"Sweet and Heat"

...I watched this show on the Food Network called Bobby's Vegas Gamble. It basically followed super chef Bobby Flay around vegas as he planned, prepared, and opened his new Mesa Grill Restaurant at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was absolutely amazed at all the work that goes into opening a restaurant. On top of that, Bobby Flay already has two successful restaurants in New York City, New York, so if opening a new restaurant is difficult for him, it must be so much harder for someone opening up their first restaurant. Of course, nothing comes easy.

If you don't know this about me yet, I would love to own a business someday. It's the American Dream, being self-sufficient, having something of your own, a business, a legacy, to be successful. (Read Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. It's a beautiful story about a man, his family, and his quest for the "American Dream".) Anyway, the thought of entrepreneurship has always interested me. To own and invest myself in a business that could eventually grow into something huge excites me. Watching this show made me want to be a chef, or something. haha. Also, if you don't know this, I plan on studying business in college. Specifically what, I don't know yet. Thinking about this leads me to thinking about the future.

With the end of High School comes thoughts of life. Where am I heading? What is my life at present? What do I want for my life? What are my goals/ambitions/dreams? What do I want to accomplish? What impact do I want to leave on the world? Questions like these constantly make up the majority of my thoughts. (Amusingly enough, I do a lot of my thinking in the shower... I'm not really a singer in the shower... I'm a thinker. Heh.)

Heading to the Philippines, it would seem that my life is going in the right direction. I feel that I am going to learn so much while I'm there. I had dinner with my mom tonight at Marie Callender's. We talked and whatnot and one of our conversations was about my grandmother (mom's mom). My grandma was married when she was a teenager and had her first child at the age of 18. This is normal in the Philippines. After her son was born, her husband was murdered. Her husband was a police officer and on a trip to take some inmates on a community cleaning effort, he fell asleep and was murdered by the prisoners. My grandma eventually re-married and my mom was born years later. These are the stories I'm looking forward to hearing. I feel that there are so many things that make up my character through my lineage that I'm anxious to learn of.

That's just one facet of how I hope to progress in my life. I'm looking forward to college, the friends I make there, the life lessons I learn, and the education I need to pursue a worthwhile career. I'm looking forward to landing my first professional job. I'm looking forward to meeting the woman God has planned out for me and learning more about her. I'm looking forward to marrying this woman and starting a family. I'm looking forward to purchasing my first house and gaining equity on it. I'm looking forward to raising awesome children who are motivated to be spectacular. I'm looking forward to seeing them go to college. I'm looking forward to having grandchildren. I'm looking forward to having great grandchildren. I'm looking forward to retiring with my wife. And I'm looking forward to sitting quietly on a porch reminiscing on my life and what I have done in the world...

The future is an interesting thing. I may have 60 to 70 more years on this earth, or if God so chooses, I may have less. Who knows? Plans are plans, I suppose... I once heard a quote that went like this: "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Who knows what's planned out for the road ahead. I sure don't. One thing I do know, I'm hecka excited to see what comes.

So I titled this blog "Sweet and Heat"... Bobby Flay used it to describe one of his signature dishes at his restaurant, and I'm using it to describe this journey called life. I know not everything is going to be flowers and smiles. Yeah, I may have plans, but they might never come to fruition... Life will be sweet no matter what heat comes along. I guess I just have to remember that things happen for the best. Though we don't see what's ahead (SCARY)... trust is key... in what? For me, it would be God... it would be love... family... friends... truth... What do you trust in? What do you need to put your trust in? Yeah... so those are just some thoughts.

Life is a garden, Dig it.
Cy


Tomorrow: The Week-In-Wrap-Up (WIWU), I Rate My Week, and PICTURES!!! (silent applause)

Categories: Random, Thoughts, TV, Philippines