Sunday, March 13

I65-I85-hwy110-hwy82-I75-I295-I95

and those were the interstates and highways that I spent about 11 hours driving along on an adventure from Hoover all the way down to Port Canveral. A time zone and two states later, our two car caravan made it. Needless to say, it was truly an adventure. Before I continue, let me apologize in advance for any typos and words out of place. I'm sitting on the end of my bed in a Days Inn 12 miles from the port my cruise leaves from. I am blogging away on my phone, largely in response to a challenge from one of my oldest friends. The last few weeks of school have been some of the craziest of my life. Paperwork, meetings, assignments, projects, proposals, emails, phone calls, plans, blah, blah, blah. These weeks have been filled with things. The list I just rattled off doesn't include intramural sports with the guys, weekend visits with the love of my life, or even weekends at home to just be with family. It's simple, I am tired, stressed, and worried to the point of losing sleep. And today made it crystal clear exactly why. I am a mechanical engineer, so when I get busy the voice in my head tells me to prioritize results over relationships. Plans over people. Things-to-do over things-that-matter. I got to call my girlfriend for about 15 minutes this morning and chat with her over Skype for about another hour this afternoon. I got to laugh top my face and sides hurt for 11 hours on road trip with two of my best friends. All of this was after a weekend of man time with my dad. Simply put, i got a healthy dose of the relationships my life is built around.

I needed it. I need another dose of it. I need a steady diet of it. I miss people. Im tired of being Ben who shuts all the doors and works and works and works himself to death. I don't want to die alone in an office somewhere, so why the hell should I live like that. I'm
Done cutting off relationships just to save more time for work. I'm done taking the safe road. I told some friends at dinner that if you show me a man who is safe, then I will show you a man who is not done yet. I was not created to be safe. Not created to just survive. So, don't stop at safe. Don't stop at surviving. Don't ever stop at anything. We don't serve a God that ever stopped short for us. Why would I hold anything back from that kind of Heavenly Father?

Show me a man who is safe, and I will show you a man who is not done yet.

John 16:33

Wednesday, March 9

Nerdiest... blog... ever.

and YES, that is a Simpson's reference. I sit at my computer, a handful of hours away from the final assignment between me and an entire week off from engineering. One test at 8am and one more lecture at 9:30 then I am leaving TTown so fast it will probably make my head spin. But I'm not just leaving so quickly to get away from the busiest semester I could have ever imagined. I'm hitting to road to ATL to meet my father for one of my favorite traditions. I was in 4th grade the first time my dad took me to the SEC basketball tournament and we went every year together until my freshmen year here in TTown. Those few days every spring were our guy time year-in and year-out. No chicks, tons of sports, eating our own weight in chicken wing at hooter's between the two game sessions on friday. It was the ultimate weekend to a 4th grader, to a high-schooler and now to a graduating mechanical engineer. These weekend away from home, away from work, away from school, away from distraction always led to pure unfiltered conversation with my dad. The first time I cussed in front of my dad was at an SEC tournament... But seriously, I am more excited about a few days in Atlanta with my dad than I am about the cruise I'm taking next week. I carry my father's name and could not be prouder of that. Eventually most of my posts will reference some cheesy action movie, some nerdy breakthrough in technology or some comic book super hero reference, but I couldn't imagine a better first post than about my real hero, Warren Austin.

So, turns out this blogging thing isn't too hard. Just think, type, post.

p.s., the next post will have to come from my iphone, Poco