It's been a week of firsts. You learn a lot about yourself when you have to do something for the first time.
1) Sabs taught me how to play poker as part of my "training" in strategy for this coming year. As stressful as it is, I'm getting hooked on Hold 'Em. It was a useful exercise in looking beyond the match at hand, making quick decisions, taking calculated risks, and recovering quickly when things go awry. Strangely applicable to TKD, or any sort of high level of competition where it comes down, not only to what you have, but what you can make your opponent think you have.
Essentially, it's teaching me how to lie.
2) I learned how to play basketball. Man, for someone who calls herself an athlete, there are a lot of sports that I just have never played before. It was pretty sad how much I was huffing and puffing jumping around.
I think my inability to make fast decisions and lack of confidence came to a head when Jooho just came up to me and snatched the ball out of my hands, leaving me just standing there wondering if he'd actually done that. Big bully! Haha...it's a good thing Mumbles and JH are patient (and crazy good!) I was totally the weak link on our team.
3) I learned how to play pool. Well, re-learned I suppose, because I've played once before. I think Melissa would agree with me that JH is the best teacher ever - I love thinking in physics!
I find it fascinating how once you get good (this is not me, this is my observation), you start thinking ahead to where you want the cue ball to rebound off to be in a good position for your next shot. Ryu pointed out to me that you shouldn't always take the easy shots first, for the sake of making them. It made me think about the necessity of seeing the big picture to win.
Good stuff...I think my valuable lessons can be summed up as such:
Think less.
Think fast.
Think ahead.
Strangely - they all helped me in sparring practice this week. Thanks, guys!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
answers
- There is one God over all the universe, from everlasting to everlasting. (Deuteronomy 6:4)
- He is never-changing, independent of space and time. (Malachi 3:6)
- For all men are sinners, and fall short of God. (Romans 3:23)
- Christ is the Lamb' de God. (John 1:29)
- The Cross of Jesus is victory over death. (Colossians 2:14)
- Christ [Fourier] transforms us; the life we live, we no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ. (II Corinthians 5:15)
- Love is what differentiates Christians from the world. (John 13:35)
- With respect to Christ, there is no differentiation; neither Jew nor Greek, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Scythian, barbarian, slave nor free. (Colossians 3:11)
- Sanctification is integrating faith into life over time. (James 2:22)
- Radical love. (The Song of Solomon)
Sunday, August 27, 2006
throwback
Now here's a throwback:
Anyone remember these shirts, from back in the days of UCR/O? (United Christian Rush/Orientation). Such memories...judge all you want, but this is precisely what I love about MIT. Unashamed acceptance of the inner nerd. =)
Cool points to you if you can translate these into English.
Anyone remember these shirts, from back in the days of UCR/O? (United Christian Rush/Orientation). Such memories...judge all you want, but this is precisely what I love about MIT. Unashamed acceptance of the inner nerd. =)
Cool points to you if you can translate these into English.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
all out
Agh it happened again!
Last night, as part of the experiment I put myself through whenever I get the chance (which is just about never) - I went to bed early and did not set my alarm.
12.5 hours later, I woke up.
DANGIT!
I think I'm oppressed by my own schedule. This year, I was notorious for missing small group on the days that I got a chance to come home and take a "short nap" after work. Like when I woke up on Saturday morning at 8am when I was supposed to get up from my nap at 8pm the night before...
As I look to this coming year, it's not even a full plate on the horizon. It's the freaking unlimited line at an all-you-can-eat buffet. I love multi-tasking, and the one thing I hope never to be descrived as is lazy, but...this past week of uncertainty of how to possibly juggle everything in the fall just made me hit despair and change the subject (in my mind) whenever I thought about it.
It's kind of like when you look at a problem you can't solve and realize your mind is a blank and don't know where to begin. (Any engineers out there? You know what I mean...)
Despair, I tell you.
Anyways. So because I know (and HATE) the feeling of absolute cluelessness, I spend most of my tutoring time teaching kids strategies to get their brains moving when they blank on a problem. And for most subjects, it's been pretty successful for the kids who dont' have a natural intuition for problem solving - like "always convert everything to moles and see what you have to work with". "When in doubt, chain rule". "Draw a force diagram".
But I wonder...do these man-made algorithms really work? For getting towards the solution, maybe it gives a better chance. Or maybe it's just a way to make me feel better - after all, I was the queen of partial credit. But sometimes I wonder, if I could see the bigger picture, wouldn't I develop a better intuition as to what steps to take to get to the answer?
So as I stare at my Excel sheet of time slots and try to figure out where everything fits, I realized...I could make everything physically fit if I really worked at it. But would I be so busy that I wouldn't be able to give anything my best? Would I not have room for God to move, because I couldn't squeeze anything into my schedule that wasn't already there?
It seems as though everything has been kicked up a notch this year. New goals, new visions, new opportunities. And sometimes it's unclear what the quantities are that should measure your choices and decisions, particularly in how you invest your time. Is it what you "should" do? Is it what you love? Is it what is practical? Possible? Impossible?
As I was praying through how to encourage someone else, somehow I was overwhelmed with these questions for myself. What is the overall big picture? How many of my choices are made routinely, "because I have to"? Well, I have to go to practice, because I have to work out, and if I don't, I'll be slow and out of shape. True - but is my training measured by the number of hours I spent on the mat? I have to go to small group, because I have to make an effort to be a part of the community. True - but what if I'm so tired that I can't enjoy that time and really contribute to the discussions?
Sometimes it's good to take a step back and try to see the bigger picture. Perhaps rest and recharge time is more than what I scoffed it to be. I think I've tried so hard to be the "best" I can be these last couple years, that I will oftentimes muscle my way through instead of really putting my full heart into it.
Sacrifice is hard. Particularly when it is unclear what needs to go. But sometimes you can't move forward when you're carrying too many things on your back. I guess at that point, if it's God's will, then He gives you the strength to go on...and if it's not, then something's gotta give. So looking at training, teaching, tutoring, small group leading, and (I guess) my job...it's time to really seek how to best steward my time and abilities.
But it's funny how when you try to bless, encourage, or challenge someone else, you end up being blessed, encouraged, and challenged. God's kind of cool that way. Every time I've been called to small group leading and been forced to lay down my fears and apprehensions - God has really blown me away with how He provides. As I get to know JH and try to figure out how to support him, I've been blessed by our similarities and differences. Though I was disappointed to not have been put on college ministry - I see clearer now that this may be a better place for me. I'm already learning a lot about myself, and we haven't even started yet...particularly in attempting to be intentional since I've never co-led anything before. Sure brings into perspective what my tendencies and leadership style is...and how it needs to expand and grow. But as this year approaches...I just wonder what it holds.
As he says..."yeah lets totally fight this year and go all out". All out indeed. I fear for what happens when I let myself go all out for anything, but...as I look to the choices before me, I want to be able to go all out for each commitment that I have.
Last night, as part of the experiment I put myself through whenever I get the chance (which is just about never) - I went to bed early and did not set my alarm.
12.5 hours later, I woke up.
DANGIT!
I think I'm oppressed by my own schedule. This year, I was notorious for missing small group on the days that I got a chance to come home and take a "short nap" after work. Like when I woke up on Saturday morning at 8am when I was supposed to get up from my nap at 8pm the night before...
As I look to this coming year, it's not even a full plate on the horizon. It's the freaking unlimited line at an all-you-can-eat buffet. I love multi-tasking, and the one thing I hope never to be descrived as is lazy, but...this past week of uncertainty of how to possibly juggle everything in the fall just made me hit despair and change the subject (in my mind) whenever I thought about it.
It's kind of like when you look at a problem you can't solve and realize your mind is a blank and don't know where to begin. (Any engineers out there? You know what I mean...)
Despair, I tell you.
Anyways. So because I know (and HATE) the feeling of absolute cluelessness, I spend most of my tutoring time teaching kids strategies to get their brains moving when they blank on a problem. And for most subjects, it's been pretty successful for the kids who dont' have a natural intuition for problem solving - like "always convert everything to moles and see what you have to work with". "When in doubt, chain rule". "Draw a force diagram".
But I wonder...do these man-made algorithms really work? For getting towards the solution, maybe it gives a better chance. Or maybe it's just a way to make me feel better - after all, I was the queen of partial credit. But sometimes I wonder, if I could see the bigger picture, wouldn't I develop a better intuition as to what steps to take to get to the answer?
So as I stare at my Excel sheet of time slots and try to figure out where everything fits, I realized...I could make everything physically fit if I really worked at it. But would I be so busy that I wouldn't be able to give anything my best? Would I not have room for God to move, because I couldn't squeeze anything into my schedule that wasn't already there?
It seems as though everything has been kicked up a notch this year. New goals, new visions, new opportunities. And sometimes it's unclear what the quantities are that should measure your choices and decisions, particularly in how you invest your time. Is it what you "should" do? Is it what you love? Is it what is practical? Possible? Impossible?
As I was praying through how to encourage someone else, somehow I was overwhelmed with these questions for myself. What is the overall big picture? How many of my choices are made routinely, "because I have to"? Well, I have to go to practice, because I have to work out, and if I don't, I'll be slow and out of shape. True - but is my training measured by the number of hours I spent on the mat? I have to go to small group, because I have to make an effort to be a part of the community. True - but what if I'm so tired that I can't enjoy that time and really contribute to the discussions?
Sometimes it's good to take a step back and try to see the bigger picture. Perhaps rest and recharge time is more than what I scoffed it to be. I think I've tried so hard to be the "best" I can be these last couple years, that I will oftentimes muscle my way through instead of really putting my full heart into it.
Sacrifice is hard. Particularly when it is unclear what needs to go. But sometimes you can't move forward when you're carrying too many things on your back. I guess at that point, if it's God's will, then He gives you the strength to go on...and if it's not, then something's gotta give. So looking at training, teaching, tutoring, small group leading, and (I guess) my job...it's time to really seek how to best steward my time and abilities.
But it's funny how when you try to bless, encourage, or challenge someone else, you end up being blessed, encouraged, and challenged. God's kind of cool that way. Every time I've been called to small group leading and been forced to lay down my fears and apprehensions - God has really blown me away with how He provides. As I get to know JH and try to figure out how to support him, I've been blessed by our similarities and differences. Though I was disappointed to not have been put on college ministry - I see clearer now that this may be a better place for me. I'm already learning a lot about myself, and we haven't even started yet...particularly in attempting to be intentional since I've never co-led anything before. Sure brings into perspective what my tendencies and leadership style is...and how it needs to expand and grow. But as this year approaches...I just wonder what it holds.
As he says..."yeah lets totally fight this year and go all out". All out indeed. I fear for what happens when I let myself go all out for anything, but...as I look to the choices before me, I want to be able to go all out for each commitment that I have.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
a day with my girls
Sometimes you just get a reminder that...you're not ready to grow up quite yet.
In this fuzzy ambiguous stage of "young adulthood", I often feel trapped between the self-discovery and I-can-do-anything stage of college/grad school and the responsibility and settling down that comes with marriage and parenthood.
So on Sunday, I rushed home after church to meet Susie un-nee as she dropped off her two daughters, S^2, for a playdate with eemoh. Sam is 7 and Syd is 3 - very cute and generally good kids. I love my girls, they're always good for an afternoon of fun and affection.
In my attempt to force some fresh air and exercise on them, we went out in search of a playground. After a couple failed attempts, I finally just took them to the Dinosaur Park next to the dojang where I used to take Daniel. Thus ensued an hour of monkey bars and climbing around - and running around under them to catch them if they fell, hoisting them up when things were too high, trailing them with a bottle of water and trying to get them to hydrate, tying shoes, and the constant back-and-forth of "eemoh come here!" coming from 2 different directions. I swear, you become a mother and somehow you get bionic arms that can suddenly carry weights you could never even lift before. Screw weight-training - I should just babysit to get my arms stronger.
So after awhile, I had two rosy-cheeked little girls, ready to head home. Normally, walking home from that park takes me 10 minutes or less. I forget that little legs move slowly. And little mouths whine.
"Are we there yet?"
"Not yet, Sam"
"How about now?"
"Not much farther than the last time you asked"
"How about now?"
"Sam, we're not there yet."
"How far IS IT???"
"Just 4 more blocks"
"My feet huuuuuuurt"
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I can't carry you and Sydney at the same time. Can you be patient for just a little longer, and you can take off your socks and color when we get home!"
"Oh, alriiiiiight."
10 seconds later.
"Are we there yet?"
As much as I aspire to be a soccer mom...clearly the time has not come. I love my nieces, but I have to say, the ability to just give them back to their parents at the end of the day when they're tired and cranky and whining...was a relief.
Well, that and...for how much I love board games...one can only take so much "Pretty Pretty Princess." That has got to be the girliest game I've ever played...
In this fuzzy ambiguous stage of "young adulthood", I often feel trapped between the self-discovery and I-can-do-anything stage of college/grad school and the responsibility and settling down that comes with marriage and parenthood.
So on Sunday, I rushed home after church to meet Susie un-nee as she dropped off her two daughters, S^2, for a playdate with eemoh. Sam is 7 and Syd is 3 - very cute and generally good kids. I love my girls, they're always good for an afternoon of fun and affection.
In my attempt to force some fresh air and exercise on them, we went out in search of a playground. After a couple failed attempts, I finally just took them to the Dinosaur Park next to the dojang where I used to take Daniel. Thus ensued an hour of monkey bars and climbing around - and running around under them to catch them if they fell, hoisting them up when things were too high, trailing them with a bottle of water and trying to get them to hydrate, tying shoes, and the constant back-and-forth of "eemoh come here!" coming from 2 different directions. I swear, you become a mother and somehow you get bionic arms that can suddenly carry weights you could never even lift before. Screw weight-training - I should just babysit to get my arms stronger.
So after awhile, I had two rosy-cheeked little girls, ready to head home. Normally, walking home from that park takes me 10 minutes or less. I forget that little legs move slowly. And little mouths whine.
"Are we there yet?"
"Not yet, Sam"
"How about now?"
"Not much farther than the last time you asked"
"How about now?"
"Sam, we're not there yet."
"How far IS IT???"
"Just 4 more blocks"
"My feet huuuuuuurt"
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I can't carry you and Sydney at the same time. Can you be patient for just a little longer, and you can take off your socks and color when we get home!"
"Oh, alriiiiiight."
10 seconds later.
"Are we there yet?"
As much as I aspire to be a soccer mom...clearly the time has not come. I love my nieces, but I have to say, the ability to just give them back to their parents at the end of the day when they're tired and cranky and whining...was a relief.
Well, that and...for how much I love board games...one can only take so much "Pretty Pretty Princess." That has got to be the girliest game I've ever played...
Monday, August 21, 2006
2 Corn 4:16
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
Crazy how to us and everyone else we are losing and wasting away, but it is crazy how God' stubborn love & grace restores us even when we don't know it; it is like direct deposits!
* * * * *
It was encouraging. And it made me smile. Direct deposits indeed...
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
Crazy how to us and everyone else we are losing and wasting away, but it is crazy how God' stubborn love & grace restores us even when we don't know it; it is like direct deposits!
* * * * *
It was encouraging. And it made me smile. Direct deposits indeed...
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Dear God,
Sorry to bug you, but I think you've made a mistake... Our small group was praying for you to break JP, but it appears to have been transferred to me. Is it possible that you've got the wrong Park?
And if not, then could I get some insight as to what to do? Thanks...
CSP
* * * * *
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. -James 1:5
Sorry to bug you, but I think you've made a mistake... Our small group was praying for you to break JP, but it appears to have been transferred to me. Is it possible that you've got the wrong Park?
And if not, then could I get some insight as to what to do? Thanks...
CSP
* * * * *
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. -James 1:5
*sigh*
What a crazy week. Things just...don't seem to be as they should be. *sigh*
1) I worked until midnight on Thursday. There are now no redeeming qualities about my job.
2) My boss made me cry on Friday. I contemplated handing in my resignation right there. As I've been told, I tend to feel guilty all the time, so I did a lot of thinking as to how much of his chewing me out was warranted. In the end, I think he just didn't manage the project well and took it out on me. But it made me think a lot about leadership and how to efficiently run a team or a business. My company is a sore example of how lack of vision and motivation/incentive kills productivity...I'm just not sure how much longer I can stay.
And I don't like people who make me cry.
3) Last small group with TGIF. Bittersweet, I suppose, but it's been a good year. The look on Mumbles' face when we gave him his scrapbook was awesome...he kept saying "I'm so blessed!" Gosh, that made my day.
4) Met up with my sgl for next year - finally. It's really funny how many sgls get paired up who don't know each other prior to leading together. But it was really cool - very excited about the upcoming year. People kept telling us that we were going to humble each other next year...in some ways I guess it's a good thing. Haha.
5) The football tournament is on the same weekend as Nationals. I'm going to cry.
1) I worked until midnight on Thursday. There are now no redeeming qualities about my job.
2) My boss made me cry on Friday. I contemplated handing in my resignation right there. As I've been told, I tend to feel guilty all the time, so I did a lot of thinking as to how much of his chewing me out was warranted. In the end, I think he just didn't manage the project well and took it out on me. But it made me think a lot about leadership and how to efficiently run a team or a business. My company is a sore example of how lack of vision and motivation/incentive kills productivity...I'm just not sure how much longer I can stay.
And I don't like people who make me cry.
3) Last small group with TGIF. Bittersweet, I suppose, but it's been a good year. The look on Mumbles' face when we gave him his scrapbook was awesome...he kept saying "I'm so blessed!" Gosh, that made my day.
4) Met up with my sgl for next year - finally. It's really funny how many sgls get paired up who don't know each other prior to leading together. But it was really cool - very excited about the upcoming year. People kept telling us that we were going to humble each other next year...in some ways I guess it's a good thing. Haha.
5) The football tournament is on the same weekend as Nationals. I'm going to cry.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Well, aside from the fact that yesterday was quite possibly the worst day I've ever had at work - I will attempt to not dwell on that and focus on the funny part of my day.
So I got into the office, and my coworker wants me to come to his desk. Sure, whatever. He had called me last night, but as he didn't leave a message, I figured it wasn't important.
I guess it kind of was. If I had called him back, I might have prevented him from purchasing
the most hideously bright pink cell phone case known to man. For some context, he and I both have Razr phones. When I got mine, I was talking about getting a case but not wanting anything bulky, and he (who lives in NJ) showed me his clear plastic case and was supposed to get me one like it.
That was a month ago, and since then I've been getting used to just not having a case. So apparently whatever cell phone accessory place he went to ran out of clear and black cases, and all they had left were bright metallic blue and bright metallic pink. And he got the last blue one and didn't know whether to get me the pink one or not.
Well, he got it. And insisted on putting my phone in it. It took all the willpower I had to watch him do it and not laugh. Dude, you've known me for 6 months - that should be enough time to know that I couldn't willingly carry around something so ridiculously bright and blinding. But it was a nice gesture and I absolutely hate telling people I don't like their gifts.
I'm hoping the repulsed looks and laughs from our other coworkers made me seem less ungrateful, but...man, my eyes still hurt from that case.
So I got into the office, and my coworker wants me to come to his desk. Sure, whatever. He had called me last night, but as he didn't leave a message, I figured it wasn't important.
I guess it kind of was. If I had called him back, I might have prevented him from purchasing
the most hideously bright pink cell phone case known to man. For some context, he and I both have Razr phones. When I got mine, I was talking about getting a case but not wanting anything bulky, and he (who lives in NJ) showed me his clear plastic case and was supposed to get me one like it.
That was a month ago, and since then I've been getting used to just not having a case. So apparently whatever cell phone accessory place he went to ran out of clear and black cases, and all they had left were bright metallic blue and bright metallic pink. And he got the last blue one and didn't know whether to get me the pink one or not.
Well, he got it. And insisted on putting my phone in it. It took all the willpower I had to watch him do it and not laugh. Dude, you've known me for 6 months - that should be enough time to know that I couldn't willingly carry around something so ridiculously bright and blinding. But it was a nice gesture and I absolutely hate telling people I don't like their gifts.
I'm hoping the repulsed looks and laughs from our other coworkers made me seem less ungrateful, but...man, my eyes still hurt from that case.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
parables made sense - part 2
"You know when you run faster, it helps me too, right?"
"It does? But I'm not beating you..."
"Yeah...but if I was sprinting by myself, I wouldn't go nearly as fast as if I was running with someone on my tail. You're just enough behind me that I can hear you running, so it makes me go faster to stay ahead. If you were running next to me, I'd be pushing to beat you. I'm just ahead of you, so you're trying to catch me. That's how we get faster."
* * * * *
So over the weekend, S and I were training in the park, and it was getting pretty dark. I asked him what he wanted to finish with, and he immediately said "sprints".
Dangit. I should've known. The kid loves to run, plus he's really peeved that he hasn't beaten me at the straight sprints yet.
I myself, hate running. Loathe it. I find it to be the most painful, boring form of exercise and avoid it at all costs. I could spar for a half hour, do kicking drills for 2 hours - but I can't run for more than 1o minutes straight without wanting to collapse. Strangely enough, I don't mind sprints so much...but let's just say it's not my favorite part of training.
I find it half amusing and half insulting that he got so upset the first time we did sprints and he lost. Granted, his legs are getting longer, and he's always used to be the fastest in class - but I think he just thought I was that slow. (Aw man, I'm kinda sad...) So now he's got an agenda to "get good" at sprints - which means, to beat me.
That's fine with me - good for him to set his own goals, and it won't be long before he's taller and stronger than me. So last week it was just the two of us running. On the last set, he stayed with me about halfway down the soccer field before I pulled out. I think he was a little bummed, but when we talked about it, he realized that this is how we push eachother to be better.
I was thinking about that tonight as we ran our sprints. Both boys were there tonight, and we each have a definite pace that we max out at. In an attempt to push each other to run as fast as we each can, we measured out distances for each of us to start from, so that by the last 10 meters, we'd all be struggling to cross the finish line at the same time.
I guess it's the best/worst for me, because I'm in the middle. About 5 yards behind S but 5 yards in front of A. So I have to gun it to catch S, but I'm also pushed by A on my tail, and struggling to stay ahead of him before he eventually passes me. S gets less discouraged if he's not playing catchup from the get-go, and it forces A to not be complacent in his lead.
It's kind of the way life and relationships are, though. I'm learning that you can't box people in by age or status or what-not. In general you can, but specifically...not always. Sometimes you have to adjust the way your "race" plays out, so that both or every person is really being challenged and pushed to be the best they can be - but it is possible for people who are at different "levels" to be effective teammates and spur one another on. The three of us ran pretty darn fast tonight...and I think we'll keep getting faster. At least, faster than we would ever get training alone.
No complacency. Press on.
Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way to get the prize. -1 Cor. 9:24
"It does? But I'm not beating you..."
"Yeah...but if I was sprinting by myself, I wouldn't go nearly as fast as if I was running with someone on my tail. You're just enough behind me that I can hear you running, so it makes me go faster to stay ahead. If you were running next to me, I'd be pushing to beat you. I'm just ahead of you, so you're trying to catch me. That's how we get faster."
* * * * *
So over the weekend, S and I were training in the park, and it was getting pretty dark. I asked him what he wanted to finish with, and he immediately said "sprints".
Dangit. I should've known. The kid loves to run, plus he's really peeved that he hasn't beaten me at the straight sprints yet.
I myself, hate running. Loathe it. I find it to be the most painful, boring form of exercise and avoid it at all costs. I could spar for a half hour, do kicking drills for 2 hours - but I can't run for more than 1o minutes straight without wanting to collapse. Strangely enough, I don't mind sprints so much...but let's just say it's not my favorite part of training.
I find it half amusing and half insulting that he got so upset the first time we did sprints and he lost. Granted, his legs are getting longer, and he's always used to be the fastest in class - but I think he just thought I was that slow. (Aw man, I'm kinda sad...) So now he's got an agenda to "get good" at sprints - which means, to beat me.
That's fine with me - good for him to set his own goals, and it won't be long before he's taller and stronger than me. So last week it was just the two of us running. On the last set, he stayed with me about halfway down the soccer field before I pulled out. I think he was a little bummed, but when we talked about it, he realized that this is how we push eachother to be better.
I was thinking about that tonight as we ran our sprints. Both boys were there tonight, and we each have a definite pace that we max out at. In an attempt to push each other to run as fast as we each can, we measured out distances for each of us to start from, so that by the last 10 meters, we'd all be struggling to cross the finish line at the same time.
I guess it's the best/worst for me, because I'm in the middle. About 5 yards behind S but 5 yards in front of A. So I have to gun it to catch S, but I'm also pushed by A on my tail, and struggling to stay ahead of him before he eventually passes me. S gets less discouraged if he's not playing catchup from the get-go, and it forces A to not be complacent in his lead.
It's kind of the way life and relationships are, though. I'm learning that you can't box people in by age or status or what-not. In general you can, but specifically...not always. Sometimes you have to adjust the way your "race" plays out, so that both or every person is really being challenged and pushed to be the best they can be - but it is possible for people who are at different "levels" to be effective teammates and spur one another on. The three of us ran pretty darn fast tonight...and I think we'll keep getting faster. At least, faster than we would ever get training alone.
No complacency. Press on.
Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way to get the prize. -1 Cor. 9:24
Saturday, August 12, 2006
meaningless
Ecclesiastes 2: Toil Is Meaningless
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
Being at work at 11pm on a Saturday night sure does make you think about how meaningful (or not) your work really is. As our big deadline approaches, I realize just how much needs to be done, and in the end, just how little control we have over what ends up happening to these buildings.
I'm nearing the (eep!) 6 month mark of being at my company. I'm an HVAC engineering consultant, meaning I design heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for residential and commercial buildings that will be built sometime in the near future. Sounds cool? Really, it's not.
In the construction industry, there appear to be four phases of design:
1) Concept Design - this is where we fight with architects and wonder how they could possibly be so idiotic as to draw buildings that will either collapse, freeze, overheat, or otherwise not be fit for human habitation. But hey, it's just concept. Lots of wiggle room for sketching and resketching, approximating, moving rooms around, etc.
2) Schematic Design - still fighting with architects. It's almost as if they WANT buildings to fall down, so long as they look pretty. Starting to nail down floor plans and layouts, understanding sizing of rooms and shaft spaces, equipment requirements, etc. Still, nothing is hard-and-fast.
3) Design Development - Full floor plans, riser diagrams including calculations and specifications, equipment lists, etc. This is the real deal - this is where buildings rise and fall.
4) Construction Documents - These are what the contracters take to the site and build from. Every last detail is here, so that anyone should be able to read it and build it.
So for this project, my company's contract is through phase 3: DD. Meaning, after this week, we will hand over hundreds of drawings and specifications to the owners, who will then take them to another consultant to pick up and complete the final phase of CD development before the groundbreaking and start of real construction.
So conceivably, my team could be busting our butts working late every night for the last week - to hand off the project to someone who could decide they want to cut corners or totally go a different way or whatever. All this inane calculating I've done to figure out how to heat these buildings in the dead of Korean winters could be for nothing if someone just chooses not to use my calculations - and moreover, someone could take them, change them into something that's wrong, and then people could freeze in the winter.
What the heck...
This passage was a good reminder that a) it's not worth slaving your life away at a job you really don't like or believe in, and b) work for the sake of working is worthless.
The old saying goes, the perfect job is when you find what you love to do and get someone to pay you for doing it. I've got a fairly good grasp of what it is I love to do...and I suppose during the school year I even have people who are willing to pay me for doing it. Times like this I wonder if it'd be totally crazy to go full-time teaching/tutoring.
Ah, Ecclesiastes...so many nuggets of reality.
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
Being at work at 11pm on a Saturday night sure does make you think about how meaningful (or not) your work really is. As our big deadline approaches, I realize just how much needs to be done, and in the end, just how little control we have over what ends up happening to these buildings.
I'm nearing the (eep!) 6 month mark of being at my company. I'm an HVAC engineering consultant, meaning I design heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for residential and commercial buildings that will be built sometime in the near future. Sounds cool? Really, it's not.
In the construction industry, there appear to be four phases of design:
1) Concept Design - this is where we fight with architects and wonder how they could possibly be so idiotic as to draw buildings that will either collapse, freeze, overheat, or otherwise not be fit for human habitation. But hey, it's just concept. Lots of wiggle room for sketching and resketching, approximating, moving rooms around, etc.
2) Schematic Design - still fighting with architects. It's almost as if they WANT buildings to fall down, so long as they look pretty. Starting to nail down floor plans and layouts, understanding sizing of rooms and shaft spaces, equipment requirements, etc. Still, nothing is hard-and-fast.
3) Design Development - Full floor plans, riser diagrams including calculations and specifications, equipment lists, etc. This is the real deal - this is where buildings rise and fall.
4) Construction Documents - These are what the contracters take to the site and build from. Every last detail is here, so that anyone should be able to read it and build it.
So for this project, my company's contract is through phase 3: DD. Meaning, after this week, we will hand over hundreds of drawings and specifications to the owners, who will then take them to another consultant to pick up and complete the final phase of CD development before the groundbreaking and start of real construction.
So conceivably, my team could be busting our butts working late every night for the last week - to hand off the project to someone who could decide they want to cut corners or totally go a different way or whatever. All this inane calculating I've done to figure out how to heat these buildings in the dead of Korean winters could be for nothing if someone just chooses not to use my calculations - and moreover, someone could take them, change them into something that's wrong, and then people could freeze in the winter.
What the heck...
This passage was a good reminder that a) it's not worth slaving your life away at a job you really don't like or believe in, and b) work for the sake of working is worthless.
The old saying goes, the perfect job is when you find what you love to do and get someone to pay you for doing it. I've got a fairly good grasp of what it is I love to do...and I suppose during the school year I even have people who are willing to pay me for doing it. Times like this I wonder if it'd be totally crazy to go full-time teaching/tutoring.
Ah, Ecclesiastes...so many nuggets of reality.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
parables made sense - part 1
One thing I love the most is the feeling of new socks. When you put on a pair that has never been stretched before, and all the cushioning is in the right places...it makes my feet so happy.
I don't know what possessed me to do this, but I woke up at 7.30am Sat morning to do my laundry. The sad part is, I was not alone. There are actually other people who wake up freaking early in the morning to do laundry on a weekend.
So I did my laundry, and as per my custom, I fold all the shirts and pants downstairs in the laundry room (where there is a table to fold properly), and fold the rest in my apt (in front of the tv). So while folding socks, I was trying to put all the right pairs together, and I realized...I was one sock short.
RAWR.
I *hate* it when that happens! The other sock then becomes useless without its partner. (who wears only one sock?) I'm also really anal about wearing the exact two socks together every time, so that my socks wear out at even rates.
Anyways.
I promptly turned my laundry basket inside out looking for this sock, but to no avail. Now I'm wondering if it's worth going downstairs to look in each washer and dryer I used, to see if the sock had stuck to the edges - even though I've had about a 25% success rate at finding missing socks that way.
As a double whammy, the missing sock was one of my new socks - cushy toes, arch supports and all. That was the last straw - I had to go find it.
So I left my apt and was waiting for the elevator, when a woman who lives across the hall asks me "excuse me, but do you wear champion athletic socks?" (OK, I know I wear a lot of Nike and Adidas, but...how did she KNOW that??)
"Um, yes I do"
"I thought it was you. Because I found one champion athletic sock in the laundry room and saw you leaving - I tacked it onto the board, you can find it there."
THANK YOU, LADY!
Man, there's something so satisfying about finding something you've lost.
* * * * *
8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." -Luke 15:8-10
I don't know what possessed me to do this, but I woke up at 7.30am Sat morning to do my laundry. The sad part is, I was not alone. There are actually other people who wake up freaking early in the morning to do laundry on a weekend.
So I did my laundry, and as per my custom, I fold all the shirts and pants downstairs in the laundry room (where there is a table to fold properly), and fold the rest in my apt (in front of the tv). So while folding socks, I was trying to put all the right pairs together, and I realized...I was one sock short.
RAWR.
I *hate* it when that happens! The other sock then becomes useless without its partner. (who wears only one sock?) I'm also really anal about wearing the exact two socks together every time, so that my socks wear out at even rates.
Anyways.
I promptly turned my laundry basket inside out looking for this sock, but to no avail. Now I'm wondering if it's worth going downstairs to look in each washer and dryer I used, to see if the sock had stuck to the edges - even though I've had about a 25% success rate at finding missing socks that way.
As a double whammy, the missing sock was one of my new socks - cushy toes, arch supports and all. That was the last straw - I had to go find it.
So I left my apt and was waiting for the elevator, when a woman who lives across the hall asks me "excuse me, but do you wear champion athletic socks?" (OK, I know I wear a lot of Nike and Adidas, but...how did she KNOW that??)
"Um, yes I do"
"I thought it was you. Because I found one champion athletic sock in the laundry room and saw you leaving - I tacked it onto the board, you can find it there."
THANK YOU, LADY!
Man, there's something so satisfying about finding something you've lost.
* * * * *
8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." -Luke 15:8-10
Friday, August 04, 2006
soli deo gloria
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes -James 4:14
Someone asked me a question about 5 years ago in a discussion:
"If God asked you to give up Taekwondo - could you do it?"
Even though it was only hypothetical at the time, it really made me think about obedience, and the reasons behind the choices I make. Though a seemingly simple question, I mulled over that one for a long time, trying to understand why I had such a strong passion for something so secular as a sport. It's one of those things where the Bible doesn't paint a clear black-and-white picture of what you should or should not do.
Or is it?
Recently, I was talking with someone and he asked me a similar question: "Why do you do Taekwondo? [competition] There isn't really any glory or fortune in it. Is it to be the best? Is it because you really love it?"
Sometimes seemingly harmless get-to-know-you questions are suprisingly thought-inducing.
Ironically enough, God didn't ask me to give it up in 2001. On the contrary, that's when the whole competition thing kicked off (no pun intended). So 5 years later, on the brink of breakthrough or retirement, I stand at these crossroads of evaluation yet again.
There are settings where it is inherently linked that if you put your efforts there, it is for the advancement of the kingdom. If you give up a career to go to seminary, to become a pastor, to become a missionary - well, obviously those paths are pointed towards doing Christian work, and using your abilities to spread the gospel.
But what of more secular settings?
After years of singlemindedness towards a goal, I began recently to question what that goal really was.
Is it to be the best? And what really defines what "the best" is? If I won a national championship, would that make me the best? If I won a world championship, would that make me the best? If I won the Olympics, would that make me the best? Is there no end to what you can achieve? Much like the ever-shifting-upwards bar that my coaches set for me that I will never clear fully - achievements are what they are, and at best just external markers of internal personal milestones. (And sometimes not even that).
So if not that, then is it because I really love it? I admit, I do love a good sweat. I love the feeling of scoring a good point, and cheering without shame. I love that feeling of exhausted and sore, in a good way. I love that moment when the clock ticks down and you know you've won. I love getting to go to other countries, and meet and compete against people from all over the world. I love a good practice, the praises (though few and far between) of my coaches, the camraderie of my teammates. It's all very cheesy Chariots of Fire, but when that guy ran, he felt God's pleasure. There are moments in the height of stress and strain when the hard work pays off - and I think God smiles.
However...do I really love waking up at 6am to go to the gym and cross-train? Do I really love being bruised and not being able to wear tanks in the summer because people will ask if I'm in an abusive relationship? Do I really love the injuries? Do I really love getting taken to my limits and having to push all the time? Do I really love the feeling of wanting to throw up before every match? Do I really love all the psychological stress that weighs so heavily into athlete development? (The answer to that one is NO). And do I really love not getting to see my friends because I have to be at practice all the time?
But is love really found in feeling good all the time? Or is it for those few and fleeting moments that all the pain and sacrifice becomes worth it?
I think what it boiled down to the last 2 yrs was the principle that "I would rather regret the things I did than the things I didn't do." Taking Sab's challenge of "don't bury your coins in the sand, thinking safe is the way to go", I've attempted to find what this means - that if God gives talents and opportunities, you can glorify Him by pursuing excellence. I admit, it has served me well - forced me to venture out of my comfort zones and fears of failure and commitment, push myself beyond what I ever would have thought possible, and learn a lot about myself and relating to others.
However, at this point, I wonder if that still applies as the overarching drive. Perhaps that is what I needed to grow in the time when I was too careful, too calculating, too risk-averse. All important things in personal growth. But have I really done all these things and conducted myself in a way that gives God glory?
The question that came to mind in a Galatians 3 study last month was - why? What's the motivation behind the things that I do? Are my actions motivated by faith or by flesh? Paul lays the smack down on the Galatians for buying into the belief that human efforts would bring them salvation, for missing the whole gospel in itself. At what point was the vision lost in the discipline? Where did the joy go?
A big mistake I made this past year was overtraining - or rather, not training intelligently. In the comparison between my own resources and those of full-time athletes, I thought I had to be in the gym or on the mat every day, every hour I could, to make up the deficit. But it wasn't a formula of how much weight I could lift, how many times I could kick in a minute, how many drills I did. Many times I would put myself through workouts for the sake of being in workouts. Looking back at the effects of such training (tendonitis and burnout), it's painfully obvious that going through the motions when the heart wasn't there was pointless, and didn't help me get any closer to the goal.
Perhaps in this state of injured and literal brokenness and undefined training prospects, it's time to re-evaluate the motivation.
In the faith vs. deeds debate, it becomes clearer that the law was given as guidelines for how to live righteously and grow closer to God - but that it was the heart behind the actions that God wanted. His kind words to Mary over Martha, or the parable of the widow who gave two pennies.
So how do you give glory to God out of something that is secular? Is it by citing a verse on my USAT athlete's bio? Is it by wearing my "Jesus Christ is Life. The rest is Taekwondo." shirt on the medal stand? Is it by signing the FCA creed? (FCA = Fellowship of Christian Athletes).
The past 12 weeks of rest have been good in itself, both physically and mentally. In this period of re-evaluation, goal-assessment, and questions of retirement, I'm reminded once again to examine my motivations and purpose for pursuing something that requires so much of myself. Are all these circumstances that point to the impossible - injury, lack of support from coaches and training partners, growing expenses for competing - God's way of saying that it's time to move on and pursue conventional ministry? Or is it a Gideon-esque moment, where the circumstances make God's glory all the more apparent?
While we were studying James 4 in sg last week, someone said jokingly "be the best mist you can be". In getting caught up in being "the best you can be", it's oftentimes forgotten that that occurs when you become the person God intended for you to be.
I wish I knew how.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Someone asked me a question about 5 years ago in a discussion:
"If God asked you to give up Taekwondo - could you do it?"
Even though it was only hypothetical at the time, it really made me think about obedience, and the reasons behind the choices I make. Though a seemingly simple question, I mulled over that one for a long time, trying to understand why I had such a strong passion for something so secular as a sport. It's one of those things where the Bible doesn't paint a clear black-and-white picture of what you should or should not do.
Or is it?
Recently, I was talking with someone and he asked me a similar question: "Why do you do Taekwondo? [competition] There isn't really any glory or fortune in it. Is it to be the best? Is it because you really love it?"
Sometimes seemingly harmless get-to-know-you questions are suprisingly thought-inducing.
Ironically enough, God didn't ask me to give it up in 2001. On the contrary, that's when the whole competition thing kicked off (no pun intended). So 5 years later, on the brink of breakthrough or retirement, I stand at these crossroads of evaluation yet again.
There are settings where it is inherently linked that if you put your efforts there, it is for the advancement of the kingdom. If you give up a career to go to seminary, to become a pastor, to become a missionary - well, obviously those paths are pointed towards doing Christian work, and using your abilities to spread the gospel.
But what of more secular settings?
After years of singlemindedness towards a goal, I began recently to question what that goal really was.
Is it to be the best? And what really defines what "the best" is? If I won a national championship, would that make me the best? If I won a world championship, would that make me the best? If I won the Olympics, would that make me the best? Is there no end to what you can achieve? Much like the ever-shifting-upwards bar that my coaches set for me that I will never clear fully - achievements are what they are, and at best just external markers of internal personal milestones. (And sometimes not even that).
So if not that, then is it because I really love it? I admit, I do love a good sweat. I love the feeling of scoring a good point, and cheering without shame. I love that feeling of exhausted and sore, in a good way. I love that moment when the clock ticks down and you know you've won. I love getting to go to other countries, and meet and compete against people from all over the world. I love a good practice, the praises (though few and far between) of my coaches, the camraderie of my teammates. It's all very cheesy Chariots of Fire, but when that guy ran, he felt God's pleasure. There are moments in the height of stress and strain when the hard work pays off - and I think God smiles.
However...do I really love waking up at 6am to go to the gym and cross-train? Do I really love being bruised and not being able to wear tanks in the summer because people will ask if I'm in an abusive relationship? Do I really love the injuries? Do I really love getting taken to my limits and having to push all the time? Do I really love the feeling of wanting to throw up before every match? Do I really love all the psychological stress that weighs so heavily into athlete development? (The answer to that one is NO). And do I really love not getting to see my friends because I have to be at practice all the time?
But is love really found in feeling good all the time? Or is it for those few and fleeting moments that all the pain and sacrifice becomes worth it?
I think what it boiled down to the last 2 yrs was the principle that "I would rather regret the things I did than the things I didn't do." Taking Sab's challenge of "don't bury your coins in the sand, thinking safe is the way to go", I've attempted to find what this means - that if God gives talents and opportunities, you can glorify Him by pursuing excellence. I admit, it has served me well - forced me to venture out of my comfort zones and fears of failure and commitment, push myself beyond what I ever would have thought possible, and learn a lot about myself and relating to others.
However, at this point, I wonder if that still applies as the overarching drive. Perhaps that is what I needed to grow in the time when I was too careful, too calculating, too risk-averse. All important things in personal growth. But have I really done all these things and conducted myself in a way that gives God glory?
The question that came to mind in a Galatians 3 study last month was - why? What's the motivation behind the things that I do? Are my actions motivated by faith or by flesh? Paul lays the smack down on the Galatians for buying into the belief that human efforts would bring them salvation, for missing the whole gospel in itself. At what point was the vision lost in the discipline? Where did the joy go?
A big mistake I made this past year was overtraining - or rather, not training intelligently. In the comparison between my own resources and those of full-time athletes, I thought I had to be in the gym or on the mat every day, every hour I could, to make up the deficit. But it wasn't a formula of how much weight I could lift, how many times I could kick in a minute, how many drills I did. Many times I would put myself through workouts for the sake of being in workouts. Looking back at the effects of such training (tendonitis and burnout), it's painfully obvious that going through the motions when the heart wasn't there was pointless, and didn't help me get any closer to the goal.
Perhaps in this state of injured and literal brokenness and undefined training prospects, it's time to re-evaluate the motivation.
In the faith vs. deeds debate, it becomes clearer that the law was given as guidelines for how to live righteously and grow closer to God - but that it was the heart behind the actions that God wanted. His kind words to Mary over Martha, or the parable of the widow who gave two pennies.
So how do you give glory to God out of something that is secular? Is it by citing a verse on my USAT athlete's bio? Is it by wearing my "Jesus Christ is Life. The rest is Taekwondo." shirt on the medal stand? Is it by signing the FCA creed? (FCA = Fellowship of Christian Athletes).
J S Bach appended these initials at the end of each of his Cantatas scores.
for Soli Deo Gloria, to the Glory of God alone,
The past 12 weeks of rest have been good in itself, both physically and mentally. In this period of re-evaluation, goal-assessment, and questions of retirement, I'm reminded once again to examine my motivations and purpose for pursuing something that requires so much of myself. Are all these circumstances that point to the impossible - injury, lack of support from coaches and training partners, growing expenses for competing - God's way of saying that it's time to move on and pursue conventional ministry? Or is it a Gideon-esque moment, where the circumstances make God's glory all the more apparent?
While we were studying James 4 in sg last week, someone said jokingly "be the best mist you can be". In getting caught up in being "the best you can be", it's oftentimes forgotten that that occurs when you become the person God intended for you to be.
I wish I knew how.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
It's 12:30am and 88 degrees outside. "Feels like 94" It's the freaking middle of the night - the time when it's supposed to be the coolest!
I have an air conditioner.
It hasn't been installed.
Realization of the day: fans are useless if they're only blowing hot air around.
I wonder if the doorman/security guard would think it was weird if I slept in the lobby tonight. (It has central AC).
After 2 days of this, I just can't take it anymore. Tomorrow is something ridiculous like 98 and feels like 110. (My coworker gave me this whole explanation about how the glare from the ground creates additional heat, blah blah blah).
The freaking dress code in this city - I miss the days of wearing t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops to work in CA. Who really cares what you look like, it's a blazing inferno out there! Give me some dri-fit and free my toes!
Running sprints in the park at 8:30pm - no problem. Walking 3 blocks to get lunch at 12pm wearing work clothes - torturous.
I'm so desperate that I might just wear a skirt tomorrow.
That's how ridiculously hot it is. Everyone drink a lot of water - dehydration will really catch up to you before you know it.
I have an air conditioner.
It hasn't been installed.
Realization of the day: fans are useless if they're only blowing hot air around.
I wonder if the doorman/security guard would think it was weird if I slept in the lobby tonight. (It has central AC).
After 2 days of this, I just can't take it anymore. Tomorrow is something ridiculous like 98 and feels like 110. (My coworker gave me this whole explanation about how the glare from the ground creates additional heat, blah blah blah).
The freaking dress code in this city - I miss the days of wearing t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops to work in CA. Who really cares what you look like, it's a blazing inferno out there! Give me some dri-fit and free my toes!
Running sprints in the park at 8:30pm - no problem. Walking 3 blocks to get lunch at 12pm wearing work clothes - torturous.
I'm so desperate that I might just wear a skirt tomorrow.
That's how ridiculously hot it is. Everyone drink a lot of water - dehydration will really catch up to you before you know it.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
no way!
So the whole six degrees of separation thing - whereby you are presumably linked to another being through 6 steps of knowing people - seems to be well under 6 if you're Asian. Even smaller if you're Christian, it seems.
So lately, I appear to be meeting new people and having the same conversation over and over again. "No way, do you know so-and-so?" "Yeah, s/he was my roommate!"
I mean, it's not just like, hey I know that person, I had a class with that person...it's degrees of closeness so far as living with them. Small world.
Like at shiau_d's wedding, I realized that damn_young was chrisjshim's college roommate. You'd think I'd have made the connection, knowing that chrisjshim lived with pjchung, and damn_young also mentioned he lived with pjchung...but my powers of induction were clearly lacking. (Speaking of which, chrisjshim, if you're reading this - we need to catch up beyond this you-reading-my-xanga-but-never-posting thing so email me or something. What is this about you joining the Marines and/or being in law school?)
So then this past weekend, I went out with HJ's friends to celebrate her being done with the Bar - and ran into some people who I went to church with (briefly) in my summers in CA that I haven't seen in years. And of course there were sig. others of said people, who I was introduced to.
"C, this is Jonah"
"Hi Jonah, nice to meet you. What brings you to the city?"
"I'm an optometry student at SUNY Optical"
"No way! What year are you?"
"I'll be a fourth year"
"No way! Do you know Grace and Ellvin? Grace was my roommate, and Ellvin was...well virtually my other apt-mate"
"You know them??"
Bizarre.
Or how Aimee (my former roommate in Boston - does not attend my church) ended up sitting across from PB (my pastor) at a wedding rehearsal dinner. I still find it amazing that he knew who I was at that point, since I'd never had a real conversation with him prior.
Or how Abe and Ash were shiau_d's students when he was on staff at BU, and are now in my small group.
Anyways. I think reading The Tipping Point is making me think too much about how people are connected. But it's really quite fascinating.
In the words of those annoying dolls at the happiest place on earth...small world. Boggles my mind sometimes. Is it just me, or does this happen to anyone else?
So lately, I appear to be meeting new people and having the same conversation over and over again. "No way, do you know so-and-so?" "Yeah, s/he was my roommate!"
I mean, it's not just like, hey I know that person, I had a class with that person...it's degrees of closeness so far as living with them. Small world.
Like at shiau_d's wedding, I realized that damn_young was chrisjshim's college roommate. You'd think I'd have made the connection, knowing that chrisjshim lived with pjchung, and damn_young also mentioned he lived with pjchung...but my powers of induction were clearly lacking. (Speaking of which, chrisjshim, if you're reading this - we need to catch up beyond this you-reading-my-xanga-but-never-posting thing so email me or something. What is this about you joining the Marines and/or being in law school?)
So then this past weekend, I went out with HJ's friends to celebrate her being done with the Bar - and ran into some people who I went to church with (briefly) in my summers in CA that I haven't seen in years. And of course there were sig. others of said people, who I was introduced to.
"C, this is Jonah"
"Hi Jonah, nice to meet you. What brings you to the city?"
"I'm an optometry student at SUNY Optical"
"No way! What year are you?"
"I'll be a fourth year"
"No way! Do you know Grace and Ellvin? Grace was my roommate, and Ellvin was...well virtually my other apt-mate"
"You know them??"
Bizarre.
Or how Aimee (my former roommate in Boston - does not attend my church) ended up sitting across from PB (my pastor) at a wedding rehearsal dinner. I still find it amazing that he knew who I was at that point, since I'd never had a real conversation with him prior.
Or how Abe and Ash were shiau_d's students when he was on staff at BU, and are now in my small group.
Anyways. I think reading The Tipping Point is making me think too much about how people are connected. But it's really quite fascinating.
In the words of those annoying dolls at the happiest place on earth...small world. Boggles my mind sometimes. Is it just me, or does this happen to anyone else?
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