"My doctor didn't give me a good excuse to die, and wouldn't prescribe a good recreational drug. What good are doctors again? Dammitt!"
Well, a lot happened in August, and it was a terrific month. But I evaluate it as a month with much motion and little progress. Here are some highlights, followups and some things that didn't make the cut for the journal, but deserve an honorable mention anyway.
First, I guess there are no plans after all for Ernie and Bert. Oh well, TV marriages never work out anyway. Some writer someplace would have Bert cheating with Oscar or some pathetic thing before long.
I did create (in the confines of my own mental heliosphere at least) a world without debt. I wrote about some of it but it made boring reading, even for me. But I thought through the rest and, although I think it is doable and in our best interests, it isn't going to happen. 12% of our economy is based on servicing and managing debt anyway and 2.1 million people would be out of work if I got my way. So, we'll just keep digging that hole deeper and see what happens.
I didn't get around to suggesting that each of us do something to prepare for harder times. We need to learn to garden or at least plant a fruit tree. We need to learn a skill that possibly has no use now, but might in the future. I learned to make my own cigarettes.
Taxes on cigarettes are way to high. The government has decided that I shouldn't smoke, but can't pass a law banning it (damn that constitution anyway), so it's going to choke out cigarettes through taxation. This, of course, means that the smokers have to retaliate. By rolling my own cigarettes, I'm saving $22 per carton. Instead of paying $35 per carton (for the cheap cigarettes, not the real thing), I now pay around $13 for tobacco and supplies to make my own.
My doctor said everything looks normal and healthy. But I need to quit smoking, lose weight, exercise more, eat better, and I fell asleep after that. How come I have to do all of that if everything looks good? And he wouldn't prescribe a good recreational drug either, which is what I wanted. Someone really needs to invent Soma soon.
I started off the month talking about perspective. I needed an attitude change, and I knew it. I needed some 'home time' in my world with my stuff, and I took it. I need the hot weather to subside a little, and it will next month. I feel refreshed, refocused and ready for whatever next month brings.
Life is good.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
There's No Place Like Home
"Be it ever so humble."
It's almost time to wrap up August, talk about September, momentum, fall, etc. It seems like I spent June and July reaching outside of myself, my comfort zone and my world into things I know nothing about. It wasn't a total failure, and certainly can't be called successful either.
But I knew a few days before August even started that I needed to spend some time back in my world. I've read a couple of books, written a little, talked to a few friends on my level in life, made friends with my guitar again and basically had a more wonderful month than I can express.
As I've said before, it's OK to go visit the edge of the universe so long as you don't forget where home is. August, in a sound byte, was a month at home.
I have a tendency to want to draw conclusions when I write an end of the month journal entry. "Here's what I learned this month, and here's how my life is different because if it." And those conclusions are almost always wrong because I am a moving target.
If I were to write a conclusion for August, and express how I feel just now, it would be the old song, "be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."
Or I could characterize how I feel by telling the story of the guy who went to Christ and said, "Lord, my cross is too heavy." So the Lord let him choose from all of the other crosses, all lined up row by row in the space of a football field.
The poor guy walked around for hours, trying on different crosses. Bigger ones, smaller ones, lighter ones that were awkward, tiny ones that were heavy beyond measure. After hours and hours of trying them on, he finally found one that fit just right. And, of course, it's exactly the one he started with.
My life has holes in it. I know that more than most people. But I am happy with who I am, who I have become over the years, and I don't want to be anyone else or live their life.
My (probably bogus) conclusions are that it's OK that I don't fit in to the gay world very well, or at church either. I don't mind that I don't give a damn about football or that I don't think really stupid things are funny.
Overall, it's good to be me. I'm happy and having a great time.
It's almost time to wrap up August, talk about September, momentum, fall, etc. It seems like I spent June and July reaching outside of myself, my comfort zone and my world into things I know nothing about. It wasn't a total failure, and certainly can't be called successful either.
But I knew a few days before August even started that I needed to spend some time back in my world. I've read a couple of books, written a little, talked to a few friends on my level in life, made friends with my guitar again and basically had a more wonderful month than I can express.
As I've said before, it's OK to go visit the edge of the universe so long as you don't forget where home is. August, in a sound byte, was a month at home.
I have a tendency to want to draw conclusions when I write an end of the month journal entry. "Here's what I learned this month, and here's how my life is different because if it." And those conclusions are almost always wrong because I am a moving target.
If I were to write a conclusion for August, and express how I feel just now, it would be the old song, "be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."
Or I could characterize how I feel by telling the story of the guy who went to Christ and said, "Lord, my cross is too heavy." So the Lord let him choose from all of the other crosses, all lined up row by row in the space of a football field.
The poor guy walked around for hours, trying on different crosses. Bigger ones, smaller ones, lighter ones that were awkward, tiny ones that were heavy beyond measure. After hours and hours of trying them on, he finally found one that fit just right. And, of course, it's exactly the one he started with.
My life has holes in it. I know that more than most people. But I am happy with who I am, who I have become over the years, and I don't want to be anyone else or live their life.
My (probably bogus) conclusions are that it's OK that I don't fit in to the gay world very well, or at church either. I don't mind that I don't give a damn about football or that I don't think really stupid things are funny.
Overall, it's good to be me. I'm happy and having a great time.
Monday, August 29, 2011
The King Of The Forest
Once upon a time the trees of the forest decided to choose a king.
First they said to the olive tree, "Be our king!"
But the olive tree refused, saying, "Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?"
Then they said to the fig tree, "You be our king!"
But the fig tree also refused, saying,"Should I quit producing my sweet fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?"
Then they said to the grapevine, "You be our king!"
But the grapevine also refused, saying, "Should I quit producing the wine that cheers both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?"
Then all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said, "Come, you be our king!"
And the thornbush replied to the trees, "If you truly want to make me your king, come and take shelter in my shade. If not, let fire come out from me and devour all of you.”
Someone we really love becomes a king; Someone we can wrap our lives around, who recognizes and is proud of our achievements and who understands and even compensates for our shortcomings and failures, who comforts us in the evening and encourages us in the morning, and always takes our phone calls and is with us all day, and who, in the intimacy of the bedroom shows us that that we are worshiped more than we worship even our king.
No wonder we want one.
First they said to the olive tree, "Be our king!"
But the olive tree refused, saying, "Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?"
Then they said to the fig tree, "You be our king!"
But the fig tree also refused, saying,"Should I quit producing my sweet fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?"
Then they said to the grapevine, "You be our king!"
But the grapevine also refused, saying, "Should I quit producing the wine that cheers both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?"
Then all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said, "Come, you be our king!"
And the thornbush replied to the trees, "If you truly want to make me your king, come and take shelter in my shade. If not, let fire come out from me and devour all of you.”
Someone we really love becomes a king; Someone we can wrap our lives around, who recognizes and is proud of our achievements and who understands and even compensates for our shortcomings and failures, who comforts us in the evening and encourages us in the morning, and always takes our phone calls and is with us all day, and who, in the intimacy of the bedroom shows us that that we are worshiped more than we worship even our king.
No wonder we want one.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Signs From God?
"There are many more rainbows than there are earthquakes."
I wondered how long it would take for the headline grabbing televangelists and talk show hosts to begin touting the earthquake and now hurricane Irene as signs from God. It's a well documented tradition that goes back a long, long way. Sure enough, there are now some fairly prominent people playing the 'sign from God' card.
Honestly, I don't have too much of a problem with the premise itself. I think God does communicate to us through the events of life, through nature, through events over time and through signs and wonders.
The problem for me is that these guys only interpret bad things as signs from God. And we've had two of he Big Three this week on the east coast of the U.S. Storms, earthquakes and plagues are traditionally considered warning signs that God is angry and if we don't repent, he'll hit that 'SMITE' button on his keyboard, unleashing his wrath on a helpless humanity.
My contention is that it is bogus to see earthquakes, storms and disease as signs from God, but to ignore rainbows, the sunrise or springtime as just part of life. If an earthquake is a sign of God's wrath, then the rainbow must necessarily be a sign of God's faithfulness.
Those who don't believe in God attribute both to irrelevance, with the theology of "Shit Happens". They think it's ridiculous to see God behind the events of life, good or bad.
But those of us who do believe in God should learn to look for the rainbows. There are many more rainbows than there are earthquakes. God's love, hope, faithfulness, glory and providence are constantly being expressed by a universe created to reflect His presence, power and personality at every possible opportunity.
So, let's use the argument that the storm and earthquake are signs from God to read all of the signs from God, and really appreciate the sunrise, fresh fruit, the coming of fall and countless other events that teach us how wonderful He is.
Besides, if God wanted to show off, He'd probably do better than a Cat 2 hurricane or a magnitude 5.8 earthquake.
I wondered how long it would take for the headline grabbing televangelists and talk show hosts to begin touting the earthquake and now hurricane Irene as signs from God. It's a well documented tradition that goes back a long, long way. Sure enough, there are now some fairly prominent people playing the 'sign from God' card.
Honestly, I don't have too much of a problem with the premise itself. I think God does communicate to us through the events of life, through nature, through events over time and through signs and wonders.
The problem for me is that these guys only interpret bad things as signs from God. And we've had two of he Big Three this week on the east coast of the U.S. Storms, earthquakes and plagues are traditionally considered warning signs that God is angry and if we don't repent, he'll hit that 'SMITE' button on his keyboard, unleashing his wrath on a helpless humanity.
My contention is that it is bogus to see earthquakes, storms and disease as signs from God, but to ignore rainbows, the sunrise or springtime as just part of life. If an earthquake is a sign of God's wrath, then the rainbow must necessarily be a sign of God's faithfulness.
Those who don't believe in God attribute both to irrelevance, with the theology of "Shit Happens". They think it's ridiculous to see God behind the events of life, good or bad.
But those of us who do believe in God should learn to look for the rainbows. There are many more rainbows than there are earthquakes. God's love, hope, faithfulness, glory and providence are constantly being expressed by a universe created to reflect His presence, power and personality at every possible opportunity.
So, let's use the argument that the storm and earthquake are signs from God to read all of the signs from God, and really appreciate the sunrise, fresh fruit, the coming of fall and countless other events that teach us how wonderful He is.
Besides, if God wanted to show off, He'd probably do better than a Cat 2 hurricane or a magnitude 5.8 earthquake.
Friday, August 26, 2011
DADT Repurposed?
"Top Secret sources in the back of my imagination have graciously provided me with the following unused draft of a statement to be presented at the news conference concerning the recent decision to ban audible farting by United States Marines in Afghanistan. The actual story is here."
Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen.
As you are no doubt aware, the United States Armed Forces has discovered that up to $360 Million in payments to local contractors in Afghanistan was improperly diverted to the Taliban and the insurgents we have been fighting with for almost 10 years. This situation is totally unacceptable to us, as we're sure it is to the American Taxpayer. The U.S. military has taken steps to ensure that this situation does not happen again.
These steps include better verification of the identity of local contractors, improved auditing and tracking of funds dispersed and investigation of the parties involved in such activity in the past. We are committed to stimulating the economy of Afghanistan just like we stimulated the Japanese economy through the "Cash for Clunkers" program two years ago. However, we did not intend, nor will we tolerate, these stimulus dollars to be used against us.
Our intention, in typical American tradition, was to buy the friendship and loyalty of local business leaders. It appears that, at least to some extent, our good intentions have been used to thwart our efforts to bring stability and peace to the Afghan people.
Further information provided by detailed study of the situation has revealed that more than money will be required to purchase the support and loyalty of the Afghan people. Apparently, they are afraid and repulsed at ordinary events that resemble gunfire. We have identified flagellation by certain armed marines as having a negative impact on our efforts to gain the trust and support of the people.
We immediately considered an outright ban on farting by all U.S. service personnel, however, we recognize that as Americans and human beings, we are bestowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the occasional passing of gas. We recognize that marines in particular could outgrow their uniforms, gear and even vehicles if the release of gas is forbidden across the board. We abandoned the outright ban on farting altogether.
At the same time, we have a job to do and a mission to accomplish. We cannot allow activities within our purview to interfere with or jeopardize that mission. This places the military leaders in Afghanistan in a very precarious position. And, after much thought and research, we believe we have come up with a tenable solution.
We have elected, effective immediately, to treat flagellation in the same way that gays in the military were dealt with for so many years in the past. We have resurrected and repurposed DADT. We are now requiring that all U.S. Marines serving in Afghanistan take whatever action is necessary to ensure that nobody else knows when, where or to what extent they participate in the activities of flagellation. We will not ask, and we expect our servicemen and women not to tell.
Officially, we do not recognize the importance or necessity of the subject activity. Furthermore, should our members participate in such activity in a manner that makes others aware of their involvement, disciplinary action will be pursued swiftly and vigorously.
Thank You
Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen.
As you are no doubt aware, the United States Armed Forces has discovered that up to $360 Million in payments to local contractors in Afghanistan was improperly diverted to the Taliban and the insurgents we have been fighting with for almost 10 years. This situation is totally unacceptable to us, as we're sure it is to the American Taxpayer. The U.S. military has taken steps to ensure that this situation does not happen again.
These steps include better verification of the identity of local contractors, improved auditing and tracking of funds dispersed and investigation of the parties involved in such activity in the past. We are committed to stimulating the economy of Afghanistan just like we stimulated the Japanese economy through the "Cash for Clunkers" program two years ago. However, we did not intend, nor will we tolerate, these stimulus dollars to be used against us.
Our intention, in typical American tradition, was to buy the friendship and loyalty of local business leaders. It appears that, at least to some extent, our good intentions have been used to thwart our efforts to bring stability and peace to the Afghan people.
Further information provided by detailed study of the situation has revealed that more than money will be required to purchase the support and loyalty of the Afghan people. Apparently, they are afraid and repulsed at ordinary events that resemble gunfire. We have identified flagellation by certain armed marines as having a negative impact on our efforts to gain the trust and support of the people.
We immediately considered an outright ban on farting by all U.S. service personnel, however, we recognize that as Americans and human beings, we are bestowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the occasional passing of gas. We recognize that marines in particular could outgrow their uniforms, gear and even vehicles if the release of gas is forbidden across the board. We abandoned the outright ban on farting altogether.
At the same time, we have a job to do and a mission to accomplish. We cannot allow activities within our purview to interfere with or jeopardize that mission. This places the military leaders in Afghanistan in a very precarious position. And, after much thought and research, we believe we have come up with a tenable solution.
We have elected, effective immediately, to treat flagellation in the same way that gays in the military were dealt with for so many years in the past. We have resurrected and repurposed DADT. We are now requiring that all U.S. Marines serving in Afghanistan take whatever action is necessary to ensure that nobody else knows when, where or to what extent they participate in the activities of flagellation. We will not ask, and we expect our servicemen and women not to tell.
Officially, we do not recognize the importance or necessity of the subject activity. Furthermore, should our members participate in such activity in a manner that makes others aware of their involvement, disciplinary action will be pursued swiftly and vigorously.
Thank You
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Buying A House In A World Without Debt
"If I were the King of the World, I tell you what I'd do."
If I could have my world without debt, a world which could be created simply by all people and nations everywhere forgiving all debt and never allowing it again, there are some questions about how things could possibly work. Debt has become so mainstream, it is in practice the same as cash. Yet it is killing our economy. Read some of my previous posts on the subject for my logic in this area.
The first, most obvious question about how the world would work if debt was never allowed again is, "How could anyone ever buy a house?" Clearly, almost no family in America could rent a house to live in and at the same tine save enough money to pay cash for a house. Most people can't even save up enough for a decent down payment. Now, we borrow money to buy the house and pay it back monthly with interest for 30 years. If we take away the option to borrow money, almost nobody could save $120,000 to buy a nice house.
So let's take a family through buying a $120,000 house in my world. Since a house is such a big investment, and debt is forbidden, we have to have a way to buy some of the house each month. Let's do what we do now with corporations. Let's assign stock, or shares of the house, to the property. Since most people pay for a house monthly over 30 years, let's assign the number of shares to completely own the house to be 12 (payments each year) times 30 (the number of years houses are typically financed for). A house would therefore have 360 shares. If the house is worth (by consensus of the buyer and seller) $120,000, each share would be worth $333.33. (120,000/360).
Someone could buy a house over 30 years by purchasing one share each month for $333.33. Now we have to add insurance, typically $1200/year or $100 per month. And the government needs their tithe, which is typically $1500/year or $125.00 per month. So a house payment so far is $333.33 for a share of the house, plus $100 for insurance plus $125 for taxes equals $568.33, or less than 60% of what the payment would be if it was financed conventionally.
The seller doesn't really get to sell his house for $120,000 in cash, but since he doesn't have to pay a bank loan, he really doesn't need to. If he wants to, he could sell his shares in the house at a discount, and some investor could buy it at half price or something. That would be stupid, but is the seller's prerogative. Also, the seller could negotiate a down payment, or buy in, at the beginning. If the seller wants 20% down, then the buyer has to buy 72 shares of the house up front. If the seller wants to make the transaction more attractive to buyers, he may only ask for 36 shares (10%) up front. Of course the shares purchased up front would come off of the back end, so it really wouldn't take all 30 years to fully own a house. And if a buyer wanted to own a home in 15 years, he could buy 2 shares each month.
From a buyer's point of view, we know that almost nobody pays off a house. Buyers live in it for 5-7 years, pay the principle down a little, let the house appreciate in value, then sell it and buy something bigger (a fundamentally flawed plan that just happened to work while property values were inflated) In my world, since they buyer is actually buying a share of the house, if he decides to move, he can sell his shares, or maybe trade them for fewer shares in a bigger house. Possibilities are endless. And no debt is ever incurred, and not one dime is wasted in interest.
From a seller's perspective, it might be more fun to just sell the house for cash and be done. But without debt, that probably isn't going to happen. So we would have to rethink the strategic, long term goals of owning real estate. But we need to rethink that. We need to create a new world where debt has no role to play.
But my point is that if people can still buy houses in a world without debt, there's a way to do everything else too. And everyone on the planet will be better off.
If I could have my world without debt, a world which could be created simply by all people and nations everywhere forgiving all debt and never allowing it again, there are some questions about how things could possibly work. Debt has become so mainstream, it is in practice the same as cash. Yet it is killing our economy. Read some of my previous posts on the subject for my logic in this area.
The first, most obvious question about how the world would work if debt was never allowed again is, "How could anyone ever buy a house?" Clearly, almost no family in America could rent a house to live in and at the same tine save enough money to pay cash for a house. Most people can't even save up enough for a decent down payment. Now, we borrow money to buy the house and pay it back monthly with interest for 30 years. If we take away the option to borrow money, almost nobody could save $120,000 to buy a nice house.
So let's take a family through buying a $120,000 house in my world. Since a house is such a big investment, and debt is forbidden, we have to have a way to buy some of the house each month. Let's do what we do now with corporations. Let's assign stock, or shares of the house, to the property. Since most people pay for a house monthly over 30 years, let's assign the number of shares to completely own the house to be 12 (payments each year) times 30 (the number of years houses are typically financed for). A house would therefore have 360 shares. If the house is worth (by consensus of the buyer and seller) $120,000, each share would be worth $333.33. (120,000/360).
Someone could buy a house over 30 years by purchasing one share each month for $333.33. Now we have to add insurance, typically $1200/year or $100 per month. And the government needs their tithe, which is typically $1500/year or $125.00 per month. So a house payment so far is $333.33 for a share of the house, plus $100 for insurance plus $125 for taxes equals $568.33, or less than 60% of what the payment would be if it was financed conventionally.
The seller doesn't really get to sell his house for $120,000 in cash, but since he doesn't have to pay a bank loan, he really doesn't need to. If he wants to, he could sell his shares in the house at a discount, and some investor could buy it at half price or something. That would be stupid, but is the seller's prerogative. Also, the seller could negotiate a down payment, or buy in, at the beginning. If the seller wants 20% down, then the buyer has to buy 72 shares of the house up front. If the seller wants to make the transaction more attractive to buyers, he may only ask for 36 shares (10%) up front. Of course the shares purchased up front would come off of the back end, so it really wouldn't take all 30 years to fully own a house. And if a buyer wanted to own a home in 15 years, he could buy 2 shares each month.
From a buyer's point of view, we know that almost nobody pays off a house. Buyers live in it for 5-7 years, pay the principle down a little, let the house appreciate in value, then sell it and buy something bigger (a fundamentally flawed plan that just happened to work while property values were inflated) In my world, since they buyer is actually buying a share of the house, if he decides to move, he can sell his shares, or maybe trade them for fewer shares in a bigger house. Possibilities are endless. And no debt is ever incurred, and not one dime is wasted in interest.
From a seller's perspective, it might be more fun to just sell the house for cash and be done. But without debt, that probably isn't going to happen. So we would have to rethink the strategic, long term goals of owning real estate. But we need to rethink that. We need to create a new world where debt has no role to play.
But my point is that if people can still buy houses in a world without debt, there's a way to do everything else too. And everyone on the planet will be better off.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Rhythm, Meet Bryan
"There's more to playing a drum than banging on it."
Music consists of four basic components: Notes, Scales, Chords and Rhythm. As such, it is analogous to the physical universe. Notes are elements, Scales are compounds, Chords are stars, planets, continents, islands, eagles, mountains, etc. In music, a note, or even each note, in and of itself isn't very important. Music comes entirely from the relationship and energy between notes (therefore making each unimportant note important beyond description and invaluable).
All of the energy in the physical universe comes from the relationship between elements (fission, fusion), compounds (chemical reactions) and bodies (gravity, magnetism). The energy of music comes from the tension or resolution of notes, chords and scales. The analogy is so perfect, it just might be by design. If fact, if the string theory is valid, it may not be music that is analogous to the physical universe. It may be the other way around. The physical universe may consist of nothing more tangible than music.
All of the matter and energy in the universe exist and relate in the context of space and time. Rhythm is the 'space/time' of music.
Not many people will follow the reasoning above, and very few will identify with it intuitively. I met a guy this weekend on a road trip to Dallas that would.
Please meet Bryan. He's the killer cute drummer that showed my a little about the mechanics of playing the drums my nephew brought back from Zambia. He taught and I learned, then we practiced slowly at first, then faster. And as we played, we talked about the spirituality of rhythm and the drum, and the meditative value of it.
We discussed the most basic, tribal nature of the sound of the drum to the most complex structures of rhythm, and getting lost in it, energized by it and being free.
We talked about how he came to Dallas from Idaho to work, but now he just performs and builds drums for people and enjoys life.
Sometimes people who seem free are basically flakes. Sometimes freedom gets confused with just plain old lost and disoriented. Sometimes 'free' is just a euphemism for 'weird'. And some people who think they're free are so deeply entangled in the snares of life they wouldn't know freedom if it kissed them on the mouth.
But Bryan had a countenance about him that I found to be unique and appealing. I very much enjoyed meeting him and talking for a few minutes. It was just another chance encounter with one of God's miracles of the human race, and I am very happy to have had the pleasure of participating in it.
So let me use my blog as an opportunity to wish Bryan the very best in life, and that life would unfold for him for his highest good and deepest joy. God Bless You, my friend. Keep the Rhythm.
Music consists of four basic components: Notes, Scales, Chords and Rhythm. As such, it is analogous to the physical universe. Notes are elements, Scales are compounds, Chords are stars, planets, continents, islands, eagles, mountains, etc. In music, a note, or even each note, in and of itself isn't very important. Music comes entirely from the relationship and energy between notes (therefore making each unimportant note important beyond description and invaluable).
All of the energy in the physical universe comes from the relationship between elements (fission, fusion), compounds (chemical reactions) and bodies (gravity, magnetism). The energy of music comes from the tension or resolution of notes, chords and scales. The analogy is so perfect, it just might be by design. If fact, if the string theory is valid, it may not be music that is analogous to the physical universe. It may be the other way around. The physical universe may consist of nothing more tangible than music.
All of the matter and energy in the universe exist and relate in the context of space and time. Rhythm is the 'space/time' of music.
Not many people will follow the reasoning above, and very few will identify with it intuitively. I met a guy this weekend on a road trip to Dallas that would.
We discussed the most basic, tribal nature of the sound of the drum to the most complex structures of rhythm, and getting lost in it, energized by it and being free.
We talked about how he came to Dallas from Idaho to work, but now he just performs and builds drums for people and enjoys life.
Sometimes people who seem free are basically flakes. Sometimes freedom gets confused with just plain old lost and disoriented. Sometimes 'free' is just a euphemism for 'weird'. And some people who think they're free are so deeply entangled in the snares of life they wouldn't know freedom if it kissed them on the mouth.
But Bryan had a countenance about him that I found to be unique and appealing. I very much enjoyed meeting him and talking for a few minutes. It was just another chance encounter with one of God's miracles of the human race, and I am very happy to have had the pleasure of participating in it.
So let me use my blog as an opportunity to wish Bryan the very best in life, and that life would unfold for him for his highest good and deepest joy. God Bless You, my friend. Keep the Rhythm.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
What Would A World Without Debt Look Like?
"People had houses, kids and emergencies long before they had credit cards."
Not that it will ever happen without total economic collapse and chaos, but I've been thinking lately about what the world would look like if we somehow managed to slay the dragon called debt. Debt is so entrenched in our culture now, just like cell phones and Internet radio, it would be a very traumatic process to get it out.
And there are situations that need exactly what debt provides, which is a way to have an outcome now and make the investment that generates that outcome later.
For example, without debt (uh-um, financing) instruments, how would anyone be able to buy a car or a house? How would someone receive urgent and expensive medical treatment? What about the couple that finds out a child is coming, with all of the joy, healthcare expense and living adjustments that come with it? How about a college student whose parents are too well off to qualify for financial aid but too poor to foot the college bills?
It seems like there are times when debt is not only necessary, but absolutely advantageous. Thank God we can drive a new car and pay for it monthly. Isn't this a good thing?
Like any drug or substance to which human beings become addicted, debt has certain undeniable advantages. The same could be said of anything to which people are addicted. The addict can always justify his actions, and assign value to whatever self destructive behavior he chooses to engage in. Debt is no different.
So, over the next few days and subject to issues that I find more interesting, more exciting or more plausible, I want to address the standard reasons why debt is important. These are Buying a House, Pregnancy, Medical Emergencies/Illness, Transportation and Education. If I can maintain my interest in it long enough to get through those, there are also business issues like the electric company building new power plants, or investment in new telecommunication infrastructures, etc.
I think there are ways of accomplishing all of these without debt. I want to see if I can outline reasonable plans for doing so that make sense. But whether I can or not, debt needs to be destroyed in our culture just like prejudice, intolerance, child abuse and political corruption. Who knows, this might even be fun.
Not that it will ever happen without total economic collapse and chaos, but I've been thinking lately about what the world would look like if we somehow managed to slay the dragon called debt. Debt is so entrenched in our culture now, just like cell phones and Internet radio, it would be a very traumatic process to get it out.
And there are situations that need exactly what debt provides, which is a way to have an outcome now and make the investment that generates that outcome later.
For example, without debt (uh-um, financing) instruments, how would anyone be able to buy a car or a house? How would someone receive urgent and expensive medical treatment? What about the couple that finds out a child is coming, with all of the joy, healthcare expense and living adjustments that come with it? How about a college student whose parents are too well off to qualify for financial aid but too poor to foot the college bills?
It seems like there are times when debt is not only necessary, but absolutely advantageous. Thank God we can drive a new car and pay for it monthly. Isn't this a good thing?
Like any drug or substance to which human beings become addicted, debt has certain undeniable advantages. The same could be said of anything to which people are addicted. The addict can always justify his actions, and assign value to whatever self destructive behavior he chooses to engage in. Debt is no different.
So, over the next few days and subject to issues that I find more interesting, more exciting or more plausible, I want to address the standard reasons why debt is important. These are Buying a House, Pregnancy, Medical Emergencies/Illness, Transportation and Education. If I can maintain my interest in it long enough to get through those, there are also business issues like the electric company building new power plants, or investment in new telecommunication infrastructures, etc.
I think there are ways of accomplishing all of these without debt. I want to see if I can outline reasonable plans for doing so that make sense. But whether I can or not, debt needs to be destroyed in our culture just like prejudice, intolerance, child abuse and political corruption. Who knows, this might even be fun.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Road Trip
"I finally got some time with a cute drummer."
After church Sunday, I got a call from my bro. He decided to take the whole family down to Dallas to surprise my niece and take her to dinner. He invited me to tag along. I thought the trip sounded fun, but didn't really want to ride in the back seat of a mini van with the kids for a total of seven hours. Besides I wanted to be back today. So I drove my own car.
And it turned out to be a great day. I had seven hours of quiet road time. I didn't even turn on the radio. The weather wasn't too hot until just north of Dallas, I drove back at night, and it was cool enough to open the sunroof, turn off the AC and get some fresh air.
We had dinner at Gloria's, my favorite place in Dallas. Funny thing about favorite out of town restaurants. Once you have a favorite, it's hard for another place to top it because you always go to your favorite. Anyway, it may not be the best place to eat in Dallas, but it's my favorite, and I really enjoyed it.
The location we went to was at someplace called The Harbor. There are a bunch of restaurants, shops, a cool cigar bar and a bunch of other things I would have liked to explore, but it didn't work out. Maybe I'll go back there someday and poke around by myself.
But there was a huge water fountain for the kids to play in, and they did. Nearby, there were some sidewalk musicians. A group of drummers was playing. So I finally got some time with a cute drummer. He gave me a lesson in playing the African drums like my nephew brought back from Zambia. Turns out, he's a pretty cool guy all around. I'll write more about him when I get his pic from my sister in law.
The drive back was just wonderful. At night, cool, quiet, no traffic and uneventful. It's hard to believe that I used to live like this, driving all night, working all day, etc. It's been a while since I spent that much time in a car in one day, but I did fine.
The world has developed two things in particular since my driving days that really make a hell of a difference. The first is a GPS. Man, my life would have been so much better with one of those back in the day. That sucker worked perfectly, got me where I was going and home with zero stress. The second is Red Bull. I didn't get home until 2:30 AM, and it would have been harder without an energy drink.
You gotta love progress. And nothing tops a spontaneous road trip once in a while.
After church Sunday, I got a call from my bro. He decided to take the whole family down to Dallas to surprise my niece and take her to dinner. He invited me to tag along. I thought the trip sounded fun, but didn't really want to ride in the back seat of a mini van with the kids for a total of seven hours. Besides I wanted to be back today. So I drove my own car.
And it turned out to be a great day. I had seven hours of quiet road time. I didn't even turn on the radio. The weather wasn't too hot until just north of Dallas, I drove back at night, and it was cool enough to open the sunroof, turn off the AC and get some fresh air.
We had dinner at Gloria's, my favorite place in Dallas. Funny thing about favorite out of town restaurants. Once you have a favorite, it's hard for another place to top it because you always go to your favorite. Anyway, it may not be the best place to eat in Dallas, but it's my favorite, and I really enjoyed it.
The location we went to was at someplace called The Harbor. There are a bunch of restaurants, shops, a cool cigar bar and a bunch of other things I would have liked to explore, but it didn't work out. Maybe I'll go back there someday and poke around by myself.
But there was a huge water fountain for the kids to play in, and they did. Nearby, there were some sidewalk musicians. A group of drummers was playing. So I finally got some time with a cute drummer. He gave me a lesson in playing the African drums like my nephew brought back from Zambia. Turns out, he's a pretty cool guy all around. I'll write more about him when I get his pic from my sister in law.
The drive back was just wonderful. At night, cool, quiet, no traffic and uneventful. It's hard to believe that I used to live like this, driving all night, working all day, etc. It's been a while since I spent that much time in a car in one day, but I did fine.
The world has developed two things in particular since my driving days that really make a hell of a difference. The first is a GPS. Man, my life would have been so much better with one of those back in the day. That sucker worked perfectly, got me where I was going and home with zero stress. The second is Red Bull. I didn't get home until 2:30 AM, and it would have been harder without an energy drink.
You gotta love progress. And nothing tops a spontaneous road trip once in a while.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Debt is Always an Asset
"So what happens if all debt is dissolved, all at once, all over the world?"
There is an important concept we need to understand about debt. To the one in debt, it is a liability. But that liability is someone else's asset. If I owe you a thousand dollars, for me that's a liability. For you, that thousand dollars is an asset.
The opposite is also true. If I have a thousand dollars in the bank, to me that's an asset. To the bank, it is a liability. In effect, the bank is in debt to me for a thousand dollars. (Off the subject, it is strange that if I borrow from the bank they charge 10% or more to loan me money. If I loan money to the bank, they charge me monthly service charges and fees. Hmmm.)
So, if I file bankruptcy, default on debt, die without paying it back or for any other reason cannot repay my debt, the asset that someone else owns becomes worthless.
Remember that the definition of a recession is that all assets lose value. What if only one asset, namely debt, looses its value. All of a sudden, nobody owes anybody any money. The liability that is dragging our economy into recession, for individuals and governments alike, is suddenly and arbitrarily erased across the board.
Who would lose? China. And they would be mad as hell, but what can they do? They still need to sell us stuff to keep up their income stream. If they get too mad, they would lose both the asset and the income. They would hate it (and I would too if I were them), but remember the medicine that tastes bad? It will be good for everyone in the end - even China.
What about the banks? They would lose, but not too much. They don't loan their own money, they don't even loan their customers' money. They loan borrowed money. They make their money on the spread between their cost to borrow money vs. their revenue from loaning it out. If all debt is erased, their asset is worthless, but so is their liability.
And where do banks borrow money? From the government, specifically from the Federal Reserve. So the government loses its debt asset. But it also looses its debt liability. The government wins there, hands down. So does the American (European, Japanese, etc.) taxpayer.
Debt is such an entrenched part of our culture that everyone borrows from everyone, and everyone owes everyone. If we stop the game, nobody wins. But nobody really loses either. And we would have to commit, as part of the deal, to never playing that game again.
There you have it. The solution to all of the economic woes of our generation. Forgive all debt for all people everywhere, and never allow debt to happen again. It's coming anyway. The U.S. government can't pay its debt on a long term basis and handle current expenses. Neither can the average American. If we allow evolution to accomplish this simple plan, a whole lot of people get eaten by the process. If we do it on purpose, across the board, all at once, it will be much easier.
And then we can live again as a free people. Hell, we might even be able to afford healthcare.
There is an important concept we need to understand about debt. To the one in debt, it is a liability. But that liability is someone else's asset. If I owe you a thousand dollars, for me that's a liability. For you, that thousand dollars is an asset.
The opposite is also true. If I have a thousand dollars in the bank, to me that's an asset. To the bank, it is a liability. In effect, the bank is in debt to me for a thousand dollars. (Off the subject, it is strange that if I borrow from the bank they charge 10% or more to loan me money. If I loan money to the bank, they charge me monthly service charges and fees. Hmmm.)
So, if I file bankruptcy, default on debt, die without paying it back or for any other reason cannot repay my debt, the asset that someone else owns becomes worthless.
Remember that the definition of a recession is that all assets lose value. What if only one asset, namely debt, looses its value. All of a sudden, nobody owes anybody any money. The liability that is dragging our economy into recession, for individuals and governments alike, is suddenly and arbitrarily erased across the board.
Who would lose? China. And they would be mad as hell, but what can they do? They still need to sell us stuff to keep up their income stream. If they get too mad, they would lose both the asset and the income. They would hate it (and I would too if I were them), but remember the medicine that tastes bad? It will be good for everyone in the end - even China.
What about the banks? They would lose, but not too much. They don't loan their own money, they don't even loan their customers' money. They loan borrowed money. They make their money on the spread between their cost to borrow money vs. their revenue from loaning it out. If all debt is erased, their asset is worthless, but so is their liability.
And where do banks borrow money? From the government, specifically from the Federal Reserve. So the government loses its debt asset. But it also looses its debt liability. The government wins there, hands down. So does the American (European, Japanese, etc.) taxpayer.
Debt is such an entrenched part of our culture that everyone borrows from everyone, and everyone owes everyone. If we stop the game, nobody wins. But nobody really loses either. And we would have to commit, as part of the deal, to never playing that game again.
There you have it. The solution to all of the economic woes of our generation. Forgive all debt for all people everywhere, and never allow debt to happen again. It's coming anyway. The U.S. government can't pay its debt on a long term basis and handle current expenses. Neither can the average American. If we allow evolution to accomplish this simple plan, a whole lot of people get eaten by the process. If we do it on purpose, across the board, all at once, it will be much easier.
And then we can live again as a free people. Hell, we might even be able to afford healthcare.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Is A Recession Good Medicine?
"Talk about your miracles, Talk about your faith
My dad he could make things grow out of Indiana clay
Mom could make a gourmet meal out of just cornbread and beans
And they worked to give faith hands and feet and somehow gave it wings."
First, I am not one of those who thinks the sky is falling economically, or that life as we know it is eminently coming to an end. As signs of recession come back into play and the government is pretty much out of play this time because of its own debt situation, I think there are some really good potential outcomes to all of this.
One of those outcomes is a simpler, less stressful, more sincere lifestyle. I think most of us inherently know that the path we're on, as a nation as well as individually for most of us, is unsustainable. Speaking in generalities, most Americans work harder to make more money so they can borrow more so they can have more. Those who can't borrow are really at a disadvantage, to the point of being marginalized in today's society. Hell, you can't even get a decent job without a respectable FICO score.
I don't think the sky is falling, but I do think some adjustments are coming and are warranted. It's like medicine that tastes bad, but is good for us. We're not going to take it voluntarily, so it's going to hurt more than it needs to. But in the end, the medicine will do it's job and life will be better.
Debt is to the economy what booze is to the alcoholic.
We're addicted to debt. We've got so much of it we'll never be able to pay it back. It will kill our economy. The addiction has to be broken, and prevented from here on. And it is in our best interests to break this addiction across the board, from governments to individuals.We'll be better off when it's done.
I've been pretty deep in debt for the past 25 years. Each decision I made to incur more debt was appropriate at the time, and made good sense. But the result is bad. I'm not alone. In fact, I'm better off than most people. I'm better off than our government because I can service my debt without making up money that doesn't really exist, and my budget is balanced. But I'm 15 or 20 years from being out of debt if things stay the way they are now, assuming that I don't face any really big necessary but unexpected expenses.
I can't help but think that the house of cards needs to fall down, and the it will eventually be a good thing.
But there is a huge downside that has to be addressed first.
My dad he could make things grow out of Indiana clay
Mom could make a gourmet meal out of just cornbread and beans
And they worked to give faith hands and feet and somehow gave it wings."
First, I am not one of those who thinks the sky is falling economically, or that life as we know it is eminently coming to an end. As signs of recession come back into play and the government is pretty much out of play this time because of its own debt situation, I think there are some really good potential outcomes to all of this.
One of those outcomes is a simpler, less stressful, more sincere lifestyle. I think most of us inherently know that the path we're on, as a nation as well as individually for most of us, is unsustainable. Speaking in generalities, most Americans work harder to make more money so they can borrow more so they can have more. Those who can't borrow are really at a disadvantage, to the point of being marginalized in today's society. Hell, you can't even get a decent job without a respectable FICO score.
I don't think the sky is falling, but I do think some adjustments are coming and are warranted. It's like medicine that tastes bad, but is good for us. We're not going to take it voluntarily, so it's going to hurt more than it needs to. But in the end, the medicine will do it's job and life will be better.
Debt is to the economy what booze is to the alcoholic.
We're addicted to debt. We've got so much of it we'll never be able to pay it back. It will kill our economy. The addiction has to be broken, and prevented from here on. And it is in our best interests to break this addiction across the board, from governments to individuals.We'll be better off when it's done.
I've been pretty deep in debt for the past 25 years. Each decision I made to incur more debt was appropriate at the time, and made good sense. But the result is bad. I'm not alone. In fact, I'm better off than most people. I'm better off than our government because I can service my debt without making up money that doesn't really exist, and my budget is balanced. But I'm 15 or 20 years from being out of debt if things stay the way they are now, assuming that I don't face any really big necessary but unexpected expenses.
I can't help but think that the house of cards needs to fall down, and the it will eventually be a good thing.
But there is a huge downside that has to be addressed first.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Aw, Man, Not Another Recession
"Anybody see $3 Trillion laying around?"
Well, I started to write about money and the market yesterday, but chose something I'm more interested in instead. Had I written about the market yesterday, the post would have been about not trusting the rally of the past few days.
Sure enough, the market dropped a bunch yesterday...again. It closed under 11,000. For those having trouble with the practical application of the market swings, look at it this way. Folks who had $125,000 in a retirement account around the beginning of August on average only have around $111,000 right now. Translating the point drop to dollars, in really round numbers, 500 points is $1 Trillion. So the 1500 point drop in the Dow represents around $3 Trillion that has simply evaporated since August 1.
The markets are pretty strongly predicting another recession. During the last recession, the Dow briefly dropped as low as 8,000. It climbed back to 12,500 mostly in hope, not data. The market hoped that throwing a trillion dollars at the recession would have some impact. The market hoped that unemployment would ease, people would start buying houses again, income tax revenues would rise (because people made more money, not because tax rates increase), Europe would experience similar results and energy prices would be more reasonable.
Instead the market got a bunch of currency manipulation by China, the U.S. Treasury buying back its own debt with made up money, a pretty ineffective stimulus package (unless you're a big bank or car company), absolutely no good news from Europe, a credit downgrade for the U.S. and now a recession warning from another well respected economic fortune teller.
The markets are expecting rough waters ahead as the hope becomes more like wishful thinking. It is pricing equities accordingly. But there are two things the markets can't factor in because they haven't been seen before and nobody knows what their impact will be.
The first is the inability of governments to repay its debt. We skirted around this issue on a federal level for now, but several European countries, a few individual states and a whole big bunch of municipalities haven't been able to. For the markets, this is scary.
Second, if we do enter another recession, the government is just not in a position to throw another trillion or few dollars at it this time. Additional debt is as harmful as the recession at this point. The markets know that the government can't buy its way out of another recession, but can't possibly know what the actual impact of that situation will be.
So What? What's the take-home here, except to be all negative and depressed about the economy?
I think that's what I want to focus on for a while in my thoughts and therefore in my journal. I think there are some things we can do to prepare for and at least survive, if not prosper, should fears of a recession that the government can't fight come to fruition.
Well, I started to write about money and the market yesterday, but chose something I'm more interested in instead. Had I written about the market yesterday, the post would have been about not trusting the rally of the past few days.
Sure enough, the market dropped a bunch yesterday...again. It closed under 11,000. For those having trouble with the practical application of the market swings, look at it this way. Folks who had $125,000 in a retirement account around the beginning of August on average only have around $111,000 right now. Translating the point drop to dollars, in really round numbers, 500 points is $1 Trillion. So the 1500 point drop in the Dow represents around $3 Trillion that has simply evaporated since August 1.
The markets are pretty strongly predicting another recession. During the last recession, the Dow briefly dropped as low as 8,000. It climbed back to 12,500 mostly in hope, not data. The market hoped that throwing a trillion dollars at the recession would have some impact. The market hoped that unemployment would ease, people would start buying houses again, income tax revenues would rise (because people made more money, not because tax rates increase), Europe would experience similar results and energy prices would be more reasonable.
Instead the market got a bunch of currency manipulation by China, the U.S. Treasury buying back its own debt with made up money, a pretty ineffective stimulus package (unless you're a big bank or car company), absolutely no good news from Europe, a credit downgrade for the U.S. and now a recession warning from another well respected economic fortune teller.
The markets are expecting rough waters ahead as the hope becomes more like wishful thinking. It is pricing equities accordingly. But there are two things the markets can't factor in because they haven't been seen before and nobody knows what their impact will be.
The first is the inability of governments to repay its debt. We skirted around this issue on a federal level for now, but several European countries, a few individual states and a whole big bunch of municipalities haven't been able to. For the markets, this is scary.
Second, if we do enter another recession, the government is just not in a position to throw another trillion or few dollars at it this time. Additional debt is as harmful as the recession at this point. The markets know that the government can't buy its way out of another recession, but can't possibly know what the actual impact of that situation will be.
So What? What's the take-home here, except to be all negative and depressed about the economy?
I think that's what I want to focus on for a while in my thoughts and therefore in my journal. I think there are some things we can do to prepare for and at least survive, if not prosper, should fears of a recession that the government can't fight come to fruition.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
"From" and "To"
"The sheep will know the Master's voice."
I am not a good evangelist. I am a strong Christian, and believe emphatically in the Christian story and worldview. But I don't think the tactics I've seen in protestant evangelical churches all of my life are particularly effective or valuable.
Sure, if you scare the crap out of a bunch of kids by telling them how terrible hell will be and that they are gonna go there if they don't say the magic words and do what you tell them to, you're gonna get a few that submit.
In generations past, many were bullied into Christianity because of the political or military power of the Church. But I question whether any of those 'blessed converts' actually benefited from that experience, or were changed in any positive way.
The fancy words and car salesman promises of today's mega-churches are just about as bad. They get attention, and people flock to the message (and give lots of money). But are they really changed? Or are they just being manipulated in the same way that they are manipulated by politicians, marketing campaigns and a biased news media?
So, for the consideration and contemplation of those who are evangelists, I have a thought to share:
Evangelism by definition is leading people to Christ. My contention is that the difference between the manipulative types of evangelism referenced above and genuine, life changing evangelism is that the real thing understands the concept of leading people to Christ from wherever they are in life.
Manipulative evangelism doesn't really care. It just needs to achieve a certain outcome; A conversion, a donation, etc.
Genuine evangelism is more concerned with where someone is in life today, sharing how Christ can make a difference in their circumstances now, and introducing them to His life changing power in a way that is relevant, effective and tangible. If God is involved in the event, people will perceive it and God will do His own magic. It may never make headlines, or be counted in the Sunday School report, but a new creation will take place, and a life will be changed forever.
A couple of days ago, I read a few posts on a blog that asserted that God has been replaced in our churches by Tolerance. That Tolerance is our new God. Shaking my head, I read one opinion that dogmatic intolerance and non-negotiable, take-it-or-leave-it proclamation of the traditional gospel is the only way the church in America will survive.
I think just the opposite is true. Until the Church is willing to come down from the pulpit, embrace people where they are in life without dissecting and judging them to death, and show them how Christ can make a difference in their lives, I think that Church will become less and less relevant.
I wish I was better at doing that. I wish my efforts in that area had been more effective in the past.
If I could figure out how to do that right, I'd probably be a pretty good evangelist.
I am not a good evangelist. I am a strong Christian, and believe emphatically in the Christian story and worldview. But I don't think the tactics I've seen in protestant evangelical churches all of my life are particularly effective or valuable.
Sure, if you scare the crap out of a bunch of kids by telling them how terrible hell will be and that they are gonna go there if they don't say the magic words and do what you tell them to, you're gonna get a few that submit.
In generations past, many were bullied into Christianity because of the political or military power of the Church. But I question whether any of those 'blessed converts' actually benefited from that experience, or were changed in any positive way.
The fancy words and car salesman promises of today's mega-churches are just about as bad. They get attention, and people flock to the message (and give lots of money). But are they really changed? Or are they just being manipulated in the same way that they are manipulated by politicians, marketing campaigns and a biased news media?
So, for the consideration and contemplation of those who are evangelists, I have a thought to share:
Evangelism by definition is leading people to Christ. My contention is that the difference between the manipulative types of evangelism referenced above and genuine, life changing evangelism is that the real thing understands the concept of leading people to Christ from wherever they are in life.
Manipulative evangelism doesn't really care. It just needs to achieve a certain outcome; A conversion, a donation, etc.
Genuine evangelism is more concerned with where someone is in life today, sharing how Christ can make a difference in their circumstances now, and introducing them to His life changing power in a way that is relevant, effective and tangible. If God is involved in the event, people will perceive it and God will do His own magic. It may never make headlines, or be counted in the Sunday School report, but a new creation will take place, and a life will be changed forever.
A couple of days ago, I read a few posts on a blog that asserted that God has been replaced in our churches by Tolerance. That Tolerance is our new God. Shaking my head, I read one opinion that dogmatic intolerance and non-negotiable, take-it-or-leave-it proclamation of the traditional gospel is the only way the church in America will survive.
I think just the opposite is true. Until the Church is willing to come down from the pulpit, embrace people where they are in life without dissecting and judging them to death, and show them how Christ can make a difference in their lives, I think that Church will become less and less relevant.
I wish I was better at doing that. I wish my efforts in that area had been more effective in the past.
If I could figure out how to do that right, I'd probably be a pretty good evangelist.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Fallacy of the Dissected Cat
"Is it really possible to overthink things?"
We have a couple of new kitty cats running around the office thanks to my bro and family taking a few days away. For a time yesterday, we sat around enjoying their first encounter with a box full of styrofoam peanuts used for packing things. They played for the longest time. It was cool.
It reminded me of the story of a college biology class that dissected a cat as a class project. The class learned about the organs, muscles, systems, bone structure and a hundred other things about cats. By extension, they learned about human anatomy and about how things work.
They studied the cat from the inside out, and learned the names and functions of all kinds of things. They began to understand the relationship between the different parts and systems of the body. Although the subject was a cat, the object was everybody, animal and human. It is a great journey into scientific and biologic truth and knowledge. The result is a deeper, more solid understanding of how life works.
To this point, it is a very educational and productive experience for everyone except the poor cat. But the fallacy occurs right at the end when the professor closes out the last lecture by saying,
If we want to know what a cat is, we need to observe one stretching and basking in the morning sun, or playing with a yarn ball, or chasing a mouse, or defending itself against an overbearing, obnoxious dog, or obsessively cleaning itself. The essence of a cat is not learnable through dissection, but only through observation, just as the essence of words are not found in their denotation, but in their connotation.
We spend so much time criticizing, judging and dissecting each other you'd think we were all college professors teaching biology classes and dissecting cats. And we spend entirely too much time dissecting ourselves.
We need to live. We need to let each other live. We need to observe and enjoy the quirky characteristics of people around us without dissecting them. We need to understand that God is not dissecting us, but instead he encourages us to see him in every situation, in every person and in every cat.
I'm not trying to devalue science, education, criticism, study or any such thing. I just think that sometimes we (I) overthink things to the point that we (um...I again) miss the whole point. I don't think I want to do that anymore.
We have a couple of new kitty cats running around the office thanks to my bro and family taking a few days away. For a time yesterday, we sat around enjoying their first encounter with a box full of styrofoam peanuts used for packing things. They played for the longest time. It was cool.
It reminded me of the story of a college biology class that dissected a cat as a class project. The class learned about the organs, muscles, systems, bone structure and a hundred other things about cats. By extension, they learned about human anatomy and about how things work.
They studied the cat from the inside out, and learned the names and functions of all kinds of things. They began to understand the relationship between the different parts and systems of the body. Although the subject was a cat, the object was everybody, animal and human. It is a great journey into scientific and biologic truth and knowledge. The result is a deeper, more solid understanding of how life works.
To this point, it is a very educational and productive experience for everyone except the poor cat. But the fallacy occurs right at the end when the professor closes out the last lecture by saying,
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a cat."The fallacy is that a cat is not a collection of bones, tissues and organs that the class learned about. These things do not make a cat. We will never understand cats by looking at them from this perspective.
If we want to know what a cat is, we need to observe one stretching and basking in the morning sun, or playing with a yarn ball, or chasing a mouse, or defending itself against an overbearing, obnoxious dog, or obsessively cleaning itself. The essence of a cat is not learnable through dissection, but only through observation, just as the essence of words are not found in their denotation, but in their connotation.
We spend so much time criticizing, judging and dissecting each other you'd think we were all college professors teaching biology classes and dissecting cats. And we spend entirely too much time dissecting ourselves.
We need to live. We need to let each other live. We need to observe and enjoy the quirky characteristics of people around us without dissecting them. We need to understand that God is not dissecting us, but instead he encourages us to see him in every situation, in every person and in every cat.
I'm not trying to devalue science, education, criticism, study or any such thing. I just think that sometimes we (I) overthink things to the point that we (um...I again) miss the whole point. I don't think I want to do that anymore.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I Think I Need A Good Recreational Drug
"They say life's turning points include graduating high school, getting married, having your first child and your first hit of LSD."
Today I'm going in for my yearly physical. My last yearly physical was in 2004, so I guess it's about time. Since 'Butt Ugly' is not really a medical condition, and STD's only occur in patients having 'S', I can't really think of any particular reason that I'm going just now or what I'm supposed to tell the Dr when he wants to know what's wrong with me. But I am getting older, and surely if he looks close enough, he'll find something.
I'm sure I'll sit through yet another passionate chewing out about the dire consequences of smoking. And I'll try not to point out that it's only slightly less healthy to smoke than to be hooked on all those antidepressants these guys pass out like candy to everyone else on the planet (so long as one has insurance). Dr's don't like to hear that, even though they know the premise is not invalid.
I'm sure my cholesterol is too high. Isn't everyone's? I think high cholesterol and stinky feet are two traits that almost everybody shares. My blood pressure isn't too high, and shouldn't be a problem so long as I don't spend too much time around my younger niece and nephews - and customers pay their bills on time at work.
I'm not obese, just too fat. The solution to that problem is 'move more, eat less', and I'm gonna start doing that first thing day after tomorrow. Except for the additional motion required and the absence of so many calories, I shouldn't have too much trouble with it.
What I'd really like to have is what most other people get from a few drinks. I want to think stupid things are funny, believe that everyone likes me and know what it's like to be 10 ft tall and bulletproof. Alcohol for the most part just makes me sleepy and gives me a headache. What's my second choice?
Are you allowed to ask your Dr that? I guess I'll find out in a couple of hours.
Today I'm going in for my yearly physical. My last yearly physical was in 2004, so I guess it's about time. Since 'Butt Ugly' is not really a medical condition, and STD's only occur in patients having 'S', I can't really think of any particular reason that I'm going just now or what I'm supposed to tell the Dr when he wants to know what's wrong with me. But I am getting older, and surely if he looks close enough, he'll find something.
I'm sure I'll sit through yet another passionate chewing out about the dire consequences of smoking. And I'll try not to point out that it's only slightly less healthy to smoke than to be hooked on all those antidepressants these guys pass out like candy to everyone else on the planet (so long as one has insurance). Dr's don't like to hear that, even though they know the premise is not invalid.
I'm sure my cholesterol is too high. Isn't everyone's? I think high cholesterol and stinky feet are two traits that almost everybody shares. My blood pressure isn't too high, and shouldn't be a problem so long as I don't spend too much time around my younger niece and nephews - and customers pay their bills on time at work.
I'm not obese, just too fat. The solution to that problem is 'move more, eat less', and I'm gonna start doing that first thing day after tomorrow. Except for the additional motion required and the absence of so many calories, I shouldn't have too much trouble with it.
What I'd really like to have is what most other people get from a few drinks. I want to think stupid things are funny, believe that everyone likes me and know what it's like to be 10 ft tall and bulletproof. Alcohol for the most part just makes me sleepy and gives me a headache. What's my second choice?
Are you allowed to ask your Dr that? I guess I'll find out in a couple of hours.
Monday, August 15, 2011
My First Blog Mulligan
"There's a first time for everything."
Well, I get to start the week by doing something I haven't done before. I'm taking a 'do over' on a thought I tried to write about this weekend, but just didn't say what I wanted to say. So I actually deleted the post. Hopefully nobody read it.
But it's hard. I said something Friday that I absolutely, totally believe, which is that God loves us. He's not looking for an opportunity to 'smite' us. He's looking for an opportunity to connect with us wherever we are in life.
At the same time, I quite possibly implied something I very much don't believe. The danger in Friday's post, and the mindset that God loves me just the way I am, is that I don't have to change.
So I tried to explain how God could love us just as we are, but expect us to change and become something we are not. I know, it sounds mutually exclusive. Either he loves us the way we are, and we shouldn't need to change. Or he loves what we can be and is willing to help us get there, but he doesn't really love who we are now.
Hmmm. I suppose I should leave complicated issues like this to theologians and people smarter than I am. (But, of course, I won't.)
So I promise to regroup and take another whack at it someday soon.
In the mean time, I found yet another benefit to blogging, which is the "Delete" option on the "Edit Posts" tab. I wish it were that simple in real life. There are several mulligans I wish I could take.
Well, I get to start the week by doing something I haven't done before. I'm taking a 'do over' on a thought I tried to write about this weekend, but just didn't say what I wanted to say. So I actually deleted the post. Hopefully nobody read it.
But it's hard. I said something Friday that I absolutely, totally believe, which is that God loves us. He's not looking for an opportunity to 'smite' us. He's looking for an opportunity to connect with us wherever we are in life.
At the same time, I quite possibly implied something I very much don't believe. The danger in Friday's post, and the mindset that God loves me just the way I am, is that I don't have to change.
So I tried to explain how God could love us just as we are, but expect us to change and become something we are not. I know, it sounds mutually exclusive. Either he loves us the way we are, and we shouldn't need to change. Or he loves what we can be and is willing to help us get there, but he doesn't really love who we are now.
Hmmm. I suppose I should leave complicated issues like this to theologians and people smarter than I am. (But, of course, I won't.)
So I promise to regroup and take another whack at it someday soon.
In the mean time, I found yet another benefit to blogging, which is the "Delete" option on the "Edit Posts" tab. I wish it were that simple in real life. There are several mulligans I wish I could take.
Friday, August 12, 2011
The "SMITE" Button
"There is no such button on God's keyboard."
I saw this pic on a T-Shirt years ago. I thought it was hilarious then. To some extent, this is the picture of God that used to be presented by evangelistic churches, especially Baptists. If you prayed the magic prayer and felt bad about yourself (and tithe regularly, of course), you were safe.
But if you didn't...POW! You could expect to be smitten at any moment. God is always watching, just waiting for us to screw up, finger on the "SMITE" button. "That'll teach 'em."
And don't worry. If God is a little slow on the smiting end of things, the Church is there to be His messenger, His hands on earth. "God, we've got your back. We'll stand against all evil and all evil people."
I'm so glad the church has overall figured out that this picture of God just isn't the right one. God didn't create us to destroy us. He's not the enemy. As the creator of the universe and the source of our existence, he is ready and anxious to help us understand our destiny in that context and grow into everything he envisioned us to be before he created anything at all.
But somehow, for some strange reason, many people still live as if doom is imminent. Whether it is God punching the 'smite' button or just bad luck, they walk through life as if they are waiting for something really bad to happen. To people with this mindset, even good things can't really be enjoyed because they're "waiting for the other shoe to drop".
That's a hard way to live, and so easy to change. We need to understand that bad things happen now and then, and there's no way around it. But we also need to understand that we are created in a spirit of joy by a loving and competent father who intends good things for us, now in this life and also in the context of eternity.
Life really is good.
I saw this pic on a T-Shirt years ago. I thought it was hilarious then. To some extent, this is the picture of God that used to be presented by evangelistic churches, especially Baptists. If you prayed the magic prayer and felt bad about yourself (and tithe regularly, of course), you were safe.
And don't worry. If God is a little slow on the smiting end of things, the Church is there to be His messenger, His hands on earth. "God, we've got your back. We'll stand against all evil and all evil people."
I'm so glad the church has overall figured out that this picture of God just isn't the right one. God didn't create us to destroy us. He's not the enemy. As the creator of the universe and the source of our existence, he is ready and anxious to help us understand our destiny in that context and grow into everything he envisioned us to be before he created anything at all.
But somehow, for some strange reason, many people still live as if doom is imminent. Whether it is God punching the 'smite' button or just bad luck, they walk through life as if they are waiting for something really bad to happen. To people with this mindset, even good things can't really be enjoyed because they're "waiting for the other shoe to drop".
That's a hard way to live, and so easy to change. We need to understand that bad things happen now and then, and there's no way around it. But we also need to understand that we are created in a spirit of joy by a loving and competent father who intends good things for us, now in this life and also in the context of eternity.
Life really is good.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Ernie and Bert? (Or Is It Bert and Ernie?)
"Awwww, I wanna marry Ernie."
I heard that these guys are getting married soon. I guess it's appropriate, considering how long they've been together. But I want to marry Ernie.
After all, he knows all of his colors, and can count to 20 in English and Spanish (that's better than two of the last three guys I've gone out with). And he's got the cutest ears! Don't ya just know he's a good cuddler? There's just no malice in the guy at all. Where, oh where, do I find one of those?
And what about Bert? What's he got that I don't have anyway? He's got a grating, obnoxious voice, a bad attitude most of the time and Oh, That Hair! I just don't get what Ernie sees in him anyway.
Well, if Bert can land Ernie, surely I can find someone. The whole thing gives me hope. Ernie and Bert are made for each other like peanut butter and jelly. I wish them all the best.
I heard that these guys are getting married soon. I guess it's appropriate, considering how long they've been together. But I want to marry Ernie.
After all, he knows all of his colors, and can count to 20 in English and Spanish (that's better than two of the last three guys I've gone out with). And he's got the cutest ears! Don't ya just know he's a good cuddler? There's just no malice in the guy at all. Where, oh where, do I find one of those?And what about Bert? What's he got that I don't have anyway? He's got a grating, obnoxious voice, a bad attitude most of the time and Oh, That Hair! I just don't get what Ernie sees in him anyway.
Well, if Bert can land Ernie, surely I can find someone. The whole thing gives me hope. Ernie and Bert are made for each other like peanut butter and jelly. I wish them all the best.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Theory of Deliborate Significance
"I'd rather not be insignificant unless I have to."
In pondering Stephen Hawking's presentation of his conclusions regarding the creation and existence of the universe, a position which I called "The Theory of Random Insignificance", I began to ponder the following question: "In what way would the universe be different if it were created on purpose, for a purpose, by a deliberate act of an all-powerful God?"
For example, would the laws of nature not be fixed? Would the earth have a more prominent place in a more distinguished galaxy? Would we expect the galaxies to line up in formation like a marching band in a parade?
Would a sunset be more beautiful, or good food taste better? Would mountains be more majestic or eagles fly higher?
Would God come and live among us for a time, and show us his way of looking at things and provide some mechanism by which we can relate to him? Would he write a book? A self expression that applies to every culture on the planet and throughout history?
If an eternal God wanted to create an incubator consisting of time, space, matter and energy, in which to cultivate beings who would grow to know him and be like him and eventually leave the incubator and take their place is his paradigm, what would that incubator look like? How would it be different and distinguishable from the random and insignificant universe we live in?
Or is the theory of random insignificance merely one of many interpretations of our universe, rather than a scientific determination as to its nature? Could we not also look at the universe from the perspective of Deliberate Significance?
From that perspective, perhaps every sunset, every eagle, every meal, every mountain, every asteroid, planet, star and galaxy has significance, purpose, destiny and hope. And perhaps every one of us has the invitation, freedom and ability to know God, grow into his image and honor him forever.
Given a choice, I choose that universe. Hey wait. That universe might look just like this one.
In pondering Stephen Hawking's presentation of his conclusions regarding the creation and existence of the universe, a position which I called "The Theory of Random Insignificance", I began to ponder the following question: "In what way would the universe be different if it were created on purpose, for a purpose, by a deliberate act of an all-powerful God?"
For example, would the laws of nature not be fixed? Would the earth have a more prominent place in a more distinguished galaxy? Would we expect the galaxies to line up in formation like a marching band in a parade?
Would a sunset be more beautiful, or good food taste better? Would mountains be more majestic or eagles fly higher?
Would God come and live among us for a time, and show us his way of looking at things and provide some mechanism by which we can relate to him? Would he write a book? A self expression that applies to every culture on the planet and throughout history?
If an eternal God wanted to create an incubator consisting of time, space, matter and energy, in which to cultivate beings who would grow to know him and be like him and eventually leave the incubator and take their place is his paradigm, what would that incubator look like? How would it be different and distinguishable from the random and insignificant universe we live in?
Or is the theory of random insignificance merely one of many interpretations of our universe, rather than a scientific determination as to its nature? Could we not also look at the universe from the perspective of Deliberate Significance?
From that perspective, perhaps every sunset, every eagle, every meal, every mountain, every asteroid, planet, star and galaxy has significance, purpose, destiny and hope. And perhaps every one of us has the invitation, freedom and ability to know God, grow into his image and honor him forever.
Given a choice, I choose that universe. Hey wait. That universe might look just like this one.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Theory of Random Insignificance
"Now that's randomly insignificant."
Sunday, I caught most of the Curiosity series premiere on the Discovery channel, where Stephen Hawking presents his conclusions about the creation of everything. Personally, I love thinking about the universe as a whole, and am fascinated by the different theories of creation. Not so much the physical aspect of it, but more the intent of it (or lack thereof), the purpose (or lack thereof) and the sheer scope if it.
Christian theologians may balk at this statement, but I have never held the opinion that it was necessary to create a universe 14 billion years ago with 200 billion stars in our own galaxy, countless billions of galaxies more or less like this one and unfathomable distances between them all for 20,000 or so years of human history. God is many things, but the term 'wasteful' has never been used to describe him. I do not believe that humanity is the center of the universe, or that God created the entire universe for our singular benefit.
But all of that is conjecture. Hawking, as a scientist and professor, avoids conjecture and tries to look at the facts to see what story they tell us about our universe and our role in it. And it is his conclusion that, given the facts as we know them, there is no need to invoke God to explain creation, existence or intelligence.
My understanding of his conclusion is that the laws of nature, which are fixed, explain to us a universe created randomly, and that the fixed laws of nature are simply a random part of that equation. Further, in an insignificant part of an insignificant galaxy, orbiting an insignificant star is a place we call earth on which life happened to develop randomly and insignificantly in the context of the universe as a whole. There is no plan, no intent, no destiny, no significance to it at all. It just is. And it is beautiful and wonderful. Making more out of it is unnecessary scientifically, and misleading.
Obviously, I don't believe his conclusion. But I do respect his thought process, and the work he has done, and the insight he has given us into cosmology and physics. I actually think very highly of him, and wouldn't try to argue with him about things he has studied successfully his whole life. I just think he's missing some things here and there.
The whole scenario reminds me of Solomon, and the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon was the wisest and smartest man to have ever lived in biblical days anyway, and the conclusion he came to, with all of his intelligence and wisdom, is that "All is Vanity." There is no significance. Nothing really matters.
It seems to me that a lot of people come to that conclusion without thinking about it at all. With no wisdom, understanding of the nature of things or intelligence, I could look at the vastness of the starry sky and just know that I, my species, my planet, my perspective, my struggles, my successes, my pleasure and my pain are meaningless, insignificant and irrelevant in that context. You don't have to think about that your whole life to come to that conclusion. In fact, if there's not a better possibility, this one will probably have to do.
But there are better, credible, feasible, possibilities that explain the creation of the universe, humanity and me individually. Possibilities that include intent, destiny and hope. We may not be able to understand these possibilities within the confines of physics. But we can conceptualize the infinite. I know Hawking can do this. He's a math genius, and you can't even do high school calculus without infinity. As infinity is to calculus, so God is to creation and existence.
I get what Hawking is saying. But I am unwilling to settle for that. I think we can do better, both individually and corporately. And because we can, we should. And the world will be a better place because of it.
Sunday, I caught most of the Curiosity series premiere on the Discovery channel, where Stephen Hawking presents his conclusions about the creation of everything. Personally, I love thinking about the universe as a whole, and am fascinated by the different theories of creation. Not so much the physical aspect of it, but more the intent of it (or lack thereof), the purpose (or lack thereof) and the sheer scope if it.
Christian theologians may balk at this statement, but I have never held the opinion that it was necessary to create a universe 14 billion years ago with 200 billion stars in our own galaxy, countless billions of galaxies more or less like this one and unfathomable distances between them all for 20,000 or so years of human history. God is many things, but the term 'wasteful' has never been used to describe him. I do not believe that humanity is the center of the universe, or that God created the entire universe for our singular benefit.
But all of that is conjecture. Hawking, as a scientist and professor, avoids conjecture and tries to look at the facts to see what story they tell us about our universe and our role in it. And it is his conclusion that, given the facts as we know them, there is no need to invoke God to explain creation, existence or intelligence.
My understanding of his conclusion is that the laws of nature, which are fixed, explain to us a universe created randomly, and that the fixed laws of nature are simply a random part of that equation. Further, in an insignificant part of an insignificant galaxy, orbiting an insignificant star is a place we call earth on which life happened to develop randomly and insignificantly in the context of the universe as a whole. There is no plan, no intent, no destiny, no significance to it at all. It just is. And it is beautiful and wonderful. Making more out of it is unnecessary scientifically, and misleading.
Obviously, I don't believe his conclusion. But I do respect his thought process, and the work he has done, and the insight he has given us into cosmology and physics. I actually think very highly of him, and wouldn't try to argue with him about things he has studied successfully his whole life. I just think he's missing some things here and there.
The whole scenario reminds me of Solomon, and the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon was the wisest and smartest man to have ever lived in biblical days anyway, and the conclusion he came to, with all of his intelligence and wisdom, is that "All is Vanity." There is no significance. Nothing really matters.
It seems to me that a lot of people come to that conclusion without thinking about it at all. With no wisdom, understanding of the nature of things or intelligence, I could look at the vastness of the starry sky and just know that I, my species, my planet, my perspective, my struggles, my successes, my pleasure and my pain are meaningless, insignificant and irrelevant in that context. You don't have to think about that your whole life to come to that conclusion. In fact, if there's not a better possibility, this one will probably have to do.
But there are better, credible, feasible, possibilities that explain the creation of the universe, humanity and me individually. Possibilities that include intent, destiny and hope. We may not be able to understand these possibilities within the confines of physics. But we can conceptualize the infinite. I know Hawking can do this. He's a math genius, and you can't even do high school calculus without infinity. As infinity is to calculus, so God is to creation and existence.
I get what Hawking is saying. But I am unwilling to settle for that. I think we can do better, both individually and corporately. And because we can, we should. And the world will be a better place because of it.
Monday, August 8, 2011
It's A Three Ring Circus
"The Not So Greatest Show On Earth"
What do you get when you have two houses of congress, a President, an urgent problem that nobody wants to address (and is quite possibly insolvable anyway) and an election cycle just beginning to heat up?
It certainly isn't intelligent, insightful, visionary, forward thinking, balanced leadership. Certainly not a concerted effort to negotiate a course of action that is in the country's best interests. Definitely not a consensus building, solutions oriented, direction setting approach to a genuine threat to the future of the United States as we know it.
Instead you get a show that the Ringling Brothers would be embarrassed to put on.
As predicted, congress and the President did indeed agree on a way to increase the debt limit just in time. But not before a whole bunch of political grandstanding and positioning for the 2012 elections. We knew that was coming, and that the US would continue to be able to service its debts. But our national credit rating took a hit anyway, for the first time since World War One.
Evidently the S&P folks didn't enjoy the circus. They seem to think that the US economy and potential default on our debt should be a little more important than our political leaders (of all flavors) treated it. They seem to be concerned that our President and congress A) don't have a clue what to do about the problem, B) are incapable of working together to find said clue, C) are going to fight like hell to get re-elected to another term of total cluelessness, and D) are pretty likely to be given that opportunity be the American people. I think that scenario probably scares the hell out of them...and me too.
They probably looked at each other with that WTF look and began discussing how far to downgrade our rating. No sin has been committed yet, but political instability and ineptness means increased risk - even for arrogant Americans.
In practical terms, the downgrade isn't too important. US Treasuries are still the gold standard for safe money, and, except for China and India, the whole world in in the same shape we're in where debt is concerned. So the impact of the downgrade is only psychological.
But it is still an indicator - one of many - that indicate how fast and how dramatically the economic climate is changing. I had hoped that our transition to third world country status would not really kick in until after I'm gone. It's not like I'm going to live to be a hundred anyway.
What do you get when you have two houses of congress, a President, an urgent problem that nobody wants to address (and is quite possibly insolvable anyway) and an election cycle just beginning to heat up?
It certainly isn't intelligent, insightful, visionary, forward thinking, balanced leadership. Certainly not a concerted effort to negotiate a course of action that is in the country's best interests. Definitely not a consensus building, solutions oriented, direction setting approach to a genuine threat to the future of the United States as we know it.
Instead you get a show that the Ringling Brothers would be embarrassed to put on.
As predicted, congress and the President did indeed agree on a way to increase the debt limit just in time. But not before a whole bunch of political grandstanding and positioning for the 2012 elections. We knew that was coming, and that the US would continue to be able to service its debts. But our national credit rating took a hit anyway, for the first time since World War One.
Evidently the S&P folks didn't enjoy the circus. They seem to think that the US economy and potential default on our debt should be a little more important than our political leaders (of all flavors) treated it. They seem to be concerned that our President and congress A) don't have a clue what to do about the problem, B) are incapable of working together to find said clue, C) are going to fight like hell to get re-elected to another term of total cluelessness, and D) are pretty likely to be given that opportunity be the American people. I think that scenario probably scares the hell out of them...and me too.
They probably looked at each other with that WTF look and began discussing how far to downgrade our rating. No sin has been committed yet, but political instability and ineptness means increased risk - even for arrogant Americans.
In practical terms, the downgrade isn't too important. US Treasuries are still the gold standard for safe money, and, except for China and India, the whole world in in the same shape we're in where debt is concerned. So the impact of the downgrade is only psychological.
But it is still an indicator - one of many - that indicate how fast and how dramatically the economic climate is changing. I had hoped that our transition to third world country status would not really kick in until after I'm gone. It's not like I'm going to live to be a hundred anyway.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
A Strange Combination
"There is a big difference between 'Single Minded' and 'Narrow Minded'."
A large part of my blog, especially at the beginning, was aimed at explaining the oxymoron of being a gay christian. I viewed homosexuality and Christianity as mutually exclusive until I was 40. (The fact that I am both was simply inconvenient.) Then events in my life involving both forced me to do the math, work my way through the conflict between them and resolve the issue once and forever in my own life.
Even still, it is a little strange to spend Thursday evening talking about the impact of Christ - His teaching, His sacrifice, His leadership and calling - on a bunch of orphans half way around the world and then spend Friday night at the gay bar enjoying the bartenders, dancers and contestants in the Mr Gay Oklahoma competition.
As if to emphasize the apparent disparity between these two evenings, I got an email at 12:44 Saturday afternoon from the pastor of my church asking everyone to get the word out about a fundraiser to be held Saturday evening. Let's see, a pastor asking for fundraising help. No news there. The twist is that the fundraiser was last night at one of the local gay bars.
I tried to get a mental picture of any other pastor I've ever had sending an email to the congregation inviting them to participate in an event at the local gay bar. The result was hilarious. I can just see the looks on their faces if they were asked to do such a thing.
My most recent pastor (who thinks a gay christian is indeed an oxymoron, who is a convicted bank robber, who destroyed his church by leaving his wife and running off with the choir director, who despite these things is a pretty good guy and really smart and really understands the grace, providence and love of God) would have cut off his arms before sending that email.
I don't want to be a two-faced, double minded, flake. I know several of these people who are friends when you're looking and laugh at you when you're not.
And I'm Not! I'm the same guy at the bar on Friday night as I am at church on Sunday morning. I love Christ and all that he stands for, and believe in Him as the link between us and the universally right, pure, true and good nature of everything.
I see potential sons of God in every gay guy at the bar, just like I do in every man that stands in church on Sunday morning praising God. The only difference is that I see most of the guys at the bar following a tragic course that leads to someplace besides the knowledge and intimacy with Christ for which the whole universe suffers greatly to facilitate in each of us.
A double minded (two faced) man is unstable in all of his ways. I am a single minded man that happens to enjoy cute drummers, shirtless bartenders and eye candy at the bar now and then. Is that an oxymoron?
Anyway, if you're new to my blog and haven't at least scanned the Christian Math label, please feel free to. Go to the oldest posts and work your way up. At least entertain my thought process. Even if you don't need it yourself, someone else may need to hear it - maybe even a pastor who thinks a gay christian cannot exist.
A large part of my blog, especially at the beginning, was aimed at explaining the oxymoron of being a gay christian. I viewed homosexuality and Christianity as mutually exclusive until I was 40. (The fact that I am both was simply inconvenient.) Then events in my life involving both forced me to do the math, work my way through the conflict between them and resolve the issue once and forever in my own life.
Even still, it is a little strange to spend Thursday evening talking about the impact of Christ - His teaching, His sacrifice, His leadership and calling - on a bunch of orphans half way around the world and then spend Friday night at the gay bar enjoying the bartenders, dancers and contestants in the Mr Gay Oklahoma competition.
As if to emphasize the apparent disparity between these two evenings, I got an email at 12:44 Saturday afternoon from the pastor of my church asking everyone to get the word out about a fundraiser to be held Saturday evening. Let's see, a pastor asking for fundraising help. No news there. The twist is that the fundraiser was last night at one of the local gay bars.
I tried to get a mental picture of any other pastor I've ever had sending an email to the congregation inviting them to participate in an event at the local gay bar. The result was hilarious. I can just see the looks on their faces if they were asked to do such a thing.
My most recent pastor (who thinks a gay christian is indeed an oxymoron, who is a convicted bank robber, who destroyed his church by leaving his wife and running off with the choir director, who despite these things is a pretty good guy and really smart and really understands the grace, providence and love of God) would have cut off his arms before sending that email.
I don't want to be a two-faced, double minded, flake. I know several of these people who are friends when you're looking and laugh at you when you're not.
And I'm Not! I'm the same guy at the bar on Friday night as I am at church on Sunday morning. I love Christ and all that he stands for, and believe in Him as the link between us and the universally right, pure, true and good nature of everything.
I see potential sons of God in every gay guy at the bar, just like I do in every man that stands in church on Sunday morning praising God. The only difference is that I see most of the guys at the bar following a tragic course that leads to someplace besides the knowledge and intimacy with Christ for which the whole universe suffers greatly to facilitate in each of us.
A double minded (two faced) man is unstable in all of his ways. I am a single minded man that happens to enjoy cute drummers, shirtless bartenders and eye candy at the bar now and then. Is that an oxymoron?
Anyway, if you're new to my blog and haven't at least scanned the Christian Math label, please feel free to. Go to the oldest posts and work your way up. At least entertain my thought process. Even if you don't need it yourself, someone else may need to hear it - maybe even a pastor who thinks a gay christian cannot exist.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Kelliente
"History in the making, Mr. Gay Oklahoma 2011."
Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, I was present for the election and coronation of Mr. Gay Oklahoma, 2011. I met up with some of his supporters to witness and participate in the festivities. There were some really good performances both by previous Mr. Gay Oklahoma's and by some really good drag personalities. It's amazing that cute guys can make the most beautiful women. But it's still not my thing.
So in the middle of the event, I left for a while and went next door to the Park to see who was out and about. There were two really nice looking dancers, and one of them was on his maiden voyage. Nice.
When I got back, everyone acted like I never left. I did have a little too much to drink, mainly because the bartender was gorgeous and shirtless, and his jeans highlighted his assets that his shirt wouldn't have had he been wearing one.
Since he was a bit of a prick anyway, I didn't mind standing there enjoying him for a minute. I wanted to say, "Dude, you're just pretty. I'm not hitting on you, just admiring. So lose the attitude, and just stand there and be pretty. And get my drink." (What did Agustus McCrea say about surly bartenders?)
Back to the competition, I think the right guy won. He's hot in his way, and will represent the gay world well. He also appears to have a pretty good head on his shoulders. Evidently he speaks Spanish fluently and teaches kids that don't speak any English at all, and tries to help them make the transition to American schools and English lessons. That's actually cool, separate from the gay paradigm.
So, Kelliente, I wish you well during your reign as Mr Gay Oklahoma 2011, and in life overall. I appreciate my friend inviting me to the event, and am glad that I got to see a really cute, good guy win.
Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, I was present for the election and coronation of Mr. Gay Oklahoma, 2011. I met up with some of his supporters to witness and participate in the festivities. There were some really good performances both by previous Mr. Gay Oklahoma's and by some really good drag personalities. It's amazing that cute guys can make the most beautiful women. But it's still not my thing.
So in the middle of the event, I left for a while and went next door to the Park to see who was out and about. There were two really nice looking dancers, and one of them was on his maiden voyage. Nice.
When I got back, everyone acted like I never left. I did have a little too much to drink, mainly because the bartender was gorgeous and shirtless, and his jeans highlighted his assets that his shirt wouldn't have had he been wearing one.
Since he was a bit of a prick anyway, I didn't mind standing there enjoying him for a minute. I wanted to say, "Dude, you're just pretty. I'm not hitting on you, just admiring. So lose the attitude, and just stand there and be pretty. And get my drink." (What did Agustus McCrea say about surly bartenders?)
Back to the competition, I think the right guy won. He's hot in his way, and will represent the gay world well. He also appears to have a pretty good head on his shoulders. Evidently he speaks Spanish fluently and teaches kids that don't speak any English at all, and tries to help them make the transition to American schools and English lessons. That's actually cool, separate from the gay paradigm.
So, Kelliente, I wish you well during your reign as Mr Gay Oklahoma 2011, and in life overall. I appreciate my friend inviting me to the event, and am glad that I got to see a really cute, good guy win.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Zambia and Baseball
"Now for a little International Flaire."
I spent the evening with Pastor Charles from Zambia. We talked a little about Zambia, the orphanage, the farm, life and politics. Good times. My nephew, who went to Zambia earlier in the year and lives with me now, graciously offered his bed so Charles would have a place to sleep. Charles isn't very comfortable in our beds because they're too soft, so he slept on the floor. My nephew slept on the couch for some reason, and nobody used his bed.
I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with many people from other countries in my life. When I was in fifth grade, our family hosted a Japanese foreign exchange student. After that, we had students from Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Yugoslavia, Iran and a few others. Most recently, I had two Chinese students live with me for a semester.
I have traveled internationally a little, but not much. Our involvement with the project in Zambia is really important to me. It seems like such a little thing in the scope of the problems Africa faces, but a significant thing in that several villages, about sixty orphans and some refugees from Zimbabwe will have food tonight because of our efforts and influence there.
Whenever I ponder the world as a whole, there are two thoughts that tend to override the rest.
The first is that Americans tend to think that life is really about our cable TV not working right, dropped calls on our iPhone or having to wait too long in line at Wal-Mart. As a people group, we are overall so shallow, spoiled and self centered that we just don't get life sometimes. A week long trip to a third world country and even a casual look beyond the tourist traps should show us how great life here is.
The second thought is how similar all people are all over the world. Life really is about having a role to play in a world that is bigger than we are, about raising a family and teaching children what's right, about love and hope and unity and belonging and acceptance. This is true in our rich, spoiled culture, and in the remote villages of Zambia and everyplace in between.
Charles wants to learn then teach Zambian kids to play baseball, and through that teach teamwork, sportsmanship, correct and instant thinking/decision making, physical fitness and all the rest. But mainly, he wants to give those kids a picture of what it is like to play a position on a team where one's actions impact the whole.
He doesn't want them to feel like the leftovers of society. He wants them to understand that they can contribute to the value and process of life. And because they can, they should. And they should do it with skill and passion.
Wow. I know a bunch of rich, white Americans that could learn that lesson, and the world would be a better place because of it.
I spent the evening with Pastor Charles from Zambia. We talked a little about Zambia, the orphanage, the farm, life and politics. Good times. My nephew, who went to Zambia earlier in the year and lives with me now, graciously offered his bed so Charles would have a place to sleep. Charles isn't very comfortable in our beds because they're too soft, so he slept on the floor. My nephew slept on the couch for some reason, and nobody used his bed.
I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with many people from other countries in my life. When I was in fifth grade, our family hosted a Japanese foreign exchange student. After that, we had students from Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Yugoslavia, Iran and a few others. Most recently, I had two Chinese students live with me for a semester.
I have traveled internationally a little, but not much. Our involvement with the project in Zambia is really important to me. It seems like such a little thing in the scope of the problems Africa faces, but a significant thing in that several villages, about sixty orphans and some refugees from Zimbabwe will have food tonight because of our efforts and influence there.
Whenever I ponder the world as a whole, there are two thoughts that tend to override the rest.
The first is that Americans tend to think that life is really about our cable TV not working right, dropped calls on our iPhone or having to wait too long in line at Wal-Mart. As a people group, we are overall so shallow, spoiled and self centered that we just don't get life sometimes. A week long trip to a third world country and even a casual look beyond the tourist traps should show us how great life here is.
The second thought is how similar all people are all over the world. Life really is about having a role to play in a world that is bigger than we are, about raising a family and teaching children what's right, about love and hope and unity and belonging and acceptance. This is true in our rich, spoiled culture, and in the remote villages of Zambia and everyplace in between.
Charles wants to learn then teach Zambian kids to play baseball, and through that teach teamwork, sportsmanship, correct and instant thinking/decision making, physical fitness and all the rest. But mainly, he wants to give those kids a picture of what it is like to play a position on a team where one's actions impact the whole.
He doesn't want them to feel like the leftovers of society. He wants them to understand that they can contribute to the value and process of life. And because they can, they should. And they should do it with skill and passion.
Wow. I know a bunch of rich, white Americans that could learn that lesson, and the world would be a better place because of it.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
All Of These People, And Not One Jerk
"We all live in a yellow submarine."
This week, I have been surrounded by people. Usually this many people across my path in a week stresses me out, especially if I don't get enough time to decompress and be quiet. I start to feel closed in and overwhelmed, just like I'd probably feel if we all lived in a yellow submarine. But this week I'm enjoying everyone.
Last Sunday, cousin and family came to town from Boston. We had a big get together at mom's house with brisket, fried chikin and all the trimmings, with my cousin and her husband, their two kids, my three youngest nephews and niece, my aunt and a few other people. It was a fun afternoon despite the heat.
Monday and Tuesday, someone I work with was in town and we did the dinner and a drink routine. Sushi once and Chang's the next. Did I mention previously how much I enjoyed the Mongolian Beef with Asparagus? Plate licking, finger licking good.
I did get some time off Wednesday.
Today, my friend from Zambia will be in town. He's the farmer, pastor and now orphanage director I've come to know over the past few years. He's a really terrific guy and I'm looking forward to a good conversation with him this evening. I've walked through the villages in his part of Africa, and it's a whole different part of the universe from here. I really admire the guy for what he does and what he stands for.
Friday, I'm going to the other side of the universe and attending the Miss Gay Something or Other pageant in gaytown. I'm looking forward to that too. I was trying to remember if I have ever been down to the gay strip in OKC to meet up with some friends and do something. I thought it was earlier in the week, but it's Friday, which means Friday Night Focus hasn't completely fizzled out.
The point is, well, first I get to brag a little. I never have a full social calander - not even for a week. Second, I really like everyone connected with these social events. That's unusual too. There's not a jerk in the bunch.
Third, it represents momentum about as well as anything else all year. I've tried to reach out in some areas with mediocre results at best. Now the universe is reaching out to me a little, and the results are already better. That sums up momentum, in my mind at least. And I am very thankful.
But I'm probably going to work all weekend. I'm getting behind again.
This week, I have been surrounded by people. Usually this many people across my path in a week stresses me out, especially if I don't get enough time to decompress and be quiet. I start to feel closed in and overwhelmed, just like I'd probably feel if we all lived in a yellow submarine. But this week I'm enjoying everyone.
Last Sunday, cousin and family came to town from Boston. We had a big get together at mom's house with brisket, fried chikin and all the trimmings, with my cousin and her husband, their two kids, my three youngest nephews and niece, my aunt and a few other people. It was a fun afternoon despite the heat.
Monday and Tuesday, someone I work with was in town and we did the dinner and a drink routine. Sushi once and Chang's the next. Did I mention previously how much I enjoyed the Mongolian Beef with Asparagus? Plate licking, finger licking good.
I did get some time off Wednesday.
Today, my friend from Zambia will be in town. He's the farmer, pastor and now orphanage director I've come to know over the past few years. He's a really terrific guy and I'm looking forward to a good conversation with him this evening. I've walked through the villages in his part of Africa, and it's a whole different part of the universe from here. I really admire the guy for what he does and what he stands for.
Friday, I'm going to the other side of the universe and attending the Miss Gay Something or Other pageant in gaytown. I'm looking forward to that too. I was trying to remember if I have ever been down to the gay strip in OKC to meet up with some friends and do something. I thought it was earlier in the week, but it's Friday, which means Friday Night Focus hasn't completely fizzled out.
The point is, well, first I get to brag a little. I never have a full social calander - not even for a week. Second, I really like everyone connected with these social events. That's unusual too. There's not a jerk in the bunch.
Third, it represents momentum about as well as anything else all year. I've tried to reach out in some areas with mediocre results at best. Now the universe is reaching out to me a little, and the results are already better. That sums up momentum, in my mind at least. And I am very thankful.
But I'm probably going to work all weekend. I'm getting behind again.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Facebook and Dinner
"How do I cram this on a Facebook post?"
I think one of the reasons I have a blog is because I detest Facebook. You don't get enough space to say anything intelligent, and nobody would read it anyway. My blog actually provides a way to communicate an entire thought all at once, even if I'm the only one who reads it.
I see other people's Facebook pages, and they have 1800, 2500 or even 4500 friends. Hell, I have 28, and I've ignored half of them because I couldn't care less whether they had macaroni and cheese for dinner last night or how many times they sneezed in the shower. Facebook is to the 2000's what CB Radio was to the 1970's - meaningless chatter.
In that context, I'm about to do something really amazing for me. I'm going to share what I had for dinner last night at PF Chang's. It was by far the best dinner I've ever had there, and I enjoyed it so much I can't hardly think about anything else. (I would sure love to find a guy I felt that way about.)
I'm not a big Chinese food guy. I can handle it about once a month if I'm pushed into it. Left to my own devices, I'd almost never eat it. I've been to Chang's several times, and it's always good. I get Orange Chicken or something safe. I eat about half of it and I get bored with it. I figured it had nothing to do with the restaurant and everything to do with my general apathetic approach to the type of food. (Same with the guys I've dated overall.)
My nephew is now a server at Chang's, and so I and a coworker went there last night to eat and pick on him. I told him I didn't really love the food there and asked him what I should get that I would really like. I almost offered double or nothing on the bill. If I love it, I pay twice. If it's just OK, I eat free. I'm glad I kept my mouth shut.
He brought me out some lettuce wraps that were OK and I ate them. I know everyone else on the planet rants and raves about them like they're the greatest things ever. I thought they were OK. (In all fairness, OK is quite complimentary for me where Chinese food is concerned.)
Then he brought out a big bowl of Shrimp Fried Rice and a plate of Mongolian Beef cooked with Asparagus instead of the usual onions. Man, it was good. I have never cleaned my plate at a Chinese food restaurant ever. Last night I cleaned it, licked it, wrapped my arms around it and ... well, you get the idea.
It was sooo good.
And it was even better because I never saw it coming.
Good is good all by itself. But a good surprise is even better than good. It's fantastic, awesome, wonderful, magnificent, bravo, spectacular, ...
I think one of the reasons I have a blog is because I detest Facebook. You don't get enough space to say anything intelligent, and nobody would read it anyway. My blog actually provides a way to communicate an entire thought all at once, even if I'm the only one who reads it.
I see other people's Facebook pages, and they have 1800, 2500 or even 4500 friends. Hell, I have 28, and I've ignored half of them because I couldn't care less whether they had macaroni and cheese for dinner last night or how many times they sneezed in the shower. Facebook is to the 2000's what CB Radio was to the 1970's - meaningless chatter.
In that context, I'm about to do something really amazing for me. I'm going to share what I had for dinner last night at PF Chang's. It was by far the best dinner I've ever had there, and I enjoyed it so much I can't hardly think about anything else. (I would sure love to find a guy I felt that way about.)
I'm not a big Chinese food guy. I can handle it about once a month if I'm pushed into it. Left to my own devices, I'd almost never eat it. I've been to Chang's several times, and it's always good. I get Orange Chicken or something safe. I eat about half of it and I get bored with it. I figured it had nothing to do with the restaurant and everything to do with my general apathetic approach to the type of food. (Same with the guys I've dated overall.)
My nephew is now a server at Chang's, and so I and a coworker went there last night to eat and pick on him. I told him I didn't really love the food there and asked him what I should get that I would really like. I almost offered double or nothing on the bill. If I love it, I pay twice. If it's just OK, I eat free. I'm glad I kept my mouth shut.
He brought me out some lettuce wraps that were OK and I ate them. I know everyone else on the planet rants and raves about them like they're the greatest things ever. I thought they were OK. (In all fairness, OK is quite complimentary for me where Chinese food is concerned.)
Then he brought out a big bowl of Shrimp Fried Rice and a plate of Mongolian Beef cooked with Asparagus instead of the usual onions. Man, it was good. I have never cleaned my plate at a Chinese food restaurant ever. Last night I cleaned it, licked it, wrapped my arms around it and ... well, you get the idea.
It was sooo good.
And it was even better because I never saw it coming.
Good is good all by itself. But a good surprise is even better than good. It's fantastic, awesome, wonderful, magnificent, bravo, spectacular, ...
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Perspective Makes Everything Different
"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
Yesterday's post was good preparation for today. Today, it seemed like everyone on the planet was in a bad mood except me. I had a great day. The day wasn't any better or worse than most days, maybe a little busier. But I looked at the day differently than everyone else.
We've all heard the story about the half a glass of water. The pessimist says it's half empty, the optimist says it's half full. But there are a hundred ways to look at the situation.
A mathematician would object to the word 'half'. Half full or half empty are very exact terms. Semi full or semi empty would be a more accurate description
The chemist would focus on the word 'water'. Water is defined as a liquid consisting of molecules containing two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. There's probably a whole lot of crap in that glass that isn't water.
The teacher sees room for improvement, the perfectionist sees total failure. The idealist laments that the glass is so small while the philosopher says there is no distinction between the glass and its contents.
The salesman exaggerates the value of the glass and the customer is cynical. The politician looks for an opportunity to levy a tax on both.
The hoarder worries that the water is even now evaporating, and will be gone soon. The generous looks for someone who needs whatever is there.
The negotiator tries to reconcile all of these opinions into a paradigm that everyone can agree with as the director tries to impose his vision on the rest of the group. Both want unity, but on completely different terms.
To the deep thinker, each of these points of view deserves consideration and contemplation. To the shallow, it's just some stupid water. He'd rather have a cold beer.
There is only one point of view that makes a tangible difference, and that is the perspective of one who is thirsty. To him, the water is life, satisfaction, happiness and every good thing in the world. He longs for it and appreciates it. He drinks it with joy and gladness, and it makes his day better.
Maybe we should all be a little more thirsty. I think I'll have a glass of water.
Yesterday's post was good preparation for today. Today, it seemed like everyone on the planet was in a bad mood except me. I had a great day. The day wasn't any better or worse than most days, maybe a little busier. But I looked at the day differently than everyone else.
We've all heard the story about the half a glass of water. The pessimist says it's half empty, the optimist says it's half full. But there are a hundred ways to look at the situation.
A mathematician would object to the word 'half'. Half full or half empty are very exact terms. Semi full or semi empty would be a more accurate description
The chemist would focus on the word 'water'. Water is defined as a liquid consisting of molecules containing two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. There's probably a whole lot of crap in that glass that isn't water.
The teacher sees room for improvement, the perfectionist sees total failure. The idealist laments that the glass is so small while the philosopher says there is no distinction between the glass and its contents.
The salesman exaggerates the value of the glass and the customer is cynical. The politician looks for an opportunity to levy a tax on both.
The hoarder worries that the water is even now evaporating, and will be gone soon. The generous looks for someone who needs whatever is there.
The negotiator tries to reconcile all of these opinions into a paradigm that everyone can agree with as the director tries to impose his vision on the rest of the group. Both want unity, but on completely different terms.
To the deep thinker, each of these points of view deserves consideration and contemplation. To the shallow, it's just some stupid water. He'd rather have a cold beer.
There is only one point of view that makes a tangible difference, and that is the perspective of one who is thirsty. To him, the water is life, satisfaction, happiness and every good thing in the world. He longs for it and appreciates it. He drinks it with joy and gladness, and it makes his day better.
Maybe we should all be a little more thirsty. I think I'll have a glass of water.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Exhortation of Momentum for August
"It's hard to think about momentum when I'm just trying to survive the summer."
Again, my buzzword all year has been Momentum: "May the momentum continue, and continue to increase." I didn't think much about it last month, but albeit in some directions I didn't anticipate, the momentum did indeed continue in some very noticeable ways. Given a choice in the matter, I would just as soon redirect it back in a more positive direction, but momentum itself isn't concerned with direction...only motion.
And sometimes, the correct answer to some of life's questions is, "No, That's not the right path to take." I've learned over the years that I'm allowed to make mistakes, that most things in this world don't last forever and that one of the biggest advantages to my worldview is that I really can trust the momentum that is very present in my life - even if it doesn't take me exactly where I want to go.
I'm not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination. In fact I'm kind of a weenie when it comes to intense physical activity. I could have been a great basketball player except that I'm too short, too fat, totally uncoordinated, half blind, with the reflexes of the Titanic and don't give two shakes of a rat's ass about it. But other than that, I'd have been really good at it.
But in reading other people's experiences with working out, it seems not uncommon to reach what some call a plateau and others call a wall. They work hard and get steadily better until a certain place is achieved where no matter how much they work, how hard they try or what they do, they can't get up to the next level. Growth and improvement seem to stagnate, and forward motion seems to stop.
I think I found the wall in a few different areas of life.
So I need to learn from athletes (if that's possible) and apply some of their tactics. As I understand these tactics, they are themes and variations of the following:
Patience. Life is a process, not an event. The plateau is part of the process, not counterproductive to it. Ride it out knowing that the wall is temporary and will someday soon crumble to the ground.
Discipline. (God I hate that word.) You know what to do, do it on purpose. Results will follow, but whether they do or not, do what's right anyway.
Flexibility. Be willing to change, to try new things and to expand your horizons and thought process. Sometimes, the things that got you this far have done all they can. It's time for something new.
Attitude. Above all else, don't let frustration or doubt (or cynicism) rule the day. These things are self defeating and self destructive. A bad attitude serves no purpose at all except to steal precious energy. Judge it as a lie, and throw it out.
Reflection. Take some time to look at how far you've come and how many walls you've already broken through. This one seems bigger than any of the others, but the others seemed that way too before you broke through them.
Seek Wisdom from others who seem to have already broken through your wall. Through observation and imitation, learn from their experiences.
Encourage Someone whose wall you have already breached. Freely share with others that which has already been freely shared with you.
Have Faith. You're not alone, and life is not a series of random events.
Momentum wanted me to hear all of that, and calls me onward. And I'm OK with putting anything I need to on the line to follow the momentum. Maybe I need a new job, a new city, a new goal. Maybe I need to take better care of the job and life I already have. Maybe I need to ...
Hopefully as August unfolds, I'll realize what it is that I need to do. I'm excited to figure it out.
Again, my buzzword all year has been Momentum: "May the momentum continue, and continue to increase." I didn't think much about it last month, but albeit in some directions I didn't anticipate, the momentum did indeed continue in some very noticeable ways. Given a choice in the matter, I would just as soon redirect it back in a more positive direction, but momentum itself isn't concerned with direction...only motion.
And sometimes, the correct answer to some of life's questions is, "No, That's not the right path to take." I've learned over the years that I'm allowed to make mistakes, that most things in this world don't last forever and that one of the biggest advantages to my worldview is that I really can trust the momentum that is very present in my life - even if it doesn't take me exactly where I want to go.
I'm not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination. In fact I'm kind of a weenie when it comes to intense physical activity. I could have been a great basketball player except that I'm too short, too fat, totally uncoordinated, half blind, with the reflexes of the Titanic and don't give two shakes of a rat's ass about it. But other than that, I'd have been really good at it.
But in reading other people's experiences with working out, it seems not uncommon to reach what some call a plateau and others call a wall. They work hard and get steadily better until a certain place is achieved where no matter how much they work, how hard they try or what they do, they can't get up to the next level. Growth and improvement seem to stagnate, and forward motion seems to stop.
I think I found the wall in a few different areas of life.
So I need to learn from athletes (if that's possible) and apply some of their tactics. As I understand these tactics, they are themes and variations of the following:
Patience. Life is a process, not an event. The plateau is part of the process, not counterproductive to it. Ride it out knowing that the wall is temporary and will someday soon crumble to the ground.
Discipline. (God I hate that word.) You know what to do, do it on purpose. Results will follow, but whether they do or not, do what's right anyway.
Flexibility. Be willing to change, to try new things and to expand your horizons and thought process. Sometimes, the things that got you this far have done all they can. It's time for something new.
Attitude. Above all else, don't let frustration or doubt (or cynicism) rule the day. These things are self defeating and self destructive. A bad attitude serves no purpose at all except to steal precious energy. Judge it as a lie, and throw it out.
Reflection. Take some time to look at how far you've come and how many walls you've already broken through. This one seems bigger than any of the others, but the others seemed that way too before you broke through them.
Seek Wisdom from others who seem to have already broken through your wall. Through observation and imitation, learn from their experiences.
Encourage Someone whose wall you have already breached. Freely share with others that which has already been freely shared with you.
Have Faith. You're not alone, and life is not a series of random events.
Momentum wanted me to hear all of that, and calls me onward. And I'm OK with putting anything I need to on the line to follow the momentum. Maybe I need a new job, a new city, a new goal. Maybe I need to take better care of the job and life I already have. Maybe I need to ...
Hopefully as August unfolds, I'll realize what it is that I need to do. I'm excited to figure it out.
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