Catching up

I feel like it has been forever since I've posted anything. Part of that is because the last two days as I was attempting to throw something up, I was given warnings in Romanian that I was doing something wrong and was thus locked out of my account.

I finally have thing figured out and plan on having a banner posting day tomorrow.

These past few weeks have been very difficult, through the housing of some impolite house guests, getting sick and struggling with missing things going on at home. One at a time these tend to be a lot to deal with, however when they all come together at the same time, made it exceptionally difficult.

I love traveling. I love seeing new places. But the first baby shower of my family was this past weekend. It's a bit of a seminal event in the family. It's bad enough that I don't get to see Grady until June (when he's six months old), I'm also missing out on all the fun stuff. Getting Josh into trouble, by monopolizing his time watching sports than taking care of his pregnant wife. All the fun stuff.

I do love and miss everyone, and I know that I don't say that enough. Anyway, 3 posts coming tomorrow. I'm stoked.

New Directions

As much as I would love to do another write up on "Glee", that's going to have to wait for the time being.

I am actually excited about what began last week. For the first time in my life I have begun to work out with some earnest ambition. Last week, Spencer and I signed up for memberships at "Gold's Gym". The pain began almost immediately, but I am committed to see this through. I am pumped (figuratively) about this.

In addition to the lifestyle change, my Romania life changed. Last week was the first week of having Trinity come for school. Things are going to take awhile to settle down, because she still sees me as "Drew the playmate" instead of "Drew the teacher". We are going to be working on getting her reading as soon as possible (her desire).

On a lighter note, the devastatingly abysmal year of the Cleveland Indians has finally ended, and the Browns have finally gotten rid of Braylon Edwards. Bring on basketball season. (Over/under of LeBron having 17 triple-doubles this season?) 

Sloppy OCD

I am officially coining this as a new term. Even though there are aspects of my life which I am fairly laissez faire, however when it comes to my computer (or most specifically my external hard drives), I am totally and completely OCD. A once over my apartment would reveal that I am not the most clean person. Dishes occasionally go undone for several days, clothes may or may not be washed in a timely fashion and sweeping is done only out of necessity.

Giving a once over of my hard drive would show something completely different. Television shows are very carefully labeled, episodes being divided by season and clearly labeled in the season by episode number and name. It is a wonderful system that allows me to cleanliness I desire. My dvds and books at home are done similarly.

This is how I have decided to start looking at my relationships. Some of them are going to be nicely packaged (where there are no surprises), others are going to be messy. In my life, I am finding for my sanity that I need both. There are unfortunate relationships that exist just to be conversation fodder.

Many people I have known I have brought unnecessary drama to my life (both directly and indirectly). This definitely prevents life from getting boring. However, it is the more stable relationships that prevent the inconsistent relationships from getting the best of us. People have changed me. Each person I have come in contact with, has changed me a little. It's interesting seeing the direction our lives progress, and the relationships we have along the way. Both the "Sloppy" and the "OCD".

Empathy (Part II)

This is my second post of the day, so it would probably be advantageous for you to scroll down and read the first post...first. It will be on the same subject, so it shouldn't be hard to find.

The only complaint I have with being an empathetic person comes on the competitive field. I am much more likely to give someone the benefit of the doubt. Calling ticky-tack fouls on myself on the basketball court, playing a ball that clearly missed the line or not questioning someone that has clearly cheated me. Unfortunately, this also extends to the teams that I root for. Perennial losers, Cleveland sports teams get my support year after year. This happens not because I enjoy disappointment, but because I can forgive them, because to a certain extent I know what it's like to be a loser.

For this one downfall of empathy, it has major benefits in my life. People tell me things. I don't look to be an ear for people to throw private information to, it just somehow happens that way. The only thing I can think is because I have shown an ability to listen with emotion and care about what the other person is saying. This helps when being friends with people. It also happens with people I don't know too. As a counselor at kids camp one year, I came across a girl that I hadn't seen up to that point in the week. She was off by herself, sobbing hysterically. I had an obligation as a leader of the camp to go and talk to her, but that is not what made me do so. I felt compelled to comfort her. After a couple minutes of crying because she missed home, she was ready to rejoin the group. I was comforted by the fact that she was put to ease.

The area with which I view empathy as a gift within my own life is in the classroom. When I graduated college and got my first job, I was pretty rubbish in the classroom. I will fully admit that. However, because I had such love for the kids, I wanted to become better. I love that there are still many of my student-teaching students that remember me fondly (even though I believe I may have done irreparable harm to them as learners) and still many of my students from SCS remember me.

I praise the Lord for blessing me with a gift that has two sides to it. There are disappointments that come from empathy, but there is also joy.

Empathy

I was reminded a couple days ago why I dislike my empathetic nature. Normally, being empathetic is a good thing. You are able to relate to others on a very personal level. You clearly are able to see from someone else's point of view. When you work with kids (especially in a school setting), it is easy to see how many need to learn this trait. There are others that naturally, intuitively feel empathy towards others. I consider myself in the latter of these two. For as long as I can remember I have been sensitive to the needs of those around me. I would kill me to see people hurting when I was a kid. This along has brought me my fair share of discomfort over my life. I am going to touch on a different aspect of empathy which I was only reminded of a coupld days ago.

I received a phone call from a friend a couple days ago, inquiring whether or not I would be interested in playing tennis. I have not played tennis for nearly two years, so I jumped at the opportunity to get out and hit the fuzzy ball around. I have learned over the years that I am better than most people who would like to play me in tennis. Please do not misunderstand, this is not hubris, it is just fact. This does not matter one iota. Mac has been a very casual tennis player, and only picks up a racket on rare occasions, but he is still able to get games off me. I know there are times to compete and times to have fun, the problem is differentiating between the two.

My senior year of high school was my banner year as far as tennis is concerned. I played my best and my record reflected such. I finished my senior year with an 18-9 record. There are a lot of small teams in mid-Ohio, farm communities where kids do more working than focusing on sports. I was very fortunate to have parents that wanted me to get better and helped me realize it. But there were several teams that, to be honest, were not very good. This did not matter. I played my entire senior year without "bageling" (6-0, 6-0) anyone. I was so concerned with the other person's feelings, that I would inevitably ease up and allow them to steal a game. It was even worse if I thought the other person was hurt.

The story which I remember most vividly involves a rival I had from a neighboring school. Kris Ross went to Ontario, and through a mutual acquaintance, Kris and I became "friends". Kris believed himself to be the better tennis player which was fine (in retrospect, he may have been), but I was able to best him. I was fine with the competition against him, but he had significantly better scores against mutual opponents. Kris and I both played first singles for our respective teams, and we played against each other's competition. So, Kris began to tell me a story of how he was able to beat the number one player from Crestline (another high school in the area) in 13 minutes. He was able to play the entire match in 13 minutes. In his mind, he was astounded with how completely he destroyed his opponent. I, on the other hand, was wondering what it would be like to be on the other end of a shellacking that bad. True to form, when I played said Crestline player, I won 6-1, 6-1.

I am very thankful I am an empathetic person, it does take a bit of the killer instinct out of sports though.

The Mighty Indians

Let it be known, every line from this came from an episode of “The Mighty Boosh”. There is essentially no original content. For those of you that have never seen the show, let's just say, it's random.

The Mighty Indians

Come with us now on a journey through time and space, to the world of the Cleveland Indians.

Marte: Hi, I'm Andy Marte, and this crazy character is Eric Wedge.
Wedge: Don't touch me.
Marte: He's such a joker.
Wedge: I'm not joking. Don't ever touch me. Not now, not during the game.
Both: Ah...
Wedge: Don't touch me. Andy, I thought you were dead.
Laporta: I rescued him from the edge of death.
Wedge: Well, what do you want a chocolate fruitcake with beans on it? Get to work.

(Mark Shaprio walks into the room. Rifle in hand, he fires into the air, the players scatter)

Shapiro: Nothing to worry about. I'm sorting things out here.
Hafner: Where are all the players from the team going Mark? Something's wrong here, I'm going to get to the bottom of this.
Shapiro: Shut up Travis, you're out of your depth.

(to Wedge) The old men that sponsor the team are coming by today, and if they see the team knocking on death's door, they aren't going to pay me bo-diddly.
Wedge: So, what do you want me to do about it?
Shapiro: I want you to dress as a gorilla. You know, eat a banana, dance around, kick some hay.
Wedge: I'm not doin' that. I'm a man. I've got dignity and poise, I'm not dressing up as a gorilla.
Shapiro: Well, if you don't all the players will go poor and they won't be able to afford toboggans and sausages. Walk and talk with me. I'm your boss man, but I'm also your friend. I'm not your wife, but we have made massively violent love. Did I say that out loud?
Wedge (to Andy): Are you still here?

(Andy drops his head, feeling dejected once again. Suddenly music fills the clubhouse)

Andy: All the things I'll never see.
All the things I'll never be.
All there is that's left for me,
Is here in this eternity
Of Isolation...Isolation.

The cavalcade, the jamboree
Of life I thought was meant for me.
I never dreamed that it would be
Replaced by this eternity
Of Isolation...Isolation

Wedge: Okay, you made your point in song format.

(Andy sullenly shuffles back to the end of the bench. As he nears his designated seat, Andy overhears several conversations)


Wood: What do you think of me?
Marson: I don't rightly know, Sir.
Wood: Make an assessment.
Marson: I suspect you're a right Southern gentleman.
Wood: You got that right mother licker.
You failed to take into account my mirror balls.


Gimenez: Think of it. Chris Gimenez Colon Player.
Brantley: Colon player?
Gimenez: It has ring to it.
Brantley: I think it has the wrong ring to it.


Choo: Noooooo...who are you? How can I understand you?
Sizemore: I'm Grady Sizemore. The man, the myth, the maverick.

(Grady's arm in a sling, all look concerned as to whether or not he will be able to return to 2006 form)

Skinner: There's only one way to get this boy ready for the game.
Willis: Training montage...
Shelton: with music.

Sizemore: This is a dangerous mission. All I ask is you remember me.
(leaves room)
Wedge:Who was that?

Hafner: I've got a bad feeling about this.

(Having successfully convinced Grady to have season ending surgery and brokered three trades which will be completed at season's end, Shaprio and Dolan sit together in the owner's box. There conversation turns to the team...and money)

Dolan: This is sheer liquid wonderment.
Shapiro: We're going to make a fortune. We could split the profits 50-50.
Dolan: 60-40.
Shapiro: What?
Dolan: Nothing, my pretty.
Shapiro: Flirtini's for everyone.

And so, the moral of the story is, “Never loo...”

The World Race

It was only recently that I was alerted to the fact that there is an organization which runs mission teams in an "Amazing Race"-esque fashion. Upon hearing this, there was both confusion and fascination on my end. So they travel to different places around the world (cool!), they partake in interesting challenges that make sense only to the natives (okay), they fight and bicker with other teams that are also out on the road (that doesn't seem very Christian); but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the last two of these were not part of the plan.

This current team, made up of five ladies and two guys, made its way to Arad because there happens to be a family connection. Kendra is related to the Dunns. The World Race group needed to fill a gap after completing the Irish portion of the trip, before continuing on to Egypt. So, Kendra got in touch with Scott and the plans became more concrete. I have to admit, even though I do not know much about the World Race, if all of the members are like this current team, I am very impressed.

A wonderful group of people have come to this city of Arad. Seeing their hearts by talking with them, worshiping with them and having fellowship with one another has been very beneficial to everyone here. Inevitably when working with people you can't truly get to know, there frequently be times of doubt and depression. The, "what have I gotten myself into" moments creep into the heads of everyone from time to time. Unfortunately, when living in a foreign country the problems are exponentially more discouraging. It was nice having a breath of fresh air come in the form of this team. It was a real pick-me-up, that was needed.

It is always surprising when your life is blessed by people you don't know. This has certainly been one of those times, which I will not forget.

Side-bar - making these types of connections is why I enjoy traveling so much. Even though I may never speak to these people ever again, they have shared in a part of my life. If I was ever to run into them again we could carry on like old chums. There is always the chance that somewhere down the road I might be able to help them in a more substantial way. Old friendships are what has allowed me to travel so freely these last several years.