Hello world!
I am sitting in the middle of a dirt road in front of the St. John's United Church 'Field of Honour' (Canadian for cemetery) in Bonnyville, Alberta. It's 11:24 and I was hoping to catch some stars out here before I head back to the bright lights of the big city on Tuesday, but because I am so far north it is still light out! Crazy, hey?
It is very peaceful where I am right now. You can hear all the sounds of the night animals and the rumbling of the cars from the highway out in the distance.
I figured I'd take a few minutes to reflect on these past few months I have spent traveling and really take it in. Since the beginning of the year I have traveled with two partners to four continents, six countries, sixteen states/provinces, and over 80 schools. I have hiked six state parks, climbed the Great Wall of China, drove a Lamborghini, poked a jellyfish, Rick-Rolled an entire restaurant, and warmed up with snuggies at a baseball game. I have met friends new and old and even picked up a new portable computing device to help me keep in touch with them. It's wild to think that I when I get back to Toronto that I will even be prepared to face a summer all in one place.
And while I know that I will never be able to truly get rid of this travel bug bite (I will especially miss the fact that every night I get a new little bottle of shampoo and conditioner), I am looking forward to spending more time in one area and having a selection of clothing bigger than one suitcase.
I am excited to watch the World Cup, cheer on the Red, White & Blue, watch a few Jays games at the Rogers Centre and grill out with my new roomies.
I am excited to see what role I will be taking on throughout the summer, excited to watch as FTC continues to grow and we prepare for another We Day extravaganza, and excited to take some time off and go home to see family and friends.
And while I sit here with the grasshoppers chirping, the coyotes/wolves howling in the not too far distance, and the stars finally starting to show themselves in the prairie night sky, I can't help but think of how fortunate I have been - not just for the places I have visited, but also for the people I have met. I have learned so much in the past year but one of my biggest takeaways will stem from a comment I heard several times at schools in Hawaii referring to families that lived on the beach:
Families may be houseless, but they sure aren't homeless.
Even though I have been houseless for pretty much the whole year, I have always felt close to home through emails, late night Skype sessions, phone calls, and rendezvous with friends and family in far away places. The Hawaiian kids know what's up. And I couldn't do it without you so I just want to say thanks.
Oh, and there is an open invite to come visit Toronto this summer. I'll take you to a Jays game.
Goodnight!
- Sent via Schragooster
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Baseball As America
To Commissioner Selig and baseball fans everywhere:
Every so often we, as humans, are given the opportunity to catch a glimpse of perfection. As paths cross and stars align, the perfect storm of fate and coincidence allows us to forget the limitations of humanity and peer into heaven for a brief moment before we are snatched back down to earth (sometimes abruptly).
Baseball fans around the globe experienced that tonight. As the outs started stacking up for Armando Galarraga and the Detroit Tigers, the entire baseball community held their breath for their chance to witness the rare events that make up a perfect outing. Some had seen it before, others had just heard about it, and when Austin Jackson made a super-human effort mirroring past heroes of the game, there was no doubt that magic was inevitable and that history would be made.
And while the hushed voices were whispering amongst each other seeking confirmation that they were, indeed, observing the same events unfold; none were prepared for the reality check that occurred after having reached baseball's equivalent of perfection.
Mr. Joyce's botched play call reminded us of our humanity. It reminded us that baseball, just like life, cannot be perfect. And that is why it represents us. In what other sport are human errors counted and tallied? In baseball, when a mistake is made, players and coaches make note and then move on - there is work to be done.
As many baseball fans across the country continue to clamor for expanded use of an instant replay system it is my wish that they will consider the effects it will have on a game that, at its roots, was designed to mimic the simple and complex nature of our being. And while we examine the use of technological aid in determining the intricacies of a game, the simple question must be asked: should we?
In a game that was conceived in romanticism, should we take on the themes of the 21st century and openly embrace the use of technology to correct our errors or should we rely on the fact that we are human and make mistakes? What place does baseball hold in American society? Does it change with the heart of the nation like it did in Jackie Robinson's time or does it allow us to escape the complexity of our modern life and bring us back to a simpler time?
These are questions that I think will undoubtedly lead to the greater use of an instant replay system and by examining them, gives us the opportunity to look at ourselves from a different perspective: to see how much we are willing to adapt and what effects it may have on our understanding of human nature.
In answering these questions, the path that baseball takes will almost certainly reflect the essence of our nation. And as long as we continue to examine the game in this matter, baseball will always be America's game.
Go Tigers.
Every so often we, as humans, are given the opportunity to catch a glimpse of perfection. As paths cross and stars align, the perfect storm of fate and coincidence allows us to forget the limitations of humanity and peer into heaven for a brief moment before we are snatched back down to earth (sometimes abruptly).
Baseball fans around the globe experienced that tonight. As the outs started stacking up for Armando Galarraga and the Detroit Tigers, the entire baseball community held their breath for their chance to witness the rare events that make up a perfect outing. Some had seen it before, others had just heard about it, and when Austin Jackson made a super-human effort mirroring past heroes of the game, there was no doubt that magic was inevitable and that history would be made.
And while the hushed voices were whispering amongst each other seeking confirmation that they were, indeed, observing the same events unfold; none were prepared for the reality check that occurred after having reached baseball's equivalent of perfection.
Mr. Joyce's botched play call reminded us of our humanity. It reminded us that baseball, just like life, cannot be perfect. And that is why it represents us. In what other sport are human errors counted and tallied? In baseball, when a mistake is made, players and coaches make note and then move on - there is work to be done.
As many baseball fans across the country continue to clamor for expanded use of an instant replay system it is my wish that they will consider the effects it will have on a game that, at its roots, was designed to mimic the simple and complex nature of our being. And while we examine the use of technological aid in determining the intricacies of a game, the simple question must be asked: should we?
In a game that was conceived in romanticism, should we take on the themes of the 21st century and openly embrace the use of technology to correct our errors or should we rely on the fact that we are human and make mistakes? What place does baseball hold in American society? Does it change with the heart of the nation like it did in Jackie Robinson's time or does it allow us to escape the complexity of our modern life and bring us back to a simpler time?
These are questions that I think will undoubtedly lead to the greater use of an instant replay system and by examining them, gives us the opportunity to look at ourselves from a different perspective: to see how much we are willing to adapt and what effects it may have on our understanding of human nature.
In answering these questions, the path that baseball takes will almost certainly reflect the essence of our nation. And as long as we continue to examine the game in this matter, baseball will always be America's game.
Go Tigers.
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