...I realized that as of today, there are 89 days left in 2022. Three quarters of this year are finished. And I asked myself some questions: What will you do with the days left this year? What have you left unfinished? What haven’t you started? What haven’t you stopped? Who haven’t you spoken to? Will you start now? This morning’s M5T looks at the power of doing things now for the remaining 89 days of the year.
We became friends when I was in high school. He was already an old man, a widower, yet there was something about him that I was drawn to, intrigued by, and respected greatly. As I grew older, he became all the more influential in my life. I was reminded of him again when I saw a dilapidated fishing boat on the Pacific Ocean a few weeks ago.
“What inspires you?” I felt I gave a somewhat quick, rather trite response to my friend that asked the question. I’ve since reflected on the question, rolling it around in my mind, pondering a better answer, perhaps for no one other than myself. Today’s M5T, postulates a more considered response to a seemingly simple question that, once we understand the complexity of the answer for ourselves, can shape a fulfilled life.
I was agitated. The morning did not start out as I had expected. And then it happened. The balloon began to rise over the distance mountains. Six shots changed my perspective for the day. Six shots changed my negative thinking to a mindset of thankfulness, gratitude, and peace. And as I thanked God for such a beautiful reminder, this morning’s M5T took shape.
Whichever country you are reading this in, Labo(u)r Day is meant to be a celebration of the work of so many who make these countries two of the greatest in the world and yes, I still believe that. Today’s M5T pauses to reflect on the importance of labor, no matter how you spell it.
What do GPS directions and a squirrel in the middle of a race track have in common? This morning’s M5T takes bearing on staying enroute in life.
For each Sunday that I’ve been fortunate to attend the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, I pause at the top of Hay's Hill before heading down to the storied 18th fairway...And once again, inspired by a most beautiful part of the world, M5T considers passions in our lives.
It’s that time of year again when I take my cameras and glass and head out for South Magazine’s ‘South Goes West’ at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Monterey Car Week. A week of photographing some of the most beautiful automobiles, old and new, in one of the most picturesque parts of the world, is definitely a highlight of the year for me. This year I’ve added Hagerty’s Motorlux to the coverage; luxury can’t even begin to describe this unique event. This morning’s M5T revisits some of life’s greatest luxuries.
“I’ll get around to it.” A phrase repeated by a precocious, barely mustachioed teenager who felt he had better things to do than the tasks that his mother wanted done around the house. In class one morning, I opened up a textbook, to find a sticker. A ‘Round 2 It’ sticker. Mom had a rather subtle way of getting messages across to me. It has stuck with me as reminder all my life. Thinking through some decision points recently, I mused where my mom’s “Round 2 It” sticker might apply. This morning’s M5T gets round to getting “Round 2 It’ in life.
For the record, I was not the buyer of the $1.28 billion ticket this week....I will confess to dropping two bucks down on the lottery and giving myself the time to have a few moments – to which I will also confess to wasting far too much time - fantasizing as to how I would use such funds. Those thoughts lead me to pen this morning’s M5T about things I would rather have.
The Weather Channel called for rain. However, the forecast failed to include the word “monsoon” levels of precipitation. I was at the photo-hole between T11 and T12 at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the heavens opened with a Noahesque torrent. ...Waiting for the rain to stop, dripping all over the interior of the car (sorry Avis), the phrase, “Living Full” came to mind. I grabbed a pen and paper from my camera bag and this week’s M5T poured out.
Hang around me long enough and you’ll hear certain phrases that I use quite often. I can’t take credit for all of them, but I have embraced them, living the meanings behind them for years. This morning’s M5T shares some of these simple, yet profound perspectives on life that I’ve adopted as Graham’isms.
A good friend of mine has been going through a particularly tough valley at this point in his life. He mentioned to me that his daughter has ordered him a copy of ‘The Meditations’. It’s been one of my go-to books during challenging times in my life. Today M5T looks at some of the musings of an emperor who has been called a Philosopher King.
This past Friday, on July 1st, Canada celebrated 155 years of a self-governing country with a division of powers between federal and provincial governments. This morning, July 4th, the US will celebrate 246 years of independence as a representative republic. Today’s M5T straddles both sides of the 49th parallel to celebrate the two greatest countries in the world.
PLEASE NOTE POSTPONEMENT & RESCHEDULE BELOW
Aristotle wrote in his seminal tome, “Ethics”, that there are three types of friendship. The first is a friendship of utility or advantage. Each person may not even really like each other, but there is a mutually profitable relationship in which each person provides something that the other needs. The second is a friendship based on pleasure or fun. Once the fun stops, a deeper friendship can break through. The third and most profound, is what Aristotle called the “friendship of good-will”. A genuine friend that loves another for the sake of that other person. In a word, “true”. With a nod to Aristotle, and other lesser recognized philosophers Randy Newman, James Taylor, Bill Withers, and the Beatles, today’s M5T looks at true friendship.
It was a long but productive week. I was enjoying a cleansing ale as the waves of the evening tide meandered their way higher up the beach. I softly sang along with the guitarist playing on the patio of the hotel, leaned back in my chair, and looked up. Contrasted against an azure sky, golden sunset light painted the cotton-like cumulus and thin wispy strands of cirrus clouds. Soft sea breeze winds leisurely fashioned patterns with the clouds. The serenity of the moment served not only to wash off the stress of the week but left me with a sense of deep gratitude and awe. Jotting down thoughts of patterns, this morning’s M5T took form.
I recently read about a newspaper reporter for the Lewiston Morning Tribune named David Johnson. For over 20 years, he has picked a name out of the local phone book and, if the person called agrees to be interviewed, their story is printed in his Friday column, “Everyone Has a Story”. Wow do I wish I had thought of that. Johnson inspired this morning’s M5T by starting a new week considering things that everyone has.
Taking a meandering drive through the back roads of upper New York state, I pondered the movie and the father/son relationship of Carl and Bud Fox, as well as the complexities of Gekko, Darien, Sir Wildman, and Lou. As I crested a hill, one of the stunning finger lakes of that area came into view just as ‘Once in a Lifetime’ began to play. Existential questions raised by the lyrics of David Byrne began to fill my head and I had to pull over.
Whether you are working or spending the day off with family and friends, today is about remembering.
Time. Five days that focused on time. Departure and arrival times. Session times, start times, lap times, finish times. Prep time for the team to get the cars ready for testing and racing. Time through the bus-stop, the esses, the boot, the heel, the toe. Time between corners to photograph beautiful cars at speed. Time to observe, to contemplate, to appreciate.
It was a perfect low country evening. Wispy clouds, no gnats or humidity, and a rising flower moon that was a day away from being full. All were minor in comparison to our serious task at hand. Four-year-old Nellie was on her first boat ride and we were on a quest for mermaids and dolphins.
Each year since my mom’s passing from Alzheimer’s, I’ve devoted the Monday after Mother’s Day to her memory. My mom was a gentle soul, who did not have an easy life growing up, but she always had a smile, a memory, or a story to share with anyone she met. I rarely ever heard her say a negative thing about anyone else. As far back as I can recall into my childhood, she drummed into me, the “Thumper” approach to life.
Sitting in my office in the wee hours of a Thursday morning, I heard two men loudly arguing on the sidewalk right under my window. It seemed that every second word from each of them was a expletive that rhymes with buck. I looked down from my window to keep an eye on them until they parted ways. As I sat back down at my desk, the heaviness of their anger, the violence of their speech, and the use of their profanity got me thinking about other four-letter words. This morning’s M5T considers four-letter words to live by.
This morning's M5T may give you some insight into how somewhat peculiar thought patterns in my brain work. I leave you with some distinctly ironic names (which I did not make up – you can Google them) of finance professionals to hopefully start your week with a chortle.
I quietly stepped out on the balcony of our room and for over two hours watched as the storm slowly moved over the ocean and meandered up the Georgian coast. Dazzling flashes of lightning illuminated the grounds of the resort, the whitecaps of waves, and backlit the dark and ominous clouds. The winds drove rain sideways and buffeted the palm trees. My body resonating with every concussive tonitruant of thunder. I have always marveled at thunderstorms; so much peace found in the midst of so much turbulence.
It was a hectic but productive week, culminating with a weekend in one of my happy places, cameras in hand and on shoulders walking the hallowed grounds, the horseshoe, the bus stop, and 31-degree banks of a place called Daytona.
Driving back and forth between Savannah and Jacksonville these past few weeks has given me a lot of windshield time to think, to pray, and to generally be thankful for all the incredible blessings in life. This morning’s M5T looks at changes that have affected all our lives.
The current state of life for Ukrainians has brought many people, your scribe included, to their knees in prayer for a country under siege. I was reminded of a M5T that I wrote six years ago about one of the most prolific preachers that the world has known. Charles Spurgeon is said to have preached 3,500 sermons over 40 years. He was known for speaking clearly (with surprising wit and humor) and for making the bible relevant to everyone’s life. The profundity of his words is a legacy over 130 years later. This morning’s M5T considers some of my favorite Spurgeon quotes.
Spring has sprung. Metaphorically and literally. And to that end, this morning’s M5T considers Spring, and more pointedly, spring-cleaning.
For as long as I can remember I’ve had this thing about anthills. Whenever I come across one, I have this insatiable need to poke it, kick it, and mess with it. I continue to enjoy a child-like fascination of the structured chaos that ensues with the ants. This mornings M5T looks at shaking things up.
Dreamland. Dreamer. Sweet Dreams. Dream On. Dreams. Dream Weaver. Dream Cars. Six songs and sixty-four very fast Italian ponies. Songs about dreams seemed to follow me everywhere last week. Chasing dream cars with my camera has always been a dream of mine. With thanks to Amos Lee, Supertramp, Eurythmics, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Gary Wright, the dream team of the Speedbourne Racing / Ferrari of Atlanta race team, and moments of solitude trackside in Austin, this morning’s M5T shares contemplations on dreams.
..... All that deliberation brought to mind the people and things that I’m passionate about; how thankful I am for the many blessings you are in my life. I renewed my conviction to making the choice to live a passionate life. And all of that led to thoughts of the power of living passionately in this morning’s M5T.
Today is Presidents Day here in these United States of America. A day that was started to celebrate the birthday of this nation's first president. I thought it fitting for this morning’s M5T to reflect on the wisdom, and positive nature of the words of George Washington, a great leader who shaped this great country.
The last time Valentine’s Day fell on a Monday was in 2011. I started writing M5T in November of that year, so this is the first time that Valentine’s Day has fallen on a M5T Monday. I will admit to being a romantic and a hopeless one at that. This morning’s M5T shares some of the most romantic letters and admissions of love that I enjoy reading and share with you to inspire the start of this Valentine’s Day.
Foregone. Missed out. Lost out. Missed the boat. We’ve all had those moments of shoulda, coulda, woulda in our lives. Hopefully those missed opportunities haven’t defined you but have been lessons in life. This morning, M5T looks at as some of the SCW’s that you may recognize but not know the back story.
.....As I wandered around looking at guitars played by some of the worlds most accomplished and famous musicians, the old joke of “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” came to mind. This morning’s M5T postulates on the ponderance of practice.
This last week I came across one of my Kodachrome images taken in England in the 90’s.It epitomizes the thought of two types of people: those that stay with the herd, wanting to fit in by looking like the herd and those that are most comfortable breaking way from the heard and wanting to have their own look. As such, this morning’s M5T looks at Two Kinds of people in our lives.
Taking a long mid-afternoon walk this week to clear my head, I watched two people arguing at a stop sign. Both yelling vindictive things at each other with expletives interjected almost every third word or so. My walk took me by the Second African Baptist Church on Houston Street. The church has an incredible history. It was at this church that General Sherman read the Emancipation Proclamation to Savannah in 1864. Almost a century later, in 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr., read parts of his “I Have a Dream” sermon in the church before he took his March on Washington in August of that same year. Reflecting on the anger I was witnessing of the two people I encountered, I had to wonder if King’s message would even be heard at this time when there are so many violent actions, destructive thoughts, and angry words in our world today. This morning’s M5T once again draws on the profound words of a man whose dream is a legacy for us all.
Ahhh yes. It’s Monday. The second Monday of the New Year. Thousands of resolutions already broken or forgotten. Grab ahold and control the day before it controls you. Yes, it’s Monday and this morning’s Monday 5 Things is about getting up and get going. You’ve got this!
For anyone that has been following M5T for a year or more knows that I’m not big on New Year resolutions. Rather, I prefer to pick five words that I use to center my thoughts through the year. This morning’s M5T shares my thoughts on five words for 2022. What words would you pick?
The rain stopped and then held off for the two hours that we wandered through the “Illuminights Chinese Lantern” exhibit at the Atlanta Zoo. The upside of the poor weather was that we had the zoo almost to ourselves. With her birthday week being well celebrated and only two weeks to go until Christmas, the four-year-old we had in tow was already primed with excitement. As we rounded each corner, with no puddle left unsplashed and each lantern animal became bigger and better, her squeals of delight were infectious. Watching her alternating holding hands between her grand-ma-ma, mom, dad and auntie, as they skipped and meandered along the zoo’s pathways I began to reflect on the word delight. Somewhere around the glowing ladybug, the t-rex dinosaur and a large Canadian moose, this morning’s M5T took shape and reflects on finding delight as an adult.
Call them epiphanies, kismet, destiny, revelation, or providence. Moments that we've all had. Moments that awaken us. Moments that shake us into action. Moments of indecision. Moments that we chose to ignore. Moments that we treasure. Moments of elation. Moments of pride. Moments we don’t ever want to forget. Moments that we wish we could forget. Moments of revelation of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Moments of ignominy. Moments that we embrace. Today’s M5T shares some of my moments. What have some of your moments been?
Driving through the pouring rain in Atlanta this weekend, we listened to short Tim Ferris podcasts from his book ‘Tools of Titans’. Each segment focused on the routines and habits of successful men and women. It’s a book I haven’t read in some time and will pick it up again when I get home. The podcasts sparked thoughts on defining success in life. No matter how you personally define it, there are terms and conditions that will apply. Today M5T ruminates on the T&C’s of success.
Uncharacteristically sleeping in this weekend, I hadn’t felt this good in weeks, quite possibly months. Much needed rest has been well taken, literally and figuratively, cherished for the gift it is. A renewed focus of late on each ‘today’, resolute to not lose sight of what is right in front of me. To be fully engaged in the moment. Determined to take my thoughts and actions captive, decisive, relevant, and meaningful. M5T is focused on Today.
It was a day of ‘Much More’ as I suspect it was for most of you. Much more food. Much more wine. Much more love. Much more than last year during Covid. So very much more to be thankful for. We took a much-needed stroll on the quiet end of Tybee to avoid slipping into a post-turkey coma. Our last-minute decision to walk the beach was rewarded with a most stunning Thanksgiving sunset. As we slowly strolled along the sand avoiding gentle lapping waves, we were in quiet awe as the sun set into the horizon, the colors becoming more intense, more vibrant, and more spectacular with each passing minute. A crisp star filled November evening followed, and I found myself thinking about ‘Much More’ I would like in my life and thus, this morning’s M5T considers ‘Much More’.
Yesterday was an important anniversary for me. I quietly celebrated 522 weeks, 2,610 things, over 17,000 lines, and almost 217,000 words. Innumerable hours of thinking, countless cups of coffee, and copious amounts of wine, single malt scotch or bourbon have all been part of the process. The latter libations were consumed in the evenings, often trying to push through, climb over, or wander around writer’s block that I have experienced from time to time. Yesterday, Monday 5 Things marked its 10th year of publication.
So. Here we are again. It’s Monday morning… the start of a new week. What will today, and this week look like for you? Will it be the same old same old? Or will today be the start of something fresh and new? Did you hit the snooze button again… and again and again and again? Or did you bound out of bed as soon as your eyes opened, ready to embrace a new day? Today’s M5T reconnoiters the positive and radical – and at times seemingly messy and chaotic – facets of making bold moves in life.
I struggled on Saturday to keep my camera gear dry in sideways pouring rain and near gale-force winds, but I still had a big smile on my face. I was once again in my happy place getting to photograph some of the world’s most beautiful automobiles. While strolling the drenched grounds of the Hilton Head Island Concours d ’Elegance, I spent some time thinking about guilty pleasures. In a not so tongue-in-cheek start to our week, M5T shares some non-guilty pleasures that I make no excuses for.
Thin strands of brilliant orange and yellow integrated with the opulent indigo of a cool Georgian fall sunrise, gradually changing the starry night sky, filled my rear-view mirror to start the morn. I added to the chromatic eruption of color by singing along at the top of my lungs with Bowie on Spotify whilst driving from SAV to ATL. "Strange fascinations fascinate me / Ah, changes are taking / The pace I’m goin’ through / ch-ch-ch-ch changes / Turn and face the strange / ch-ch changes” ~ A guy named Tom, Ziggy, or simply, Bowie. ‘Changes’. I challenge you to not have this song in your head all day as M5T considers positive changes in our lives.
