He's Twenty Again, Good For Him
Started midday. Just left Its a Grind. Finished my last blog of the month. Thirty-one days, thirty-one posts. Bit proud. Listening to internet radio, Taylor Swift. Nice bouncy song lightens the spirit. Falling for you. Grammys tonight, she's nominated for some eight awards. This has how I have been feeling bouncy. Been Flow-ing. Even on the adventure to Uncle Juhn's.
Adventure begins at Chevron. Tank on empty and it was time to refill. Cleaned out some of the garbage in the car for the road ahead. Crusty napkins with tea stains. Old yellowing Valley Press newspapers. Sweet smelling towels soaked in Diet Pepsi. All gone. I like to feel clean when starting a trip. Sign above says "Forty-Seventh East and Avenue S" Intersection is our starting point. Full tank and ready to go. Light turns green. Hit the gas, here we go.
This may sound dumb, but I have been finding meaning in everything I do. Driving to Tujunga, washing laundry, Midnight at Dennys--Finding meaning. Sounds dumb, I just can't help it. Guess my metaphor button on life is stuck. Frankly, I don't want to turn it off.
Journey begins. I picture Uncle Juhn in my head as we head toward the freeway off ramp. Black hair, calm smile and an air of genuineness. An intelligent man, more importantly a wise man. In another life he may have been a Tibetan monk in a past life. Uncle Juhn looks like my old mentor, Pow. He's a VP at LA Fitness. Can't help how Uncle Juhn reminds me of Pow (not his real name)
Pow and Juhn, Good Men
Pow is a good man, like Uncle Juhn. Easily, he was the best manager I ever had. They promoted him to VP, and I took his spot as GM at Garden Grove. I learned so much from this man Learned how to close better. Pow educated me on Mont Blancs and Robb Reports. I learned how to manage a gym--and more importantly, I learned how to manage myself. He's my Miyato Musashi. He was my Miyagi to Miyagi. Pow instilled in me that everything is a reflection of me. Things I did and didn't do was my choice. Its my duty--for everything. Anything effecting the gym, its my fault, good or bad. I set the tone for everything. Did I let the guest pass go without a tour? My fault. Did I allow a counselor let a prospect go without a TO? My fault. Did I treat and train the staff well? My responsibility. How about the members? Was I stern or carefree? How were you with the muckity mucks? Were you GM potential? He set the foundation that everything counts. I learned to gaze near and far.
What I See. . .
We head down the Highway 14, driving through Sierra Pelona Mountains. Getting lost in thought, I marvel at the Vasquez Rock Park to my right. Filmed Star Trek here. Terminator 3 and Army of Darkness, too. I think of Shelly in the bat cave and guano. Passing Golden Valley off ramp now. I used to work there at LA Fitness, Santa Clarita. Highway 5 South coming up. Truck route on the right. Always preferred this one over the in main freeway. Four lanes versus two? Its easy for me. Two. Travel the road less traveled. Meet the tunnel. Blare my horn. Construction will never end. Time to swim with 16 whalers. Hug the wall of death. Emerge on the 405 and 5 freeway. Renewed. It always felt like the end of a roller coaster ride when we exited onto the main highway. Which way now Hwy 5 or the Hwy 405?Tujunga--That's our goal, our destination. Aunt Brit's house, specifically. (Not her real name) First time to her house. We pass Sunland. Chevron and Denny's to my left. Had to sleep in the parking many late, late nights. I know Angels exist. Long nights driving from Garden Grove back to the AV, they woke me up before I left paint on the wall of death. Motel 6-ed it here once or twice. I get an icky feeling sleeping in the there. Always afraid someone on staff would just come in while I slept and do bad things. Always kept a chair propped against the door handle when I slept. Not my favorite, but necessary.
Burbank, here we come. Verdugo Mountains now. Lush, green where the houses call mountains home. Burbank also tenants NBC, Viacomm, Disney Studio, and the great Cartoon Network. I get this sinking feeling I missed something. Its not a punch, but a tap. I ask her to call Uncle Juhn's to get directions. That was the plan. She'd call when we got to the 5 Freeway. I hear take the ". . .take 210 East. Exit Foothill. . ." She says, "Talk to him," as she tries to hand me the phone. I bark, "No, I am driving. CHP are behind me" Mom has hard time hearing, part bad reception. . .and part she's going deaf. Hearing aid cost $3000. $1500 per lobe. Ouch! Blue Honda Accord is cutting me off, no signal. I shake my head. Cars are coming fast from behind. Whalers are merging in front of me. White Ford Tundra is boxing me on the left. Traffic's worse. Car cuts me off. I smile. Jerk!
Stop, Breathe, and Get Directions
Angry, I begin exiting the freeway, merging to my right. I need to stop and call. My ears feel warm. They get that way when I am angry and frustrated. Right turn light signals my intention.My heart beats heavy. I can feel the rushing blood crash against arteries. My heart beats in sync with the turn signal. My BP shoots to the mid-160's. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Exhale. I let out a deep breath. I again catch my breath and let it out. "Should have Googled direction," I say under my breath.
Ah, rest stop. McDonalds up ahead. The Plant is to our left, behind Costco. The Plant,or is it the Empire Shopping Center? I don't remember which it is. Any ways it is a shopping center, like in many cities. This center has a Airport theme. Burbank was the home of Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes, Lockheed, Northrop. Aviation influence is unmistakable.
Burbank Empire Center also homes Target, Sports Chalet, Krispy Kreme call the Plant home. Others businesses call it home, too. Wendy's, Jamba Juice, and Home Town Buffet, to name a few. Most cities have shopping centers like this. Its common place. It announces that a city has come of age. Apple Valley has Buffalo Wild Wings, a 24 Hour Super Sport, and Cinemark. Palmdale's center is off of Rancho Vista Blvd; there's Sams's Club, AppleBees, Bev Mo and more. Garden Grove has Target, Michaels, Marshalls, and so on.
Meaning of the Drive
"Why am I writing this?" you may ask. Its this. On your adventure, there is a sameness and uniqueness about it. You may have traveled this road many times, but you may need new eyes. Now, I am seeing so much more. Been working on Musashi exercise. Keep gaze far and near simultaneously. I marvel at most things now. Background metamorphosis slowly turn tan, jagged rocks of the Vasquez to the rich, green mountains of the Verdugo Mountains to the hustle and bustle of the Plant. Its comforting and exciting at the same time. I see changes in landscape. I feel and hear the dryness of the desert and lushness of tree covered mountains. I smell the change to the city. Car exhaust, fast food, with dots of tiny parks. I think of the attitude of the people living there. Acton pace is slower for the people and land. Burbank has a measured-ness about it. Close to the city. but not really LA. Nor is it San Fernando Valley-ish. Its Burbank-ish. So much life, so much change, so much history in the rocks, the business, the people. One just needs to look. Really look.
Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. As if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground ... These things cannot be explained in detail. From one thing, know ten thousand things. When you attain the Way of strategy there will not be one thing you cannot see. You must study hard.--Book of Five Rings, Miyamato Musashi
