Palm Trees...

One of my sisters lives in Poland and she requested, some time back, that I send her pictures of California, she said she wanted sunshine and palm trees. IF you know me, you know I've been racking my eyes and brain, to find something worthy to send to my sis. Yeah, I'm an okay big bro at times, I can't always carry this rough exterior!

I've lived in California for far too long and I fail to relish in all that surrounds us, i.e., wonders of the world, art, nature, food, culture, and signage. Of course I'm immersed within a few cultures, given the makeup of my city. The idea of living with my head down isn't overly appealing and I'm forever attempting to learn a bit more about people.

This weekend whilst walking back from a two mile walk/expedition in Venice, CA, I observed a gentleman who was wearing a Manchester United jersey. He seemed to be tied up within his own world, his phone, so I did what any normal person would do, well any normal United fan that is, I began to sing at him. As he raised his hands and pumped his fist, with smile on his face, we quickly exchanged dialog about the happenings of our teams cancelled match. I share this because I'm quirky enough to care if someone truly understands their brand.

The simple truth is, we all come with our own brands and it's completely up to us as to how we market ourselves. For me, it takes a split second to know if we're going to be a good fit or not. My smile is as calculated as my movements, my noise and silence are equally calculated as well and through all of this a certain brand is created.

We walked a bit, more so than I do when in my own town, it was refreshing to move and talk, observe and absorb what was taking place around me. Does every city offer this? I have to think the answer is yes but again, it's up to us to find beauty/meaning within the chaos and by chaos I mean wherever we find ourselves. The level of fortitude it takes to make it through a day is really remarkable.

I have some friends who channel their energy in a manner that causes me to scratch my head a bit. IF people aren't aiming to be the best version of themselves that they can be, I'm not going to invest something so coveted as time. I'm the furthest thing from perfect however, I am chasing palm trees and sun for my sister.

When this is all said and done, I hope you're attempting to find something special for yourself and others too.