The Short Walk, or, My sucessful fight against The American Way

Here in America, everyone drives everywhere. Every shop, or group of shops that is more than a road width apart has an enormous parking lot. You are not meant to walk from place to place, you are meant to walk from your car to the shop, then back to your car, then drive along to the next shop. Pavements are kept amazingly clean, but see very little use.

So when I walked from the store to the bank, (which was over two roads and along about half a mile of pedestrian 'sidewalk') I felt a sense of pride and achievement.  Other Americans may have looked down on me as they drove past in their air conditioned, leather interior, 12 mpg vehicles.  They may have wondered "Is his car broken, or is he just looking for the bus stop?"  They may have considered reporting me to the police for vagrancy, to the lunatic asylum for mental deficiencies.   Some of the kinder ones may have even thought of offering me a ride to my destination.

No matter what they thought, I carried on walking.  Hopefully they won't revoke my American citizenship for this.

Disconnected from Reality.

There is something strange that has happened to the human experience.  I noticed it the other day when a couple of my co-workers were discussing a TV show.  We had been working long hours due to the snow fall and consequentially some of the staff had missed an episode which contained some revelation about some character who did something... blahdeblah.  Who cares what happens to no-existent people?

Well, truth be told, everyone who watches the show did.  They were emotionally touched by what ever happened to whoever.  Their ire was raised.  Their thoughts were provoked.  Their anger was expressed.  And they wanted to share it with those who watched the same show.  The starting question was always the same though "Oh my goodness, did you see the episode last night?"  To say 'yes' was to be invited to join in the emotional conversation.  To say 'no' was to be asked to join in the emotional conversation without spoilers.

Now, this amount of emotional engagement is exactly what the makers of the show hope for.  It keeps the show in peoples hearts and minds, keeps the ratings high and the money flowing.  To achieve this level of engagement shows are scripted to appeal to viewers.  The producers set up their show to resonate with something that is naturally within humans; the ability to empathize with those around us.

This ability to empathize is something that has been put in us to improve humankind in general.  You will only help someone if you both know about their need and care enough to provide aid.  You can imagine yourself in a similar situation, waiting for some hero to rescue you.  And you become that hero!  In this way the world becomes full of heroes helping and being helped in their turn.  It seems to me to be one of the most powerful motivating factors in human relationships.

So the makers of these shows are taking that powerful motivating factor and using it to make money.  In doing so, I wonder how much damage they are doing to society.  We all have a certain emotional 'power bank'.  You have a certain amount of resources to draw on and when the limits are reached, there is no more empathy.  You don't care what happens to the other person because you are already drained by your emotional engagement with another person.  So you will not do anything to help.

So I have some questions about all of the emotional vitality that my co-workers were expressing on their TV show and its carefully designed characters and plots.  How much of an emotional withdrawal did that make from their bank?  How would that empathy have expressed itself otherwise?  And could all of that emotional energy have made a positive difference in the lives of people around them?

Those that write...

Those that can write, do.  Those that can't write critique. Or they would if they could actually think of that particular word.  Writing something that is easy to read is difficult.  I read the fanzine "the ugly inside", and while it is a totally worthwhile read, it isn't written brilliantly.  Those that can write brilliantly get jobs as journalists or novelists.

I like to write.  I like to make sentences flow together and I think (I think!) I am reasonably good at it.  Writing is about presentation, rhythm and choosing words that give an emotional content to your meaning.  Do you get what I mean?  Because some people don't.

Some people think that the phrase "icy snow" isn't a correct description of snow that has melted slightly and re-frozen.  They thing that it will confuse people that read an email sent out to customers - which email, I may add they would may never write.

Now, I'll be honest, I don't always write the perfect email.  I may disclose details about work that the bosses do not want the customer to know.  I may be honest about reasons for delay while the bosses would prefer to hid it.  Such things may be detrimental to the image of the company and I can accept guidance on these matters.  But "icy snow"?  Which brings me back to my original point.  Those that write do.

So I thought I should start writing again.

A zoo project

Today the kids and I went to the zoo.  We took three cameras and I gave them a project - to take three pictures, one of a water animal, one of a land animal and one of a flying animal.  Although we had to leave the zoo before we got photos of the flying animal, we had a good time and got the other two pictures.

At the Zoo Entrance - By Emma...

...and by Daddy

We started out on the Northern trail.  First stop was the otter pond.  Emma and Elisha both had otters as

their water animal.

Kids with Cameras

Emma's otter photo

Emma wrote a report which says:  "I'd love to tell you about the last time me, daddy and Elisha went to the zoo.  I took very good pictures.  I love them.  You would love them too.  P.S. The pictures I chose are soooo cute."

Elisha's otter photo

Elisha was using my large Olympus, as you can see.  He had a little trouble with the focus to start off with, and then the battery died (which was part of the reason we headed home without completing the project).  But even so, we agree this is a pretty cool underwater picture, even if it is a little out of focus.

The next stop on the northern trail was the brown bears.  Here is Emma taking some photos

Emma and the bear

The photo she took.

When we had finished there we carried on walking and taking photos.  Here is my land animal, a prairie dog in the snow:

Derek's land animal.

Elisha carried on taking pictures and enjoying himself.  He found the asian horses:

'Look, dad!"

And on reviewing all his pictures, this is the one he likes best for a land animal.

Elisha's land animal

His report reads:  My trip to the zoo.  Today I have just returned from the zoo.  There was lots to see there. We saw bear, pigs, fish, horses and much much more.  Me, dad and Emma took some photographs of the animals we saw there.  After this, we did some other things before coming home.  I chose these two pictures because I like them.

So that just leaves my water animal, which is a baby cuttlefish.  Oh, and my report - which you have just finished reading!

Dad's water beastie.

Exercise

Exercising for me is a balance - or maybe a battle.  It is a battle between my muscles and my lungs.  One will give out first when running!  At the moment the muscles can carry the lungs further than the lungs can go.  But that will change soon.

Exercising

New Shoes!

Last year I was involved in a diet competition at Lawn Ranger.  Although I didn't win, I beat the two guys who I worked most closely with, Josh "Chubby Cheeks" and Jesse "I bet anyone $50 I win the whole thing" (which he didn't).  During that time I started running.  Also, during that time I had to go and have my driving licence photo taken and it showed the difference exercising can make.  Compare below...

So, big fat Derek became Bearded thinner Derek in 4 years of America.  Over the winter I have been slowly putting on weight again, and gradually the scales has gone from 235lbs (16 stone 11 or 106 kg) to 240lbs (17 stone 2 or 108 kg).  So time to start exercising again, especially now that the roads are mainly free from snow, ice and slush.

My theory of exercising is simple.  Don't do it if it hurts.  I can see from how long it took me to put on 4 or 5 lbs that my eating habits are pretty good, and I have a reasonably active job.  Why should I want to hurt myself trying to get fit?  So I gently work myself into longer and longer runs.  At my best last year I was running about 4 miles twice a week.  Without stressing myself.

Tonight I ran (and walked to avoid stress) about a mile.  It was a lot better this time than it was the first time I tried it last year.  We'll see how it all goes this time.

Podcast

Every Sunday I do a podcast for Present Truth Ministry.  This is an organisation set up by a good friend of mine, Jason DeMars.  I record it in what seems a backwards way to me - I write the whole podcast first, and then read the transcript.  This is for two reasons.  I have to have an accurate transcription because of translations.  And also because I like to have a good script for my podcast!  Fortunately it is only a short one each week or I would have to change plans.

Last week

According to the boss at work, this will be my last week at Anagram.  Its been a really good job for me over the winter.  I wonder what will be next?

My Steak Dinner

Today I made a yummy steak dinner for the family.  We had some reduced price steak which had sat in the freezer for about 6 months and decided last night that today would be the day to use it.  So I cooked it up with steamed cabbage, mashed potato and olive oil fried tomatoes, red peppers and onions.  It was lightly seasoned with black pepper, garlic and salt.  The gravy was homemade from scratch, using the drippings from the meat as well as the water the vegetables were cooked in - it was delicious.

My family agreed with me on this, except for one crucial, American detail.  This pure, undefiled, totally homemade and delicious meal needed one final ingredient to form a more perfect dining experience.  Actually it needed two - according to my sweetheart and her offspring.  Tomato Ketchup and Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce. YEAH, cause this is AMERICA baby, and without High Fructose Corn Syrup, it ain't happening!

So I sat and ate my steak the English way, with gravy.

The week flu by

This week I was sick with some kind of a cold.  It wasn't flu according to the definition I heard from a nurse one time.  She told me that the way to tell the difference between a cold and flu is one hundred pounds.  (Money, not weight; I heard this in England).  If you are laying sick in bed, and there is one hundred pounds on the other side of the room ($150 aprox) if you have a cold, you will go and get it.  If you have the flu you cannot leave the comfort of your bed as you have not energy left.  As I had energy to leave my bed each morning, I am diagnosing it as a heavy cold.  I am feeling better today but still a little bunged up.  I shall rest this weekend.

The Snow Came

So the snow came, cancelling church because of the freezing rain that was forecast.  This actually fell as ice pellets, rather than liquid rain that froze to whatever it came into contact first - not as dangerous or slick, but still a nuisance.

Speaking of nuisance, we visited a friends yesterday and we left all their winter clothing there.  Rachel, who went to a baby shower, was not at all impressed with me!  Anyhow while we were there the following conversation came up between Emma and Natalie.

Emma:  How does it feel to be the only girl in your family?

Natalie (who has three brothers): What do you mean?

E: You are the only sister and you have three brothers!

Natalies mother: But Emma, you are the only sister too.

E: Yes, but Natalie has Boys, I only have Boy (pointing to Elisha)

Cue general discussion between the girls on Boy and Boys in family.

Cute.

Snow Coming

The news is full of the big snowfall that will cover the northeast of the USA.  Here in Minnesota we are expecting to catch another storm that will most likely put 4 to 6 inches of snow on the ground over the next few days.  So, I am glad that I don't work in the snow removal industry at the moment!

Slush Hour

Last night it snowed.  For the second night in a row.  So this morning at about 6:30 I was shovelling snow off the car and the driveway in order to get to work on time. Which I didn't.  Because when it snows in Minnesota, we don't have rush hour, we have slush hour.  Which extends what would be rush hour about an hour in each direction, sends cars sliding into ditches and lowers the speed limit by about 45 mph.  Which all adds up to being 15 minutes late for work for the second day in a row.

Back from Vegas, Forward to a job.

So last week I came back from Las Vegas to snowy Minnesota.  One big difference I noticed was that the airport in Vegas had all these video screens advertising casinos.  The Airport here in Twin Cities has video screens with the weather on them.  I guess that shows something.  It rained for three days in Vegas while I was there - I guess it was the wet season.  We didn't get the showroom finished by the time that we left, but most of the work was done.

We were at the World Market Center.  An impressive building, reminding you at the same time of a prison, a communist headquarters, and something I couldn't quite put my finger on until the last couple of days we were there.  And so, shamelessly ripped from various websites, I present to you:

The World Market Center, Las Vegas.

 The Inspiration for the world market center, Las Vegas.

Las Vegas

So after a few days in Las Vegas there are a couple of things that I have noticed.  It's easy to see why it got the label 'sin city'.  It is an artificial, neon lit paradise for all those seeking to indulge the human senses.  Advertisements for all kinds of shows and casinos are everywhere, and slot machines seem to be an almost universal feature of every business.  There are no naturally occurring plants in the city, only palm trees and other similarly imported exotic plants.  Outside of the Las Vegas strip where all the big hotels and casinos are, the city seems to be spread out and run down.  It is easy to imagine mob violence and death stalking the empty lots.

However, this trip so far has not been without its little amusements for me.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you a sample of the crazy advertising you can see in Vegas!

If it's in stock, they have it.  But if not, we don't.

Care for a tattoo?  I dont, but if you want one, you can have one while you wait.  Presumably rather than leaving your skin there while you continue shopping.

So life goes on in crazy Vegas.

Trip to Las Vegas

Our Neighbourhood

I am in Las Vegas at the moment - a place I wouldn't normally consider going to, unless to visit Rachel's grandfather who lives here.  I would have phoned him already but I am having problems with my telephone.  Oh well.  As I took off out of Minneapolis I flew right by our house.  Emma says she saw my plane, but I didn'd see her waving.  Oh well.  More on Vegas later!

A New Challenge

My dearest wife, the Lovely Rachel, has challenged me to restart a blog and update it regularly.  So here I go reactivating this blog, with the shameful date count of the past attached to remind me of past failures.  Forgive me blog for I have failed you!

However a new year, a new start on this old blog.  And here is the first item of interest - a visit to the dentist with Elisha.  And there I realised something that I just had to included it in my blog of the week.

A Dentist.  A Dental office is a place where you exchange one form of discomfort for another, in the hope that at the end of the treatment, there will be peace.  Until the next cavity, that is.

Hope you enjoy that,

Derek