How is something so important thought about so little?  When you say the word bridge what usually comes to mind is some grand structure like the Golden Gate Bridge or The Brooklyn Bridge, right?  You hardly notice all the much smaller bridges you cross over on a daily basis that allow you to glide over some small stream or even over other roads.  How many bridges do you cross on a daily basis that make life so much quicker, easier and more comfortable?

There are other types of bridges we build and cross over in life, not just the ones on our commute throughout our countries infrastructure.  The many relationship bridges are just as important as the ones we drive or walk over.  Some are big and grand and others small but just as important.  You know, the kind of bridge others will advise you to not burn down or close off.  We are fortunate today that we have so many different ways to keep our personal and professional bridges open and fire free.  Keeping in contact with an old sales representative or maybe an Army buddy with a simple email or message on social media helps.  Seeing that you will be at the same trade show at the same time as an old boss or mentor and getting together for a cold one helps.  Have a few bridges you burnt by accident?  Someone else or some misunderstood situation light the match?  It’s never too late to begin the process of rebuilding.  Be ready though, bridge building can take quite a long time.  In fact, sometimes you start building a bridge from both sides of the gap and something goes wrong and you wind up not meeting in the middle like you planned.  That’s life.  Bridges are not permanent however.  They have to be cared for and maintained.  It takes one full year to paint the Golden Gate Bridge.  Then they go to the other side and start all over again.  Bridges with colleagues and friends have to be maintained as well.  Like the car you drive the effort and expense in maintenance pays off in the long run.

Think about all the bridges that enhance your life in some way.  If you think your commute is long now, just imagine if you had to go around all those obstacles instead of gliding over them.

To get from San Francisco to Sausalito takes about 15 minutes without traffic.  No Golden Gate Bridge and you are looking at 3 hours or more.

UPDATE:

This past weekend, a weekend Fernando had off from his racing duties for Formula One, he decided to go and race in France at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Fernando’s team won the overall race.  This is one more jewel in the triple crown of Auto Racing.  All he has left to do is win the Indianapolis 500 and he will have done what only three other drivers in history have been able to do.  See what I mean?

 

One of my favorite sports to watch is Formula One auto racing.  I can’t do it, but I sure enjoy watching the different teams travel all over the world to race in the fastest, most agile, and technologically advanced machines ever made.  The logistics alone to get all of the assets required at every race must be enormously complicated, not to mention, expensive.  The drivers, especially the ones who have won the world title, are paid quite handsomely for putting their live’s on the line twice a month for 8 months of the year.  Most of the drivers seem to reside in Monte Carlo.

One of my favorite drivers is a man named Fernando Alonso who hails from Spain.  Fernando has won two Formula 1 world championships.  He has also raced in the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 hours of Daytona, and numerous other races and styles of racing.  Fernando said once that he feels like he is the luckiest man alive because he loves what he does, is challenged everyday and makes a good living doing it.  His passion is so far above the money, I believe he would be racing for half the pay.  The guy truly loves racing which is why he can be seen racing different types of cars that all require different types of fitness and disciplines all year long, even when Formula 1 is off for their break.  He is one of, if not the most passionate racing drivers I have ever witnessed.  This is what we all strive for, is it not?  To have that level of passion with whatever it is we are doing to make our living.

Do you have that level of passion?  If someone asked you the question “If you could do anything, your dream job or career, anything, what would you be doing”?

How would you answer?

#BeLikeFernandoAlonso #RealizeYourDream #Passion #MakeYourDreamComeTrue #MakeMyBookAMovie #MyAumakua #Read #Write

Excerpt from “Scraping Bottom” by Jason D Olson

As I drove along the only paved road on the West side of Baja Mexico, every scenario played out in my head.  Everything from “Nothing is going to come of any of this when I get back” to “That bitch is going to have me picked up and put in jail for something” with the occasional thought of “That crazy fucking guy that tried to kill that cop is gonna have me killed if I show my face at the harbor again”.  Am I completely paranoid? Well, the answer is yes, I think I am.  Completely. 

My wandering mind was snapped back into reality as I approached a Mexican Military checkpoint.  I could see the lights as I slowly approached.  They have these checkpoints set up to thwart smuggling and assorted other things.  I think they also seem to enjoy harassing tourists, I guess I would too.  I slowly approached and was given the wave to continue forward.  “ALTO”! the fifteen to eighteen-year-old guard yelled.  Two other armed soldiers approached and began to dig through the bed of my truck.  “Que estabas haciendo aqui en Baja”? My Spanish is rusty at its best, but, I figured he was asking me what I was doing down here.  I answered “Por el mejor surf del mundo con mi amigo”.  Miguel wrote that on the top of my door so I could read it to them.  It’s the truth but best said in local lingo.  The guys going through the bed of the truck took all the Gatorade and water I had left and gave it to their buddies then waved me on. 

I quickly navigated Ensenada, then everything gradually got more Americanized as I headed North.  I moved easily through Rosarito, then through Tijuana toward the U.S, Mexico border crossing.  Never really cared much for Tijuana.  Some love the place and have great stories, and some don’t I guess.  I pulled a fast left and was met with a half-mile line of cars, six lanes wide, that will grow to twelve, then twenty-four as you get closer.  I’ve heard it said that the crossing between Tijuana and San Ysidro, CA is the busiest border crossing on the planet.  Looks like I’ll definitely have plenty of time to think about my future. 

Several hours later, I finally got close to the actual gate.  Thankfully, the many agents and their dogs that ran up and down the line of cars didn’t find anything in or on my truck.  Sometimes, people will put things into your vehicle without your knowledge, including themselves, just to get into the United States.  I made it to the gate and the agent snapped in a rather aggravated tone “State your nationality”! It pays to be calm and respectful in these situations.  “I am a U.S. citizen sir”.  He glared at me, stuck his hand out and said “Passport”. I handed it to him and he flipped through all the pages in a rather overly-dramatic fashion.  “What were you doing in Mexico”?  “Well, I came down here to catch the off-road races then stayed to go surfing for a bit with my friend”. This kind of piqued his curiosity.  “So, where’s your friend”?  “He lives in Ensenada, sir”.  After questioning me for almost twenty minutes and flipping everything I had in the bed of the truck over, he had no choice but to let me back in to the U.S.  I get it, really, I do.  I just feel that the Border Patrol could be a little less “asshole-ish” to those crossing, if you know what I mean?

I was facing about a three-hour drive back to Ventura, and whatever fate lay in store for me.  I swung off the freeway in Chula Vista and blew threw a favorite food joint again “Pollo Amigo” for a few taquitos to go.  I got back onto the freeway and absolutely murdered some of the best chicken taquitos on the planet.  I was eating as though my mouth was a chainsaw.  Shards of taco shell, lettuce and chicken were flying all over the cab making quite the mess.  Guess I figured if this is the last meal I’m gonna have then I better make it a good one.  It was late enough where I didn’t have to worry about traffic and didn’t need to pay attention.  The only thing I really had to worry about was “What am I going to do when I get back to Ventura”?

Well?  What do you think? Keep in mind this is unedited and raw.  I would love to hear your thoughts.  Please leave feedback here on my website http://www.ventsurfer.com or on my Facebook @MyAumakua , Twitter @ventsurfer or on Linkedin or email jdolson70@gmail.com.   I very much appreciate it and I’ll be watching for them.

This weekend my wife and her close family enjoyed a day of watching polo and wine tasting at a private vineyard in Santa Ynez, California. The day was nothing short of amazing.  I had never been to a polo match before but I had been wine tasting a plenty.  It was awesome!  The horses and the players looked to be having an equally good time and the wine and vineyard tour was just as special.  Some of the polo players were the owner of the vineyard and field, his son and his son-in-law.  While we were getting schooled on the wine a helicopter was parked on the other side of the polo field.  I noticed a car leaving the hilltop residence and had a feeling that that must be the owner of the property, and the vineyard that produced some pretty good wine that we were currently enjoying. The lights of the helicopter came on as soon as the vehicle was in sight.  A bag was grabbed and stuffed into the back of the helicopter.  A door closed and in a few seconds, the helicopter warmed up and lifted off.  I wonder what his story is?  Did he work for it from nothing? Was it left to him?  Did he make a few shrewd deals after college and continued hustling to wind up with this opulence? Well, I may never know, but it sure is a motivator knowing that this kind of opportunity is out there in our world and all you have to do is work for it.  The key word being work.  Life is work, happiness is work, relationships require work, all of the good stuff in life require work.  I hear that the 1% sleep 4 hours a day or less.  Something to think about.