Opening Day (Holy Week)…Opening Day (MLB)
April 6th, 2009… opening day for two important institutions. One, as you will read quite obviously, is much more important than the other. [The other simply lasts much longer than the first.]
The first “opening day” is Monday of Holy Week– the week leading up to the Triduum and Easter Sunday. Technically, Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. Holy week signifies a time in our lives where we remember (commemorate) Christ’s passion, death and resurrection from the dead. It’s incredibly important. Easter begs us to ask the ever-philosophical “chicken or the egg” question – is Christmas or Easter more important? I won’t get into that here. Easter, whether more/less important than Christmas, is incredibly important for us because it signifies the culmination of salvation history in Christ’s conquering of death on the cross. Christ – the ultimate servant leader. I encourage everyone to make special time this week to take part in the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday – actually one continuous liturgy). Open your heart and your mind to what God is calling you to. The end of Lent can still be a fruitful time for you. Give it a great deal and you’ll receive a great deal in return.
The other institution (although, a bit difficult to talk about following that Holy Week piece) is Major League Baseball. MLB has been a part of my life since birth. Now, I’m not trying to convince the baseball-haters of the world that baseball is a great sport – heaven knows that soccer fans won’t convince me that soccer is a great sport – I simply want to call to mind that opening day for the 2009 season is today. This marks a special day for baseball fans everywhere when we know that basketball is ending soon 🙂 and we have sunny summer days at the ballpark to look forward to. Double-plays, stolen bases and home-runs.
A thought… if the Pirates win today, I suggest that they end the season early and end their pitiful 16-year streak of playing sub-.500 baseball. It would be a great thing for us Pirates fans to have a “winning season”. Just kidding – I guess.
Either way – Man up!
The Power of Observation
A TrueMan is observant. Observation, in this context, means being incredibly aware of what’s going on around you at all times and in all circumstances. What I’m speaking of could almost be considered hyper-observation. (Put that in the man dictionary!) Being observant prepares a man to act, to respond and to plan ahead. It’s an incredible tool – learn it. Here are a few examples of how The Power of Observation comes in handy:
As many readers know from my post on Monday of this past week, my truck was stolen in the middle of the night and has not been found, even now, almost a week later. Good thing I’m observant. I have a photographic memory; I know exactly where something is (was) in my truck, including the consoles, the glove box, the back seat, the tool boxes and the bed. Why does this matter? My observant mindset gives me a list, in full, of what was in my truck when it was stolen. I’ll take that list to the insurance company and be refunded It’ll cost me more paperwork and a home-owner’s claim (along with my auto claim) but I’ll gain a ton of money to replace my stolen property. If I didn’t have a photographic memory, I would miss many items.
Another place where observation is important is in public. I am always aware of who’s in the room, what they’re doing and how they might pose a challenge. I trust that most people are good, but in reality, I know that some people like to cause problems. The bank could robbed, the gas station could be held up at gunpoint, the restaurant I’m eating in could be endangered. Heck, my plane could be hijacked. In any case, I’m ready to respond to a threat. I’m also always aware of the exits and the quickest route to the door.
Yet another example of how observation plays a powerful role is while driving. If you (any driver) is not observant, you could possibly be endangering the lives of others around you. Let’s say you’re driving down the highway at 75 mph and all of a sudden, the cars in front of you slam on their brakes. You have mere seconds to react. If you’re observant, you know where other vehicles are around you and you know you can/can’t change lanes, you can/can’t slow down soon enough, etc.
The bottom line is this… be observant, it really pays.
Man up!
Man Night Tonight
Tonight, I’m hosting Man Night for cadets at the Air Force Academy. We’ll be having lots of Food, a Yard Game Tournament (Horseshoes, Washers and Ladder Ball) along with a Fire Pit Grunt Session (topic – Manly Purity). Great fun.
I thought, in the spirit of all-things-manly, I’d post this hilarious video clip today.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-6ph7NWoBM]
Man up!
The Don't Song
Another video I stumbled across one day. Although these guys are doing parody, it’s true.
Man up!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-lv8745InI]
"A Worldview that Leaves Me Cold"
This tid-bit came across my inbox today. I find it hilarious and frustrating at the same time. The point of why I’m posting it on TrueManhood today is that I want to encourage us all to think for ourselves and not get caught up in socially-enabled “End Times Fear”. God provides and is much bigger than global warming. Take care of your portion of the planet and keep living.
Man up!
“The brutal winter of 2009 is finally coming to an end in the Great Plains. Or is it? Temperatures across North Dakota have been five to 10 degrees below normal all winter long. Massive snowfalls have blanketed the Peace Garden State for months. As now, North Dakota is enduring an end-of-March blizzard. The people of Fargo are paying the price. The ice-jammed Red River is cresting more than 40 feet over normal, flooding everything that isn’t protected by the heroic efforts of North Dakota citizens building up and maintaining the levies. So, I ask you, what is the cause of all the cold, the snow, and the ice? Global warming, of course!
According to Kate White, a civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, “climate change caused by global warming likely is changing ice conditions and adding to the unpredictability” of ice jams along the Red River, so she said.
Let me see if I get this. A “near-record snowpack,” along with below-normal temperatures, have led to more ice, which is acting unpredictably because of global warming? What am I not getting here? I’ll tell you what I am getting—more proof that apocalyptic visions of global warming are driven by a particular worldview. Forget the facts. Even President Obama, at least to some degree, has bought into it. Here’s what he had to say: “I actually think the science around climate change is real. . . . If you look at the flooding that’s going on right now in North Dakota . . . that indicates the degree to which we have to take this seriously.” Record snow is the result of global warming? Folks, what we have to take seriously here is the fact that our worldview determines how we see the world and how we live in the world. And we’d better have it correct, which is why I spend so much time talking about this on this broadcast every day.
Despite the fact that the globe has been cooling since at least 2002, or that near-record cold and snow have plagued much of North America all year long, all the proponents of global warming can see is—well, global warming. This is why its adherents in Congress and in the White House want curbs on greenhouse gases, potentially ruinous cap-and-trade policies, and curbs on oil exploration (at a time when we need to decrease our dependence on foreign oil). And if in the near future you start paying upwards of $5 a pound for ground beef, thank those in Congress who want to tax cow flatulence as a way to combat global warming. As the New York Times relates, renowned physicist Freeman Dyson has called “climate change an ‘obsession’—the primary article of faith for ‘a worldwide secular religion’ known as environmentalism.” Dyson accuses the adherents of this religion of “relying too heavily on computer-generated climate models that foresee . . . imminent world devastation as icecaps melt, oceans rise and storms and plagues sweep the earth.” But the models aren’t holding true. Which is why the global warming scientists need to examine their worldview. And then they need to step out of the computer lab and take a walk. But they’d better bundle up first.”
It Depends on How You Look At It
My wife and I woke up this morning to our truck missing. It was parked on the curb, locked. Apparently, someone thought they wanted/needed it more than we do.
I knew immediately, as Catherine came in from the driveway (preparing to leave for work this morning) and asked, “Dave, where did you park the Avalanche last night?”, that it was gone. I got up to look out the front windows, knowing that my looking wasn’t going to bring it back. I kissed her, told her it would be alright and she headed to work. I calmly called the local PD and reported it stolen. The officer was great and kept the conversation positive by saying “We have a 65% recovery rate, so don’t lose hope.” I could have chosen to look at it much differently than I did.
It depends on how you look at it…
On the one hand, someone had the audacity to violate my property. They found my possession more important for them to possess. They put a scare in the families who, at one time, felt safe in our private cul de sac. They caused me to question the security of my home and whether or not I should go out and purchase car alarms for each of my vehicles. It caused me lots of paperwork and hassle. They stole not only my vehicle but $4K worth of my stuff that was inside of it. How dare they.
On the other hand, I’m probably going to get a newer, nicer vehicle. I’ll most likely get all my possessions replaced and my family will move on and be stronger because we made a choice to look at the bright side. Through adversity comes unity within a family unit.
This sort of incident can eat away at a person. A person can let it consume them and let the emotions that come along with it form their attitude. I’m choosing to respond differently. I know that God will provide for us and that this happened for a reason. Good can come from this and I’m positive that it will. What good would it do me to complain? What good would becoming angry or frustrated bring me? Obviously, in this situation, what’s done is done. If the police find it and it’s not damaged, great. If it’s gone forever, then God is protecting my family from something.
When something like this happens to you or to someone close to you, set an example of how to react. Staying even-keeled and consistent with your emotions will be a strong witness. Remain strong in God the Father and know that He wants good for you. Be strong.
Man up!
The Priesthood isn't Weird
I think that sometimes people (both Catholic and non-Catholic alike) see the priesthood as something “weird” – a life of not only celibacy but loneliness and separation. I think it’s also seen as weird because it’s different (and radical) from what a so-called normal life is. It’s quite the opposite. Guess what… priests are men; men who heard a call from our Lord and followed it. They want to serve our Lord. His will, not theirs. Being in my line of work, I’ve met many many priests. Overall, I’d say that most of them are just ordinary men. They like sports, good food, drinking a beer or two and hanging out.
If you’ve never seen this video, please check it out. It is a shortened version of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops DVD called “Fishers of Men”. It’s a cool video…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDOk1biKqkE]
Man up!
