All in Archive
Optimism and Restaurants
But occasionally the world also brings a dose of joy and optimism in the most unexpected places. These moments serve as a reminder of the joy we ought to carry. Today, I re-encountered Marilyn Hagerty, the 86-year-old writer for the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. Ms. Hagerty gained fame in 2012 for her delightful review of the local Oliver Garden.
Body, Soul, and Basketball
Our games offer an entertaining alternative to running the treadmill and a great competitive outlet—the somewhat-civilized fight club. The games are often a highlight of my week. I say that without any complaint about my job, which encompasses many responsibilities that I love, from writing and teaching to counseling and traveling. Despite my job satisfaction, my wife often chides me as to how often my response to “how was your day” includes references to our game.
Will You Be My Friend?
Just over one year ago, I joined Facebook and began a novice social experiment. After I joined, I decided not to add anyone as my Facebook friend to see how quickly my network would grow by only accepting friend requests from others. (I will excuse the poor grammar of using “friend” as the verb instead of “befriend” since this seems to be appropriate language on Facebook.)
God Bless the Coffeehouse
For as long as I have loved coffee, I have loved the many varieties of houses that welcome you to sit and sip. I acknowledge the ambiance of the modern bohemian has a certain appeal to me, but the characteristic that repeatedly draws me in is the thinking. It seems to me that coffee houses are part of an exclusive club of places that facilitate thought.
Greatest Shows on Earth
It was All Quiet on the Western Front when I set about to accomplish my most recent goal. It Happened One Night in 2008 that I decided to watch every Academy Award Best Picture Winner. Just after the 2009 Awards ceremony, I accomplished my goal like Patton advancing through the Germans, which prompted this blog. It would be a Titanic and Rocky task to list every movie from the past eighty years in this writing, and I am afraid I would be Unforgiven for bogging things down with absurd attempts to work “The Life of Emile Zola” or “Gigi” into my writing.
Going the Distance
I am not a runner. I do, however, subject myself to running on nearly a daily basis. I was long an individual who failed to lose his baby-fat. I was never particularly overweight, at least by American standards, but still carried more weight than I should. The weight issue grabbed my attention the summer after my freshman year of college. Perhaps like many freshmen, I had gained additional weight over the year—not quite the freshman-fifteen, but more than enough.
Punchline to a Lawyer Joke
I am often the first person to rail on the legal profession—particularly lawyers as individuals. On that note, the law has a bevy of problems that are ever-present and far-reaching. This includes lawyers’ fees, ease-of-access to the profession, and similarly, over-saturation of the profession. Those problems don’t even begin to address lawyer’s personal flaws that regularly make the news.
Light My Fire
I was recently reading a book that discussed the need for activities that rejuvenate the soul—good things the provide pleasure and joy. The book referenced one girl who ventured into the city whenever time allowed. The author sprinted away from the city to reach the wilderness and more importantly the peaceful quiet when he was able. Some people need time to read, some need time for music. The point of the section was that God intends for us to have goodness in our lives.
Time Keeps on Slippin’
Quotes are an easy, unimaginative tool to begin writing, but it seems an appropriate summation given the marked changes that have occurred since my last writing so many months ago. When I last wrote, I was hanging on to my last remnants of childhood and college. I occupied my days at the pool, working for a beach-ready body, and watching movies in-between my passive attempts at studying for the bar. Jump to the middle of October and I am officially a lawyer.
96% Lawyer
I have exactly 22 days remaining in law school. Technically I need to pass the bar to be a practicing attorney, but the end is in sight like concrete to a bungee-free bungee jumper. If graduation wasn't sobering enough, I recently had another reminder of how close I am to working for the next 35-40 years of my life.
Milk and Cookies Remix
I feel the need to offer an addendum to "Milk and Cookies." First some background. For those of you who did not read my ramblings yesterday, I can sum things up in a few words: "Nathan = paralyzing apathy." Jason wisely pointed out that we need to cling to good memories of the past while anxiously awaiting those to come—he is correct.
Milk and Cookies
Am I so uninteresting that I have no thoughts worth sharing? I could share interesting tidbits so any readers can know that a hand-written will is invalid in the state of Kansas. Perhaps I could discuss the irony of classmates cheating in an ethics class, but nothing has inspired me to put fingers to the keyboard. Hopefully that simply means I've firmly established my standards for what qualifies as inspiration.
Phog Virginity
Tonight I had my first experience at the Allen Fieldhouse, named after legendary head coach, Forrest "Phog" Allen. KU played archrival Missouri in the Border War, which stems back to the civil war when Kansas "Jayhawkers" waged guerilla attacks on the confederate state of Missouri. The civil war ended in 1865, but the schools resumed athletic battle starting in 1891 on the football field. The border wars have been raging ever since and KU celebrates by breaking out the "muck fizzou" shirts.