List 3

I don't really have a great idea for this one. It seems like this week will be a lot of ruintien and monotony for myself. We are staying at the Wilderness Edge retreat center until we stop into Winnipeg for one day on Sunday only to return that night. What do you guys do when you get that feeling that everything is the same?

Generally, I play video games until I feel disgusted about myself enough to motivate me to start living again. Luckily the motivation always comes. Unless it's Starcraft. But I can't play video games right now so I will have to do something more productive. I think that I'll journal because I've fallen away from my usual evening routine of 45 minutes before bed.

Therefore, this is the week of keeping memories.

I say memories because that is what a journal is. A journal deals with events, ideas and how you delt with them. A diary is about feelings. And has a lock. If you need a lock, it's not a journal. That's just how it is, I don't make up these things, I just keep to the social code.

So, Get a scribe if you have to but journal at least 15 minutes each day this week. If you have no idea what to write about try a dream journal. It's where you write down anything you remember from your dream. It is said that it will actually help you improve your ability to remember your dreams.

Leadership 2

Before you read this you should read Leadership and read the comments. It would also help if you knew the people leaving the comments but that is unavoidable.

If I came across a blog like that and left a comment not knowing what the theory is I would probably say:
Determination/Work Ethic
Vision
Humility

If I was to leave a comment as the author fulling the question, I would probably add understanding. Let me explain why.

Six people left a total of 17 traits. There were some duplicates but I counted 12 separate traits that a leader should have. Now I respect the opinions of my friends; they are not experts but they are all intelligent people. Why do our answers vary so much? Is it okay to just write it off as a relative truth, that leadership is different to every person and that's just how it is. I don't want to go all Postmodern on you but I almost agree.

I think that when people think about leadership they have a tendency to think about perfection. Maybe they should and maybe they shouldn't but our society teaches us that the greatest honor is to be a leader. If you are a leader, you are put onto a higher pinnacle, you are put on a different scale. So it is natural to want a leader to have the qualities that you think are best.

I'm not surprised that Iceman put wisdom, that Breaden put encouragement, that Grbreg put humility, that Rabbit put loyalty, that Laura put passion, that Erika put honesty. I'm not surprised because I think that those qualities are incredibly important to each of you personally. You want a leader to exhibit what is best in you, or at the least, something you'd like to exhibit.

I can't follow someone if they don't at least work as hard as I do. I can't believe in someone if they don't know what they're doing. I will not respect a leader if they do not put other people before themselves.

I do not think that understanding is necessary for leadership. I think that it could help but it isn't in my top three. But if I could, I would want my leader to have it. Because, I will be more willing to be lead if they embody something that is that important to me.

I think that leadership really boils down to one major thing. The ability to gain the respect of those you are trying to lead.

Well that's the first step at least.

My Adventure (to find better titles)

I've been on the Outtatown program for 10 days.

When I went to CMU last year the basic simile that I used was that it's like relationships on crack; if that is true then Outtatown is like some high grade speed that even John Travolta couldn't handle. Most of this is because everyone is expecting to be friends with everyone else and it's crazy how good of a motivator that can be. Normally it is seen as strange to say hi to a stranger but you would have to be an outcast to not be able to get to know people on a program like this. I really like that. Makes things a lot easier for me.

The start has been a little different than I expected. I would explain but that would either take too long or you wouldn't know me well enough to understand. But now things are becoming more like I thought they would. I'm starting to get ridiculous and I'm really enjoying getting to know the other people.


We are at a place called Wilderness Edge Retreat center in Pinawa. It is a small town with really tame deer. I tried to get a Google map or earth image of the area but I do not know how to do that on this computer. We were here for the first few days and then we went on a 3 day canoe trip at Manitoba Pioneer Camp (which is in Ontario) and now we are back again. We will be situated here for about two more weeks until we head back to Winnipeg for an Urban Plunge.

Yesterday I got my hair cut by about 12 people. I wanted it shorter and I thought the best people for the job would be the four who had a combined two and a half hair cuts of experience between them. With another eight for moral support and comic relief, the deed was done. I figure it was a community building experience.



Other than that my day consists of meals, sessions, random sports, a game of crib and maybe a movie. O and staying up until 1:30am every night.

List 2

I'd like to hear how people did, or if people did anything different at all. I can say that I met my quota and actually learned a name or two (even one number). Does anyone have any strange or funny stories. Did you talk to that guy on the bus or get finally get enough courage to talk to that good looking girl in the cafe?

Well whatever happeded this is going to be the week of commitment. I recieved a black ring in the mail today which means something to me. It is a symbol of a commitment that I made. I plan to keep this commitment and I'd like you to stick it your commitments too. The part that I'm not sure about is how do I write a punchy line that I can bold and put in red. Each of your commitments are different and it seems weak to write, "stick to your promises". Is it too much to ask you to do that? Do you even know what your commitments are?

Well whatever, this week, stick to your promises.

The List + Leadership

This might be the last post for a while so I'm going to try something. I'm actually going to try two things.

First, I'm going to get tough. During the summer I created a list, a list that has a purpose but it was mostly just a bit of fun. Each week was a different theme; each week had a different word. I'm going to redo the list. So, each week I'm going to give a new word or phrase and if you read this blog you have to abide by it. If you don't do this, you have no right to read anything else I write in here. This is week 1.

Week one is the week of new people. I'm going to be meeting about 90 people tomorrow, of which 30 I hope I can become friends with. It's going to be an emotionally draining day. I'm usually okay with meeting about 5 people a month so this is a bit beyond my quota. Luckily, there shouldn't be too many more people to meet after tomorrow, unless they really slept in. Now, you don't have to go out and start streaking with random people to start bonding (but I might) but you have to introduce yourself to 5 people you've never talked to this week. That's about 0.7 of a person per day, very do able. Frankly, I don't care if you live in a cave, because if you have enough ingenuity to get internet you can probably create a midget each day. It might even be a bit low but I'm not a huge fan of meeting strangers so I'm keeping it low, at least for week one.

Second, I want to know your opinion on leadership. Leadership is a large goal of mine for this year. I want you to write in a comment, three traits that you think a leader should have. I don't want you to explain them and you can even leave the comment anonymous. If three is too many then make it two but please leave a comment. I know of at least 6 people who probably check this blog often and I have a strong hunch that a lot more do especially since I have and will advertise it on facebook. Please take a few seconds to think and write. I have a theory and I'd like to test it.

The New Word

I had another great day. The sun was shinning and the air was warm. I slept in until 11 and practically got breakfast in bed. I even played nine holes of frisbee golf. The only bad part was that some Yerba got stuck in my Bombillia but after I solved that little problem it tasted all the better. I'm having a good time at CMU.

The funny this about CMU is that my vocabularly changes when I am here. I'm not just talking about the BR (bonking room) or the make out lounge either. I love to use the word "dominate" when ever I can and I pretty much describe anytime I spend with Peter as a "party". Recenlty I've been using the word "perfect" a lot, in a sarcastic sense, but that started during summer. The new word that's come of age since I've been at CMU this year is "legitamite". Right now, it's count is about once every three sentences, but that's climbing. Is it going to be the word of this year? Will Outtatown legitamitely accept it?

We'll just have to find out.

Strength

I have some time this afternoon while everyone is in classes. I'm going to take it and use it to tell you about something that is important to me. I'm going to try to describe a point of my world view, something that is fundamental to understanding me or anything that I do. I hold this view because I think that it is true and so I'd like you to think about it. If nothing else, take it and use the knowledge to help your relationship with me.

Let me give you a situation. There are two friends, A and B, hanging out together. A is a funny person. A is so funny that both are keeled over laughing within a short time. So, in a way, for those few urinated moments, the skill that was A's is shared between them, or at the very least, it doesn't matter who the funny one is. Now say the two friends are separated and with other people. A is still making jokes and there is still laughing but something is missing. B and their irresistible laugh are gone. In fact B is with C, who is a bit of a humorist but nothing as good as A, yet they are laughing too, just as much as A is with D. Why? Because B is so good at laughing and having a good time that they actually make C more funny. Their strength builds up another person.

How many times have you been nervous to do something in front of other people? When has it been harmful to have a friend there who believes in you? Maybe the best you have is a person who has all the pride in the world and they can be a real jerk sometimes and the best they can say is that "you'll do well because I'm up there too and I never screw up" but it helps. And you know it helps. Their pride, which for you in this moment is strength, becomes your strength too when you go up there with them.

To make a personal example: small talk. When I am with a person who is outgoing and likes to talk it makes it very easy for me because I can relax and through out witty comments. I love doing that. They can carry the conversation, that does not bother me at all. But the opposite is a disaster. If I am with a person I do not know and they are nervous about meeting new people and quiet and introverted I am making stupid comments and stressing about how exhausted my conversation pool is after 3 minutes. If I have to carry the conversation, with someone I don't know, I generally fail. My weakness becomes obvious. But when the other person has strength, even just enough strength for a positive vibe or two, then it can seem as if I am good at those sort of conversations.

I think that strength, if it is real strength, is like thermal energy. It has no choice but to transfer from a place where there is more to a place where there is less. And the more that there is, the warmer each person is in the end.

A Prairie Fall

I'm in Winnipeg and alive. It's been a good day. I showed up at around lunch and it turns out that they served my favorite CMU meal, grilled cheese! I obviously showed up on the right day. Before that my suitcase was 0.2kg under the limit (would have been at extra $25) and for some reason they took me out of the normal baggage line to move me to the front of another one. They still checked my carry on for chemical residue but that's a lot better than the full body check I got last time. Maybe it's the longer hair. Tonight I'm going to a volleyball practice. If everything goes to plan, I'll be hitting attack line 30 minutes into it, only to let them know that I'm not actually going to school this year. The weather is warm and the sky is blue, almost to the point of making Winnipeg seem livable. Today is a good day.

I'll be holed up here until Sunday morning when I move over to north campus and the rest of the semester. For know I have internet so I'll write again soon.

A Time to Pack

I'm getting ready to leave my province. This isn't the first time that I've done this retinue, it's the second. I did however, learn a few things. This time I will not bring needless books, unwanted tee-shirts and impersonal nick-knacks. This time I'm traveling efficient. Mostly because I have to, all my stuff needs to tavel with me, but even the laundry soap is going in an airtight zip lock bag. I don't want to bore you with the particulars but I'm going to make a list of what I'm bringing. Mostly because I need to make a list of what I'm bringing but also, in the case that I forget something, you can remind me of how important it is. Ex. I almost forgot to get the thermos, and it would have been a very sad fall with only terere.

Yerba Mate (1kg Cruise and whatever is left of the Lemon-Mint), Guampa, Bombillia, Thermos
Bohnanza, Crib, Cards (2 decks), Phase Ten, Poker Chips, Rook
Water bottle (1L), Headlamp, Sunglasses (my old transitions), Sunscreen, Bug spray
Change (1 roll $1, 2 roll $.25), Laundry Soap
Backpack (65 liters (yes, actually 65 liters)), Zip Lock Bags, Dry Sack
Watch (I found a McDonald's one and I'm still seeing if I can make it work, might just need a new battery)
Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss (even thought I probably will not use it, unless I need a very thin rope of some kind)
Towel, Soap, Shampoo
Sleeping Bag, Mattress (the small one that rolls up)
Pens, Paper (the CMU thing), Journal (different from a diary, very different)
Bible, Books (various)
Passport, wavier forms
Work gloves, Shoes (%100 Gore-Tex, %100 waterproof)
ipod
Clothes
I'm not planning on taking a camera or an alarm clock because I figure other people will have them and it doesn't matter if my soul is stolen so long as I can sleep past 9.

The rest of my stuff is up for grabs. My sister already has my computer and Eric has dibs on Game cube stuff but if you want some Archie comics to read, you probably know where the keys are.

Star Wars Serenade

You are the snowspeeder to my AT-AT
the Ewok to my AT-ST
you bring me down when I stand too tall
how many times will you let me fall?

Be I but a child may
teach you, me much say they
believe to seek, you must
but important most, trust

I wish you'd put the lightsaber in my hands
I don't need you to guide my moves and plans
to protect is no more than to defend
I need to destroy why must I mend?

I don't know why a planet must die
or who to blame for the sky
but I do not see this plan you know
these seeds you planted will not sow

You're not my father and I'm not your son
but if it was that way, it wouldn't be fun
Maybe I would kill you too
but either way, you'd do what you do

You speak of things I do not comprehend
peace, knowledge, serenity, harmony
and still you speak of a force.
I do not see it, the end!

Tonight

Tonight I have Polio and Typhoid Fever.

I'm going to bed early.

The Sexiest Thing in the World

I heard that the sexiest thing in the world is a strong, independent woman who is willing to be vulnerable for the sake of another.

I'd have to agree.