Riding off into the Sunset

A few days ago, I was driving on the Loop 202 SanTan freeway in Gilbert, and I was treated to this spectacular sunset.

Some would say I shouldn't have taken a photo while driving. That's probably true.

But then I wouldn't have a picture of the sun setting behind South Mountain to share with you tonight.

I would have been forced to write yet another heavy, philosophical blog post. Stay the thought.

A Code of Honour

I am sometimes embarrassed by how we, as human beings, treat one another. Of course, this includes myself; I'm not trying to preach or declare myself as any kind of measuring stick for politeness. However, I am a steadfast believer in such things as chivalry, courtesy, kindness and manners.

So, tonight, I will delineate a few items I feel everyone should make a habit.

1. Men should not sit down while a lady has to stand. Give up your seat, be it on a bus, at school, at work, at home, anywhere. This is not old-fashioned or sexist. It is polite.
   
   
2. Rule #1 also applies to the elderly. If I see another teenager keep his seat on the light rail while an elderly rider stands, clutching desperately to the rail as the train screeches to a halt, I will be inclined to forcibly remove him from his seat.
   
   
3. Limit gum-chewing in public. I say "limit," because if you have really bad breath, then I think people will tolerate the gum-chewing to avoid the garlic stench from the pasta you just ate for lunch. ***As a side-note, do you public gum-chewers know that you look like cattle as you chomp away?
   
   
4. Say "please," say "thank you," and mean it.
   
   
5. Don't be cheap. Don't be stupid with your money -as I often am - but don't be cheap either. Tip well, give gifts (modest ones). The point here: Don't value $$$ more than people.
   
   
6. Men: Respect women. Treat them well. Better than well.
   
   
7. Women: Don't settle for someone who doesn't follow Rule #6.
   
   
8. Give compliments. Real ones.
   
   
9. Don't treat anyone as an inferior. A waiter, a cashier, a child. Recognize everyone's value. Everyone is an equal, because everyone is equally human.
   
   
10. Have compassion. Be sensitive, and don't be mean-spirited.
    
    

I've recorded 10 "rules." There are certainly more, but I like even numbers. Some of these are tougher than others, but they are all doable, and they are all important.

I really believe that a little more Honour in this world would help resolve a lot of problems. At any rate, it would make us (Humanity) all feel a lot better.

My name is Who

"Know Thyself"

Self-definition, I think, is a lifelong process, rather than a destination. For me, this is a frustrating concept. It's difficult for me to know myself, and therefore know what's best for myself, when that "self" is constantly changing.

Over the course of the last month or so, I've had to make a lot of important decisions. When you're 23, it seems like every decision is colossal. I've had to make choices regarding my career, buying a home, dating, and finances. I guess when it rains, it pours.

In each of these decisions, I'd like to make the best possible choice for myself. Pick a job I can be passionate about and find a home that's nice, but within my budget. Date someone who's a good match for me.

But should I make these choices based on who I am right now, today? Because that's destined to change soon. Should I look to my past, at who I've been before? Or should I try and predict the future, and make decisions on what I'm likely to become?

It's just two words, but to "know thyself" isn't as easy as it sounds.

24

Today I ...

... began working on four of eight Gilbert business stories I currently have on the table.

... interviewed four sources and left messages for four other sources.

... met Gilbert Mayor John Lewis, most of the town council and other key town officials.

... signed a thick stack of intimidating documents for a home purchase agreement.

... tried to track down financial records to give to a loan officer in order to get a mortgage.

... took a quiz for JMC 473, The Business and Future of Journalism.

... battled a head cold.

... drank over a gallon of warm water to try and flush out the head cold.

... didn't finish my homework.

... didn't finish my work work.

... didn't write a very good blog post.

Quoth the Raven

"Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads." - Henry David Thoreau

In typical transcendentalist form, Thoreau here presents a valuable concept but leaves its interpretation to the reader.
I think Thoreau was pointing out the divinity of nature, extolling the beauty of a world that was sometimes thought of (especially by the Puritans) as crude and vulgar.
To me, this quote is a reminder to enjoy life and its simple pleasures. Sure, the sky may hold something greater and grander, but there is amazing beauty throughout the world around us.
Take nothing for granted.
Smile, and have a little fun!


"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius.

Labor Day in Colorado

A few photos from Labor Day weekend in Durango, Colorado:

My grandparents own some beautiful property 30 minutes east of Durango near Vallecito Lake.

The Durango & Silverton Railroad takes you through the rugged canyons of the Animas River.

Who's driving?

There's a mystical element to life that is often difficult to grasp and nearly impossible to comprehend.

I'm not talking about ghosts or Voodoo. I'm referring to the potential "butterfly effect" of seemingly innocuous events, which can later reveal themselves as turning points and stepping stones. These "happenings" appear to some as random cosmic coincidence, and to others as predetermined fate, depending on interpretation.

If you know me well enough, you've probably heard me talk about this before. The coincidence/fate discussion is one of my favorites.

I think the choices you make end up defining you. But I'm not sure we're the ones writing the definitions.

If you examine the decisions that have brought you to your current state (from Point A to Point B), there is a good chance you had no idea what you were getting into when you were back at Point A.

In other words, most decisions are made blindly. Often, there is no way to assess the future ramifications of even trivial choices.

That's a somewhat unsettling thought. It means that ultimately, you are not in the driver's seat of your own car.

Or if you are driving, it's foggy and you can't see beyond 50 yards.

Do I have any concrete evidence to back this up? I do.

Exhibit A: choosing a university.
Do you go in state or out? Ivy League or Pac-10? Private or public?
When you decide where to go to school and what to study, it's impossible to tell where each path will lead. I picked Arizona State, but I would have loved to go to a school like UC-Berkeley. But who knows where that would have taken me? Maybe to my dream job at the Washington Post, or maybe just into debt with cumbersome student loans to pay for the $40,000/yr tuition.

Exhibit B: choosing a wife (or husband).
Ok, so I'm not married, and therefore not fully qualified to use this example. But in theory, picking a spouse is one of the most difficult decisions a person can make. And even if you find someone you think is perfect, or perfect for you, there is no telling where you'll end up. I'm not being pessimistic or negative. I'm just repeating a well known truism: Love is blind.

Exhibit C: deciding what to do tomorrow.
This is the scariest and most important example. It's something that comes at us everyday. Planning a schedule, being somewhere at a certain point in time. Go to the movies, or go to the bookstore? A seemingly harmless, insignificant choice, but, what if at the bookstore you meet your future spouse? What if at the movie theater you perform the heimlich on someone choking on popcorn? Anyone can identify these turning points, both big and small.

So what exactly is my point here?

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

You'll never be able to completely control your life. Just make the best of what you've got.

Full speed ahead.