High Expectations, Big Dreams

përshëndetje,

I want this year to be a grand adventure. I feel in the past the years have always been premeditated and planned out already. Finish the semester, do summer day camp, start school again. Along the way we would say things like, I want to know God better, spend every day with him. Show people his love. That's all great and whatnot but who remembers saying those things in February, or let alone when that guy cuts you off in traffic. I want to do great things, some of them are those small daily challenges, like praying for 15 minutes a morning and spending time in the Bible, which for once won't be a textbook for a class. But I want to make of list of things to do. I want to challenge other people to do the same. I know some are in school and the other person that reads this blog has a job, and so the settings are similar, routine, and maybe sadly, mundane. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can be a weekend warrior. Find local adventures and things to do that will change the way you and I live. Here's my list.

In 2011 I want to:

Climb a 14,000 ft mountain.

Move out west, so the mountains are my backyard.

Start climbing more, and doing yoga and slacklining once it gets above freezing.

Meet new and great people doing the above activities.

Have a diet of most plants and vegetables.

Plant a garden.

Mentor someone.

Ween myself from unwanted and unneeded electronics.

Live a more simple life.

Give more than I receive.

I was reading a blog I really admire and love, the cleanest line, which is Patagonia's blog. It is written sometimes by employee's, sometimes Patagonia ambassador's such as climbers, mountaineer's, or skiers, and also people who love and want to save the environment. As I am unemployed at the moment, I find myself with more time on my hands than I can handle, so I read a lot of their past articles. One I fell in love with was done by a climber that they sponsor, by the name of Sonnie Trotter, a man that I would be very good friends with if we were to ever meet I think. He doesn't seem like he desired climbing to be his life. He loves many other things, and climbing does not consume him like it does many of their other ambassador's. He is a simple man, who loves climbing a lot, does yoga, loves his wife, loves organic food, and giving back. Here is a part of his post that I really connected with:

Everything is changing at a rate I can’t seem to maintain, and don’t even want to. One of my main objectives in life is to keep it as simple as I possibly can. Of course, this is an everyday challenge for all of us. Do we really need an iPod? A cell phone? A computer? A flat-screen TV? We make these decisions all the time, no matter how big or how small, we try to keep going with the social pressures of the world but deep down I think we’d rather back off completely. Most of these plastic gadgets just end up using more electricity, and then we cry and complain when they want to build a hydro project on our favorite river. Didn’t your mother ever tell you that you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Our demand for useless gadgetry is multiplying every year, therefore we need more power, and power comes at an expensive price. My day on the farm was a very quick reminder of how far we’ve stepped away from the rich simplicity of the earth. I know I can do better.

I think he makes a very good point. We love the newest things, coolest gadgets and we use them to make us feel good and make our lives more "convenient", and yet, some of us get upset when we see a new damn is going to be built in Chile, or Alaska, and we complain. We don't want nature there to be touched and tainted by "progress", yet we tell our friends as we download Texas hold'em app on our ipad's.

I know i'm not perfect. I know I still love to watch my house and lie to me on monday's, and heck, i'm writing this blog on my laptop computer, which sits on my desk plug in at all times. And don't even get me started about it come fall when college football starts up (yeah i'm already awaiting next season). I have way's to go, and I know them. It won't be easy for me either, I really love house. But I would really love to simply life together, as a community of people who want something else out of life. Something more community and environmentally driven. To live simply so others can simply live.

I know I promised more to come on my thoughts of being a fat climber, I promise I will get to it eventually, promise.

My 2 cents:

Big Black Car by Gregory Alan Isakov. I'm not to sure about his other stuff sadly, but I can't get enough of this song.

Vivre dans l'amour et la paix,

drew

Il n'y a qu'un bonheur dans la vie, c'est d'aimer et d'être aimé.

Reflections of a grad student

Բարեւ Ձեզ, (yeah that's real)

First off, before I start on this new post, I want to talk about how awesome that hello is (in case you didn't catch on the whole, "woah, he is saying hello in different languages because he is a cross-cultural studies major!"). It's armenian, not the kind that you talk about with Dr. Vang (though he probably speaks this language), but it's sweet because there is most definatly a number in there, yeah, pretty awesome.

Anyway, I know and I'm sorry that I haven't written for a while (I suspect i'm apologizing to 2 people but it's polite). I was busy with school and busy GRADUATING and Christmas and getting readjusted and settled in at home (or "living the dream", apparently is what people are calling it these days, which makes me thing they never did it.) Lots has been on my mind, so bare with my multi-topic post.

First off, i'm applying for real person jobs, which is really weird. For like 18 years I have been on a set path, everything paved out for you and handed to you, elementary school, to middle, up to high school, then to big boy college.... now what? Nothing is laid out. Unlike school, no one is calling to have me come to their place (okay it only happened with like PBA, Asbury and a community college, but I would still take 3 places asking for me to be an employee). I am unemployed, and searching for a job that can pay decent money so I can be a real adult. With that in mind, I have applied to a job in Oregon with a environment group and Teach for America in Denver, yep, heading out west. Meanwhile, to hold me over until I make the big move, I applied to a job here at a hospital and at a nice restaurant (putting my degree to work, let me tell you). It's weird because it's so real. I get a job out there and I'm there. My own place, my own real job, in the mountains, paying bills, all that jazz. The road is not paved and i'm there with a shovel creating my own and it's new, exciting, surreal, nerve racking, and yet, really really enjoyable.

In other news, I'm back to climbing, in fact, even without a job, I managed to get a six month membership to a climbing gym, for $30 a month, which let me tell you is a steal. The bad news is my climbing is horrendous. I climbed a lot during the summer, and even more in the fall. Then life got crazy with school and experiments and I never got around to it. Then thanksgiving happened and Christmas. Now two months later I try and climb and it was if I had never climbed a day in my life, it was awkward and the routes I once conquered with ease seemed impossible to hold onto and do. I was a little baffled, so I merely blamed it on my two month sabbatical. I went home and decided that to make sure that I was right I would jump on a scale. Bad idea. I officially weighted in at the most I ever had at a flabby 185lbs. Not only had a not climbed for two months but it was as if I was wearing a 15 lb weight; no wonder I couldn't hold on to anything. I have decided to eat veggies, fruits, and whole grains and do some hard core exercise to whip myself back into shape (the veggies kick was due to a recent conviction from a documentary I watched: Food inc. (which I recommend to all, it's not against meats at all, it's just about eating real food) and a book i'm reading connected to the movie, "In defense of food" by Michael Pollan).

It kinda struck a weird cord with me, having worked so hard for months to do what I could and to have it all taken away in such a seemly short time. It was humbling to say the least. To be honest I really didn't have a choice, be humbled or quit. I know it is only slight, and I will say this again in 5 years with even more awe and revelation, but my body isn't what it used to be. Now I know i'm only 22 (and a half) and I am still very young, shoot, there are some fighters in the UFC who are in their 40's and look better than I ever have, so this isn't the final straw of my health or anything, but it's amazing just to take a step back (forced step or not) and see how I used to be able to eat so many terrible things and be fine. Life doesn't really allow for me to play lacrosse every day or football or whatever I used to do (though my unemployment says I have all the time in the world). I am excited to think that I still have plenty of youth left, and to be honest i think I will even when i'm in my 40's, but I'm sad to see the differences and realize i'm not invincible. Probably more on this to come later.

Oh yeah, I got facebook again. I barely use it, which i'm happy for. I think it's more stupid now then ever, but it's the only way Dr. Lane will talk to me cause he is so cool and hip like the kids.

My 2 cents:

watch Food Inc., education is good for you and it's just an encouraging movie. It won't make you reject meat, like me, it has been a desire for me for a while, but it is just good to know what you are putting into your body, it's great stuff, don't be afraid of it. Ignorance isn't as blissful as people say.

Vivre dans l'amour et la paix,

drew

Il n'y a qu'un bonheur dans la vie, c'est d'aimer et d'être aimé.

Burning Bridges

Hola,

This blog isn't so much inspired by a current event as much as it is me reflecting on one of the more important lessons I have learned in college.

I recently was sitting in on a discussion about the mosque in NY and how that is raising so much controversy and whatnot. The discussion was rather dull until someone tried to attack Muslims in general. Accusing them of takeovers and all having bombs strapped to their chest.

This is the sort of stuff that breaks my heart.

(stay with me for this rant in the next two paragraphs)

I think it is so easy to point the finger and forget to look in the mirror. We understand our view as right, therefore when we are examining another view, whether that be another religion, politics, favorite food, etc, we refuse to examine our own views in beliefs because it is almost assumed in our minds that's its right. For instance, I believe that many people few Muslims as terrorist that are after and hate America. This is true with some Muslims, a small minority of them. I think when we take that statement and step back, we begin to see the real picture and what's really going on, and through that, we can come to respect and understand, and not fear, Muslims.

Terrorism makes news, so we are going to see lots of news about radical Islamic terrorist, and not many about the other 3 billion that aren't doing these things. These few Muslims kill anyone who disagrees, they have attacked other Muslims (during Ramadan no less, which could lead you to argue that they don't really follow Islam at all), not just Americans. I believe saying all Muslims are like that is the equivalent to all Christians being like the Klu Klux Klan. Of course this outrages us, as it should, because they represent such a small, non-biblical, voice in the Christian world.

I say all this just to say that we step on to many toes. When we step back and see people for who they are, we can love as Christ did. Instead of harping on the differences between Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, Calvinist, Lutheran, whatever it maybe. How about focus on the fact that we all want to follow Jesus. We both want to love others and pray to God that loves us?

This applies to everyday life: Someone gets angry at you and insults you. The normal response is to be angry back or to retaliate or hold a grudge. Yet if we can pull back and see times when we were justifiably or unjustifiably angry at someone. Say you have a friend whose boyfriend cheats on her. She has every right to be angry, yet if she can pull back and see when she cheated on him, (Jesus said that to look at another lustfully is the same as adultery, it's just not in the publics eye, but worse, in our heart) and to forgive. This is no easy task and I will be the first to admit that I fail many times at doing this. But that is the kingdom of Heaven, and whether we understand it or not, usually every sunday we pray that "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". We are called to live out God's kingdom on earth.

This is how we are different, how we stand out, how we become salt and light. We love like people have never seen. We do this because we have seen this love in our Maker and live to imitate this to people who haven't seen it. It is not easy but from my experiences, it is incredibly rewarding both in my heart and in the relationships that have been mended.

My 2 cents:

Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson (book)

Vivre dans l'amour et la paix,

drew

Il n'y a qu'un bonheur dans la vie, c'est d'aimer et d'être aimé.