In exactly one year from today, I will be married.
Grandpa says it a big step, but so is alphabetizing an expansive album collection.
What I think I’m trying to say is that I’m ready for the “challenge.” Notice that “challenge” is italicized. This is because I don’t see our relationship as such. It’s all very organic for us. Sure we get in our moods, but who the hell doesn’t? If nobody had moods, life would be as exciting as a job at the paper factory.
So on September 27, 2008, I will be a married man – and I’m so thankful. I can’t imagine how anyone can live in this world alone.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Forever Phillips
I was involved with the Pittsburgh Flying Disc Society’s Scholastic Disc Golf Championship at Phillips Park (a long title, I know) this passed Saturday.
I hoped to show up at 8:00 AM, but arrived close to 8:30 which led me to wonder if I had the right park. I expected to come in the middle of the madness with middle school and high school kids registering and tossing money all around. Instead, I arrived to a wide open case of beer and dozens of empty cans littering a park bench and surrounding area. Same old park.
I’ve been a lifetime member of the PFDS for nearly three months now and this was my first official “duty” as a member. I somehow convinced my friend (and fellow disc golfer), Pete, to join the club as well and dragged him along for the event.
Pete and I used to frequent the park in our own high school days. Twice a week, under the supervision of one of our teachers, we and our friends would meet in the park for a round or two of disc golf. Once a year, we participated in a city-wide championship where we played against the best high school players the city had to offer. (Attendance for these championships ranged from 20 to four.)
Now I’m on the other end. I’ve become “the teacher” to middle school and high school kids – but do I have the credentials to mentor young lads? I’ve played disc golf off and on for nearly ten years, so I don’t consider myself knowledgeable in “the way of the disc.”
But I surprised myself during the “putting clinic” in between the rounds. At this clinic, I was to give tips to the potential “protégés” in an effort to enhance their putts and approach shots – and that’s just what I did! All of the sudden, I felt like a pro with a vault of information.
“When you practice putting, practice with the same disc you would use on the course. Don’t use a driver.”
Statements like this poured out of me while the kiddos hung on to every word. I was like their Disc Golf Deity!
I enjoyed the time I spent as “the cool teacher” (although no one actually described me as such) and look forward to my next event as a PFDS member.
I hoped to show up at 8:00 AM, but arrived close to 8:30 which led me to wonder if I had the right park. I expected to come in the middle of the madness with middle school and high school kids registering and tossing money all around. Instead, I arrived to a wide open case of beer and dozens of empty cans littering a park bench and surrounding area. Same old park.
I’ve been a lifetime member of the PFDS for nearly three months now and this was my first official “duty” as a member. I somehow convinced my friend (and fellow disc golfer), Pete, to join the club as well and dragged him along for the event.
Pete and I used to frequent the park in our own high school days. Twice a week, under the supervision of one of our teachers, we and our friends would meet in the park for a round or two of disc golf. Once a year, we participated in a city-wide championship where we played against the best high school players the city had to offer. (Attendance for these championships ranged from 20 to four.)
Now I’m on the other end. I’ve become “the teacher” to middle school and high school kids – but do I have the credentials to mentor young lads? I’ve played disc golf off and on for nearly ten years, so I don’t consider myself knowledgeable in “the way of the disc.”
But I surprised myself during the “putting clinic” in between the rounds. At this clinic, I was to give tips to the potential “protégés” in an effort to enhance their putts and approach shots – and that’s just what I did! All of the sudden, I felt like a pro with a vault of information.
“When you practice putting, practice with the same disc you would use on the course. Don’t use a driver.”
Statements like this poured out of me while the kiddos hung on to every word. I was like their Disc Golf Deity!
I enjoyed the time I spent as “the cool teacher” (although no one actually described me as such) and look forward to my next event as a PFDS member.
Monday, September 24, 2007
A Blogger's Sorrow
It’s been awhile since I blogged about anything and I feel my “return” is long over due. Sure, I logged on and off a few times for the sake of checking messages, but now it’s time to chime in with a good ol’ cyber rant.
Tonight I read an article by Jessica Coen who claims to be a former “notorious” blogger who freely voiced (or wrote) her opinions in a clever and sarcastic manner across the empty void of cyber space. Sound familiar?
Many of us can attest to this behavior (voicing our often unwanted opinions), but Coen was victim to harassment to the max. Besides the typical (and often expected) heckling from peers and random retards, she received pornographic images, inexplicit death threats and harassing phone messages. One bold individual took it as far as to hack into her personal life and steal her identity. Is this the price for genius?
Based on Coen’s description of her own writing style, she seemed like a pretty entertaining blogger in her hay-day. But it was all cut short because of (you guessed it) jealousy.
The one thing I took from this article was that Coen’s readers (most likely bloggers themselves) were simply jealous of her clever writing skills (and the attention it received). And what would most faceless, nameless people do over the internet in such a situation? They would probably lay down their manners and rip her a new asshole. One of Coen’s peers fell victim to a similar situation. One blogger messaged her friend with “I hope someone slits your throat.”
Today Coen is a senior news editor at New York Magazine online – so eat it, people. In the end, her writing got recognized (and your taunts and threats fueled her article for Glamour’s “Hear Me Out” section). That’s ironic in itself!
And as some of you may know, I was also a victim to the backlash of jealousy – from my own good friend. Sure, he didn’t threaten to physically hurt me (because he knew he couldn’t), but he went as far as to post excerpts from an instant message conversation on my MySpace page in hopes that I would receive negative reactions from my readers.
Jealousy is a powerful thing. It can entice people to do off-the-wall things – things like disowning a good friend because you disagree with their move to California for love’s sake. (Haha!)
Tonight I read an article by Jessica Coen who claims to be a former “notorious” blogger who freely voiced (or wrote) her opinions in a clever and sarcastic manner across the empty void of cyber space. Sound familiar?
Many of us can attest to this behavior (voicing our often unwanted opinions), but Coen was victim to harassment to the max. Besides the typical (and often expected) heckling from peers and random retards, she received pornographic images, inexplicit death threats and harassing phone messages. One bold individual took it as far as to hack into her personal life and steal her identity. Is this the price for genius?
Based on Coen’s description of her own writing style, she seemed like a pretty entertaining blogger in her hay-day. But it was all cut short because of (you guessed it) jealousy.
The one thing I took from this article was that Coen’s readers (most likely bloggers themselves) were simply jealous of her clever writing skills (and the attention it received). And what would most faceless, nameless people do over the internet in such a situation? They would probably lay down their manners and rip her a new asshole. One of Coen’s peers fell victim to a similar situation. One blogger messaged her friend with “I hope someone slits your throat.”
Today Coen is a senior news editor at New York Magazine online – so eat it, people. In the end, her writing got recognized (and your taunts and threats fueled her article for Glamour’s “Hear Me Out” section). That’s ironic in itself!
And as some of you may know, I was also a victim to the backlash of jealousy – from my own good friend. Sure, he didn’t threaten to physically hurt me (because he knew he couldn’t), but he went as far as to post excerpts from an instant message conversation on my MySpace page in hopes that I would receive negative reactions from my readers.
Jealousy is a powerful thing. It can entice people to do off-the-wall things – things like disowning a good friend because you disagree with their move to California for love’s sake. (Haha!)
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