioned me to be better in touch with how I feel...and not always be driven by what I think.

My dad used to tell me growing up, "you can't control how you feel, but you can control how you behave" and to "always do your best."

I've spent the last few days feeling really badly about my performance playing for District 5 this past weekend.  While some teammates told me I'd done a good job, I can't help feeling like I let them down.  I sent an email to the group this morning, hoping to provide some motivation for them as we prepare for Regionals in a few weeks. One of them replied with a poem she memorized in high school...about judgement from the man in the mirror.  I found it particularly touching....and it reminds me that the standards we set for ourselves are the standards we choose to live with.  It reminds me that I can be better.  Today I will be a better husband, father, and teammate.
________________________________

The Guy in the Glass by Dale Wimbrow, (c) 1934


When you get what you want in your struggle for self,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.

Welcome to Korber's Fun House!

Welcome.

You've found my new blog, started today, September 21, 2010. Blogging is something I've always been interested in, but never seemed to ever have a good reason to actually do. A class I'm taking for my MBA studies required that I create one, so I'm taking this opportunity to record my thoughts. I'm hoping it proves therapeutic for me and maybe informative for someone out there who cares about something I've got to say.

Maybe I should back up.

My name is John and I'm......a lot of things. I'm a husband, father, IT professional, graduate student, athlete, leader, and among other things, a bit of a nerd. I like thinking about big things...love to compete...and enjoy my life. I fill nearly every free moment with something to do...and my wife and I often pay the price for it. Our 19 month old son has learned to go with the flow and has almost as full of a life as we do.

I invest a lot of time and energy into a sport that I love: Ultimate. I played in college as an undergraduate and have played for several club teams since. I founded and currently captain a new co-ed team called District 5. I've derived a lot of satisfaction from playing the game and leading my peers, and am sometimes criticized for taking it too seriously. Several teammates coined the phrase "Korber hates fun" as a description of my no-nonsense approach to the game. Off the field, I think of myself as much more fun-loving, although responsibilities to family, job and school often keep me rational and grounded in reality.

This blog is titled "Korber's Fun House" because I don't want this blog to be about Ultimate; although I'm sure District 5 will come up a few times as we approach the climax of our season. I'll try to leave my no-fun persona on the field and use this space to describe the parts of my life which are a bit more "fun."

So welcome.

I hope you stay awhile and leave a comment or two.