Back in the mix

I've said it many times on previous blog post that I would be much better about updating this blog, but something always comes up. Eh, why try to lie, I'm lazy as hell. Well, actually, I was lazy as hell. I've been feeling a lot more energy lately and have been getting things done.

Okay, let's talk about exercising. Back in my 20's, I got in shape for superficial reasons, look good for the ladies, and all that. My 30's brought on various health issues like gout, high BP, mysterious aches and pains. So, now I exercise mainly for health and longevity reasons. A few months ago, I screwed up my back doing some burpees. Instead of going to the doctor, I went to an acupuncturist who fixed my back in one session. I then let her know about all of my other health issues.

From there, she introduced me to a whole new world of possibilities. See, most people accept that as we get older we deteriorate. She showed me that I don't have to accept that. I've replaced bench pressing, squatting, and various gym exercises with Qi Gong and Tai Chi type exercises like the basic Tai Chi walk:

This exercise alone done for at least 15 minutes will help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and if done often enough, will keep the lower body strong throughout the rest of your life. I see people in their 80's who do Tai Chi, walking with as much pep and balance as most 20 year-olds. Most, people in their 80's wobble around when they walk and that's if they aren't using a cane or a walker or even a wheel chair.

For the most part, I feel 100% better than I did 3 months ago. As simple as these exercises appear, I can assure you that you really get a good work out. You won't look like a body builder or a supermodel, but you'll feel much better and have more energy. Now, I didn't intend for this blog post to be some sort of sales pitch about the wonders of Tai Chi and Qi Gong. But, I will vouch for it. The one thing I learned - laziness is an effect of poor health, not the cause. That's right!

Back on the Scene

Yikes! Y'all need to remind me not to spend so much time away from here. But, I'm back on the scene and ready to express myself to all of you again. Just to let you all know, I didn't make it on to Last Comic Standing. I did get an opportunity to audition, but alas, the judges decided to pass. No biggie. Time to move on. I would like to congratulate Felipe Esparza for winning the latest season of Last Comic Standing. I've had the opportunity to perform with him in the same shows early in my career. He was always very encouraging and I wish him nothing but the best.

Today, I want to talk to y'all about the movie, "Fight Club". This movie has had a significant influence on my life and the way that I view the world. In the movie, Brad Pitt's character says - The things you own end up owning you. It's only after you lose everything that you're free to do anything. It hit me pretty hard when he said that. See, I never realized how much of a burden that owning houses, nice cars, and HD TV's can be. Most people spend their lives working jobs they hate in order to acquire those things. And, when they finally get them, they lack joy and fulfillment in their lives. It's like all that effort was for nothing.

But, ever since that movie came out, I've wanted to live a simple life. I took a step in that direction the past few days, by getting rid of a lot of "junk" that I've accumulated over the years. I got rid of a lot of books that I barely read, CD's that I already loaded into my ITunes, a bunch of different scraps of paper and junk mail. I got rid of a lot of notebooks of jokes that I stopped telling many years ago. I got rid of a lot of clothes that I no longer wear or no longer fit me. The goal is to eventually get it to where I can fit all of my possessions into my car. Then, eventually, get it down to what I can fit inside a backpack. People think I'm crazy. But, what people fail to realize is that at any point, all of your stuff can be taken away from you. A fire, hurricane, earthquake can easily do the trick. Then, there's thieves and the government. Sometimes these two things are one in the same. And then, you're left with nothing anyways. So, what's the point?

Don't get me wrong. There are some nice things about sleeping on a comfortable bed, inside a place that has heating and air conditioning. But, there's a great big world out there waiting to be discovered. There's a lot of beautiful people out there to meet and spend time with. I understand that you can have lots of possessions as well as travel. But there's only so much time. Time I'm spending working and acquiring possessions is time taken away from doing the things that bring me joy and fulfillment. And, it's the simple things bring me joy: a warm smile from a stranger, genuine laughter from an audience, good conversation while overlooking great scenery.

Basically, I desire to live as a nomad. I mean, I could have skipped the last few paragraphs and just said I wanna be a nomad. But, I did feel like I had to explain myself a little bit. So, the Way of the Braza is starting to become the Way of the Nomad. Where will I go? I dunno quite yet. I'll let my heart lead the way.