Well, it’s 4:19 am and I am at the computer with a washed face and brushed teeth, which means that I have accepted that the day is underway. I woke up at 2:30 am and despite my best efforts, I couldn’t fall back to sleep. This was surprising to me, as got home late last night and the days have been longer than usual.
I did manage to go hiking this past weekend, and as usual, my mind was in deep thought. So, I have been hiking for a while at this point in my life. Although I do get lost quite often and take many wrong turns, as I do in my everyday life as well, I am a competent hiker. I know what to pack and when I am in danger and have pushed myself too far, I know how to assess the situation before continuing safely. That was not the case for me when I started three years ago. I was in many situations that I am very fortunate to have come out of unscathed—well, short of a bruised ego and injured body parts, but that’s where our growth comes from.
I don’t think my life has treated me quite as well as my hiking career, though. The reason for that is simple: When I went out on my hiking career, I knew my success or failure would be determined solely by the effort that I put into it and nobody else’s. In my life, I relied on people to provide me with something that only comes from within. I think that is the case for most people. We either give them credit when things go our way or offer them blame when things don’t. That is the mistake: We can’t control the actions of others, but we can control how we react. So, let us all stop blaming others for our circumstances in life and take accountability for our failures. Once you do that and put in the work to change your life, you also get to take the credit for your success.
October is here and it sure is a beautiful month. I hope all of you go out and enjoy it. A portion of the pool deck furniture will stay out throughout the month for your enjoyment. The golf course will remain open, but the course becomes a little more challenging with the falling leaves. That is something we offer to all of our golfers free of charge. Greg and his team will be on top of the leaves, but hitting the ball on the fairway will also help.
The pickleball and tennis courts will also remain open throughout the month, which is a wonderful time of the year to play. As I said last month, I love the fall weather and will be playing golf myself. I always encourage everyone to utilize the amenities, as your common charges pay for them. The staff works very hard to maintain them and we would love to see you come down and enjoy them.
The restaurant has been closed for the past few weeks, as Tom had surgery and is now recovering. We are hoping that he will have a full recovery and return back to his normal self by the time you read this article. A special thank you to Patricia and Kurt for continuing to handle all of the catering events during Tom’s absence.
The September 11th Memorial was held last month and I was very pleased with the turnout, as we seemed to have had more people than we did the past few years. A sincere and heartfelt thank you to Rich Wagner for continuing to run the event after all these years. Rich and Tony Sikorski organized this memorial twenty-three years ago and it continues to this day. Unfortunately, Tony passed some years ago, but his spirit and character lives on, not only with the memorial but every day in this community.
Rich has promised to continue to do the memorial as long as he is breathing—his words, not mine! On behalf of the community, I do thank him for his efforts. I also want to thank the Bretton Woods Players, the speakers, and of course each and every one of you. If you all hadn’t come to pay your respects, we wouldn’t be able to honor the victims. A special thank you to Bob Ripp, who was in charge of the sound for this service, as Bruce was away. Bob, you did a great job!
Well, the sun is coming up soon, which means it’s time to start laying out the plan for the day. I like to make sure that everything that has to be done for one day is determined and organized before most get out of bed.
I want to make clear how much I value everyone in my life, especially those who I have the privilege of working with every day. I know that I would not have any success professionally without them. When I speak of doing things on your own, that’s for your own personal journey, not your professional one. Nobody in this world has any professional success if they don’t surround themselves with good people. I am beyond grateful for each and every one of them and I try my best to tell them all often.
Someone who I greatly respect told me that I don’t write the way I speak and that I write more softly and deeply than I come across in person. I think that was her way of saying that I come across shorter and more to the point in person (that is me being very generous to myself). I think we all have different layers and different levels. I want to say moods, but I am not a moody person at all, well at least I don’t think so. I guess the editing staff will let me know later when they read this.
I am a task and goal-oriented person and must be to ensure that things get done effectively and efficiently. I believe that I become the person that is necessary based upon the circumstances and what needs to be done. So, if you are one of the people who asks me, “Who writes your articles?” I assure you that it is always me, but maybe just a softer version of myself. I also write all my articles first thing in the morning at my home in peace and solitude. I have the recent advantage of having beautiful photos to look at while writing, compliments of a handy friend.
October brings us the following holidays and days of significance: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Columbus Day, and Halloween.
Craig Pessin- HOA Administrator
Pain and loneliness are not only part of one’s life, but are necessary for our growth. Never underestimate the advantage of being alone on the mountain. Though it’s lonely and often very scary, it’s also eerily beautiful. I assure you the mountain alone gives you a much better vantage point of your goals, dreams, and ambitions than in the valley with the wrong person.
Storms bring floods, destruction, and chaos. Storms also wash away the old, create the path for the new, and remind us of what is important in life. The elements can’t change what’s in your heart, only you can. The internal storm will always will do more damage or good than the external one.