Scratching head...

He Man Sings!

Connections

Friends have told me often that I am a connected person. I know a lot of peeps. I think that is partly because I've been fortunate enough to meet people in different parts of my life (work, school, church, etc.). But most importantly, I've done more than just say "K.I.T!" after I see them, I actually HAVE kept in touch (or at least tried :).

How? Well, I actually write things DOWN (phone numbers, emails, Facebook, etc.). I basically ask myself the question: Is this person worth keeping in my life, regardless of distance? If the answer is yes, then it is simple what I should do - stay connected.

What's the value of staying connected? It keeps us together rather than apart. It gives us room to continue to develop those relationships, even from afar. It allows us to serve one another; to reach out and grab hold of those that need help. It gives us the ability to answer the question, "Do you know somebody?" with a bona fide YES.

There's a verse in the Bible that says "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body."

We are all a part of a larger body, whether we realize it or not (Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, hello!!??).

Let's take care of that body by keeping it working together for one another, and not letting go.

"Where the Pale Dwell"

I was recently in Portland and Seattle seeing my college friends. It was awesome. And it was beautiful. Both of those places this time of year are great because it shows off the lush green foliage (man, I love that word) that the rains bring all year. Later that weekend I met some locals, and when I said that California was similar to the Pacific Northwest in many ways, they agreed, paused, and said with a grin, "except that we're pale." I can't argue with that.

I think that the lack of sun may be the one of the reasons I don't pack up and move there. I honestly don't have a problem with the rain. I grew up in Texas, where thunderstorms are common and fun to listen to. It's the cloud cover. The lack of sunlight.

And we may joke about "the rain" up there, but there's actually some medical legitimacy about this thing. There's something called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) that can cause lethargy and depression by those that suffer from it. I even wonder if I have a tad bit of it. They even have these things called "light boxes" that operate as a type of therapy for those that don't get enough of it.

Freaky, eh?

All to say, I have realized that I am a creature of the sun. And don't get me wrong, I like being tan, but not like this...

Do you suffer?

Um, Pale Force anyone?

Leaving Room

Recently, every time I order a coffee, I am asked, "do you want to leave room?" And the answer is always yes (My great aunt, who only drank it black, used to say, "That ain't coffee, that's SYRUP!!").

I am a planner. Sometimes to a fault. I recently finished my spring semester, and suddenly I found myself with all of this free time. Well, I solved that...more stuff! A voice-over class, ministry opportunities, and the like, are filling the void. But perhaps that is the problem. With my planning/organized bug ingrained in my skull, I have potentially crushed something very vital: spontaneity. Being spontaneous means having freedom; the freedom for the unknown and unexpected. The freedom to exhale. BREATHE!!

Could I become a PRISONER OF MY OWN PLANNING??!! Let's hope not. Yowsa.

So, I'm learning that while a planned outlook is just fine and dandy, I need to leave room. Room to travel. Room to be available. Room to explore. Room to date. Room to have random, ridiculous, stupid-for-no-dang-reason fun. Yeah.

What do you need to leave more room for?

Bo Diddley (1928-2008)

A true legend. Unfortunately I never got to see him live.

R.I.P.

Blog BULLIED

I have been the victim of a bully. A blog bully.

Mandates. Deadlines. Punched in the monitor face. Agony. (Nini, I hope you're happy). Which leads me to the question, what does a blog "stand for?" Is it here to please the readers? Is this a newspaper? The Onion? Do we write with an agenda? Or is it endless babble? Where is God in all this? Um, help?

I'll admit, I read my friend's blogs. I find them quite interesting. I can't get enough. It's addicting. MORE CRACK, PLEASE!!!

Why do you read? Why do you write? I'm hooked on phonics.