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| Faith is the invisible hand that holds yours on the journey through the dark night of the soul. Faith is finding comfort in the unresolved chords of blues, knowing that resolution is somewhere down the road. Faith is standing tall in the face of injustice, knowing that we are all equal in the sight of God. Faith is the process of accepting my limitations, while believing that I still have value. Faith is the trust that comes from feeling the heartbeat of a newborn child. Faith is looking betrayal in the face, and refusing to take revenge. Faith is believing in the best, when all you see is the worst. Faith is letting go as someone you love slips away, knowing that this is not goodbye. | | |
| Kwame, Kwame, Kwame... The mayor of the fine city that's our neighbor to the south (Detroit, Michigan) is about to enter the courtroom... speculation is that he will enter a plea deal of purgery and obstruction of justice stemming from a conspiracy (which ultimately led to) the firing of a police official who was investigating him for using city cell phones to have an affair with his chief of staff... The governor is holding special hearings to decide if he should be removed. Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has called for him to step down, and a local radio station just sent a moving van to the mayoral mansion to "ask" if he needed any help moving his family out. And you thought the only good plot lines happened in the movies... (note: Kwame accepted a plea deal this morning that included his resignation as mayor, 120 days in jail, 5 years probation, and a 1 million dollar restitution fee to the city of Detroit.) | | |
| "In a world where good guys are good, and bad guys are well... bad, and the serial tagline reigns supreme. Out of the ashes rises one on whom the entire fate of the known box office world rests. His story is one of simplicity yet power... one of brevity yet impact... one of inspiring millions to spend their hard earned cash on opening weekends to set gaudy box office records. He is a hero for our times, a champion of all that is right, he is... the movie trailer voiceover guy."
-Don Lafontaine, the famous movie and commercial voiceover guy passed away this week from complications due to an illness. He was 68, and his deep baritone voice will be truly missed among all true fans of movie trailers, (and Geico commercials.) | | |
| Wow, I can't believe that it's been over six months since I last posted here! So here's a quick update on what's been going on...
Work: I'm still working as the Manager of IT for several non-profits in the downtown Flint, Michigan area.
Church: Big change here... I'm now going to one of the downtown churches in Flint, Michigan. It's a very traditional Presbyterian church, (I know, it's a big surprise), but their very involved in social action within our community. I'm working with the youth, especially mentoring and teaching the students in the praise band.
I still play guitar quite a lot but unfortunately my playing's tapered off lately because of less opportunities. I think that will change though in the next few months.
This summer/fall we're starting a program geared towards the growing college population here in Flint. Because of the expansion strategies of the Universities here in town, we're expecting a large number of international students to begin coming to the area. We're hoping to be a connecting point for them during their journey here.
Other than that, not too much to report... life continues on as usual... on with the journey!
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| We are all products of our culture. Living in an American/Western European culture during the last quarter of the 20th Century has shaped my understanding of communication... particularly influencing me to believe that the purpose of communicating is to find resolution. In a media based society, there's this strong drive to make sense of events, activities, and tragedy... we hate the idea of leaving something open ended. Having the last word in a discussion, where you bring a conclusive piece of closure is in some circles a core construct of culture.
But, what if...
What if the purpose of communication wasn't to have the last word? What if our goal in communication was to have the first word?
In ancient Eastern cultures, some societies placed great honor on the person wise enougb to begin a discussion. Often these discussions began with a story, parable, or fable that brought to light a great mystery of the human condition. These discussions were not necessarily intended to resolve life's mysteries... instead they brought a group of people into relationships with each other, while they wrestled with their shared questions and experiences in life.
As I've thought about this, maybe the thing to ask myself is what things in my world should I have the first word in? | | |
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