Wednesday, March 27, 2024

"George is my friend" (and a funny guy)

Surely you recognize the quote from the old cartoon...

One of the funnier and more memorable stories from David Brooks's book 'How to Know A Person' was this piece about former President George W. Bush. It comes in chapter 13 "Personality: What Energy Do You Bring into the Room," and is evidence that W brought a lot. This is from pages 175-176:

When Bush was the Republican governor of Texas, the most powerful Democrat in the state was a man named Bob Bullock. Bush and Bullock got along famously, but from time to time, partisan divides still got in the way. Once, in 1997, Bush, Bullock, and the leading officials from both parties were attending a breakfast to talk about a piece of legislation the Republicans had proposed.

The Democrats had decided they couldn't support it. "I'm sorry, Governor," Bullock said at one point, "but I'm going to have to fuck you on this one." The room fell silent, the atmosphere tense and awkward. Bush stood up, walked over to Bullock, grabbed him by the shoulders, and kissed him on the lips. "What the hell did you do that for," Bullock asked, wiping off his lips. "If you're going to fuck me," Bush replied, "you'll have to kiss me first." The room erupted in laughter.

One biographer wrote that Bush's particular genius was the ability to eliminate, in milliseconds, any distance between him and another person. He wrapped his arms around people, gave them nicknames, treated them with instant familiarity... People, even those who might detest him politically, are happy to be around the guy.

Yes, I count myself among those who didn't look favorably on him as President, but I always liked him and thought he'd be a great person to hang out with.

I've also always thought - wouldn't it be great to be like that!?! Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, we aren't all like that though. But I appreciate those who are, and even though it will never come naturally, I can still try to learn something from people like George. I think the world would be a better place if all of us did.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

How to know a person (overview)

I finished 'How To Know A Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen' by David Brooks a couple weeks ago. Overall I thought it was a good book and I like his writing. If anything, though, it sort of faded at the end, or at least could have been a tad shorter. Still, I'm glad I read it and think it an important topic.

The blurb from Amazon starts out...

As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”

And yet we humans don’t do this well. All around us are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. In
How to Know a Person, Brooks sets out to help us do better, posing questions that are essential for all of us: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person’s story should you pay attention to?

Driven by his trademark sense of curiosity and his determination to grow as a person, Brooks draws from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and from the worlds of theater, philosophy, history, and education to present a welcoming, hopeful, integrated approach to human connection...

 As for the contents...

PART 1: I SEE YOU

Chapter 1: The Power of Being Seen
Chapter 2: How Not to See a Person
Chapter 3: Illumination
Chapter 4: Accompaniment
Chapter 5: What is a Person?
Chapter 6: Good Talks
Chapter 7: The Right Questions

PART 2: I SEE YOU IN YOUR STRUGGLES

Chapter 8: The Epidemic of Blindness
Chapter 9: Hard Conversations
Chapter 10: How Do You Serve a Friend Who is in Despair?
Chapter 11: The Art of Empathy
Chapter 12: How Were You Shaped by Your Sufferings?

PART 3: I SEE YOU WITH YOUR STRENGTHS

Chapter 13: Personality: What Energy Do You Bring Into the Room?
Chapter 14: Life Tasks
Chapter 15: Life Stories
Chapter 16: How Do Your Ancestors Show Up in Your Life?
Chapter 17: What is Wisdom?

 

I have since begun reading Johann Hari's 'Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention - and How To Think Deeply Again.' Based on the introduction I wouldn't be surprised if these two books have quite a bit in common. 

Monday, March 25, 2024

The 19 mile decision

This was it. If I could do the 19-mile run I would go ahead and sign up for the April marathon; if I couldn't... it would have to wait. It all hinged on this run.

Naturally, things started off on the wrong foot when we had to alter our running schedule for the week. Normally we both do 'long runs' on Saturday, but our granddaughter had a mid-morning basketball game and we had to work a concert this past Saturday. So Sunday it was.

Working a concert means we are out late, and I am normally tired after bartending and being on my feet for ~7 hours straight. Plus I hadn't felt great all week (sleep troubles, heart rate issues, tiredness, etc.). Top that off by deciding to have a couple glasses of wine for the first time in several months... and the first hangover I can recall in even longer (not because I didn't use to drink too much, but I think I stopped having hangovers at some point). ...

Anyway, I woke up Sunday morning and I felt like crap. I was congested, hot, tired, my heart rate and stress level never really dropped off during the night... and I had begun to resign myself to the fact that it just wasn't gonna happen. This marathon was not to be.

We were aiming for a 10am start, and finally by 11 we were both somewhat ready to at least give it a try - though neither of us were at all motivated. I figured I'd see if I could just keep up with Jane for her 9 miles but, like I said, I kinda had it in my head I was done.

It was at least a sunny day, and mid-30 temps was almost perfect even in shorts. We did several miles at a super-modest 11-minute pace and... pretty soon I felt fine. Not that my heart rate went down, but it was normal for this pace (130-ish). I swear it's like my body just needs to do this to feel okay. So...

We got done with Jane's 9 (which she killed, btw) and I stopped at the house and re-filled my water bottle and took a leak. By this time I'd forgotten all about whether I could finish or not. I just kept going. I did walk a few quarter-mile stints during the second half because I was trying to stretch it into 4 hours of being on my feet. At one point I was walking down Bluffton Road and ... it was like all was right with the world.  I realized I was smiling for no particular reason. :)

So, I finished 19.1 miles in about 3 hours 45 minutes and actually didn't feel too bad. Sure, I was worn out most of the rest of the day, but during the night my heart rate went back down and I feel darn good this morning.

I've recently started using Tailwind Endurance Fuel on my long runs and I think I like it. After the AFib I started carrying a larger water bottle (21oz instead of 12) and it's the perfect size for the mix ratio. For this run I used two packets (two bottles worth) and I did eat one GU gel around mile 12. Tailwind claims their product is all you need for calories, electrolytes and hydration, but I was feeling a tad hungry so I packed the gel just in case. I probably didn't need it. They also recommend one packet of mix every hour, which would be 4-5 for the marathon. They're kind of big packets, so I'm wondering if I can get by on 3 or 4. I guess we'll see.

I just have the 20-miler left, sandwiched between a couple 12 mile runs and 8 the week before the marathon (well, plus all the mid-week 5-10 mile runs). Unless something crazy happens, I guess I may as well sign up for this marathon. I really didn't expect it to happen what with the ablation a mere month before. Pretty wild. Pretty, pretty wild.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Five things friday (march is mad)

Ahhhh... it's the greatest time of year. If you like college basketball, that is.

  1. Madness is in the air, and on the basketball courts! I love watching the NCAA college basketball tournament. Especially so when my Fighting Illini are playing (and playing well). Fortunately I was able to watch them yesterday afternoon as they sent Morehead State packing. Yet I also enjoyed seeing BYU and Kentucky lose.
  2. I haven't been participating much in the Illini message board group this year. Another one of those things I felt the need to cut back on. But I still read it, and am a big fan of this year's team. My favorite player continues to be Coleman Hawkins. I know a lot of people get frustrated with him because he's 6'10" and they want him to bang inside. But he was a point guard in high school (who then grew too large for the role) and is so multi-talented he almost defies a traditional position. I also like that he's stuck it out with the same school for four years. An oddity in today's college sports. My other favorite players are Marcus Domask (a transfer from Southern Illiniois), Dain Dainja, Luke Goode (from Fort Wayne), and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. I mean, I like ALL the players, but these are the ones I especially root for (for various reasons). 
  3. Today I will squeeze in one of the grand-daughters middle school basketball games. She plays for a Lutheran school and it is their national tournament (or something). Fortunately it's in Fort Wayne, and there are teams from all over the country here. It should be crazy and I can't wait!
  4. Luckily my sorta-so-called "job" hasn't interfered as yet (though it will tomorrow night). I've become the 'set-up guy' for the concert hall ... because I have the availability and I'm like the only person still able to lift and move tables and chairs and whatnot. I usually do it on Thursday or Friday of the weeks we have shows. Normally it takes a couple hours depending on the type of show it is. Yesterday afternoon I set up for a Saturday concert, and we also had a beer delivery which I stacked in the cooler. Saturday I will once again be bartending (which seems to be my "thing" now and also involves showing up an hour before doors open to set up the bar) and then we both help clean/tear down after the show. I actually kind of like doing it - though I wish it maybe paid a little more than just the tips I get from the bar. I also wish I got to decide how the chairs were laid out, but I suppose I can deal with it.
  5. I will end today with this quote from George Bernard Shaw (that I gleaned from David Brooks' book 'How To Know A Person'): "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." Hmm... so what kind of life are ya'all working on right now?

There ya have it, freelancers. Do that stuff you do!

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Sometimes it's just not there

Today's post is about ... those days when there is no post. 

Sometimes I do actually get busy and simply don't have time to sit down and write something. That is not the reason I've missed a couple days this week.

Sometimes I'm in a mental/emotional funk and it's better for all of us if I don't write anything or speak to anyone. That is not the reason I've missed a couple days this week.

Sometimes there are world or local events taking place and I am either unable to find words or words seem pointless. That is not the reason I've missed a couple days this week.

Sometimes ... I'm just freaking tired. THAT has been my issue this week. I don't know if it's the AFib, the weather, the 15 mile run from Saturday, or what ... but my mind has been mush most of the week. Not only have I been sleep-walking through the days, but I can't seem to focus long enough to string coherent words together. I did finally manage to finish the book How To Know A Person by David Brooks, but I had to go back and re-read a few chapters because it was so hard to keep my eyes open.

Today feels a little better. So far. Yet, if I'm learning anything about this phase of life for me, it's that every day seems an adventure as to how I will sleep and how my day will go. Not that there's anything seriously wrong with me - I feel good physically - but it does feel ... different.

And that's what there is to say about that...

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Merit badges vs big tech (fighting for a more humane society)


I was never a boy scout - in any sense of the term. I'm not sure I even knew anyone who was. However, I've been thinking about their merit badge system lately. You can find the list here: https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/all/

I wrote about and linked to a couple substack reads from Ted Gioia "The Honest Broker" awhile back. He recently wrote again about How To Break Free From Dopamine Culture. Why should we do that? As he says...

 If you look at the 10 largest companies in the world, half of them are trying to create this addictive relationship to technology. The days when the dealer in addiction had to hide in the shadows are over. They now operate freely in your home, and every other sphere of your life...

These businesses are obsessed with controlling users in the most manipulative ways possible. This is not the purpose of tech. It has never been the purpose of tech - which should empower and enhance our lives, not force us into digital bondage.

He offers five suggestions for combating this in our lives:

  1. minimize your reliance on scrolling and swiping
  2. go out into the world and discover what real applications look like
  3. pursue immersive experiences in music (and other things)
  4. celebrate rituals (both family and community)
  5. only connect (with others)

Number two above is where merit badges fit in. One thing he says, as well as David Brooks in his book How to Know A Person, is that people simply don't know HOW to do things anymore. And it's not just kids. In fact, as Brooks says, "Some days it seems like we have intentionally built a society that gives people little guidance on how to perform the most important activities of life."

So, what if we had something like merit badges not just for Boy Scouts, and not just for kids, but for EVERYONE?? And, I know, I know... there are pitfalls to the whole performance-based system stuff... but we seem in danger of losing the very essence of what it means be human, and how societies should function. 

I'm just trying to find some ideas... for myself as much as anybody...

Friday, March 15, 2024

Five things friday

It's here. It's really here. As you feel your way through this Friday...

  1. Our church sings songs from The Porter's Gate, and it turns out The Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination has partnered with The Porter's Gate and the Peterson family to set portions of The Message translation to music. The singles New Every Morning and Happy from the Inside Out are available now for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. You can catch a little video preview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prIw3IgaApw
  2. Do you know the name of your generation? You can find out How Do Generations Get Their Names by clicking the link. I don't know if I buy that stuff anymore. Jane and I technically fit into the tail end as Baby Boomers, but we have both identified more as Gen Xers most of our lives. Nowadays I just don't think it's that easy to categorize people.
  3. This morning I had a great conversation about... death. It kinda turned into a simultaneous wondering on resistance. As someone trying to live with a new kingdom perspective there are certainly things to be resisted (greed, group-think, and groping come to mind... because they all start with a g; but there's a boatload more). Yet the majority of people in our society seem most resistant to all things death and dying. Yet that is the ONE THING we are assured will happen. And I'm not so sure it's something to be dreaded in the Christian sense.
  4. The above chat took place in a coffee shop I'd never been to before. Davey's Delicious Bagels & Deli has a super cool artsy vibe and I really liked it. Probably the main reason I'd never been there before is because I had no idea where to park! It turns out that must be a "thing" because on the front page of their website they have a map with giant arrows pointing people to their parking (in back). So I'm pondering the importance of ease of access (or whatever you want to call this). I mean, our church space is in another church's building and we enter through a side door and it's on the third floor. Is getting there half the battle (or fun), and is that a good or bad thing? I dunno.
  5. I am also thinking on this question from James Clear: "What is something you want, but you haven't asked for?"
 Hey... just in case you forgot... it's FRIDAY! Resist those things you know won't be good for you; be open to embracing something only God could have placed in your path. ;)

Thursday, March 14, 2024

The ablation

I suppose at some point I should get around to jotting down here some specifics of the ablation procedure I had done last Tuesday, March 5. It's not that I don't want to talk about it, but, yeah, I kinda/sorta would just as soon not think about it. Still, there's the posterity aspect, and someday I may need to recall this stuff (like when I need to have this done again). Plus, I know you've been dying to hear all about it!!

WHAT I HAD DONE

I don't fully understand much of this, but I think it was called a Catheter Radiofrequency Ablation. They went through my groin with tubes and wires and burned parts of my heart. Or, as the clinical notes say:

Procedure Name
1. Ultrasound-guided bilateral femoral vein access
2. Ultrasound-guided right femoral artery access for blood pressure monitoring
3. Electrophysiology study
4. Intracardiac echocardiogram
5. Transseptal access x 1–Baylis versa cross
6. Three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping–Abbott
7. Pulmonary vein isolation–cardio focus X3 laser balloon
8. Radiofrequency ablation–cavotricuspid isthmus ablation for typical atrial flutter
9. Manual pressure and figure-of-eight sutures for hemostasis

As near as I can tell there were 23 actual ablations - whatever that means.

WHY I HAD IT DONE

I was hospitalized and diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) on November, 14, 2023. They did a cardioversion (shocked my heart back into rhythm) on 11/15. I then wore a monitor for two weeks and it was determined that I had persistent AFib. They suggested since it was fairly early and I'm in otherwise good health, I was a good candidate for ablation.

At the time of the procedure the EP (electrophysiologist) said I also had Atrial Flutter, which he could fix with the ablation as well. I don't know the difference.

THE PROCESS

The procedure was scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at the Lutheran Heart Pavilion. After fasting since midnight the night before, I arrived at 5:30am with Jane holding my hand. I had preregistered and already paid the ~$3,800, so it wasn't long before they took us both back and strapped a bracelet to my arm. Then it was off to get me ready. My nurse was also named Jane, and she was super. I put on my gown, got an IV, a tech came in and shaved my front-side from neck to knees, and then I chatted with the anesthesiologist, his assistant, the EP (Dr. Rodriguez), and probably a couple other people. Right around the scheduled procedure time of 7:30am a nurse came and wheeled me down to where they did it.

The procedure room had a ton of people in it. They were all joking around and very friendly. They had me walk from my bed over to the operating table. First I sat up and they stuck monitor pads (or something) all over my back and front. People were asking me questions and everyone seemed to be talking at the same time. Finally they told me to lay down with my head on this little pink piece of foam. The anesthesiologist had told me in my room that he could give me something to help me relax before the actual anesthesia if I wanted. I told him to feel free to give me anything and everything they had! The last thing I remember is someone saying, "Okay, you can give him the good stuff," and someone else said, "He's already getting it." :)

The next thing I know I was waking up and a nurse was leaning over the side of my bed. She said they were all done and she asked me some questions (I think). Then I vaguely remember being pushed down the hall back to my room where Jane was waiting.

According to the notes I arrived in the operating room at 7:30am; the physician arrived at 8:14am; and I was out of the room at 9:59am. So almost exactly 2 1/2 hours (which is what they said it would be).

RECOVERY

I'm guessing I was in post-procedure recovery for about 1/2 hour coming out of the anesthesia, because I thought I got back to the room with Jane around 10:30. I remember feeling very relaxed and sleepy.

It was kind of a blur for awhile, but I remember them asking what I wanted to eat. There were several options and I chose yogurt with blueberries and granola. I remember Carrie being there because she said something like that's what I would be having at home. They also let me have coffee through a straw - which tastes different for some reason. Anyway, I remember it all tasted pretty good.

I needed to lay still for 3 hours to make sure I didn't bleed from the insertion sites. About that: for some reason I thought there would be one incision in the artery (or vein) in the groin area. What they actually did was go into BOTH SIDES of my groin, but instead of an incision they sort of just punctured the skin with a tube. So I had no stitches in my skin, but they did use sutures to close the artery/vein. So, I had to lay fairly still for 3 hours until they removed those sutures and made sure I wasn't bleeding. 

I don't really remember much about that 3-hour waiting period. That and the incision are what I had been most concerned about, and neither was much of an issue. 

At 1:30pm the nurse removed the sutures - and I didn't feel a thing! Then I had to wait another 30 minutes and as long as I could walk and everything seemed okay I was free to leave.

At 2pm the nurse accompanied me down the hall, I stopped and peed at the restroom, then we went back to my room and they removed the IV and told me I could get dressed.

By 2:30pm they were wheeling me out to the door and Jane picked me up to take me home!

RECUPERATING AT HOME

For 48 hours I was supposed to take it easy and avoid: heavy lifting (5 pounds or more), continuous stair climbing, prolonged walking, and squatting or bending for prolonged periods of time. The EP also suggested I take at least 5 days off from running, but I could otherwise resume normal life.

The rest of that first day I actually felt pretty good. I spent most of my time in the recliner and we watched TV.

I didn't sleep great the first few nights. My chest hurt and it was a little hard to breathe Wednesday and Thursday. I don't know if it was swelling from the ablation or the anesthesia (or both), but they said to expect it. It wasn't terrible, but I've never had a hard time breathing other than the couple times I've had bruised ribs. It's not fun.

Thursday evening was my first venture out of the house. We went to a play the two grandsons were in. It was a bit of a chore, but actually felt good to get out. Leaving their school I felt better than I did arriving. That night was the first good sleep I'd gotten and I felt much better Friday.

I think Saturday was my first actual "walk" outside and that went well. I hadn't really had any pain in the groin area like they said I might.

Saturday night I tended bar for a concert and... that just about did me in. Being on my feet for 5 hours of activity was probably not a good way to ease back into things, but I survived. I had a little groin pain, and was pretty wiped out. Fortunately our church doesn't start until 11am Sunday, and that arrived early enough. After resting the rest of Sunday, though, I felt like I was almost back to normal.

Monday afternoon I did an easy 4-mile jog and it went better than expected. My legs were a little tight, but nothing other than from being a lazy slug all week.

Wednesday was an 8-mile run and it went pretty good. Again I kept at an easy pace, which was 10:15/mile and included stopping at several lights because I went from our house to downtown. I guess I did walk a tenth of a mile during the 6th or 7th mile, but the run felt fine. I was kinda wiped out after though.

This morning was 5 miles, and I did it on the treadmill at 6am because it was supposed to rain all day and I just didn't feel like that right now. Actually, it's been storming. 

So far I feel like I'm back on track not only as far as general health, but maybe even the marathon at the end of April. My only concern is if my achilles tendons can deal with the week off or not, but I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic.

As for whether it "worked." I don't know. And probably won't until my scheduled return visit to the doctor in June. Apparently it takes 2-3 months for the heart to fully heal and during this time I can still have AFib and flutter episodes, but that doesn't necessarily mean the procedure wasn't successful. In fact, I had an AFib episode the morning after the procedure! My resting heart rate has been running higher than it used to, and I can feel things get a little wonky from time to time. However, everything else seems to have healed up, and I feel pretty good. I don't seem to have tired spells for as long or as often, and that's maybe the biggest problem I had before. So, we'll see.

And... there you have the long and short of it, folks (if anyone is still reading). Perhaps the only thing to deal with now is the itch of chest hair growing back!

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Respect is a gift you offer with your eyes

The title of this post comes from David Brooks in his book 'How to Know A Person' (32). Chapter 3, on illumination, is a warm treat on the art of seeing others. There are two segments I want to highlight:

Jimmy is a pastor. When Jimmy sees a person - any person - he is seeing a creature who was made in the image of God. As he looks into each face, he is looking, at least a bit, into the face of God. When Jimmy sees a person, any person, he is also seeing a creature endowed with an immortal soul - a soul of infinite value and dignity. When Jimmy greets a person, he is also trying to live up to one of the great callings of his faith: He is trying to see that person the way Jesus would see that person. He is trying to see them with Jesus's eyes - eyes that lavish love on the meek and the lowly, the marginalized and those in pain, and on every living person. When Jimmy sees a person, he comes in with the belief that this person is so important that Jesus was willing to die for their sake. As a result, Jimmy is going to greet people with respect and reverence. ... ... If you see the people you meet as precious souls, you'll probably wind up treating them well. (31)

In the section on generosity...

Dr. Ludwig Guttmann was a German Jew who escaped Nazi Germany in 1939 and found a job in a hospital in Britain that served paraplegics, mostly men injured in the war. When he first started working there, the hospital heavily sedated these men and kept them confined to their beds. Guttmann, however, didn't see the patients the way the other doctors saw them. He cut back on the sedatives, forced them out of bed, and started throwing balls at them and doing other things to get them active. As a result, he was summoned to a tribunal of his peers, where his methods were challenged.

"These are moribund cripples," one doctor asserted. "Who do you think they are?"

"They are the best of men," Guttmann replied.

It was his generosity of spirit that changed how he defined them. He continued organizing games, first at the hospital, then for paraplegics around the nation. In 1960 this led to the Paralympic Games. (35)


I don't know about you but... I would like to see more; and better. 

This was a good chapter.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

The first run - again

You remember that first time, right? Whether it's running, playing an instrument, speaking in front of others, asking a girl out, sex... whatever. Sometimes it's the best; sometimes not. Either way there's a certain anxiousness and all these "what ifs." Well, this wasn't exactly the first, first time. However, yesterday was my first run after having the catheter ablation procedure last Tuesday. I was a bit nervous about how it would go.

The doctor told me to take at least five days off from running, so that's what I did. Normally I run on T-W-TH and Saturday, but I was itching to give it a try; plus I thought maybe it would be better to allow a day between the first one and the eight miles I'm supposed to do Wednesday. So, when Jane determined to do her run after work (instead of before), I decided to join her. It was a beautiful sunny 60+ degrees and it felt nice to be in shorts and a tee again - Outside! 

I went the called-for four miles at a nice easy pace (something like 10:23/m). At first it felt awkward, which often happens anyway. I didn't really even think about my breathing, and had decided not to check my heart rate until afterward. As we got going... a couple blocks into it my legs and motion started feeling "normal" again. Jane only needed to do three miles, and I kicked it up just a notch for a bit and did feel a twinge in my chest once, but I don't think it was anything. All told, it felt pretty good. My heart rate never got over 147, so I wasn't even close to maxing out.

My legs felt it more than my lungs, but by this morning I didn't have any stiffness at all. In fact, even though I didn't sleep very well, I think my heart rate actually went back lower than it had been since the procedure. I normally have a resting heart rate in the mid-forties, and it has been running in the upper fifties and low sixties since the procedure. This morning I felt calm, rested, my blood pressure was back down (114/65), my heart was more of a gentle purr than a thump. 

We will see how the eight miles goes tomorrow before I get too excited. I have held off on starting back with the two days a week of weight lifting for now - one thing at a time. Hopefully I can work my way back without an injury and pick up the marathon training minus just the one week. Fortunately this Saturday's long run is only thirteen miles. Next Saturday is nineteen!! 

Here we go!

Monday, March 11, 2024

Diminishers vs illuminators


I've begun reading 'How to Know A Person' by David Brooks. It seems like a really important book at this time in history where AI is taking over and the world - especially in the U.S. - is so polarized.

As Brooks points out in chapter 1: "If we want to begin repairing the big national ruptures, we have to learn to do the small things well." At some point we've got to look one another in the eyes and ask if we want to help things get better or not.

In this first chapter he talks about Diminishers and Illuminators. Diminishers use people and make them feel small and unseen. Illuminators, on the other hand, have "a persistent curiosity about other people. They have been trained or have trained themselves in the craft of understanding others. They know what to look for and how to ask the right questions at the right time. They shine the brightness of their care on people and make them feel bigger, deeper, respected, lit up." To sum up, they make you want to be a better version of yourself.

Then he tells these two stories:

A biographer of the novelist E.M. Forster wrote, "To speak to him was to be seduced by an inverse charisma, a sense of being listened to with such intensity that you had to be your most honest, sharpest, and best self." Imagine how good it would be to be that guy.

Perhaps you know the story that is sometimes told of Jennie Jerome, who later became Winston Churchill's mother. It's said that when she was young, she dined with the British statesman William Gladstone and left thinking he was the cleverest person in England. Later she dined with Gladstone's great rival, Benjamin Disraeli, and left that dinner thinking she was the cleverest person on England. It's nice to be like Gladstone, but it's better to be like Disraeli.


So far it's a pretty good read. Definitely something I need, because for as much as I would like to be an illuminator instead of a diminisher, it does not come naturally to me. ;)

The world needs more illuminators.

Friday, March 08, 2024

Five things friday

Even being mostly dead (at least in appearance) won't keep me from bringing you the FFF...

  1. Yes, that's me following the catheter ablation procedure earlier this week. You can thank my wife for snapping this while I was still enjoying La-la land. I will share details another day, but all is well. I do have to say, though, the weirdest thing may be adjusting to having been shaved from my neck to my knees! Now on to more important things...
  2. I recently learned two new terms: CHRINO refers to those who are Christian in Name Only, and EINO stands for Evangelical In Name Only. Yeah, that's undoubtedly always been a thing, but maybe never more so than now! Seems more and more folks want to be known for living a certain way, without necessarily having to... live that way.
  3. Personally, I don't have much use for Google Docs in my life right now. However, I know many people do use it, and I might have to again someday too. Here's a helpful list of 16 Google Doc Tips & Hacks. H/t to Josh Spector.
  4. Are you thinking of writing/publishing a book? James Clear is promoting Authors Equity. He says they are "a book publisher that will pay authors more profits than traditional publishers and provide better distribution than self-publishing options." He's even become an investor! Who wouldn't want to get paid more, get paid faster, and get to create books on your own terms—all while getting the editorial skill and mainstream distribution that comes with company behind you?
  5. Basically, we all suck... at least at this. William Ickes, a leading scholar on how accurate people are at perceiving what other people are thinking, finds that "strangers who are in the midst of their first conversation read each other accurately only about 20 percent of the time and close friends and family members do so only 35 percent of the time." Ickes also says that the longer many couples are married, the less accurate they are at reading each other (we fail to consider how people change over time). I found this innaresting tidbit in the David Brooks book 'How To Know A Person' - or, in this case, how not to).

Okay, friends, sweet dreams on the weekend stuffs you have planned. That's it for now!

Monday, March 04, 2024

Seventeen-mile saturday

This past Saturday was my last long run. 17 miles. At least the last one until I have the ablation procedure this week.

I'd been dreading it, but it was pretty good. Jane did the first 7 miles with me (as part of her half marathon training). I think I did the Lower Huntington to Bluffton Rd to the Foster Park Greenway and back around twice (plus a little finagling here and there for extra miles). I stopped at home after the first lap and refilled my water bottle and took a leak. It took just under 3 hours for a 10:30-ish pace. I went through two 21-ounce jugs of LMNT-spiked water and three GU energy gels. I was happy enough with things, mostly because I didn't have any injuries, blisters, or incidents. Afterward my left achilles was kinda sore, but I don't think it's anything.

I am now starting week 11 of my 18-week marathon training plan... and it's about to go to pot! This is supposed to be my highest mileage week, and I'm only going to get in one run - if I do it today; which is typically a day off. After the ablation I'm supposed to take a week to ten days off, and it remains to be seen how I'll feel after that. So... we'll have to see. There's no way I can make up for missing all these miles. Plus I'm not really looking forward to having someone cut into my groin and stick a bunch of wires and tubes up there all the way to my heart; oh, and then make some burn marks for good measure. ... ... I dunno. I'm a little nervous.

At any rate, I tried to look back through some previous 17-milers and some were not so good and some were okay. I'm at least glad this last one was a good run. I'd have hated for it to be like the year I had to walk at mile 11. 

Today I will maybe do 4 or 5 miles - I haven't really decided yet. It's like a day that doesn't count because I'm not sure how my legs will feel on the other side of all this. I'm probably only doing a run at all to try to keep my mind off things. 

At any rate, don't be surprised if this is the only post all week. On the other hand, there could just as likely be a million more. 

I feel kinda like I'm off to see the Wizard...

Friday, March 01, 2024

Five things friday

You know what day it is (and don't forget it is now March also)...

  1. I was chatting with a friend at the gym yesterday and it turns out his dad was having the same procedure (ablation) that day that I'm scheduled to have next week. Small world; or popular procedure.
  2. I won a free book! I hardly ever enter contests - especially online. However, the Englewood Review of Books is run by a friend/acquaintance and they were having a free giveaway of a book I wanted to get... so I entered... and I was selected to get a free copy of David Fitch's new book Reckoning with Power: Why The Church Fails When It's on the Wrong Side of Power! It made my day.
  3. Speaking of books, yesterday I started reading How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, by David Brooks. Our pastor is reading it and he recommended it for the upcoming teaching series I'm involved in. I've read many of David's articles and like his writing, so I'm looking forward to reading this as I recover from my heart procedure.
  4. And, what the hey, let's just make this a three-book Friday. I recently added Brian McLaren's Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage For A World Falling Apart to my amazon wish list. Not only is it being released on our wedding anniversary date, but it looks like something I really, really need to hear. Plus, I haven't read a McLaren book in awhile. He had a huge impact on my journey a number of years ago (that 'New Kind of Christian' trilogy was amazing) and I've kinda lost track of him.
  5. "It is the most counterintuitive aspect of Christianity, that we are declared right with God not once we begin to get our act together but once we collapse into honest acknowledgment that we never will." -Dane Ortlund

 And there ya have it. Have a great day, folks! Btw, what are you reading, or wanting to read??

Thursday, February 29, 2024

The worst weather for running (or some such contradiction)

I used to think running in the cold would be unbearable. However, there are plenty of studies that show it's actually good for us to be out in cold weather (supposedly -18F is the point where it's *too* cold). Somewhat the same is running in the rain. I find both to often be rather exhilarating, actually. And, personally, I don't even mind the heat if I'm used to it and can stay hydrated.

Wind, though... that's the worst. It throws off your form, the body tightens up leaving you sore afterward, and it can suck the air right out of your lungs! Even worse is a cold wind. The coup de grace is a cold wind in the rain! 

My least favorite marathon was the 2022 Indy Monumental when it was raining and there was a wind advisory. It was just brutal. I believe I shared before about being with a group trying to climb a hill and the gusts were so bad we all just stopped at the same time and dejectedly walked to flat ground.

Yesterday I had an 8-mile run scheduled. It rained in the morning, then turned to snow in the afternoon. I managed to find a mostly dry window between (a little sleet before the snow), but the wind was ferocious. My first mile was directly into it, and I was freezing and thought several times about just turning around and crawling under a blanket. Once I turned down Bluffton Road it wasn't so bad, plus there's a slight downhill grade. I meandered a bit down the Foster Park greenway and it was almost kind of nice... until I turned around! Ugh. The next three miles were a bit of a challenge, but once I got to the final mile, with the wind at my back, what had been the worst one way was the best going home.

Today I'm a bit sore from fighting the gales, so I'm presently procrastinating about my four mile jog. At least the sun is shining and the flags are standing still. I suppose it's about time...

I do have to say, though, it might actually be the worst weather that makes for the best feeling when it's done. I suppose there's a metaphor for life about the sense of accomplishment.

So, what is it you dread doing right now? You never know, it could be the best part of your day! Sometimes you just gotta... and it's okay. :)