October 13. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Unless you haven’t turned on your tv, read a newspaper, gone outside or talked to anyone in the past six months then you are very aware of an approaching election that is kind of a big deal. It has already been dubbed “the most important election ever” and rightfully so. With such major issues as the state of the US economy, the ongoing war, the quest for universal health care and so many more that need to be resolved, the implications of this election are undeniably apparent.

But who should you vote for? I certainly have my opinion on which candidate I feel is the most capable, however that is not the reason for this post. Instead, I am more concerned with the millions of voters who actually cast votes for candidates that they know nothing about. Now sure, I am all for “get out and vote” mantra that is sweeping the nation, but what if those voters have no idea what they are really voting for? Should we encourage this reckless behavior?

I’m assuming that most people have done their due diligence of researching the candidate that they support and will eventually vote for. However, after speaking with a variety of friends and acquaintances I have alarmingly realized that many of these folks don’t really have a solid understanding as to why they support a particular candidate.

Who is to blame? The media? Many Americans do not seek to understand anything beyond what is spoon-fed to them via the media. This idea has been exemplified throughout the road to election day. For some people the media has erroneously shaped their view of the candidates. As a result, those same people form an opinion of a candidate based on what they saw or heard on tv. This unfortunately leads to uninformed votes being cast.

So, if you’re going to vote this year (which I hope you do) please, please, please dig a little deeper into the background and beliefs of the candidate that you support. You might just learn something that will change your outlook on the election. You owe it to yourself and your fellow Americans. After all, this is the “most important election ever”….

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August 14. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

A few weeks ago we had our wedding in Bistra, Romania.  It was amazing and quite a production- much more impressive than the weddings from the states.  That being said, the reception was incredibly long.  Too long. How long is a reception in USA? 4-6 hours maybe?  Well, in Romania they take wedding receptions very seriously and simply never want the party to end.  Our reception started and 8pm… and ended at 7am!!!!  11 hours!!!!  And the party would have raged on but we had to shut it down as the bride and groom were getting a little sleepy from the long day that was… Oh well, a great time was had by all…

I’ve got a lot of good stories to tell about the wedding… I’ll save a few for later posts….

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February 21. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Today is the four year anniversary of my wife and I being married. I still cannot believe that it has been four years. I can remember the first time I saw her. And to think that now we have a baby girl together. Unbelievable. I feel so lucky to have found such an amazing person to share my life with. She truly is my “better half” and I am forever greatful that she has enter my life…and stayed.

Four years down…forever to go….

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February 7. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Everyone experiences high stress at some point in their life. Often times stress stems from work or personal life. Generally speaking I have no problem coping with stressful situations; in fact, I am often at my best while amidst heavy stress.

However, over the past few months I’ve had to endure an extremely high amount of stress. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a multi-million dollar company I naturally have to deal with a variety of stresses that most people would never even think about. I understood this prior to accepting the position so I am able to relatively smoothly handle any work-related obstacles that comes my way.

Obviously my career causes me plenty of stress, however it doesn’t end there. A month ago my wife and I had our first child. Welcome to the world of ZERO sleep. Have you ever tried to function at a high level mentally with minimal sleep? Saying it’s “challenging” would be a severe understatement.

I’ve open a new chapter in my life. I have taken on an extremely challenging job while bearing the responsibly of adding a new member to my family. Quite the balancing act, huh? But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m learning so much about myself and my own limitation and, over these past few months, I’ve noticed that I am able to accomplish much more then I thought I could. I guess the cliche is true: “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”…and I feel like Hercules…

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January 30. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

On January 4th 2008 I became a first-time daddy to a baby girl we named Payton. Leading up to the big day I didn’t have much of a desire to watch the birth of the baby. “Are you crazy!” I heard from multiple friends and family members. “A birth of a child is the most amazing experience!” Yeah, sure. Let’s just say that I don’t do well in the presence of blood so, needless to say, they didn’t have much luck persuading me.

Leading up to the actual birth I stayed rather firm on my stance to not view the birth. Of course I fully intended to be by my wife’s side and offer any and all support that I could. My game plan was to simply drift back into the shadows of the delivery room once it became apparent that it’s “go time”.

My wife’s contractions quickly became increasingly intense. “It’s almost time” I thought to myself. As I stood there holding one of her legs up (the nurse had the other) I began to calculate the perfect time to make my exit. I soon realized that I wasn’t going to get an opportunity to leave. The baby is coming now!

Suddenly, from beneath a crisp white sheet, rose a screaming baby girl. Panic. Knowing that I had nowhere to run, I braced myself for the worse. However my apprehension was quickly subdued as I took my first glimpse of my child.

I cannot to begin to explain the feelings that rushed through my body at that moment. I was suddenly hit with in intense rush of unexpected emotion. Seeing your own child- your OWN child- is simply amazing. “Look at what we created” my wife said as we peered into each other’s glassy eyes.They were right, this is the most incredible experience and I am forever grateful that I didn’t miss it.

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