Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

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There are those things in life which really make you think and bring your perspective back to where it should be.

I was recently given a link by a friend of mine, Summer, to a clip on YouTube. The clip is of a phone conversation between Logan, a 13 year-old boy who lives on a Nebraska ranch, and a radio DJ for 89.3 FM KSBJ. This is a Christian radio station which broadcasts from Houston, TX.

Logan made a phone call to the radio station very upset because he had to put down a calf that he loved. The message he shared made me think of what is truly important this time of year, and that no matter what challenges we are called to face in our lives, Somebody knows and understands what it is that we are going through.

Happy Holidays!

Pin It I thought I'd share the Christmas card I made for this year...

Soundtrack to life

Pin It There are times when I am going day to day through my routines and moments…suddenly a song comes to mind. Often I will think to myself just how grand it would be to have that particular song be part of the soundtrack to my life. Maybe I’m one of the only people who do this, but I will frequently rethink over portions of my life to a song I’ve heard which seems fitting for that particular “scene” or moment suspended in time.

One of the most recent titles I’ve added to my “living album” is Matt Scannell (the lead singer from Vertical Horizon) remaking John Lennon’s 1965 hit song, “In my life.”

There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life, I'll love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life, I'll love you more

What song would you add to a daily life playlist? Would you like to add yours to the list of other fellow bloggers? If so, go here.

I didn't know any better

Pin It I was at the grocery store recently and saw a box of cereal I hadn’t had since I was a kid.

I picked up the box and tossed it into the cart, excited to try the cereal that I loved when I was little. I came home and poured some into a bowl and then immediately began to chow down. It took only about a second before I realized that this cereal didn’t taste like cereal at all, it tasted like old dog treats with berry flavoring (yes, I’ve eaten dog biscuits before).

As I dumped the cereal in the sink, thinking of the colossal waste of milk, I came to the conclusion that the reason things don’t taste as good as we remember is because we have developed taste. When you were a kid it was such a treat to have something, anything that had sugar in it. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that I have become much more selective in my food choices. Instead of the two gallon tub of SnowStar brand vanilla ice cream, I spring for the good stuff. And I now pass by the Little Debbie display altogether.

So, I’ve come to the conclusion that Boo Berry Cereal always tasted as bad as it does now, I just didn’t know any better back then.

Kryptonite

Pin It Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like nothing can stop you? You feel so full of power and strength that you feel you’re impervious to everything…then, along comes that dratted Kryptonite?

When you’re sick

Pin It I used to take great pride in the fact that I had only had one sick day in my teaching career—and that is when I had a kidney infection about four years ago. Yesterday at school I started feeling ill and by the time evening rolled around I felt horrible. This is when I thought to myself, “You don’t need to be a superman…if you don’t feel good, stay at home.”

Hence, I decided to stay home and just be sick.

I do have to admit that I have thought of my class quite a bit today and wondering just how they are doing with the sub. Hopefully, they aren’t eating her alive…after all, you know sixth graders.

Perspective

Pin It I Recently completed yet another show at ComedySportz. I'm sure that many of you know I have worked with this improv comedy troupe here in Provo for about 5 years and have done a lot of shows during that time. However, a few months after starting I decided that being up on stage was not really where I wanted to be. There was too much pressure with improv…sometimes it’s hard to come up with something when somebody looks at you and says, in essence, “Okay, be funny…now!”

I was determined to change up what I was doing and decided instead to start being “Mr. Voice.” Now, to tell you a bit about the job…Mr. Voice is the guy who is in charge of lights, sound effects, music, announcing, score keeping, and a variety of other things. I thought that this would be a good change for me. Of course, it is a lot less “glamorous” than being on stage. Usually after the show, everybody goes up to the players outside as they are leaving and tells them what a great job they did, and just how funny they were. Rarely does anyone come up to the booth and say, “Mr. Voice, you did great!” But, on another note, I get to watch the whole show…well, part of it as there are moments when I am panicking, trying to get a certain song or sound effect keyed up because I never know what the players are going to do next. It’s a trade-off.

Like I was saying though, I’ve been Mr. Voice for a long time and my job has become comfortable and I feel confident in doing it.

Set the way-back clock to two weeks ago. I had arrived at ComedySportz and started the show and was doing (if I don’t say so myself) a great job. The show was progressing along smoothly and the audience was into it. Now, there is this certain game where any player on either team can call the other team out of a particular scene they’re acting out by simply calling an “objection.” They state this objection to the referee, who then either will or will not sustain it. If sustained, the other team takes over the scene and it runs on until another objection is sustained. Make sense?

Well, there was this scene which required a transformer sound so, using the microphone I made the robotic shifting sounds of the imaginary car changing into a transformer. Unfortunately, the sound effect sounded a bit too much like stomach indigestion toward the end and Mike, one of the players, called an objection to the sound effect. “This transformer does not have indigestion!” Well, the ref. sustained it and Mike and I were required to switch places.

Now, I want you to remember that it has been about 4 years since I’ve been on stage at ComedySportz. As I jumped from my little crows nest of sorts in the back, I passed Mike at a run up the aisle. Suddenly, I found myself standing on the stage taking the part of Mike’s character. It was at this point that I realized that I hadn’t paid any attention to the last few lines that had been said. Now, I’d love to say that I came up with a snappy line and the whole audience roared with tumultuous laughter. However, this was not the case. I stood there and drew up a complete blank. As I looked at the booth where I usually sat on the other side of the club, I was suddenly taken in with the realization that it sure looked different from up here a lot scarier.

This brings me to my point. As I was standing there I was given a real-world example of looking at things from another vantage point, or perspective. I love the scene in “Dead Poet’s Society” where Robin Williams has each of his students stand on his desk to see how the room looks different from this new angle. Though it is the same room, it looks a lot different because of the way he has them look at the room.

How many times have I had difficulty with somebody because I refused to look at something from their point of view? To see a situation from their eyes and standpoint? It makes me wonder just how much easier this life would be if we would each do that.

To finish my story…it was only a few moments before another objection was called and I was returned to my fortress of security in the back of the club. But when I left that night I took with me a greater desire to always try to put myself in the other person’s shoes. When I encounter individuals in my life that may not see things eye to eye with me, I hope that I can, at least for a few moments, try to see it from a new and different vantage point, one to which they are accustomed.