The concept of living 'in the moment'... it's the first to go. It's surprising. In the moment is... close. Living close to the surface. Not in that loose, dependent way... but in the way that's true to yourself. Life, such as we live it, pushes me back into my own shell. It's an escalating scenario. The further I retreat, the higher the stakes seem to get. Everything becomes more important, and less empowering. It's all about appearances, after all, and weakness isn't very appealing.
I wonder where I would be if I was never afraid of myself.
So... eventually I'm far enough from the surface that I don't even remember that it's there. Do you know that subway look? Straight ahead, eyes looking outside.. at nothing. Face completely unaffected. "Gonna be late. Gotta get there." "Gotta get home.. done my time..."
There's so much power in living close to the surface. So much energy there. There's no energy in cynicism, or safety.
I'm finding this urgent right now.
You slip into it. Suddenly everybody is on the block, up for judgement. It's for you or against you. People are too slow, too loud, too simple to keep up. Only.. you aren't doing anything.. just watching, retreating, and labeling. And what's really kicking you while you're down is the fact that you aren't having any fun. You aren't living at all, and you know it. You aren't smiling, you aren't crying. You're just there.. another cog.
This is a turnaround that has to happen with me. It's my own decision to up and out. I don't always know how, but.. I know where I'm coming from, and I think that's a start.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Hear The Music
Someone mentioned this story to me, and it's too fascinating not to talk about. I'll just paste the original story as it came to me:
"A violinist played a Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and
stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 mins later the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the
money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes, a 3 year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
45 minutes; the musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.
1 hour; he finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best
musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?"
So, it's an interesting question. Do we recognize beauty out of context? Kar and I were discussing the idea that we may simply love and laud our favorite artists because they are our favorite artists. Which is to say... I think Alison Krauss is one of the great singers of this era because I know that I'm supposed to. But if I passed Alison on front street, singing with a guitar and an open case, would I even slow down?
A story like this is, in reality, completely jarring. It's a picture of a society that is choosing the easy over the earned. There's nothing easy about Joshua Bell and the music he plays. This brings into sharp relief the concept of priorities. I can't have this conversation without coming to the same end. I start by realizing that there would be huge value in slowing down, listening, looking, experiencing the world and people around me on a daily basis. Then I tell myself that such an idea is counterproductive to the concept of accomplishment and success in our current society. If everybody was stopping and listening in the subway, than how would we get anything done? Then I wonder why I always feel like everybody needs to be getting things done!? Can I really defend rushing off away from an inspiring and life-changing (yes, I believe that) performance of musical beauty so that I can get busy producing promos for Desperate Housewives?
So, this is an interesting one to keep unpacking. How (and how often) do we experience our world, and how might a change in our methods bring about more meaning in our existence?
JB
Friday, February 6, 2009
Steamroller
I've got a new routine going. It occurs to me that I need challenges. I need 'projects'... something I can sink myself into over an extended period of time. I get bored when there isn't something specific tying up my mind and my energy. There's been a bunch over the past couple years, usually music-based. I think I need to feel like I'm always 'in school'. I really love learning, and, hopefully, turning into a better version of myself through the effort. There are so many great stages, too. At first, it's all blood and sweat, and no results. You're just hacking away, but you're running on the adrenaline of the initial idea and the excitement surrounding it. And then things start taking shape, and you start to gather the little evidences of improvement that keep you coming back. And then, hopefully, in the end, you can look back and realize that you've benefited more than you ever realized was possible.
So anyway, I realized a while ago that my guitar playing had essentially reached a plateau. Which isn't to say that I got so good that I had nowhere else to go... no.. but I think any sort of musical pursuit can be a series of plateaus. You work like crazy to get to a certain point, and then you get there, and for a while, it's all about the joy of being able to be there, and to play things you could never play, and just hear that coming off of your hands. But then you get to a point (which I got to a few weeks ago) where you discover that you're out of ideas, and out of direction. You can play everything that other people who play like you are playing, and you can't even come close to playing what people who don't play like you are playing. It isn't so much about measuring skill on a unidirectional scale anymore. I'm just finding that there are all of these parallel streams of musicality that I have never really tackled, so I can be playing what I play (fingerstyle, folky, whatever) and then I take that step left into something else and it's like a free-fall down into serious discomfort and a total lack of ingenuity.
It's the difference between being the guy who can say, 'ya, I know how to play all of John Mayer's tunes...' and being John Mayer.
So musically, and specifically on guitar, I think the place that I'm most lacking and, incidentally, the place that will probably be the most fun and exciting to explore and learn to play, is blues. I mean... guys who can really dig in and just lay that stuff down are incomparably fun to watch/listen to. Let it be known that I have no idea how to 'learn how to play the blues..' But I have a few ideas on how to get there in my own way. So, I've been coming in to work about an hour and a half early every morning and doing scales. Sounds boring, I know, but it's actually pretty great. Everything from learning standard major/minor scales to working out blues scales, and finding the various places you can play them in the same keys up and down the neck. That gets my fingers going, and has me back into using a pick (which has been absent from my playing for a while)
After work, before Kar gets home, I've been doing another half-hour of that, followed by another hour or so of working out licks, mimicking stuff I hear some of the big guys doing (Mayer, Clapton, BB, etc.) playing along to backing tracks (Youtube is sweet! you can find slow blues backing tracks in abundance that are perfect for practice!)
I'm loving this!! I have more fun playing guitar than almost anything, and it feels like I'm learning how to play the instrument again for the first time. I mean, it can be painful at times. Just when I feel like I'm getting somewhere, I make the mistake of throwing on someone else's tune and discovering the meaning of the term 'amateur'. But regardless, it's a blast.
So, you may not hear new music from me for a bit, but I promise you my next record is gonna be a badass blues romp.
Side note: If you can find it, try to get your hands on a series of podcasts called 'Spin Cycles'. It's airing on CBC 1 late on wednesday nights, so I always tune in on my way home from hockey. It's all about our current news-hungry 24 hour information-based society. Talks alot about the concept of 'spin', and how we rarely, if ever, hear proper factual programming. Sheds good light on how much of what we hear is designed and tailored for specific reactions and a predetermined resultant public opinion, most specifically in the political forum.
Also, on the topic of CBC 1, they have some really great podcasts. If you're looking to go for a long drive and you're sick of your own current CDs, let me recommend:
- "Vinyl Cafe" with Stuart Maclean. You can get it free on iTunes. He's a true gem of a story teller, and that's all this podcast is. Stories and anecdotes. Makes me laugh like crazy, sometimes cry, and always feel better for having heard it.
- "Wiretap" with Jonathan Goldstein. Can't really describe this one, but he's brilliant in his own way.
Alright, well, this weekend is all about house parties, sushi with friends, and orchestral sessions at the Glen Gould. Peace,
Jon
So anyway, I realized a while ago that my guitar playing had essentially reached a plateau. Which isn't to say that I got so good that I had nowhere else to go... no.. but I think any sort of musical pursuit can be a series of plateaus. You work like crazy to get to a certain point, and then you get there, and for a while, it's all about the joy of being able to be there, and to play things you could never play, and just hear that coming off of your hands. But then you get to a point (which I got to a few weeks ago) where you discover that you're out of ideas, and out of direction. You can play everything that other people who play like you are playing, and you can't even come close to playing what people who don't play like you are playing. It isn't so much about measuring skill on a unidirectional scale anymore. I'm just finding that there are all of these parallel streams of musicality that I have never really tackled, so I can be playing what I play (fingerstyle, folky, whatever) and then I take that step left into something else and it's like a free-fall down into serious discomfort and a total lack of ingenuity.
It's the difference between being the guy who can say, 'ya, I know how to play all of John Mayer's tunes...' and being John Mayer.
So musically, and specifically on guitar, I think the place that I'm most lacking and, incidentally, the place that will probably be the most fun and exciting to explore and learn to play, is blues. I mean... guys who can really dig in and just lay that stuff down are incomparably fun to watch/listen to. Let it be known that I have no idea how to 'learn how to play the blues..' But I have a few ideas on how to get there in my own way. So, I've been coming in to work about an hour and a half early every morning and doing scales. Sounds boring, I know, but it's actually pretty great. Everything from learning standard major/minor scales to working out blues scales, and finding the various places you can play them in the same keys up and down the neck. That gets my fingers going, and has me back into using a pick (which has been absent from my playing for a while)
After work, before Kar gets home, I've been doing another half-hour of that, followed by another hour or so of working out licks, mimicking stuff I hear some of the big guys doing (Mayer, Clapton, BB, etc.) playing along to backing tracks (Youtube is sweet! you can find slow blues backing tracks in abundance that are perfect for practice!)
I'm loving this!! I have more fun playing guitar than almost anything, and it feels like I'm learning how to play the instrument again for the first time. I mean, it can be painful at times. Just when I feel like I'm getting somewhere, I make the mistake of throwing on someone else's tune and discovering the meaning of the term 'amateur'. But regardless, it's a blast.
So, you may not hear new music from me for a bit, but I promise you my next record is gonna be a badass blues romp.
Side note: If you can find it, try to get your hands on a series of podcasts called 'Spin Cycles'. It's airing on CBC 1 late on wednesday nights, so I always tune in on my way home from hockey. It's all about our current news-hungry 24 hour information-based society. Talks alot about the concept of 'spin', and how we rarely, if ever, hear proper factual programming. Sheds good light on how much of what we hear is designed and tailored for specific reactions and a predetermined resultant public opinion, most specifically in the political forum.
Also, on the topic of CBC 1, they have some really great podcasts. If you're looking to go for a long drive and you're sick of your own current CDs, let me recommend:
- "Vinyl Cafe" with Stuart Maclean. You can get it free on iTunes. He's a true gem of a story teller, and that's all this podcast is. Stories and anecdotes. Makes me laugh like crazy, sometimes cry, and always feel better for having heard it.
- "Wiretap" with Jonathan Goldstein. Can't really describe this one, but he's brilliant in his own way.
Alright, well, this weekend is all about house parties, sushi with friends, and orchestral sessions at the Glen Gould. Peace,
Jon
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Evangelism.. SUBWAY style!
This morning on the subway, I'm patiently sitting out the usual RT 'sit and wait' routine on my way in, and suddenly the guy beside me just starts talking to me. He's probably my age, normal dude. Understand that this is a patently uncommon occurance when it comes to the usual subway routine.
There's no way to describe it other than that I was 'evangelized'. His lead was to politely say, 'excuse me, but I was wondering if I could suggest that, if you're ever going to read one book in your life, that it should be the Bible.' He told me that he would recommend the Bible because of the fact that it would give me a reason for living. He suggested that, at the end of the day, living a life in pursuit of possesions, money, and personal gain was bound to leave me feeling empty, and that the Bible gave me a greater purpose. That purpose, he suggested, was two-fold. One was to love God, which, he admitted, wasn't something he fully understood. The other was to love others, which, he figured, was profound, and worthy of living for.
He was a totally normal guy. He seemed pretty genuine, and I didn't really dislike anything about him (he wasn't a greaser or anything...) He said he first started to learn about God a few years ago, but had grown up thinking it was all a joke. I didn't tell him anything about myself, and I tried to ask him questions that would give him an opportunity to explain himself and say what he wanted to say. It all took about 10 minutes... right up until we got on different buses.. him to school (I think) and me to work.
So, it's an experience that raises all kinds of thoughts and questions for me. I suppose I respect the guy for taking a shot. You know, he was nervous, and he was probably phsyching himself up for a few minutes before he actually rounded on me and started talking. Good for him for deciding to approach me about something that he clearly felt strongly about.
At the same time, some things really don't agree with me about the whole scenario. Firstly, there's something about the way a guy like this inherently assumes that I'm a certain type of person, with a certain background, and that I'm specifically in need of something only he can provide. He didn't ask me any questions. He didn't want to know anything about who I was, what I thought, or what I had experienced. There was nothing conversational about the 'conversation' in the sense that... he didn't come in with any desire to learn or grow. Only to tell. I guess that isn't necessarily iherently bad.. he wasn't brow-beating me or anything. He basically just wanted to say, 'This book is really important to me, and I want to share that with you..'
But it feels odd to have somebody come into your scenario like that without any precursor. In my mind, it was clearly a case of me humoring him. I wasn't thinking.. 'I need this right now.. he's got something that I don't..' And how could I be? I don't know anything about him. What do I know about what he's got? Why would I have any insentive to dive into any sort of existential discussion with this guy without knowing the first thing about who he is as a person? In the end, it felt more or less like it was about allowing him to do his thing. He was the point of focus, and the purpose for my lending an ear.
So it makes me wonder where the general public stands with stuff like this. They see it all the time, right? I mean, it isn't like it's particularly surprising when somebody knocks on your door wearing a suit or carrying a pamphlet. How do you respond? Go ahead and comment.. share your thoughts!
I've learned that I tend to respond like I did this morning, with a sense of wanting to let this guy have his say, and do his thing. Because clearly it's important to him, and I can respect that. But I don't particuarly come in hungry for knowledge. I equate it, in my mind, with shopping at Future Shop or some other similar place. I don't go in there and just stand around until somebody comes up and tells me what I should be buying. I go in knowing what I'm looking for. If I want info, I find somebody I feel like I can trust, and I ask specific questions. The point being that I'm the one who does the work of gathering the info, evaluating everything, and then making a call. If anything, the first sign of a salesman stepping in my direction to make an unrequested pitch results in my hasty exit. It's almost a bit insulting... sortof makes me think... "what, so you assume that I don't think about this stuff? You think that I'm just floundering around waiting for you to come along with your silver bullet? I'm thinking about it dude.. fear not! I, too, consider the mysteries of the cosmos on a regular basis!" There's something about the fact that this person knows nothing about me, and still feels like he's in a position to step into my life in this way, that seems off.
And of course, all of this is made that much more interesting by the fact that I am who I am, and my background is what it is. So, really, this stuff is sortof 'par for the course' for me. I've seen this drill... heck.. they taught me to do this in youth group! I can half imagine this guy coming off a sermon on Sunday where Evangelism was the topic, and this is his way of trying to live out what he learned. I wonder what goes through the minds of people who are less accustomed to this type of talk when he gets to them? I wonder what the guy sitting across from me was thinking on the subway this morning (he was watching this whole conversation with fairly keen interest.)
So, this is up for discussion. Where do we stand on this stuff? My relationship with God is something that is so pivotal in my life.. and I'd love to see others share that sense of purpose, and benefit from that relationship... but at the same time, this morning wasn't particularly positive for me. How does this all fit together?
JB
There's no way to describe it other than that I was 'evangelized'. His lead was to politely say, 'excuse me, but I was wondering if I could suggest that, if you're ever going to read one book in your life, that it should be the Bible.' He told me that he would recommend the Bible because of the fact that it would give me a reason for living. He suggested that, at the end of the day, living a life in pursuit of possesions, money, and personal gain was bound to leave me feeling empty, and that the Bible gave me a greater purpose. That purpose, he suggested, was two-fold. One was to love God, which, he admitted, wasn't something he fully understood. The other was to love others, which, he figured, was profound, and worthy of living for.
He was a totally normal guy. He seemed pretty genuine, and I didn't really dislike anything about him (he wasn't a greaser or anything...) He said he first started to learn about God a few years ago, but had grown up thinking it was all a joke. I didn't tell him anything about myself, and I tried to ask him questions that would give him an opportunity to explain himself and say what he wanted to say. It all took about 10 minutes... right up until we got on different buses.. him to school (I think) and me to work.
So, it's an experience that raises all kinds of thoughts and questions for me. I suppose I respect the guy for taking a shot. You know, he was nervous, and he was probably phsyching himself up for a few minutes before he actually rounded on me and started talking. Good for him for deciding to approach me about something that he clearly felt strongly about.
At the same time, some things really don't agree with me about the whole scenario. Firstly, there's something about the way a guy like this inherently assumes that I'm a certain type of person, with a certain background, and that I'm specifically in need of something only he can provide. He didn't ask me any questions. He didn't want to know anything about who I was, what I thought, or what I had experienced. There was nothing conversational about the 'conversation' in the sense that... he didn't come in with any desire to learn or grow. Only to tell. I guess that isn't necessarily iherently bad.. he wasn't brow-beating me or anything. He basically just wanted to say, 'This book is really important to me, and I want to share that with you..'
But it feels odd to have somebody come into your scenario like that without any precursor. In my mind, it was clearly a case of me humoring him. I wasn't thinking.. 'I need this right now.. he's got something that I don't..' And how could I be? I don't know anything about him. What do I know about what he's got? Why would I have any insentive to dive into any sort of existential discussion with this guy without knowing the first thing about who he is as a person? In the end, it felt more or less like it was about allowing him to do his thing. He was the point of focus, and the purpose for my lending an ear.
So it makes me wonder where the general public stands with stuff like this. They see it all the time, right? I mean, it isn't like it's particularly surprising when somebody knocks on your door wearing a suit or carrying a pamphlet. How do you respond? Go ahead and comment.. share your thoughts!
I've learned that I tend to respond like I did this morning, with a sense of wanting to let this guy have his say, and do his thing. Because clearly it's important to him, and I can respect that. But I don't particuarly come in hungry for knowledge. I equate it, in my mind, with shopping at Future Shop or some other similar place. I don't go in there and just stand around until somebody comes up and tells me what I should be buying. I go in knowing what I'm looking for. If I want info, I find somebody I feel like I can trust, and I ask specific questions. The point being that I'm the one who does the work of gathering the info, evaluating everything, and then making a call. If anything, the first sign of a salesman stepping in my direction to make an unrequested pitch results in my hasty exit. It's almost a bit insulting... sortof makes me think... "what, so you assume that I don't think about this stuff? You think that I'm just floundering around waiting for you to come along with your silver bullet? I'm thinking about it dude.. fear not! I, too, consider the mysteries of the cosmos on a regular basis!" There's something about the fact that this person knows nothing about me, and still feels like he's in a position to step into my life in this way, that seems off.
And of course, all of this is made that much more interesting by the fact that I am who I am, and my background is what it is. So, really, this stuff is sortof 'par for the course' for me. I've seen this drill... heck.. they taught me to do this in youth group! I can half imagine this guy coming off a sermon on Sunday where Evangelism was the topic, and this is his way of trying to live out what he learned. I wonder what goes through the minds of people who are less accustomed to this type of talk when he gets to them? I wonder what the guy sitting across from me was thinking on the subway this morning (he was watching this whole conversation with fairly keen interest.)
So, this is up for discussion. Where do we stand on this stuff? My relationship with God is something that is so pivotal in my life.. and I'd love to see others share that sense of purpose, and benefit from that relationship... but at the same time, this morning wasn't particularly positive for me. How does this all fit together?
JB
Monday, January 26, 2009
Soosh-D
"Sushi is the sweet nectar of life... the inescapably glorious reunion of man and the divine... truly an experience not unlike that original perfection, the garden.. God's design for all that is right"
- Jon Bartel
Alright, quoting oneself isn't the most effective.. but the essential truth stands. Come to Toronto, and we'll take you to Sushi Delight. aka Soosh-D. Kar and I went on Friday.
humorous audio question of the week for fellow engineers reading this: what, do you suppose, is the proper course of action when a producer calls about a promo you're mixing for him later in the afternoon, and says,
'Ok, so you'll find some sound-ups in there, and I really just want those to be the focus.. you know, just really push those. And then with the music, just really make sure you emphasize that, cause I really think that it's integral to the piece, and then you'll find some VO, and I think that's probably the real key to this entire spot, so just be sure that you really push that up front and centre, cause that's definitely the most important thing. And then I've also thrown in some sound fx, and I just want to make sure that you're aggressive with those, cause they're going to really need to be "in your face".. I think they're going to really move the spot along... and... other than that... i guess that's about it!...'
This week was lived largely in my head.. in a sense. I come away feeling re-positioned and once again grounded. We have really great friends. I needed to decide who I'm going to be, and what I'm going to do. Not in the 'what do I want to do for a living?' sense, but in the 'what am I going to value, and what am I going to pursue?' sense. Karen is my godsend on these weekends. She's the beacon when I'm way out in left floundering around in my own thoughts. I can get pretty far off the beaten path and sometimes it's tough to turn myself around. If there's something in the concept of marriage that I find most astounding, that's it... the fact that she knows me and recognizes me in times when I can't seem to know myself. Sometimes everything feels one-footed and out of balance, and she's always able to find me in the middle of all the clag.
Had some really good discussion this weekend surrounding some of the great un-answerable questions:
- How can a loving God who eventually 'wins the day' relinquish millions of those he lovingly created to be forever separated from him when it's fully in his power to do the opposite? Wouldn't that be classified as 'losing the day?' Why would he do that? Why would leave it up to us, in our ridiculous self-centeredness and simplicity, and our inability to think outside of the simplest constraints of time and space, to fully grasp the divine intricacies of what we call 'salvation'? We can't get along as nations, we can't stop chasing money and signs of status and wealth. We can't even be polite to each other on the subway. And yet, when it comes to the status in which we will spend an eternity after death... he's going to leave that up to us to sort out, based on a book that has been translated from its original language and cultural reference-point by humans as simple and ordinary as we are. Isn't that, realistically, completely absurd?!
One other great experience...
We were at a home church with friends on Sunday morning. It was a really cool thing to be a part of. Different from the usual in the sense that you don't have a person who's specifically ordained to lead and deliver the ideas and thoughts while the majority of the group listens and learns. Rather, different people come with a specific thought or discussion topic each week, and then the entire group discusses, adds, subtracts, and shares from their own experiences and ideas. The range of thoughts is massively diverse, because the group plays home to so many different lifestyles and places in life. What you might lose in the lack of a specifically 'gifted' speaker/pastor, you gain in the wealth of shared input.
But probably the coolest thing about the idea is the community aspect it affords and encourages. Everybody shows up around 11:00am, and great coffee, waffles, and general catching up/chatting gets everything going. You aren't going to church so much as you're just getting together with family. Then, throughout the morning, it's open to anybody to share whatever is on their mind/heart. If you have a poem you wrote that pertains to the topic at hand, read it! If you have a song on the go, play it! A chapter from a book you're reading that specifically speaks to something we're going on about... do tell! I think the coolest thing about that is that you get away from what can sometimes be such a struggle in our churches... you get away from a scenario in which a few select people are heavily involved while others simply comment and critique. Everybody gets to share their own thoughts, and their own gifts. It's built right into the framework of how church happens.
We love the meeting house. But it's really cool to see what other people are doing, too. I think there's a ton to be learned/appreciated from this approach. Really cool. I think that's sortof how I picture church to have been like when it was first happening.
Talk soon.
JB
- Jon Bartel
Alright, quoting oneself isn't the most effective.. but the essential truth stands. Come to Toronto, and we'll take you to Sushi Delight. aka Soosh-D. Kar and I went on Friday.
humorous audio question of the week for fellow engineers reading this: what, do you suppose, is the proper course of action when a producer calls about a promo you're mixing for him later in the afternoon, and says,
'Ok, so you'll find some sound-ups in there, and I really just want those to be the focus.. you know, just really push those. And then with the music, just really make sure you emphasize that, cause I really think that it's integral to the piece, and then you'll find some VO, and I think that's probably the real key to this entire spot, so just be sure that you really push that up front and centre, cause that's definitely the most important thing. And then I've also thrown in some sound fx, and I just want to make sure that you're aggressive with those, cause they're going to really need to be "in your face".. I think they're going to really move the spot along... and... other than that... i guess that's about it!...'
This week was lived largely in my head.. in a sense. I come away feeling re-positioned and once again grounded. We have really great friends. I needed to decide who I'm going to be, and what I'm going to do. Not in the 'what do I want to do for a living?' sense, but in the 'what am I going to value, and what am I going to pursue?' sense. Karen is my godsend on these weekends. She's the beacon when I'm way out in left floundering around in my own thoughts. I can get pretty far off the beaten path and sometimes it's tough to turn myself around. If there's something in the concept of marriage that I find most astounding, that's it... the fact that she knows me and recognizes me in times when I can't seem to know myself. Sometimes everything feels one-footed and out of balance, and she's always able to find me in the middle of all the clag.
Had some really good discussion this weekend surrounding some of the great un-answerable questions:
- How can a loving God who eventually 'wins the day' relinquish millions of those he lovingly created to be forever separated from him when it's fully in his power to do the opposite? Wouldn't that be classified as 'losing the day?' Why would he do that? Why would leave it up to us, in our ridiculous self-centeredness and simplicity, and our inability to think outside of the simplest constraints of time and space, to fully grasp the divine intricacies of what we call 'salvation'? We can't get along as nations, we can't stop chasing money and signs of status and wealth. We can't even be polite to each other on the subway. And yet, when it comes to the status in which we will spend an eternity after death... he's going to leave that up to us to sort out, based on a book that has been translated from its original language and cultural reference-point by humans as simple and ordinary as we are. Isn't that, realistically, completely absurd?!
One other great experience...
We were at a home church with friends on Sunday morning. It was a really cool thing to be a part of. Different from the usual in the sense that you don't have a person who's specifically ordained to lead and deliver the ideas and thoughts while the majority of the group listens and learns. Rather, different people come with a specific thought or discussion topic each week, and then the entire group discusses, adds, subtracts, and shares from their own experiences and ideas. The range of thoughts is massively diverse, because the group plays home to so many different lifestyles and places in life. What you might lose in the lack of a specifically 'gifted' speaker/pastor, you gain in the wealth of shared input.
But probably the coolest thing about the idea is the community aspect it affords and encourages. Everybody shows up around 11:00am, and great coffee, waffles, and general catching up/chatting gets everything going. You aren't going to church so much as you're just getting together with family. Then, throughout the morning, it's open to anybody to share whatever is on their mind/heart. If you have a poem you wrote that pertains to the topic at hand, read it! If you have a song on the go, play it! A chapter from a book you're reading that specifically speaks to something we're going on about... do tell! I think the coolest thing about that is that you get away from what can sometimes be such a struggle in our churches... you get away from a scenario in which a few select people are heavily involved while others simply comment and critique. Everybody gets to share their own thoughts, and their own gifts. It's built right into the framework of how church happens.
We love the meeting house. But it's really cool to see what other people are doing, too. I think there's a ton to be learned/appreciated from this approach. Really cool. I think that's sortof how I picture church to have been like when it was first happening.
Talk soon.
JB
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration
I think that you have two choices when it comes to responding to a day like today:
You respond either with cynicism, or with inspiration.
I count myself truly blessed to be a part of something like today, if only by way of a crappy msnbc online stream. To be able to tell my kids about the strength of the moment is a great thing.
The shear weight, and beauty, of millions of people gathering in a single location to celebrate something is incredible. That it is a celebration of something so positive, and so humble, is inspiring.
Time, of course, will judge Obama's presidency. But for today, I'm celebrating the fact that everybody across America is talking about coming together, and working together, and learning from the past.
In a truly monstrous prayer, Rick Warren laid out everything that is truly beautiful about faith, and belief. Acceptance and humility, compassion and love... let that be a representation of what it is to live a life in pursuit of God.
Obama's speech, as well, a moment in history. Some great points I managed to scribble down (my own thoughts in brackets):
- as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself. (we are all humans, and we are all important, despite the lines that define and separate us.)
- to those leaders around the world who seek to sew violence, know that your people will judge you by what you can build, not what you can destroy (violence begets violence... this is a constant throughout history. This has never changed.)
- to those nations like ours, who enjoy relative plenty, we say that we can no longer afford indifference to the world’s needs (HUGE! this is EVERYTHING.)
- a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves (about the need for a new mentality amongst the american public.)
The fundamental idea behind today's inauguration has to be one of looking outward as opposed to inward, thinking of others as opposed to one's self, and doing this together, as a country. That is an incredible thing.
JB
You respond either with cynicism, or with inspiration.
I count myself truly blessed to be a part of something like today, if only by way of a crappy msnbc online stream. To be able to tell my kids about the strength of the moment is a great thing.
The shear weight, and beauty, of millions of people gathering in a single location to celebrate something is incredible. That it is a celebration of something so positive, and so humble, is inspiring.
Time, of course, will judge Obama's presidency. But for today, I'm celebrating the fact that everybody across America is talking about coming together, and working together, and learning from the past.
In a truly monstrous prayer, Rick Warren laid out everything that is truly beautiful about faith, and belief. Acceptance and humility, compassion and love... let that be a representation of what it is to live a life in pursuit of God.
Obama's speech, as well, a moment in history. Some great points I managed to scribble down (my own thoughts in brackets):
- as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself. (we are all humans, and we are all important, despite the lines that define and separate us.)
- to those leaders around the world who seek to sew violence, know that your people will judge you by what you can build, not what you can destroy (violence begets violence... this is a constant throughout history. This has never changed.)
- to those nations like ours, who enjoy relative plenty, we say that we can no longer afford indifference to the world’s needs (HUGE! this is EVERYTHING.)
- a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves (about the need for a new mentality amongst the american public.)
The fundamental idea behind today's inauguration has to be one of looking outward as opposed to inward, thinking of others as opposed to one's self, and doing this together, as a country. That is an incredible thing.
JB
Friday, January 16, 2009
Hi!
PART 1
Let me tell you about my new love: cooking.
It's turning into something guys, seriously. Lately, Kar has been working late at the lab, and so I've been the dinner preparer for a while now. Turns out I actually really enjoy it! I've been wading into new waters, as well. The other night, I made what was probably my best dish to date... what I'll call my oven grilled butter/rosemary talapia. A clean white filet glazed with melted butter, coated in a dash of oregano, a double dash of rosemary, and a snatch of BBQ chicken spice, oven baked alongside chopped and scattered white onion, and served with a side of sauteed button mushrooms. Man... read that again and tell me you didn't have to swallow a few times.
My other current best dish is grilled BBQ chicken legs (I've developed a bad-ass homemade BBQ sauce for this one) with golden mash and asparagus.
Additionally, a good salad is imperative. Romaine greens, chopped hotmix pickles and perpencino peppers, white onion, cheese, and a homemade vinaigrette (veg oil, vinaigrette, salt, pepper, spices, garlic).
It's good eating at the Bartel/Founks. Cmon by! (just let me know you're coming first!)
PART 2
If you can find it, this is a record I highly recommend. I've been spinning this daily as of late. It's instrumental, live. Bela Fleck is probably the more well known to most of you. He's probably the world's premier banjo player, and is a master of using the instrument to do things you wouldn't typically do with it. He strays far from the traditional folk/bluegrass landscape and takes the banjo into jazz grooves, and, often most impressively, classical pieces from the likes of bach.
Edgar Meyer is to the double bass (standup bass) what Bela is to banjo. A virtuoso talent, visionary, and creative genius who does things with the instrument that are atypical in the least.
The record is all over the place. Classical waltz, folk jive, atmospheric wanderings.. with some additional piano work as a compliment. I've been finding it (as, it seems, I tend to find most good music) extremely pleasant and calming as a background to my days work, but also extremely challenging and involving when listened to actively.
Check it out! (I'd suggest you start with the song 'Blue Spruce' for a first listen)
Happy Friday!
JB
Let me tell you about my new love: cooking.
It's turning into something guys, seriously. Lately, Kar has been working late at the lab, and so I've been the dinner preparer for a while now. Turns out I actually really enjoy it! I've been wading into new waters, as well. The other night, I made what was probably my best dish to date... what I'll call my oven grilled butter/rosemary talapia. A clean white filet glazed with melted butter, coated in a dash of oregano, a double dash of rosemary, and a snatch of BBQ chicken spice, oven baked alongside chopped and scattered white onion, and served with a side of sauteed button mushrooms. Man... read that again and tell me you didn't have to swallow a few times.
My other current best dish is grilled BBQ chicken legs (I've developed a bad-ass homemade BBQ sauce for this one) with golden mash and asparagus.
Additionally, a good salad is imperative. Romaine greens, chopped hotmix pickles and perpencino peppers, white onion, cheese, and a homemade vinaigrette (veg oil, vinaigrette, salt, pepper, spices, garlic).
It's good eating at the Bartel/Founks. Cmon by! (just let me know you're coming first!)
PART 2
If you can find it, this is a record I highly recommend. I've been spinning this daily as of late. It's instrumental, live. Bela Fleck is probably the more well known to most of you. He's probably the world's premier banjo player, and is a master of using the instrument to do things you wouldn't typically do with it. He strays far from the traditional folk/bluegrass landscape and takes the banjo into jazz grooves, and, often most impressively, classical pieces from the likes of bach.
Edgar Meyer is to the double bass (standup bass) what Bela is to banjo. A virtuoso talent, visionary, and creative genius who does things with the instrument that are atypical in the least.
The record is all over the place. Classical waltz, folk jive, atmospheric wanderings.. with some additional piano work as a compliment. I've been finding it (as, it seems, I tend to find most good music) extremely pleasant and calming as a background to my days work, but also extremely challenging and involving when listened to actively.
Check it out! (I'd suggest you start with the song 'Blue Spruce' for a first listen)
Happy Friday!
JB
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