Blue walls surround me
Blades coming to get me
Stretching before the day
Right angles all covered in layers of squares
Red walls surround me
Boxes enveloping me
Striving to join them alongside
Horizons and lines give barriers of motion
Grey walls surround me
Planes stacking beneath me
Sitting in motionless stare
Plastic stones shed light, darkening my world
25 September 2007
16 September 2007
New
I just watched 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. I had seen it before and when I first turned it there I thought: No! This is kind of depressing. I don't want to sit through the pain of it. But after a couple minutes, it proved to be pretty well done and Sandler's demeanor is so cool and calm he brings you along for a fun ride. The idea of the movie though has an interesting theme which is reminiscent of Groundhog Day.
What if you relived the same day over and over? Wait a minute! Who says we are not anyway? The repetition of our lives is what makes us feel monotonous. How often do we come home and just sit in front of the tv? How often do we grab the laptop to get updated on the latest happenings outside of our own stale world only to realize we have done this same thing everyday for two years? Do we take the same road home from work each day? Do we sit in the same spot on our sofas each day? Our repetitious, static world is keeping us from having a day unlike Groundhog Day or Lucy's Head Condition.
The scene in Groundhog Day where he decides to learn how to play the piano is an interesting idea. If we want to progress, don't we have to take the time each day to learn something new? Adam Sandler had to start each day at square one where he helped Drew Barrymore to fall in love with him all over again. 50 First Dates. Is it too farfetched to think of ourselves as one who needs to start each day with the attitude of getting our spouses to fall in love with us again?
But then, this idea extends to so much more. How much in the world is new? I think people give up on what is new. They view themselves as old, so they can no longer experience new things. They get in their rut and stay there. And, they hate new things. They hate new music and new movies and new everything. They do not realize that when they were young, their music meant something to them because it was new for them at that time. Why would they not want to experience that again and again with the changing of the times?
Perhaps it is juvenile for a guy in his fifties to have spiky hair and wear new style jeans or for a woman in her forties to have a choppy haircut with a tight shirt. There is a certain prejudice young people have for those who continue to try and look young despite age. I am not sure that there is a great solution for anyone when it comes to appearance. Seeing people in wigs and toupes bothers me and I am bald. Should I care? I understand the desire for that. So, I would imagine the important thing is the inner feeling. If wearing hip clothes makes one feel young, then why not?
I know why not, but the important thing for people is to experience newness. That is what it is more important to me. It would seem that many older people feel like they have to have an outward expression of newness to experience a younger feeling. That is definitely a way, but I would prefer them to express it in a different way. Find the newness in life by not reinventing your youth with plastic surgery and silly clothes, but with the inner expression of communication and cleanliness. Read a new book or watch a new movie. Take a new way home. Meet a new person. Tell a new story. Have new desires and make new goals.
And if there is nothing new for you to experience, then invent something new. Do something new, please!...
What if you relived the same day over and over? Wait a minute! Who says we are not anyway? The repetition of our lives is what makes us feel monotonous. How often do we come home and just sit in front of the tv? How often do we grab the laptop to get updated on the latest happenings outside of our own stale world only to realize we have done this same thing everyday for two years? Do we take the same road home from work each day? Do we sit in the same spot on our sofas each day? Our repetitious, static world is keeping us from having a day unlike Groundhog Day or Lucy's Head Condition.
The scene in Groundhog Day where he decides to learn how to play the piano is an interesting idea. If we want to progress, don't we have to take the time each day to learn something new? Adam Sandler had to start each day at square one where he helped Drew Barrymore to fall in love with him all over again. 50 First Dates. Is it too farfetched to think of ourselves as one who needs to start each day with the attitude of getting our spouses to fall in love with us again?
But then, this idea extends to so much more. How much in the world is new? I think people give up on what is new. They view themselves as old, so they can no longer experience new things. They get in their rut and stay there. And, they hate new things. They hate new music and new movies and new everything. They do not realize that when they were young, their music meant something to them because it was new for them at that time. Why would they not want to experience that again and again with the changing of the times?
Perhaps it is juvenile for a guy in his fifties to have spiky hair and wear new style jeans or for a woman in her forties to have a choppy haircut with a tight shirt. There is a certain prejudice young people have for those who continue to try and look young despite age. I am not sure that there is a great solution for anyone when it comes to appearance. Seeing people in wigs and toupes bothers me and I am bald. Should I care? I understand the desire for that. So, I would imagine the important thing is the inner feeling. If wearing hip clothes makes one feel young, then why not?
I know why not, but the important thing for people is to experience newness. That is what it is more important to me. It would seem that many older people feel like they have to have an outward expression of newness to experience a younger feeling. That is definitely a way, but I would prefer them to express it in a different way. Find the newness in life by not reinventing your youth with plastic surgery and silly clothes, but with the inner expression of communication and cleanliness. Read a new book or watch a new movie. Take a new way home. Meet a new person. Tell a new story. Have new desires and make new goals.
And if there is nothing new for you to experience, then invent something new. Do something new, please!...
14 September 2007
Presence
I have been working with a couple guys on my team on the art of volleyball. I have been working on this concept of "presence" when hitting the ball. Too often when people are learning to play volleyball they try to adapt to the ball rather than making the play come to them. Going up and hitting the ball needs to be a very personal thing.
When these guys go up, they are lunging forward, using their arms too much, not using their core enough. It is frustrating to see, but it takes practice to get it right. I know that I have plenty of issues myself, getting too far under the ball, leaving to early, not swinging my arms back far enough.
We worked on technique yesterday. I set them as they hit. Many of their hits went into the net. Perhaps most of my sets were terrible. My uncle first taught me the game of volleyball. We used to play at the beach and before each game, we would warm up playing pepper. Then, we would set each other to get our timing down. Uncle E was not tall, but he could jump high and he had good form. He was a great example of how to hit. Later, I learned more about technique from my volleyball coach in high school. That was when the techniques got refined.
I have been playing with this group from work for a couple years now. While there is general improvement across the board, I notice that many of the players still have no technique. They have been playing the same way for two years now. I wish I could help everyone improve their technique. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. So, these guys from my team at work get my instruction. They seem to be okay with it.
Back to the idea of "presence". Confidence is part of it. How does one convey this idea of presence. And how does that help someone hit better. The flaw that I am seeing with one guy is that he is not jumping straight up to hit the ball. The other guy has a problem with only hitting with his arm, not with his body also. Both of these guys need the full presence feel in order to take control of the ball.
We get sets and without a good setter, the ball is all over the place. When I go up to hit the ball, I am expecting a perfect set. But, we also have to be ready for a truly awful set. We do all sorts of crazy things when it comes to bad sets. We do what we have to do to make it work. So, the idea of presence comes with the confidence of a great set. That is what this comes down to. These guys do not even know what a great set is.
I know that I am very picky when it comes to sets. It needs to be perfect for me. And if it is, I can do damage. With certain setters, you can feel that confidence and then your presence takes over. I am still wondering if that is the right word...
And then, once we know what our perfect set is, we can start adapting better to the not so perfect sets. I think that is where our guys need to get to. They need to find their perfect set. Whatever is their perfect set is what they use with their hitting presence. I think that great hitters demand a specific location for their sets. And, of course, really great hitters do not have to have it in a perfect location everytime, but they still need it to be close and somewhat consistent.
When these guys go up, they are lunging forward, using their arms too much, not using their core enough. It is frustrating to see, but it takes practice to get it right. I know that I have plenty of issues myself, getting too far under the ball, leaving to early, not swinging my arms back far enough.
We worked on technique yesterday. I set them as they hit. Many of their hits went into the net. Perhaps most of my sets were terrible. My uncle first taught me the game of volleyball. We used to play at the beach and before each game, we would warm up playing pepper. Then, we would set each other to get our timing down. Uncle E was not tall, but he could jump high and he had good form. He was a great example of how to hit. Later, I learned more about technique from my volleyball coach in high school. That was when the techniques got refined.
I have been playing with this group from work for a couple years now. While there is general improvement across the board, I notice that many of the players still have no technique. They have been playing the same way for two years now. I wish I could help everyone improve their technique. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. So, these guys from my team at work get my instruction. They seem to be okay with it.
Back to the idea of "presence". Confidence is part of it. How does one convey this idea of presence. And how does that help someone hit better. The flaw that I am seeing with one guy is that he is not jumping straight up to hit the ball. The other guy has a problem with only hitting with his arm, not with his body also. Both of these guys need the full presence feel in order to take control of the ball.
We get sets and without a good setter, the ball is all over the place. When I go up to hit the ball, I am expecting a perfect set. But, we also have to be ready for a truly awful set. We do all sorts of crazy things when it comes to bad sets. We do what we have to do to make it work. So, the idea of presence comes with the confidence of a great set. That is what this comes down to. These guys do not even know what a great set is.
I know that I am very picky when it comes to sets. It needs to be perfect for me. And if it is, I can do damage. With certain setters, you can feel that confidence and then your presence takes over. I am still wondering if that is the right word...
And then, once we know what our perfect set is, we can start adapting better to the not so perfect sets. I think that is where our guys need to get to. They need to find their perfect set. Whatever is their perfect set is what they use with their hitting presence. I think that great hitters demand a specific location for their sets. And, of course, really great hitters do not have to have it in a perfect location everytime, but they still need it to be close and somewhat consistent.
09 September 2007
Dignan... Why?
When I heard the news that Owen Wilson tried to kill himself, I was extremely sad. He went through with it. He actually committed the act.
Sure, I do not know what he is going through and I probably never will. Ultimate fame and fortune for being both a great comedy actor and writer. With movies coming out left and right, and a schedule which is probably just insane, where does a person go to just reflect? He has these romances with famous women.
He portrays that dark side of himself in movies. In the Royal Tenenbaums the character that Luke Wilson plays slashes his own wrists, but somehow still survives. Does life imitate art? Owen's character has a drug problem and runs away from everyone literally. How can these scenes within movies not be a cry for help?
I hope he is okay. I hope he can change enough to have a specific direction to help him be happy and able to enjoy his success. He has gone that successful Hollywood road and now he knows that it is empty. Let's hope he finds the meaning he needs to and love.
Sure, I do not know what he is going through and I probably never will. Ultimate fame and fortune for being both a great comedy actor and writer. With movies coming out left and right, and a schedule which is probably just insane, where does a person go to just reflect? He has these romances with famous women.
He portrays that dark side of himself in movies. In the Royal Tenenbaums the character that Luke Wilson plays slashes his own wrists, but somehow still survives. Does life imitate art? Owen's character has a drug problem and runs away from everyone literally. How can these scenes within movies not be a cry for help?
I hope he is okay. I hope he can change enough to have a specific direction to help him be happy and able to enjoy his success. He has gone that successful Hollywood road and now he knows that it is empty. Let's hope he finds the meaning he needs to and love.
01 September 2007
Reflections on a Birthweekend
Today is my birthday. I should probably watch Return of the King today and see Gollum greedily grasp for the ring. Since it is his birthday, he is entitled to whatever he wants. How does one not have that attitude on his birthday?
My wife bought me a cd, a dvd and a camera. Now we have the ultimate power in the universe, a small camera which can fit in my pocket and yet take photos the size of a movie screen.
My wife bought me a cd, a dvd and a camera. Now we have the ultimate power in the universe, a small camera which can fit in my pocket and yet take photos the size of a movie screen.
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