Everyone wishes they could skateboard. Don't even lie. I wanted to be Eric Koston and I played as him everytime I sat down with an N64 controller playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater. I played Skate, the videogame, at school and I was immediately hooked. I loved it. It felt like such an accomplishment when I landed the simplest trick. And so I decided that I needed to broaden my horizons and go for the real thing.
So I came home and decided I needed a skateboard. The shoes were an easy purchase because they were already trendy. If this didn't work out, I came out with a nice pair of shoes anyhow. But the board was a different story. If I broke my wrist after riding this thing one time and decided that was good enough, I was going to be very frustrated that I spent good money on an accessory to an injury.
However, my friend Ryan hit this fad up in middle school and had since abandoned it. He told me he had a name brand skateboard, a Chocolate to be exact. I kindly asked if I could have it, at which point he let me. Most likely he was looking forward to what tribulations I might face because of this decision.
The board has "chocolate" written in blue on a white board. The griptape has "HU$TLE" written on it. The wood is showing through the paint.
Now I don't know if you've ever ridden a skateboard. It's not easy. And to make matters worse, I'm uncoordinated and have the balance of Dirk Nowitzki on stilts. It's terrible. I've almost gotten to where I can just ride around without getting gravel in my palms from catching my fall. I have ridden a top distance of 10 yards so far. But I have hope.
I shouldn't be doing this. This was an adventure and task that should have been taken on when I was 13, not 19. I'm nearly 20. How on God's green earth do I expect to be able to learn how to skate? I guess I just have nothing better to do. It's the summer after my freshman year. I'll do anything that isn't work or involves staying in the house. Even if it involves falling on my butt over and over again.
I am still inspired to be Eric Koston.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Games I Would Play for My Soul
At work, I sit in a chair and watch kids swim for hours on end. So one way I pass time is think about dumb stuff. Usually a rhetorical question does the trick. A coworker asked me a rhetorical question to think about while I sat up in my tower listening to another round of "Marco Polo" yesterday. He asked me, "If you had to play any game for your soul, what would you play?"
I was flabbergasted. Usually I can answer these questions with ease and sharp wit. But this was my soul at stake!
So I started eliminating things. Sports went out the window first. I wasn't very good when I still played basketball my freshman year in high school, there's no telling how far from grace I've fallen in that realm. I'm not conditioned enough to play most sports like soccer or football. And although I swam in high school, this is the devil I'm swimming against, and I am just not confident enough for that race.
Then my friend, who was also asked this question, started to talk about possible board games. Shoots and Ladders. Candy Land. Risk. No way is that happening. So much at stake cannot afford to rely on a roll of the dice or whether he picked up a "Get out of Jail Free" card. So there goes that.
And then it hit me...
... GOLDENEYE
I could beat the devil in Goldeneye for the Nintendo 64, no doubt in my mind. My friends actually stopped playing Goldeneye with me because they never won. Perfect. Any weapon set up on any map, I am almost positive I could beat Lucifer himself with my soul in tact. The only way he could possibly sneak that one out is if he was cheap and decided to play as Oddjob.
I was flabbergasted. Usually I can answer these questions with ease and sharp wit. But this was my soul at stake!
So I started eliminating things. Sports went out the window first. I wasn't very good when I still played basketball my freshman year in high school, there's no telling how far from grace I've fallen in that realm. I'm not conditioned enough to play most sports like soccer or football. And although I swam in high school, this is the devil I'm swimming against, and I am just not confident enough for that race.
Then my friend, who was also asked this question, started to talk about possible board games. Shoots and Ladders. Candy Land. Risk. No way is that happening. So much at stake cannot afford to rely on a roll of the dice or whether he picked up a "Get out of Jail Free" card. So there goes that.
And then it hit me...
... GOLDENEYE
I could beat the devil in Goldeneye for the Nintendo 64, no doubt in my mind. My friends actually stopped playing Goldeneye with me because they never won. Perfect. Any weapon set up on any map, I am almost positive I could beat Lucifer himself with my soul in tact. The only way he could possibly sneak that one out is if he was cheap and decided to play as Oddjob.
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Thrown Away
I started working for the city today. And my morning was garbage. Quite literally.
I went through the city park and went to every trash can. Then, I packed the trash, threw it in a truck, and went to the next can. Most cans smelled horrific and had me gasping for air. This process of sweeping through the park took 2 hours. Then it was off to the city dump. As I threw bags from the back of a truck bed to a dump truck, I was a bit astonished. The dump truck may be one of the grossest and most ingenious inventions of the 20th century. As bags were crushed, they often popped, blasting tainted air and sometimes a bit of liquid. It was a putrid process.
***
Rewind to 7:30 when I walked to work. As I strolled through the park, I saw an elderly woman walking through the park as well. She didn't see me so I kinda watched her for a while. At one point, she began to look in a trash can, and then, to my amazement, she began to pick through it. I don't know what she was looking for, but I have to assume it was breakfast.
Then, I went through everyone of these garbage cans, coughing at the stench that rose out of them. And here is a woman, who is looking for something among what is thrown away.
***
I think life is a lot like that. Outside of a tale about the gripping and sobering sides of homelessness and poverty, there is a life application to be seen here in my opinion. A lot of people throw stuff away in life. And I'm not talking about garbage. Friendships. Talent. Marriages. Potential. Then there are those who are getting by. They are not blessed in a way that others are. They didn't get brought up with a good home-life. Bad luck hit them in the worst way. These kind of people are often searching in the scraps discarded in life.
Don't be mistaken: none of this has any closure or sure answers.
Maybe this should be a reminder that I ought to not take things for granted. Maybe it is an illustration of how other people's mistakes make a way for others to succeed. I'm not really sure. But I think life is what it is because of that which is thrown away.
I went through the city park and went to every trash can. Then, I packed the trash, threw it in a truck, and went to the next can. Most cans smelled horrific and had me gasping for air. This process of sweeping through the park took 2 hours. Then it was off to the city dump. As I threw bags from the back of a truck bed to a dump truck, I was a bit astonished. The dump truck may be one of the grossest and most ingenious inventions of the 20th century. As bags were crushed, they often popped, blasting tainted air and sometimes a bit of liquid. It was a putrid process.
***
Rewind to 7:30 when I walked to work. As I strolled through the park, I saw an elderly woman walking through the park as well. She didn't see me so I kinda watched her for a while. At one point, she began to look in a trash can, and then, to my amazement, she began to pick through it. I don't know what she was looking for, but I have to assume it was breakfast.
Then, I went through everyone of these garbage cans, coughing at the stench that rose out of them. And here is a woman, who is looking for something among what is thrown away.
***
I think life is a lot like that. Outside of a tale about the gripping and sobering sides of homelessness and poverty, there is a life application to be seen here in my opinion. A lot of people throw stuff away in life. And I'm not talking about garbage. Friendships. Talent. Marriages. Potential. Then there are those who are getting by. They are not blessed in a way that others are. They didn't get brought up with a good home-life. Bad luck hit them in the worst way. These kind of people are often searching in the scraps discarded in life.
Don't be mistaken: none of this has any closure or sure answers.
Maybe this should be a reminder that I ought to not take things for granted. Maybe it is an illustration of how other people's mistakes make a way for others to succeed. I'm not really sure. But I think life is what it is because of that which is thrown away.
Monday, May 17, 2010
The 3 Saddest Songs I Know
I like sad songs. I do. They're catchy, sentimental, and give you an excuse to feel kinda mopey. I would like to list the three saddest, most heart retching songs I know. So here we go.
"Little Motel" by Modest Mouse
The song sound like a big apology or a breakdown after a fight. The music video, although the band doesn't even appear, is one of the most powerful ones I've seen, and it adds to the sorrows. And that guitar riff. . . so melancholy.
"Brick" by Ben Folds
I heard this song in eighth grade. I had no idea what it was about. Then, I paid attention to the lyrics a bit more. The song is about an abortion that Folds and a high school girlfriend had. I don't know what else I can say to illustrate the sadness.
"Hard to Be" by David Bazan
davidbazan.combyDavid Bazan
David Bazan once wrote under the name Pedro the Lion. In Pedro, his songs were about struggling through faith and how life related to his faith. David Bazan's latest album is not about struggling through faith, it's about walking away from it. And as a Christian, it's hard for me because he sings about the secret fears that sometimes lie within my own faith.
"Little Motel" by Modest Mouse
The song sound like a big apology or a breakdown after a fight. The music video, although the band doesn't even appear, is one of the most powerful ones I've seen, and it adds to the sorrows. And that guitar riff. . . so melancholy.
"Brick" by Ben Folds
I heard this song in eighth grade. I had no idea what it was about. Then, I paid attention to the lyrics a bit more. The song is about an abortion that Folds and a high school girlfriend had. I don't know what else I can say to illustrate the sadness.
"Hard to Be" by David Bazan
davidbazan.combyDavid Bazan
David Bazan once wrote under the name Pedro the Lion. In Pedro, his songs were about struggling through faith and how life related to his faith. David Bazan's latest album is not about struggling through faith, it's about walking away from it. And as a Christian, it's hard for me because he sings about the secret fears that sometimes lie within my own faith.
Monday, May 3, 2010
I Can't Be James Dean and Jesus
The epitome of cool. James Dean. The rockstar who never played a song. An icon of what it means to be finding your way into manhood through stumbling into it. Rough around the edges and somehow so appealing.
He is all a guy could hope to be in modern culture. Care free. Bold. Rebel without a cause. And it didn't hurt that the ladies loved this guy. Why wouldn't I hold this guy up and think "I should aim for that,"? Other than the fact that he died in a car accident (irony for the clip I threw in) I would like to be James Dean.
But I am a Christian.
"He isn't going to preach at me is he?!"
Can I still be righteous and the rebel without a cause?
I think what gets things all messed up is my sissy impression of Jesus.
It's not that Jesus really is working against me though. Jesus was a rebel with a cause. I can't be the rebel without a cause, the purpose has been found. Can I still drag race? Or smoke during a TV interview? Can I wear cowboy hats and get away with it? The better question has to do with stumbling into manhood. I don't have to wander anymore. I don't have to die young.
Jesus was not a sissy. We screwed up when we decided he was. Compassion is not weakness. Grace takes more courage than anything I know.
I still screw this up everyday and will continue to. It's easier to aimlessly be cool. Ask the hipsters in Clifton. But I need to decide each day what I want. Do I want to be bold about myself, or something that matters?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
5 Concerts I Would Love to Attend
I am getting a chance to see two of my favorite bands tonight, Manchester Orchestra and Thrice, at Bogarts in Cincinnati. It's going to be good and I'm very excited. But it got me thinking about all the concerts I've been to. Since I was a kid, my dad, who was a youth minister at the time, would bring me along to summer Christian concert festivals. So when I was little, I was seeing bands live. Then I began to think about all the good shows I've seen. Radiohead is certainly up there. With a 23 song set, I was in alternative rock euphoria. This past summer I had a chance to see Wilco, and it wasn't a bad show, but the venue was not my favorite for a rock concert.
From time to time though I like to look at the glass half empty. There are bands I have yet to see that I would love to drop dollars for a ticket someday. I tried to come up with a presentable list of five. I hope you enjoy.
Ben Folds
The profane piano man of my generation. His live shows are unpredictable and hilarious. He is great with the crowd and has a large and fun catalogue of songs. He has done everything from play with an orchestra to putting his crowd on chat room Russian roulette during a show online. And who else can cover Dr. Dre in a piano ballad?
Say Anything
My latest guilty pleasure. A lot of their material seems very studio reliant, but they manage to recreate themselves in order to pull it off. In addition, Max Bemis seems to write the most memorable lyrics I've ever heard. It would be an hour long punk rock sing-along. I would have liked to see them when they come through Cincinnati this spring, but they open for Angels and Airwaves, who have bloated the price beyond what it would be worth to see the opening band.
The Flaming Lips
I've gotta be honest, I do not know a lot of Flaming Lips songs. Sure, everyone likes "Do You Realize??" and they've been known to cover classic rock songs by Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, but this is so much more than music. Their live shows are out of this world and more of a crazy rave set to trippy music. And the selling point, they're the only guys that do it like this.
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is the brain child of Damon Albarn, ex-frontman of Blur. The band is known for the presentation of four cartoon characters with an in-depth story line and background. And through this fantasy, Albarn has created trip-hop, alternative rock pop songs that are both catchy and bazaar. This past weekend, Gorillaz actually headlined Sunday night of the Coachella music festival. They are cartoons, yes. So the band played beneath a gigantic screen with the animated band above them. Complete with special appearances and sailors outfits, I have become determined to see this act while I still can.
Brand New
I missed my chance back in the fall for reasons I won't get into right now. How foolish of me. Brand New puts on an intense show with low lighting that makes the crowd feel like they've walked into a loud tent of a circus. The band has nothing short of a cult following, which adds to the atmosphere in a way that Brand New doesn't even have to work at it. I will see this band before I die.
From time to time though I like to look at the glass half empty. There are bands I have yet to see that I would love to drop dollars for a ticket someday. I tried to come up with a presentable list of five. I hope you enjoy.
Ben Folds
The profane piano man of my generation. His live shows are unpredictable and hilarious. He is great with the crowd and has a large and fun catalogue of songs. He has done everything from play with an orchestra to putting his crowd on chat room Russian roulette during a show online. And who else can cover Dr. Dre in a piano ballad?
Say Anything
My latest guilty pleasure. A lot of their material seems very studio reliant, but they manage to recreate themselves in order to pull it off. In addition, Max Bemis seems to write the most memorable lyrics I've ever heard. It would be an hour long punk rock sing-along. I would have liked to see them when they come through Cincinnati this spring, but they open for Angels and Airwaves, who have bloated the price beyond what it would be worth to see the opening band.
The Flaming Lips
I've gotta be honest, I do not know a lot of Flaming Lips songs. Sure, everyone likes "Do You Realize??" and they've been known to cover classic rock songs by Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, but this is so much more than music. Their live shows are out of this world and more of a crazy rave set to trippy music. And the selling point, they're the only guys that do it like this.
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is the brain child of Damon Albarn, ex-frontman of Blur. The band is known for the presentation of four cartoon characters with an in-depth story line and background. And through this fantasy, Albarn has created trip-hop, alternative rock pop songs that are both catchy and bazaar. This past weekend, Gorillaz actually headlined Sunday night of the Coachella music festival. They are cartoons, yes. So the band played beneath a gigantic screen with the animated band above them. Complete with special appearances and sailors outfits, I have become determined to see this act while I still can.
Brand New
I missed my chance back in the fall for reasons I won't get into right now. How foolish of me. Brand New puts on an intense show with low lighting that makes the crowd feel like they've walked into a loud tent of a circus. The band has nothing short of a cult following, which adds to the atmosphere in a way that Brand New doesn't even have to work at it. I will see this band before I die.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
IRELAND
As some people know, I leave tomorrow for two weeks for Northern Ireland. I'm going with a group from CCU to work with children, teens, and adults through local church plants in the area.
Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
I will be sure to bring back photos and post them. God bless. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)