Adventure of a lifetime is ready for next course.Byline: THE OUTSIDER By John Rezell The Register-Guard A billowy bil·low n. 1. A large wave or swell of water. 2. A great swell, surge, or undulating mass, as of smoke or sound. v. bil·lowed, bil·low·ing, bil·lows v.intr. 1. bank of clouds smothered smoth·er v. smoth·ered, smoth·er·ing, smoth·ers v.tr. 1. a. To suffocate (another). b. To deprive (a fire) of the oxygen necessary for combustion. 2. the peaks of the Sisters, though the view of their foothills sparkled with patches of snow clear as a mountain stream on one of those stunningly partly cloudy days. Mount Washington Mount Washington is the name of several mountains in North America:
We spent Labor Day Labor Day, holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September to honor the laborer. It was inaugurated by the Knights of Labor in 1882 and made a national holiday by the U.S. Congress in 1894. atop Carpenter Mountain gazing from the fire lookout A fire lookout is a person assigned the duty to look for fire from atop a building known as a Fire lookout tower. These towers are used in remote areas, normally on mountain tops with high elevation and a good view of the surrounding terrain, to spot smoke caused by a wildfire. , savoring the view as a family of hikers out for a fun day, as opposed to the friendly fellow staffing the lookout - who keeps a constant eye out for possible danger. In the next few days, my daughters, Sierra and Taylor, would begin their fourth school year here. It seems like just yesterday we dropped anchor in Eugene after a summer of touring the West, logging some 8,000 miles, searching for a place to call home after leaving Tennessee. We found a home here. Eventually I found a job, many of you sharing your favorite explorations of the Oregon outdoors with me, then me in turn sharing it with all of you, the readers. The time has arrived for the journey to take a new path. This is my final column as The Outsider for The Register-Guard. The column, and my position as a part-time copy editor, have become the latest victims of our uncertain economy. A new adventure begins, as we hike into our future. Who knows what it will hold? All I know is that it will be an amazing ride. It always is. Uncertainty can be unnerving un·nerve tr.v. un·nerved, un·nerv·ing, un·nerves 1. To deprive of fortitude, strength, or firmness of purpose. 2. To make nervous or upset. , but it can also be inspiring. It all depends on your attitude and take on life. As I said, it was just a scant three years ago that my wife, Debbie, and I were both unemployed, that time by choice, as we took a leap of faith to find the next chapter in our lives. We landed, of course, in a safe haven 1. Designated area(s) to which noncombatants of the United States Government's responsibility and commercial vehicles and materiel may be evacuated during a domestic or other valid emergency. 2. . And plan to do so again. In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile , we'll hike on, always moving forward, never looking back. Once again this school year I offer my dream presentation free to any fifth-grade teacher interested. It's a motivational multimedia presentation designed to inspire fifth-graders to dream, to look ahead, to take chances and live life to its fullest. I shared it with more than 600 students last semester. Who knows? I may need to feed off the kids' enthusiasm as much as the kids feed off mine. Maybe, but I doubt it. Because somehow, in some way, my parents managed to instill in·still v. To pour in drop by drop. in  stil·la tion n. inside
of me an endless stream of optimism. So much that I call myself an
obsessive optimist.
It's what drives me. It's what fulfills me. It's what makes me the parent I am today, this quest to see that my daughters carry that powerful ammunition inside of them that will carry them through any adversity life tosses their way. In one aspect, it seems a little fitting that it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to say farewell Verb 1. say farewell - say good-bye or bid farewell greet, recognise, recognize - express greetings upon meeting someone usher out, dismiss - end one's encounter with somebody by causing or permitting the person to leave; "I was dismissed after I gave my to this column. The reality is that, thanks to all of you who have taken the time to invite me along on adventures, or e-mailed me your personal insights, or just stopped me at school and on the street and at the store to offer kind words, I'm hardly The Outsider anymore. Although I never really felt like one, you certainly have taken me in and filled me with your Oregon spirit that keeps that optimism flowing throughout my essence. The spirit that moves me to enjoy a majestic view of this great state with peace and confidence, while others keep an eye out for pending danger. And for that, I thank you all. From the bottom of my heart. John Rezell will continue to write - more frequently than once a week - on outdoors, parenting, writing and dreams at www.eugenemeraz.com, where teachers can sign up for his dream presentation. |
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