Ice Bucket Challenge; The Social Phenomenon

Although the origins of the challenge are a little hazy, it’s impact is certainly not.  Even those living under a rock have probably heard rumblings of it, if not they've at least been splashed by the runoff and wondered where the heck all of this water was coming from!  What started as a stunt to raise a little money for charities has blossomed into an absolute social phenomenon; for charities reaping the benefits, this has to be not only a mind-blowing influx of donations but an utter miracle.  The popularity is undeniable and the benefits for some (specifically for ALS research) are truly amazing.  What's crazy is that the charities benefiting didn't even establish this challenge themselves as a means of increasing donations; rather this was done by regular every day people.  So where did this all come from?  There are numerous stories out there of it's origins,but most of those beginnings start with the idea of the "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge", and not the true beginnings of the larger water bucket challenge (which is the same thing).

The two most readily accepted origins of the ALS version are from golf and baseball.  The golf origin began with Chris Kennedy, a professional golfer, taking the challenge AND filming it.  Note that he was challenged as well prior to doing the challenge, but he decided to film his challenge and post his experience; that subsequently spread like wildfire (Wait, isn't water supposed to put out wildfire?).  The baseball origin is of Pete Frates, a Boston College baseball player, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012.   He served as an inspiration to others and his story led the opening run of the Ice Bucket Challenge.  Regardless as to where the very first drenching was combined with a donation, it's definitely inspired many to participate.  I applaud that fact; it's great to see people contribute to charity.

My personal view of the challenge is a mixed bag.  There's good, bad, funny, and well, even more good.  First off, giving is good!  I absolutely believe in the adage that it is better to give than to receive, and my goodness have people given!  Looking at different periods of time, there are numerous monetary comparisons available to see the success of the challenge but the one that sticks out to me is this news story by Fox Boston, in which the ALS Association reports a 14 day total fundraising of $1.35 million.  This was for a time frame of July 29th to August 11th, 2014.  Although that alone is pretty awesome, you may not realize how incredible that number really is until you compare to that same time-fame the previous year where the fundraising only totaled $22,000.  Wow!  Does it have something to do with American's sudden obsession with dousing themselves in ice cold water?  You bet it does!  There in lies the good side of the challenge.  So many people have given; many of which would not have given to any charity had they not participated!  That, of course, does assume a donation; hopefully all those drenched heads also made donations!  To me the largest impact is the extent of first time givers!  This is a positive that can't be questioned; it's awesome!

Now you may ask why there is any other view besides the good side? That is a valid question and there are a few answers, some serious and some humorous.  

First off is the reasoning behind the challenge.  It's supposed to bring awareness.  Sure it started as a way to force your friends to film themselves doing something stupid for no real reason at all, but when you add a solid reasoning behind it (something to validate your need to embarrass them) then that challenge has meaning and it takes hold. That validating reason is the spreading of awareness (and fundraising).  Unfortunately as I watch challenge after challenge, what I see consists of people dumping water over their heads and a quick mention of ALS without any substantive information educating us on the disease.  Don't get me wrong; some of the challenges have come with a real message and I applaud those individuals for taking the time to either educate or tell why this is close to their hearts but for those that have not been fortunate enough to see those well thought-out videos, you may have missed the point.  That point is awareness of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS for short).  So that begs the question, what is ALS?  

My understanding of the disease prior to this phenomenon was that it was known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, and that it is an incurable disease that consists of muscular deterioration to the point that it not only affects your voluntary motor skills but also movements associated with everyday tasks that we take for granted like swallowing and even breathing.   This recent rise of awareness has many wanting to know more.  I believe that it's best succinctly explained here by the ALS Association.  Hopefully this brings to light what this social phenomenon was all about... not about seeing people drenched or embarrassing your friends by doing something crazy, but about awareness (and fundraising).  

A second negative is the social bombardment and this one is a two-parter.  I enjoyed watching the videos at the beginning during first round of this, which came to my attention a number of months ago.  By the time the ALS version took off it was played out but an influx of famous participants gave it greater visibility and helped fuel the cult following.  Though it had a following it was over-exposed; I compare it to campaigns during election season.  You may like seeing a commercial with your favorite candidate in the beginning stages but by the time the election arrives you've been desensitized to most of their messages and by those of their opponents because they are in your face constantly. Just like those campaigns, this challenge isin your face... All... The... Time.

The second in this two-parter is the social pressure to conform.  I compare that to peer pressure and/or bullying.  It is not an invitation to take part; it's an expectation.  Let me paraphrase the challenge as "Either pay a lot or dump this on your head and pay a little".  Wait, those are my only two options and if I don't, then what?  Am I a bad person?  If I choose to another charity instead or to give to this one without making a spectacle of myself is that somehow less worthy of social acceptance?  Yep, I think it is. If you are challenged and don't participate you're not seen as a strong individual for not being roped in; rather you are the one that didn't care enough to participate. Yep; that sounds like peer pressure and bullying to me.  Oh, I will say that I was challenged in the first phase (the pre-ALS phase) and I did not participate for this very reason.

The third reason is a grander scope; its something that I surmised was the case and have found others to support my theory.  That is the idea that there are limited resources to be allocated to all charities and if one is siphoning all of the contributions, there is less for the other charities.  In considering the mentality of what I consider to be an average american, I would suppose that they are on some sort of budge and have limit resources for shopping, eating out, and even for charity.  Let's say they have $X to give to charity.  Each person's $X amount may be different but there is some sort of threshold.  Once a worthy cause captures your focus there is a good chance it will get your $X or a large portion of $X.  At a later point in time a new cause captures your excitement and it begets the lion's share of your expendable charitable giving.  Meanwhile the first cause takes a hit.  It makes sense on a micro scale (single family) but when you apply it to every family taking part in this water challenge, I have to wonder where the funds are for the other charities.  This model seems logical to me; it is not perfect, nor does it apply to everyone but I do believe it applies to many.  A quick search of the internet found others with the same outlook and one article by William MacAskill called this Funding Cannibalism. What a great, succinct term to explain it!  I totally agree with this concept and truly hope that funding cannibalism is not hurting other worthwhile, low-funded charities as much as would be expected.  My hope is that this is an overstatement ; that rather than this funding cannibalism playing out in this way, instead a change in mentality occurs that causes people to have an overall mindset of giving; that is my hope.

The fourth ties into Funding Cannibalism and that is the idea that the Ice Bucket Challenge is an ALS fund raiser.  As already stated, it was not for ALS in it's original form.  In fact, the original challenges consisted of a person being challenged to give to a specific charity (as chosen by the person issuing the challenge).  In turn, once you completed the challenge you may choose your own charity to support by issuing your own challenge to friends. In turn they would give to your charity, pick their own and continue to the down-line.  This is great!  Everybody wins!  Unfortunately what was good for ALL has become good for ONE.  I urge everyone to continue to give to whatever charities you would have already given to AND if you want to give to something else, then find a charity that is close to your heart.  ALS Association can definitely benefit from your giving but so can so many others; don't let them go without!

One charity that I give to year in and year out is the United Way.  It's a great organization that does a lot of good in the local community; in addition the United Way ensures that most of the money is used for the causes for which it's actually donated.  Many times funds organizations receive are eaten up in administrative costs, but this is not so with the United Way, whom ensures that at least 88 cents of every dollar donated end up used as they were intended.  

Other charities you may consider include JDRF for type 1 diabetes, The Salvation Army, and The American Red Cross just to name a few.  There are so many great charities that can use your funds.  You don't have to be associated with an Ice Bucket, Cold Water, or any challenge to give.  It's great that Ice water been the spark (oxymoron I know) to inspire those to give, but you don't have to get wet to participate; you just have to have the heart and the ability to give.  Ability is not limited to the amount of money in your bank account; you can give your money; give your time; donate goods or even donate your blood.  I am reminded once again of the adage of giving being better than receiving.  There is so much truth to that.  Whether you believe them as the words of Jesus ("It is more blessed to give than to receive") or whether you've experienced the joy in your heart as you watch a child open a present you've given them, or even the happiness you've had when volunteering to help those in need, it is very hard to argue with the the fact that it is truly better to give than to receive.

Finally, on a lighter note here's a little humor wrap things up:

I have to admit I get a kick out of internet memes.  This one made me laugh... and brings home a few points 

First, as American's we have so much that we take for granted!  (Even the water.)  With so much, we should have plenty to give.

Second, you don't have to pour water over your head in order to help others out!

Presidential Debate 2012

To be totally honest I have really mixed feelings when it comes to political races.  I really do have an interest and like follow the candidates, their positions and how they stack up against the other side.  What I don't like is all of the negativity and hate.  In talking to friends, following the social media, or even follow the traditional news outlets, it is quite astonishing how much time people spend (and waste) bashing "the other guy" instead of focusing on the positive attributes of their own candidate.  I'm really sick of hearing all of the bashing on both sides.  I don't want to choose a candidate based on what the other guy lacks; I want to support my candidate because of what he/she brings to the table.  Maybe that's just me, but I focus on the positives.

I'm actually in an enviable position that I like being in.  For once, I do really like both candidates.  In the past, my votes have been pretty clear... and it's not what you may assume.  It's not that I always vote with one party.  In fact, I have always vote a split ticket based on who I feel is best for each individual position and it just so happens that my previous presidential votes have been split amongst the two parties.  As I mentioned, this year I am in an interesting position in that I do like both candidates.  Neither is perfect; they both have their faults, but at the core I do like a lot about both of them.  That being said, prior to the Presidential Debate last night in Colorado I had already come to the conclusion that what Mitt Romney brings to the table what I feel is best for the country at this point in time.  There is so much to admire about what both President Obama and Governor Romney want to accomplish, yet when Mitt talks about his deficit reduction plans.... I actually believe what he has to say.  That is a major issue to me and one that we need action on immediately.  There are other issues of interest (and this post could be quite long if I listed them out) but this is one will suffice to differentiate the candidate and is honestly an issue that rises to the top in my eyes. In addition, it serves as one issue that the President has failed to come through on promises made four years ago.

Last night I recorded the debate and after the kids went to bed I gave it my full attention.  I went in with an open mind and left feeling that my previous inclinations to support Governor Romney were warranted.  I thought both candidates performed well but that Mitt really hit the issues well and actually answered the questions that were posed.  To be fair to both gentlemen, I did like the fact that both candidates were pretty good about answering questions rather than avoiding what was actually posed to them.  In past elections that was a real distraction to me and a turnoff for candidates that would not provide concrete answers.  Kudos to Mitt and Barack for giving real answers that defined their campaigns and how they differ from one another!

After all was said and done, I have to give not only the edge during the debate to Mitt, but I also have to solidify my previous decision to support him in this election.  I'm quite happy to be in that middle, grey area, that "moderate" group of swing voters.  A large percentage of voters know well before the candidates are selected that they'll be voting for the party they always have (and probably always will).  I'm quite happy to say that I'm not in that large percentage.  Instead of watching a campaign develop in hopes of people joining my cause, I am watching and deciding which cause(s) and which candidate(s) I'll be backing.  After last night's debate solidified my choice, I'm happy to say that I support Mitt Romney to be the next president of the United States.

What's Really Important?

This is stolen from an email forward.  I loved it so much I had to share.  I wish I knew the author!


When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember The Mayonnaise Jar and the 2 Beers:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.  When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.  The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.  He then asked the students again if the jar was full.  They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.  Of course, the sand filled up everything else.  He asked once more if the jar was full.  The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.  The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car..
The sand is everything else - the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.  The same goes for life.  If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.  Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.  Spend time with your children.  Spend time with your parents.  Visit with grandparents.  Visit with your Aunts.  Take your spouse out to dinner.  Play another 18.  There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
TAKE CARE OF THE GOLF BALLS FIRST – THE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER.
SET YOUR PRIORITIES.
The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.
The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'
The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

Why the disparity?

I, like many have been experiencing an array of emotions and feelings about the entire situation revolving around Trayvon Martin.  At first I was outraged that Zimmerman could get away with such a malevolent act.  It seemed as though everyone that knew of the story shared this sentiment, however as time has passed we've seen more facts come to light, we've seen the media farce exposed, we've seen the accusatory finger pointing and unjust comparisons arising as some justification for racially motivated insecurities, and to be completely honest it all sickens me.  There is such disparity in so many aspects of this entire situation that it's almost difficult to comprehend.

First off, murder is not only a crime; it is absolutely, undeniably wrong regardless as to anyone's race.  Someone will ask, "what about if it's self-defense?" and to be honest, that is a totally different discussion than that of what has been transpiring in this case and related cases that everyone seems to be buzzing about.  The issues at the heart of the matter that sicken me are:

(1) Disparity in treatment by the authorities:
    So many people are focused solely on race.  What makes this case so ghastly is the disparity in how the authorities handled the situation. The murder itself is awful and absolutely abhorrent behavior... as are ALL murders, but in most situations justice is served.  In this case, the lack of the pursuit of justice is why we are hearing about the murder.  Perhaps we have been desensitized to violence, but I'd presume that if Zimmerman had been arrested and charged, this would be one of those awful news stories that we see once, after which it would fade away into obscurity.  However, Zimmerman actions taken against Zimmerman were out of the ordinary, to say the least.  The preferential treatment he received is the biggest crime of all.  We should be up in arms over this.  Somehow though, the focus of everyone's attention, rather than being on the disparity in actions by the authorities, has fallen on the fact that this was violence between races.  Specifically, as the media put it, the story is of "a White-Hispanic" murdering an unarmed African American teen.
Unfortunately murders and other acts of violence occur every day, some of which are motivated by our own prejudices.  I purposely chose the word prejudices because race is not the only motivating prejudice; class and gender prejudices are also huge motivating factors in how violence is directed.  Yes; these unjust prejudices do exist, but is that the reason we are hearing about this case?  No; we're heading about this case due to the disparity in how the authorities handled the situation.


(2) Disparity and bias in media coverage:
    Why is it that acts of violence occur every day, yet they are only blurbs at best in the nightly news, however this story is plastered all over the news and media outlets?  Whomever coined the phrase "Sex Sells" would probably do well to add " and so does Racism".  Some may disagree, but I feel sure that our news outlets understand very well that the issue making this murder so abominable is the handling by the authorities, yet they keep throwing the racial motivations in our face, trying to throw controversy our way because.... well,... it sells.  Perhaps an apology was made for the editing error, but we all know that the content of the "edited tape" brought in a lot more viewers than the unedited version.  Accident?  I would think that is a great big NO.  In addition to this news marketing technique, you can look at the pictures that were chosen for both Zimmerman and Martin.  I feel certain they had choices here (we've all seen the alternative pictures), yet they chose the ones that portrayed Zimmerman as negative as possible fueling the already burning media fire.

There are so many other important stories that we'll never hear about because it doesn't hit that hot button.  It's a true shame and that's one reason I watch very little news.  Even though written outlets have the same problem, you can pick and choose what you read as opposed to news on tv where they "entertain us" for 30-60 minutes with the news that sells.


(3) The publicity hounds:
    I fully understand that when acts of injustice occur, someone needs to act and I am extremely happy that we have activists that really care about correcting the injustices.  What burns me up are those, which I won't name here, that show their support for their own benefit; those that just want to be heard regardless as to what the issue is; those that are activists less for rectification of a wrong, rather their own political and professional self-preservation. 


(4) The justification of hatred and prejudices
This one really hits home.  Stories are popping up everywhere of irate viewers that are trying to make comparisons to other cases, specifically black on white crime, and these people want to know why those cases aren't getting the same sort of media attention.  This is running rampant in social media with story after story being posted with captions like, "why didn't we hear about this racially motivated killing!" or "why didn't this death prompt a call from the president", etc...  One blog that has been circulating all over Facebook is about Eve Carson and her murder in 2008.  The writer makes some good points and had the best of intentions, but I still think there is too much focus on race.

The question in all of these type posts and articles is, should other racially motivated murders and violent acts get the same coverage?  I think that is the wrong question  This goes back to the root of the story.  IF, and this is a BIG IF; IF we're watching the Trayvon Martin case because it's about race, then we should absolutely see the other stories with approximately equal coverage, however RACE IS NOT the story; the story is how this crime was handled by the authorities.  So if that coverage disparity is not the right question, what is? 

The correct question to ask is, why does the media feel the need to make race the story in the first place?  Then again, what do I know?  I'm not trying to market my news outlet; racism obviously sells so I guess we're stuck with that being the story.  It's all very, very sad.

Do it Right

Going with the flow; that's a good way to describe my general demeanor.  I can be pretty laid back, doing only what is fun or relaxing and can enjoy most any situation, whether it be a night out with friends or even just sitting on the couch watching tv with my boys.  Basically, when there is no cause for action I just take life as it comes.  The key here is the phrase "when there is no cause for action".  I say this because I truly believe that even people like myself that can be laid back and go with the flow, I can only be the best me possible when I break that routine and take intentional action.

Be intentional.  If I choose to do something, I will do it right.  Otherwise, why do it at all?  This can be applied in many aspects of life, both big and small.  Every chance for action is met with a real choice whether the action is worth your time an effort.  When opportunity arises, you can fail to act, act without commitment, or commit yourself to full action.
For instance, consider all of these diverse scenarios:

1. The yard is a mess.  My choices are:
• I could let it stay messy and let the lawn grow out of control.
• I could do the bare minimum and cut the grass occasionally.
• I could commit myself to really making my yard look great.
2. A child brings home bad grades.  My choices are:
•  Do nothing.  Let it takes its course.
• Tell him I expect better.
• Tell him I expect better and spend the time to help him learn why he made those grades and what he can do to not only produce better results next time, but also the satisfaction he'll have knowing he is improving.
3. A relationship with a significant other.  Choices:
• Do nothing.  See what happens.
• Treat them nice.
• Commit to not only doing things together and pursuing my own happiness, but really taking the time every single day to make sure I am bringing happiness to her life.

Wow; 3 totally different scenarios, but in each one it's really worth doing it right.  Life works out regardless of what path you choose, but if you choose wisely it sure will work out a lot better!  I've recently recommitted myself to being intentional in everything I decide to do.  Every situation does not call for action, but when I see the need for action I will not only act, but I'll put in the time and effort to do it right.

If you are going to do it, do it right.

2012 - The Greatest Year of My Life

As I look back on the recent years of my life, much has changed.  There have been fun times, sad times, good times, and bad times, all the while I've been building myself and my life story.  So much has happened and to be completely honest, I'm thankful for every bit of it.  All of my experiences, both positive and negative have made me a stronger me, a more confident me, a happier me, and truly a more complete better me.  This spills into every aspect of my life; as an employee, as a father, as a son, as a boyfriend, as a man.

2010 was the year my life really changed; all that previously was would no longer be and a scary new future loomed ahead.  Not scary in that bad things would happen, but scary because change always presents things you aren't prepared for and in this case my changes were to be confronted alone. Although I welcomed all that was to come, it was a true departure from the past. The paths that I had previously trod as part of team, I began to walk alone.  This was true from a professional standpoint, as I transitioned from a large department with many peers to a new department in a new job in a position that was just created... with no peers at all.  It was also true from a personal perspective, as I ventured out a single man after 10 years of marriage; where I once had a partner, I found myself on my own.  Mentally, socially, professionally, spiritually, in every shape and form things would be different from this point forward.

2011 was the year (and at the moment is still the year) that all the wheels were put in motion.  I began that trek toward some destination unknown.  The scary time had passed months before and a new beginning was upon me.  There was an opportunity in front of me and I had to make a decision: stay the course or realign; considering that previously I really didn't have a course, that I just tended to go with the flow, I felt it was best to realign (or better yet, align for the first time), decide what things are important to me and make those my priorities.  What I found is there are a number of important aspects of my life.  On the most basic level, what matters most to me is deeply rooted in the health, safety and happiness of my children as well as myself.  In addition, I had some lacking parts of my life that needed some work.  I was neither socially fulfilled, nor financially stable.  Surely this is no big surprise; at the collapse of a marriage one finds oneself in a new social atmosphere and typically in poor financial standing... and I was no exception.  All this being said, , I wanted to ensure that I put my sons and I in a good financial environment, a good social environment, and I wanted to ensure that the people we surround ourselves from this point forward are good, positive, caring people.

As 2012 approaches, I can't help but be excited.  My life and the lives of my children are what I would call "in order".  Jackson and Alex are both doing well in school; they are not only involved in athletics but also really excelling to a greater extent than I'd have imagined; they're healthy and all-around doing great.  They are happy, wonderful kids and I'm so proud to be their father.  I personally find myself moving in very positive direction financially; my career is joy and very fulfilling; I have a great base of positive friends that I love spending time with; my boys are a constant blessing; my parents and brother are pillars of light in my life as they always have been; I'm involved with an amazing woman who cares about me and my happiness more so than anyone I've ever been with; likewise I love her and want to make sure she and her kids are as happy as they've ever been.  Jackson and Alex really like her and her kids are their best friends.  I couldn't have written a better script leading into the new year.  I know this is no fairy tale and life often throws curve-balls our way when we least expect them, but all-in-all 2012 is stacking up to the greatest year of my life.  I can't wait to see what the future brings.

Aspirations

We all have aspirations, things which we wish to accomplish yet often times are more pipe dreams than anything.  What are your true aspirations?  What do you really want? 

When I think about what I want, I can make quite the list, but do I need to?  Do I really have that large of a list?  Last night I stepped back to think about what I really want and although the meaning of this is deep and can be applied in many different ways, it's very simple: I aspire to be one whom positively inspires.

Inspire others by the way you live your life, with your outlook, with your success, with your handling of failure, with all things in life.  Whether generally applied to professional life, to role as a parent, to role as a friend, aspire to inspire.

HOLY SHHHHHH......

So last week was our family vacation.  The boys and I joined Laura, Matthew and my parents for 5 days in North Myrtle.  Nila and her boys even joined us for a day.  It was really a great vacation; great weather, tons of amazing food, not one person left sun-burned, and it was a true vacation; no work and all play!
I actually did bring a book along to fill the time as the boys played on the beach, but didn't crack it even once... not even to read a single sentence.  Why?  Because I played hard with the boys every minute of the day.  We played in the pool, played corn hole and football on the beach, as well as the golf ball game that we've come to enjoy that is similar to corn hole but there are no boards, there are just two holes in the sand which you attempt to roll golf balls into from about 10-12 feet away.  Sounds easy, right?  Think again.  Corn hole is MUCH easier.

Two of the highlights of the trip were very simple. 
First was a great new toy that we played with more than even the corn hole set.  What was it?  The Wave Runner Ball!  This thing was awesome.  It's just a simple ball about the size of a racquet ball that feels like mushy rubber.  The crazy thing is that it's consistency allows it to do what other balls can't; it skips on top of the water.  It was the coolest thing.   You can throw it as if skipping a rock or even like throwing a baseball; just be warned that it bounces crazier than a a baseball off of the ground... especially when it hits waves!  Try one out!  Oh, the Wave Runner comes in at least two varieties: the beach ball and the pool ball.  We tried both however the beach ball was the better of the two.

The second thing was hilarious.  I don't even remember what we were doing; possibly a board game in the room.  Anyway, something was said to which Alex in a long drawn out way said HOOOOLLLLYYY SHHHHH..... he held the SHHH for a while and the expression culminated with HOOOOLLLLYYY SHHHHHRIMP!  We all looked at one another and tried to hold back but ultimately busted out laughing.  It was hilarious.

Three Groups of People

Love them or hate them, we get labeled all the time.  Which group are you in?  Short or Tall?  Skinny or Fat?  Republican or Democrat?  Smart or Athletic?  Not all these distinctions are fair, nor are they all mutually exclusive of one another.  Think about being pigeon holed as the dumb jock.  Sure you can be smart and athletic, but quite often if your athletic, your intelligence is overlooked - hence the dumb jock label.  Not to belittle this process of classification, because I'm about to do the same thing right here!

Over the past few weeks I've come the realization that you can categorize people into three distinct groups.  Yes distinct is a strong word, because you will surely find yourself in different scenarios when you will find yourself classified in in one of the "other" two groups, but most of us will have the propensity to settle into one of these roles on a general basis.

So, what are the three types of people?

First are Actors.  Not actors in the sense of the big screen, rather Actors as I am classifying them are the people that live out loud; they and their actions are out there for us all to see.  They are making unprompted moves.  These are typically the people who make things happen, for better or worse.  Sometimes their actions or ideas are ground breaking; other times they are just the people leading your social group.  You have to have actors to drive the action, come up with new ideas, and keep a fresh perspective.  They are essential to moving forward and the growth of a group.

Second we have Reactors.  There are tons of these people out there, and to be honest there needs to be.  After an Actor makes a move, then what happens?  Well of course a Reactor swoops in and does something in response.  Does what, you may ask?  It could be a number of things.  Maybe it's a critique of the actions of the actor or maybe it's an improvement on that new idea.
How many times have you been sitting around discussing an idea and there are 100 improvements that build on that first notion?  Reactors are of the utmost importance to the improvement of products and or situations and to the streamlining of processes.   Put simply, they make the group better.

Any group, be it a company or even a social group, is best served with a combination of Actors and Reactors, and to be totally honest the best Actors tend to project themselves into the role of Reactors pretty well although they are more comfortable Acting.

The third and final group is the viewers.  They may care about what's going on or they may not.  Seeing what the Actors and Reactors are up to is enough for them and they just aren't getting involved. To just sit back and watch is plenty enough action for them, and on some occasions the choice to stop viewing altogether is their course of action.

So what type of person are you?  I'm a huge believer in the idea that we live live in shades of gray.  Because of this, I wouldn't be surprised if you read this and said, "what BS; I'm all 3!".  To some extent that is true, but ask yourself two questions:
(1) Which of the three is your true nature?
and probably of more importance
(2) Which of the three would you like to be?
Think about those questions as you approach your day.

You may ask how I see myself?  That's only fair, right?  I don't mind answering my own question!  Personally I feel that I'm inclined to Act.  Others may see me differently, but I feel pretty confident in my categorization as an Actor for both my natural inclinations as well as my desired nature.  If you don't agree, feel free to React to this post!  haha!

Mental Takes Over When Physical Fails

I'm no stranger to running.  In the distant past, being high school, I was involved in Track and Field; in addition to throwing shotput and discuss I also ran the 4x400 and the 800 (half mile) and I wasn't to shabby I might add...  but those days are long gone.  Now I run for distance.  Over the past few years I've ventured into some 5Ks and 10Ks and always enjoy them and even post on Facebook about how the races go.
Last year a friend of mine noticed my posts on running and laid down a challenge.  I guess it was just more of a question, but my response made it feel like a challenge.  She said, since we're both runners, why don't we pick out a marathon to do together.  Not that we live near one another and can train, but just knowing that you're committing not only to yourself but also to someone else makes the commitment that much more solidified.  After we came to an agreement that this would happen, I came to the realization that 26.2 miles is about 20 miles farther than any other run that I'd completed.  haha.  Seriously; it's easy to do that math but when you really ponder those numbers it's a bit sobering to think of what it will take to stretch that 6.2 of a 10K into a 26.2 of a marathon.  Wow; I had much work to do.
Being that I like to be prepared, I figured instead of jumping straight to the full marathon I should probably take baby steps and do a half marathon first.  Note that I said "I like to be prepared", not that "I always am prepared"; there's a big difference in those statements and one that would play out when race day final came along.  Is this foreshadowing my intent to be prepared but ultimately not being ready.  Haha; you bet it is.
Having decided to do a half marathon I quickly jumped to sign up for Kiawah since it's both close and a nice location.  Unfortunately it was already full so I looked to my second choice and signed up for the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon.  Actually paying the money was a second commitment; no turning back!  The next step was the training routine.  I won't bore you with the details, but I did take some time to research plans that already existed and used those to craft my own 24 week plan.  It was laid out in Excel, I printed and hung it both at work and home.  I didn't stick to it 100% in the early goings, but I was pretty close.  Long runs were on Saturdays and just before Thanksgiving I put in my longest run ever: an 8 miler.  I felt good having finished that and knew that before race day I would have not only put in a lot of miles but I would have also done a few runs that are even longer than the 13.1 required for race day... or so I thought.
Thanksgiving presented problems; kids were out, tons of food, and plenty of justifiable reasons to NOT put in my miles.  That would not have been so bad had I jumped back in it after Thanksgiving, however with my schedule with the kids and work and my love for fatty foods (not to mention Christmas) I often found reasons to either not run or to just cut the longer runs off very short.  I found myself in late January having slipped totally away from the running schedule all together and realized that I would not be "ready" for the race, but that I'd be as ready as possible.   That being said, my longest run in weeks had been 4.5 miles... Wow; not even close to the needed 13.1 on race day.
The race was to be held on Feb 19th and on Feb 5th I committed to do at least 10 miles.  I strapped on the GPS watch and started running, constantly looking down at the watch to see how far I'd been.  In the interest of brevity, I'll tell you that my body wanted to stop at 7, but I pushed through mentally to finish the 10.  I have completed it without walking.  Although those last miles were quite slow, I knew that I could push another 3 miles out on race day.  Over the next two weeks I had a few 2-3 mile runs and one 4.5 miler, but I was saving up the rest for race day.
We made race weekend a big weekend in Myrtle, but I didn't let that take me away from why I was there in the first place: to finish the race and push it as much as possible.  I set a goal for myself to average 8:00 minute miles  (which comes out to just under 1 hour and 45 minutes).  It should be doable, considering that during my 10 miler I averaged 8:15 with hills and no competition.  Myrtle Beach is flat, and there would be plenty of people to help push me.  So what happened?
After  hours of sleep, on race day I got out of bed at 5:00 to get ready to run.  I caught the shuttle and the excitement was building.  Tons of people, including two women using this race as their Olympic Trials qualifier, were ready and awaiting that gun shot to start the race.  My iPod was loaded, my watch was on and ready to be started, and I was as ready as I could ever be... that is unless I had actually trained as intended!  The gun fired and I took off like a bat out of hell.  I didn't sprint, but plenty of people were pushing it so fell right in with them.  It was interesting because I kept a balance of pushing and holding back enough to not burn out too quickly.  The pace that kept for for the part of the race made me so happy.  My watch tells me my mile splits for each mile and as those would pop up I was doing the math in my head as to how many extra minutes I had "in the bag" just in case I fell apart at the end.  That way I'd know how slow I could go and still make my overall goal.  I'll post my splits down below, but just notice that I kept up one hell of a pace for about 9 miles. 
Between the 9th and 10th miles, as I knew it would happen, my body began to give out.  I was ill-prepared.  Oh shit; what now?  What do you mean, "what now"?  You push and push until you can't push anymore.  I can't tell you that I kept the great pace, because in fact I did not, but I never walked, I kept pushing and I finished the race.  It was amazing at how slow I was near the end and that was with pushing with all my heart and even becoming light headed as I started the 13th mile.  I just knew how good I'd feel upon completion of the race and knowing that I pushed through mentally.  Guess what?  I was right.  It was such a good feeling.  Although my legs were about to collapse, my knees and feet hurt, and I was hydrating as fast as possible, I had such a feeling of contentment and achievement.  It felt great and I fully intend to do another very soon.... before I move on to the 26.2!
During the two days since the race, I've been hobbling around with sore legs like a little old man, but in just 48 hours I'm already beginning to recuperate and I'm feeling pretty good.  I can't wait to get back out and hit the pavement again. 
Without further ado, check out my splits and get a good laugh as you see my slight decline in the first 3/4 of the race, followed by my rapid decline during that last 4 miles.  haha.  I get a kick out of it and will use that as motivation to do better next time!!!
Mile 1 -  7:00
Mile 2 -  6:55
Mile 3 -  7:00
Mile 4 -  7:15
Mile 5 -  7:10
Mile 6 -  7:22
Mile 7 -  7:31
Mile 8 -  7:34
Mile 9 -  7:55  ( the last mile under my goal pace)
Mile 10 - 8:17
Mile 11 - 8:44
Mile 12 - 9:04
Mile 13 - 9:38
Extra 0.1 - at an 8:01 pace.
After all was said and done: my official race time was 1:42:23, averaging 7:54/mile and I came in 270th out of 3115 people.  I'm very happy and looking forward to the future!

A Fresh Start

I was married for 10 years, the last year of which I've been separated.  Wow, that seems like a crazy long time.  As with any established routine of any tenure, you find yourself falling into ruts and doing things the way that you do them, not due to any good reason or desire, but just because that's the way you do it.  Do you know what I mean?  Sure you do.  We all fall prey to this to some degree and marriage very common venue for falling into such ruts.

For better or worse, South Carolina has a law requiring a separation of 365 days before even being able to file for divorce, after which you have to wait on a court date to make it all happen.  It's a pretty drawn out process, which for a while seems as if it will go on forever.  At first I wished that I lived in a place with a lesser required term, but now that it's been a year I think the time frame was very beneficial.  That's not to say that I'd have not enjoyed a shorter wait, but during the last year I have found myself more so than I had in quite some time.  Those ruts that we often find ourselves falling into no longer exist.  It's time to delve into new territory and establish new expectations and routines... and yes, possibly fall into new ruts! lol.  Seriously though, if I am creating new ruts, they are the paths that I've chosen after having been given the actual choice of what I want and that fact is both empowering and quite refreshing. 

Next week we formally file.  We still get along wonderfully and the kids are doing great.  We are both very happy and want the best for not only ourselves but also one another.  As strange as it sounds to say so, when you take everything into consideration, it really is a great situation.  So often we hear of horror stories about divorce; it doesn't have to be that way and the proof rest in what I'm living.  I'm extremely proud of the way we've handled everything up to this point, I have all indications that the future will continue to be extremely positive, and after one year of finding myself I am completely ready for a fresh start!

The Lost Phone Story

This story is a long time coming.  I had totally forgotten to share it with you all until I busted my phone yesterday by dropping it onto the pavement getting out of my truck.  It sucks to have a broken phone; luckily my replacement will be here today.  Anyway, having a broken phone reminded me of the day I woke up with no phone at all.  Here is how it all went down:
First off, the night before was a very fun night to say the least.  I'll skip the details, but let you know that it was a fun night spent in the Vista, not unlike many other nights downtown except that this one ended poorly.  At the end of the night I decided to head back to Lexington, hopped in the truck, and started my journey.  Some 20 minutes later I'm almost home and realize I dont have my phone.  Crap.  One of my friends swiped it being funny... or maybe, just maybe I left it somewhere.  Who cares?  It's late. I'm tired.  I'll get to the bottom of this in the morning.
The next morning I wake up and immediately have an "oh shit" moment.  My phone is one of my lifelines; how will I get through the day without it.  Surely someone I know has it.  I know!  I'll just call them to see if they have it!  Doh!  ... I have no land line at home; this is 2010, all you need is a cell phone, right?
I then decided that I could easily email the select few people that may have it... no response.  Meanwhile, time is ticking.  If I did lose it, surely someone who doesn't need to find it will very soon, if they haven't already.  Once it's gone, it's gone.  I wait what seems like half an hour, but was probably more like 5 minutes.  Why wont these people answer their emails!!!
Then it hit me.  My phone, the HTC Droid Incredible, was only about 2 weeks old and I was still learning about it and playing with the features and new apps.  While at lunch only days before a friend of mine suggested I download this great App called Lookout.  It's a mobile security application that will scan your other apps for viruses as well as, and this turned out to be the big one, track your phone!  Few people had heard of this app at that point in time, although now I have seen it advertised on commercials.  Back to the point, it hit me!  I had downloaded this app, so maybe, just maybe, I could find my phone using this app!  Sweet!  Picture Jim Carrey as Lloyd in Dumb and Dumber saying "So you're telling me there's a chance... yeayah!".
I logged in to the mylookout website, logged in, and the GPS began tracking to a smaller and smaller area, and sure enough, THERE IT WAS!!!  Woo Hoo!  I tracked the blip it to the corner of two streets in the Vista, a corner that I had walked by on the way to my truck.  Excellent!  Now, I only have to drive downtown to pick it up.  Then the unthinkable happened... the blip began to move.  Oh Crap!  Someone has my phone!!!  What do I do now?
I jumped back over to email and sent a few message to people that I knew that had smart phones.  My thoughts were that if I logged in to the website on their phone, then we could track it via GPS and walk right up to it and the person that has it.  This is an excellent plan.  Two problems.  I have to find someone to help and the battery life on the phone is surely an issue.  If it goes dead, there will be no GPS signal so we won't be able to track it.  Time is of the essence.
Luckily, my friend Terry responds very quickly.  I am about to leave to meet Terry when the blip is no longer current.  Oh shit.  Either someone powered it down, or it actually died.  Oh well, we can still try.  We met downtown and I logged in. Sure enough, the last GPS signal was from over 30 minutes prior.  It was worth a shot though, so we headed to the last known location.  It was very exciting, almost as if we were treasure hunting.  When we got really close, we picked a parking lot and got out the car to walk the remainder of the way.  At that point in time we could no see where the phone was, but we were near railroad track and the signal appeared to be from near there.  Ok, maybe someone tossed it down near the tracks.
We continued on foot only to realize the signal had been from beyond the tracks.  Great, there is a parking lot around the corner, we'll walk over there and hope that the person is still there.  At this point I fully assume that if any one is there, it will be a homeless guy or two chilling on the corner and will claim to not have it.  Hmmm.  What will this confrontation look like? It may get ugly.  Wait a minute; if there is any batter life left, the lookout app also has an alarm feature.  This was the idea; if we confront this supposed holder of the phone and they deny having, we'll just the alarm for an "ah ha" moment.  "Ah ha, you liar!  Now give it to me or I'll... !"  Let's not go there.  Anyway, hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
We rounded the corner, assuming the best case scenario (besides finding the phone abandoned on the ground) was to find one homeless man with it in his possession.  What we found was much more surprising.  Homeless?  yes.  One or two?  no.  There was a church group feeding the homeless and there must have been 100 of them there.  Wow.  Now what?  I guess we ask around?  20 minutes later - no luck.  What to do?  Ah, let's sound the alarm.  We listen up... nothing.  Of course if the batter is dead, the alarm will not sound.  Now what?
Ah, luckily I knew one of the volunteers and started talking to them all.  The man in charge said he'd make an announcement before the blessing.  Sure enough he makes the announcement that "we know the phone was here because of GPS... please turn it in if you have it".  Also, at the end of the food line we are asking everyone if they have found the phone.  Of course everyone denied having it.  It was beginning to look bleak and I had the profound idea to offer a bribe in the form of a monetary reward.  A new phone to replace this would be a few hundred bucks since it was not renewal time.  I figured offering $20 may not be enough; they may just try a pawn shop, but $40 would do the trick.  The second announcement went like this: "If you didn't have the phone before, but have suddenly found it... please turn it in.  There is now a $40 finders fee.  No questions asked; just turn it in."  Within about 3 minutes a man that had just told us moments before that he had see no phone walked up with my freakin' phone.  "Is this it?"  lol, of course it is.  I laughed, gave him the $40, and felt I like had struck gold.
When we left, I was riding high.  This software was amazing.  It had found my phone when I didn't have any clue where it was.  Not only that, but if the battery had lasted, we'd have been able to walk right up to it within a foot.  Wow.  In the end we were extremely lucky, because when the battery did die, it just happened to have done so after the man that found it was at his destination, a destination that he would be at for the next hour or two.  What are the chances that (a) he stays put for that long, (b) that the phone just happens to last long enough to get him to that location?  Amazing that it worked out.
I feel quite fortunate that I downloaded Lookout.  I feel quite fortunate to have a friend that could meet me such short notice (Thanks Terry). I feel so very fortunate that the timing worked out such that the phone was still in the vicinity it was when it died. I feel very lucky for the entire experience. 
Oh, and one last plug for the App.  If you have a Droid, get Lookout.  It's worth it!

Funny Quotes from the weekend

I feel so good about myself for making it to the gym today (although not funny on it's on, it was said after I put together a massive 15 minute weight routine... yes, that counts as a workout.)

It starts at 7:00... so I'll be there at 6:15.  (said by me and although I was early I was one of 4 people that showed up at the same time.  I guess that is what happens when the drinks are free)

Drink it!  Hurry before it curdles. (said emphatically in response to a car bomb being sipped.  tisk tisk)

You know it's gonna be a big time when there is an escalade limo, blondes, a fag, lotsa booze, and a small indian man.  (said by the self-proclaimed fag, and yes it was a big time!)

They look great.  We have nothing to worry about. (said describing the Gamecocks at half time of the USC/Kentucky game)

The Lunar Fly

I had to look back at previous blogs to figure out how long it had been since I purchased new running shoes.  It was December of 2008, as seen in a post called New Gear.  Wow.  That was back when I first bought into the theory that buying two pair of shoes and rotating them would last longer than if you were to buy two pair of shoes back to back.  The reason for this is supposedly that while the shoe is on rotation you are crunching the cushioning and by rotating off of that shoe it gives the cushioning time to come back before rotating back on, thus lengthening the life of the shoes.  I tested that theory out and not only liked it but I've decided to keep up that routine with my next rotation of shoes.  Granted my last shoes should not have lasted me almost two years.  The truth is that although I've gone through periods of time when I was really pounding out pavement and tallying up many miles on my shoes, there have also been quite a few times when my running has been almost nonexistent; because of those times, my shoes lasted this long.

Back in 2008 I took a leap to buy the crazy looking Lunar Trainers and I absolutely loved them.  They were great shoes, although with the color scheme used for the shoes, a blind man could see me coming from about 4 miles away.  Unfortunately Nike stopped making the Lunar Trainer not long after I first bought them, so I had no choice but to switch it up.  Luckily though, they didn't totally depart from the technology used on the shoes.  They now have an entire line of Lunar series shoes.  I checked out a few of them, as well as some Asics and Saucony running shoes. There was no comparison; the others were definitely good shoes, but the Lunar series is still, by far, my favorite.  This time I decided on the Lunar Fly.  It's a great, snug fitting shoe, that holds the foot much more tightly than it's predecessor that I was so used to, however it retains the super light feel that I really enjoyed.  I cant wait to start putting in some real miles with them.  My half marathon training starts tomorrow and I'm totally stoked. 

Without any further ado, here are some pics of the shoes, both old and new.

My old Lunar Trainers (which are being set aside for next year's Mud Run).

My new Lunar Flys.  Two colors: Black and Blue, Blue and Yellow (had to get one with the bright yellow again. lol)

 

Independence

We all love the 4th of July.  For most of us it is a reason to get together with friends and family;
it is a reason to grill out, enjoy good food and have a beer;
it is a reason to have a day off of work;
but how many of us celebrate it for its recognition of our independence and our appreciation of those that make it possible to stay independent and free?

It was this day, July 2nd, back in 1776 that the Resolution for Independence was passed.  Two days later, the Declaration of Independence was signed and went down in history as "the day" that stands as a testament to our freedom and continues to be the day in which we celebrate our Independence!!!  Whether the 2nd, the 3rd, 4th, or any other day, it's not the day that matters; it's what it stands for that makes the difference to each of us.  Take the time and, yes, enjoy the celebration, but also realize it's true meaning.

I think that many more individuals do recognize it's true meaning than used to.  Either that is true or I've become more conscious of such things in the past few years.  It really does seem to me, though, that Americans in general have become more patriotic as of late; more conscious if nothing else.  Use as evidence the disasters that have pulled us together as a country united or the celebration of our country's athletes in the Olympics, or the rallying of political parties for the best of the country, or the support we constantly show our troops through our ongoing struggles around the world; we really do seem to have become more aware and appreciative of what we have.  I've very happy about that fact.  I'm proud to be an American and all that comes with it.

I will happily enjoy my time with friends and family this weekend.
I will happily grill out, enjoy some tasty barbecue and a cold beer.
I will enjoy my day off work, and...
I will celebrate America's Independence and our blessing of freedom!
Wont you join me?!