Poetry?

Neither of you seem like poetry guys, but hey, I guess the air at 39,000 feet or visions at 3am can do strange things to people.  Here's my life poem:

It's easy to grin
when your ship comes in
and you've got the stock market beat.
But the man worthwhile
is the man who can smile
when his shorts are too tight in the seat.

Okay, I jest.  I'm sure you both recognize that little tome.  But I cannot deny that when I started reading "The Man in the Glass" that's what came to mind.

First, lucky you guys.  You have an office!  I had one when i was in Bosnia, but that's the only time I've ever had anything other than a cubicle, and usually it's not even my own cubicle, but a shared cubicle.  Personalization is not encouraged.  So I don't have anything to hang on the walls.

I'm not much of a poetry guy, unless you count music.  For example, here's a stanza from Heavy D that I really like:

On the news, bad news is all the news you'll ever see
The rich gettin' richer while the poor still live in poverty
I don't understand why you can't lend a helping hand to another man, who is your brother man
Times must change, now here's the plan
Let's make this land a better land

Or this one from DC Talk:

If confession is the road to healing
Forgiveness is the promised land, oh
I'm reaching out in my conviction
I'm longing to make amends, yeah

I'm more of a quotation guy, and I usually take down a few (or several) from the books that I read.  At present, I have about 18 pages of book quotes.  That's a little long for a blog post, so I'll just pick a couple.  The quotes that I choose to keep usually speak to me in a powerful way, or express what I believe to be some kind of important life lesson or basic truth.

Mike Yaconelli from the book Stories of Emergence:

“Stories are always unfinished, partial, under construction, never over.  What’s great about stories is their incompleteness because that reminds us we’re still learning, recognizing, and understanding – which reminds us how little we know.  Stories are agents of humility, because they make it clear God isn’t done yet.”

Brian David Bruns from the book Rumble Yell: Discovering America's Biggest Bike Ride:

“So did I learn anything?  I learned that expectations are shackles.”

Christine Lewry from the book Thin Wire: A Mother's Journey Through Her Daughter's Heroin Addiction:

“But the door to change opens only one way: from the inside.”

Jen Hatmaker from the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess:

“Self-deprecation is a cruel response to Jesus, who died and made us righteous.  Guilt is not Jesus’ medium.  He is battling for global redemption right now; His objective hardly includes huddling in the corner with us, rehashing our shame again.  He finished that discussion on the cross.”

Nicholas Carr from the book The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains:

“It’s not only deep thinking that requires a calm, attentive mind.  It’s also empathy and compassion.”

Sherry Turkle from the book Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other:

“My own study of the networked life has left me thinking about intimacy – about being with people in person, hearing their voices and seeing their faces, trying to know their hearts.  And it has left me thinking about solitude – the kind that refreshes and restores.  Loneliness is failed solitude.”

Chew on that for awhile.

What it takes (I think) to be an Ironman

I'm now several months into ironman training and it is going quite well thus far. I began training for training in December, kicked off formal training in late January and have been going solid since then.

For the first period it was base building, now I'm really starting to ratchet up my training. And in doing so it is coming into focus exactly what it is going to take to do an ironman:

1. The training sessions are long enough now that it is impossible for them not to impact my family. At first I could get the 1.5-2.5 hours done early in the morning or over nap time making sure that I still had all waking hours with the kiddos. That's now done. This weekend I had 4 hours on Saturday and 3 hours on Sunday, I typically have 2-2.5 hours each day during the week. There isn't enough time, light or decent temperatures to get that all done when my kids are in bed. That will be true from now until September.

2. The idea of social time just isn't realistic. Typically during the week I am doing 3 things: family, work, and training. One of those is consuming my time from 6:30am - 9:00pm. Friday I need to prep for a long weekend, and I've got to sleep on the weekend nights so I can get through a day of training and still be coherent for my family. This makes it tough to find time to see friends.

3. The physical impact of the hours is starting to accumulate. Had a bit of a pain in my hip flexor 2 weeks ago. Saturday developed an agitated bursa sac on my left knee which looks like a walnut under my skin on the outside of my knee. I have a line of scab, soon to be scar across my chest from my heart rate monitor. I had a "hot spot" on my groin from my running shorts today. I've got a blister and a cut from my toenails on my left foot. These things are little things; until you spend 4 straight hours of friction in a bike saddle of plodding down a trail, all the while heat developing throughout your body. I'm having to rub, stretch, apply ointment, ice, etc. more and more of my body. I don't see this coming to an end soon.

This post probably reads like a complaint and it really isn't at all. From my previous experiences I clearly understand the aches and pains it takes to achieve something like this and am fully prepared to endure. I am also so incredibly thankful to have a wonderful wife who has to help, support and listen to it every day. I don't think she understands, but she knows it is important to me and is unwavering in her support. Wow am I lucky!

That said, the level of commitment needs to match the intensity of my training. When its easy there is no doubt, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't had the "what the hell am I doing this for" thoughts an hour and 45 minutes into a run in 55 degree rain.

I envision crossing the finish line in September after 12 hours of self-propulsion completely exhausted but incredibly satisfied. And then I'm going to chill out for a bit. But as Sheila knows, its just a matter of time until I find the next challenge.

Learn and grow

Some recent experiences and conversations of late have brought into focus some basic ideals through which I approach life. I pride myself on being (or trying really hard to be) open to messages that are provided to me. I believe there is so much helpful information provided to us each day if only we will be open and listen to it. Using this idea, I strive to be a lifelong learner.

I take actions professionally and personally that I believe facilitate learning. Examples include:

- Quickly reviewing news stories daily. I look at stories from global items to local items and where possible seek different viewpoints (CNN and Fox News). I look at all headlines, not limited to the ones that are of personal interest.

- I review box scores and have a general idea on the outcome of most major sporting events.

- I use my twitter account as a news feed for some personal interests including local business, Hawkeye sports, and mountaineering.

- I read books on a variety of topics.

- I leverage my various "research" pipelines to interact with a wide variety of people through volunteer, community, social and professional networks to seek additional information. In this respect, I benefit greatly from the incredible diversity that a large public institution like the University of Iowa provides.

- I actively seek out discussions with "experts". It is amazing how open people are to sharing their expertise and giving you time if you just ask them for it. There is no faster way to learn about something than to shut up and listen to an expert, and they typically love to talk about their expertise. Expert conversations have led to fulfilling learning opportunities for me with surgeons, coaches, mountaineers, entrepreneurs, writers, theologians, and more.

One way to enhance my prolonged mission of self education is through experiences. David Gould, an Obermann Public Scholar professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa, was one such expert who was gracious to share his time with me and our leadership team. David is currently the Director of Imagination at the Downtown Project, a community build project in Las Vegas. He provides experiential learning opportunities in a new and unique way combining his teaching and community building interests. See the article here. The crux is combining expertise and experience to enrich learning. I believe this is a really fantastic opportunity for college students.

Expanding on this experiential learning concept is one reason that I, to the chagrin of my lovely wife, am constantly creating new experiences through adventures. Last year Kilimanjaro, this year Ironman and a multiday mountain bike trip, next year kayaking the Mississippi or some other adventure. These experiences afford me learning opportunities about myself (physical and mental), people & community & people, nature, training & discipline, and technical adventure skills. What an incredibly varied learning opportunity!

Lastly and more recently I'm getting re-training opportunities through my children. Being able to experience their learning with them is quite fulfilling. They are getting involved in swimming, soccer, tee ball, and gymnastics. They are approaching formal schooling age and are already absorbing all their preschool experience provides. They explore around our house asking questions about EVERYTHING! They are devouring Sunday school learning about God and faith. I get to go along with them, answering some questions, seeking answers with them at times, and gleefully referring them to someone else who can help them and getting to hear what they found out. Children are a unique opportunity to learn again.

I'm hopeful that neither my appetite nor my opportunities for varied learning slow down over time. Being a lifelong learner is fulfilling to me. I'm hopeful to pass this skill and interest to my children and that they enjoy and benefit as much as I have. I'm hopeful others will consider this idea and try to find a new and different learning opportunity in their lives.

Poetry from 668 (Iowa City)

Thanks for sharing those poems, I think it is interesting to learn about the professional or personal totems of others. I won't pontificate on either of these poems other than to say I can more readily identify with the latter.

I'll share some of the items in my office as they seem to fit the same idea. In lieu of poems, I'm more of a quote guy. I have a couple hanging in my office such as:

Matthew 7:14 - For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Also, although not exactly a quote, but some guiding ideas:

Investing in Happiness by Jonathan Clements
1. Make time for friends.
2. Forget the pay raise.
3. Don't trade up.

4. Keep your commute short.
5. Count your blessings.
6. Enjoy a good meal.
7. Challenge yourself.
8. Volunteer.
9. Give it time.

I've also got a this picture hanging in my office, go ahead and psychoanalyze that one!

But most importantly I've got a little book of quotes where I write down all my favorites. As I was digesting this topic, one immediately jumped to mind that perhaps fits more into the poem category.

And Then Some by Carl Holmes
These three little words are the secret to success. They are the difference between average people and top people in most companies. The top people always do what is expected...and then some. They are thoughtful of others; they are considerate and kind...and then some. They meet their obligations and responsibilities fairly and squarely...and then some. They are good friends and helpful neighbors...and then some. They can be counted on in an emergency...and then some.

I am thankful for people like this, for they make the world more livable. Their spirit of service is summed up in these little words...and then some.

Poetry from 5,280 feet (Denver)

Two Poems that I want to share and get documented that I've had hanging in my office for as long as I can remember.  Yes, all the offices I've had at all the employers I've had. 

The reason, you ask?

Because they frame what's important, and more importantly, what's not.  That clarity is important in life and on the job.  And it's a reflection that in the hustle and bustle of knocking out my daily or weekly 'to do' list I seldom have time or inclination to think about.

I seem to remember that both poems were read at Grandpa Birchard's funeral.  That they pointed to the way he lived his life.  I don't know whether either of these statements are actually true or not, but it's a nice remembrance even if they aren't true.  I want to remember Grandpa fondly so that's the "truth" I'm hanging on to. 

Well, without further ado, here they are:

The Man in the Glass (anonymous)

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
and the world makes you king for a day,
Just go the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass,
the fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
is the man staring back from the glass.

Some people might say your a straight-shootin' chum
and call you a wonderful guy,
but the man in the glass says you're only a bum
if you can't look him straight in the eye.

He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest
for he's with you clear up to the end,
and you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
and get pats on the back as you pass,
but your final reward will be heartaches and tears
if you've cheated the man in the glass.

The Station (by Robert Hastings)

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the Station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How relentlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering - waiting, waiting, waiting for the Station.

"When we reach the Station, that will be it!" we cry. "When I'm eighteen." "When I buy a new 450 SL Mercedes Benz!" "When I put my last kid through college." "When I have paid off the mortgage!" "When I get a promotion!" "When I reach retirement, I shall live happily ever after!"

Sooner or later we must realize there is no Station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The Station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The Station will come soon enough.
______

These two poems are my very favorites of all time.  Not that I'm a poem connoisseur. They resonate with me and are aspirational.  Can flip my daily issues and how I react to them on end. I wouldn't say I live my life this way as much as I should, but it's good to continue to strive for what they suggest.  And I believe strongly in what they promote.

Usually when I wander off in reflection and happen to see them pinned at my desk it's been a trying day.  Today was no exception.  But after reading them I turn off the computer, pack up my bag, and head home to what's important - and leave behind (for a while at least) all that is not.

Ed on Paying College Athletes

Wow, what a topic!  I don't begin to understand the complex array of issues on this topic but that doesn't keep me from having an opinion!  And, I would say you have to pay them.  Some how some way.  And yes, that will come at the detriment to a post secondary educational system that is lagging other countries.  We are slipping farther and farther from the top.  But to not face the fact that colleges and universities are making millions and millions of dollars on these athletes just isn't right.  They have rights and a free education isn't a fair trade for what they create for the schools where they choose to display their talents.  I don't know how to recast the system, but as it exists today is just doesn't work. Surely we have some smart people out there who can recreate a better system that rewards athletes and yet preserves (and hopefully elevates) the academic rigor that will enable the USA to continue to be the very best post-secondary education of choice in the world today. 

College sports

An oft written about topic on the blog, I had a renewed anger for the topic after listening to NFLPA President DeMaurice Smith speak on the morning show of Mike & Mike on ESPN. It prompted me to write the following email to both he and the Mike & Mike show:

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Mike, Mike, Mr. Smith,

I just listened to the interview with Mr. Smith on the Mike and Mike morning show, thank you for bringing this topic to your show. I grew up in a union household, my father was a union welder for 42 years. I am now a business executive although not in an organization that has a union.

I must say how disappointed I was in Mr. Smith’s stance. The vitriol in his responses do nothing to encourage the dialogue that is so critical to address a very serious issue. Examples include characterizing the NCAA and its partner institutions as “un-American”, referring to Kain Colter and his teammates as “kids” when referring to being taken advantage of, but also as “brave young men” to stand up to the NCAA. Stating these are the same issues that have been needed since the founding of the NCAA in the early 1900s. Stating this has nothing to do with money.

This language is patronizing and extreme. This discourse is very American. Kain Colter is not a kid, he is a brave young man whom I am so excited has sparked this dialogue. The lack of prevalence and the lack of knowledge about sports injuries today is incomparable to 100 years ago. This is exclusively about money (and it should be), and how that money is spent to ensure the safety and fair treatment of everyone in the equation.

Mr. Smith has likely done a tremendous service by swaying public opinion with his grandstanding, but has contributed nothing to encourage the dialogue that is so desperately needed to address a very real and serious problem for thousands of student athletes, our academic institutions that produce millions of capable and intelligent citizens, and the NCAA.

The defense for this approach is most certainly that embarrassment and harassment is the only way to bring whomever is on the other side to the table. I disagree. It is a dysfunctional and disrespectful approach that unfortunately is endorsed by more and more of our nation’s institutions every day.

I am very excited that Mr. Colter has forced this issue to the forefront, change must happen in the current NCAA system. I am saddened that this cause will be pirated by individuals like Mr. Smith whom are only interested in using this issue to continue to advance their own extreme thoughts and agenda.
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Still incensed on the topic and wanting more, I forwarded my thoughts to a friend who played football in the NFL for a decade. He pointed me to this article. This is the first detailed account I have read to educate myself about the topic. I have limited my commentary in the past, most recently with Ed when asked, based on knowing that I'm not versed on a topic that my friend described as "such a nuanced/multi-faceted issue and gets oversimplified by grandstanders and trumpet blowers". Among the most important aspect of this very thorough and detailed article are the following set of questions:

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Would college players be content with the augmented scholarship or allowance now requested by the National College Players Association? If a player’s worth to the university is greater than the value of his scholarship (as it clearly is in some cases), should he be paid a salary? If so, would teammates in revenue sports want to be paid equally, or in salaries stratified according to talent or value on the field? What would the athletes want in Division III, where athletic budgets keep rising without scholarships or substantial sports revenue? Would athletes seek more or less variance in admissions standards? Should non-athletes also have a voice, especially where involuntary student fees support more and more of college sports? Might some schools choose to specialize, paying players only in elite leagues for football, or lacrosse? In athletic councils, how much would high-revenue athletes value a simple thank you from the tennis or field-hockey players for the newly specified subsidies to their facilities?
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This is an incredibly complex topic that few truly understand (I am not among them). But what I am sure of is that the student-athlete model and the NCAA is a deeply flawed institution that needs a complete overhaul. I can only hold out hope that the lawyers and grandstanders don't trade one subpar process for another enriching only themselves in the process. And I'm going to work to continue to educate myself on the topic as it will remain impactful on me for personal, social and professional reasons.