Snow Days

This is day two of a wintry blast that has kept me inside. I am running out of things to do. There is only so much reading and animated movie watching (school was canceled and the kids needed entertainment so cut me some slack) I can mentally tolerate. So with the extra days, I've managed to play lots of Wii (please don't misunderstand), work a 300 piece puzzle, play Chutes & Ladders and Sorry!, try my hand at photography (see pics above and below) and shovel lots of snow.

These last two days have been both good and bad. I have enjoyed these relaxed days with my family. It has been a much needed retreat that I often neglect. With these days spent with my wife and children the good has far outweighed the bad. The laughs and hugs has every bit been worth the breach of routine.

Since my schedule has been destroyed the last two days the time has allowed for much more daily reading. This is good in that I am thoroughly enjoying Hague's biography on Wilberforce. But with more time means more reflection, and I shouldn't prolong the inner dialogue with myself. This usually means that my search for contentment intensifies and satisfaction for how I'm living my life wanes. Reading about William Wilberforce and living in a world of sorrow makes me want to do something big and important. Sometimes I wonder, "Is this all there is for me?" Don't get me wrong. I love my life; my family and friends. I'm not so sure I love my place in this world. It's just that I'm mostly not convinced that I'm living up to my potential. I dream and wonder about how I could make a greater contribution and then am reminded of (seemingly) my limitations. My mind gets all twisted up and so it is difficult to flesh all of this out. We have a rule in our house about speaking nonsense, so I must obey and stop now.

Well I'm off to the Winter X Games, er I mean outside to shovel snow and chip ice off my car!

110words #021

The most recent entries are posted now on 110words. Here's mine below.

William Rudolph Kincaid
Died January 26, 2009 at the age of 82. Beloved husband of Mildred Warner Kincaid, loving father to daughters Kimberly Fairchild & Joyce Woods, and cherished grandfather to 13 grandchildren. Preceded in death were three sons; William, Bradley, and Daniel. Known for his patriotism, Kincaid adorned proudly the military achievements of his sons who died in service of their country. Memorial service to be held Friday, January 30 at 10 am. The medals of valor will be bestowed to his loving wife then be donated to the National Museum in honor of her friend, hero, and soul mate. Family and friends will be received at a private burial.

MLK Day & Wilberforce

I told my kids tonight at supper that tomorrow's inauguration is the most significant historical event in their lifetime. They're 5, 4, and 21 months old. I am pretty sure they did not understand although Lara's attention did spark when I mentioned that a grand ball was planned to cap off the celebration. Somehow I think she expects Cinderella to be in attendance. Anyway...

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and tomorrow the United States of America will inaugurate the first African American President. This is big stuff, not just for my kids, but for world at large. I have been reading a biography on William Wilberforce and am learning more about the history of the slave trade and how Wilberforce was enthusiastically and passionately out front on its ultimate destruction. Reading about the work of Wilberforce helps reinforce the meaning of Obama's presidency and may very well be the most important historical event in my lifetime.

In my reading I am fascinated with the skill at which Wilberforce approached the arguments he prepared for Parliament. The research, interviews, reading, and site visits that went into forming his abolitionist viewpoint is mind blowing. There is no question as to his life's work.

On May 12, 1789 Wilberforce gave a 3 1/2 hour speech beginning the abolitionist movement in England. It is said that Wilberforce had a multifaceted strategy as he approached his now famous speech to the House of Commons. In this biography, the author William Hague lists eight devices Wilberforce uses in the speech, which is considered a masterpiece. Only because of my fascination do I list the eight devices of persuasion:

• disarming a skeptical audience
• flattery
• inclusion of opponents of personal feelings of outrage
• picking the weakest part of the opponents case & ridiculing it
• arguing the consequences of current policies
• reassurance-inviting opponents to agree with a proposition before immediately showing it groundless
• appealing to British self interest
• gave audience [House of Commons] choice between inspirational reform or guilty inaction

Maybe I have not paid close enough attention, but who in today's world can match the craftsmanship of speech writing? I am not a speech writer nor have I given many speeches, but I am impressed with the skill and focus at which Wilberforce spoke. I have been trying to find a copy of the speech but can only find an extract. Read it for yourself and you will understand the brilliance.

Reading Hague's biography has both inspired me and made me question the efforts of the modern politician/mogul/leader to influence the future for good. I am probably short sighted when I say this, but I feel like the closest anyone comes to the type of appeal that Wilberforce exhibited is a used car dealer. What has led to the current cultural landscape where sound bites, 60 second commercials, and network television scripted political debates have been the primary source of "need to know" ideas? An even graver question is why are we, that is the public, so apathetic? It seems that the networks script the debates for fear the public would not watch. I guess it is easy to point a finger and cast blame as it takes less effort to complain and flip channels.

Both Martin Luther King Jr. and William Wilberforce were men of inspiration and action; men whose skill, passion, and painstaking effort proved valuable for each of us today. These men are heros who without question were living beyond themselves but for a calling, that because successful, all of history enjoys.

Why I Love Baseball, Part IV

The conclusion of the hot stove league is upon us as February approaches. This year, pitchers and catchers report on February 14th. How poetic that Valentine's Day coincides with the start of spring training. This off season has found my favorite team, the Braves, seemingly scrambling for those few "must have" players. What started off as disastrous has very quickly rounded into form.

The free agent market is interesting in that the available players seem to be labeled and ranked by the teams, analysts, and agents. This is a natural response of a fan to assess how good certain available players are compared to others, as is for the aforementioned because of the big bucks involved in signing these players. So, the Braves just signed pitchers Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami , the former being the best pitcher left in the free agent pool (according to the pundits, er, knuckleheads) and the latter being an unknown since he's coming from the Japanese leagues. The Braves had made an offer to the second best pitcher available (I disagree), A.J. Burnett but lost out to the Yankees. The point I am trying to make is that teams who have a need for a certain position seemingly start at the top of the list of available players (or somewhere down the list depending on how much the top tier players are asking for) and work their way down until they fill the position. This does not seem like a viable strategy when building a competitive team. It looks more like Christmas shopping. When the hot toy of the season is gone off the shelves then you turn to the next popular item. This way of participating in the free agent market seems mercenary and much too pragmatic considering the millions spent on these players.

I love baseball because of the seemingly simple strategy it presents. From the perspective of team building, the strategy is simple and every team shares it; get the best, proven talent available. (While the strategy may be simple, the process to acquire these players is more complicated.) The reason this approach is so straightforward for any baseball team is because the strategy of the game itself is also simple. Here it is. Baseball is an execution sport. The team that makes the most routine plays wins. There is no playbook in baseball. When the team takes the field in the top of the 1st the opponent at bat knows exactly what's going to happen. Pitch, catch, throw. One out, two outs, three outs. Defenses do not have to be broken down and the offense does not need to resort to trickery. There is more time spent on actually honing and perfecting the skills of the game than on devising a "game plan" by which to catch the other team by surprise.

For some fans of sport this is what they hate about baseball; that the game itself is too routine. I guess this routine matches up well with my personality. I love routine. I like knowing what's coming next. Me and spontaneity do not do so well together. The game of baseball is about discipline and accountability. Success comes with doing the routine better than everyone else. If the routine does not happen consistently enough the performance and outcome suffer. Reminds me of life as a husband, father, employee, neighbor, friend, and God's child.

Crutch

Week 1 of 18 done. I just finished my first long run of the year. Halfway through I realized that I had forgotten my knee strap which eases the pain from the patella tendonitis. I finished with only a slight twinge. The Flying Pig is only 17 weeks away.

110words, #019

The Poser

The man with the yellow boots stepped out of the shadows as the rented cargo truck sped away. What seemed inadvertent was completely according to plan. The ball was dropped and the man, wired to communicate, stood gawking and admiring this overgrown Christmas ornament. Drawing the attention of onlookers and halting the flow of traffic, the heist was underway. As the scene spirals into chaos, the man with the yellow boots turns away and folds up his umbrella; signaling the next phase of the operation. Nerves pounding, he walks away and disappears into the crowd. Making good on his part, the man awaits his share of the booty.

(to see all the entries, go to the 110words blog)

Goals For the New Year

Let me be the first to say that I am fully aware of all the changes I need to make. I'm pretending you haven't already made my list of changes under your breath or in your thoughts. You don't have to tell me, I know.

The nod of the New Year has always been (as long as I can remember) a time of recovery for me. I have a strong contempt for the winter months as the cold, dormant days seem to stir mood swings more than usual. The two things that keep me moving as I try to stay warm is looking forward to when pitchers and catchers report (in February) and the focus of big new ideas for the new year. Sometimes these ideas aren't so new. Things like losing weight or being a better husband seem to make the list every year.

Most everyone makes some sort of resolution as the big ball drops. I'm no exception, although I prefer the word goals. Usually right after Thanksgiving I start thinking about all the things I'd like to accomplish or achieve during the upcoming 12. After Christmas I write them down, and as I remember throughout the years, the list has changed. Sometimes it's a list of simple declarative statements and other times it's more like an outline with objectives and dates. I have alot to do this year; things I want to accomplish and things I just need to do.

Why is it that some (unofficial stats found on Google show most) who make resolutions never experience the pride of achievement? I admit that I don't always achieve every goal. Most are achieved but some are not. I think it would be stupid of me to try to make a judgment about another person's intent or motivation. I won't go there. It's only fair to analyze my own inner workings. My problem is desire. I have it, lots of it and I usually attribute a lack of desire to those who struggle doing the things they say their going to do. I typically say something arrogant like, "If you want it bad enough then you'll do what it takes." I'm sure there are other items needed besides desire to reach your goals; like time, resources, relationships, money, and for the circumstances to fall into place.

For me, achieving my goals is not exclusively about me. Yea, it will feel good personally when I lose 20 pounds. I'll look better plus the reduction in waist line will deliver greater health. I want to lose the extra pounds so I can be better for the people around me; those I love. So my Sunday afternoon distance runs are for my wife and kids just as much as for me. I think it's this kind of desire that encourages and drives me. When I think about how my list of things will affect others around me then I start making some headway. Maybe this sounds like rationalization. If it is then I've got alot of work to do. I said that already.