I sometimes wonder if we've become a generation without heroes. And, if so, I wonder when, exactly, that happened. When did so many of us decide to turn a cynical eye toward the world and nearly everybody in it? And now that 8-year-olds have mastered the art of detached cynicism, will anyone aim to be just like...someone admirable?
When I was 8, I thought Scottie Pippen was the coolest. I entered a writing contest he sponsored and won a T-Shirt that told me in bright neon letters that I should work hard, dream big, play fair, give my all, go for it. I never once thought those encouragements were trite or hypocritical. Working hard worked for Scottie Pippen, so why would it not work for me?
Was I naive? Or are heroes truly valuable for kids...and adults, too, for that matter? And what do we do when the traditional heroes of old--sports stars, musicians, presidents, astronauts--let our kids, and us, down? Do we need to be choosier about who qualifies as a hero? Or is it better to claim no heroes and avoid the crushing disappointment when they fall?
Maybe heroes are less human and more quality. But how do you, how does a kid, aim to be like the quality of hard work or morality or generosity without seeing that quality encapsulated in a human, in a hero?
I, for one, want my heroes back. I want to have a dozen answers to this question my mom and I were tossing around at breakfast this morning: If you could invite any historical figure (other than Jesus, from ancient or recent history) who has had an impact on your life to share your Thanksgiving meal, who would you invite? Who would you want to thank for the impression, big or small, that they made on you?
I have a few heroes I would invite, but it's less than I'd like, so I'm going to start looking for heroes again. I'm going to look for everyday heroes, and I'm going to work on being less cynical about the people who could be heroes if I'd stop making snide remarks and give them a chance.
And in the meantime, I'm going to work hard, play fair, pump others up, and give it my all. I'm going to leave it all on the court, as they say. And perhaps some other day I'll blog about how much I really, really like sports cliches...
11.15.2011
11.13.2011
Snoozing on my 30th
My last post about turning 30 was awfully serious. True. But serious. I was able to indulge in a lot of introspection, a lot of looking back, and a lot of looking ahead, and I am thankful for that. But I also wanted you all to know how much fun I had turning the big 3-0.
My best friend met me in Casper, and we drove down to Denver for the weekend, stopping to see three more of my best friends in Douglas. On Saturday, I met up with a dear friend for coffee and two more best friends came up from Colorado Springs to tear it up in Denver with me. Then, on Sunday, my actual birthday, two more best friends (and a bonus friend who was visiting them) came down to indulge in a morning of Snoozing.
Not sleeping, mind you. Snooze is an a.m. eatery in downtown Denver that serves up the best pancakes and coffee in the world and offers more of an exuberant eating experience than just a meal. It deserves its own verb: snoozing.
We did a bunch of fun, silly things I've always wanted to do in Denver, visited some beloved favorites, and had an all around blast. But even better than that, my heart got filled to bursting with the joy of being with people I dearly love. Thank you, dear friends, for loving me in return and making me feel so special. My cheers go not to another year and long life, but to old friends, new friends, and friends-yet-to-be who give us meaningful years and full lives! Cheers!
My best friend met me in Casper, and we drove down to Denver for the weekend, stopping to see three more of my best friends in Douglas. On Saturday, I met up with a dear friend for coffee and two more best friends came up from Colorado Springs to tear it up in Denver with me. Then, on Sunday, my actual birthday, two more best friends (and a bonus friend who was visiting them) came down to indulge in a morning of Snoozing.
Not sleeping, mind you. Snooze is an a.m. eatery in downtown Denver that serves up the best pancakes and coffee in the world and offers more of an exuberant eating experience than just a meal. It deserves its own verb: snoozing.
We did a bunch of fun, silly things I've always wanted to do in Denver, visited some beloved favorites, and had an all around blast. But even better than that, my heart got filled to bursting with the joy of being with people I dearly love. Thank you, dear friends, for loving me in return and making me feel so special. My cheers go not to another year and long life, but to old friends, new friends, and friends-yet-to-be who give us meaningful years and full lives! Cheers!
Stopped in Douglas to enjoy lunch with Sarah and Becky and the newest addition to my circle of friends: baby Samuel. I miss you ladies terribly. Did my heart good to see you. Also enjoyed seeing my friend, Liz, for a bit. Just forgot to snap a photo.
Met up for coffee with my friend Staci and her kiddos. So good catching up!
Ben and Sarah came up from Colorado Springs. We went to a 3D IMAX. Who knew cuddle fish could cause such jump scares?
We climbed on dinosaurs.
We did lots of silly self-timed photos because I got a Gorilla Pod for my birthday from my parents. A Gorilla Pod is a bendable tripod that can shoot a photo anywhere.
We went to the Tattered Cover Bookstore...my favorite bookstore of all time. It was celebrating its 40th anniversary, so we enjoyed some cake.
Tattered Cover Bookstore. Photo courtesy Gorilla Pod.
This is something I've always wanted to do! We rented B-Cycles, also known as "those red bikes," and rode around Denver.
We pushed our bikes from 16th Street Mall up and over the river and interstate to get to one of my favorite ice cream places on the other side.
You have 1/2 hour to check your bike in at one of 52 B-Cycle stations in the city before you start accruing a larger rental fee. Makes it challenging. Here we are switching out our bikes.
You gotta go here if you're ever in Denver. (By the way, we shot this photo on a hill and I'm on the lower end... And, yeah, I'm short.)
Attached the Gorilla Pod to my bike basket and shot photos and video while riding. Wahoo!
My beautiful bestest best friend, Lindsey. So glad she could join us for this adventure. Loved road-tripping with her and miss her dearly.
Ben and Sarah rocking the B-cyles.
We went to Casa Bonita of South Park fame. Yes, it's real.
When you raise the red flag, your waiter or waitress comes running to see what you need. Raising the flag also means you want more endless sopapillas.
Lins, me, Sarah, and Ben in front of the waterfall that cliff divers dive over.
They juggle fire at Casa Bonita, too. And then they dive off the cliff into a worryingly small pool of water.
The cliff diver's waterfall.
Casa Bonita also features magicians, mariachi bands, and the haunted Black Bart's Cave.
Ahhh, how cute.
The view from our hotel room. And some frighteningly accessible ledges on the side of the hotel.
Part of the Snooze experience is sitting outside on the heated patio, drinking coffee, chatting with friends and strangers alike, and playing board games. We played Trivial Pursuit.
The hustle-bustle of Snooze.
Josh and Christi came down from Cheyenne to enjoy breakfast with us. Soooooo good to see them and enjoy a few hours together. Miss them lots.
Josh and Christi, me, Ben and Sarah, Lindsey. Best breakfast ever!
The addition of Christi's friend Stacy made it even better!
My pancake flight (blue mesa pancake made with corn and topped with chili-spiced maple syrup, blueberry lemon bar pancake, and a pancake of the day with strawberries, chocolate sauce and white mouse) came out with candles in it. Happy Birthday indeed!
Snooze! Friends! So happy!
11.09.2011
So long Twentysomethings
So. I have left my 20s. I am no longer a "twentysomething," that newly-ish coined phrase meant to capture in one word a wide swath of my generation, a group of people, who, on the whole, seem to be taking longer to grow up as we experiment with the myriad of choices out there in the big, wide, wonderful, economically imperiled world.
We have big dreams because we've been told since infancy that we matter, that our self-image is a prime consideration, and that we deserve to be happy because, well, we're worth it. We tend to have big hearts and want our work to make a difference in the world. And a lot of us are smacking pretty hard against reality when we suddenly realize the world does not, in fact, revolve around us. (See Jean Twenge's book, "Generation Me," for more on this topic. It is an EXCELLENT read.)
I've always been a little uneasy with the term "twentysomething." I never liked being lumped in with a bunch of egocentric whiners. But at the same time, I really could see hints of that twentysomething aura in myself. And that bothered me.
I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVED my twenties. I saw a lot of the world, and anyone who has known me for more than two minutes knows that travel thrills me. I come alive when traveling. I am the most me when traveling. I enjoyed all...oh, about 20...jobs I had. It may not have been that many, but there were a lot. I liked college. I dated one really excellent man in my 20s, and am so, so, so glad I did not embrace the promiscuity of my generation. As I enter my 30s, I am still ridiculously old-fashioned in that realm. I am guarding my heart (or doing my best, at least. The heart is unruly at times.) until I meet a man who will treat it with as much care as I do. Rabbit trail...
Anyway, yeah, I liked my 20s. But I've been volunteering at the senior center these past few months, and I find myself deeply admiring older generations' stability. I find myself thinking all these seniors DESERVE to make art, play pool, shout bingo, read books, eat good, cheap food, and go on excursions to Applebees (the nearest one is 2 hours away) because they did their time. They got married and stuck with it. They worked hard at just a few jobs until retiring on a solid financial foundation. And now, they can delight in hours of conversation over coffee at the senior center.
Will my generation be like that? Or will we still be searching for fulfillment at 80? What if we're just moving too fast to see that fulfillment doesn't come in that next thing or person or activity down the road if we could just get there fast enough?
We must learn to invest our time, money, effort, attitudes and choices into others. We must fight bitterness and that mad rat race of keeping up with the Joneses. We must forgive the hurts that will fester and rot us to our core if we don't. And we must commit. At least to the things that matter.
Now, I am a wanderer at heart. And I think God can use wanderers, so I'm not proposing we all commit to one job for the next 40 years. But we do need to commit to people. We need to put in the work of being a good friend, of keeping our good friends. We need to commit to serving the people in our church and loving, somehow, someway, the people outside our church walls that may very well not return our love at all. We MUST commit to our marriages and our kids. That, in itself, would radically turn this world around.
I realize I'm beginning to wander in this post. I suppose I'm just saying I was a little surprised by how much introspection turning 30 brought to me. I am grateful for my twentysomething era. So grateful. I love my life. But I'm also ready to move forward a little more steadily. I want to be committed with all my heart, soul, mind and strength to my Lord. And I want to be a steadfast and loyal friend to all those folks out there who may be frantically seeking the next big thing even though they really just want to sit down and enjoy a nice, leisurely chat over a cup of coffee...or four.
So. So long twentysomethings. It's been fun. But I'm really quite happy to be 30 now. Bring on those crow's feet and laugh lines. The more the merrier.
We have big dreams because we've been told since infancy that we matter, that our self-image is a prime consideration, and that we deserve to be happy because, well, we're worth it. We tend to have big hearts and want our work to make a difference in the world. And a lot of us are smacking pretty hard against reality when we suddenly realize the world does not, in fact, revolve around us. (See Jean Twenge's book, "Generation Me," for more on this topic. It is an EXCELLENT read.)
I've always been a little uneasy with the term "twentysomething." I never liked being lumped in with a bunch of egocentric whiners. But at the same time, I really could see hints of that twentysomething aura in myself. And that bothered me.
I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVED my twenties. I saw a lot of the world, and anyone who has known me for more than two minutes knows that travel thrills me. I come alive when traveling. I am the most me when traveling. I enjoyed all...oh, about 20...jobs I had. It may not have been that many, but there were a lot. I liked college. I dated one really excellent man in my 20s, and am so, so, so glad I did not embrace the promiscuity of my generation. As I enter my 30s, I am still ridiculously old-fashioned in that realm. I am guarding my heart (or doing my best, at least. The heart is unruly at times.) until I meet a man who will treat it with as much care as I do. Rabbit trail...
Anyway, yeah, I liked my 20s. But I've been volunteering at the senior center these past few months, and I find myself deeply admiring older generations' stability. I find myself thinking all these seniors DESERVE to make art, play pool, shout bingo, read books, eat good, cheap food, and go on excursions to Applebees (the nearest one is 2 hours away) because they did their time. They got married and stuck with it. They worked hard at just a few jobs until retiring on a solid financial foundation. And now, they can delight in hours of conversation over coffee at the senior center.
Will my generation be like that? Or will we still be searching for fulfillment at 80? What if we're just moving too fast to see that fulfillment doesn't come in that next thing or person or activity down the road if we could just get there fast enough?
We must learn to invest our time, money, effort, attitudes and choices into others. We must fight bitterness and that mad rat race of keeping up with the Joneses. We must forgive the hurts that will fester and rot us to our core if we don't. And we must commit. At least to the things that matter.
Now, I am a wanderer at heart. And I think God can use wanderers, so I'm not proposing we all commit to one job for the next 40 years. But we do need to commit to people. We need to put in the work of being a good friend, of keeping our good friends. We need to commit to serving the people in our church and loving, somehow, someway, the people outside our church walls that may very well not return our love at all. We MUST commit to our marriages and our kids. That, in itself, would radically turn this world around.
I realize I'm beginning to wander in this post. I suppose I'm just saying I was a little surprised by how much introspection turning 30 brought to me. I am grateful for my twentysomething era. So grateful. I love my life. But I'm also ready to move forward a little more steadily. I want to be committed with all my heart, soul, mind and strength to my Lord. And I want to be a steadfast and loyal friend to all those folks out there who may be frantically seeking the next big thing even though they really just want to sit down and enjoy a nice, leisurely chat over a cup of coffee...or four.
So. So long twentysomethings. It's been fun. But I'm really quite happy to be 30 now. Bring on those crow's feet and laugh lines. The more the merrier.
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