High Quality Humans

For those of you who aren't connected with me on Facebook or Twitter - I am currently participating in the 100 Happy Days Challenge (sign up at: 100happydays.com). This challenge encourages you to identify the small things that happen in your life that make you happy, and to snap a photo of it to share with the world using the hash tag #100happydays. Now if you don't know what a hash tag is (I only say that because I am sure that my mother is reading this)...I can't really help you, but the challenge is a great way to take a step back and appreciate the little things in life.

I will admit that most of my photos have been of materials objects, the weather and food...mainly because it is difficult to capture, in a photo, how the people who are in my life make me happy on a daily basis. From the moment that I wake up, until the time that I fall asleep I am in contact with some of the most caring, humble, hilarious and highest quality humans on this planet. Some of these people I am blood related too - but most of them are friends, students and colleagues who have been brought into my life, through what I am hoping is just really great karma! 

Here are just a few examples of why these people are so great:

1) They reaffirm that home will ALWAYS be home!

2) They know exactly how to make a dull afternoon funny!

3) They text to say that they miss you!

4) They care enough to send a "get better" text.

5) They tell you that they are proud of you!

6) They want to share their success and accomplishments!

and 7) They go out of their way to include you!

I really don't think that anyone can argue that I am one of the luckiest people on the planet. I mean seriously! I have a wonderful, loving and supportive family. I have hilarious, caring and selfless friends. I have worked with countless talented, passionate and driven officers and students. I have a job that 99.9% of the time brings me joy and fulfillment beyond measure. How could life get any better? 

I just hope that each of you are able to take a step back and recognize how the people you surround yourself with, impact you. I am lucky enough to say that each person I know makes me a better person. They push me, they pick me up when I'm down, they go out of their way to help me and they don't have a problem putting me in my place! This world has an excess of high quality humans...make sure that you have many surrounding you at all times, and that you are a high quality human for someone else!

Thanks friends,

Austin :)

Laughter

When is the last time that you had a really great laugh? You know, one of those laughs where your cheeks and sides start to hurt, you are gasping for breath and tears well up in your eyes? For me that took place this afternoon when a lovely winged mammal decided to enter our office. For those of you who didn't know...Austin, TX has the largest colony of Mexican Free Tailed Bats in the world, and many people make the trek to our fine city to watch these creatures during the summer months. Before I get to the meat of why I am writing this post, let me share with you the events of the day...

Before heading to lunch, I heard this terrible noise coming from the foyer of our office. Upon inspection, this was actually just the guttural sound of my co-worker who noticed our furry friend hanging out next to our awards display case. We figured that it was dead, and we would have the issue handled once we returned. Walking back into the building we quickly realized that our guest was alive, and that we should probably work to release him back to the wild. After a quick search on Google for the appropriate bat removal etiquette, we sprang into action with our trusty cardboard box and video camera.

As you can see...that didn't go all that well, so we resigned ourselves to picking up the phone and calling animal control. While we waited the bat began to terrorize us, at one point trapping us inside of our office by maliciously taking roost on a decorative chair right in front of our office door.

(Again alerted to his presence by Tricia's screams)

Finally the animal control officer arrived, collected our friend, and we have been able to someone re-focus and get back to work today. Throughout this entire experience however Tricia and I found ourselves laughing. Whether it was at each other, the fact that we had this potentially rabid wild animal in our office, or the stupid videos that we were making while documenting this harrowing experience. Laughter is the great remedy for most things and on this dull Tuesday it was just what we needed!

I haven't laughed that much in a LONG time! It used to be almost a daily occurrence when I was in college and teaching, because I was constantly surrounded by funny things. Laughter used to be something that I took for granted because I expected it every day. After making the move 1,600 miles away from home to work a job with limited interaction with other people, I have come to treasure laughter. Any physician will tell you that laughter does wonders for your physiologically. Laughing can lower blood pressure, increase oxygenated blood flow and reduce certain stress hormones. However I think that laughter goes beyond blood pressure and burning calories; laughter strengthens relationships, promotes communication and is universal. 

Make sure that you surround yourself with people, things and an environment which allow you to laugh. Take a few moments each day to call your best friend and chuckle over a funny story or share pictures/videos of your misadventures (much like I did with the bat) to help others have a laugh. Laughter makes the people we are around and the world that we live in better. Seek out laughter and help others experience it's benefits!

Keep laughing,

Austin