Friday, November 23, 2007

who was that masked man?

sometimes it's hard to believe that i'm not the only one whose life has been shaped for the better by aunt kathy and uncle kevin.





Watch Hope House Parts 1 and 2

Monday, November 19, 2007

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Did I ever tell you guys about that time...?



I rode an ostrich???

Is it just me?




Is it just me, or does this tree look just like a very tall person, with some very long (almost gazelle-like?!) legs, quite a nice bum and a rather long tail, perched atop this rock? Almost "Pan's Labyrinth"-like perhaps?..........................


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Apparently, it's not just me...

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

There's no joy like the joy of the sun..almost..coming in.

Three things: first, a greeting; second, a new site to check out; third, an anecdote.

First: Happy Halloweeeeeeen! Boo!

Second: Check out what I've been up to: UYS Young Pros

Third:
So I was running yesterday morning.

No, I did not fall on my face this time.

It was nigh on 6:45 am and the sun was juuuuuust starting to show signs of potentially rising. The sky was this amazingly intense BLUE - but not just any blue - this incredible PURPLE BLUE that was almost BLACK. And that same PURPLE BLUE was the PURPLE BLUE of Jamaica Pond. A lone sail boat sat perfectly still atop the deep dark water (deep in color, of course, cause I'm pretty sure the pond isn't all that deep). Over to the East, there was enough light to make out Boston's Prudential Center just a few miles away...though after a run through the farms and hills of Brookline, the city seems eons away. I'd be headed that way in an hour, but at that moment it didn't matter.

I'm not even sure how I can express the brilliance of the moment. This sheer beauty, coupled with the peaceful serenity of solitude.

And it dawned on me, no pun intended, that this is the stuff life is truly made of..these moments of beauty. People tell me I'm crazy for getting up at 5:15 every morning to workout..and maybe I am..ok, definitely I am.

BUT I thought at that precise moment how different everyone would be if each person resolved to wake up and see the sunrise at least once a week. But that one moment changed my entire perspective for the day. (In all honesty, I don't even think I was really awake until the colors hit me like that. I never really wake up until about the moment I jump in the shower after my runs - I exist in some robotic, dreamlike running stance until that point.)

I wished at that very second that everyone could get to experience a moment like that all the time like I do every day. And it is every day that I wish I had my camera at boot camp to capture the rowers gliding silently over the dark, foggy water or, later, the sun rising in oranges and fiery reds over the Charles with the Boston sky in the background. I think that is my addiction more than the workout itself.

Just think what it would be like if we were all overwhelmed by the world like that on a regular basis. Just think.


Friday, August 31, 2007

There's no joy like the joy of the sun coming in...

Recently, one of my tasks here at Sport in Society has been to review the applications coming in for my current role as resident Americorps*VISTA. I've gotta say, most of the application essays are pretty terrible. They give you a really tiny word limit, but most people can't even fill that. Granted, it's Americorps, but you should at least try.

It got me to thinking, though: I wonder what I wrote? It was just about this time last year. Did mine suck too? And, now that I'm almost done with the program, did I achieve what I set out to (or, at least, did I achieve what I lied about). So I went back to take a look at my essay and, I've got to say, I'm quite proud of myself - not only for writing a thoughtful, concise essay (the latter part being very difficult for me as you know, dear reader), but also because it seems that I wrote in earnest and, in many ways did something along the lines of what I set out to do. What I was also happy to realize is that, althougy my passions often come and go and I'm often torn between diverse life choices (from cooking to international social justice), so many themes remain consistent between these loves and, moreover, over time.

My true calling? Still haven't found it. BUT!! Somehowe it is tied in with paragraph two and this profound desire to share this joie de vivre with the world:

I want to join AmeriCorps because I cannot conceive of taking on a career which does not have some greater community good in mind. My travels with Habitat International and as a Watson Fellow have only increased my awareness of what it means to be a part of the global community. Additionally, they have shown me just how much there is to be done in bettering that community. And, after spending so much time traveling, I feel it is time to see what I can do within my own country.

I do not know yet what my "true calling" is, but I know that it is aligned with AmeriCorps' mission. I feel that I have the skills and outlook necessary to succeed as part of AmeriCorps - from my broad world view, to my life-long experiences volunteering and doing social justice work. As a hockey player, I know what it means to be a team player and have a sincere work ethic that has helped me succeed thus far in my life. At base level, I can contribute my passion for life and my sincere desire to enable the world to share in my appreciation for living. By spending a year working towards such a goal I know that I will gain an even heightened sense of community, the skills necessary to take my passions into my career, and the profound satisfaction comes with being able to use my God-given talents for a good outside of myself.

PS: My mom left a comment asking where the promised posts have been. In response, I must remind her that another was recently written, which she was in charge of editing. Ahem....

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Back to Blog?

In the Berkshires with my ladies (mom and cOm).
Inspired.
Back to blog.
That pesky writer on my shoulder.