Kwaito.

I have been learning about Kwaito on NPR this week.

On fashion.

My mother told me when I was a child, "The way you look people treat you". In different phases of my life I have taken this to heart, sometimes trying to embody her thoughts, othertimes holding a disdain towards convention and style. Although there is room on both sides of the debate, I believe without going overboard, being congnizant of apperance and striving for basic presenation is a good thing. Casual Friday, however, has gone too far. . .(more text here).

Less intense.

Maybe this way we will notice things that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Unlearning a lifetime of habits is not exactly easy, however I expect that these changes may allow the chance to appreciate what we have always managed to take for granted. Things may appear chaotic, but I am quite certain about how we are going to get there.

Vive le Lance.

Lance Armstrong has ended his career with a spectacular 7th consecutive Tour de France victory. There are so many things that are amazing about this feat, many things which will be more written more elegantly than i can write here, but for me, this victory is inspirational and one that will be hard to forget. Cancer, allegations, personal difficulties, pressure; Lance has overcome all of these things, year and year again, to captivate our imaginations.

Reactions.

Revealing. You can feel pressure to do something, catch yourself, but meanwhile the world is frozen in expectation. Sometimes you confront, sometimes you don't. It is not wrong or right, just your choice. But the reactions of those around you reveal.

Mid-Way

2nd half of the year has begun. The charge begins, again. Have alluded to it before, but now we are well on the path to making the progress that has been missing. No more time for past complication, past questioning and those that fail to see things we have tried to say. There just comes a point where you move forward and perhaps they will say something that implies they have heard you or they wont.

Destinations.

There is a good amount of time thinking about them and the key difference is the focus on trying. This means sending that email, saying that thought, making the overture. Don't forget the importance of small words or even a glance. Make it happen. Always extend yourself.

Redemption.

It would make sense that I have thoughts on this, maybe a little more than most. There comes a point where you finally forgive yourself and you let go of what could restrain you or cause you caution. It is not as though you forget, or ever will. You proceed and you focus.

If there is one thing I want to give, it is a notion that all is indeed possible. That secured by what we wish to leave behind, no matter how complicated or simple, even elegant, we can achieve those things. No matter what.

Our love guides us. Our selflessness rewards us. Our faith protects us. Our ideals inspire us.

Random.

How many govern our moments? It is not as though situations make us look at things in new ways, it is more an aspect of what we decide to focus on. How do we know when something is to inspire us, to sustain? And is even thinking about things in this way fair? Because what have we known to be this way? It seems so much easier to look at from the context of all those things we have heard about or learned about. But for ourselves. . . What is certain is that we must pursue our thoughts, no matter how confusing. Otherwise, it is boring and who wants that?.

Places left to go.

Not just those places I think about or visit.

Fatherly wisdom.

EM:"I think there is a problem with my car and I don't want to put the money into fixing it."
EMSR:"That is what happens when you buy expensive cars, they are expensive to fix."
EM:"Thanks dad."

Elegance and choices.

Sometimes you can overlook something or the way past events have altered course; this results in you mistaking the simplicity and elegance of what is in front of you.

Jack Daniels, Unplanned trips & Jack Keurouac.

Every man needs a vice or three.


"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"

Mornings.

Sometimes they are slow, but those routines are what makes it, whether in real-time or in reflection.

Unexpected moments.

Sometimes you just aren't really there. You are having a conversation, you are listening, but you are just not there. You are waiting for something to happen or you are thinking about how to make something happen. You are contemplating how to make that next step occur. And then it does. There is a second to adjust, a second to reflect. But it has happened and you are surprised.

You think about it. Even when the moment is gone, you think about how to get back there. You start to wonder and dream. Is it all possible? Indeed limits do not apply?

Finding those meanings, is not always easy. What makes it so hard? Maybe it is english, our double meanings, our nuiance, our metaphors?

Lead time.

How much lead time do you need to complete projects? Sometimes, I just can't get engaged. I get distracted. I blame it on email, IM, cell phones and everything that distracts. But, when I get on a roll, there is no stopping me.

On religion

I think it is very difficult for people to digest Catholic beliefs. On many levels I can understand this and as for most things, I think this is rooted in a misunderstanding of what these teachings mean for Catholics.

There are many views of the Church that are difficult to digest, particularly in the context of a modern world. The question becomes for me, not so much who is right or wrong, but what is the nature of religion and its teachings? It almost becomes a very simple question: what is the point?

I have included in my blog some words on this, not my own, but of the Pope and from the Bible. For me, the nature of the answers is one focused on perspective. My perspectives are derived from faith. The Oxford English Dictionary defines faith as trust and confidence, to believe implicitly.

What is the point? To aspire towards ideals. To live our lives in a nature that exposes and emphasizes the best parts of who we are. To love unconditionally, to be compassionate, to forgive, no matter what. To improve and to challange ourselves.

Can we do this without faith? Can we do this without structured beliefs? Perhaps. But as I reflect on the secular world in which we live, I question this. It is not that I am transfixed on harshly examining the world; I believe there is a lot of beauty in a what we have and I cherish it. But I do not accept things as they are. I question our choices and I believe things could be much better if we focused more on our ideals. Do you?

Underdogs.

Did you catch the Kentucky Derby yesterday? I have to admit it, this is the first time in my entire life that I watched this event live. It does look like good fun and I enjoyed the shots of women in hats and sourthern gentlemen equally dressed (sans hats).

So this horse that won, what was his name? Who cares. A cheer for the underdog!

Change.

Doesn't mean that we have to be held back. Restrained by circumstance or triumph or disappointment. Adapt. Grow. Reach out.

We are confronted with these thoughts over and over again, but we fail to embrace change. Why? Why is it required that we take such a simple or obvious path?

It is not a good thing to allow ourselves to be governed by pettiness, but think about all the unspoken apologies. The regret. As much allowances as we must make for others, the realization and desire for change must come from that person. Think different?