Category: Life in General

Random Thursday for December 10, 2015

DFinleyLeave a comment

Unrelated comments in no particular order.

Jerry Falwell, Jr’s concealed carry comments have been all over Facebook.  I remember when his father, near the end of his life, met with a group of gay Christian men to try to understand their point of view.  I believe Jerry was honestly trying to see things from another point of view.  I don’t think the later Jerry Falwell, Sr. would have approved of his son’s comments.

Everyone on each side thinks the other side’s crazies have taken over.

I have spent a long time on this blog trying to keep people from making comparisons to the Nazis.  Then Trump comes along to test my resolve.  Here is a flowchart that should help, courtesy of College Humor.

nazi flowchart

Trump is a mirror, reflecting our worst selves.  I think minorities don’t like him because they see how he views Muslims and figure he thinks the same about them.

I draft my blog entries in a Moleskine notebook.  I have a hard time passing up a good notebook.  Here are some alternatives to the Moleskine.  I’ve used the Mod notebook and liked it.  Check them out at http://gearpatrol.com/2014/04/09/margin-call-5-moleskine-alternatives-for-the-notetaker/.

best-moleskine-alternative-notebooks-gear-patrol-lead-full

My TED Talk – The most dangerous place to stand.

DFinleyLeave a comment

(This is a revision of an entry I posted on another site)

I went to TEDxSMU in October 2013.  I love the TED conferences and watch a lot of TED videos.  Since it’s a TED conference, there’s a lot of talk on thinking outside the box and looking at old things differently.

The TEDxSMU people set aside a time for open mike talks.  If anyone ever wanted to give a TED talk, here was the chance.  The rules:  the talk was to be thirty seconds or less and had to start with “And then . . . “  I thought it was an offer I could refuse.  I had nothing, but wanted to hear what others had to say.

Suddenly it hit me – I had something to say.  So I got in line.

I was about three people from the microphone and suddenly it hit me again – I only had an opening line.

I was on the stage with a microphone in my face and a spotlight in my eyes.  I had tunnel vision and target fixation at the same time.  Couldn’t see the audience, only the light – conditions that normally turn me into a babbling idiot.

Here’s more or less what I said:

“And then I quit my job as an engineer to go to seminary.  People keep asking me, ‘What are you going to do?  What are you going to do?  What are you going to do?’  I’m not trying to DO something, I’m trying to BE something!  All I know is that safe isn’t really safe, and the most dangerous place to stand is in your comfort zone.  I don’t know what I’ll do for sure, but I know I can add TED talk to my resume.”

Not a bad babble.  It was true.  And it had a “get off the stage” line.

I got applause.  I got some good comments on my way back to my seat.  That was all great.  I was glad I had the chance and glad I took the shot.  Back to an afternoon of thinking outside the box.

But here’s what made all the difference.  On my way out, I walked by the free space where people were writing comments.  I saw this and knew I had connected with someone.

inside the box

God waits at the edge of your comfort zone.