Read Write

The Shack by WM. Paul Young

I’ll leave the summary to the man, woman or child that penned the back of the book. The Shack by WM. Paul Young is the latest book I have conquered. In short, it is about Mack, a father, whose daughter was kidnapped and murdered. Mack had an unstable relationship with God, not a complete believer, and ends up having a conversation with God that changes his perspective. While reading it I jotted down some possible useful quotes…drum roll…here they are:

“There is something joyful about storms that interrupt routine…release you from expectations, performance demands, and the tyranny of appointments and schedules…united by a mutual excuse…” (Young 17).

We have all experienced this. It’s rainy outside. Can’t go outside or I’ll get all wet. So we stay in and for some reason are able to relax more, maybe watch a movie or enjoy reading without feeling guilty. I thought it was clever the way he put it.

“…I am neither male nor female, even though both genders are derived from my nature…for me to appear to you as a woman and suggest that you call me ‘Papa’ is simply to mix metaphors, to help you keep from falling so easily back into your religious conditioning…[you are not here to] reinforce your religious stereotypes” (Young 95).

I have been cynical of religion over my hall of fame career, and still stand by the “and rightfully so”. However, I don’t believe I am as cynical as I used to be, or at least with the idea of God. I think insomnia can lead to this and other imaginary conversations someone may have. The above quote is one of many that enable me to lean to the less cynical side. Below there are more of these quotes and I think they allow people to have their personal relationship with god rather than getting into religion and the I’m right and your wrong type of debates – and then a war breaks out.

“…pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly. And if it’s left unresolved for very long, you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place” (Young 99).

The idea is birds were created to fly and humans were created to love/be loved. We can all relate to this. Personally dealing with insomnia I can relate to this. I graduated college with a sleeping disorder and for awhile didn’t feel alive anymore. Until recently I felt that way. I guess a person has to find something they love – a person, a cat (Bobby D!). For me it’s been both of those and also the start of reading and writing again and constantly listening to music.

“Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown” – unknown author - (Young 117).

This is what I was getting at with my reaction to the previous quote. I recently realized that to truly live you have to keeping experiencing and learning – add some books to your life, a new cat, a girlfriend and conversation with some peeps and that enables us to grow. As for the risk part, posting a blog about pizza with semen I think qualifies. I will be getting into some more risks soon.

Mack is talking with Jesus, and Jesus says, “…you’ve seen so little. For now most of what exists in the universe will be seen and enjoyed only by me, like special canvasses in the back of an artist’s studio” (Young 146).

I like this because I’ve got special canvasses that nobody’s seen. And that risk I talked about above includes showing people these canvasses.

“…You believe you are living to a higher standard than those you judge. Enforcing rules…like responsibility and expectations, is a vain attempt to create certainty out of uncertainty…rules cannot bring freedom; they have only the power to accuse” (Young 205).

I like this quote too like I liked the above ones too – otherwise I wouldn’t have posted them. But I like this one in particular because over the last few sleepless years I think I have become less judgmental. I mentioned becoming less cynical about religion. That along with simply not judging people anywhere near as much I believe comes from experience. People experience more and their flaws and insecurities are exposed more – most notably to themselves, and thus, why judge another person for trying to do their “thang”.

“God is a verb” – Buckminister Fuller - (Young 196). “…living, loving, responding, growing, reaping, changing, running, dancing, singing…Humans have a knack for taking a verb that is alive and full of grace and turning it into a dead noun or principle that reeks rules – then something growing and alive dies” (Young 206).

These two quotes are a good way to end this blog and explains my gained perspective from reading this book.

Read Write

Malcolm Gladwell – What the Dog Saw

Malcolm Gladwell, not “X”, is fascinating. In his latest book, What the Dog Saw, he shares with us his favorite articles he wrote for The New Yorker Magazine. I would like to comment about my favorite articles within this collection. I sense all of your excitement. Calm down or I’ll stop writing. Those that said “please do” are hilarious and belong doing stand-up – so stop reading and go stand up – somewhere else.

First off, What the Human Thought when he saw the title What the Dog Saw. Like many of you, I’m human, and saw this book and said, “Great…another book by Gladwell…I wonder what the dog did see”.

Sidebar: Substitute teaching and first-grade teacher writes on white board, “They saw the cat”, and the munchkins are supposed to add detail to make this a more complete sentence. Little girl instead ingeniously comments, “Who cares?” with an expression on her face saying, “Seriously?...they saw the cat…who cares?...time is money…we don’t have time to care about this stuff”…They saw the cat. What do you think about that Gladwell?...

…saw Gladwell’s new book and said, “Great!” Because he’s written three of the most influential books of the past decade (I think?) (The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers). I read the open flap to possibly gain the answer to what the dog saw and realized this was a collection of his New Yorker articles. I’ve read his three books and snippets of his blog (gladwell.com) (he reads Daily Nuggets too) but during my seldom glances at my New Yorker subscription my dad got me I never came across a Gladwell piece. But still, what did the dog see? “They saw the cat”, but what did the pooch see? I began reading.

Shortly, the answer emerged – and it makes perfect sense, despite nothing being perfect, that Gladwell would come up with this title. He is a writer. He explains when being a writer you often are assigned subjects you never dreamed of being interested in. For example, hair dye, in which one of his articles is about – not one of my favorites, but essential in describing the title. For him, in order to write about hair dye he had to convince himself it was interesting. Hair dye exists. Somebody must be interested in it so he must become so too. A writer must at times stop being selfish and understand what others like or think or see – hence, What the Dog Saw. And this is so fitting for Gladwell because what gravitates us to keep reading him is how he finds such random subjects and connects them to unlikely sources. For example, hair dye and the progress of women, or NFL Quarterbacks and finding the best teachers. I will convey further as I share my thoughts on a few of the articles.

Other minds problem – childlike thought that what I like mommy and daddy must like (Gladwell IX).


Million-Dollar Murray - Why Problems Like Homelessness May Be Easier to Solve Than to Manage

Homeless people cost all of us money. Shelters, soup kitchens, hospital rooms are provided to the homeless. Many argue these enable homeless people to continue being homeless – they have no fear of being homeless because they can somehow get by due to the shelters and soup kitchens, and if they’re injured, often falling down drunk, hospital rooms are provided. Others argue, we have a moral obligation to provide these resources – we can’t just leave homeless people helpless on the streets. Which ever side of the fence you’re on, the fact of the mater is, neither provides a solution to homelessness. Gladwell discusses a possibility.

Approximately 10% of homeless people are “chronically homeless” (Gladwell 184). The rest are homeless for a day or so. The focus should be on that 10%. “In Philadelphia, the most common length of time that someone is homeless is one day…the second is two days” (Gladwell 183). Many cities across America have adopted a new philosophy that intends to end homelessness instead of ignoring or managing it. Here’s the idea – rent apartments, walk up to homeless people and give them a key. Yeah, this costs money, but believe it or not, costs less money than leaving these people on the streets. This allows us to truly manage or observe these people. The idea is that they will in due time find work and take over the rent of the apartment. Further experiments have to be done to prove this is the better alternative. However, if it doesn’t work at first, it still costs less. It is estimated that it would cost $10,000-15,000 to house one homeless person. That is 1/3 of street living (Gladwell 190). The title of this article, “Million-Dollar Murray”, refers to a homeless person from Reno, Nevada. “It cost us one million dollars not to do something about Murray,” said police officer Patrick O’Bryan.

Something Borrowed – Should a Charge of Plagiarism Ruin Your Life

In this article, Gladwell talks about a writer that plagiarized his writing. I won’t go into too much detail. You should read it for yourself – like some of you should write it for yourself. When Gladwell realized he’d been plagiarized he of course was not too thrilled; however, this led to him thinking, “Should a charge of plagiarism ruin [someone’s] life?” That was the genesis for this article and made Gladwell realize how much importance society now places on the written word or other creative forms. Plagiarism is a crime, but this wasn’t always the case. It seems so cut and dry - if you copy somebody’s work that is plagiarism and you shall suffer the consequences. But this is not the case. Gladwell truly realized this when the man that plagiarized him said he thought we was just doing research and copying common knowledge. The intricacies of plagiarism are hard to determine. Gladwell discusses copyright laws when it comes to music for example. Today sampling other people’s music, especially in rap, is an accepted practice as long as you get permission. However, how many times has a certain sequence of notes been played? Then, a particular musician becomes known for that sequence, and now should he or she own that?

He also discusses how in due time somebody’s creation can become a part of the public domain and then anyone can copy it – “protections of copyright are time-limited”. This is even in our Constitution: “Congress shall have the power to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries” (Gladwell 231). Like I said, the intricacies of plagiarism are hard to determine – even after Gladwell discusses them. My insomniac mind can’t completely wrap my head around how it all works. But it is interesting. Read it for yourself. I hope I didn’t plagiarize.

The Art of Failure – Why Some People Choke and Others Panic




Late Bloomers – Why Do We Equate Genius with Precocity?



Most Likely to Succeed – How Do We Hire When We Can’t Tell Who’s Right for the Job?

Come to The Bridge View Diner! More Than Likely – You Won’t See the Bridge!

At 2 AM this Saturday we headed to the Bridge View Diner in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. It seemed like the rational thing to do. So that’s what we did. Looking back on it now at 4:15 AM it was a great decision. My week had been filled with great decisions as usual but this tops the list - a list that includes me deciding I need more gum in my life. I’m making big changes.

At the diner we looked around to see the Verizono Bridge, but they must had put the tarp over it because – you can’t see it! False advertising, but we overcame and ordered anyway. The weirdo I was with ordered French Toast and Ginger Ale. I ordered the Chicken Oriental with Peppers and a Coke. Obviously I’m the more experienced orderer. Or at least that’s what I thought. Chicken’s good. Oriental…um?...good…right?...and peppers are good. That’s why this guy ordered it. Before we finished ordering the food was already on it’s way to our table. I saw it coming. It was 2 AM and we weren’t in the frame of mind to wonder why or how it was already prepared. They're just that good at Bridge View Diner. They're just that good – that you have to say it twice – I didn’t stutter.

It wasn’t really ready that quickly. But the magically fast way these diners prepare food makes me uncomfortable. Somebody needs to investigate this. I’ll tell you what – it’s more than likely not going to be me.

I wasn’t aware of this but I ordered cole slaw and that came first. Oh yeah, and it came with deliciously smelling pickles. The cole slaw-n-pickle combo created an interesting aroma that led one to believe they might vomit sometime in the near future. We both felt nauseous so I first tried to hide the slaw behind the ketchup bottle. You’ll be surprised – that didn’t work. Next, I pushed it to the end of the table behind the two cups of H2O. That satisfied my nostrils but that weirdo I was with needed it to go. So for the next five minutes I kept trying to put it on the table behind me without any of the waiters seeing me. I’ve been known to be good at things similar to this – like stealing a fry from the lonely solo guy that went to the bathroom to do – not even God knows what. Maybe go to the bathroom – I do not know, and he doesn’t know I stole two fries and licked his toast. Does it really matter at this point? The cook already did that anyways – I could taste it.

But putting cole slaw on another table isn’t part of my repertoire – even if I did put that on my resume when applying for a waiting position at this very diner.

To spite the expert predictions on ESPN, I overcame again, and successfully placed the smelly slaw on the table behind me without anyone’s notice. I’d say we shared a chuckle, but I don’t chuckle. Somebody’s got to have some standards. You allow a chuckle or two in and it gets hard to look in the mirror. We laughed though. The debate whether that’s the best medicine lingers.

The waiter brought us our main course and asked if we needed anything else. Nope we didn’t. “Move on with your bad self” so I can eat this here Chicken Oriental. He moved and realized the cole slaw had moved too. He asked if there was anything wrong with it. I said, “Too much slaw”. He took it to the kitchen and more than likely told the cook, “There’s been more complaints about your cole slaw”. A fight more than likely pursued, the cook arguing, “One customer says too must cole, the other too much slaw. It’s not like the old days when people just accepted cole slaw the way it is. Everybody’s gotta have their specialty slaw. Well, not on my watch…” By now, the waiter more than likely left the kitchen, bringing the same cole slaw I didn’t eat and gave it to another customer. More than likely.

Your anticipation for what happened with the main course matches what our anticipation was to eat it – and like us, you will be disappointed. Weirdo’s French Toast, and I quote (which I don’t do often because I have enough fascinating things to say), “tasted like freezer”. Like I said, um, weirdo, right? What does freezer taste like? No, seriously? This is like not being able to find her itch. I have an itch, but I can’t find it? What? Things like that create revelations to why somebody would order French Toast in the first place. I’m right. I am the more experienced orderer. Or, again, that’s what I thought.

Onto this Chicken Oriental – with Peppers! I’ve been told not to assume – and you know that corny-ass joke well – because you’re corny. But I assumed, and any rational person that’s up at 2 AM would think, the peppers would be red. Red peppers go on chicken sandwiches. Green peppers are used more for a pizza topper. That should be followed by brackets, an author and page number because I did my research for this article, but this stuff is also common knowledge - - common knowledge that apparently didn’t make it over that imaginary bridge this diner advertises. Should one not assume there’s a bridge within view of The Bridge View Diner. No, Microsoft Word, do not correct that period and make it a question mark. That was Rhetorical with a capital “R” (for, well Rhetorical, and Red Pepper!).

My point being (and it is being because my points alive), they put green peppers on my chicken sandwich. What planet do these people come from – Mars? Well, Mars isn’t even a planet anymore so they don’t even come from a planet. This does not excuse them from the green pepper on the chicken sandwich mistake. You won’t believe this because you’re belief system is extremely flawed, but it gets worse. I had forgotten my pocket ruler, which I usually have, which may lead you to believe I’m a dork, which will continue to be true until you find yourself in a situation and need a ruler – maybe he isn’t a dork. And now you’ve become the dork – Dork. Why bring up the ruler? Well, I estimated that the chicken sandwich hung out of the roll 2 inches. If you look on the back of my career card (includes eating stats, how many chicken sandwiches conquered, etc) you will see that I have eaten approximately 3,200 chicken sandwiches in my lifetime – what what. That is about 2 per week, 10 per month, 120 per year. I have never seen chicken stick out like this. Where’s the Obama Administration on this one? If our restaurants can’t get our sandwiches correct then how are we going to beat Al Qaeda? You would think the black dude’s administration would know how to regulate chicken. I guess that’s the true reason you shouldn’t assume. You assume, and then the black guys fuck up the chicken.

Time passed, and then time passed a couple more times. For a few seconds time didn’t pass – which makes no sense because I said seconds. But you catch my drift. I agree my drift is a great topic of conversation, but let us focus on our diner convo. Our fascinating conversation enabled us to overcome the massive blunders by this diner. Yeah, hand quotes, “diner”. She complemented my light eyebrows; I complemented my nice calf muscles. She has nice brows too, but I felt it was bad table manners to get that sexual in public so I decided to complement myself. That’s good anywhere manners - plus, have you seen my calves?

Thinking I knew the answer and feeling stupid asking but decided to anyways, I asked, “Is it cole slaw or cold slaw?” “It’s cole slaw, “ she answered in that “that’s obvious” tone. I raised my brows with the “don’t give me attitude” attitude, and said, “Yeah, I thought it was cole…and what’s cole…or slaw for that matter?” “I don’t know…what’s a table,” she asked. Pointing to the table, I described it’s meaning like Webster, the little black kid who grew up to create the dictionary, would, “It’s that”. So she pointed to the cole slaw saying that that is cole slaw…and then we broke up. The slaw debate has broken up couples for centuries.

We sat in silence, eating our Freezer French Toast and Overgrown Green! Peppered Oriental Chicken Sandwich. I thought to myself, more than likely we’ll get back together. Time passed. And never has it been more likely - but more than likely, time will continue to pass...and...

We got back together. I’m still debating with myself whether it’s because she couldn’t resist the brows, or was it the calves? You’re right, probably both – a deadly combo.

Exiting the diner, we said we’d never go there again…but more than likely…

...The Right to Write - Exercise...

Initiation Tool - write 3 pages about anything.

I debate whether to start writing right now. My girlfriend’s next to me and I don’t like writing in the same room as other people. It is also hot in her apartment (as always!) – and so I choose to start this writing by listing excuses why not to write – and understand I have been in this place many times before, and more than likely, will again. Thinking optimistically, I hope this feeling comes again sooner than later. This goes with the idea that putting myself in front of an empty page more often will inevitably lead to more writing. It is that starting point that is hardest to get past. The questions, what to write about, where will this lead, probably nowhere, always come up. I said this to myself before, and it doesn’t make writing easier, but “just write, just write, just write”. I’ve attempted it before and many times have been pleased with what I’ve written, and then argue with myself why I don’t do this more often. Excuses, like, “my girlfriend just coughed and interrupted my flow” – quoted because it’s my new single available on iTunes shortly. And then I think, 2 or so pages to go to finish this exercise. I think I’m getting somewhere though with this writing. I’ll try to convey why I think so on the next page (written in notebook; refuse to edit!).

Before coming over to my girlfriend’s place, I stopped at Duane Reade (we call it Dwayne Wade) to buy a couple notebooks (this one, one of them!). One notebook, my plan is, to take notes on a mediation book I’m reading to help my insomnia problem. The other notebook is for doing writing exercises I read in The Right to Write by Julia Cameron. This is one of those exercises. I didn’t need her book to gain the perspective of “just write”, but it, I admit, is reassuring that a published writer gives advice that I had already told myself in the past. And, the only way for my self-advice, or her advice, to work, is to “simply write”. We will see where this leads.

The cashier at “Dwayne Wade” asked me, “What are you studying…to become a doctor?” I, with extreme confidence answered, “No, a teacher.” “Good luck.” I walked out and was a little mad at myself for not saying a writer. Why not? Or, play along with her and answer, “Yeah, a doctor…I’m becoming a gynecologist…you all set down there?”

…

This writing has slowed. It’s either lack of motivation, my hand hurting (was taking notes on meditation before writing this), or maybe because I’ve been sick the past two weeks – the “doctor” said it’s Bronchitis, wait, it’s pre-pneumonia, no, asthma. Whatever the sickness, whatever excuse for not writing, does it really matter? Maybe this won’t lead to anything, or maybe I can take the attitude that it will; if not me becoming a writer, at least finishing this damn exercise (one page to go). Self-imposed homework. I told myself in college, I wouldn’t write anything good until I do it without a homework assignment. Julia Cameron somewhat assigned this, but I do think this qualifies as a step toward writing without homework. Recently I’ve decided to go back to school. I’ve thought of grad-school for creative writing. Most of these programs ask you to declare – fiction, non-fiction or poetry. I reluctantly tell people I want to be a writer. They ask, “What do you want to write?” I very confidently have no defined answer.

I am going against Julia Cameron’s advice and I’ve started to think too much about what I’m writing instead of simply writing. She says our academics get in the way, when writing too often we try to be organized, have topic sentences, and wonder if this will lead anywhere – could it be published? That’s where I’m at now, trying to sum up this exercise nicely like it’s my preface to my next book. Next? – as if I’ve already written one, or expected myself to by the age of 27. I had no idea where this writing would lead – how could I possibly know it led to my second book? Well, it really hasn’t, but I should have written it that way – and one day when you read this…whatever…simply write, Garrett! (5/15/10)