The years went by...

Things have changed. I believe they have changed for the better as well. My life has gone from a whirlwind of dreams and hallucinations to something much more, well, adult. My dreams of grandeur are slowly fading away, and a small part of me is sad to see them go. However, they are being replaced with tangible ideas and thoughts, things that I can work on, get dirty doing, and actually accomplish. My brother once told me that you won't know 99% of things until you are on your own, and I think he was right. The things that were once of such vast importance to me no longer take up any mental space, and new things have replaced them. I don't dream as much anymore, instead, I use my imagination to think of creative solutions to the events in my daily life. (Kind of like the tactics used in "The Secret") As I drive my Hyundai Getz around town, I see myself behind the wheel of a sleek Maserati, with 450 hp at my beck and call.

I guess being 25(26 in two weeks) comes with a good amount of life experience, and I've honestly had my share of love, heartache, and the like up until now. I think I'll settle down a bit, and see how that feels.

An interesting mantra to try. Imagine how you would act if you were in the presence of a great figure from history. For example, the other night I imagined I was sitting next to Buddha, and a great peace came over me, and then I began to sing.

Much love,
ZMP

Caring

I am really sick of caring about everything. Not to say that caring is a bad thing, because it isn't, just that caring, when spread thin, loses it's meaning.

When I care about something, I pay attention to it, I look after it, I look out for it's best interests. It is nearly impossible to care about everything, and so I have resigned to caring about those people and things that I love.

I'm not sure why events in my life seem to always be of such dire circumstance, I'm sure it has something to do with my need to find something more to this mortal life that we live, and yet in all my searching, I still feel empty. A bit wiser perhaps, having loved, experienced, studied and so on, but when I seem to have grasped a great concept of life, that is the exact moment it dissipates and no longer holds the weight of a moment before.

Maybe this is the constant searching necessary to make happiness an enduring feeling. It is not good enough to find one way of living, and then rest on your laurels, happiness does not wait for people who are content with their lives. Happiness comes to those who wake up every morning and find it.

There are so many things I want to work on, so many things I yearn to do, and yet I have only been able to find the strength to do a few of them every day. My new goal in life is to find the endurance necessary to accomplish the goals I have already set out for myself. Write my book, set up a new website, learn how to paint, get singing lessons, and yet all these things must remain a second priority to my job of playing basketball.

And so, my focus must be on my work, and basketball breathes a new light in me now that it is my profession. I see things on the court in slow motion, as if the game itself were a canvas, and every motion the stroke of a brush. People laugh when sports are mentioned alongside art, I would argue it's the greatest art of all, the ability to control one's body.

The bottom line is art and beauty are everywhere, and if I truly wanted to explore these others venues to their fullest, I would have to make them part of my life's work, and perhaps some day I will. For now, I am fulfilled by becoming the best basketball player that I capable of.

Much love,
ZMP

Hoops

Been a while, and a lot has happened. I shaved my head because it started to smack me in the face when I was playing hoops. I'm back to the shaved head of my Minnesota days and it feels good. Ends up if you wanted to be taken seriously in this world, you have to look serious as well.

I have been slowly increasing my scoring and rebounding nearly every game, and am feeling my strength and endurance coming back as well. The better and better I play, the easier it becomes to picture myself living in Israel for a number of years. Here's a link to the team's stats. May not be NBA all-star material, yet, but I'm working on it:

www.cadursal.co.il

There are a good amount of people from the states here in Israel, which is nice. I try to make it into Tel-Aviv at least twice a week, but have found myself doing much more reading and hanging out by myself as of late. I am reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins, very good read if you're interested in thinking about why God exists, where the concept of God came from, and why people believe in it.

I will be expanding my artistic repetoire in the next few months, and will be sharing my music and writings on this site when that time comes.

Also, big shout out to Lawence and Maytal Badzin for having an incredible thanksgiving dinner for all of us Americans here in the holy land. Simply delectable!

Much love,
ZMP

Psych

I have finally gotten mine back. After starting the season 1-2, we rallied with a huge win over a cross-town rival last night. I played most of the game, had 8 pts and 10 rebounds, but more importantly came with an attitude to kick ass that I hadn't had since my days at Minnesota. It felt really, really good.

As a team we are just beginning to catch our pace, and if we continue to grow together, we could make some serious waves this year.

On another note, I haven't cut my hair in over 6 months and I love it. Will post pictures soon...

I've met some great people in my first month here in Israel, and this place continues to feel more and more like home. They say home is where the heart is, and I think it's important to keep your heart present in whatever you may be doing. Otherwise you don't live in the "now", which doesn't lend itself to being as great as you can be.

Israelis are amazing people. A little rough around the edges, but all in all great people. Also, an Israeli website has asked me to start blogging for them, and I will add that link as soon as I begin.

Much love,
ZMP

Doing things

I've found that staying busy is the cure to pretty much everything. As long as we have something to work on, our minds don't have time to sabotage us, or to think about things that have no relevance in our every day lives.

I recorded my first rap tonight with two other guys, and was pretty content with what I wrote. I am also joining a singing group near the Ulpan in Raanana. Besides getting paid to play basketball, my life is pretty sweet right now.

Turns out all it takes is a little bit of focus and effort, and you can do pretty much anything you want. I might be starting a blog on an Israeli basketball site, and if I do, will have cross links to this blog.

I also want to connect to more blogs through this one, so if anyone reading would like to recommend some, I'd be happy to read.

Much love,
ZMP

Ulpan

So my first day in Ulpan(Hebrew school) was last Thursday. I walk into my class that is already packed, and announce that my name is Zacho. (My teammate had called me it earlier, and I liked it) Within the first 3 minutes of class, half of the students get up and leave. I ask, in broken hebrew, "Afo ha'studentim?". The teacher explains that they have gone to singing class, and that I can join them if I want. Being brought up with Herzl camp songs as my soul music, I couldn't resist.
I knew every, single, song. Not only that, the teacher gave me a solo for Aveenu Malkeinu that I got to perform in front of the entire Ulpan this morning. Very exciting things here, it was by far the largest audience I have ever had for a vocal performance, if I dare call it that. It went off without a hitch, and now I am thirsty for more. It reminds me of when I first got behind a microphone and recorded. I am going to explore this more with my free time-that is if I can ever get enough of these Israeli beaches.
It's not what I do, it's how I do what I do...

Much love,
ZP

Switch

When I first began this blog, it was purely to vent. I was looking for an outlet to express life and everything in it. I had just graduated college and was looking for something to do, and in my boredom decided to start writing and sharing my life publically. I no longer write to vent. Instead I write with the full knowledge and awareness that I have something important to share. Perhaps I've already reached the pinnacle of my blogging heights, and if that is the case it is no matter, I will continue to write. I like to think I have only scratched the surface of what could be a lifelong relationship.
I receive comments on my posts from a number of people-some funny, some serious, and others are of the kind that warms the heart. People who actually feel what I am writing. Thanks to all of you. I now write not to vent, but to share, and hopefully to create a connection and experience between me and you.
I ran to the other side of the world to start my life anew, and you know what, nothing has changed-except my attitude. The tabloid papers here got wind of my story the first day I was here, and things are just as crazy as they have ever been, minus one huge thing. I don't care what others think. After soul searching, reading countless books, writing endless memos and spending more time in my head than a 25 year old ever should, I have my life. That's all. Pretty simple. I make of it what I want, others will have their opinions, but mine is the only one that matters.
Do what you like, and like what you do.
Oh, and read Dr. Suess, that man was onto something.
Much love,
ZMP