Unbreakable

Has anyone ever noticed the extreme amount of correlation between things that are expensive and things that are fragile?
For instance, I spent almost a third as much money on the case for my guitar as I did for the guitar itself.
Why does it seem to be that, the better something is, the easier it is to destroy?

Now, this isn't the case with everything. My crappy, $15 shoes are falling apart, whereas nicer ones would probably not have holes in the soles that let the rain drench my toes from below.
But part of the utility of shoes is that they are durable. So, for anything that is not designed to be durable, the more valuable it is the more fragile it is.
Instruments, gold is a soft metal, plasma screen tvs (Have you seen the video where the guy breaks his tv by throwing a Wiimote at it? Classic.) and most other expensive, material pleasures are extremely non-durable.

I wonder why this is.

It's even true in nature. Endangered species, the rain forests, rare plants, even ferocious, beautiful creatures that are still vulnerable to human destruction (see also: TIGERZZZZZ YAY) are become scarce because they simply aren't durable. The only things we know would survive a nuclear holocaust are that stupid creeping vine from China and cockroaches, and nobody likes those.
Now, this leads to the question, are things that are high quality by nature fragile, or are things considered high quality because they are fragile?
Obviously, the harder something is to replace and the easier it is to damage, the better we will take care of it. But I still think that it is kind of a rule of the universe that all things that are valuable and good require you to take good care of them. God made it that way.

I'd like to think that, in heaven, nothing valuable will be fragile. This will be part of the reparation from the fall. Human bodies will not be so breakable, and they are obviously valuable, so why not the rest of the New Earth?
I think it's interesting to note that most of our made up "superheroes" from comic books and the like are considered powerful primarily (or at least in part) because they are insusceptible to gun fire or fist fighting or rocket launchers, etc.

It then becomes one of the saddest qualities of human nature that all of the things we value are destructible. We are in a futile struggle against corruption to maintain any form of beauty in the world, but it is all to fragile to survive without some serious help.

Collection

Tonight was the all-dorm meeting, which was big and manly and such. But afterwards we broke down into our individual suites. 30-Cinco Met with 36ia and we all got to know each other by sharing some random crazy story about ourselves.
While I think one-liners are funny, and sarcasm can make me laugh, the best kind of humor is definitely personal anecdotes. It's great in groups because you can relate to it, it seems so intimate because you're sharing something.

I consider myself a connoisseur of stories, in a way. I love hearing and memorizing stories that me and my friends have, because being able to share a story is the single best way I have found in connecting with other people. You can be in the most awkward situation ever with a complete stranger, but by sharing a personal memory that makes them laugh, or at least feel comfortable, can open up doors in people's hearts that otherwise take months to dig into.

The more I learn about public speaking, the more I hear that sharing personal stories will radically change the response a speaker can get. If a speaker does not connect with his audience, they decide that they have no reason to listen to him or take his advice and expertise, even if he is otherwise qualified.

So, by collecting these stories, I have a small little tale on almost every subject, in order to relate to people as quickly and as deeply as possible. This is great for a youth pastor, who will meet tons of new people weekly and need to create an atmosphere of comfort.

The only problem is, while they relate to me better, it does not actually create intimacy. I am sharing a story, but they are not actually getting to know me, and I am certainly not getting to know them.

So, the real problem with only sharing stories is that interaction and personal response plays less of a role. It makes me a better speaking figure but a less intimate person.

I have to make sure that the personal me is not just a collection of stories.

Selective Memory

Moving in was fun and eventful, for those concerned. I missed the dorm. I get a lot of great fellowship here. And my roommate is one of my best beds, which helps.

Complete change of topic time.

I have tons of songs memorized. Lyrics, melody, all kinds of things. But recently I've realized that I hardly know any of the lyrics to all of my favorite songs. Mostly songs that I have only started listening to in the last year or so.

At first I thought this might be due to me just getting a weaker short-term memory or something. I was really paranoid for a while that I was growing stupid. I think the paranoia over that was more stupid than anything.

Then I realized that I remembered so many details about those songs that aren't lyrics.

I was in choir up until 10th grade. Singing was my big thing, and I was decent at it. I'm still a decent singer for a guy without any musical training. But my singing days were the same time period where I was learning all the songs I have the lyrics memorized for.

At this point in my life, I have probably spent more time studying guitar and music as a whole than I have singing, since I quit singing way back then. I've spent dedicated time practicing and training my ear and my skill for guitar. So that has become almost entirely what I focus on in music. It actually makes it harder to listen to non-guitar music just because I'm so used to listening to it and figuring out how to play it with my ears.

Because of this, I have to really concentrate to learn lyrics from songs and I naturally pick up the guitar and instrumentals in them. I could probably sing you the guitar solo of most songs I've listened to in the last year, but I could barely recite any of the lyrics, compared to the perfect memory I have of songs from way back when.
It's not better or worse, just different. I really do think it's interesting how much my ability to memorize songs has changed over the years.

Kawaru

It's amazing how a single week can remind you what makes a story really good.
Sure, big events can be fascinating, but the real joy of history and stories is the way we connect with the quiet thoughts from within someone else.

I have a week's worth of fun memories, but the only thing that has changed about me because of this week is only visible on the inside.

I spent a week watching, listening, and observing, and as a result, I changed on the inside. I just had to constantly remind myself to shut up and soak in.
And I did.

Now here I am, ready to face something that would have terrified me 8 days ago.



By the way, I totally jumped off of that waterfall.

Ode to Texas

I love living in a culture within a culture.
The fact that foreign countries know more about Texas than any other state really says something. We have our own stereotypes, and really an entirely separate element of our culture separate from the rest of the country.
I recently read some funny "You know you're from Texas when..." things I'd like to share.

You know you're from Texas when...

It's so hot that potatoes cook underground and all you have to do for lunch is to pull one out and add butter with trimmings.

It's so hot farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs.

You only know five spices: salt, pepper, Ranch dressing, BBQ sauce and ketchup.

You no longer associate bridges with water. (*cough* TRINITY RIVER *cough*

You can say 110 degrees without fainting.

You learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.

You discover that in July it takes only two fingers to drive your car.

You attend a formal event in your best clothes, your finest jewelry and your cowboy boots.

People grumble about Noah letting coyotes on the ark.

Baptism is referred to as "branding."

Finding and returning lost sheep isn't just a parable.

You know what real Mexican food tastes like.


Most of the rest of them were mostly about our accents. Seriously, world, get over the word "y'all." It's not that big a deal.
Also, did you know that it is illegal to urinate on the Alamo? This is important knowledge. Good thing it's not a college town...

Anyways, while this is all fun and good, it brings up something that I've noticed. With the advent of the internet and mass media, things like accents and state cultures are starting to become less and less significant.
I realized that other day that I know exactly how to speak in a Texan accent, and I choose to do so when around the right influences (see also: Grandparents) but I fit just as comfortably into the "American" accent. As large as the United States is, the fact that we all see the same media, and our kids are raised by the television, individual accents over small areas are starting to disappear.
I'd be all tore up inside if I didn't have a little slice of redneck to call home anymore. As it is, Dallas is hardly Texan.

I guess on the whole it means that technology has made a "one world culture" possible.

You know, I was just watching Star Wars, and they differentiate people groups by what planet or even what solar system they come from. Is it possible that our planet could become just one single culture, with hardly any differences except in remote areas?

I would be sad if all of those mini cultures were to disappear because of technology.
What's funny about all this is that America takes pride in its ideals of individualism. Yet the individual disappears when everybody watches all the same TV.

Private Life

Has anybody else seen all the updates to facebook's privacy options, lately?
You can choose which groups or individuals get to view which things on your profile.

For instance, if I took some pictures the night I went out drinking, I could make sure that none of the people at my church saw them.

While I do agree that people do have the right to privacy, when you publish it on the internet you kind of lose that right.

My problem with these new privacy abilities is that it does not necessarily serve privacy so much as it serves dishonesty. I could live a complete double life with this. Nobody at my church would ever have to know about my skinny dipping habits (not that those pics are allowed on facebook anyways, thanks goodness) and none of my manly buddies would find out that I snuggle in a den of bunnies and feed them carrots with my mom every Saturday afternoon. Teenagers especially have a problem with pegging down an identity, and I don't think enabling them to not decide on a personality helps their emotional well-being at all.

There need to be consequences for our actions, and people should stop being afraid of sharing all of themselves with other people. We're so worried about our own privacy that we have become unable to have a true self to hide.

Coincidental Sin

Is it just me or could we draw a lightning bolt on Derek's forehead to make him and Ainslee look like Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley?
She even has the older brothers.