Random Thoughts of a Cluttered Mind (I’m Back!)

6 May

fragmentedmindI just realized that it has been way too long since I posted anything on my blog.  Is it because I don’t have anything to say?  Those of you who know me, know that I always have an opinion about something.  Let’s just say “Life got in the way”.  This is not meant to be serious commentary on anything in particular.  These are thoughts that take residence in my mind. Some are funny, some are stupid and some might just get you thinking.

So – without further ado, I bring you Random Thoughts From My Cluttered Mind!

  1. Because I lived in Stover, Missouri, I’ve been called a redneck.  I don’t mind that label.  But, if you’re a redneck and live in Nebraska, chances are you live in one of these cities. http://www.roadsnacks.net/these-are-the-10-most-redneck-cities-in-nebraska/ . Funny that Papillion and Ralston are pretty high on the list!
  2. Since everything now is based on how a person feels and we are constantly redefining what is normal, do we now consider all heterosexual men, lesbians trapped inside of a mans body?
  3. Democratic socialism is choosing to elect the people who will take away your freedom to choose.
  4. Why is Trumps hair orange?
  5. It is increasingly apparent that those who call themselves inclusive are the most exclusive people on the planet.
  6. How can you support legal abortions and be against the death penalty?
  7. How can you be pro-life and support the death penalty?
  8. DIE are the first three letters in the word diet. Maybe that’s why it is so hard. Our bodies are programmed to do everything they can to stay alive.
  9. If Hillary Clinton becomes President, will pant-suits make a comeback?
  10. Why do I keep forgetting things I want to remember?  Last night, I had a thought that was profound.  I told myself to write it down and then forgot to.  I wanted to include it in this post, but I forgot what it was.  Stay tuned,  these things have a way of bubbling back up.

I hope you enjoyed this post.  I am going to set a goal of writing at least one per week.  Who knows, maybe I’ll find answers to life’s most difficult questions.

Things I Learn About Myself

5 Mar

Needed a break in my book writing so I thought I’d read a little. I was reading an article about your online profile. It’s basically what people can find out about you from the information that is publicly available online. So, I thought, what is available online when I type my name in Google. (BTW – I don’t make it a practice of Googling myself. It just feels dirty.) Anyway – here are a few interesting things I found out about myself at kgbpeople.com/people/david-petersen

David Petersen

  1. was a lecturer, author and retired comprehensive financial planner. (true – I am a lecturer, aspiring author and I retired from my financial planning career after 6 months)
  2. is one of the coolest dudes working in comics today. (really? why thank you)
  3. is married. (Well they got that right)
  4. has a good dating list by features in the appendices (I must have misplaced that in high school, somewhere near the bibliography. That explains why I never dated in college.)
  5. has 32 friends (tells you how much they know. According to facebook, I have 274 friends)
  6. has no plans to resign, despite the recent scandal in his office involving misuse of state resources and pressure from those in his own (OK – now I’m getting worried)
  7. is a master of his trade. (Really? I thought I was master of my domain)
  8. has done a wonderful job with this world he has created (Exactly – see previous comment)
  9. was fortunate enough to teach the children at Oso Grande Elementary about the basics of podiatry (that must have been after I retired from financial planning)
  10. has 24 years of auction experience. (One dollar bid, now two, now two, will ya’ give me two? Two dollar bid, now three, now three, will ya’ give me three?)
  11. is a writer’s writer (Let’s just hope)
  12. was able to obtain such a wonderful robust collection (must have left that with my dating list)
  13. is a careful man in the forest. (You got that right. If you fall there, nobody will hear you.)
  14. is one of the founding members of the club. (Yes – the club is the place to be. It is so exclusive, it doesn’t have a name)
  15. has a friend “Bob” who designs and builds Chinese style. (“Bob” is not his real name.)
  16. is responsible for setting the vision and execution path of Sense. (Don’t we all need to be on the path of Sense? It’s my new religion.)

OK, enough of this wasting time. Time to get back to something more important, like teaching small children the basics of Podiatry.

A Cloud of Dust

17 Aug


I have been reading a book entitled The Little Big Things by Tom Peters. His focus in the book is, that if you focus on the little things, it becomes big in your quest for excellence! Today I read about what he learned at his Grandfathers funeral. Long-story-short, his Grandfather always took an interest in others and went out of his way to be-there for people. At his funeral, over a 1000 people showed up in a town of 400-500. As Tom was driving there, he noticed a cloud of dust as people from all over come to pay their respects.

To quote his take-away.

“The ‘lesson’ that funeral taught me was the power of decency and thoughtfulness. It wasn’t that my mom and dad hadn’t done a lot of that, but this was the Ultimate Technicolor Illustration. In the most unassuming way, Grandpa Owen had ‘been there’ for an entire community and beyond—and a great dust storm of people, some, who’d moved, from 100 miles away, had come to say one last thanks. If there isn’t a crystal clear message, and, de facto, advice in that, I don’t know where you’d find it.”

So – how do you measure up? After reading this, I know I have a long way to go. Will there be a great dust storm of people at your funeral? How will you be remembered?

I’m going to start making changes in my life. To be genuinely interested in strangers. To “be there” for others. Like Tom asks in the book,”To make the obvious more obvious: How do you stack up on The Great “Being There” Exam? It’s the ultimate “life question”—and the ultimate “business-career-success question.”

iPhone Saves The Day

1 Feb

Every once in a while, you come across a cool story that you wish everyone could learn about.  This is one such story.  It is so cool, I’m going to cross-post this on both of my blogs.

What would you do if you were caught in an earthquake, injured and sure you were going to die?  View this video below to hear what one man did.  If you can’t see the video, or want to read the story, you can read it here.

Here’s a thought.  What would you write to your wife/kids/loved-ones if you found yourself in a similar situation?  Leave a comment – let’s see how interesting this becomes!

Veterans Day 2009 (Here’s To Brothers)

11 Nov
Cpl. Paul Flewwellin and Sgt. David Petersen
Cpl. Paul Flewwellin and Sgt. David Petersen

Yesterday was the Marine Corps 234th Birthday. As our custom, I called my bro’ Paul and wished him a Happy Birthday. We hadn’t talked for about a year but it was as if we were still onboard the USS Raleigh in the middle of the Persian Gulf talking about our dreams, goals and our wives. We didn’t know each other very well before that deployment but by the end of the deployment, we became brothers. It’s been about 16 years since I’ve seen him. When we talk, we speak about how fun it would be to get back together. Another year passes and we do it all over again. Our kids grow older, our hair gets grayer (or in Paul’s case – becomes non-existent). But one day a year, we are back on that ship. Laying on the deck staring up into the vast theater of stars provided by God, talking about life and solidifying our bond as brothers.

It is with this fond memory that I wish all who served a Happy Veterans Day. The bond we share is deep and only fully understood by those who have served. God Bless those who are standing in harms way today – forming the bonds that will last them for the rest of their lives.

Semper Fi. I Love Ya ‘Bro.

The Case for Relational Christianity

24 Jun

I sit and ponder many topics to write about, but, for various reasons (mostly just laziness) I haven’t been taking the time to write about what I am thinking. I do read and sometimes I come across an article that makes me say – “I wish I would have written that!” Today I read such an article.

J. Lee Grady writes a blog entitled, Fire In My Bones in which he writes about what fires him up. He’s much more regular than I am and I think he hit the nail on the head this time. Please enjoy his article and then let me know your thoughts!

http://charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/22383-reality-check-the-case-for-relational-christianity

Enterprise Publishing Interview About Facebook

27 Feb

Dave the Facebook fanatic!Last week, I spoke to Stephanie Ludwig, a reporter from Enterprise Publishing (our local paper in Blair) about “older” people who use Facebook and why. The main point I wanted to make in my conversation with Stephanie was that Facebook made it easy to maintain relationships. (I hope it came accross in the article.) It doesn’t replace the personal, intentional relationship building that has to go on between people, but it enables people to maintain those relationships over distance and time. There are some people I know only through the internet (people I’ve collaborated with on certain projects, experts in the field I work in, etc.). I like to think that if the opportunity ever came up, we could meet in person, but in the mean time – I like the idea of having a wide, diverse network of people I can bounce questions and ideas off of.

If you want to read the article, go to http://www.enterprisepub.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=15155.

Let me know what you think!