Drew Rozell, Ph.D.

Author and Coach

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Celebrate

June 30, 2010 drewrozell 2 Comments

Isn't she lovely? Karin at her baby shower.

Above is a picture of my wife at her baby shower, celebrating the impending arrival of our first child.

Her mom hosted the celebration in her lovely home. Great food. Fun baby gifts. Happy people. (They even let me attend!)

Later in the afternoon, I turned on the World Cup match. People in the stands were going crazy, celebrating the idea of nations coming together, kicking a ball around the grass.

When night fell, and my father-in-law and I were shooting a few games of pool, we could hear the popping of fireworks in the distance. I assume it was a celebration for the high school students who graduated earlier in the day.

Celebrations all around. As it should be…

For life is to be celebrated.

Even if you have no good reason…

Celebrate!

Freedom, My life baby gifts, baby shower, good reason, high school students, impending arrival, karin

Remembering Ronnie James Dio

May 19, 2010 drewrozell 7 Comments

“You don’t know Rainbow in the Dark?” Rachel asked. Her tone let me know how uncool she found my ignorance.

“So you’re saying you’ve never heard of Dio?” she added, her incredulity bordering on disgust.

I wanted to lie, but she had me. I shook my head in shame and I told her I would have a listen.

In 1983, this meant that I would have to wait for the weekend, tune into the late night rock show, and hope. I had a blank tape sitting in the cassette deck, my index and ring fingers poised press the two buttons simultaneously to RECORD.

The DJ previewed his playlist and yes, he promised, that the new one from Dio would be coming up.

Rachel was right.

The song Rainbow in the Dark was supercool. I listened to it over and over, writing out the lyrics on a sheet of paper. Later in the week, I pressured my mom to take me to Record Town in the mall so I could buy the cassette tape for $17.98 with my paper route money.

I had no intention of showing my mother what I bought. To steal a line from the movie This is Spinal Tap, Dio’s new album had a rather lurid cover – a chained, drowning priest being chain-whipped by a demon. No, this was not to be shared with the folks. This was just for me. I could not wait to get home and pop the tape into my Sony Walkman.

As I type these words, it’s 27 years later (whoa!) and I am listening to the same recording on my iPod. I nod my head in appreciation of the music that still holds up. Somehow all the lyrics have remained stored in my memory bank.

Ronnie James Dio passed away the other day, and I feel compelled to write him a note of thanks. The news of his death made me remember the impact that his art had on me.

Dio’s music was about dreams, magic, mystery. The light and the dark.  Heaven and hell. If you were going to add a metal soundtrack to one of the Lord of the Rings movies, Dio would be your guy. His voice was powerful and piercing – listen to him sing and you’ll notice you can understand all the words.

I’d listen to his music over and over. I recall my exasperated father bursting my bedroom, commanding me to “turn that shit down!”  as I was tracing out the DIO logo (did you hear? flip it upside down and it spells d-e-v-i-l or so the rumor went…) on pieces of paper for my walls.

Dio came to my hometown for a concert the next year (Dokken opened).  My friend Matt and I were not disappointed by the lasers, fog, and metal music. I was thrilled to buy my first overpriced rock T-shirt so I could put my allegiance on display. I was 14 years old, in the beginning stages of forming an identity for myself.

I knew I wanted to be a good person. I wanted to do the “right” things. But typical of my age, few of the messages from adults, teachers, and the church resonated with me. I found most of them to be restrictive, contradictory, or hypocritical.

Up to this point in my life, I worked very hard to fit in, to be the person I believed everyone wanted me to be. But lately that didn’t feel so good anymore.

My new shirt? That was mine. I wanted everyone to know what I liked. The fact that my figures of authority would not like it? All the better.

diolil

Still, wearing my new shirt to school the morning after the concert (I had to prove I was there, right?), I remembering feeling self conscious as I strode into math class for first period. I had a demon on my chest, man – quite a departure from the collared shirts with the alligator on the tit that my mom bought me.

As I took my seat, Mr. Crisler’s eyes stopped on me. He said nothing, but looked me up and down. A small furrow appeared between his brow and he moved on.

He noticed.

In my mind, my demon shirt sent the message that I wasn’t going along with the game anymore. I was my own man. And I liked to rock.

Looking back, I am quite certain that no one really cared what I was wearing. Mr. Crisler’s look might easily have been directed toward Ernie behind me. But for the first time in my life, I felt like I was expressing myself.

The real test came that night at church school. This night we were meeting in the church as the priest had a special message for the youth. At the time, this man had a hard-on for lecturing us about how popular culture was delivering us to the gates of hell.

Like something out of Footloose, he came up with a list of “bad music” that we were not to listen to. Not if we wanted to be good. Not if we wanted to be saved. I never felt comfortable around the man. He (and the church in general) intimidated me. I made sure my jean jacket covered up my shirt as he began his rant. I did not wanted to be pointed out, made to feel bad, or be embarrassed.

The priest began by condemning the usual suspects from the world of rock music. But as he continued, he threw The Beatles and Billy Joel (“you Catholic girls start much too late”) into the mix. I felt my blood begin to boil. This guy did not know what he was talking about! Why wasn’t anyone calling him a liar? A hypocrite? Why wasn’t anyone pointing out to him that “LET IT BE” WAS IN THE DAMN HYMN BOOK?

No, I didn’t have the courage to open my mouth. I didn’t say a word. But I made a show of taking off my jacket and letting my demon fly. My hands were shaking during my act of defiance.

Looking back, I doubt that Father could have seen far enough to make out anything on my shirt. But then again, this really wasn’t about him anyway.

This was about what I liked. And I liked this music. No one was going to tell me what I could like anymore. That was for me to decide. Not my parents. Not my school. Not the church.

Me.

I know it does not sound like much. A silly T-shirt, marketed perfectly with dark imagery to an angry, disillusioned teenage boy. Big whoop.

But for me it was more than that. For me it was art. And the job of art is to evoke a feeling from us – whatever that feeling might be.

Mr. Dio’s art put me on a path where I could begin making choices based on my preferences, not just the expectations of others.

So, thank you, Ronnie James. Your art touched my life in a positive way.

And I think that is the sign of a life well lived.

 

 

STAND UP AND SHOUT

You are the strongest chain

And not just some reflection

So never hide again

You are the driver

You own the road

You are the fire

Go on explode

You’ve got desire

So let it out

You’ve got the power

Stand up and shout

Blog, Current Events, My life, Profiles magic mystery, obituary, paper route money, ring fingers, ronnie james dio, self expression, sony walkman, this is spinal tap

Lake George, NY Kayak Adventure (Final Part)

August 19, 2009 drewrozell 3 Comments

(This is the final installment documenting my recent kayak trip across Lake George, NY. Photos for this post can be seen by visiting www.drewrozell.com. Photos of the whole trip can be seen here.)

I woke to the sound of raindrops hitting the tarp, the sound echoing throughout our small dome. Though it was still before dawn, I suspected that my window for restful sleep had come to a close.

The steady percussion above my head kept from emerging from the tent for the next several hours. But then the need to pee and the desire for coffee took over. Stepping outside confirmed the obvious. Today would be spent outside in the rain. And that was that.

I noticed it right away.

My soft red mini-cooler was resting under a tree, several yards from where it rested hours before. Already knowing his answer, I asked anyway.

Chris, did you happen to throw the cooler over by that tree?

Walking a few steps closer confirmed what I already knew.

We’d been hit!

Cheese? Gone. Bag of trail mix? Gone. Pita bread? Gone. (Mercifully, the pepperoni was left untouched). Other than a few teeth marks in my cooler, this was a one clean B & E job — the critter left no trace, not even a peanut shell. We immediately suspected the mink we saw scurrying on the rocks nearby the night before. In retrospect, clearly his wilderness act had been a ruse. This was a professional, one who made his living canvassing careless campers such as ourselves.

We’d miss the energy food, but we had to admit that our adversary had played the game fairly and beaten us. Well played, Mr. Mink.

After exploding coffee all over our picnic table (Jet-Boils live up to their name) and having some freeze-dried eggs for breakfast (not quite as bad as you would think), we wandered around the campsite, trying to muster some sense of purpose on this gray morning.

Packing the tent, my lower back barked at me, letting me know that I’d spent many hours in a kayak and slept on the ground, but it was nothing a little Biofreeze couldn’t loosen up. Chris has a pesky shoulder from years of spiking a volleyball and making long throws from center field. As we departed our site (leaving it better than we found it, I hope), I reminded him that he was lucky that you don’t need to use your shoulders much when kayaking.

img_2519

(Photo caption: The clouds hung low this day, the water calm. We would not see the sun until it set.)

Speaking of kayaking, I’d like to take a moment to encourage you to get out on one. Kayaks are simple to use. Yes, getting in and out of the boat takes a little practice, but the paddling motion is simple, intuitive, and has a real meditative quality. With a lower center of gravity, I find kayaking to be much easier and safer than canoeing, and the boats are often easier to move around and store than canoes.

I’m a big believer in the power of environments and I find my kayak encourages me to get outside and explore. I get to know the rivers and lakes I paddle on, the nooks and crannies, the islands, the wildlife. You feel like a part of the water.

Kayaks are silent, too. This is important to me because I do not believe that my fun should ever encroach on another person’s idea of a good time. I don’t like loud watercraft, ATVs, motorcycles, or bass-heavy car stereos the same way I do not want to see cigarette butts at a campsite or litter on a trail. I can feel a rant coming on here, so it’s probably best that I move along…

Kayaks require no maintenance. They require no fuel. Paddling is wonderful exercise for your upper body and core. You can pop a kayak on top of a car in minutes and be a world away from the rest of your life as soon as you hit the water. You can kayak alone for some solitude, or share the experience with a friend. Either way, the activity is a great way to clear your head. If you’ve not given kayaking a try, I encourage you to rent one or borrow a friend’s. I bet you’ll like it.

Okay, back to the trip…Once we were on the water and wet, the rain became an ally of sorts. First, we found ourselves paddling on a very different lake than the day before. The water was calm and there was little wind. Once our muscles loosened up, we seemed to be making much better time. Second, as a bald Irishman, I welcomed the break from the intense sunshine, and it felt good to let the cool rain fall onto my exposed head. Third, we seemed to have this massive lake to ourselves as other boaters found the conditions less inviting. Finally, the rain and clouds made the lake no less beautiful; all day I took great pleasure in watching the clouds cling onto and slowly slither around the mountain formations.

img_2526

(Photo caption: From the silence of our kayaks, we could hear the roar of this waterfall and went exploring to find it. Glad we did.)

We seemed to make twice the miles with half the effort this day and found ourselves pulling into the Hulett’s Landing marina early in the afternoon. We were only a mile from our next campsite, so we filled up our water bottles, bought some Pringles and beer (the essentials) before visiting the nearby ranger station and registering our campsite.

The ranger told me he’d seen 4-foot waves while patrolling this section of the lake, but added that he thought the wind would be at our backs the rest of the way. I hoped he was right as we had 13 miles — our longest stretch –waiting for us tomorrow.

As we pulled up to our site, the rain finally relented. We chalked this up to the Good Lord having our backs and took a celebratory dip in the lake. While setting up camp, it became clear that we would be fireless as there was no dry tinder to be found. Wet to the bone after a day in the drizzle, settling into some warm, dry clothes provided a wonderful feeling of comfort. After working my shoulders and lats for 20-something miles in two days, I joked that I felt like I could carry the world on my back. Maybe for a minute or two. We felt relaxed, strong, and grateful for the late afternoon sun that began playing Hide-and-Seek with us.

After boiling up a hot meal (the Chicken Teriyaki proved the winner), we found another rock perch facing the western sky. As the sun broke free of the clouds as it neared the horizon, we enjoyed a lovely sunset and a clear evening. We went to sleep early, knowing we still had a big day ahead of us.

img_2560

(Photo caption: This is one of the images that stays with me from the trip. I’m ready to go back. From Agnes Island.)

We were up early and on the water at 9AM. The clouds were gone and the sunshine would be our constant companion. Checking the map, we covered the first two miles of the day in under 30 minutes — this was going to be an easy day’s paddle. Of course, the ranger was right, a strong wind was at our backs the entire day.

With the new day came a new lake beneath us. The steady current of two-foot waves guiding us north made it feel like we were on the ocean at times. Clearly, we agreed, these favorable conditions were a sign that the Good Lord wanted us to succeed and to reward our efforts. As we drew closer to our destination, I thought of Lance Armstrong in the final miles of winning one of his Tours, hoisting a glass of champagne as he neared the finish line. We were going to do it.

Full of appreciation for life, I started hooting with glee (yes, glee!). I do the same thing when riding up the first chairlift on a powder day, anticipating a day of gliding on the soft snow. (Thinking about it now, most of my hooting and my most powerful feelings of appreciation occur when I’m out of doors.) This feeling did not come from a sense of overcoming some extreme conditions or pushing my body to the brink. No, having come this far, I believed that any reasonably fit person with the desire to complete this trip could do so. For Chris and me, the fun of the trip far outweighed the challenge.

Rather, I felt happy to be me… Happy to be out in the world having this glorious experience. Happy for choosing to make this trip happen… Happy for having something to look forward to for months… Happy to have something to look back upon for a lifetime… Happy to have a friend like Chris to share the experience with me… Happy for being witness once again to life unfolding so perfectly.

The trip re-affirmed one of my core beliefs — that LIFE wants you to have a good time. A great life is yours for the taking. The only requirement is that you must meet life half-way and start LIVING. You must choose to move toward that which fills your spirit with light and energy. At the very least, during this trip on Lake George, I felt like I was holding up my end of the bargain with LIFE…

img_2640

(Photo caption: The end of the line. Who’s the big winner? We are!)

We arrived at the most nothern navigable spot on Lake George by 3PM, about 2 hours faster than my best guess. An evening of celebration lay before us. Friends Bob, Mark, Mark (Chris’s brother making the 6-hour drive to surprise him), and Matt would join us. Steaks. Shrimp. Beers. And lots of laughter.

Throughout the evening, I showed some pictures and told some stories of the trip, but I found the limitations in using words and images to capture the essence of the experience. I’ve done my best in these essays to share some thoughts and feelings and to practice my writing.

And now it’s time to look to the next adventure.

Happy trails…

Drew

Blog, Country Living, Current Events, Drew's Photos, Freedom, My life, Personal Life

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Get the new book: Let It Go!

#1 Bestseller The Very Cool Life Code

Sidebar Profile
Father and Husband. Author. Coach. Law of Attraction Channel. Shutterbug. Outdoorsman. Music Fan. Freedom Enthusiast. More.

Copyright © 2021 · Daily Dish Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in