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.