some pictures

Reflections

The stairs at City Museum

Habitat for Humanity Build--Adam and I were cutting the boards

Habitat for Humanity--after a rain shower, lots of mud and some house building

my job and my life

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the role of my job from the rest of my life.  I mean, the line is easily blurred because I still live in College Housing. (Two notes about that: 1.  It's a great way to say money and live nicely. 2.  I've made my apartment to feel completely different from the atmosphere of a college dorm.)  But, when I go home from my office, I'm still at work.  I have to address issues that I see when walking somewhere on campus.  Do you know how hard it is to always be "on call" and alert and ready to be seen as the "bad guy?"  It's certainly not easy.  But, I do like a challenge.

So, let me talk (er, write) a little more about this strange dichotomy that exists between being available to the students and seeking a balance in my life.  Some staff here would say that you need to make sure that you have time for yourself.  Others would focus on being available to the students with whom you work--get involved.  And, most would say that we all need to find a balance between those two things, get involved and get a life of your own...outside...away from the campus gates.  I just don't know how to do it.

I look at my life right now.  See, this weekend was suppose to be pretty relaxed.  Chill.  Lots of down time to recover from the crazy month of August.  But, now, I'm looking at what I've got to do and I'm like, "where did all of these commitments come from?"  I worked with my boss to get her to agree to talk about my having a dog in my apartment.  And, that alone was a great victory.  But, looking at the situation from a responsible mindset, I realized that it would not be fair to the dog that I would own.  I'm not home enough, on a regular basis, for the dog to receive the love and attention that it would deserve.  I believe that many people in my profession, especially those in Residence Life and Student Activities, feel this burden.  How can I even think about settling down when I'm not capable of dutifully attending to a pet?  I imagine a husband (and one day kids) would require more time than a dog.

hurricane season

So, it seems like September is shaping up to be an exciting month in the Atlantic Ocean.  That's not surprising, since the past two years have been relatively tame.  I think that the Southeast depends on some activity to generate rain during the drier months, though it's certainly a struggle.  I mean, hurricanes bring rain, but they also bring wind gusts, storm surges and random tornadoes.  

I think any kid who grew up in a state with a coast has a story about that one big hurricane.  Mine was Hugo.  I was 10, in the Fifth grade, and I thought it was awesome.  I imagine, in fact I know, that my parents viewed it quite differently...especially since they were parents and property owners.  To me, it was an extended vacation.  Sort of like a long camping trip at home.  I mean, we didn't have power for a while and we didn't go to school for a while longer.  I remember a picture of the boats from the Charleston Harbor that landed in the middle of downtown streets after the storm surge receded.  But, what I remember more, was how "perfect" of a storm Hugo was.

You can google the images of Hugo.  They're quite different from the images of Katrina.  We didn't suffer the extensive flooding like the Gulf Coast did.  But, we had some spectacular images.  The Ben Sawyer Bridge turned and shoved into the river.  The side torn completely off of the hotel that sits on the Battery.  The boats in the middle of the roads.  And, all of the trees without tops.  I think was is actually really amazing is that Hugo was still a category 1 hurricane by the time it reached Charlotte, NC.  That alone demonstrates how compact, dense and, perhaps, perfect the storm really was.

update 8.28.08

So, the month of August flies by.  I mean, it's one of those times of the year that I look back on and can't remember how one day led into the next.  And, what's equally interesting is that each day holds so many new experiences that last week seems like months ago.  And, after three pretty relaxed months, I enjoy the time.  In fact, it's my constant work with the awesome people that truly makes me forget how old I am. 

The pictures on this entry were taken over the past few weeks.  The top one is a selection of students with whom I work.  And, I'll say it again, these are the kids that will one day shape the world for a better place.  They are just THAT good.  The second one was my glow-in-the-dark, miniature golfing

team.  We were pretty awesome.  John (far left) and I tied for first place.  

So, these next pictures were from Fire Safety Training, with Memphis Firefighter Jeremy Lansing.  Jeremy has come out to Rhodes a couple of times to teach the students how to use a fire extinguisher.  I think that most of the girls get really passionate about fire safety after the training.

And, this is John.  John really got into the training...to the point of donning the gear (except I think he was wearing flipflops) so that he could re-light the fire after it has been extinguished.  

But, that's a glimpse of my life over the past few weeks.  Now it calms down and I get to actually remember the days as the fly by.

29 footprints

I think I feel deeply.  I mean, I get emotional.  Watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics has made me get a little choked up several times.  I think the synergy and symmetry of it all is so beautiful.  The history.  The performance.  The harmony.  Knowing that weeks and months of preparation went into this...a platform that is built on competition and unity.  (Those are, by the way, two of my favorite things.  I like to compete...and win.  But, I cherish unity.)

 Fifteen thousand performers.  That's four thousand more people than the Olympics have athletes.  And, no one was used twice.  Watching over 2,000 Tai Chi masters execute at the same time while formed in perfect circles is awe-inspiring.  The large scale, with attention to the small details.  All of it held in a place nicknamed "The Bird's Nest."  

Perhaps the coolest thing, was watching the fireworks of footprints, 29 in all, flash across the Beijing skyline and walk their way, one per second, to the Opening Ceremonies. That, and seeing the men, women and children smile and wave.  So, I'll shelve my opinions of China right now, and focus on the beauty of the Olympics.  

hard questions to answer

So, I picked up a book at the airport on the flight home from my Uncle Sandy's funeral called "How to Talk to a Widower."  Probably a bad choice, but it happened.  And, I've been reading the book while working out.  And, there have been some comforting instructions.  Like, it's okay to not know how to respond to the comment of "I'm so sorry for your loss."  Like the widower says, "what, are you suppose to say 'thanks?' That just doesn't seem right.  It's like you're thanking them."  

I'm not sure if it's profitable to put my feelings out here, mainly because I really wonder if people care about others.  I'm not trying to sound cynical, but really...when you ask others how they're doing, do you really care to hear if the answer is "not so good."  And, if you do entertain those comments, then it's only a few sentences into the explanation before you're thinking about your "to do" list or what you're having for dinner or "did I remember to turn the coffee pot off this morning?"  You get caught up in your own worlds too often and forget that everyone we meet is fighting some kind of battle. (And, I say "you" because it's easier to make the accusation than to make it personal--but all of those "yous" above are really "I" or "me.")  It's not always great or good or, even, okay.  Sometimes it's just rough.  

wrecked...

So, this morning, I had every intention of going for a 25 mile bike ride.  It would be my longest of the summer, to this point.  Last weekend, I did 20 miles and wanted to continue to build my long ride endurance.  I went to Shelby Farms, which provides a mixture of low traffic roads and some off road trails.  At around mile 16, I started up this brief hill.  Some new gravel had just been laid, so I move to the right to avoid most of the gravel.  As I did, my rear wheel sunk into the gravel and the bike slipped out to the left. I, however, fell to the right...right on my shoulder.

I wasn't wearing a helmet, but I didn't hit my head.  No harm, no foul there.  But, I did take most of the impact on my shoulder.  And, now, I struggle to move my right arm. (Fortunately, my fingers are still working in good order, so that I can type this blog.)  I also skinned my leg and arm a little.  But, this is not my worst bike accident.  No, that happened when I was 13 and hit a parked car.  My brother's sympathetic response to my accident today was "at least you didn't get hit by a car."  See, my brother saw me immediately after my accident when I was 13--beaten and broken.  And, he recently pointed out to me that I should consider avoiding biking.  This was my third accident in the three years that I've lived in Memphis.  And, yet, I don't plan to give up bicycling any time soon.