This afternoon I had the opportunity to finally touch base with a long time and great friend who I have spent far too time away from. Our conversation hit home with all too many statements I had made that I personally need to live by, as well as others.
1. Figure out what you want. What do you want out of life? It's a broad question, that I ask myself every day. Wake up tomorrow morning and ask yourself what are the three most important things I am striving for in my future. WRITE THEM DOWN.
2. Be realistic. That's great you want a ferrari and a beach house in the Hamptons (which by the way, is in no way a dream anyone should have), but you need to think realistically. Practically in economics, education, geography, economy, health, family, etc. are all factors you need to incorporate into what you want.
3. Take the steps necessary to open doors. Many people don't know what they want to do in life. I've got on average about 5 career paths that are ever changing. Look at yourself (literally or figuatively) and imagine those -realistic- wants coming to life. How are you going to get there?
Taking the steps to open doors means following the procedures that are required of you to be able to follow a particular path. For example, you want to be a doctor. You need to go to college and earn top grades and earn credits for required courses for medical school, doing so you need to study for the MCAT. Dependent upon your score, you need to apply. Upon acceptance you need to go to med. school, graduate, follow with residencies... and you get the picture. It doesn't matter if you want to become a grocery bagger, it's not going to happen unless you follow the steps to open that door. Follow all steps for all realistic and determined wants you have.
4. Believe in yourself. We're obviously going through a tough economic time. I can't stress patience enough, equally to faith. Have faith in yourself to work hard, do what you need to do, and find an open door to walk through at some point in the near future. Believing in yourself provides the truest form of support that you will need to follow through in any endeavor.
As I said, these need to hit home as much as anyone else. Sometimes a little reassurance doesn't hurt either, but ultimately the only person that is in control of behaviors, actions, and outcomes is you. I feel like I need to continue adding, but short and sweet is what I like to deliver.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
"Would you like a sack for that?"
The first comment I ever heard here in my new home state that threw me off-guard was, "Would you like to drive up?" I was in the local grocery store, and apparently you have the option to take a ticket and have teenage bag boys load your car up for you after you drive up to the front of the store. I paused and said hesitantly... "um, I think I can carry it out right now."
So with all of my previous rantings, which I tend to do via blogs and news posts, I realize that I haven't devoted anything regarding the Mid West, even though i'm in my second year. For all friends and family back home, who I doubt read this; as I don't advertise this blog too much, this is for you.
Officially the "Hawkeye State," unofficially "Tall Corn State." This land in the middle of the country is home to about 3 million people, which is a third of the population of New York City, you can think to yourself, "that's a lot of extra space." Indeed it is. Despite living in an urban area, it doesn't feel cramped at all. When people here complain about what they categorize as "rush hour," they obviously have never been to a major city. To get from West Des Moines to downtown around 7:30-8a will take about 20-25 minutes for 12 mile drive. Take that distance and translate it to Boston, you might as well bring a book-on-tape CD, cause you'd be able to finish it, one-way. Even on Friday and Saturday nights, I have never had a problem parking around downtown. After 6pm, it's free for all parking, no paying for meters, and minimalized corporate lots. Though downtown has it's own public transportation, via trolleys, there's no need. One can peruse around the city freely and not get lost, or walk briskly from one end to the other in about a half hour. It's great, I love it. Des Moines has big city opportunities and offerings with a small city feel.
People = Friendlist group of natives in the US I have ever met. Now, I know there's the Southern hospitality, and then you've got the care-free Californians, but the Mid Westerns are completely approachable and very family oriented. You can 'shoot the shit' with anyone and practically talk about anything (outside of politics and religion) without being turned off or worry about offending anyone. Not like my daily conversations center around sensitve topics, but it's a great feeling to be able to chat openly with a far reaching span of people. Reverting back to religion, Iowans are relgious, many of them. There are six churches within five blocks of my apartment. I have to be extra careful driving on Sunday mornings as there is always 'that family' racing to church trying to get the best pew in the house. With a hundred churches in the city, I don't think crowds roll too heavy in the congregations.
Speaking of driving. The friendliest people I have met can't drive. There's no such thing as a passing lane (they freely drive 10mph under the limit in the left most lane), yellow lights mean 'stop abruptly', 5mph under the speed limit is in fact speeding to them, and for more than a few drivers - there's no such thing as a directional. Pghhhh... there's been some close calls on the road. All in all, i'd rather be stuck behind Slo Mo Joe than have to be worried about being rear-ended by some Masshole.
Iowans also love representing their colleges/universities. T-shirts, license plates, flags, banners, hats, art work, scupltures and wood carvings, trinkets, etc. are allllll over the place. Unv. of Iowa and Iowa State are the two most represented schools whose mascots and emblems are everywhere. If you look at an eagle eye view of the state all you'll see is a smear of red, gold, and black. Even the kids' cereals are named "Cyclone Crunch." The best day to go golfing? The Saturday of the ISU and Iowa football game. Nobody is on the course. I don't even have to look at the newspaper or watch the local news to find out if Iowa lost any particular weekend. If people are somber on Sunday, they lost.
There's a ton of more stuff that I have witnessed and made mental notes about, but I just wanted to share a piece of the idiosyncracies of life out here in the Mid West. Ultimately i'm surprised that many more don't sport Life Is Good apparel, because that's exactly the mentality that many Iowans have.
So with all of my previous rantings, which I tend to do via blogs and news posts, I realize that I haven't devoted anything regarding the Mid West, even though i'm in my second year. For all friends and family back home, who I doubt read this; as I don't advertise this blog too much, this is for you.
Officially the "Hawkeye State," unofficially "Tall Corn State." This land in the middle of the country is home to about 3 million people, which is a third of the population of New York City, you can think to yourself, "that's a lot of extra space." Indeed it is. Despite living in an urban area, it doesn't feel cramped at all. When people here complain about what they categorize as "rush hour," they obviously have never been to a major city. To get from West Des Moines to downtown around 7:30-8a will take about 20-25 minutes for 12 mile drive. Take that distance and translate it to Boston, you might as well bring a book-on-tape CD, cause you'd be able to finish it, one-way. Even on Friday and Saturday nights, I have never had a problem parking around downtown. After 6pm, it's free for all parking, no paying for meters, and minimalized corporate lots. Though downtown has it's own public transportation, via trolleys, there's no need. One can peruse around the city freely and not get lost, or walk briskly from one end to the other in about a half hour. It's great, I love it. Des Moines has big city opportunities and offerings with a small city feel.
People = Friendlist group of natives in the US I have ever met. Now, I know there's the Southern hospitality, and then you've got the care-free Californians, but the Mid Westerns are completely approachable and very family oriented. You can 'shoot the shit' with anyone and practically talk about anything (outside of politics and religion) without being turned off or worry about offending anyone. Not like my daily conversations center around sensitve topics, but it's a great feeling to be able to chat openly with a far reaching span of people. Reverting back to religion, Iowans are relgious, many of them. There are six churches within five blocks of my apartment. I have to be extra careful driving on Sunday mornings as there is always 'that family' racing to church trying to get the best pew in the house. With a hundred churches in the city, I don't think crowds roll too heavy in the congregations.
Speaking of driving. The friendliest people I have met can't drive. There's no such thing as a passing lane (they freely drive 10mph under the limit in the left most lane), yellow lights mean 'stop abruptly', 5mph under the speed limit is in fact speeding to them, and for more than a few drivers - there's no such thing as a directional. Pghhhh... there's been some close calls on the road. All in all, i'd rather be stuck behind Slo Mo Joe than have to be worried about being rear-ended by some Masshole.
Iowans also love representing their colleges/universities. T-shirts, license plates, flags, banners, hats, art work, scupltures and wood carvings, trinkets, etc. are allllll over the place. Unv. of Iowa and Iowa State are the two most represented schools whose mascots and emblems are everywhere. If you look at an eagle eye view of the state all you'll see is a smear of red, gold, and black. Even the kids' cereals are named "Cyclone Crunch." The best day to go golfing? The Saturday of the ISU and Iowa football game. Nobody is on the course. I don't even have to look at the newspaper or watch the local news to find out if Iowa lost any particular weekend. If people are somber on Sunday, they lost.
There's a ton of more stuff that I have witnessed and made mental notes about, but I just wanted to share a piece of the idiosyncracies of life out here in the Mid West. Ultimately i'm surprised that many more don't sport Life Is Good apparel, because that's exactly the mentality that many Iowans have.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Exerpt from The New Hampshire Oct. 3 2008
Durham, NH - The Sigma Beta fraternity has been suspended and nine of its members arrested following a drug raid by multiple New Hampshire law enforcement agencies on Tuesday evening.The raid, which took place between the hours of 7 p.m. Tuesday and 2 a.m. Wednesday, netted a significant amount of illegal drugs, according to Durham Deputy Police Chief Rene Kelley. The drugs included marijuana, Ecstasy, oxycodine, psychedelic mushrooms and other unidentified prescription drugs as well as assorted drug paraphernalia.
I've been reading some of the editorial comments off of tnhonline.com and am overwhelmed by the amount of support for the Beta brothers caught in this raid. Most are disturbed by the tactics used by the Durham police in their "unwarranted" raid ... which is a falsity according to TNH spoken of later in the article.
I have to think, it's about time. Cripe, every student knows about Sigma Beta and their propensity to endulge in any drug grown or sold. It's a sad situation to have to hear about, but the precedent was ovedue. It's a overcast on the University, one that I don't want a potential employer, family member, prospective students, or fellow alumni to have to read about.
Greek life at UNH, and many other institutions, need to clean up quickly and implement some method to hold themselves accountable. Good to know that my alma mater will now share drug use with its infamy of the 2003 winter riot.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Shut Up and Sing
I think Laura Ingraham can be a political hitwoman when it comes to her criticism, but I love her for it. Because of her conservative leniencies I don't agree with everything she privledges herself to discuss, but she's got one great point that is continually brought up by her followers that I absolutely love. In inspiration of her book "Shut Up and Sing" I have to share in her frustration concerning celebrity entitlement in politics. Last week Demi Moore and trophy husband Ashton Kutcher stopped in Iowa, Kutcher's birth state, for all of about 18 hours to say hello to Ms. Kutcher and three towns to garner support for Barrack Obama. Drawing a crowd of camera carrying tweens, who don't even have the legal capacity to vote, broadcasted their undying support for Obama and how youth need to get out and vote for the cause. The cause of what?
This morning the news captured Lebron James, another celebrity figure, travelling around urban areas encouraging the 'brothas and sistahs' of his old neighborhood to do whatever they can to vote, pushing his vast educational opinion upon his support for a particular candidate. It frustrates me a little to know that so many people take celebrity opinions far too persuasively. It irksome that so many celebrities also feel entitled to give their opinion thinking they have the credentials to be able to campaign on their own endeavors. Of course they have the right to speak their mind (outside defamation), however, they do not have the right to push their opinions on others which I am increasingly witnessing as it gets closer to November.
Let people vote for who they want to vote for under the reasons uninfluenced by some Grammy winning artist or a bare high schoool graduate in the NBA. My ranting and raving this early afternoon was spurred by more reports and media trailings of such celebrities that are just now popping into the picture delivering their speeches and tirades, as if they were Karl Rove and been professionals in the political arena for the last few decades. I hope the majority of votes that casted on November 4th are not the effect of celebrity influence.
This morning the news captured Lebron James, another celebrity figure, travelling around urban areas encouraging the 'brothas and sistahs' of his old neighborhood to do whatever they can to vote, pushing his vast educational opinion upon his support for a particular candidate. It frustrates me a little to know that so many people take celebrity opinions far too persuasively. It irksome that so many celebrities also feel entitled to give their opinion thinking they have the credentials to be able to campaign on their own endeavors. Of course they have the right to speak their mind (outside defamation), however, they do not have the right to push their opinions on others which I am increasingly witnessing as it gets closer to November.
Let people vote for who they want to vote for under the reasons uninfluenced by some Grammy winning artist or a bare high schoool graduate in the NBA. My ranting and raving this early afternoon was spurred by more reports and media trailings of such celebrities that are just now popping into the picture delivering their speeches and tirades, as if they were Karl Rove and been professionals in the political arena for the last few decades. I hope the majority of votes that casted on November 4th are not the effect of celebrity influence.
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