I'm almost always hot. Now depending on who is reading this you may be thinking I'm referring to my physical appearance in which case right now you are either saying "Boy, howdie!" or "Eh, wrong!" For those of you who processed that first sentence and thought the former- YOUR SOOO SWEET (I'm blushing). For those whose brain waves took them straight to the latter, I AIN'T MAD AT YA (The Brad is an acquired taste). :)
All joking aside, I'm actually speaking about temperature. For those who have known me during my speech/debate years, you have seen (and possibly felt...for which I'm sorry) that first hand. In a full suit, performing in a small overly-heated classroom, my brow becomes a multitude of perpetually perspiring pores that, when I move my head quickly, can easily become tiny projectiles seeking out unassuming spectators to bombard. It should be a lot like going to watch a show at Sea World, the first few rows should heed a warning that if you sit this close to the performer, you WILL get wet.
I know that is a VERY unattractive quality of mine, and many of you "Boy, howdie!" people are quickly changing your responses to "Eh, wrong!" Nonetheless, it is a truth about who I am. I am hot-natured. It has been proven time and time again. Whenever I circle up with a group of people and we hold hands to pray, 9 times out of 10 BOTH people feel (and possible comment) on how warm my hands are. Likewise, most hands I touch are dumbfoundingly chilly to me.
Moreover, when ever most people in the room are comfortable, I am burning up. When ever most everyone is cold, I'm right as rain. I try to keep my house at a cool 65 degrees during the day, and turn that down to 58 when I'm in bed. Sleeping under large blankets when it is two degrees below nipply all around me is one of my favorite "small pleasures" in the world...nay...the universe.
In Charlotte, I can wear shorts up almost to Halloween depending on where in the historic highs-to-lows spectrum the temperature falls. Now, don't get me wrong, I CAN get cold. In fact, what made me think of all this is the cold weather I have been experiencing the last several days here in the mountains of Tennessee. I've been walking the neighborhood with my dad each day, and most of the time when we get out to door and moving by 4:00 pm, I'm solid. However, a few nights ago we went out about 5:30 pm. With the wind in our face (and my stupidity in forgetting any insulated head wear) my ears felt like icicles, my nose felt like I had just dipped it in liquid nitrogen, and even my cheeks could have served as miniature ice rinks for a winter-themed flea circus.
Despite Jack Frost nipping at my entire facial structure, I was only in minor discomfort. I knew that had the end of the 1+ mile trek my father and I were on awaited a haven of warming bliss that is my parent's house. That's the thing. No matter how cold it gets, it is so much easier to get warmer than to cool down when it is unbearably hot. Blankets, space heaters, fires, another person's body heat (giggity, giggity!), and a multitude of other practical and creative ways of getting warm exist. Now, when I am burning up like two weasels going at it in a tube sock, what is there that can really make me cooler? Central air conditioning is bound to just cooling a structure, fans only push air, ice melts away...so tell me...why would anyone rather be hot than cold?
Yet gender seems to play a role in this. I'd say 95% of all women I meet HATE being cold and much rather be warm. I've seen this played out in the lives of my married friends whose homes were so delightfully chilled yet once they tie that knot, BAM!, the house heat-factor gets so toasty I feel like we are two blocks too close to an active volcano.
I guess that is one of those sacrifices for love that I'm sure, when the time comes, I'll be more than happy to make. (Others include having to share my bed with another human being, doubling my laundry duty, and watching more of the Oxygen channel). I just hope that whomever ends up with me understands that if that thermostat gets above 70, I'm going to start melting a way like Frosty the Snowman. And that won't be good for the furniture. I never quite understood the reasoning behind a husband creating a "man cave". I think I do now....caves are cold. And that is cool with me.
What I'm Into:
Bible Verse: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." -Revelation 3:15-16
Song: "Ice Ice Baby" - Vanilla Ice. While I never really see myself as a person who could connect with this infamous white rapper from the early '90s, I think the song has a good message: colder is better. Hey, Vanilla must have known something as this song was the first hip-hop recording to top the Billboard Charts.
Movie: Ice Age- I don't care what they did for the entire movie or the sequels for that matter. The Scrat MADE this film. The hilarity in that pre-historic squirrel trying to get a nut is one of the funniest five minutes (give or take) that I've seen in any movie.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Own It
It has become increasingly apparent to me over the last several months that among many of our world's ever-expanding lists of maladies is Pass-The-Buck Syndrome.
Admittedly, I am no more immune to this affliction than any other person I have encountered. However, it is something that, with my heightened awareness to the problem, I have consciously attempted to eradicate from my modus operandi.
The concept is so simple and easy to implement that I believe we responsively utilize its tenants to placate any chance of grief or remorse we may feel as a result of our actions, reactions, or ideologies. Compounding the issue is that passing the buck has become so commonplace that we have cultivated a benign indifference or even a gentle acceptance to others who blatantly use this strategy to explain away darn near ANYTHING.
The senior pastor at my church, Dr. Jim White, recently blogged about this epidemic behavior. You can read his blog on this matter at the website churchandculture.org. In his blog entitled McVictim, Dr. White expands on a New York Times article by David Gratzer that speaks about what he refers to as "McVictim Syndrome" which specifically points to Americans placing blame on external factors for the continuously climbing national obesity rate.
As is pointed out in Dr. White's blog, this is simply a microcosm to a larger issue that suggests American society deliberately blames other people/things for their difficulties or mistakes because then it is no longer their problem. The person then can rationalize that they no longer have to deal with the infraction but rather an outside agent must change in order for there to be any resolution.
There are too many examples of this throughout our culture, a plethora of them coming from pop culture. Recently, after dropping an arguably so-easy-a-caveman-could-do-it catch in the endzone to win the game, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson (who is on my fantasy team this year and is one of the only bright spots on my roster) directed a tweet to God asking why would he let such a thing happen.
Really?
No seriously, really?
The dude dropped a pass. It hit him in the hands. He SHOULD have caught it, he COULD have caught it. Instead of owning it, he decides to blame the Big Man. Now, even if the guy does thank God for every catch he makes, does he really believe God is the one catching the ball every time? That God is puppeteering him down the field on all the successful touchdowns Steve has had this year? It's amazing to me how much we make God play a secondary roll in our successes then is immediately upgraded to the starring role in our failures.
While The Creator of the Universe seems to be humanity's primary scapegoat, we have an uncanny ability to make a scapegoat out of darn near anything. Adam had Eve as his "fall guy" from the moment God asked THE question. I can't tell you how many times I've used the phrase "If I only had {this}, things would have been different" or "If only {this} would have happened instead of {that}" or "If {he/she} didn't do this, then I would have done it differently."
There are some people I've met that if I actually heard them say "I'm sorry" or "My fault", I would be...what's the best word...ah...FLABBERGHASTED. At one point, I would have said that I was one of those FLABBERGHASTERS, but hopefully not any more. The problem with actually trying to "own it" (whatever IT may be) is that you handicap yourself. While surrounded by others who are pass-the-buckers, the moment you take the blame for something they are more than willing to let you hear about it.
Integrity comes at a high price more times than not, but just think if we all actively tried to "own it" a little more. If we started being a little more honest with ourselves and were more thoughtful about the reprocusions of our actions, how much could it change us? How much could it change those around us? What if we actually realized it was us who needed to change, how much more willing would we be to go through with changes that would better ourselves?
All I can ask, friends, is that you think on these things and hold me accountable to the sentiments I've shared (cuz if you don't, it's all your fault).*
*Sarcasm used to make a point. Just in case ya missed it
What I'm into:
Bible Verse- 1 Timothy 4:16 "Keep a close watch on yourself and your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you."
Movie- Scott Pilgram vs The World: Okay the movie looks very silly at first glance, and honestly...it is pretty silly. But before you knock the format, look at the film for what it is- a story about a young adult learning about himself and how he effects the world around him. There's a very honest moment at the end where Michael Cera's character comes to the realization of how much of the drama that surrounds him was caused by HIM. And he owns it. *Side note, whomever the actress is who plays Knives Chow is ridiculously cute. I liked the alternate ending way better than the one they showed in theatres.
Song- Corey Smith "As Angels Cry": For those of you who don't know Corey is an avid UGA fan who sings a lot about football, drinking beer, and having "good times". However, this song is so beautiful and strangely honest that it impacted me greatly. It's all about owning it- the mistakes in our lives and how that can come back to haunt us. The second verse is my favorite:
Feels like I slip further from you every single day
It's getting harder to call your name as I bow my head to pray
And it's nobody's fault but mine
Nobody's but my own
All of the doubts in my head leave no will to carry on
And they're multiplying
Every link in the chain of consequences
Ohh, I'm beaten by the chain
Thank God that when we have moments like this we can ask for forgiveness and be granted it and given peace.
Admittedly, I am no more immune to this affliction than any other person I have encountered. However, it is something that, with my heightened awareness to the problem, I have consciously attempted to eradicate from my modus operandi.
The concept is so simple and easy to implement that I believe we responsively utilize its tenants to placate any chance of grief or remorse we may feel as a result of our actions, reactions, or ideologies. Compounding the issue is that passing the buck has become so commonplace that we have cultivated a benign indifference or even a gentle acceptance to others who blatantly use this strategy to explain away darn near ANYTHING.
The senior pastor at my church, Dr. Jim White, recently blogged about this epidemic behavior. You can read his blog on this matter at the website churchandculture.org. In his blog entitled McVictim, Dr. White expands on a New York Times article by David Gratzer that speaks about what he refers to as "McVictim Syndrome" which specifically points to Americans placing blame on external factors for the continuously climbing national obesity rate.
As is pointed out in Dr. White's blog, this is simply a microcosm to a larger issue that suggests American society deliberately blames other people/things for their difficulties or mistakes because then it is no longer their problem. The person then can rationalize that they no longer have to deal with the infraction but rather an outside agent must change in order for there to be any resolution.
There are too many examples of this throughout our culture, a plethora of them coming from pop culture. Recently, after dropping an arguably so-easy-a-caveman-could-do-it catch in the endzone to win the game, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson (who is on my fantasy team this year and is one of the only bright spots on my roster) directed a tweet to God asking why would he let such a thing happen.
Really?
No seriously, really?
The dude dropped a pass. It hit him in the hands. He SHOULD have caught it, he COULD have caught it. Instead of owning it, he decides to blame the Big Man. Now, even if the guy does thank God for every catch he makes, does he really believe God is the one catching the ball every time? That God is puppeteering him down the field on all the successful touchdowns Steve has had this year? It's amazing to me how much we make God play a secondary roll in our successes then is immediately upgraded to the starring role in our failures.
While The Creator of the Universe seems to be humanity's primary scapegoat, we have an uncanny ability to make a scapegoat out of darn near anything. Adam had Eve as his "fall guy" from the moment God asked THE question. I can't tell you how many times I've used the phrase "If I only had {this}, things would have been different" or "If only {this} would have happened instead of {that}" or "If {he/she} didn't do this, then I would have done it differently."
There are some people I've met that if I actually heard them say "I'm sorry" or "My fault", I would be...what's the best word...ah...FLABBERGHASTED. At one point, I would have said that I was one of those FLABBERGHASTERS, but hopefully not any more. The problem with actually trying to "own it" (whatever IT may be) is that you handicap yourself. While surrounded by others who are pass-the-buckers, the moment you take the blame for something they are more than willing to let you hear about it.
Integrity comes at a high price more times than not, but just think if we all actively tried to "own it" a little more. If we started being a little more honest with ourselves and were more thoughtful about the reprocusions of our actions, how much could it change us? How much could it change those around us? What if we actually realized it was us who needed to change, how much more willing would we be to go through with changes that would better ourselves?
All I can ask, friends, is that you think on these things and hold me accountable to the sentiments I've shared (cuz if you don't, it's all your fault).*
*Sarcasm used to make a point. Just in case ya missed it
What I'm into:
Bible Verse- 1 Timothy 4:16 "Keep a close watch on yourself and your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you."
Movie- Scott Pilgram vs The World: Okay the movie looks very silly at first glance, and honestly...it is pretty silly. But before you knock the format, look at the film for what it is- a story about a young adult learning about himself and how he effects the world around him. There's a very honest moment at the end where Michael Cera's character comes to the realization of how much of the drama that surrounds him was caused by HIM. And he owns it. *Side note, whomever the actress is who plays Knives Chow is ridiculously cute. I liked the alternate ending way better than the one they showed in theatres.
Song- Corey Smith "As Angels Cry": For those of you who don't know Corey is an avid UGA fan who sings a lot about football, drinking beer, and having "good times". However, this song is so beautiful and strangely honest that it impacted me greatly. It's all about owning it- the mistakes in our lives and how that can come back to haunt us. The second verse is my favorite:
Feels like I slip further from you every single day
It's getting harder to call your name as I bow my head to pray
And it's nobody's fault but mine
Nobody's but my own
All of the doubts in my head leave no will to carry on
And they're multiplying
Every link in the chain of consequences
Ohh, I'm beaten by the chain
Thank God that when we have moments like this we can ask for forgiveness and be granted it and given peace.
Friday, December 10, 2010
The Not-So-Smooth Operator
I have made a discovery. A SELF-discovery. In a crystallizing moment of clarity while out on the town in Charleston, SC I realized something very important about myself: I have no clue how to talk to women.
Now let me be clear, I can talk to a female in the general conversation sense. It's when I'm expected to "talk" to the fairer sex that things start going downhill. This might explain my natural aversion to dance clubs, "hip" bars, and other nocturnal hang outs for the young and unattached. (Yes, I used the word hip to describe something being widely celebrated and well attended by the masses... and I felt old doing it).
It's difficult enough for me to approach an attractive stranger and spark a conversation with an already implied undertone of "I think your purty". Add loud music, 70 other dudes trying to do the same thing, and the constant flow of adult libations, and I go from the far less than suave Michael Cera in Superbad to the almost-too-sad-to-watch-"Did I do thaaaattttt" awkwardness that is Steve Urkel.
I would like to say that my desire for mature, meaningful conversation about topics that go beyond the obligatory bar babble of "where you from, what do you do, who's your favorite Jonas brother" plays a significant role in my flirting afflictions. However, I still gave it a go with a few intriguing ladies at several Charleston locales and came out the other side looking like that uncle that gets invited to the Christmas party every year but everyone in the family thinks he's a little off so he ends up sitting at the piano by himself downing the last of the egg nog.
The crazy thing is, I consider myself a good communicator. Heck, I take pride in my abilities to gab with the best of them. And, in my humble opinion, I CAN talk up a storm without creating an impulse for those near me to run for cover. But that's when it's all family and friends. The condemning variable seems to be when there is a single, attractive female in the equation. If I see someone with future Mrs. Smalling potential (yes, I'm old fashioned, I'm hoping my wife will not mind taking my name) I some how some way crash and burn.
It's not that I clam up, or start yammering like Bobcat Goldthwait. I just can't find anything to say that tells a woman of interest that I'm the man she's been looking for. Shoot, I can't find anything to say that tells her "hey, this guy is worth talking to for more than 5 minutes".
My size may have something to do with it as well. Once in high school, while on vacation in exotic Myrtle Beach, I approached an attractive girl to ask if she would honor me with a dance. We were at House of Blues and it was "teen night". Granted the young woman I approached was all of about 5'2"...and I was at least 6'2" at the time. And I did tap her on the shoulder from behind so she didn't see me until I was right there. But when she turned and yelled "Ahh!" as her eyes pried open wide and the corner of her lips bent downwards in the international expression of "I'm NOT happy to see you"... I was more sad than offended. I still had the gumption to ask for a dance. I'll give you 3 guesses to figure out what her answer was. Needless to say I morphed into that aforementioned hypothetical uncle, and slid sluggishly back to a nice corner of the room to watch my peers merrily cut a rug with fun-loving strangers.
Maybe I put too much pressure on myself. Maybe I think too much about the whole dating thing. Maybe I should become a teacher at an all dudes school and live out the rest of my years as the professorial bachelor...full of wisdom and insight...just not swagger (though I started using that Old Spice deodorant called "swagger", who knows it might just seep some into my bloodstream). What I do know, is that if and when I meet that special someone, she will BE that special someone precisely because she looks beyond my initial inability to woo her with words. I'm confident that when that woman finally does enter my life, my struggles to verbally invigorate her will dissipate quickly. And if there is one thing I AM confident in it's my ability to bring the romance in a relationship...and you don't need words when both of you are speechless.
What I'm Into:
Bible Verse- 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Movie- "Love Actually" It's Christmas time and that movie is a Christmas time movie. Granted there is a couple of story lines in the movie I just don't like (namely Kiera Knightley's), but overall it makes me happy to watch it. I get a little sappy with it, but that's a good thing from time to time.
Song- "Those I Loved"- Eric Church. I'm going through a country phase right now. I dig a lot of the songs that aren't as twangy and have deeper messages than "I ran over my dog with my truck". Eric Church has got a lot of good ones, but this one about the people he has loved in his life is pretty solid.
Now let me be clear, I can talk to a female in the general conversation sense. It's when I'm expected to "talk" to the fairer sex that things start going downhill. This might explain my natural aversion to dance clubs, "hip" bars, and other nocturnal hang outs for the young and unattached. (Yes, I used the word hip to describe something being widely celebrated and well attended by the masses... and I felt old doing it).
It's difficult enough for me to approach an attractive stranger and spark a conversation with an already implied undertone of "I think your purty". Add loud music, 70 other dudes trying to do the same thing, and the constant flow of adult libations, and I go from the far less than suave Michael Cera in Superbad to the almost-too-sad-to-watch-"Did I do thaaaattttt" awkwardness that is Steve Urkel.
I would like to say that my desire for mature, meaningful conversation about topics that go beyond the obligatory bar babble of "where you from, what do you do, who's your favorite Jonas brother" plays a significant role in my flirting afflictions. However, I still gave it a go with a few intriguing ladies at several Charleston locales and came out the other side looking like that uncle that gets invited to the Christmas party every year but everyone in the family thinks he's a little off so he ends up sitting at the piano by himself downing the last of the egg nog.
The crazy thing is, I consider myself a good communicator. Heck, I take pride in my abilities to gab with the best of them. And, in my humble opinion, I CAN talk up a storm without creating an impulse for those near me to run for cover. But that's when it's all family and friends. The condemning variable seems to be when there is a single, attractive female in the equation. If I see someone with future Mrs. Smalling potential (yes, I'm old fashioned, I'm hoping my wife will not mind taking my name) I some how some way crash and burn.
It's not that I clam up, or start yammering like Bobcat Goldthwait. I just can't find anything to say that tells a woman of interest that I'm the man she's been looking for. Shoot, I can't find anything to say that tells her "hey, this guy is worth talking to for more than 5 minutes".
My size may have something to do with it as well. Once in high school, while on vacation in exotic Myrtle Beach, I approached an attractive girl to ask if she would honor me with a dance. We were at House of Blues and it was "teen night". Granted the young woman I approached was all of about 5'2"...and I was at least 6'2" at the time. And I did tap her on the shoulder from behind so she didn't see me until I was right there. But when she turned and yelled "Ahh!" as her eyes pried open wide and the corner of her lips bent downwards in the international expression of "I'm NOT happy to see you"... I was more sad than offended. I still had the gumption to ask for a dance. I'll give you 3 guesses to figure out what her answer was. Needless to say I morphed into that aforementioned hypothetical uncle, and slid sluggishly back to a nice corner of the room to watch my peers merrily cut a rug with fun-loving strangers.
Maybe I put too much pressure on myself. Maybe I think too much about the whole dating thing. Maybe I should become a teacher at an all dudes school and live out the rest of my years as the professorial bachelor...full of wisdom and insight...just not swagger (though I started using that Old Spice deodorant called "swagger", who knows it might just seep some into my bloodstream). What I do know, is that if and when I meet that special someone, she will BE that special someone precisely because she looks beyond my initial inability to woo her with words. I'm confident that when that woman finally does enter my life, my struggles to verbally invigorate her will dissipate quickly. And if there is one thing I AM confident in it's my ability to bring the romance in a relationship...and you don't need words when both of you are speechless.
What I'm Into:
Bible Verse- 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Movie- "Love Actually" It's Christmas time and that movie is a Christmas time movie. Granted there is a couple of story lines in the movie I just don't like (namely Kiera Knightley's), but overall it makes me happy to watch it. I get a little sappy with it, but that's a good thing from time to time.
Song- "Those I Loved"- Eric Church. I'm going through a country phase right now. I dig a lot of the songs that aren't as twangy and have deeper messages than "I ran over my dog with my truck". Eric Church has got a lot of good ones, but this one about the people he has loved in his life is pretty solid.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Biggy Smallz in the Big City
With a headache, sore throat, and deeply concerning blurred vision, the beginning of my family's 10+ hour trek to New York City was not starting off on the best of foots for yours truly.
I just plain didn't feel well. Determined to not let something as ludicrous as the common cold (or possibly the flu) keep me from enjoying only my second visit to The Big Apple, I said a little prayer to God that he not let whatever was causing this bodily turmoil effect my or my family's fun on this 1st annual Turkey Day Tussle with NYC's abundance of "wild life". Grammatically I realize that it should be "my family's or my..." but I prayed for me first and them second, which should be somewhat of an indication that this prayer was primarily selfish in nature.
However, this was not my ordinary prayer. There was more audacity in my words to the God I love than ever before. I prayed not only with 100% certainty that God COULD take this sickness away from me but also that He WOULD take it away. After driving for about an hour in Virginia, feeling the worst I've felt in a very long time, all the sudden my symptoms began fading away. I had been sweating from a fever I must have been running but all the sudden the headache and the fever evaporated like condensation off the windshield. The rest of the trip I would suffer from minor symptoms- congestion, occasional coughing, scratchy throat- but not ONCE did the way I felt physically interrupt our family's reunion in The City that Never Sleeps. It was a God thing. This trip was going to be great.
It was great. Except for (and this is the one and ONLY time I will mention it in this blog...the hurt still lingers) the Clemson football game Saturday night. The trip was made great by small, unexpected, even in some cases, embarrassing occurrences that infiltrated our plans each day we were there. It started about 15 minutes after we finally reached the city. Dad dropped mom and me off at the hotel with the luggage and then began the process of making four immediate left turns around the block to get to the parking deck directly behind the hotel on a one-way street.
Being the country folk that we are, some of the "rules of the road" in big metropolitan areas were foreign to us. This included, for my dad, driving while talking on the cell phone. Now forget for a moment that he DOES have a bluetooth headset, has driven in Washington D.C. where the rule also applies, and that he was simply calling my mother to tell her to go ahead and check in (which we were already doing), and just remember that NYC is chaotic and can be flustering at times. Enter NYPD's finest stage left. Dad's smooth salesmanship skills got him out of getting a double whammy ticket of both 1)no seat belt on and 2)driving while talking on the phone, but he was still hit with #2.
To make matters worse was the fact that when he rolled the window down to address the officer, the window took that opportune moment to malfunction and the glass almost completely sank into it's slot between the door paneling. After receiving his fineable offense documentation, dad had to park our car, which had a broken window, in a parking deck in NYC. Luckily he was able to manhandle the glass to get it back up to at least look fully functional only to leave it for us to worry about on the trip back home.
That started the trip off on a rough, yet somewhat comical rhythm that persistent until we got back to Tennessee. Intermittent to the comedy was the phenomenal cuisine we took in every day. We had great fish, great Italian, and a fantastic yet uncustomary Thanksgiving dinner. One of our servers was quick to point out that we must be from the south after I said something at the table. Taken back, since I believe I don't sound that southern at all, I questioned how she knew we were from God's country (that's right, I said it). Apparently I had said "y'all" and she got a kick out of that. It was odd to me, something so natural to say that it has become a staple of my everyday vernacular could be pinpointed and labeled so quickly by a stranger.
After visiting my brother at his place of work and seeing where he does...whatever it is that he does, I decided this was our first photo opp. I took pictures of him in his natural element- looking at six different computer screens all with different info on it and deciphering the data to make meaningful decisions that ultimately makes money for his company. I had to get in on that action...so we took pictures of me at the desk looking like I would if I had his job. Needless to say stupefied doesn't quite do justice to my look.
On the way down the elevator in this lovely place of New York professionalism, one person in our party created yet another hilarious moment. While I won't say his name to protect both his pride and his identity, I will say that this instance proves that the street smart intelligence I received was maternal (love you dad). Standing more than two feet from the wall of the downward moving elevator, this person must have thought the wall was literally right behind them and as if in slow motion began to gently rock back on his heels expected the sturdy wood paneling behind him to act as a casual lean-to during the brief 8-floor decent. Eventually gravity took hold and introduced this nameless person to the realization that the wall he expected to be directly behind him was a good two feet away, and when he hit, the elevator shook side to side violently enough to make a blind person believe an earthquake hit a 5 on the richter scale.
A cloud of dust that had been hibernating behind the wood paneling was released into the elevator's small space. After gathering ourselves from concern at first then harmonious laughter, the Smalling family exited the elevator whistling a peppy tune as to avoid any suspicion from the non-existent spectators of the building's lobby.
Mom and I got to see the Broadway Musical "Promises, Promises" which was great. Molly Shannon was a hit in the show and Sean Hayes must have been ad libbing something fierce because he obviously caught two of his co-stars completely by surprise with a few lines. The whole family went to see the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular in Radio City Music Hall. It was very well done, but what took me by surprise was the reverence paid to Jesus Christ. After 45 minutes of a show that had plenty of well choreographed dancing and a Santa Claus popping off about the "magic of Christmas," the last thing I expected to hear or see was anything about the birth of our Savior. Yet there it was, the end of the show, and a 14-year old boy read the story of Jesus being born to his younger brother and sister which lead into a living nativity scene complete with live sheep and camels. (Admittedly I was waiting for one of those creatures to do their business on stage...but apparently they are very well trained).
At a show in NYC that was as secular a venue as you can get with what I am sure was an audience full of every religion, doctrine, and ideology you could think of, I was taken back at the reverence and sincerity the show gave to the real reason we celebrate Christmas. It was truly great, and I wonder to this day how many of those people on stage performing in those scenes really believed in what they were demonstrating. I also wondered about the hundreds of children in the audience, many of which may have grown in homes that never paid any attention to the story of Jesus, and how they were responding to what was being presented to them. I can only hope that the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular somehow was used to the glory of God that day.
Sunday got there quickly, and mom, dad, and I were trying to quickly scarf down the hotel's free breakfast and get on the road before the major "heading home" traffic hit the highways. That really, REALLY didn't work out for us. We hit the road by 8:00 am, but dad's GPS was being less than helpful and we ended up in downtown Newark, NJ. It took us at least 30 minutes to go 8 miles on a road that had more stop lights than NYC has Starbucks. None of which had sensors and we were stopped by pretty much EVERY SINGLE RED LIGHT! We finally got back on the highway and off we went, for a while. We hit our first bit of traffic in Jersey, got through that, then hit traffic in Pennsylvania, got through that, then hit traffic in Virginia. Now when I say traffic, I'm talking stop for a couple of minutes- move 2 yards- stop for a few minutes again-type traffic. We didn't get back home until 11:30 that night. A nice little, 15+ hour trip.
Granted we stopped to eat and to find a store open on Sunday morning that had duck tape (remember the window problem). All in all it was an unforgettable experience with the 3 people I love most in the world. And since this may become an annual thing for us, I'm expecting many more stories to come. God help us if we ever decide to go overseas. :)
What I'm Into:
Movie- We saw "Love and Other Drugs" in NYC. It was very good. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Be warned, it's got a lot of sex and nudity in it and I DO NOT recommend watching it with your parents. However the acting was great, the story is interesting, and it really hits home for anyone who has a family member or friend that has suffered from Parkinson's.
Song- "New York, New York"- Ryan Adams. For obvious reasons. Plus it's catchy and not as cliche as other songs about The Big Apple. Interesting note: the video for his song was shot Sept. 7, 2001 and the twin towers stand prominently in the background to open the video...only 4 days later until every American's (and so many other's) world changed forever.
Bible Verse- 1 John 3:21-22 "Dear friends, if our conscience is clear, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him."
I just plain didn't feel well. Determined to not let something as ludicrous as the common cold (or possibly the flu) keep me from enjoying only my second visit to The Big Apple, I said a little prayer to God that he not let whatever was causing this bodily turmoil effect my or my family's fun on this 1st annual Turkey Day Tussle with NYC's abundance of "wild life". Grammatically I realize that it should be "my family's or my..." but I prayed for me first and them second, which should be somewhat of an indication that this prayer was primarily selfish in nature.
However, this was not my ordinary prayer. There was more audacity in my words to the God I love than ever before. I prayed not only with 100% certainty that God COULD take this sickness away from me but also that He WOULD take it away. After driving for about an hour in Virginia, feeling the worst I've felt in a very long time, all the sudden my symptoms began fading away. I had been sweating from a fever I must have been running but all the sudden the headache and the fever evaporated like condensation off the windshield. The rest of the trip I would suffer from minor symptoms- congestion, occasional coughing, scratchy throat- but not ONCE did the way I felt physically interrupt our family's reunion in The City that Never Sleeps. It was a God thing. This trip was going to be great.
It was great. Except for (and this is the one and ONLY time I will mention it in this blog...the hurt still lingers) the Clemson football game Saturday night. The trip was made great by small, unexpected, even in some cases, embarrassing occurrences that infiltrated our plans each day we were there. It started about 15 minutes after we finally reached the city. Dad dropped mom and me off at the hotel with the luggage and then began the process of making four immediate left turns around the block to get to the parking deck directly behind the hotel on a one-way street.
Being the country folk that we are, some of the "rules of the road" in big metropolitan areas were foreign to us. This included, for my dad, driving while talking on the cell phone. Now forget for a moment that he DOES have a bluetooth headset, has driven in Washington D.C. where the rule also applies, and that he was simply calling my mother to tell her to go ahead and check in (which we were already doing), and just remember that NYC is chaotic and can be flustering at times. Enter NYPD's finest stage left. Dad's smooth salesmanship skills got him out of getting a double whammy ticket of both 1)no seat belt on and 2)driving while talking on the phone, but he was still hit with #2.
To make matters worse was the fact that when he rolled the window down to address the officer, the window took that opportune moment to malfunction and the glass almost completely sank into it's slot between the door paneling. After receiving his fineable offense documentation, dad had to park our car, which had a broken window, in a parking deck in NYC. Luckily he was able to manhandle the glass to get it back up to at least look fully functional only to leave it for us to worry about on the trip back home.
That started the trip off on a rough, yet somewhat comical rhythm that persistent until we got back to Tennessee. Intermittent to the comedy was the phenomenal cuisine we took in every day. We had great fish, great Italian, and a fantastic yet uncustomary Thanksgiving dinner. One of our servers was quick to point out that we must be from the south after I said something at the table. Taken back, since I believe I don't sound that southern at all, I questioned how she knew we were from God's country (that's right, I said it). Apparently I had said "y'all" and she got a kick out of that. It was odd to me, something so natural to say that it has become a staple of my everyday vernacular could be pinpointed and labeled so quickly by a stranger.
After visiting my brother at his place of work and seeing where he does...whatever it is that he does, I decided this was our first photo opp. I took pictures of him in his natural element- looking at six different computer screens all with different info on it and deciphering the data to make meaningful decisions that ultimately makes money for his company. I had to get in on that action...so we took pictures of me at the desk looking like I would if I had his job. Needless to say stupefied doesn't quite do justice to my look.
On the way down the elevator in this lovely place of New York professionalism, one person in our party created yet another hilarious moment. While I won't say his name to protect both his pride and his identity, I will say that this instance proves that the street smart intelligence I received was maternal (love you dad). Standing more than two feet from the wall of the downward moving elevator, this person must have thought the wall was literally right behind them and as if in slow motion began to gently rock back on his heels expected the sturdy wood paneling behind him to act as a casual lean-to during the brief 8-floor decent. Eventually gravity took hold and introduced this nameless person to the realization that the wall he expected to be directly behind him was a good two feet away, and when he hit, the elevator shook side to side violently enough to make a blind person believe an earthquake hit a 5 on the richter scale.
A cloud of dust that had been hibernating behind the wood paneling was released into the elevator's small space. After gathering ourselves from concern at first then harmonious laughter, the Smalling family exited the elevator whistling a peppy tune as to avoid any suspicion from the non-existent spectators of the building's lobby.
Mom and I got to see the Broadway Musical "Promises, Promises" which was great. Molly Shannon was a hit in the show and Sean Hayes must have been ad libbing something fierce because he obviously caught two of his co-stars completely by surprise with a few lines. The whole family went to see the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular in Radio City Music Hall. It was very well done, but what took me by surprise was the reverence paid to Jesus Christ. After 45 minutes of a show that had plenty of well choreographed dancing and a Santa Claus popping off about the "magic of Christmas," the last thing I expected to hear or see was anything about the birth of our Savior. Yet there it was, the end of the show, and a 14-year old boy read the story of Jesus being born to his younger brother and sister which lead into a living nativity scene complete with live sheep and camels. (Admittedly I was waiting for one of those creatures to do their business on stage...but apparently they are very well trained).
At a show in NYC that was as secular a venue as you can get with what I am sure was an audience full of every religion, doctrine, and ideology you could think of, I was taken back at the reverence and sincerity the show gave to the real reason we celebrate Christmas. It was truly great, and I wonder to this day how many of those people on stage performing in those scenes really believed in what they were demonstrating. I also wondered about the hundreds of children in the audience, many of which may have grown in homes that never paid any attention to the story of Jesus, and how they were responding to what was being presented to them. I can only hope that the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular somehow was used to the glory of God that day.
Sunday got there quickly, and mom, dad, and I were trying to quickly scarf down the hotel's free breakfast and get on the road before the major "heading home" traffic hit the highways. That really, REALLY didn't work out for us. We hit the road by 8:00 am, but dad's GPS was being less than helpful and we ended up in downtown Newark, NJ. It took us at least 30 minutes to go 8 miles on a road that had more stop lights than NYC has Starbucks. None of which had sensors and we were stopped by pretty much EVERY SINGLE RED LIGHT! We finally got back on the highway and off we went, for a while. We hit our first bit of traffic in Jersey, got through that, then hit traffic in Pennsylvania, got through that, then hit traffic in Virginia. Now when I say traffic, I'm talking stop for a couple of minutes- move 2 yards- stop for a few minutes again-type traffic. We didn't get back home until 11:30 that night. A nice little, 15+ hour trip.
Granted we stopped to eat and to find a store open on Sunday morning that had duck tape (remember the window problem). All in all it was an unforgettable experience with the 3 people I love most in the world. And since this may become an annual thing for us, I'm expecting many more stories to come. God help us if we ever decide to go overseas. :)
What I'm Into:
Movie- We saw "Love and Other Drugs" in NYC. It was very good. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Be warned, it's got a lot of sex and nudity in it and I DO NOT recommend watching it with your parents. However the acting was great, the story is interesting, and it really hits home for anyone who has a family member or friend that has suffered from Parkinson's.
Song- "New York, New York"- Ryan Adams. For obvious reasons. Plus it's catchy and not as cliche as other songs about The Big Apple. Interesting note: the video for his song was shot Sept. 7, 2001 and the twin towers stand prominently in the background to open the video...only 4 days later until every American's (and so many other's) world changed forever.
Bible Verse- 1 John 3:21-22 "Dear friends, if our conscience is clear, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him."
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Redemption
I'm back, baby! It took a week long vacation and having to wait on my two awesome yet slow moving parental units to get ready to leave our hotel in chilly Allentown, PA on our way to visit my bro in NYC...but I FINALLY took some time to blog yet again. And depending on your motivation for reading this, you are either really excited or dreading my feeble attempts at insightful reflection on random thoughts and occurrences in my life.
As I re-enter the blog-o-sphere, I wanted to keep it simple (while keepin' it real). What's really on my mind right now is Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. My Clemson Tigers play "That Other School" in South Kackalacky. After the shalacking we received in the Chicken Coop last year, the word of the week for this game is REDEMPTION. Compounded onto the fact that the garnet and black haven't beaten the Tigers in back-to-back years in over 30 years is the ridiculously disappointing season the Tigers have had this year.
It's been another year with heartbreaking close losses and one completely inexplicable loss to a team that would be flattered just to be called "sub-par" (sorry BC). One road game win against hapless Wake Forest is despicable and how can Clemson look so good against the best team in the nation then look like they did against an overachieving Miami team (IN DEATH VALLEY!!!).
Many people are quick to blame the coaches. As my less-than-favorite college football analyst Lee Corso says: "Not so fast my friends". We are talking about a coaching regime that took Clemson to our first ACC Title Game. Some may say "well that was because of C.J. and Jacoby", but think about how good Parker was last year. Now compare that to this year. That ain't coaching. If anything, the coaches made a bold yet great move de-throning the starting wide receiver core and putting faith in 2 freshman ("Nuke" Hopkins, McNeal) and a sophomore (Brown).
Early on, the youth of those receivers hurt the Tigers some, but the maturation they are receiving now WILL pay dividends later. Add that to the fact that we have 3 AMAZING receivers committed to the Tigers for next year (Peake, Bryant, Watkins). The thing that this year's team has lacked is that signature win against a good team. These young men need to KNOW, and not just HOPE or THINK, that they can win against strong competition. Darth Visor's team is strong competition (just ask 'Bama).
Winning this rivalry game will not completely take the sting out of such a down season but 7-5 looks SO much better than 6-6. It will do wonders for the team's morale and give us huge momentum going into our bowl game and on into the off season. In many ways it will redeem this team. Granted Tommy Bowden made a career at Clemson of underachieving and getting to the brink of expulsion from the hot seat only to beat the fake USC (even though I despise the real one as well) and living on another year. Dabo can't have another season like this one next year. We will find out what kind of coach he really is starting next year.
As usually we have a superb recruiting class, loads of young talent, and a defense that (despite the almost assured loss of Da'Quan to the pros) will still be very solid up front next year. To me Tajh is the biggest question mark and I say that assuming Parker is playing baseball next year. Obviously I'm getting way ahead of myself. I'm just hoping (and praying some) for a Tiger win Saturday. Watching from the Clemson alumni bar in NYC, I can only imagine the good vibes and excitement that will explode from that scene if we pull out the "W".
I believe it is very possible. Harper will need to run the ball downhill, strong and relentless. Our defense will have to contain Lattimore. I think it will come down, like so many games do, to turnovers. If we win the turnover battle, we WILL win the game. Unfortunately, in the Miami and UNC games, we were the ones turning the ball over and drawing silly penalties. That will be another sign of a maturing football team on Saturday. I will look to see if the Tigers will play smart, mistake-free football.
I'm cautiously anxious for this weekend. As I have blogged about before, it is easy to get pumped for Clemson football only to be let down, but I will continue to support my team until that elusive National Title is brought back to where the Foothills yawn it's greatness. Now that's what I would call redemption.
What I'm into:
Song: "Redemption Song" Bob Marley- Obviously weightier than a football team's quest on the field- but a great song with a good message.
Movie: "Rocky III"- Clubber Lang, Eye of the Tiger, Rocky's Redemption- it has gotten me ready for the Battle for the Palmetto State.
Bible Verse: 1 Peter 1:6 "So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for to endure many trials for a while."
As I re-enter the blog-o-sphere, I wanted to keep it simple (while keepin' it real). What's really on my mind right now is Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. My Clemson Tigers play "That Other School" in South Kackalacky. After the shalacking we received in the Chicken Coop last year, the word of the week for this game is REDEMPTION. Compounded onto the fact that the garnet and black haven't beaten the Tigers in back-to-back years in over 30 years is the ridiculously disappointing season the Tigers have had this year.
It's been another year with heartbreaking close losses and one completely inexplicable loss to a team that would be flattered just to be called "sub-par" (sorry BC). One road game win against hapless Wake Forest is despicable and how can Clemson look so good against the best team in the nation then look like they did against an overachieving Miami team (IN DEATH VALLEY!!!).
Many people are quick to blame the coaches. As my less-than-favorite college football analyst Lee Corso says: "Not so fast my friends". We are talking about a coaching regime that took Clemson to our first ACC Title Game. Some may say "well that was because of C.J. and Jacoby", but think about how good Parker was last year. Now compare that to this year. That ain't coaching. If anything, the coaches made a bold yet great move de-throning the starting wide receiver core and putting faith in 2 freshman ("Nuke" Hopkins, McNeal) and a sophomore (Brown).
Early on, the youth of those receivers hurt the Tigers some, but the maturation they are receiving now WILL pay dividends later. Add that to the fact that we have 3 AMAZING receivers committed to the Tigers for next year (Peake, Bryant, Watkins). The thing that this year's team has lacked is that signature win against a good team. These young men need to KNOW, and not just HOPE or THINK, that they can win against strong competition. Darth Visor's team is strong competition (just ask 'Bama).
Winning this rivalry game will not completely take the sting out of such a down season but 7-5 looks SO much better than 6-6. It will do wonders for the team's morale and give us huge momentum going into our bowl game and on into the off season. In many ways it will redeem this team. Granted Tommy Bowden made a career at Clemson of underachieving and getting to the brink of expulsion from the hot seat only to beat the fake USC (even though I despise the real one as well) and living on another year. Dabo can't have another season like this one next year. We will find out what kind of coach he really is starting next year.
As usually we have a superb recruiting class, loads of young talent, and a defense that (despite the almost assured loss of Da'Quan to the pros) will still be very solid up front next year. To me Tajh is the biggest question mark and I say that assuming Parker is playing baseball next year. Obviously I'm getting way ahead of myself. I'm just hoping (and praying some) for a Tiger win Saturday. Watching from the Clemson alumni bar in NYC, I can only imagine the good vibes and excitement that will explode from that scene if we pull out the "W".
I believe it is very possible. Harper will need to run the ball downhill, strong and relentless. Our defense will have to contain Lattimore. I think it will come down, like so many games do, to turnovers. If we win the turnover battle, we WILL win the game. Unfortunately, in the Miami and UNC games, we were the ones turning the ball over and drawing silly penalties. That will be another sign of a maturing football team on Saturday. I will look to see if the Tigers will play smart, mistake-free football.
I'm cautiously anxious for this weekend. As I have blogged about before, it is easy to get pumped for Clemson football only to be let down, but I will continue to support my team until that elusive National Title is brought back to where the Foothills yawn it's greatness. Now that's what I would call redemption.
What I'm into:
Song: "Redemption Song" Bob Marley- Obviously weightier than a football team's quest on the field- but a great song with a good message.
Movie: "Rocky III"- Clubber Lang, Eye of the Tiger, Rocky's Redemption- it has gotten me ready for the Battle for the Palmetto State.
Bible Verse: 1 Peter 1:6 "So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for to endure many trials for a while."
Thursday, August 19, 2010
It is what it is.... WHAT?
In the past several years either the phrase "it is what it is" has been assimilated into the vernacular of more humans than F-bombs Rex Ryan drops in the whole season of HBO's HARD KNOCKS or I have just become more astute to it's usage.
I've heard athletes say it, politicians say it, CEOs say it, friends say it, and I think I even heard a 2-year-old say it...but he may have just been reciting all the words he knew and threw those in a coincidental order.
*Note to my friends who HAVE said "it is what it is" to me. No worries. I ain't mad at ya.*
Needless to say, this phrase bothers me. Don't get me wrong, there are probably times where this phrase is applicable and warranted (e.g. "How in the world can Brad not like peanut butter?" "It just is what it is.") We seem to throw this phrase out whenever there just isn't a good explanation for something, or we don't seem to have an explanation for something, or we are just to lazy to EXPLAIN the explanation to someone.
The phrase itself is really not my problem, it's the ideology behind the frequent usage of such a phrase that troubles me. I think the recent spike in the phrase's popularity stems from a mindset that many in our culture subscribe to: certain things just can't be change, so why try to.
Think about it. Most of the circumstances I've encountered "it is what it is" have been where someone is dismissing their own words or actions (or someone else's) as something that happened because THAT'S just the way she/he is and how she/he does things and everyone else should just get used to it.
Now, I am all for individuality, and I'm even 100% behind someone who, in their best knowledge of wisdom and discernment, made a choice and stands by it in retrospect when addressing questions from others. HOWEVER, I say 99% of the time someone says "it is what it is" the comment is meant more as a deflection and an implied "deal with it [punks]" (I added the "punks" part for effect).
Most recently I heard several people use the phrase to justify the Rex Ryan reference I alluded to earlier. For those who don't know, Rex is the coach of the New York Jet's. On the first episode of an HBO show called HARD KNOCKS that aired recently, Rex did not hold back from his apparent frequent use of profanity he employs while addressing his team. Tony Dungy, former coach of the Superbowl winning Indianapolis Colts (Go Horse!), was asked during an interview on the NFL Network what he thought about the show. Tony mentioned he didn't like Rex's use of language and said he wouldn't have a guy like that coaching his squad. Tony went on to suggest the Commisioner's office might be well served to intercede in this matter.
A flurry of responses from players, Rex himself, analysts, and random New Yorkers ensued. Most of which criticized Dungy for "looking down" on Rex. I heard several people, particularly those interviewed on a Manhattan street corner, use the phrase "it is what it is" and "let him be" and "if you don't like it, turn the channel" when defending the foul-mouthed coach.
Okay, first issue: Dungy was ASKED A QUESTION! And, because he is an honest dude, he gave an HONEST ANSWER about how he personally felt about it. If you want to tell a man to mind his own business, tell that to the interviewer (which I think was Dan Patrick) NOT the interviewee. I can't believe the negative reactions that have ignited towards Dungy in this scenario.
Second: What do you mean "it is what it is"? This boils down to the heart of what I'm getting at. Everything we do is a choice. Everything. Well, except for maybe death and paying taxes- but many people have chosen to try to avoid both of those as well...more have been successful avoiding the latter rather than the former. We CHOOSE what we say and how we say it, we CHOOSE how our reactions manifest themselves in a given situation, we CHOOSE the persona and public image that everyone sees. It's not "it is what it is" more fittingly "it is what I choose it to be".
Look, I've been known to use salty language at times, but it's something I'm trying to get better about NOT doing. That is CHOICE I have made for myself. Does Rex need to answer to anyone about how he speaks? Well, no one on this earth, but I think where Tony's coming from is that some players may not wish to hear F-bombs every third sentence. Or, more importantly to a coach, not all players may respond well to that.
Congruently, let's talk about the HBO show. True, it's a free country and no one is forced to watch that network or that show, so it is easy to just change the channel if you don't want to hear that language BUT what if a dad of a high school football star wants to see what it is like in The Big League? What if a kid LOVES the Jets? What about the avid football fan that wants to see the stuff that goes on behind the scenes? And what if those people are offended by what they hear? Again, you can say "well tough". But the NFL is a business. This show is a way to market itself...potentially getting younger or newer fans interested to increase viewership during the regular season. What if you alienate new customers? Someone may be turned off by the use of language but I don't think many people will consciously go "boy, I'd like this show and/or the NFL better if I heard more swearing."
On the broader spectrum, "it is what it is" IS running rampant. I've had people use the phrase to defend others I know because their behavior was cruel or embarrassing. I just don't buy it. If you care for someone and you see them saying or doing something that hurts themselves or someone else, why would you just brush it off as "oh, that's just [Insert Name Here], she/he is ALWAYS like that."
I would argue that it is our duty to care for each other, especially those closest to us. If we can help them better themselves, why wouldn't we speak up? But our society sees interceding in that way as abrasive and rude. I'd say if your intentions are pure and good, and you approach someone with love, that any effort made will NEVER be abrasive or rude.
I've seen too many lives change drastically, too many stories of 180-degree turns, and I've had too many of my own experiences to deny that someone will always be a certain way. "It is what it is"- only until it ISN'T. Nothing is set in stone my friends, except for the love our God has for us. This is a dynamic world and we are an AMAZINGLY dynamic people. I believe that's the way God wanted it, so no matter how deep in it we get, we can always turn completely around and the God who created everything will be waiting on us with open arms.
So my encouragement to everyone is to seek out the things you have in your own lives that all you can say to defend it is "it is what it is," and really think about what that means and what it would mean to be able to explain it with the wisdom and confidence of having an omnipotent God backing you up. That's how I've been challenging myself lately- would my actions/words get a thumbs up from Jesus.
In that way, I never have an "it is what it is" moment but a "it is what He wants it to be". It's a goal, it's a choice.
I've heard athletes say it, politicians say it, CEOs say it, friends say it, and I think I even heard a 2-year-old say it...but he may have just been reciting all the words he knew and threw those in a coincidental order.
*Note to my friends who HAVE said "it is what it is" to me. No worries. I ain't mad at ya.*
Needless to say, this phrase bothers me. Don't get me wrong, there are probably times where this phrase is applicable and warranted (e.g. "How in the world can Brad not like peanut butter?" "It just is what it is.") We seem to throw this phrase out whenever there just isn't a good explanation for something, or we don't seem to have an explanation for something, or we are just to lazy to EXPLAIN the explanation to someone.
The phrase itself is really not my problem, it's the ideology behind the frequent usage of such a phrase that troubles me. I think the recent spike in the phrase's popularity stems from a mindset that many in our culture subscribe to: certain things just can't be change, so why try to.
Think about it. Most of the circumstances I've encountered "it is what it is" have been where someone is dismissing their own words or actions (or someone else's) as something that happened because THAT'S just the way she/he is and how she/he does things and everyone else should just get used to it.
Now, I am all for individuality, and I'm even 100% behind someone who, in their best knowledge of wisdom and discernment, made a choice and stands by it in retrospect when addressing questions from others. HOWEVER, I say 99% of the time someone says "it is what it is" the comment is meant more as a deflection and an implied "deal with it [punks]" (I added the "punks" part for effect).
Most recently I heard several people use the phrase to justify the Rex Ryan reference I alluded to earlier. For those who don't know, Rex is the coach of the New York Jet's. On the first episode of an HBO show called HARD KNOCKS that aired recently, Rex did not hold back from his apparent frequent use of profanity he employs while addressing his team. Tony Dungy, former coach of the Superbowl winning Indianapolis Colts (Go Horse!), was asked during an interview on the NFL Network what he thought about the show. Tony mentioned he didn't like Rex's use of language and said he wouldn't have a guy like that coaching his squad. Tony went on to suggest the Commisioner's office might be well served to intercede in this matter.
A flurry of responses from players, Rex himself, analysts, and random New Yorkers ensued. Most of which criticized Dungy for "looking down" on Rex. I heard several people, particularly those interviewed on a Manhattan street corner, use the phrase "it is what it is" and "let him be" and "if you don't like it, turn the channel" when defending the foul-mouthed coach.
Okay, first issue: Dungy was ASKED A QUESTION! And, because he is an honest dude, he gave an HONEST ANSWER about how he personally felt about it. If you want to tell a man to mind his own business, tell that to the interviewer (which I think was Dan Patrick) NOT the interviewee. I can't believe the negative reactions that have ignited towards Dungy in this scenario.
Second: What do you mean "it is what it is"? This boils down to the heart of what I'm getting at. Everything we do is a choice. Everything. Well, except for maybe death and paying taxes- but many people have chosen to try to avoid both of those as well...more have been successful avoiding the latter rather than the former. We CHOOSE what we say and how we say it, we CHOOSE how our reactions manifest themselves in a given situation, we CHOOSE the persona and public image that everyone sees. It's not "it is what it is" more fittingly "it is what I choose it to be".
Look, I've been known to use salty language at times, but it's something I'm trying to get better about NOT doing. That is CHOICE I have made for myself. Does Rex need to answer to anyone about how he speaks? Well, no one on this earth, but I think where Tony's coming from is that some players may not wish to hear F-bombs every third sentence. Or, more importantly to a coach, not all players may respond well to that.
Congruently, let's talk about the HBO show. True, it's a free country and no one is forced to watch that network or that show, so it is easy to just change the channel if you don't want to hear that language BUT what if a dad of a high school football star wants to see what it is like in The Big League? What if a kid LOVES the Jets? What about the avid football fan that wants to see the stuff that goes on behind the scenes? And what if those people are offended by what they hear? Again, you can say "well tough". But the NFL is a business. This show is a way to market itself...potentially getting younger or newer fans interested to increase viewership during the regular season. What if you alienate new customers? Someone may be turned off by the use of language but I don't think many people will consciously go "boy, I'd like this show and/or the NFL better if I heard more swearing."
On the broader spectrum, "it is what it is" IS running rampant. I've had people use the phrase to defend others I know because their behavior was cruel or embarrassing. I just don't buy it. If you care for someone and you see them saying or doing something that hurts themselves or someone else, why would you just brush it off as "oh, that's just [Insert Name Here], she/he is ALWAYS like that."
I would argue that it is our duty to care for each other, especially those closest to us. If we can help them better themselves, why wouldn't we speak up? But our society sees interceding in that way as abrasive and rude. I'd say if your intentions are pure and good, and you approach someone with love, that any effort made will NEVER be abrasive or rude.
I've seen too many lives change drastically, too many stories of 180-degree turns, and I've had too many of my own experiences to deny that someone will always be a certain way. "It is what it is"- only until it ISN'T. Nothing is set in stone my friends, except for the love our God has for us. This is a dynamic world and we are an AMAZINGLY dynamic people. I believe that's the way God wanted it, so no matter how deep in it we get, we can always turn completely around and the God who created everything will be waiting on us with open arms.
So my encouragement to everyone is to seek out the things you have in your own lives that all you can say to defend it is "it is what it is," and really think about what that means and what it would mean to be able to explain it with the wisdom and confidence of having an omnipotent God backing you up. That's how I've been challenging myself lately- would my actions/words get a thumbs up from Jesus.
In that way, I never have an "it is what it is" moment but a "it is what He wants it to be". It's a goal, it's a choice.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Lost in LOST (Part 1)
***Fair warning*** If you have NOT seen the show LOST and plan on watching all 6 seasons some time in the future- DO NOT READ THIS ENTRY. This is your official spoiler alert.
Over the past couple of months I have embarked on a bit of an endeavor, one I have approached with both an anxiousness and trepidation. Never has a television show, movie, musical album, or artwork ever create such a strong reaction in me as has the TV show LOST. For six seasons, I was enamored with the characters, flashbacks/flashforwards, and (of course) the secrets of the island.
From the beginning, I understood that in all likelihood I would never get ALL the answers I was looking for because there were just TOO many questions. Despite my willingness to be left in the dark to some degree, I STILL expected to get some of what I considered to be the BIG questions answered.
Nonetheless, after six years of anticipation, the two-hour finale left me empty, disappointed, annoyed, and saddened. I will get back to the finale in a another upcoming portion of this multi-parted post. I am currently at the halfway point (end of season 3) of my aforementioned endeavor back through each episode of the show that changed television.
As I go through each episode, I'm taking diligent notes. These notes can be very insightful now that I am able to look at each episode through the lens of knowing how it all ends. Why? You may ask am I doing such a thing. Is it because I'm a geek? I need a better hobby? I need a girlfriend? The answer to all of these questions is "oh, most definitely." But the answer to why is also because I have a hope upon hope that by rewatching the show I can find redemption for some (if not all) of the things I hated about the finale.
I hope I can find little hints, clues, truths, and insights planted deep within the past episodes that I may have missed going through it all before. Maybe, just maybe, the little nuggets I find will make me feel like we were more guided to the end of it all, instead of how I feel right now which is that in the last couple of seasons the show jumped around like a frog on a hot plate and completely hurdled characters, storylines, and secrets that deserved FAR more attention then they received.
Unfortunately, thus far in my research, no such miraculous nugget of a clue has been found. I will say this about LOST, they NEVER do things by accident. Seemingly unimportant dialogue or something insignificant found on the island always seems to pop up later with a much grander importance. In my research I have stumbled upon several of these pieces of dialogue or artifacts which, given my knowledge of the future, I know are never addressed.
So my question is: why put them in there in the first place? It is not the writers' style to just throw these things in there without purpose, so I have to assume that they were going in some direction with a storyline or character then simply cast it aside and went in another direction.
Don't get me wrong, I understand TV shows do this all the time. It stinks, but it happens. The reason I hold LOST to a higher standard than the rest is because the writers straight up said "we know where this is going, we have a beginning, a middle, and an end and the direction of the story is set." I believe all evidence of how the show started and where it ended demonstrate evidence to the contrary.
You can't claim because you know that the final shot of the show is going to be symmetrical with the first shot of the show that you have a story in place and know how you are getting from here to there. Nor can you say you know when it reaches the middle simply because flashbacks become flashforwards. Those aren't part of the story arc, they are just elements of HOW you are telling the story.
I also understand that due to situations out of the writers' control, they would have to make adjustments. When the actors playing Walt and Michael left the show, or even when the actors playing Libby and Ana Lucia had to leave the show, it could definitely have played a significant role in changing the finale (especially Walt's character). However, I still think the writers failed in this arena as well. Leaving many questions about Walt, specifically, completely out of the picture in the end. This is just one of the many ways I believe the writers trivialized characters and occurrences in the show.
Simply put, if you ask your audience to get invested emotionally and intellectually with characters, then you SHOULD bring closure to those characters. In so many interviews, DVD commentaries, and almost blatantly inside the context of the show, the writers have called the island a character unto itself. I like that! I love it! But if it is truly a character, the island deserved the same emotional and intellectual closure that was given to all the other characters in the finale.
This post could go on another 20-30 paragraphs, but I'll end here. To be continued, my friends, to be continued. Before I go into the WHAT I'M INTO's, I'll leave you with these questions:
Why did Ben say to Juliette "you never brought me sandwiches" when she was feeding a captive Jack in the Hydra station (season 3)? What was he referring to?
Why did Sawyer think Juliette was capable of killing Kate when he tried to escape from the Others? In fact, why WAS Juliette so at ease with killing Pickett? Where in her history did she show she was able to be a stoned-cold killing machine?
Why does a voice in episode 1 say that the noise coming from "The Monster" sounded familiar? Why did they say that it didn't sound natural? Did you notice the mechanical clanky sounds coming from "The Monster" in the first few seasons faded away in the last few?
Why the whispers whenever The Others come around? We found out they are just humans, so why the supernatural element?
Why would Locke/Eko see the smoke monster and see beauty and not be afraid if it was The Man in Black the whole time?
Why did Jack think Adam and Eve had only been there for 40to50 years if they had apparently been there for decades...centuries likely?
What was the deal with the sickness everyone was talking about in the first 3 seasons?
Why the big deal about Aaron needing to be raised by Claire? Where/when did that come to fruition?
How the heck did Ethan drag both Charlie and Claire through the woods?
Why was Walt special? How could he read Locke's mind when he touched him?
Why did the Dharma Initiative apparently think experiments were still going on in present day (sent food shipments)?
Why did Locke think the Black Rock was from Africa (Mozambique to be precise) if it ended up obviously not being from any where close to there?
Why did the 108 clock turn to hieroglyphics?
Why was Libby in the asylum with Hurley?
Why did the vacuum system from The Swan end up in a field in the middle of nowhere?
Why is Carl so willing to screw over Others while the flight attendant they took is so happy-go-lucky about being an Other?
Why did Pickett say "Shepherd wasn't even on Jacob's list." when obviously, he must have been? Later they say Kate was not on the list either?
Was the MAGIC BOX just completely made up?
Did the black smoke take pictures of Kate and Juliette?
There was a volcano on the island, so says Dharma lady in Ben flashback...apparently it exploded to??????????
If Jacob wasn't really in the cabin Ben to Locke to then what the heck happened in there????? What/who did we see?
WHAT I'M INTO:
Movie- I saw Dinner for Schmucks recently. Some very funny parts, but on the whole, not the best comedy I've ever seen. I'd give it a B+. Jemaine was pretty solid in it. Zack Gali......whatever his name is, was funny. Steve Carrell's character was just eh, not that great, and Paul Rudd really didn't even HAVE a character.
Song- "Lead me to the Cross" I found a verison of the song done by Seventh Day Slumber. I like it a lot. I try to pray every night using a line from that song: rid me of myself. There is so much I try to control, so much I try to take credit for, so much I fight God on day after day. I need this song in my life right now.
Bible Verse- "I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galations 2:20
Over the past couple of months I have embarked on a bit of an endeavor, one I have approached with both an anxiousness and trepidation. Never has a television show, movie, musical album, or artwork ever create such a strong reaction in me as has the TV show LOST. For six seasons, I was enamored with the characters, flashbacks/flashforwards, and (of course) the secrets of the island.
From the beginning, I understood that in all likelihood I would never get ALL the answers I was looking for because there were just TOO many questions. Despite my willingness to be left in the dark to some degree, I STILL expected to get some of what I considered to be the BIG questions answered.
Nonetheless, after six years of anticipation, the two-hour finale left me empty, disappointed, annoyed, and saddened. I will get back to the finale in a another upcoming portion of this multi-parted post. I am currently at the halfway point (end of season 3) of my aforementioned endeavor back through each episode of the show that changed television.
As I go through each episode, I'm taking diligent notes. These notes can be very insightful now that I am able to look at each episode through the lens of knowing how it all ends. Why? You may ask am I doing such a thing. Is it because I'm a geek? I need a better hobby? I need a girlfriend? The answer to all of these questions is "oh, most definitely." But the answer to why is also because I have a hope upon hope that by rewatching the show I can find redemption for some (if not all) of the things I hated about the finale.
I hope I can find little hints, clues, truths, and insights planted deep within the past episodes that I may have missed going through it all before. Maybe, just maybe, the little nuggets I find will make me feel like we were more guided to the end of it all, instead of how I feel right now which is that in the last couple of seasons the show jumped around like a frog on a hot plate and completely hurdled characters, storylines, and secrets that deserved FAR more attention then they received.
Unfortunately, thus far in my research, no such miraculous nugget of a clue has been found. I will say this about LOST, they NEVER do things by accident. Seemingly unimportant dialogue or something insignificant found on the island always seems to pop up later with a much grander importance. In my research I have stumbled upon several of these pieces of dialogue or artifacts which, given my knowledge of the future, I know are never addressed.
So my question is: why put them in there in the first place? It is not the writers' style to just throw these things in there without purpose, so I have to assume that they were going in some direction with a storyline or character then simply cast it aside and went in another direction.
Don't get me wrong, I understand TV shows do this all the time. It stinks, but it happens. The reason I hold LOST to a higher standard than the rest is because the writers straight up said "we know where this is going, we have a beginning, a middle, and an end and the direction of the story is set." I believe all evidence of how the show started and where it ended demonstrate evidence to the contrary.
You can't claim because you know that the final shot of the show is going to be symmetrical with the first shot of the show that you have a story in place and know how you are getting from here to there. Nor can you say you know when it reaches the middle simply because flashbacks become flashforwards. Those aren't part of the story arc, they are just elements of HOW you are telling the story.
I also understand that due to situations out of the writers' control, they would have to make adjustments. When the actors playing Walt and Michael left the show, or even when the actors playing Libby and Ana Lucia had to leave the show, it could definitely have played a significant role in changing the finale (especially Walt's character). However, I still think the writers failed in this arena as well. Leaving many questions about Walt, specifically, completely out of the picture in the end. This is just one of the many ways I believe the writers trivialized characters and occurrences in the show.
Simply put, if you ask your audience to get invested emotionally and intellectually with characters, then you SHOULD bring closure to those characters. In so many interviews, DVD commentaries, and almost blatantly inside the context of the show, the writers have called the island a character unto itself. I like that! I love it! But if it is truly a character, the island deserved the same emotional and intellectual closure that was given to all the other characters in the finale.
This post could go on another 20-30 paragraphs, but I'll end here. To be continued, my friends, to be continued. Before I go into the WHAT I'M INTO's, I'll leave you with these questions:
Why did Ben say to Juliette "you never brought me sandwiches" when she was feeding a captive Jack in the Hydra station (season 3)? What was he referring to?
Why did Sawyer think Juliette was capable of killing Kate when he tried to escape from the Others? In fact, why WAS Juliette so at ease with killing Pickett? Where in her history did she show she was able to be a stoned-cold killing machine?
Why does a voice in episode 1 say that the noise coming from "The Monster" sounded familiar? Why did they say that it didn't sound natural? Did you notice the mechanical clanky sounds coming from "The Monster" in the first few seasons faded away in the last few?
Why the whispers whenever The Others come around? We found out they are just humans, so why the supernatural element?
Why would Locke/Eko see the smoke monster and see beauty and not be afraid if it was The Man in Black the whole time?
Why did Jack think Adam and Eve had only been there for 40to50 years if they had apparently been there for decades...centuries likely?
What was the deal with the sickness everyone was talking about in the first 3 seasons?
Why the big deal about Aaron needing to be raised by Claire? Where/when did that come to fruition?
How the heck did Ethan drag both Charlie and Claire through the woods?
Why was Walt special? How could he read Locke's mind when he touched him?
Why did the Dharma Initiative apparently think experiments were still going on in present day (sent food shipments)?
Why did Locke think the Black Rock was from Africa (Mozambique to be precise) if it ended up obviously not being from any where close to there?
Why did the 108 clock turn to hieroglyphics?
Why was Libby in the asylum with Hurley?
Why did the vacuum system from The Swan end up in a field in the middle of nowhere?
Why is Carl so willing to screw over Others while the flight attendant they took is so happy-go-lucky about being an Other?
Why did Pickett say "Shepherd wasn't even on Jacob's list." when obviously, he must have been? Later they say Kate was not on the list either?
Was the MAGIC BOX just completely made up?
Did the black smoke take pictures of Kate and Juliette?
There was a volcano on the island, so says Dharma lady in Ben flashback...apparently it exploded to??????????
If Jacob wasn't really in the cabin Ben to Locke to then what the heck happened in there????? What/who did we see?
WHAT I'M INTO:
Movie- I saw Dinner for Schmucks recently. Some very funny parts, but on the whole, not the best comedy I've ever seen. I'd give it a B+. Jemaine was pretty solid in it. Zack Gali......whatever his name is, was funny. Steve Carrell's character was just eh, not that great, and Paul Rudd really didn't even HAVE a character.
Song- "Lead me to the Cross" I found a verison of the song done by Seventh Day Slumber. I like it a lot. I try to pray every night using a line from that song: rid me of myself. There is so much I try to control, so much I try to take credit for, so much I fight God on day after day. I need this song in my life right now.
Bible Verse- "I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galations 2:20
Monday, July 12, 2010
What's Amore?
What is love? (and may I add 'don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more'...I liked Night at the Roxbury).
If there is a more overused and misused word in the English language it might just be the word "love". We throw it around like it is a catch all verb/noun that can describe anything from a toaster to a person we have known for a lifetime.
The Greeks realized there were so many different ways and means to love that they actually had four different words for love. To be such a complex and, quite frankly, convoluted concept, a message of love seems to permeate itself through even the most juvenile sentiments.
I'm amazed at the numerous teen pop sensations that sing about love and what it IS and what it ISN'T. I have no doubt that they understand what it is to love their slap bracelets and pogs (did I just date myself with that one?), but to claim to know anything about a deeper love than that seems ludicrous to me. Especially when you're only 15.
By that age, I believe most are still developing an appreciation for what it means to love parents and family...let alone other people. As we begin our teen years, I think we finally begin to shed the moniker of dependents (on some levels) and congruently shed our subconscious notions of our parents being solely providers. We begin to make the CHOICE to love them. Yet, I would argue that our ability to love others is still in its infancy by the time most of us were sporting braces and studying for that first driver's test.
And now, in a world that says we can love our things as much as the people around us, it is difficult to actually qualify what loving another human being means. As I observe how people interact with each other- be it friends, acquaintances, or strangers, I see how easily we disregard loving others and jump straight into quarrels and confrontations over the smallest of issues. Just like if that aforementioned lovable toaster burnt our bread, we can anger at the people we say we love just as easily.
I believe it comes down to expectations. We EXPECT those we love to act a certain way or BE a certain way just as we expect the toaster we love to toast efficiently. When people fail to meet the tenants we either consciously or subconsciously establish for them, the "love" we have begins to wane. I'm as guilty of this as any one, and it bothers me that I am that way.
In writing this, I hope to expose my own struggles with truly "loving thy neighbor" so that I can get better at doing so CONSISTENTLY. Hopefully, you'll consider this in your own life as well.
If we honestly want to love others, it must be completely selfless, choosing to show kindness and patience with the people in our lives despite their visible flaws or any "hidden" flaws that might surface later. That is not to say we accept or condone through apathy any behaviors we see as hurtful to others, themselves, or us. On the contrary. But we do have an obligation to those we claim to love to express our concerns in ways that are not condescending or resentful.
In general, I'm just trying to appreciate the people God has put in my life and show them the same GRACE that he has shown me. Because when it all comes down, the ULTIMATE way to love someone is by demonstrating GRACE.
That's Amore.
What I'm into:
Song- Cunninlynguists "Love Ain't- feat. Tonedeff"- Despite the suggestive name of the band, the song is quite good with some great lines in there. One of my favorite rap songs right now because the message is a positive one and the rhyming schemes are pretty unique. They use words in this song that I'm not sure if most popular 'musicians' would even know the definitions. It's smart, catchy, and quick. That's why I like it.
Movie- I just saw INCEPTION last night and it was MIND BLOWING! Well put together from the acting to the visuals to the score to the storytelling. Christopher Nolan (director- also of Batman Begins, Dark Knight, and Momento) takes some very complex and intricate concepts and simplifies them by integrating humanizing emotional draws. This is one film well worth the hype.
Bible Verse- 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
If there is a more overused and misused word in the English language it might just be the word "love". We throw it around like it is a catch all verb/noun that can describe anything from a toaster to a person we have known for a lifetime.
The Greeks realized there were so many different ways and means to love that they actually had four different words for love. To be such a complex and, quite frankly, convoluted concept, a message of love seems to permeate itself through even the most juvenile sentiments.
I'm amazed at the numerous teen pop sensations that sing about love and what it IS and what it ISN'T. I have no doubt that they understand what it is to love their slap bracelets and pogs (did I just date myself with that one?), but to claim to know anything about a deeper love than that seems ludicrous to me. Especially when you're only 15.
By that age, I believe most are still developing an appreciation for what it means to love parents and family...let alone other people. As we begin our teen years, I think we finally begin to shed the moniker of dependents (on some levels) and congruently shed our subconscious notions of our parents being solely providers. We begin to make the CHOICE to love them. Yet, I would argue that our ability to love others is still in its infancy by the time most of us were sporting braces and studying for that first driver's test.
And now, in a world that says we can love our things as much as the people around us, it is difficult to actually qualify what loving another human being means. As I observe how people interact with each other- be it friends, acquaintances, or strangers, I see how easily we disregard loving others and jump straight into quarrels and confrontations over the smallest of issues. Just like if that aforementioned lovable toaster burnt our bread, we can anger at the people we say we love just as easily.
I believe it comes down to expectations. We EXPECT those we love to act a certain way or BE a certain way just as we expect the toaster we love to toast efficiently. When people fail to meet the tenants we either consciously or subconsciously establish for them, the "love" we have begins to wane. I'm as guilty of this as any one, and it bothers me that I am that way.
In writing this, I hope to expose my own struggles with truly "loving thy neighbor" so that I can get better at doing so CONSISTENTLY. Hopefully, you'll consider this in your own life as well.
If we honestly want to love others, it must be completely selfless, choosing to show kindness and patience with the people in our lives despite their visible flaws or any "hidden" flaws that might surface later. That is not to say we accept or condone through apathy any behaviors we see as hurtful to others, themselves, or us. On the contrary. But we do have an obligation to those we claim to love to express our concerns in ways that are not condescending or resentful.
In general, I'm just trying to appreciate the people God has put in my life and show them the same GRACE that he has shown me. Because when it all comes down, the ULTIMATE way to love someone is by demonstrating GRACE.
That's Amore.
What I'm into:
Song- Cunninlynguists "Love Ain't- feat. Tonedeff"- Despite the suggestive name of the band, the song is quite good with some great lines in there. One of my favorite rap songs right now because the message is a positive one and the rhyming schemes are pretty unique. They use words in this song that I'm not sure if most popular 'musicians' would even know the definitions. It's smart, catchy, and quick. That's why I like it.
Movie- I just saw INCEPTION last night and it was MIND BLOWING! Well put together from the acting to the visuals to the score to the storytelling. Christopher Nolan (director- also of Batman Begins, Dark Knight, and Momento) takes some very complex and intricate concepts and simplifies them by integrating humanizing emotional draws. This is one film well worth the hype.
Bible Verse- 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Hurts So Good
As most who would even venture to read these random scribblings of mine should know, I am a Clemson fan...through and through. My college years there were amazing on many levels. I feel a kinship to (mostly) every alum I meet and every Tiger fan I greet.
To my fellow brethren who can relate to what I'm talking about, I believe you all can reiterate the feeling of 'family' we have when you get a group of us together. It doesn't matter if you've known each other for years or just met, there is an undeniable bond formed immediately with someone sporting the orange and purple.
To those who unfortunately didn't attend the Palmetto State's best (some might say ONLY) 4-year institution, I'm sorry if this idea of the Clemson family perplexes you. I've had many people give me various analyses of what Clemson fans look like from the outside looking in. Some call us pompous or arrogant, some call us rednecks, some call us hopeless hopefuls.
I think the thing I hear the most, whether it is from a Furman fan or a Florida fan, is how Clemson fans ALWAYS think their team is going to be GREAT. Or that we ALWAYS think we have a chance to win the ACC or, God forbid I say it, a National Championship. Now, this is what really perplexes them. Are we delusional? Are we in denial? Or are we just too stubborn to admit we think our team may suck this year?
The answer, dear friends, is none of the above. Now I didn't start following Clemson sports until I signed the dotted line to go there. I have gathered a decent amount of knowledge of Clemson sports history B.B. (Before Brad) from my elders and my Clemson Sports/Bible Devotional bathroom reader...a great Christmas present from mi madre. Despite my limited sampling of Clemson sports, I believe I have unveiled a truth that persists throughout the ages when it comes to my Tigers.
The truth of which I speak is that the moment you start to doubt the Tigers, they always surprise you. Us Clemson fans always have high expectations because the instant you start to say to your self "it ain't happening this year...maybe next" is the instant that the impossible happens and the Tigers put themselves in a position to make THIS year the year. I'll tell you this, I don't want to be the guy saying "NO WAY" only to be proven wrong. I'd rather have that hope of hopes, no matter how unfounded, that the Tigers may just win EVERY SINGLE GAME they play and be wrong.
This is really true for all Clemson sports: football, baseball, basketball, Competitive Speech and Debate (what up!), etc. The College World Series wrapped up a few weeks ago and again, the Tigers were true to form. With the worst record of all the teams in Omaha, not many people expected much from us...especially when we drew Arizona State in the first game. However, rather handily, we dispatched of not just the #1 team in college baseball but Oklahoma as well. This meant... that other school from SC... had to beat us twice to reach the championship game, and unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.
Was it a let down? Of course! Was it worse because it was the dang Gamecocks, OFFFFFF COURRSSSSEEE! But I was cheering for my team just as hard as ever and I'm darn proud of it! I hope Kyle Parker comes back for another football season, but if he doesn't I'm STILL going to believe we will win the ACC. I know OP left our basketball team out to dry for a worse team in an impossible conference, but I STILL think we can be in the top 3 in the ACC and make the tourney and even get that elusive March Madness win that Purnell could never get.
My dedication to the Tigers knows no bounds! It's not pride (the bad kind) or delusion or denial. It's the fact that you can NEVER count out Clemson at anything. The Georgia Tech football game (the one in ATL, not the ACC championship) last year is a prime example. Down 27-0 most teams would pack it up. Most fans would acquiesce to defeat. Not The Tigers and not their faithful. We came back to take a lead, only to lose it late in the game on a long field goal.
I'll never regret keeping that game on the tele. I'm proud to be a Tiger. I'm proud of the kind of fans we are. I respect any one who cheers for any team that stands by their team as much as Clemson fans do (except for maybe Gamecock fans...that, I just don't get). And I might be overly invested emotionally in my school's sporting endeavors, but the joys of an overtime win in Miami on the football field, a 30-point shellacking of Duke on the bball court, or the tenacity of beating Auburn twice at Auburn in baseball's regional tournament are just too sweet not to take in as much as possible. Granted the tables turn on me from time to time. Still, it just hurts too good to let go.
What I'm Into:
Song- Chop Dezol "Death Valley (Clemson Chant)"- It got me in the mood to write this blog, and I can't wait until football season! The 2011 NCAA Football game comes out in less than a week. My thumbs shall be the first to enjoy creating a Clemson touchdown.
Movie- Book of Eli- Denzel is great in it. Gary Oldman is brilliant and sinister. The story is as close to a theological approval of God and the power of The Bible that Hollywood will probably ever get close to besides recreating the actual stories FROM the Bible. There are some great one-liners and very cool shots throughout the film.
Bible Verse- Romans 12:16 "Live in Harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!" NLT
To my fellow brethren who can relate to what I'm talking about, I believe you all can reiterate the feeling of 'family' we have when you get a group of us together. It doesn't matter if you've known each other for years or just met, there is an undeniable bond formed immediately with someone sporting the orange and purple.
To those who unfortunately didn't attend the Palmetto State's best (some might say ONLY) 4-year institution, I'm sorry if this idea of the Clemson family perplexes you. I've had many people give me various analyses of what Clemson fans look like from the outside looking in. Some call us pompous or arrogant, some call us rednecks, some call us hopeless hopefuls.
I think the thing I hear the most, whether it is from a Furman fan or a Florida fan, is how Clemson fans ALWAYS think their team is going to be GREAT. Or that we ALWAYS think we have a chance to win the ACC or, God forbid I say it, a National Championship. Now, this is what really perplexes them. Are we delusional? Are we in denial? Or are we just too stubborn to admit we think our team may suck this year?
The answer, dear friends, is none of the above. Now I didn't start following Clemson sports until I signed the dotted line to go there. I have gathered a decent amount of knowledge of Clemson sports history B.B. (Before Brad) from my elders and my Clemson Sports/Bible Devotional bathroom reader...a great Christmas present from mi madre. Despite my limited sampling of Clemson sports, I believe I have unveiled a truth that persists throughout the ages when it comes to my Tigers.
The truth of which I speak is that the moment you start to doubt the Tigers, they always surprise you. Us Clemson fans always have high expectations because the instant you start to say to your self "it ain't happening this year...maybe next" is the instant that the impossible happens and the Tigers put themselves in a position to make THIS year the year. I'll tell you this, I don't want to be the guy saying "NO WAY" only to be proven wrong. I'd rather have that hope of hopes, no matter how unfounded, that the Tigers may just win EVERY SINGLE GAME they play and be wrong.
This is really true for all Clemson sports: football, baseball, basketball, Competitive Speech and Debate (what up!), etc. The College World Series wrapped up a few weeks ago and again, the Tigers were true to form. With the worst record of all the teams in Omaha, not many people expected much from us...especially when we drew Arizona State in the first game. However, rather handily, we dispatched of not just the #1 team in college baseball but Oklahoma as well. This meant... that other school from SC... had to beat us twice to reach the championship game, and unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.
Was it a let down? Of course! Was it worse because it was the dang Gamecocks, OFFFFFF COURRSSSSEEE! But I was cheering for my team just as hard as ever and I'm darn proud of it! I hope Kyle Parker comes back for another football season, but if he doesn't I'm STILL going to believe we will win the ACC. I know OP left our basketball team out to dry for a worse team in an impossible conference, but I STILL think we can be in the top 3 in the ACC and make the tourney and even get that elusive March Madness win that Purnell could never get.
My dedication to the Tigers knows no bounds! It's not pride (the bad kind) or delusion or denial. It's the fact that you can NEVER count out Clemson at anything. The Georgia Tech football game (the one in ATL, not the ACC championship) last year is a prime example. Down 27-0 most teams would pack it up. Most fans would acquiesce to defeat. Not The Tigers and not their faithful. We came back to take a lead, only to lose it late in the game on a long field goal.
I'll never regret keeping that game on the tele. I'm proud to be a Tiger. I'm proud of the kind of fans we are. I respect any one who cheers for any team that stands by their team as much as Clemson fans do (except for maybe Gamecock fans...that, I just don't get). And I might be overly invested emotionally in my school's sporting endeavors, but the joys of an overtime win in Miami on the football field, a 30-point shellacking of Duke on the bball court, or the tenacity of beating Auburn twice at Auburn in baseball's regional tournament are just too sweet not to take in as much as possible. Granted the tables turn on me from time to time. Still, it just hurts too good to let go.
What I'm Into:
Song- Chop Dezol "Death Valley (Clemson Chant)"- It got me in the mood to write this blog, and I can't wait until football season! The 2011 NCAA Football game comes out in less than a week. My thumbs shall be the first to enjoy creating a Clemson touchdown.
Movie- Book of Eli- Denzel is great in it. Gary Oldman is brilliant and sinister. The story is as close to a theological approval of God and the power of The Bible that Hollywood will probably ever get close to besides recreating the actual stories FROM the Bible. There are some great one-liners and very cool shots throughout the film.
Bible Verse- Romans 12:16 "Live in Harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!" NLT
Monday, June 28, 2010
Gender Portrayals
I appreciate good marketing. As a major in this fine field of study, I can attest that there is truly an art to persuasion. In the ever present struggle for market share, commodity products such as Coke and McDonald's spend millions upon millions in advertising to increase brand appeal and loyalty.
Soft drinks, fast food restaurants, and beer companies all try to find ways to attract us to them. They want to be relatable, endearing, and above all memorable. One of the most tried and true methods to attain these desirable traits is humor. We've seen some of the most memorable ad campaigns from the beer companies with Budweiser's frogs, the 'WAZZZZZ UPPPPPP' commercials, or It's Miller Time.
Recently, I have been perplexed by a rash of commercials that have come out promoting Corona. I must preface this criticism by establishing that previous to these commercials I held no ill will towards what I believe to be a very decent adult beverage. Even their past commercials I have enjoyed. They are simple, creative, and promote a feeling of "chill".
However, the recent commercials have had one profound yet unintended effect on yours truly. They all start similarly: shot zooms out from a beautiful white-sand beach to show a couple sitting in chairs taking in the gorgeous view. Then there are three different scenarios that I have witnessed:
1) A very pretty girl in a bikini walks by and the man in the chair blatantly checks her out. As punishment for the ocular infidelity, the man's apparent girlfriend/spouse squirts a lime wedge into his face.
2) A very well built dude walks by and the woman in the chair blatantly checks him out. As punishment for her lustful stare, the man shakes up the beer closest to her, seemingly so that it will spray out once she opens it. She then, simply reaches over and grabs the other beer close to her apparent boyfriend/husband, opens it with a bottle-opener then hands the opener to her man for him to open the only beer left- the one he shook up.
3) Three very pretty girls in bikinis playful push, shove, and splash their way across the screen together. Again, the man watches just a little too closely for his lady's liking. She gives him the evil eye, and as an act of contrition, he sprays himself in the face with a lime wedge.
I do not like these commercials for several reasons. Primarily, I think it unfairly absolves women from gawking at men while condemning men for doing the same thing to women. Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware the men of this world have a reputation that precedes them. For far too long we have been comfortable with the "hunter/conqueror" personification of man. I've been privy to this in my own lifetime: men who decidedly and purposeful look for female conquests any chance they get.
Because of this stigma, it makes sense in the commercial for the woman to punish her man when he gets the googly-eyes for another woman. It is even funny when the man punishes himself for looking at the three girls. However, I have to ask why it is funny when the man's retaliation backfires on him? In analyzing my own feelings towards this commercial I've taken in consideration that I'm over analyzing the intent. This may be true, but I believe my reasoning behind it still points to a societal issue that needs to be addressed.
I ask you this, if the roles where reversed, and the woman's retaliation backfired on her while the man avoids his disciplinary action, would it still be as funny of a commercial? Or would it be seen as objectionable by many people because the man was in the wrong and deserved punishment the same as the woman?
My point is, friends, we should be cognizant of implications (whether intended or unintended) behind many of these commercials we find humorous. In college, I did an entire speech on Schadenfreude, which means to taking pleasure in an other person's pain. Our culture seems to be immersed with this in what we consider humor. From the Looney Tunes' Wiley E. Coyote to pretty much any Ben Stiller movie, popular humor is characterized by someone getting hurt, embarrassed, or both.
In my speech I plead with people to make conscience efforts to rid themselves of participating in schadenfreude-type humor. Granted, I know in certain occasions it can be difficult NOT to laugh at a situation, but if we can train ourselves to be more aware of what exactly we are laughing at, we can avoid hurting others or unwittingly promoting negative messages towards others.
I believe this same concept can be applied to the Corona commercials. I chose not to laugh at them because of what I consider negative implications, albeit unintended. It is not okay by me for either the man or the woman to check out someone else, and if your commercial sets up that there is a penalty for such behavior, both parties should be held to the same standards.
Overall, I believe my mind really latched on to this idea because of a segment I recently saw on The Colbert Report. Stephen interviewed a woman who recently wrote an article entitled THE DEATH OF MAN, and if I'm being honest, she made some very intriguing points.
As I pondered this article, I came up with a trend that has seemingly become a truth. The women of the past several generations, including my own, have made wonderful strides to rid our culture of stereotyping jobs, careers, hobbies, or interests as purely male endeavors. It wasn't that long ago when people thought doctor, lawyer, architect, CEO, or numerous other positions as purely "misters". While those sentiments may still linger in some people's minds, I feel like for the most part, our society is no longer surprised to see women hold these positions.
Meanwhile, the skills and roles women typically have played in the past have not been infiltrated by those of the opposite sex. To me it seems obvious. Men usually see such roles as raising children, teaching, nursing, cooking or other positions as "lesser" roles. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and because of men being unwilling to broaden their horizons, I believe the woman on The Colbert Report had a very solid point. Women are now doing everything that used to be the exclusive province of men while still retaining their abilities in traditionally women-dominated roles.
I believe it is imperative for men to break down the stereotypes in their own minds and be willing to not only participate in areas they usually consider feminine but to attempt to excel in such areas. If the idea is for us to finally reach a legitimate equality for all people, then lets make efforts on both sides of the coin to see that happen. Maybe, just maybe, if that equality truly can be reached, we will start holding EVERYONE to the same standards. How would that Corona commercial come across then, I wonder?
What I'm into:
Song- The Bravery "Believe". I first heard this song on one of my sports video games. Recently, our band at church played it during worship. Giving it a spiritual context has given new life into this song for me. The chorus goes like this: "So give me something to believe/Cause I am living just to breathe/And I need something more/To keep on breathing for/So give me something to believe". If that is not a call for God, I don't know what is.
Movie- I recently re-watched one from my ridiculously overgrown collection with my mother and brother while they stayed with me a night in Charlotte. We watched CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. Stephen Spielberg is my favorite director. There's nothing flashy or outlandish about the way the movie was shot, but it is put together very well. There's not a overly dramatic climax, and the movie as a whole is delightfully understated. American filmmakers nowadays seem compelled to shove conflict and dynamic story/character changes in our face. Almost as if they have to "speak down" to us or we wouldn't get it. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN avoids all that while calling on masterful acting and enjoyable costuming to make you feel like you are really in the '60s.
Bible Verse- 1 Peter 4:8 "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins." NLT
Soft drinks, fast food restaurants, and beer companies all try to find ways to attract us to them. They want to be relatable, endearing, and above all memorable. One of the most tried and true methods to attain these desirable traits is humor. We've seen some of the most memorable ad campaigns from the beer companies with Budweiser's frogs, the 'WAZZZZZ UPPPPPP' commercials, or It's Miller Time.
Recently, I have been perplexed by a rash of commercials that have come out promoting Corona. I must preface this criticism by establishing that previous to these commercials I held no ill will towards what I believe to be a very decent adult beverage. Even their past commercials I have enjoyed. They are simple, creative, and promote a feeling of "chill".
However, the recent commercials have had one profound yet unintended effect on yours truly. They all start similarly: shot zooms out from a beautiful white-sand beach to show a couple sitting in chairs taking in the gorgeous view. Then there are three different scenarios that I have witnessed:
1) A very pretty girl in a bikini walks by and the man in the chair blatantly checks her out. As punishment for the ocular infidelity, the man's apparent girlfriend/spouse squirts a lime wedge into his face.
2) A very well built dude walks by and the woman in the chair blatantly checks him out. As punishment for her lustful stare, the man shakes up the beer closest to her, seemingly so that it will spray out once she opens it. She then, simply reaches over and grabs the other beer close to her apparent boyfriend/husband, opens it with a bottle-opener then hands the opener to her man for him to open the only beer left- the one he shook up.
3) Three very pretty girls in bikinis playful push, shove, and splash their way across the screen together. Again, the man watches just a little too closely for his lady's liking. She gives him the evil eye, and as an act of contrition, he sprays himself in the face with a lime wedge.
I do not like these commercials for several reasons. Primarily, I think it unfairly absolves women from gawking at men while condemning men for doing the same thing to women. Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware the men of this world have a reputation that precedes them. For far too long we have been comfortable with the "hunter/conqueror" personification of man. I've been privy to this in my own lifetime: men who decidedly and purposeful look for female conquests any chance they get.
Because of this stigma, it makes sense in the commercial for the woman to punish her man when he gets the googly-eyes for another woman. It is even funny when the man punishes himself for looking at the three girls. However, I have to ask why it is funny when the man's retaliation backfires on him? In analyzing my own feelings towards this commercial I've taken in consideration that I'm over analyzing the intent. This may be true, but I believe my reasoning behind it still points to a societal issue that needs to be addressed.
I ask you this, if the roles where reversed, and the woman's retaliation backfired on her while the man avoids his disciplinary action, would it still be as funny of a commercial? Or would it be seen as objectionable by many people because the man was in the wrong and deserved punishment the same as the woman?
My point is, friends, we should be cognizant of implications (whether intended or unintended) behind many of these commercials we find humorous. In college, I did an entire speech on Schadenfreude, which means to taking pleasure in an other person's pain. Our culture seems to be immersed with this in what we consider humor. From the Looney Tunes' Wiley E. Coyote to pretty much any Ben Stiller movie, popular humor is characterized by someone getting hurt, embarrassed, or both.
In my speech I plead with people to make conscience efforts to rid themselves of participating in schadenfreude-type humor. Granted, I know in certain occasions it can be difficult NOT to laugh at a situation, but if we can train ourselves to be more aware of what exactly we are laughing at, we can avoid hurting others or unwittingly promoting negative messages towards others.
I believe this same concept can be applied to the Corona commercials. I chose not to laugh at them because of what I consider negative implications, albeit unintended. It is not okay by me for either the man or the woman to check out someone else, and if your commercial sets up that there is a penalty for such behavior, both parties should be held to the same standards.
Overall, I believe my mind really latched on to this idea because of a segment I recently saw on The Colbert Report. Stephen interviewed a woman who recently wrote an article entitled THE DEATH OF MAN, and if I'm being honest, she made some very intriguing points.
As I pondered this article, I came up with a trend that has seemingly become a truth. The women of the past several generations, including my own, have made wonderful strides to rid our culture of stereotyping jobs, careers, hobbies, or interests as purely male endeavors. It wasn't that long ago when people thought doctor, lawyer, architect, CEO, or numerous other positions as purely "misters". While those sentiments may still linger in some people's minds, I feel like for the most part, our society is no longer surprised to see women hold these positions.
Meanwhile, the skills and roles women typically have played in the past have not been infiltrated by those of the opposite sex. To me it seems obvious. Men usually see such roles as raising children, teaching, nursing, cooking or other positions as "lesser" roles. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and because of men being unwilling to broaden their horizons, I believe the woman on The Colbert Report had a very solid point. Women are now doing everything that used to be the exclusive province of men while still retaining their abilities in traditionally women-dominated roles.
I believe it is imperative for men to break down the stereotypes in their own minds and be willing to not only participate in areas they usually consider feminine but to attempt to excel in such areas. If the idea is for us to finally reach a legitimate equality for all people, then lets make efforts on both sides of the coin to see that happen. Maybe, just maybe, if that equality truly can be reached, we will start holding EVERYONE to the same standards. How would that Corona commercial come across then, I wonder?
What I'm into:
Song- The Bravery "Believe". I first heard this song on one of my sports video games. Recently, our band at church played it during worship. Giving it a spiritual context has given new life into this song for me. The chorus goes like this: "So give me something to believe/Cause I am living just to breathe/And I need something more/To keep on breathing for/So give me something to believe". If that is not a call for God, I don't know what is.
Movie- I recently re-watched one from my ridiculously overgrown collection with my mother and brother while they stayed with me a night in Charlotte. We watched CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. Stephen Spielberg is my favorite director. There's nothing flashy or outlandish about the way the movie was shot, but it is put together very well. There's not a overly dramatic climax, and the movie as a whole is delightfully understated. American filmmakers nowadays seem compelled to shove conflict and dynamic story/character changes in our face. Almost as if they have to "speak down" to us or we wouldn't get it. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN avoids all that while calling on masterful acting and enjoyable costuming to make you feel like you are really in the '60s.
Bible Verse- 1 Peter 4:8 "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins." NLT
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Boys of Summer
As I begin this blog I must first give credit for my inspiration to take on this initiative to one Mr. Jace Miehle. Not only did I enjoy taking in his blogs, I recognized the emotional value it could bring to me to put some of my "small thoughts" on digital paper.
Shamelessly, the title of this here blog is a play off of my oxymoronic last name. It is also a slightly self-deprecating statement based on the fact that I don't believe much can be gleaned from your reading of this blog.
Nonetheless, if you have an interest in what is going on in my life, or if you just like catching up on some casual (or maybe some days- not so casual) reading on things like faith, society, politics, sports, entertainment, and whatever else is making me tick...then I invite you to read on, dear friends, read on.
In my maiden journey into the blogosphere, I shall keep it short and simple: I love baseball! I love it. I miss playing it, and I want to see more of it! Despite my Braves getting beat as I write this, my Clemson Tigers are finding ways to mess up the Sooners at the CWS.
I was so fortunate to get to go to Opening Day in Hot-lanta this year and I'm jones-in' to get back. It upsets me that so many people out there do not enjoy taking in OUR national pastime. I have heard so many say how boring baseball is to watch because of how slow it moves. Personally, I find baseball to be a thinking man's game. Between every batter and every pitch, strategies formed earlier from massive amounts of scouting data are being implemented and augmented depending on the situation.
As a fan, I enjoy the situational intelligence required, and I still agree that hitting a 90+ mph fastball is the hardest thing to do in sports. I was recently asked if I could go to any professional championship for any sport, where would I go? Without hesitation I said the World Series. It just means more to me than any other championship. The history. The lights. The atmosphere.
I'm hoping to take a trip across the nation soon and see a game at as many MLB ballparks I can. I've been collecting baseball cards since I was old enough to hold a bat, and I want to see those stadiums where many of my childhood heroes made history (even if some of them were 'roided up when they did it).
I know not everyone enjoys baseball as much as me... I just hope everyone can appreciate it for the great sport it is.
To end all my blogs, I plan to give a song I'm currently into and the last film I saw, just so you can have some more insight into what I'm doing and how I'm feeling.
Song: John Mayer- "Say" It was in the new Karate Kid movie and even though I have heard it a few times before, it just kind of stuck in my mind. It's catchy and at least attempts to have a positive message. For that, it's now a featured player on my iPod mix.
Movie: Karate Kid- outlandish, sure. Stereotypical, in many ways, yes. Enjoyable...absolutely. Will Smith Junior is just that. His expressions are just like pops and he is obviously a skilled actor already at a young age. Jackie didn't do a bad job either. The movie followed a very similar (if not, darn near identical) story arc as the original yet was unique enough not to require direct comparisons which was really it's saving grace. The original is one of my favorite movies of all time, and while this one will never reach that distinction, it was well worth the $5 I shelled out to see it.
Shamelessly, the title of this here blog is a play off of my oxymoronic last name. It is also a slightly self-deprecating statement based on the fact that I don't believe much can be gleaned from your reading of this blog.
Nonetheless, if you have an interest in what is going on in my life, or if you just like catching up on some casual (or maybe some days- not so casual) reading on things like faith, society, politics, sports, entertainment, and whatever else is making me tick...then I invite you to read on, dear friends, read on.
In my maiden journey into the blogosphere, I shall keep it short and simple: I love baseball! I love it. I miss playing it, and I want to see more of it! Despite my Braves getting beat as I write this, my Clemson Tigers are finding ways to mess up the Sooners at the CWS.
I was so fortunate to get to go to Opening Day in Hot-lanta this year and I'm jones-in' to get back. It upsets me that so many people out there do not enjoy taking in OUR national pastime. I have heard so many say how boring baseball is to watch because of how slow it moves. Personally, I find baseball to be a thinking man's game. Between every batter and every pitch, strategies formed earlier from massive amounts of scouting data are being implemented and augmented depending on the situation.
As a fan, I enjoy the situational intelligence required, and I still agree that hitting a 90+ mph fastball is the hardest thing to do in sports. I was recently asked if I could go to any professional championship for any sport, where would I go? Without hesitation I said the World Series. It just means more to me than any other championship. The history. The lights. The atmosphere.
I'm hoping to take a trip across the nation soon and see a game at as many MLB ballparks I can. I've been collecting baseball cards since I was old enough to hold a bat, and I want to see those stadiums where many of my childhood heroes made history (even if some of them were 'roided up when they did it).
I know not everyone enjoys baseball as much as me... I just hope everyone can appreciate it for the great sport it is.
To end all my blogs, I plan to give a song I'm currently into and the last film I saw, just so you can have some more insight into what I'm doing and how I'm feeling.
Song: John Mayer- "Say" It was in the new Karate Kid movie and even though I have heard it a few times before, it just kind of stuck in my mind. It's catchy and at least attempts to have a positive message. For that, it's now a featured player on my iPod mix.
Movie: Karate Kid- outlandish, sure. Stereotypical, in many ways, yes. Enjoyable...absolutely. Will Smith Junior is just that. His expressions are just like pops and he is obviously a skilled actor already at a young age. Jackie didn't do a bad job either. The movie followed a very similar (if not, darn near identical) story arc as the original yet was unique enough not to require direct comparisons which was really it's saving grace. The original is one of my favorite movies of all time, and while this one will never reach that distinction, it was well worth the $5 I shelled out to see it.
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