Start to Ending... A Train of Thoughts...

1. I have never seen it but I love the magic and emotion of The Lion King...question is, when will they stop using it? It IS a powerful presence but opening the Tony Awards in 2008 with it? HUH?
2. Whoopi's crab opening...fell flat
3. Is it just me or does Whoopi look like she's a cross between a Macbeth witch and a Hollywood hooker?
4. Kristine...lovely
5. And Rondi begins the inevitable sweep of the Tony's by August: Osage County with Best Leading Actress
6. Ah, John Waters....this should be good.  My bad....Crybaby number didn't stir any emotions. -- hell, I felt more with the glimpse of Liza in the audience than with the "Little Upset" number.  The one thought that kept running thru my mind was "why is Donnie Osmond in Crybaby?" (he isn't but the lead DOES bear a STRIKING resemblance).
7. Oh look....a BTW THANK YOU CAM just off-stage.  "I forgot to thank you on TV but if you go to this website and search, I thanked you there...."   oh...and STILL not liking this beast of a gown Whoopi is being swallowed up by
8. Laura Linney....LOVE her
9. Jim Norton....great speech
10. Touching intro for Passing Strange
11. Electric performance by Passing Strange....It's Allright
12. [by the way...SO not looking forward to Patti Lupone singing ANYTHING...no apologies, she just jumps on that infamous "last nerve"]
13. 2004 flashback....Carol....PRICELESS
14. John Lithgow -- amazing talent
15. Bartlett Sher forgot to thank the ushers
16. SO nice to Jack Klugman up and about!
17. okay....Patti just changed my mind.....GREAT in context.....evidently she just annoys me when she sings outside a production.
18. Whoopi in Phantom flashback....cute
19.  Barbara Gaines....surprisingly subdued both in speech and dress. -- Congrats Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on the Regional Theatre Tony
20. Julie Chin's bit basically said....."NEXT year and Last year....AWESOME....This year, eh, not so much"
21. I would drink Bobby Cannavale's bathwater in church in front of my parents on Christmas Day...*evil grin*
22. Oh look....the hookers from IN THE LIFE are in the audience!
23. wow....Broadway virgin takes the trophy for Best Score
24. I think this may be the first rapped thank you speech EVERY ANYWHERE -- brilliant
25. SOUTH PACIFIC medley....Timeless perfection BUT why must Some Enchanted Evening ALWAYS be sung in operatic style?
26. Whoppi Poppins.....TRULY DELIGHTFUL!
27. AH...La Chenowith
28. Laura Benanti -- beautiful speech
29. Oh Brooke...that Hefty Cinch Sack looks GREAT  on you!
30. Little Mermaid..lackluster
31. Faith Prince -- not bad considering it went flat a few times
32. Megan....nice touches of Karen Walker but if the rest of Young Frankenstein is similar...I can see why it was sidelined for Tony noms.
33. HALFWAY THRU....so far nothing's really made me glad I'm skipping the TVLand Awards for this.
34. Oh goodie....the boring, staid heads of the Tonys....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
35. Um....with all the costume designers on broadway, can NO ONE dress Whoopi in something DECENT???
36. 39 Steps.....Astonishing
37. Gabriel Byrne needs an upper or at least a quick stab of a hatpin in his bum...this isn't a wake
38. AOCounty takes Best Direction....Nice Tribute to Steppenwolf
39. Whoppi is the Lady of The Lake.....pointless and uninspired
40.  Mary Louise Parker seems to have had a personality botoxing just before the show.
41. Mark Rylance.....give the Tony back.....the WHEN YOU'RE IN TOWN monologue in lieu of speech...well, SUCKED.
42. Deanna D. picks up another trinket for AOCounty
43. Kudos to AOCounty on Best Play -- I think every member of Steppenwolf just made their way to the stage
44. Sondheim's proxy speech for Lifetime Achievement may well be the most selfless ever made
45. Whoopi in Spring Awakening....is anyone else getting tired of this filler from 2007 and beyond?
46. 30 minutes until the replay of the TVLand Awards.....tick-tock...
47.  Glenn Close is radiant
48. LILY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE this woman. L-M-A-------O...seriously
49. How Cheyenne was overlooked for a nom is beyond me
50. Oh look...yet ANOTHER RENT tribute...
51. LIZA! (nuff said...)
52. hold on....do we have a Liza wardrobe malfunction?? Why YES WE DO!
53. PATTI TAKES THE CAKE!
54. Mario & A Whoopi Line....cute
55.  IN THE HEIGHTS takes the top Musical Prize...
56. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand GOODNIGHT!

You see, the Liberty Counsel may have decided not to represent the Okeechobee County School Board in the ACLU lawsuit over the Okeechobee High School Gay-Straight Alliance but it's obvious that the school board is being managed by the religious.

Response posted to the Palm Beach Post article regarding the move to dismiss:

By Timothy Kincaid

December 13, 2006 03:18 PM | Link to posts

Your article is missing some very relevant facts.

1. David Gibbs is not just a “Seminole-based attorney”. He is the founder of the Christian Law Association and is arguing this suit not from fact or legal position but as a means of advancing his particular brand of Christianity.

2. GSAs have now had to sue dozens of school boards across the country for equal access. They haven’t lost yet. Mr. Gibbs, for all his online claims of Christianity, is not telling the truth

I was coming back from Wal-mart with my mom and two nieces and guess who was guesting on a Chicago-based right-wing/christian radio station or show? Mr. Gibbs.

First of all, he and the interviewer (missed his name) made it sound like Yasmin had created this club.  True she and a straight classmate of hers organized the OHS chapter but the Gay-Straight Alliance was formed years ago.  Oh, and they never even mentioned the words "Gay-Straight Alliance."  

Date:	2006-12-13 04:07
Subject:	Um....my head is about to explode!
Security:	Public
Mood:	irate

Okay folks...i just posted the most recent (today) article regarding Okeechobee HS Gay-Straight Alliance and the ACLU lawsuit against the school board. It's on the NEWSROOM page of www.OHSGSA.org .

The school board has evidently found counsel and is asking the District Judge to throw out the case. EXCUSE ME?

"I think this is a garbage lawsuit," said David Gibbs, a Seminole-based attorney working for the school board and Wiersma.

Gonzalez has said that she and a handful of other students tried in September to form the gay-straight alliance to provide a safe environment for students to talk about homophobia and to promote tolerance of one another, regardless of sexual orientation. But Wiersma refused to recognize the club, which has more than 60 members and has met at a public library and a Pizza Hut.

Gibbs said the principal had a responsibility to refuse the club. Florida statute requires schools to teach abstinence, "while teaching the benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage." The gay-straight alliance requires members, even heterosexual students, to be "allied" with sexual orientations that the school is mandated to discourage, according to the defendants' motion.

(2)(n) Comprehensive health education that addresses concepts of community health; consumer health; environmental health; family life, including an awareness of the benefits of sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences of teenage pregnancy; mental and emotional health; injury prevention and safety; nutrition; personal health; prevention and control of disease; and substance use and abuse.

UPDATE: after reading the ENTIRE statute, I found his reference under the AIDS education section:

1003.46  Health education; instruction in acquired immune deficiency syndrome.--

(1)  Each district school board may provide instruction in acquired immune deficiency syndrome education as a specific area of health education. Such instruction may include, but is not limited to, the known modes of transmission, signs and symptoms, risk factors associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and means used to control the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The instruction shall be appropriate for the grade and age of the student and shall reflect current theory, knowledge, and practice regarding acquired immune deficiency syndrome and its prevention.

(2)  Throughout instruction in acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, or health education, when such instruction and course material contains instruction in human sexuality, a school shall:

(a)  Teach abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school-age students while teaching the benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage.

(b)  Emphasize that abstinence from sexual activity is a certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and other associated health problems.

(c)  Teach that each student has the power to control personal behavior and encourage students to base actions on reasoning, self-esteem, and respect for others.

(d)  Provide instruction and material that is appropriate for the grade and age of the student.

(g)The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting democratic values and institutions.

Okay so I'm finally packing. I never pack any earlier than 12 hours before a trip. Ever.

I'm having to back up my hard drive to a portable one to take with me since I'll be doing work while at home -- gotta keep paying bills. Still nervous about what's going to happen.

I DID run across this blog entry by a Special Ed. teacher at Okeechobee HS...

The Okeechobee school district got sued by the ACLU for not allowing a Gay-Straight Alliance to form and meet on campus at the high school. There are other non-academic clubs at the high school. CORRECTION: There WERE other non-academic clubs at the high school, but since the lawsuit was filed, the school board has gotten rid of all clubs. There are no clubs. This means no Future Farmers of America, and I'm not sure this town can function without it. Where will all the students learn to raise livestock??? (the FFA really is a big part of the community, and it's great that the future aggies can learn about it in high school) It annoys me to live in a place where so many people have tunnel vision. Welcome to the Bible Belt. [ link to her journal ]

• the timeshare week: Dec. 17-24 -- this means that we have to check OUT on Christmas Eve and drive 4 hours to Okeechobee.
• "Christmas" will be held Dec. 23rd
• last time we did this...the "tree" was a christmas tree shaped countertop mug holder with a sad piece of garland draped around it -- no need to elaborate, you KNOW what's wrong with THAT.
• I'll most likely be sleeping on the floor or couch as my parents will have one room and my sister and nieces will likely have the other room (not sure if her "husband" is coming along)
• I'm getting some things shipped directly to my folks' house so I may let them go up and I'll drive up around Thursday the 21st.
• finally...IT'S A TIMESHARE CONDO! nothing but tacky pastel colors, shitty generic pastel pictures screwed into the wall, crappy furniture that most likely was the site of some skanky gang-bang within the past year. It's just not "home"

Date:	2006-12-09 11:42
Subject:	T minus 5 days...
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative
Music:	Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius OutQ

Okay...now I'm really getting on-edge. I found out this morning that the pastor of my home church...First Baptist Church's Randy Huckabee....is the evangelical ring-leader supporting the school board against the Gay-Straight Alliance at Okeechobee High School.

Read more: Superintendent says homosexual club would violate Okeechobee district's abstinence-only curriculum

I shared this with a friend, Nick, this morning and his response was dead-on..."I love how tolerance and acceptance are intolerable." Welcome to my hometown!

A couple of quotes from the article:

"Establishing tolerance and acceptance for the homosexual lifestyle and for kids being involved in other sexual relationships" is the goal of the "Gay-Straight Alliance," Huckabee continued. "And that's where we as a community say we just don't want that here at Okeechobee."

In a "loving" and "respectful" way, Huckabee said the youth also have been asked to adopt a proactive posture "by standing up and saying, 'I'm not going to be involved.'"

Date:	2006-12-08 19:29
Subject:	The Road Home...a Prelogue
Security:	Public
Mood:	anxious
Music:	Derek & Romaine on Sirius OutQ

Okay...I know it's been a LONG time since posting here but here goes.

I'm going home for the holidays next week for 16days. If you don't know, home is Okeechobee, Florida. I only get to see my parents, sister (DeAnna) and my two nieces (TyLeigh and Reagan) once a year at this time. Being unemployed/self-employed is allowing me the meager luxury of going for longer than a week. While my finances are literally in ruin, I need to go. DeAnna and the girls are now living with my folks so I'll get to see them more than a couple of days at Christmas and this makes me happy...TyLeigh is now 4 and it will be my first time seeing Reagan (born in March).

The part that's causing me to be a tad anxious is this:

My alma mater and school board is being sued by the ACLU to allow and recognize a newly-formed Gay-Straight Alliance. The suit was filed November 15th and within hours of hearing it on the newsbreak of Sirius Satellite Radio's gay talk stream (OutQ - 106), I had registered a total of six (6) domains and set up www.OHSGSA.org (click to read up on the situation). 
Later that day I finally procured the email address of the brave lesbian that is the catalyst behind the suit as well as President of the club.  I emailed her and CC'd the ACLU lawyer and press officer to inform them of what I had done and that there would be no charges to the club as long as I'm alive.
Since then, I've been trying to focus on exactly what I can do while I'm home to help the kids.  I've also been trying NOT to think of what may happen family-wise as I put myself out there for this cause.  My parents are Southern Baptist, both were/are well-respected educators (now retired for many years) and Okeechobee's total county population is around 50,000 (just under 6,000 in the city itself).

Flashback to June, 2006:
I called my parents to come up and sit with me at Opening Ceremonies of Gay Games VII in Soldier Field.  I have been on the Board of Directors for Gay Games VII since late 2000 and was deeply dedicated to the success of the week-long international sport and cultural event that brought 12,000 GLBTQ AND STR8 participants from all over to our backyard.  Anyhoo...mom seemed to be for it but was concerned that the airfare would be too high (I waited till 10 days before the event to make the call.....) but as she handed the phone over to my dad so I could fill him in...I knew I was about to face an iceberg. 
Now, my parents were involved volunteer-wise with the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and our family has always held the Olympics as a favorite thing.  I was about to be part of the most important event in my life.  I had been tapped to be part of the contingent carrying the FGG flag across Soldier Field to be raised as they raise the Olympic flag over opening ceremonies.  We had front-row seats at the 50-yard line....front and center....perfect.  I cried every time I saw our commercials, I cry during the national anthem...I'm one of those emotional guys but that's for another entry....trust me!
Anyhow....Dad gets on the phone.....I start to explain the scope and how much this means to me.....he asks "What's this for??" I reply, "Gay Games VII" he blurts out, "I don't believe in that"...I tell him that heteros compete as well....it's all about Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best....."I think we'll pass" was his final word on the topic.  Needless to say, I then said my goodbyes and ended the call.

So.....there's the set up.  Wish me well and if you have ANY ideas....I'm game!

You are a Social Liberal (66% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (18% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

You're Adam!


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Date:	2004-11-04 16:44
Subject:	Time for a brain dump.
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative
Music:	Derek & Romaine on http://www.siriusoutq.com

If you've ever read any of my journal postings then you'll know that they follow no particular format or such -- pure train of thought as I basically just download all the ramblings.

With that in mind...here we go.

I lost my job of 4 years, 11 months on June 1, 2004 -- "cost-cutting".
The job market sucks -- even opening my search nationwide...nothing yet.
I have been working at building my side-company (formed in Aug. 2003) and it LOOKS promising but still not financially self-sufficient. http://www.mc2cool.com

I'm considering NOT going home for Christmas -- nothing in particular except that my parents voted for Bush and an IM conversation I had with my mom several months ago involved her saying "you weren't raised like this!" For some reason I feel the need to force the issue now and say "You DO know that I'm gay, right?!" but such is not exactly the topic to be raised at Christmas. Maybe I should do it at Thanksgiving...but since I won't be in-person it seems awkward and such discussions probably SHOULD be face to face. Thanksgiving for us has never had much content besides a shitload of southern food and family around. Sure, Dad said the longest prayer of the year before that meal...but to be honest, I usually just sat there thinking...hurry up, the food's getting cold. There weren't any special Thanksgiving family get-togethers (with me involved)after I left college. During college I was 90 mins. from my Mom's parents -- so I'd head down for dinner, go to the outlet mall and Sam's Club with the folks and head back to school. After college, if I was in a relationship...just gather friends around and cook like mad, watch the Macy's parade (tradition since childhood) and catch a football game or two after eating. The day after would be leftovers and sending out Christmas cards.

I have to say that I've gotten quite lacking in my Christmas correspondence over the years -- as I've moved farther from my family and grown out of touch with a friend-base that was mainly friends-of-the-family and current friends. I don't know why...just happened. I'm sure there's some deep sub-conscious reason but who knows.

I have cut back on my phone calls to my parents for years now due to every call involving Mom's chastising me for not being in church...my leaving the medical field (x-ray and cardiac ultrasound tech) and working for a gay bar for 5 years. Seems it's one of those "guess I'm not the son you wanted, so I just won't call that often" -- I once went 6 months without any contact - email, phone, letter or otherwise. I only see my family once a year at Christmas time and every time, after I tour my hometown to see what's new...my first thought is...I want to go home. Home in this case is Chicago. I love my parents, don't get me wrong. There was no child-hood abuse...no dysfunction so-to-speak (though I think dysfunction IS normal) and I appreciate the upbringing I was afforded -- although I greatly took it for granted until I got to college and realized that just the fact that my folks were still married...that I was lucky.

So I'm in a quandry of sorts...my finances are in the dumpster, my mood is variable but mostly blase' of late. I hate the fact that we have four more years of President Chimp...the only positive aspect is that 2008 will see a HUGE change (I hope).

I have two bright spots in my everyday life lately...reading the blogs of two friends... http://www.alexandrabillings.com and http://www.bobbyrivers.com . Seriously folks - check them out and read back! There are many many gems in their old entries.

Well, that's about it for now.

Until I feel like it again, this is me signing off...

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I have entered the scary yet exciting unknown. here's a brief timeline to catch you up...

May 1
i walk in to the office on a saturday just before noon and find our computer guy sitting at my desk with wires everywhere..."What's up?" -- he informs me jovially, "Just backing up the server." My thought...about time -- what i SHOULD have thought...something's up.

So i toddle across the street, grab a sandwich at Subway, turn on the tv in the main bar and take a bite. The owner of the club pulls up a barstool next to me (should have been another sign -- he's NEVER at the club on a Saturday) and calmly says, "I think it's time we parted company" {throat knots, i manage to swallow somehow and respond} "um, okay"...he continues, "we're still spending too much money and i have to cut costs" ***okay, we've been cutting costs for 3 years...to the point where i took initiative and was printing the monthly entertainment calendars on the laser printer and feeding each of the 500-2300 (depends if we were mailing them out or not) sheets thru the folding machine...to save what, $50 a month. but i digress*** "So now what?" i ask. "Well, i need you to help us thru the end of the month, get us thru the Memorial Day weekend events that you set up and help Larry (the incoming GM -- he lives with the owner and is a bartender -- cost-cutting = I can pay larry 1/3-1/2 what i paid you cause he doesn't pay rent plus he'll be under my ever-suspicious-paranoid-everyone's-out-to-get-me eye). Larry and I are cool...whether genuine or not on his part..who knows, but this i do know -- he is a great FLOOR MANAGER (you know...the kiss-kiss, good to see you again, having fun tonight, customer schmoozer) but is the first to admit that he's clueless when it comes to office/promotions/publicity work. And he's commented that this was not handled well at all.

By the way, did i mention that i'd worked for this company for 4 years and 11 months, never had a raise and was doing 4 jobs --
--General Manager (staffing, scheduling, liquor/supplies ordering),
--Public Relations Manager,
--Special Events Manager (and i'm not talking just birthday parties -- more like programs that span months, benefits with national broadway tours [Hairspray + Bruce Vilanch + Marc Shaiman + Jim Vukovich = 2 sold-out rooms, 250+ in the club on a Monday night that normally sees MAYBE 75 people from 4p-2a, and $16,000+ raised for Bonaventure House and The Harbor] we're also talking Eartha Kitt, Deborah Gibson, Kate Shindle, The Lady Chablis, Ann Hampton-Callaway, and MANY more...)
--Booking agent...2 clubs...normally 26 acts/week combined...but cost-cutting took us down to 18/week.
--Office Manager/Print Shop/Designer
--Webmaster (started from scratch in Sept. 1999 and learned on my own time by trial and error -- no money for classes)
--Promotions Manager (scheduling tastings, coming up with fun ideas and parties -- then decorating the club for such with <$100 per event, also...if there was food involved, it usually consisted of bying bulk from SYSCO and preparing it myself upstairs in my apt -- even more cost-cutting by me)

okay.....sheesh...7 jobs - plus anything ELSE that came up. My point is...i sacrificed my personal life to make the club shine and all i get is blind-sided with "time to part company", no severence - i got paid thru the last day of the month. OH, and it's to be presented to the general public and staff as me leaving to concentrate on my own company. I have a problem with that -- regardless of how it's "presented", it LOOKS like i jumped ship -- something i only do in DIRE circumstances when terribly wronged...okay, i only did that twice and was justifiable in both circumstances.

No good-luck-farewell-going-away party for me (didn't really expect it...but would have helped the public image of the sudden change that people are still learning of -- "You're not at Gentry anymore? What happened?!" so i tell them. I don't candy-coat it, I don't jump ship and i STILL don't know his exact reasons.

I was living paycheck-to-paycheck at the job so i was DEFINITELY not financially prepared to go it alone. My company, started in August 2003, was/is no where CLOSE to sustaining me by itself. My back-up -- a maximum-value loan on a life insurance policy set up for me by my grandfather when i was 6 years old ($600 loan) which i used to buy equipment to set up my home-office.

So here i am, i've been applying for every viable job i've seen since may 1 -- still no interviews, and trying to build my client base for my company. I'm scared.

Yes i know it's for the best, blah-blah-blah...but right now i'm scared and scared BAD. Hopeful and optimistic...but scared. Have i mentioned i'm scared? OY!

Anyways, I've taken enough of anyone's time -- if they read it...just posting this for cathartic reasons.

Stay tuned...

Date:	2004-03-06 11:54
Subject:	Buckle Up....It's about to get BUMPY!
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative
Music:	I'm Outta Here...Shania Twain

might as well dive in...hope you're ready!

just to warn you...most posts will be purely stream of consciousness...some will follow topics...but most won't.

i have sirius stream 31 (new country) on and am sittin here in my bedroom trying to collect my thoughts

first off...yesterday i accepted an interview with a promotions company for March 18th...the job is perfect for me -- 50-70% travel throwing events and will be based in DC...i'm both excited and nervous as this is my first step into my future. the possibility of leaving behind friends and co-workers has me nervous but i do feel it's time for me to move onward and upward. i've been blessed with the chance to meet and work with many great people and do a lot of "good" but the money hasn't been all that great and the job-stress takes its toll at times.

i have met someone (yes online) that has me interested without us having even met in person yet. he lives in Dayton, Ohio. he was to drive the 5 hours to Chicago to meet me and stay with me this weekend...but he fell at work monday and cracked 2 ribs and bruised his ankle. our first IM session on aol lasted 5 hours (02-29) and was pure magic...we discussed EVERYTHING and clicked on many levels...03-01 we chatted online for 3 hours before we both went to work...that's when he fell and i didn't hear from him till wednesday -- i sent get well wishes everyday since then and heard back from him this morning. he's been staying at his mom's house (he's 29) since the injuries make it difficult to move around at home (stairs etc) and if mom's 15 minutes away...why not?! i miss him...i miss our rambling chats online where it feels he's here in the room. he has his home # forwarded to his mom's and i've called twice....once to no answer....today...busy signal...from your position this may sound crazed...but it just feels right...no, we haven't met in person....no, we haven't talked on the phone....we haven't even known each other for a week yet (that's tomorrow) -- but it just feels right. i know the evils of the cyber world and just pray that this is real. u may call me a pessimistic optimist regarding this situation....praying for the best but expecting the worst -- that way...if it works...GREAT!...if not...then i was prepared...yes it will still hurt like hell...but i will be able to say i saw it coming. i am a self-confessed hopeless romantic...

regarding this job...if i get it... i'll have insurance and benefits and travel all over and meet great people...i'll feel more secure in my career...i'll miss chicago terribly...but the job will bring me back here several times a year i'm sure...i know i'm getting way ahead of myself here...but that's one of my "faults" per se...projecting myself into my future....seeing possibilities as done-deals...call me a dreamer...call me what you will...indulge me...it makes me feel better...what-ifs and why-nots...better than wish-i-hads and why-didn't-i's...i've never been so high on the mountaintop at the same time...say what you will (again)...but if he feels half the same as i do and means everything he says in chat and emails...i am scared, nervous, excited, thrilled.

my friends Alexandra and Romaine have taught me to enjoy each day as a lifetime...live it, don't regret it...everything happens for a reason be it good or bad...everyday is a chance to grow, to learn, to love, to lose, to win, to soar and to fall...chin up and face the world head-on...don't look back...what's done is done...time travel's not an option and everything in the past has brought each of us to the place we are now...remember the past but don't dwell in it...remember those loved ones that passed on and know that they're keeping an eye on you and cheering for you...