Wow, talk about tired

Well, my divorce is settled. I have heard a lot of people say a lot of things about how I should feel, but in all honesty all I feel is tired and worn out. It has been the most draining two years of my life and I would not suggest it to anyone. If you have issues with your spouse, put in the effort to work them out.

If (as it was in my situation) the ability to influence your marriage in a positive direction is completely removed due to extenuating outside influences, make sure you find a friend to walk through the separation or divorce that follows. I was fortunate enough to have that and it made a HUGE difference in my life.

But, a friend can't sleep for you or deal with the stress for you. So what I am feeling now is tired. Just plain tired. I am hoping that I will be able to get back to normal (whatever that is) soon. And then I can start looking to the future. For the near future, the only thing I will be looking for is my bed (oh, and the channel showing my Bruins beating the Habs but that's a blog for another day).

Now THAT was cool

Wow. What a cool day. Yesterday I did something I never thought I would do.

A good friend of mine asked me a couple weeks ago if I would speak at his wedding yesterday. He had experienced a really rough few years and in the past six months met an incredible woman. They fit incredibly well and are very focused on how they can serve God together. I have rarely seen a couple fit so well. So, I said sure, I can say something.

Then came the shocker a couple days later when he sent me an email outlining his thoughts. He didn't just want me to speak, he wanted me to officiate. I was to marry them. To say I was surprised was an understatement. It had never occurred to me that I would be given that kind of an opportunity or that I would be viewed as someone who could do so. After spending some time praying about it, I agreed to do it.

Well, the wedding was yesterday. It was an intimate event with about 25 people there and everything went very well. I was never nervous at all and when speaking with the bride afterwards, she said my voice had been very calming and confident and she really appreciated what I had done. Another friend of mine, who was also at the wedding, said he wasn't surprised to see me do it. It felt surprisingly natural to do something that two or three years ago I would never have had the nerve to do and I am thankful for both getting the opportunity and for having the nerve to say yes.

It was a great experience and it stretched me which was good. I'm starting to realize that sometimes something out of the ordinary is just what we need to get us moving. The past week or so has seen a turn-around for me on many levels and this wedding was another step in that process.

As I said at the start, wow, what a cool day.

Random thoughts about movies - 2007

Great movies from the past year (and a bit):

August Rush - Not sure why I liked it so much, but I know I liked the music in this one. Very understated movie and a really unique turn by Robin Williams. If you like a movie with a good story line and a really unique view of how to make music and the part it plays in our lives, take a chance.

Bucket List - This may be one of my favorite movies of all time. I'm not a real Jack Nicholson fan but I was really impressed by the way he presented his character. Morgan Freeman on the other hand impresses me every time and this was no exception. In fact, he may be my favorite all time actor so my enjoyment of this movie may have been impacted by that fact. The basic idea that these two men would connect takes a bit of a leap to accept and yet the movie pulls it off and it works. Dealing with death is often dangerous territory but this movie deals with it as well as I have ever seen. The basic premise of the movie surrounds a "bucket list" which is a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. How this plays out is done very well and brought laughter, tears, joy, sadness and frustration at different times. And how you view this movie will be very influenced by how you view life. This is the one movie that I came out of this year thinking a lot about how I live my life, how I interact with others, and what I want to make out of the rest of my years.

Wild Hogs - Wow. If you are a guy who is in his 40's who is wondering about how you got where you are and if you have it in you to take a chance, this is a movie you need to see. This is the one movie I have seen several times. Most movies I will see once or twice but this one I have seen often. Why? Because as much as it was a funny movie and there were great gags (make sure you know which container holds the fuel and which one holds the water when you go camping), there were some great lines that really hit home. My kids liked it as well so it isn't just for 40 year old men, but they liked it for different reasons than I did. If you ever get the chance to read the book Wild at Heart, or if you have read it, this movie laid out a lot of the same thoughts that are presented in that book.

I Am Legend - Never saw the original Omega Man so I had no point of reference. Wasn't sure I would like this one but it was in the cheap theatre so I thought I'd take a chance. Good decision. The more I see of Will Smith, the better I like him as an actor. It takes a lot of skill to pull off a movie like this and he did it very well. Was it a classic movie? Likely not. But it was really good and I found myself wishing it had gone a bit longer which for me means that there was more story to tell and the story that was told was told well.

Die Hard 4 - How can you not like a movie that has a helicopter getting taken out by a police car? Still one of the most enjoyable action franchises. (And if Bruce Willis can do action at his age, maybe I still have a chance to get in shape). :-)

Transformers - Incredible special effects.

Bourne Ultimatum - Excellent ending to the trilogy (which apparently now may be adding a fourth movie. $$$$$$$). It is rare that a third movie does such a good job of wrapping up a trilogy. This is one of the few movie franchises that has had excellent action, acting and plot throughout and could easily add more movies in the future.

There were several other movies I saw during the year but for me, those top my list. Kind of a diverse group but I liked each one for different reasons. Feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree.