Inspiration Series: George Michael

…Because you can’t be perfect in every way. Still selling out Wembley a few nights whenever he gets an itch to do so.

Inspiration Series: Ginger Baker

Inspiration Series: Smokey Robinson

Inspiration Series: Michael Hutchence

My Big List of Things to Do

As another birthday approaches, I got to thinking… I need more stuff to do. Here is the list I plan to slowly, or perhaps quickly mark off. If you see something you can help with, let me know. Especially the part about the Hollywood starlet

• Ride a vintage motorcycle on a winding road through a forest
• Land 360 kickflips (respect your elders) on a semi-regular basis
• Hang on a sailboat in the Mediterranean
• Start a marketing agency using solely the creativity and brain power of aspiring rappers
• Build a bicycle
• Style a photoshoot
• Mentor a young kid
• Mentor an older kid
• Take a day trip with a vintage Porsche
• Live in 400 square feet
• Spend 6 months out of a year in Europe
• Work at a Starbucks
• Open a retail store
• Work as a bartender for a night (or longer)
• Wear a suit and tie everyday for a month to see if I am treated differently
• Take a vacation by myself
• Very seriously launch my own line of footwear
• Read the autobiography of Malcolm X
• Visit Paris
• Own a simple McIntosh home audio set-up
• Dig into my Dad’s extensive vinyl collection
• Take painting and drawing more seriously
• Lose weight and keep it off
• Meet Richard Branson
• Meet Desmond Tutu
• See Duran Duran in concert
• Work at my Mom’s shoe store on a busy Saturday
• Be a motivational speaker
• Appear in the credits of a movie
• Appear in the Thank You section of a CD jacket
• Own an art gallery in Dallas
• Visit Marfa, Texas
• Storm out of a meeting
• Meet Mike Tyson
• Meet Johnny Depp
• Take a long road trip with Jon Ball
• Invest in a tattoo parlor and hair salon (but not have a tattoo or hair)
• Design a home
• Serve as an apprentice to a cobbler
• Own or spend time in a vintage wooden motorboat
• Take a trip with my Mom
• Tell a deserving Hollywood Agent to F*ck Off
• Be quoted for something non-marketing related
• Guest- or regularly contribute to a magazine
• Get a real estate license
• Determine the monetary value of my upbringing and do whatever possible to repay that to my Mom
• Manage a musician
• Own a really nice camera
• Direct a music video
• Travel, travel, travel
• Do my best to ensure that the Wells family does not benefit from generational wealth of the pocket, but only of the mind
• Makeout with a Hollywood starlet (or just flirt)
• Raise wonderful children
• Adjust my work to where it can all be done on a hand-held device
• Inspire/Motivate young people
• Employ an assistant, then give them the keys to the castle
• Get an attitude
• Find more time to relax
• Sit in on the recording of a rock album
• Buy and sell vintage cars
• Chase down a tornado, then get out of the way
• Inspire as much happiness in others as humanly possible
• Complete this list

138 Words on Father’s Day

This will be my first without my Dad. He’s by far the closest person I’ve ever lost, and his loss inspires the strangest feelings. I’ve only made very slight changes in my life since his passing. I have a new filter for the big decisions I make on a regular basis and it’s heavily influenced by him. My desire to tighten the amazing relationships I have with my Mom and Brother has strengthened. Most days I live on, un-phased by his passing. Others days, there are moments when I hit a wall and break. A movie. A song. Or the realization that when I want to tell him something that happened or ask for his opinion, I simply can’t. You can’t experience that feeling without spending ten minutes to get over the fact that he’s gone allover again.

Who I Blog For.

I often joke here about my carefully curated blog for whatever that means.    The word ‘curate’ is interesting.  I think the dictionary says it means something like ‘to organize, oversee’.   A friend of mine recently interviewed a museum curator for a magazine article she was writing and asked for some advice on questions to ask.    I have always wondered who a museum curator organizes for?   Do they have a particular person in mind that they ask themselves ‘what would Jane Doe think about this selection?’ and essentially Jane Doe inadvertently influences the contents of a museum or the pieces in a exhibit.  Make sense?

Since I started writing my blog, I have always casually told people that I write my blog or post photos with two people in mind.   Yeah, I may have a few hundred daily visits and I appreciate anyone that would take the time to read anything I have to say, or look at the pictures that I post on my carefully curated blog.  But I wanted to introduce the two people I write for:

Nancy Wells – Mother, Wife, Sister, Aunt, Friend to thousands, Dallas’ premiere purevyor of the finest in ladies shoes and accessories.

Peter Nguyen – Jack of all trades, changes cars like most people change underwear, best friend for life, even though he has never seen E.T. or Star Wars

Follow Peter on Twitter.

There ya go.

Things My Dad Taught Me: Genesis

Photo Credit: Kamerado.nl
It was hard as hell to actually pick a song to post, so I went for a couple of the less obvious, but amazing. I am still blown away by the fact that a ten year old kid – me – and an even younger kid, my 6-year old brother were so consumed with Genesis. I know a few 10-year olds these days and sure we all like to laugh at the kid that knows funny rap lyrics or sings the Jonas Brothers. But think about it… Just 20 years ago, my brother and I were obsessed with a band led by a guy with a major receding hairline and lyrics that flew miles over our heads.

Back then, my whole family would legitimately bond over great music. I cannot stress the legitimately part enough. We would gather around the tv to watch the world premieres of music videos on MTV. It is one thing to think the Jonas Brothers have a catchy tune that you can tap your fingers on the steering wheel to. It is another when the music you truly find most relevant in your life is somehow the music your kids listen to as well. I am not sure if that will ever really happen again. Another casualty perhaps attributed to the crumbling music business, and a loss far more important that dollars. Families cannot afford to keep losing things to bond over.

And from the who-the-hell-does-he-think-he-is to give parenting advice category… I think most kids would rather listen to the music they see their parents enjoying. Kids don’t come out of the womb begging for Miley Cyrus do they? I don’t have any, so I don’t know. But I cannot imagine anything better than seeing Mom and Dad, being happy, being in love, or these days, just being together while they listen to music. It could be Death Cab, Kings of Leon, John Legend, Coldplay, or whoever. Miley Cyrus-numbed parents = Miley Cyrus-numbed kids. Kings of Leon-happy parents = Kings of Leon-happy kids.

If you are lucky, maybe someday your kid will grow up to blog about their childhood that they never want to forget.

-

Upper West Side Steez

A few weeks back, I went to a great party on the Upper West Side. There was a no-shoe policy at the party, so outside the elevator/front door, there were dozens of shoes laying all over the floor. I saw a wide variety of shoes, including an abundance of prepped out boat shoes. I was inspired. I had to have some. So in order to step up my Upper West Side Swag*, I went in with these, because I was mesmerized by the rich red sole. Almost like Louboutins for dudes. I go hard.

*Ironic use of word ‘Swag’

Things My Dad Taught Me: Neil Young

He did not teach me a trade. He did not teach me how to do my taxes. Not to fish, or build anything. There are books for all of that. He taught me far more important things in life, including how important it is to have good music around you. I have no desire to make music or even work in the music business. I am so content to just sit back and listen.