The work is done
The time is now.
Rain, snow or sun
They'll do it somehow.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Regionals weekend. Let's go NUT. Can't wait to watch them kill it this weekend.
Me - Excited???
KB - Scared
Me - Last gl regionals. It is scary.
KB - Yea, I'm super nervous
Me - I'm excited to come watch
KB - We could win, or we could blow it.
Me - You're gonna do great!
KB - I'm torqued to have you there
Me - I'll help any way I can.
I've been looking forward to this for months! Tomorrow's the day!
ARC
Friday, April 29, 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
Coaching
Fierce can be desire
Pronounced can be drive
Yet, still no results
---------------------------------
I really enjoy coaching. Totally worth all the 'OMG', 'What was that?!?', and facepalm moments. Very fulfilling to give back, and see people that really want to be there learning and working.
ARC
Pronounced can be drive
Yet, still no results
---------------------------------
I really enjoy coaching. Totally worth all the 'OMG', 'What was that?!?', and facepalm moments. Very fulfilling to give back, and see people that really want to be there learning and working.
ARC
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Being a Captain
Flatballs fly,
Flatballs curve,
Flatballs die,
Flatballs float.
---------------------------------
I missed out on being a captain for 2 years before actually becoming one. This had gotten a bit long winded, so I split it off into two posts. See Background Info for (a lot) more on this.
But now to what Jer-Bear asked for.
Being a Captain of NUT was something I strove towards for a long time. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It was V rewarding to see the effort I put into helping my brothers develop translate directly to their on-field play. It was empowering to know that my brothers respected, and looked up to me enough to put me into a position of power in the first place. I believe I thrived on these things during my year as captain. I was able to push myself harder than ever before because I knew that everyone was looking to me to set the example. This seemingly contradicts the first piece of advice I ever received about being a captain:
Before the election that would decide captains for my junior year (my first time running), Scott Grindy sent me an email to make sure I knew what I would be signing up for if I won. He told me that the biggest takeaway he had was that his own development stagnated as he had to worry about everyone else's development.
And until I actually was a captain, I figured this would be true for me too. This thought scared me, but not enough to deter me from what I wanted. But it turns out it really was the opposite. As to why? A philosophy that I really believe in is that the best way to get better is by playing with people that are better than you. So, I felt that if I kept improving, it would give my teammates the best chance at improving too. If they had to keep up with me, they would push themselves harder. Their own internal drive would push them to improve and keep pace.
That being said being a captain was still restricting. I had my own goals as a player and member of NUT, but I had to put the team's best interests ahead of my own. Aside from this, I think I did a good job in this respect. Back to the point, if I could have had it my way, NUT would've been more like a boot camp. I would've screamed and yelled until people did what I wanted them to. But instead we, the leadership, had to baby our players. For example, we had a team meeting during the fall of 2014 in Tech to discuss what we (the leadership) saw as lazy and unacceptable commitment levels from everyone so far that quarter. Bruns, Yiding, Bk, and I had all written stories about how we had worked to get where we were, and how NUT used to be terrible. Our hope was that it would push everyone to work harder and do more than just go through the motions of showing up to practice and workouts. We were afraid of falling back into the pit of anonymity in the college ultimate universe, when we had been tasked with taking the team to new heights and levels of notoriety. However, one minute into the meeting, we had to completely change gears and give our whole team a pep-talk. We had to tell them they were all beautiful eagles, and we loved them, and they were doing fantastic. We had to do what was best for the team, and this time they were making it very clear what was best for them.
Sometimes though, people are too dumb to know what's best for them, and trying to make it clear just makes the captains' job harder. For example around this same time, we were trying to decide if we should go to College Easterns. Approximately half of our players thought we would just get annihilated in every game, and that it'd be a waste of time. The other half it seemed just wanted to go to Texas instead because the girls were going there. They were acting like Mary's little lamb. It was sickening. We had been following the girls to Texas for 3 years already with no tournament for ourselves. It was our turn to go to the best tournament we could go to. And it was time for the captains to step in to do what we were elected to do, and do what we knew was best for the team. We (or at least I) were afraid that the team would revolt against us, but we still had to make the call.
I don't mean to shed a negative light on being captain. Again, I loved every second of it, and wish I had been elected more than just once. But it's not an easy job, and it should not be entered into lightly. It takes a great deal of effort and focus to always think about the team ahead of yourself. I remember Bruns telling me after Steel City 2014 that I didn't sound whiny anymore. This was not an accident. Now that I was a captain, I had consciously put a lot of effort into thinking about how I was perceived by those around me. I knew my teammates needed to see me in a certain light, and that I couldn't act how I would've normally/previously. That's the biggest takeaway I think, you have to be ready and able to think of more than just yourself constantly.
I've heard a number of comments through the grapevine over the years that some captains don't like how it puts them on a different level. This can manifest in a few different ways. One - they are only ever hearing reasons, or excuses, or justifications from their teammates about this practice or that workout when they just want to have a person to person conversation about life, or school, or girls, or whatever it may be. Two - they are being left out of conversations because their teammates want to be able to talk freely, without fear of retribution for criticisms they may express. I cannot say that I ever experienced this issue, but I can absolutely see how it would be a very negative experience.
I am also incredibly grateful for all the work that Bruns put into coaching. I can imagine that having no coach would make being a captain much harder. More logistics in terms of planning practices, having to call lines at tournaments, etc.
I enjoyed my time as a captain, and value it greatly.
ARC
Flatballs curve,
Flatballs die,
Flatballs float.
---------------------------------
I missed out on being a captain for 2 years before actually becoming one. This had gotten a bit long winded, so I split it off into two posts. See Background Info for (a lot) more on this.
But now to what Jer-Bear asked for.
Being a Captain of NUT was something I strove towards for a long time. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It was V rewarding to see the effort I put into helping my brothers develop translate directly to their on-field play. It was empowering to know that my brothers respected, and looked up to me enough to put me into a position of power in the first place. I believe I thrived on these things during my year as captain. I was able to push myself harder than ever before because I knew that everyone was looking to me to set the example. This seemingly contradicts the first piece of advice I ever received about being a captain:
Before the election that would decide captains for my junior year (my first time running), Scott Grindy sent me an email to make sure I knew what I would be signing up for if I won. He told me that the biggest takeaway he had was that his own development stagnated as he had to worry about everyone else's development.
And until I actually was a captain, I figured this would be true for me too. This thought scared me, but not enough to deter me from what I wanted. But it turns out it really was the opposite. As to why? A philosophy that I really believe in is that the best way to get better is by playing with people that are better than you. So, I felt that if I kept improving, it would give my teammates the best chance at improving too. If they had to keep up with me, they would push themselves harder. Their own internal drive would push them to improve and keep pace.
That being said being a captain was still restricting. I had my own goals as a player and member of NUT, but I had to put the team's best interests ahead of my own. Aside from this, I think I did a good job in this respect. Back to the point, if I could have had it my way, NUT would've been more like a boot camp. I would've screamed and yelled until people did what I wanted them to. But instead we, the leadership, had to baby our players. For example, we had a team meeting during the fall of 2014 in Tech to discuss what we (the leadership) saw as lazy and unacceptable commitment levels from everyone so far that quarter. Bruns, Yiding, Bk, and I had all written stories about how we had worked to get where we were, and how NUT used to be terrible. Our hope was that it would push everyone to work harder and do more than just go through the motions of showing up to practice and workouts. We were afraid of falling back into the pit of anonymity in the college ultimate universe, when we had been tasked with taking the team to new heights and levels of notoriety. However, one minute into the meeting, we had to completely change gears and give our whole team a pep-talk. We had to tell them they were all beautiful eagles, and we loved them, and they were doing fantastic. We had to do what was best for the team, and this time they were making it very clear what was best for them.
Sometimes though, people are too dumb to know what's best for them, and trying to make it clear just makes the captains' job harder. For example around this same time, we were trying to decide if we should go to College Easterns. Approximately half of our players thought we would just get annihilated in every game, and that it'd be a waste of time. The other half it seemed just wanted to go to Texas instead because the girls were going there. They were acting like Mary's little lamb. It was sickening. We had been following the girls to Texas for 3 years already with no tournament for ourselves. It was our turn to go to the best tournament we could go to. And it was time for the captains to step in to do what we were elected to do, and do what we knew was best for the team. We (or at least I) were afraid that the team would revolt against us, but we still had to make the call.
I don't mean to shed a negative light on being captain. Again, I loved every second of it, and wish I had been elected more than just once. But it's not an easy job, and it should not be entered into lightly. It takes a great deal of effort and focus to always think about the team ahead of yourself. I remember Bruns telling me after Steel City 2014 that I didn't sound whiny anymore. This was not an accident. Now that I was a captain, I had consciously put a lot of effort into thinking about how I was perceived by those around me. I knew my teammates needed to see me in a certain light, and that I couldn't act how I would've normally/previously. That's the biggest takeaway I think, you have to be ready and able to think of more than just yourself constantly.
I've heard a number of comments through the grapevine over the years that some captains don't like how it puts them on a different level. This can manifest in a few different ways. One - they are only ever hearing reasons, or excuses, or justifications from their teammates about this practice or that workout when they just want to have a person to person conversation about life, or school, or girls, or whatever it may be. Two - they are being left out of conversations because their teammates want to be able to talk freely, without fear of retribution for criticisms they may express. I cannot say that I ever experienced this issue, but I can absolutely see how it would be a very negative experience.
I am also incredibly grateful for all the work that Bruns put into coaching. I can imagine that having no coach would make being a captain much harder. More logistics in terms of planning practices, having to call lines at tournaments, etc.
I enjoyed my time as a captain, and value it greatly.
ARC
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Background Info
Is it really dense
to just create words
and think they'll make sense?
-----------------------------------------------
This information has just been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time and I'm excited to get it out of my brain and onto (figurative) paper.
Attempt 1
Going into junior year, I thought I had the best case to replace the only departing captain (Scott). I had public support of one of the returning captains (Ben), while I believe the other (Cheese) did not publicly endorse either Ian or me. But I lost to Ian. Ian and I did not always see eye to eye, but he was a great captain, and I can live with this defeat. He was older, more mature, and had paid his dues.
Attempt 2
Going into Senior year, I once again thought I had the best case for becoming a new captain. There were now two vacancies, and I had already been a leader on the team for almost two full seasons. But I lost my cool at Regionals against Indiana, and then got figuratively curb-stomped by all of my teammates during the nomination process the following month. This was probably the most angry and hurt I have ever been. The only people that knew everything that happened in that 'explosion' were me and the two guys from Indiana that were involved. Randy, I think knew most of it, but he's not the most assertive guy.
April 28, 2013. Great Lakes Regionals, Rockford Illinois. 5th place game.
I remember the series of events like they happened yesterday. I had hyper-extended my knee on Saturday and after trying to play on that day, had decided I wasn't bringing anything to the picture. So I was trying to help my team from the sideline.
Their player had just caught a disc 'in the endzone'. I had been trying to tell Randy that their player (who also knew the truth) was clearly out of bounds, but got immediately yelled at by Indiana that 'Sideline has no perspective!'. This is a common thing to say, but for one thing, is not true, and for another, I was calmly trying to talk to my own teammate, and they had no business getting in the middle of our conversation. Randy decided that it wasn't worth it and called the guy in. At this point I thought, 'Ok, that's fine. It's just one point. They can cheat, but we'll overcome it'. But then the Indiana players who were on the sideline next to me and knew their teammate had been out of bounds decided to tell Randy 'Good spirit!'. Now most people who will read this know how I feel about spirit already, so you can imagine my thoughts at this point. Telling Randy that allowing them to cheat was 'good spirit' is exactly why I think it's such nonsense in the first place and it was the last straw on a big pile of kindling that had been piled up that year specifically with Indiana. Anyway, at this point I lost it, no question. I stepped in between them and Randy and did not allow them to say anything or try to high five Randy. I told them they didn't get to talk to or touch my teammates, and they didn't like this. I pushed one of them away from Randy, and some yelling ensued.
Gabe then ran over and threw me under the bus. He had no information about what had happened, and instead of having my back (his teammate), he apologized to them for me and pulled me away. I wasn't going to let them cheat sitting down, but Gabe was fine with this as well as throwing his own teammate under the bus. I was furious, and then started yelling at Gabe for undercutting me and essentially condoning what they did. The situation was starting to snowball out of control, and I let my emotions get the best of me. I was hurt that my teammates didn't have my back, as I had theirs, and still furious that Indiana was getting away with this injustice. So as Chuck came over to try to calm me down, and tell me that I was in the wrong, I told him to f*$k off. He responded in kind, and although I didn't realize it at the time, I had already lost my shot at being captain during my Senior year.
At this point, I wanted nothing more than to leave, and not talk to my teammates who had just abandoned me. But, I remember this exact thought going through my head,
"I want to be a captain next year, I cannot abandon my team now or I will lose that chance. A captain would not quit when the going gets tough".
So I stayed at the field and did my best to forget the previous ten minutes. I cheered my teammates on, and we won that game on universe point.
Fast forward one month - seemed like everyone on the captain nomination thread said I was out of control, a liability, an embarrassment (some who had never even played with me, all who had no idea what actually happened in the corner of that endzone). It hurt to hear my teammates say those things, never give me the benefit of the doubt that I was trying to help my team, and that I was soley responsible for the incident. But I took it all right on the chin. I never tried to make an excuse. I owned it.
Attempt 3
Going into my fifth year, I was yet again confident that I had the best case for captainship. I was still absolutely destroyed by not being able to play and help my brothers at regionals because of my injury, and the thought of going through another nomination process, listening to more harsh criticisms of my person, just to not be elected captain was absolutely terrifying. I considered not running since I had been wrong twice before. There were again two vacancies. Ben told me I was being dumb and that I had to run, so I did. During the nomination process, the same things were brought up again. I was dumbfounded as the only outburst I had senior year was when I tore my MCL and was going to miss regionals. And the only person that even knew about that was the person whose arms I cried in during the rain delay, Bruns. I told myself to just continue owning whatever they said about me. The whole idea of being a captain is about putting the team first. So if they needed to say these things, so be it. I remember Bruns texting me that if I was not elected, he was 'heading south again'. I was finally elected as a captain of NUT, after two failed campaigns and what I felt was a lot of undeserved and inaccurate criticism.
ARC
to just create words
and think they'll make sense?
-----------------------------------------------
This information has just been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time and I'm excited to get it out of my brain and onto (figurative) paper.
Attempt 1
Going into junior year, I thought I had the best case to replace the only departing captain (Scott). I had public support of one of the returning captains (Ben), while I believe the other (Cheese) did not publicly endorse either Ian or me. But I lost to Ian. Ian and I did not always see eye to eye, but he was a great captain, and I can live with this defeat. He was older, more mature, and had paid his dues.
Attempt 2
Going into Senior year, I once again thought I had the best case for becoming a new captain. There were now two vacancies, and I had already been a leader on the team for almost two full seasons. But I lost my cool at Regionals against Indiana, and then got figuratively curb-stomped by all of my teammates during the nomination process the following month. This was probably the most angry and hurt I have ever been. The only people that knew everything that happened in that 'explosion' were me and the two guys from Indiana that were involved. Randy, I think knew most of it, but he's not the most assertive guy.
April 28, 2013. Great Lakes Regionals, Rockford Illinois. 5th place game.
I remember the series of events like they happened yesterday. I had hyper-extended my knee on Saturday and after trying to play on that day, had decided I wasn't bringing anything to the picture. So I was trying to help my team from the sideline.
Their player had just caught a disc 'in the endzone'. I had been trying to tell Randy that their player (who also knew the truth) was clearly out of bounds, but got immediately yelled at by Indiana that 'Sideline has no perspective!'. This is a common thing to say, but for one thing, is not true, and for another, I was calmly trying to talk to my own teammate, and they had no business getting in the middle of our conversation. Randy decided that it wasn't worth it and called the guy in. At this point I thought, 'Ok, that's fine. It's just one point. They can cheat, but we'll overcome it'. But then the Indiana players who were on the sideline next to me and knew their teammate had been out of bounds decided to tell Randy 'Good spirit!'. Now most people who will read this know how I feel about spirit already, so you can imagine my thoughts at this point. Telling Randy that allowing them to cheat was 'good spirit' is exactly why I think it's such nonsense in the first place and it was the last straw on a big pile of kindling that had been piled up that year specifically with Indiana. Anyway, at this point I lost it, no question. I stepped in between them and Randy and did not allow them to say anything or try to high five Randy. I told them they didn't get to talk to or touch my teammates, and they didn't like this. I pushed one of them away from Randy, and some yelling ensued.
Gabe then ran over and threw me under the bus. He had no information about what had happened, and instead of having my back (his teammate), he apologized to them for me and pulled me away. I wasn't going to let them cheat sitting down, but Gabe was fine with this as well as throwing his own teammate under the bus. I was furious, and then started yelling at Gabe for undercutting me and essentially condoning what they did. The situation was starting to snowball out of control, and I let my emotions get the best of me. I was hurt that my teammates didn't have my back, as I had theirs, and still furious that Indiana was getting away with this injustice. So as Chuck came over to try to calm me down, and tell me that I was in the wrong, I told him to f*$k off. He responded in kind, and although I didn't realize it at the time, I had already lost my shot at being captain during my Senior year.
At this point, I wanted nothing more than to leave, and not talk to my teammates who had just abandoned me. But, I remember this exact thought going through my head,
"I want to be a captain next year, I cannot abandon my team now or I will lose that chance. A captain would not quit when the going gets tough".
So I stayed at the field and did my best to forget the previous ten minutes. I cheered my teammates on, and we won that game on universe point.
Fast forward one month - seemed like everyone on the captain nomination thread said I was out of control, a liability, an embarrassment (some who had never even played with me, all who had no idea what actually happened in the corner of that endzone). It hurt to hear my teammates say those things, never give me the benefit of the doubt that I was trying to help my team, and that I was soley responsible for the incident. But I took it all right on the chin. I never tried to make an excuse. I owned it.
Attempt 3
Going into my fifth year, I was yet again confident that I had the best case for captainship. I was still absolutely destroyed by not being able to play and help my brothers at regionals because of my injury, and the thought of going through another nomination process, listening to more harsh criticisms of my person, just to not be elected captain was absolutely terrifying. I considered not running since I had been wrong twice before. There were again two vacancies. Ben told me I was being dumb and that I had to run, so I did. During the nomination process, the same things were brought up again. I was dumbfounded as the only outburst I had senior year was when I tore my MCL and was going to miss regionals. And the only person that even knew about that was the person whose arms I cried in during the rain delay, Bruns. I told myself to just continue owning whatever they said about me. The whole idea of being a captain is about putting the team first. So if they needed to say these things, so be it. I remember Bruns texting me that if I was not elected, he was 'heading south again'. I was finally elected as a captain of NUT, after two failed campaigns and what I felt was a lot of undeserved and inaccurate criticism.
ARC
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Odds and Ends
The Ultimate Poem
A raging maze
of colors
Would seem to me
to be the
backdrop
for a poem
that slithers...
into Eternity.
HGC
--------------------------------------------------
I am coaching a JV high school frisbee team here in Madison. My philosophy as I've started has been that of someone that I respect a great deal, and can be summarized in this post. Kevin Bruns has earned the respect of every NUT player in the past 4 years with this philosophy. I can only hope to gain the type of respect he's earned, and become admired by my players like he is. I would go to war for that man. I hope I can help them learn the game as my coach has helped me. They have a huge headstart, and a ton of potential. Hopefully I can capitalize on that.
I am planning to tryout for the Chicago Wildfire in a few weeks. I am somewhat worried about the commute, and how often I'll have to make it, but the idea of playing with Yiding and Jack and Drew again is incredibly appealing. Playing with those guys, among others, is the most fun I've had or probably ever will have playing frisbee. This is a pretty terrifying thought, that the most fun I've had is behind me, but it makes some sense. That's what college is supposed to be.
I am also very excited for what playing with the Wildfire can do for my conditioning, and my skillset. It will be a completely new adventure for me, and I can't wait for it. My hope is that it will push me to be better, and allow me to have a larger impact in the club game.
Walden recently asked me if I was starting to miss college ultimate. I laughed at him and said that I've been missing it since approximately 11 AM on April 26, 2015. I can remember the exact moment of the MagnUM game during which I started to miss college ultimate. We had gotten the turn that we needed on universe, and I called a timeout. Coming out, Ding got open upline, but Sam called a travel because my toe wasn't on the sideline. Tap it back in and throw it away immediately. Ding and I didn't miscommunicate very often after having played 4 years together, but dang it if when we really needed to be on the same page, we weren't.
As I write this, I know that Chuck would be very disappointed with me. The game wasn't over yet, and my belief muscle had failed. I knew not only that I failed when it mattered the most, but that I wouldn't have a chance to redeem myself. I was out of chances. That weekend was my chance at redemption - for 2014. I'm ashamed of my wavering belief, but after 5 years, I had no results to show for it. At some point in the process, there have to be some results*.
I also realize that this is quite egotistical of me to claim that a team's performance was "my" chance at redemption, or that "I" had no results to show for 5 years. However, being a leader of NUT for a large portion of that time, I expected to be able to propel us forward and onto the next step. Apparently I wasn't good enough to do that, and I was being egotistical rather than just confident.
Getting back to the point, I miss college ultimate more than the words I know can say. I miss my teammates, the common goal, to work we put in together, everything. I wish I had another year with NUT, but you have to forge ahead and blaze new trails.
ARC
*I think this goes without saying, but I am strictly talking about W-L results on Sunday of regionals. I cannot quantify my gains from being a part of NUT, as my experiences have been invaluable, and I wouldn't trade them for the world.
A raging maze
of colors
Would seem to me
to be the
backdrop
for a poem
that slithers...
into Eternity.
HGC
--------------------------------------------------
I am coaching a JV high school frisbee team here in Madison. My philosophy as I've started has been that of someone that I respect a great deal, and can be summarized in this post. Kevin Bruns has earned the respect of every NUT player in the past 4 years with this philosophy. I can only hope to gain the type of respect he's earned, and become admired by my players like he is. I would go to war for that man. I hope I can help them learn the game as my coach has helped me. They have a huge headstart, and a ton of potential. Hopefully I can capitalize on that.
I am planning to tryout for the Chicago Wildfire in a few weeks. I am somewhat worried about the commute, and how often I'll have to make it, but the idea of playing with Yiding and Jack and Drew again is incredibly appealing. Playing with those guys, among others, is the most fun I've had or probably ever will have playing frisbee. This is a pretty terrifying thought, that the most fun I've had is behind me, but it makes some sense. That's what college is supposed to be.
I am also very excited for what playing with the Wildfire can do for my conditioning, and my skillset. It will be a completely new adventure for me, and I can't wait for it. My hope is that it will push me to be better, and allow me to have a larger impact in the club game.
Walden recently asked me if I was starting to miss college ultimate. I laughed at him and said that I've been missing it since approximately 11 AM on April 26, 2015. I can remember the exact moment of the MagnUM game during which I started to miss college ultimate. We had gotten the turn that we needed on universe, and I called a timeout. Coming out, Ding got open upline, but Sam called a travel because my toe wasn't on the sideline. Tap it back in and throw it away immediately. Ding and I didn't miscommunicate very often after having played 4 years together, but dang it if when we really needed to be on the same page, we weren't.
As I write this, I know that Chuck would be very disappointed with me. The game wasn't over yet, and my belief muscle had failed. I knew not only that I failed when it mattered the most, but that I wouldn't have a chance to redeem myself. I was out of chances. That weekend was my chance at redemption - for 2014. I'm ashamed of my wavering belief, but after 5 years, I had no results to show for it. At some point in the process, there have to be some results*.
I also realize that this is quite egotistical of me to claim that a team's performance was "my" chance at redemption, or that "I" had no results to show for 5 years. However, being a leader of NUT for a large portion of that time, I expected to be able to propel us forward and onto the next step. Apparently I wasn't good enough to do that, and I was being egotistical rather than just confident.
Getting back to the point, I miss college ultimate more than the words I know can say. I miss my teammates, the common goal, to work we put in together, everything. I wish I had another year with NUT, but you have to forge ahead and blaze new trails.
ARC
*I think this goes without saying, but I am strictly talking about W-L results on Sunday of regionals. I cannot quantify my gains from being a part of NUT, as my experiences have been invaluable, and I wouldn't trade them for the world.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
HGC
Fickle are emotions,
And fleeting happiness can be.
Yet these aren't constant like oceans,
Because we have the response-ability
To ignore these notions.
---------------------------------------------
Henry George Champe would have been 98 years old today. He was the kindest, most pleasant, and most gentle soul I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I count myself incredibly lucky that not only did I meet him, but I got to spend my childhood growing up with him. His ideas were well before his time. In recent years, I've seen quite a few TED talks and other such things that talk about manufacturing happiness. But Harry was the OG. He was able to manufacture happiness from seemingly minute things in his everyday life. Whether it was a glass of ice cold root beer or painting his car orange, Harry did things that made him happy and that happiness came through in his personality. He was so happy as a person that he had to give some out to people he bumped into each and every day. He was overflowing with happiness and he did his best to help other people reach the same heights.
I remember going to lunch with him one afternoon at the Big Boy on Pontiac Trail, and as we finished our lunch, he cracked an enormous grin. He had brought a stuffed animal with him for the specific purpose of seeing the waiter's smile when he gave it to them. The mere thought of making someone else smile made him happy. He really understood how to get the most out of life. He left the money and the animal on the table and we walked towards the door, but he stopped short, turned around and waited for the waiter to see what he had left for them. When the waiter had walked back out of the kitchen and saw the gift Harry had left her, she couldn't help but smile widely.
Harry was the master of happiness, and I am ashamed that at times, I forget his teachings. My goal this year is to remember Harry whenever I need a pick-me-up. Remember Harry and put his ideas to work for myself, and in turn for others.
ARC
And fleeting happiness can be.
Yet these aren't constant like oceans,
Because we have the response-ability
To ignore these notions.
---------------------------------------------
Henry George Champe would have been 98 years old today. He was the kindest, most pleasant, and most gentle soul I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I count myself incredibly lucky that not only did I meet him, but I got to spend my childhood growing up with him. His ideas were well before his time. In recent years, I've seen quite a few TED talks and other such things that talk about manufacturing happiness. But Harry was the OG. He was able to manufacture happiness from seemingly minute things in his everyday life. Whether it was a glass of ice cold root beer or painting his car orange, Harry did things that made him happy and that happiness came through in his personality. He was so happy as a person that he had to give some out to people he bumped into each and every day. He was overflowing with happiness and he did his best to help other people reach the same heights.
I remember going to lunch with him one afternoon at the Big Boy on Pontiac Trail, and as we finished our lunch, he cracked an enormous grin. He had brought a stuffed animal with him for the specific purpose of seeing the waiter's smile when he gave it to them. The mere thought of making someone else smile made him happy. He really understood how to get the most out of life. He left the money and the animal on the table and we walked towards the door, but he stopped short, turned around and waited for the waiter to see what he had left for them. When the waiter had walked back out of the kitchen and saw the gift Harry had left her, she couldn't help but smile widely.
Harry was the master of happiness, and I am ashamed that at times, I forget his teachings. My goal this year is to remember Harry whenever I need a pick-me-up. Remember Harry and put his ideas to work for myself, and in turn for others.
ARC
Monday, January 4, 2016
The Five Love Languages
New year, new resolve
Time to get back on the horse
And sprint back ahead
------------------------------------
This book was written by Dr. Gary Chapman, and although he rubs me the wrong way personally, there is some really high quality information in this book. He talks about how there are different languages that people speak in regards to love. There are different things that make each individual feel loved, and they fall into 5 different buckets (in no particular order):
Touch - running your hands through their hair, kissing them on the cheek, making love
Words of affirmation - "I love you", "You look great today", "I'm so grateful for everything you do"
Acts of service - cooking dinner, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes
Gifts - bringing home flowers, getting tickets to a movie or sporting event, surprising them with a new toy
Quality time - sitting and talking, going to museums, going on walks
No one speaks exclusively one language and everyone appreciates each of these buckets to some degree. But you do have a primary, secondary, and so on and so forth.
The key to having a strong relationship isn't just finding someone else that speaks the same language as you, rather it's speaking to them in their primary language. You could have the same primary language as your SO, but fail to speak to them in that language and the relationship will suffer because of it. You need to discover your SO's primary language, and help them to understand your primary language so that you can converse in the most beneficial way.
If my primary language is Quality time, someone could buy me thousands of dollars worth of gifts, and I still won't feel as loved as if they spent an afternoon with me at the museum walking and talking and experiencing with me.
In my particular order:
Touch
Quality Time
Words of affirmation
Acts of service
Gifts
ARC
Time to get back on the horse
And sprint back ahead
------------------------------------
This book was written by Dr. Gary Chapman, and although he rubs me the wrong way personally, there is some really high quality information in this book. He talks about how there are different languages that people speak in regards to love. There are different things that make each individual feel loved, and they fall into 5 different buckets (in no particular order):
Touch - running your hands through their hair, kissing them on the cheek, making love
Words of affirmation - "I love you", "You look great today", "I'm so grateful for everything you do"
Acts of service - cooking dinner, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes
Gifts - bringing home flowers, getting tickets to a movie or sporting event, surprising them with a new toy
Quality time - sitting and talking, going to museums, going on walks
No one speaks exclusively one language and everyone appreciates each of these buckets to some degree. But you do have a primary, secondary, and so on and so forth.
The key to having a strong relationship isn't just finding someone else that speaks the same language as you, rather it's speaking to them in their primary language. You could have the same primary language as your SO, but fail to speak to them in that language and the relationship will suffer because of it. You need to discover your SO's primary language, and help them to understand your primary language so that you can converse in the most beneficial way.
If my primary language is Quality time, someone could buy me thousands of dollars worth of gifts, and I still won't feel as loved as if they spent an afternoon with me at the museum walking and talking and experiencing with me.
In my particular order:
Touch
Quality Time
Words of affirmation
Acts of service
Gifts
ARC
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