Just 15 Minutes a Day

No, the title isn't a reference to the annoying but memorable Geico slogan.  That's "15 minutes could save you 15% on car insurance."  But in some ways I guess you could call this insurance.

When Amanda and I lived in Sacramento, our church home was Horizon Community Church.  One of the activities that I participated in there was a 6:30am Friday morning men's group.  It may sound a bit odd, but the pastor there, Brad Swope, had a few rules for attending this group.  Mostly they centered around being considerate for one another (trying to attend consistently, not being late, being honest in conversations, etc.).  The one that stuck with me to this day though was that we all had to commit to spending 15 minutes a day with God.  The time usage could take any number of forms, including quiet time, prayer, reading the Bible, etc.

It's a simple concept really - even with everyone's busy schedules, 15 minutes seemed feasible.  As important as God is, especially to men who are committed to getting up hella early for spiritual growth, it shouldn't be too hard to set aside just 1/4 hour for Him.  Not surprisingly though, it always ends up being much more challenging than it sounds, especially with all of the responsibilities and distractions that adulthood, home ownership, and parenthood require.

At the beginning of each men's group, we would hold each other accountable to this commitment, and discuss how we did for the previous week with regards to it.  Very rarely did any one of us accomplish spending this time every single day, but I did find that whatever time was spent was certainly worth the effort.

If you truly believe that there is a God of the universe, and you also believe that we can communicate with Him (through prayer, meditation, reading the Bible, etc.), then doesn't it seem worth sacrificing such a small amount of time to dedicate to Him?  So for all you Christians out there, what do you think of this idea?  After all, the 15 minutes you spend with God will save you a helluva lot more than just insurance premiums.

Dream on 11/18/2014

I was in a public place of some sort, with a female (sister, friend, unknown, but not romantic), both of us were sitting in white reclining plastic chairs.  There was also a small plastic table between us.  She warned me that "You should get your gun."  I was stunned by her statement and looked at her, confused.  Then she repeated it, but more urgently.  I replied that “my guns are at home”.

Just then three people walked up, wearing white outfits with red trim.  One woman and two men.  They were similar in size/gender to the three villains in Superman 2, but had otherwise drastically different appearances.  They were pointing odd looking guns at me, with multiple vertical slots at the end of the barrel, instead of a single hole.  I was thinking they were going to provide an electrical shock of some sort, like a tazer but possibly more powerful.  That was just a guess though.

I was closest to and facing the middle sized male, who seemed to be the leader.  He was wearing eye glasses (not shaded).  I was trying to decide whether to lunge to the side and rush in on him (hopefully avoiding the direction of the barrel and/or getting to him before he has the chance to pull the trigger), or what else I could do. 

I woke up at 5:20am, realizing that I need to do a much better job of preparing myself for the unlikely event of a threatening situation/attack.  In hindsight I could have grabbed the table and used it as a shield while rushing in.  I could have looked around me and maybe grabbed something to throw at him, striking first.  I should have also positioned myself better in relation to all three attackers, such that I would only have to directly confront the one main attacker first (instead of having all three aimed at me).  And finally, I should have reacted better/faster when she told me to get my gun and when I realized I was under attack (I was stunned/surprised like a deer in headlights).

I know, it was just a dream.  I don't believe that dreams are always foreshadowing, or even that they are supposed to necessarily mean anything significant (although I do think that both options are possible).  I also know that the likelihood of me ever getting attacked in the real world is slim to none, let alone with a scenario similar to this dream.  However, having experienced in my mind the emotions and thoughts associated with this type of event, it seems foolish to not at least be better prepared for something similar, even if it does only happen in my dreams again.

The Joys of the Gym

One of the many things I enjoy about working for GE is the benefit of their nearby gym.  At $15/month, the facility and equipment aren't anywhere near as impressive as Gold's or LA Fitness, but they have all the equipment I need, they're rarely crowded in the mornings (I try to get there around 6:30am), and the building is less than a mile from my desk.

Like any gym, there is a wide variety of people you’ll see there, but lately I've been finding myself observing the oddities of humanity more than usual.  This provide a mixture of amusement, amazement, annoyance, and sometimes disgust.  Some examples of the things I've seen recently are:

• I typically go to the same locker area, mostly out of habit.  But if my usual area of the locker room happens to be crowded, or even if there are just one or two guys in the vicinity, I’ll shift to a different one.  Most of the lockers are empty in the morning anyway, so there are hundreds of options to choose from.  Similar to the shower though, it still surprises me when a man walks in a virtually empty and spacious locker room, then just has to go to his usual locker, which is right next to or just across from mine.
  
• My work out partner actually found toe nail clippings on the floor in front of the lockers.  What kind of man would think that this is acceptable behavior?  If I were to see someone in the act of doing this, I would have a really hard time not saying something to him.
  
• Sure, aftershaves and/or body sprays often provide decent aromas, but when the entire locker room is gagging from the overpowering stench, how can you not tell that you've used too much?  I mean, how can someone’s sense of smell be that bad, that they would need to use an entire bottle in order to tell that it’s enough for one day?  I feel bad for anyone who is working next to him, or even in the same building.

After using the gym in the morning, I always take a shower before heading to work.  That’s provided some interesting fodder as well, including:

• There are 18 separate enclosed shower stalls (w/a curtain as the door).  Since a lot fewer people go to the gym in the morning than any other time of day, there aren't too many stalls being occupied when I shower (2-3 at a time maybe).  Why then, when I’m taking a shower, must a man pick the stall directly next to mine?  This may sound a little extreme, but it kinda grosses me out to know that some guy’s shower water could be running down his naked body then splashing on me from under the gap at the bottom of the partition.  If enough shower stalls are available, then can’t you just leave a gap between us?
  
• I have seasonal allergies (for a week or two each in the fall and spring), so I know how it can be when your nose and/or lungs are struggling with the blockage that sometimes accompanies these times of year.  I also know how working out can help clear some of this blockage (force the cardiovascular system to expand and open up).  But do you have to spit your cleared blockages on the shower floor?
  
• My co-worker/workout partner Chris noticed some of the shower stalls have boogers smeared on the walls.
  
• I once found a used band-aid in the shower’s soap dish.  Luckily I didn't see any blood or puss on it, but even still…
  
• There is an odd looking man with very fair skin and gray hair.  He’s tall and slightly overweight, (but not obese).  He has a nasally voice and does not look like he has a single hair on his face or his entire body.  How do I know this?  Because he often stands in the locker room air drying for an extended period of time.  Sometimes he shakes his hips with his towel waving in the air behind him, like he’s trying to dry his backside.  But he’s not really trying to dry off – it’s just a sickening show.  I thought to myself “am I being too judgmental?”  But I asked my workout partner about it, and he laughed and exclaimed “Yeah, of course I noticed, and I hate that!”
  
  A few weeks ago when I got out of the shower he was doing his usual thing in the locker room aisle, but this time he was standing on one foot and had the other one propped up on the front of a standing fan, so that the fan can blow on his little pink, bald junk.  I couldn't take it anymore and said “Come on!  Really?!”  He looked over at me.  “Do you really have to prop your foot up and dry your balls off in front of everyone?”  He stepped down and responded guiltily “I’m um, drying my toes.  Have you ever had athletes foot?”  “Yeah, I have.”  I replied, calling his bluff.
  
  I didn't see him in the locker room for a number of weeks after that.  I wasn't trying to be a bully, but blatantly airing your manhood for way more time than necessary is just gross and inconsiderate of everyone else around you.

The Satisfaction of a Hard Day's Work, Especially When it's Helping Others

I helped out with Habitat for Humanity today, in association with GE.  My co-worker Chris started organizing the event, but then he got overwhelmed with work and also went on vacation.  So I ended up picking up where he left off and doing a large portion of the planning, organizing, and communicating for it.

When the day of volunteering was done, my forearms and hands were (and still are) pretty sore.  It was enjoyable and satisfying work though.  I really like assembling things and putting together projects.  There's just something innately gratifying and therapeutic to being outdoors (though under a roof) and using your hands, especially when (in this case) there were people there to help us if/when our own knowledge and experience was lacking.  Although, I can see how that might not be the case if it was a full time job.

In addition to enjoying the manual labor, I learned some new things about home building and improvement.  I am now more familiar with hanging door frames and closet doors, and also got to work on the bathroom floor (putting down water-proof floor panels in preparation for the ceramic tile).  As a bonus, the lady who is going to be living in the house (with her kids) stopped by to say hi.  So we got to meet the person who's going to be benefiting from our efforts.

The four hours of manual labor really boosted my appetite too.  I was hungrier than usual, and since I brought the lunch to the site (paid for by GE) I got to take home the majority of the leftovers (after asking around and giving some of it away to whoever wanted it).  So I not only got a free lunch, but I got dinner out of it too.

I'm scheduled to help again next Wednesday, and I gotta admit that I'm somewhat looking forward to it.  I'm also curious to see if the conditions (weather, assigned tasks) and end results will be as positive as today's were.

Daddy/Daughter Date to Dairy Queen

On Monday of this week, I took my youngest daughter Clara on a daddy/daughter date to Dairy Queen.  I would rather have done something more extensive and fun, but it's been quite a while since our last time hanging out together, and I didn't have much money to spend anyway.  Besides, who doesn't love their Blizzards :-).  It was sweet time of hanging out, holding her tiny hand to/from the car, and sharing a blizzard while talking together.

I also learned something new about her, that she is completely ambidextrous.  I asked her which hand she writes with in school and she said "both".  She said that neither is her favorite and that she switches between them when one gets tired.

According to internet statistics, 1% of the population is ambidextrous.  I thought it would be much lower than that, since in my 43 years I've never known anyone who has indicated they didn't have a right or left hand preference/dominance.  Unfortunately, one article also said that:

"Children who are ambidextrous, using either hand with the same ease, may be more likely to have mental health, language and academic problems than their peers,"

Time will tell whether there is any truth or relevance to this study for Clara.  So far though she seems very smart to us, but maybe we're just bias as her parents.

What do you Stand For?

The other day an advertisement for Doc Marten shoes played before a movie trailer that I was trying to watch, and I couldn't help but think about it.  Here is the ad, along with another similar one for their campaign.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKaac3zLE1c
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTXmlDzpba8

Their question and ad slogan is "What do you Stand for?"  Here are the answers given in the above videos.  I stand for...

• distortion
• the crowd
• making classic contemporary
• punk rock
• youth frustration
• rising against conformity
• keeping things simple
• the youth
• being unique
• getting shit done
• putting myself out there
• keeping people guessing
  

Some of the above answers are silly, or even pathetic (distortion, really?).  Many of them though are at least admirable character traits that I try to portray myself, especially the last four, or even five.  But to "stand for" something implies not just a personal characteristic, but a statement about what is the #1 most important thing to you.

For those of you who know me, or even if you've just been reading my blog for a while, hopefully my answer to the question of "What do you stand for?" is obvious:  I stand for the almighty God of the universe, and His son Jesus Christ.  They not only make life much more enjoyable (providing peace, love, joy, strength, depth, meaning, contentment), but they are the only things that truly have eternal implications.  Therefore everything else pales in comparison.

What about you?  What do you stand for?

The Mind or the Multitasking - ADHD version of "The Chicken or the Egg"

I read an article last week (see link) that talked about the negative effects of multitasking on the human brain.

Unfortunately for me though, my current job requires multitasking, to a large extent.  I have somewhere between six and ten tasks to accomplish at any given time, and the urgency of a particular task varies based on external events and who is making the request.  Often times I find that just when I start to focus on a specific task I get interrupted by a new request or question about the product I'm responsible for, or something related to it.  If not that, then it's a co-worker discussion around me, a phone call from my wife, or a random email.  Most of the time this doesn't bother me much - I'm pretty used to it and it keeps me from getting bored.

Lately though, I feel like I've been having a harder time staying focused on just one work task.  At home too, I have so many projects and things to get done that I find myself often challenged to decide which one to work on and then once I'm engaged it's not uncommon for me to get distracted by someone or by another priority that I want/need to make progress on.  I even had a hard time the other day sitting down to read the Bible and write in my journal, as I was thinking about various reasons to get up and get other things done.  I don't recall having this problem nearly as much before though, and after reading the article I couldn't help but wonder if maybe my brain has been adapting to the continuous multitasking that work and/or life has required of me.

Younger generations probably have it even worse, since they are inundated with multimedia and multitasking for the majority of their life. I know there are other factors to consider, but how much impact does this have on the increased diagnosis of mental disorders such as ADHD.  I'm not the only one to notice this coincidence either.

So how should we address this modern problem then?  If our minds are being forced to adapt to constantly switching between tasks and doing multiple things at once, then would it help to force ourselves to at least periodically and purposefully pursue behavior to combat this?  Here are some ideas of activities for this:

• Meditation
• Prolonged prayer (including not just talking, but also listening)
• Writing
• Turning off multimedia

Maybe I'm mistaken though, and it's all just genetic.  And perhaps the only thing that will help an excessively restless mind is to keep it engaged, active, and/or medicated.  I can't help but want to err on the side of discipline, determination, and deliberate behavioral modification though.