The Group Dynamic in Running

I’m back training again for another marathon. 

Running is now squarely in my DNA. Like a lot of healthy shifts in lifestyle, it reminds you that fitness is now a way of life. It’s more than just an occasional hobby, like collecting rare coins and fixing up old cars. It’s both a social club and an important activity for ageing well. Don’t get me wrong, running isn’t the only way to do this. A lot of my friends play basketball in men’s leagues, while others have found pickle ball or jiu-jitsu. Nothing beats a consistent walk if that’s all your body allows for. The key is finding something to do with others, if you’re reluctant to exercise alone.

I’m naturally an introvert so making friends is important. It’s work for me to get out and meet people. I started to make jogging a year round activity 5 or 6 years ago. Back then I ran alone. I still contend, nothing clears your head like a long run at a steady pace. But at a certain point I wanted to compete. Races are a specific goal that forces you to meet a time standard and continually improve. For me the standard was to complete a half marathon under 2 hours and 20 minutes. Once met, I started to increase my pace. I ran a handful of half marathons and even joined a group that offered training.

Joining the group was a perfect next step in my running journey. It forced me out of a comfort zone of individual effort, where I could only improve marginally. We all need others in our lives to push us, even slightly, and to keep us honest in our goals. There are plenty of people in the group that just run for exercise and camaraderie. Either they aren’t competitive or don’t want to hassle with the whole racing experience, money for entry and travel. I’ve learned how to prepare for a big race through the training program my club puts together. But even without doing the race, the training is preparation for future performance.

If you’re like me, prone to work alone, the best advice is to let someone help you with a struggle. Now I’m talking about more than running. Apologies for the clunky transition. Individual effort can only get you so far. You become like a weightlifter who only does arms. His biceps are impressive but from the waist down he stands on pool cues. No one doubts his ability to do curls, his physique proves this out. But he lacks strength in his legs because he ignored everyone who tried to give him advice. 

When you do life completely alone you’re incomplete. Your missing strength might not be obvious yet to others, but without help it will soon show. Pride gets in the way of improvement. We all need group training in something. Group dynamics allow us to build where we’re weak. Sometimes admitting you can’t do something by yourself is the most difficult part. It means you aren’t as great as you thought, a necessary step that allows you to grow. Similarly, my writing is better when I take advice.

Now I’d rather run with a group than alone, even if races are very singular events. I’ve picked up advice on eating, sleeping and stretching before and after training runs. I can bounce ideas off others who are further into this lifestyle than me. The internet can provide forums for questions about injuries and what shoes to buy. But a group is a community.

Just today someone asked me about my marathon from back in October of last year. We hadn’t talked since the last session. I’d picked up a few pointers from him last time. The best thing he told me was to get in my miles before the big run, don’t cheat. Your legs will thank you. I can’t remember how many races he told me he’d done since he decided to get fit. He’s in his late fifties and he runs almost an hour faster than me. So I listen.

This year I’m loosely planning for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in late April. I believe I can knock 20 minutes off my total in the Justice Run from last year. That might be a little aggressive for a second race, but I know of a good group that can get me there.

  

Bringing Back American Institutions: Florida's Experiment

 

Recapturing the Institutions: Small Victories

If you’ve read any of my blogs of the last few years you’ll notice a lot of kvetching over the direction of institutions in this country. Institutions used to be the backbone of stability for the politically uninitiated. Churches, rooted in doctrinal truth, provided shelter from a culture hostile to faith. Businesses had every incentive to run away from political controversy. But corporations have been captured with the same enthusiasm for gender confusion and Critical Race Theory that a freshman at Evergreen State College would have. 

Nonprofits like the Boy Scouts long ago gave up their restrictions on gay scout leaders.

How and Why

At a certain point you begin to wonder if there is any fight left in the public. Even Chick-fil-A was talked out of its financial commitments to groups (like the Salvation Army) that support traditional marriage.

A good picture of collapse is that final scene in Casino Royale. The centuries old buildings in Venice start sinking as James Bond shoots out their supports. But American institutions aren’t collapsing as much as being hollowed out. This is the thing you never see because it’s sneaky. Leadership compromises a little to avoid an expensive lawsuits and next thing you know, outside groups are effectively steering the ship.

The most straightforward example is how climate change has been used as a wedge to control energy companies. In the early days of public consciousness over the environment, (early 70s) the EPA regulated most laws under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Pollution was a major problem. Factories dumped what they wanted and created big clean up projects that took years to fix.

But the EPA started being used like a cudgel.  This is inevitable for most federally run programs, at a certain point they add too many layers of legal red tape. The Department of Education forces schools in various districts to meet the same standards as urban ones. Or, they add opaque ‘diversity and inclusion’ programs that change with the whims of an administration. The EPA is supposed to write regulations under specific acts of Congress, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and so on. Without getting into the weeds too much, the problem has always been that the EPA is exceeding their mandate. They’re supposed to interpret laws in limited fashion.

The Supreme Court ruled against the EPA’s interpretation of the Clean Air Act this summer. The short version is that energy companies complained about being hamstrung, shut down and heavily regulated. SCOTUS agreed. Congress, under Obama, gave the EPA a blank check to decide America’s energy future.

Where We Are

The EPA is a microcosm of how a lot of federal agencies are run. They get a mandate from Congress and use it to gum up the works. Large companies, especially energy companies, need to play ball with regulators or get shut down. After a while their corporate boards are in sync with ‘environmental’ concerns. After a little longer the difference is almost negligible. Remember Rex Tillerson, Trump’s first Secretary of State? He looked and sounded like an old time oil man, but politically he was as moveable as natural gas. After a lifetime of being taught by the EPA on where to step, he'd become the perfect Washington man--unprincipled. He was one of Trump’s biggest mistakes.

Churches and Christian culture is close to my heart. I’m a product of both Sunday services and a Christian education, but a lot of the national Church is little more than a club. They don’t oppose the culture as much as they should. Abortion, adultery and greed are all sins but don’t you dare hurt anyone’s feelings! The existing philosophy seems to be God is my biggest fan and wants me to succeed. That’s why Jesus went to cross after all, to ensure my happiness. It’s as if Christians got beat up in the 80s and 90s and decided to make a truce with secular forces. We won’t go after you if you don’t go after us.

It’s in this institutional mess that we occasionally hear some good news.

The Good News

Governor DeSantis of Florida appointed Christopher Rufo to the board of New College of Florida. Chris is a Manhattan institute fellow and anti-Critical Race Theory activist. A move like this is exactly the kind of direct attack on that Republicans need to start practicing. The traditional way a conservative governor might handle this is to get a consensus pick and avoid a fight. But he’s seen the value of being an advocate for education and families. He was elected in a landslide this past year and so were others who supported him, like congressman Gaetz. Obviously the choice of Rufo is a small step toward un-woke (ing) higher education. But it’s in the right direction and it’s a strong move that the old party (Jeb Bush) would’ve never made.

Maybe it’s not too late to save institutions like education. It’s going to take people committed to the fight though. 

More like this please.  

  

New Year New Resolve

 

The Effort is the Point for New Year's Resolutions

Today is the second day of 2023 and I’m optimistic about my future.

Resolutions are for chumps. That used to be my motto. Easier to make small changes in habits throughout the year and see success. It’s easier to change simple things and stick to it, than to make grand plans and fall flat. I remember wanting to stop dipping tobacco a few years ago. I made a resolution to quit for good. After a week or so I fell apart and went back to my can per day habit. Setting a goal and failing to meet it is one of the most soul crushing feelings a person can imagine. Not meeting your goal is a reminder of your “loser” status. What made you think that this time would be different? All the times I’d tried to quit and failed, but this was different?

Why? because the calendar turned over?

Risk Averse Behavior

Making any resolution reminds us that there is still a longing in our hearts for better. Even when the results are universally bad. Most people break whatever good intensions they had after a week or two. This isn’t a winning strategy, but it’s better than never improving or pretending that you don’t need to. Before my tobacco effort I didn’t make resolutions. It was a defensive reaction to prevent an inevitable letdown. “If I don’t commit, I can’t be disappointed” is the risk averse attitude.

 When I finally made myself accountable for quitting it did two things. One, it forced me to deal with the problem at hand. Two, it created a new habit of working through problems instead of ignoring them. Success came later. I never got over anything on the first try, but the effort was the point. Getting up after a failure is tough but it’s the only way.

Failure isn’t shameful if it forces you to try again.

Negatives and Positives

Not all resolutions are negatives, meaning removing something harmful, many are positive. A positive is something you add, like a routine or healthy habit. Goals to increase the number of books read per year, or number of days at the gym would be positive resolutions. Since the tobacco experience I’ve added healthy habits like eating fruits and vegetables and subtracted other negative ones, like alcohol. The key is to keep trying.

One of my favorite verses is found in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Too often we think resolutions fall on our shoulders completely. But all of need help at some time. A serious change in habit is too important to take on yourself. Allow God to work on your heart and direct your steps. Don’t get frustrated if you fall down either.

Heart Issues

Why do we expect to be perfect with new habits when nothing else in life works that way? How many new skills did you learn on the first try? I still can’t seem to fry pancakes right, forget chicken marsala or beef wellington. Ever tried riding a bike as a kid? How many times did you crash before you felt comfortable riding without training wheels?

Changing habitual behavior is a skill in itself. It takes time to get into a groove. New Year resolutions should encourage us to work on our trust in God. Our own understanding of behavior is often wrong. We don’t need to just lose weight, we need to deal with why we eat so much extra food. Often it’s not just laziness or access. Maybe you need to start speaking positive (biblical) truths about your future, instead of negative speech.

 These are heart issues that only God can sort out. He will show you if you lean on Him. But don’t forget to acknowledge Him for the victory. I never accomplished anything difficult without leaning into God for guidance. Because of that, I always point to Him for my success.

Conclusion

I did eventually quit dipping tobacco. I don’t remember if it was in the same calendar year as my resolution or the next year. But I trusted in the Heavenly Father and kept moving forward. We honor God when we allow Him to change us into His image.

Don’t trash resolutions. Find something to improve and pray about how to start.

 

Gifts and The Meaning of Christmas

 

Christmas is near.

This is the last full week before the big day and I’m nearly caught up with gift buying. I still need to buy for mom and dad. Last year I got him a hand held massager. Companies started making nice ones a few years ago. These plug in to charge. Gone are the days of the throw away battery (like C and D) run devices that last just into the new year. How many foot baths and neck massagers have gift givers tossed after a few weeks?

Everyone, at one time has fallen for a ‘sham wow’ knick knack. Two years ago I got my mom one of those heating pods where you snap a device the size of dime inside a gel infused bag. It looked impressive at the fair. The demonstrator, speaking in I-can’t-believe-how-amazing tones, showed the various uses for the magic device. I’m not a heating pad type of guy. Unless I’m in the throes of a nasty flu, I’m not likely to tuck in under a big comforter with an additional hot bag. But my mom loves the heating pods and heating blankets. I’m sure she has a small space heater in her room as well.

My gift was the perfect complement to a permanently cold body. But like all the other gifts it eventually collapsed, like a failed business stock price shortly after its initial offering. But heating pods, like foot massagers and neck rollers aren’t meant to solve a long term problem. They’re meant to bulk up our pile under the tree and give us something to open, use, and discard. They’re also new ideas when we really need something. Gift cards are no one’s first or last choice. A gift card is better than a pair of shoes that don’t fit or a biography about a person you don’t like (Hillary Clinton).

But cards are also lazy. It’s like, “I couldn’t think of anything so here’s my obligation”. Yes I know, I give them too. Some people have everything they need and more that they don’t. And they’ll likely take that ABBA greatest hits collection right back and spend the credit on an air can cleaner for their laptop anyway. A gift card just makes sense most of the time so why all the pressure? I guess it’s the hunt. That elusive, perfect gift and the story behind how you found it, is what still motivates us to buy for others. Sure it’s risky. But you gain hero status with a hard fought search for an original copy of “Sharknado”.

It's not so much the gift, but how it proves your knowledge of the giftee that is the real reward. In cases like this it’s the gifter that is blessed. I looked for a new model die cast model car yesterday for a friend. He’s a big fan of Ford Mustang cars and never misses a chance to point one out on the road. After 5 stores I gave up. The gift had to be purchased that day. No amount of 2-day shipping from a vendor in South Carolina would work. I did find an embossed sign with “Mustang Ave” on it at Hobby Lobby. I picked up a hat with the iconic logo embroidered on the crown for good measure. It was hardly a search high and low type of gift, but I was pleased with my pick. Hopefully he was too.

It’s better to give than to receive. We need reminders every year.

Gifts and giving is only one part of Christmas anyway. The big part is Christ, the reason we gather and celebrate. Does Christmas carry the same weight as Easter in the holy day calendar? Does it even matter?

Both concern the Savior, His birth and resurrection. What’s important to me is recognizing both days and letting the ornamentation blur into the background like colored lights. Nothing is wrong with parties, dinners, presents and pageants. Paul reminds us in Romans 14:5-6 “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord;” In other words, don’t get caught up in which festivals carry more importance or which group has a greater claim on piety. The birth of Christ unites us, as does His death and resurrection.

The presents we buy for each other represent something selfless we do with our time and money. In a small way it’s an effort to be more like Christ. It’s easy to get carried away with events and gifts and travel, but in spite of the heavy consumerism of the holiday it’s still about Jesus.

The significance of the Savior of the World cannot be overstated. No gift, given or received can match what God the Father offered to us over 2000 years ago.

Merry Christmas!

 

Death and Life: Speech for Growth

The Prescription for A Creative Life: Speak Truth

The book of Proverbs shows the importance of speech for both the Christian in their own lives, and also for the non-Christian.

Provers 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit."

More specifically it shows the value of righteous pronouncements and positive speech. Why is this exactly? How is it that our words have such an impact on the direction of our life? It’s not fair if we’re having a bad day and happen to get down on ourselves. But not acknowledging our part in the direction of life is the same as ignoring gravity. It’s a natural law of the universe that exists, whether we acknowledge it or not.

 The words we speak contain the seeds that become our future.

The Natural World

Apple seeds create apple trees; it’s the same for all fruits. Plant, water and wait. The soil in which the seeds mature contains nutrients necessary for growth. It’s such a natural part of the earth we live in we don’t think about it often. Our natural world contains the perfect amount of water, air and soil for life to thrive. You can’t grow grapes in the Sahara Desert or expect fescue grass to cover the alps, but it’s a life giving place just the same. It exits to increase, fulfilling the mission of God in Genesis to “Be fruitful and multiply.”

That command isn’t just for people, it’s how our world is designed to function.

Language is the spark of life. God spoke, and it was. He put everything necessary for growth here on earth in the beginning. We shouldn’t be surprised that He calls us to use our speech for creation. How do we do this exactly?

We do this in our own lives through positive (biblical) confession and in the lives of others through scripture.

If God filled words are the spark of life, then negative words are the poison that destroys life. Both natural laws exist in the same environment, death and life. It’s the same with our words. We uplift and show people to Christ or we put them down and cause death in them.

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4

The Spiritual World

There were a couple of famous trees on the University of Auburn campus until about 10 years ago. If you ever watched an Auburn home football game the TV cameras always panned the iconic Oaks that stood for over 150 years. A hostile Alabama (tide) fan spiked the trees after a tough Iron Bowl loss in 2010. He called the Paul Finebaum show in 2011 to brag about it. The trees didn’t die all at once, that’s not how poison works. It moves slowly and penetrates all the way through the bark. You might not notice it for years.

A tree can look quite strong and rugged for years but be dead inside. First the leaves dry up and stop producing. Then the bark peels off in sheets while the wood softens inside and stops fighting off infection. It doesn’t fall over though. It stands there for years, taking up space. It’s quite easy to kill a tree. You could drill holes in just one or two roots and pour in an herbicide. No one would even know.

There are countless people walking around struggling with wounds from poisonous words spoken over their lives. The same growth that comes from life giving speech, can turn into death with negative speech. We don’t shrivel up and die when someone wounds us, we die over time because the poison works slowly. As Christians we have the ability to speak biblical truths over those around us. But it isn’t just truth the way that something is truthful.

The Ideal World

Oklahoma is much hotter in the summer than Illinois. That’s a true statement. But it doesn’t contain any creative power. It’s an observational truth and nothing more. It might make you prepare a little differently for a trip. You’re body will need to adapt to a steamier climate if you live in Illinois. But facts about the weather can’t help us grow spiritually or encourage growth in others.

But biblical truths are both facts and seeds. They contain the nutrients necessary to build the Kingdom of God in this world. The Creator uses us to reach others. We provide medicine or we provide poison. It’s never too late to turn poisonous words into Godly truth.

 There’s also good news for those who’ve been poisoned by a boss, a friend or even family.

We have an antidote. We have the words of life and the creative force that restores. Death can’t hold us because it couldn’t hold Him.

What’s the prescription for a creative life?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

We acknowledge the Creator when we speak life and create growth.

 

 

Last Week: Writing Again

 

Last week was a working week for me.

What I mean is, my writing increased to include 2 to 3 hours of evening work. It’s been a little while since I’ve been able to write anything for money. Thankfully now I’m writing consistently again for a one-time project. I don’t know how long this contract is going to go, but for now it’s paying. That’s a good thing because I was running out of ideas for how to attract business. I’ve neglected my website and even my email marketing. Email marketing isn’t quite right but it sounds more professional. In truth I’m just bombing digital marketers with “got any work” inquiries. I won’t say it’s a complete waste of time, but so far I haven’t had any hits.

I really hate doing that. There’s a reason I never wanted to sell insurance. I hate cold calls and cold emails. It’s seriously obnoxious to be hit with texts and calls about the same nonsense. Currently I’m getting spammed by local house flippers who desperately want me sell. My method is to just ignore it.

How are MY messages received I wonder? “No! I don’t want it, now go away” is what I always imagine them saying. Probably because that’s what I do. But still, there is a type  of person that responds. Usually it’s just like “thanks, we’ll add you to the list”. That’s at least a glimmer of hope in a dark sea of ignores though.

But the glimmer isn’t enough for me. If I have to do only that to get business, I’ll do something else. I don’t want to write for online companies that bad. I’ll deliver Amazon packages or answer phone calls and help people fix their internet or something. That’s why this marketing stuff with Sam is a good start. It allows me to get better at writing in a particular industry while learning how to do key word research. Not to mention, learning about SEO and SEM strategies and putting that knowledge to good use. Once I get over the “I’m not in the mood to do this right now” attitude it usually goes well. Writing a big blog with various pieces and connections is a puzzle; it takes at least 2 of us to put it together.

One to write and one to say, “Fix this, change that. Is that a fragment? Do you even speak English?”

Depending on how quick Sam get’s me the updates, next week will probably look a lot like this one. Multiple nights spend cleaning up my outline, then watching an hour of Netflix before going to bed. I love and hate spending my evenings writing for work. The content is less fun than whatever newsy stuff I decided to read and regurgitate for my blog. But it keeps me accountable in a way that updating the blog could never do. I work harder when there is a project on the table. Even a project that drags a little and forces me to do more research than writing, is still better than no projects at all. Because as much as I like to pretend otherwise, I’m lazy when given the chance.

I don’t mean I’m lazy necessarily, let’s say…content with my effort. Does that make sense? I’m not great at that last 2% of finishing touches if it requires an extra hour. I’m more the “I’ve already worked on this for a whole two weeks and you’re telling me the formatting needs to look different? Umm, No. I’m done. You clean it up.” I guess it’s my fixation with checking boxes. I’ve gotten better at this over the years. Awareness is the first stage I suppose. I like to finish, because the stuff inside the package is better than whatever fancy ribbon you tie on it.

Not everyone sees it this way, editors for instance.

Speaking of ribbons and packages, Christmas forces me to tie up all my lose ends here before the New Year. I’ll be taking a week of vacation between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Before that I’ve got family in town so It’s closer to a week and a half of play time. I don’t want any projects to bleed into that if I can help it. I love Christmas. It’s not just the gift exchanges and seasonal joy, it’s the promise of hope through the birth of the Savior. I know it seems like Christmas is about families and travel and time off. Anyone unfamiliar with the roots of Christmas would think it’s an end of year bash, with eggnog and ugly sweater contests. Nothing wrong with any of that, but the importance will always be Christ and His death, resurrection and second coming.

Without Him, the celebration is empty. Merry Christmas!

 

 

Sick of the Lockdowns in China

 

Is the Tide Receding for the CCP?

Calling the medical tyranny in China “lockdowns” is making a mockery of the term.

Lockdowns are what occurred in the United States and a lot of other nations. Canada and Britain saw tough measures, while Australia and New Zealand tossed their liberal credentials aside and let the goons loose on anti-lockdown protests. On some level most countries’ governments overstepped their bounds by giant leaps. Police harassed elderly couples with curfew citations out walking their dog.  Most countries imposed mandates for masks and vaccines. Largely because of what the truckers did in Canada, governments backed off after that.

The truckers didn’t go far enough in their rebellion, but they did make their point. When the law finally did break up the demonstrations, Justin Trudeau paid an awful price. He’s the most hated man in the country by regular citizens. All because of vaccine mandates for cross border truckers, Ottawa’s overreach caused other mandates to fizzle. A lot of vaccine mandates in the US were a non starter as well. Especially now that the jab has cost more lives to Covid than natural immunity alone, leaders look silly in their insistence.

China lockdowns are otherworldly. When you realize that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) takes the position that the country is theirs and everyone else just occupies space, their thuggish behavior makes sense. Not only did the virus begin there, in a Wuhan lab, but the party has insisted on an inhuman policy of Zero Covid. That means hazmat suited teams test everyone where they live. If positive, the individual can’t leave his/her apartment. Some have been welded inside their room, many are beaten for protesting the demand. Business owners have had enough too. I saw a great video of a restaurant owner with a hammer, destroying the barricade around his shop and shouting about the injustice of it.

Some of the blue states like California and New York had draconian lockdowns but nothing like a communist state. I complained loudly about the mask requirements here. I sent emails to my governor and my city council member, who voted on masks for Tulsa. People in the US didn’t complain enough in my opinion. They let fear of a pandemic take out their rights as citizens to live, work and worship. And that’s in Oklahoma, where the response was mild relative to much of the country. I won’t go down another trail and rehash 2020. But there has been no retribution for government overreach during those dark days.

 There needs to be a full accounting, or it WILL happen again.  

I know the Chinese are used to just keeping their heads down and avoiding certain activities. But they’ve been through a crazy number of restrictions from an oppressive government that’s scared of its population. It pushes them hard because if the population ever knew their power, the communist party would cease to exist. Every town, city or rural area would lock up the local official in an apartment and weld the door shut. But no one can convince a population to cast off restraint and fight for their future, for their children’s future. It must come from exhausted, angry people who’ve decided they’d rather die or go to prison than live under this regime another day.

I do hope the people of China are there.

But it’s also a great time from the regime’s point of view to start a war. They’ve been looking for a reason to attack Taiwan and subdue those “rebels”. It’s a wealthy country that got rid of their dictatorship a while ago. Beijing has always claimed it as a province. But Beijing also claims a massive chunk of the South China Sea that’s very far off the coast of China. In all international relations though, it depends on how far your influence extends and not what proclamations you make. They can claim it, but can they control it?

I’m optimistic on the future of China and the Chinese people, but I won’t put a date on the collapse of the CCP. They’ve handled these situations before, including the Hong Kong protests just a few years ago. Is Hong Kong more or less free of Beijing’s grip? They are less free today and no one disputes this.

But there is another big reason I’d love to see a little short term chaos among the communist leadership, American businesses and their unscrupulous practices. Apple just made a deal with the CCP to disable the Airdrop feature on the iPhones of Chinese citizens. It’s the way regular citizens share data, phone to phone, bypassing the heavily censored towers. I know at this point, tech companies working with the CCP to throttle dissent is as common as smog over the cities. But it’s despicable; here as well as there. A collapsing system would expose much of the dirty secrets of Americas top companies and their business practice.

The Chinese government covers up for a lot of mischief like a high tide. But when the tide goes out, we’ll see who’s been swimming naked.