Thursday, October 12, 2006
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
INVISIBLE CHILDREN
Over the weekend I saw the Invisible Children documentary, which primarily chronicles rural children in Northern Uganda who commute to the cities at night to sleep in crowded, dirty shelters, for fear of being abducted by the rebel army and forced to fight and kill in a war they are too young to understand.
I’d heard of the Invisible Children organization, but had been skeptical of it, since popular young adult church groups had begun to crusade for it, and it seemed to be the trendy new cause to triumph.
Having worked for a magazine whose aim was to find stylish causes and pretend to be involved in and passionate about them, I’m pretty much over it. I’m over getting hyped up about some new mission that’s drawing attention because hot T-shirts are being designed for it and up-and-coming bands are doing benefits for it and all the cool kids are plugged in.
But what happened was that my friend David caught the vision, and it wasn’t because it was marketed well. David’s heart has just been getting broken lately by the things that break the heart of God, and when he saw these children living in such filth and fear, he wanted to do something about it. So he planned to host a screening of the documentary.
(Now, I can’t let David totally off the hook, because the impetus for his rekindled compassion was a speech given by Bono, who everyone knows is the poster child for all things cool and charitable. But I know David’s heart is sincere, so I forgive him.)
So in support of David, I went to the screening. I began to embrace this organization because I knew that since David saw something real in its mission, it must mean that it’s not all about being in the right club, so I could be associated with the right people while still making a difference as an added bonus. David believed that it truly was about helping these children, and that was something I could get behind.
The documentary is sobering, to say the least. It’s well done, and not pretentious. I doubt anyone could watch it and not want to show their support, somehow, some way.
Injustice is a hard thing for us Americans. It’s hard for me. I feel bad, I want to help, but … well, what can I do? How can I stop a war that’s been raging for almost two decades? And, well, I’m pretty busy with work and church and my friends and trying to find time to be with my husband and trying to find time for myself … And really, I just can’t relate. I’m safe in my own bed every night; all my needs are met; nobody’s dragging my sisters away to rape them and enslave them and force them to become murderers.
At the end of the film, the narrator encouraged viewers to volunteer their time, talent, and money to help provide education, protection, and rehabilitation for these oppressed children. Philip and I donated a little money (sort of … in return, we got dinner, a bracelet, and a DVD, so I don’t know if that counts as a donation … yeah, no, it doesn’t), and now I’m using my writing “talent” to get the word out.
My primary audience is those who sincerely want to help, who want to “maintain justice and do what is right,” but who, like me, are not interested in being one of the cool kids.
I’m not looking for a cause to live for. I’m not hunting for some overarching life mission to give me purpose and belonging and identity. I’m not going to remedy the AIDS crisis or end world hunger. I’m not even going to convert the world to Christianity.
I’m going to invest in relationships; I’m going to pursue knowing God; I’m going to do my work to the best of my ability; I’m going to use my talents for the greater good; I’m going to spend time doing things I enjoy; I’m going to help out where I can.
So here is where I’m helping out with Invisible Children today. I’m letting you know about the problem; you can learn more about it by watching a compelling movie. I can get a hold of it for you; you just have to ask. You can also visit www.invisiblechildren.com. David’s next endeavor is to organize participation in a related fundraiser called Gulu Walk Day (www.guluwalk.com), which takes place October 21. So I’ll participate in that, too, and invite others to as well.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
MOTOWN
Philip and I spent Labor Day weekend in Detroit, where Philip was born and spent many summers visiting his grandparents. His good friend Mike, whose grandma is close friends with Philip’s grandma, grew up there and is living at home again to help revitalize the family business. Philip’s friend Ben also just moved there to finish up his schooling for psychology, so we went to visit the two of them and to meet Mike’s girlfriend, Jill. Jill is an amazing, friendly, fun girl with whom I instantly connected.
After arriving on Friday night, the four of us went out to an Irish pub and enjoyed dinner and a live Irish folk band. Philip was in his element as we ate; the baseball game was playing on the big screen, and every other person in the place had a Tigers cap on.
On Saturday we went to a University of Michigan football game in the gorgeous, partly cloudy, 70-something-degree weather, no humidity. The game was a blast – I’ve never seen so much school spirit in my life. The announcer came over the loudspeaker to let the giant assembly know that we were the biggest crowd gathered to watch football anywhere in the country that day.
The most incredible moment of the day came when the student section in the stands initiated The Wave. Never has The Wave been carried out with such enthusiasm and precision. I don’t think there was a single person in the stadium who didn’t participate. First a standard Wave was executed; then a slow-motion one, followed by a super-fast one. To top it all off, a double Wave rose in both directions, colliding in the middle and continuing on to collide once more at its origin. It was basically awesome. After the game, Mike’s parents took us out to a delicious Italian meal.
On Sunday we went to church, then picked up some Jimmy John’s subs (yum) to take to the park for a picnic, followed by my first-ever game of disc golf. Ben is pretty much a pro, and the rest of us did our best to not throw our discs straight into trees. It was another beautiful day; we played all 18 holes. We finished out the evening talking and eating by a backyard bonfire at the house of one of Mike’s friends.
Labor Day morning found us out to a tasty breakfast. Then we went on a sort of a treasure hunt for the gravesite of Philip’s grandpa, who passed away a year ago, a mere 12 days before our wedding. After some searching, we located his headstone, and Philip and I spent some quiet moments reflecting on what a compassionate man Grandpa Don was.
From there, all of us headed out to Belle Isle to explore a once-thriving weekend destination that could now use some substantial rehabilitation. Philip’s grandpa had taken him there many weekends; the elaborate Scott Fountain there is still jaw-dropping – like something straight out of downtown London.
Our stay ended with Mike’s parents preparing a tasty barbeque for us out in the backyard – what hospitality. We were treated like family, our bellies stuffed beyond capacity as we headed to the airport, not quite ready to head back home.
After arriving on Friday night, the four of us went out to an Irish pub and enjoyed dinner and a live Irish folk band. Philip was in his element as we ate; the baseball game was playing on the big screen, and every other person in the place had a Tigers cap on.
On Saturday we went to a University of Michigan football game in the gorgeous, partly cloudy, 70-something-degree weather, no humidity. The game was a blast – I’ve never seen so much school spirit in my life. The announcer came over the loudspeaker to let the giant assembly know that we were the biggest crowd gathered to watch football anywhere in the country that day.
The most incredible moment of the day came when the student section in the stands initiated The Wave. Never has The Wave been carried out with such enthusiasm and precision. I don’t think there was a single person in the stadium who didn’t participate. First a standard Wave was executed; then a slow-motion one, followed by a super-fast one. To top it all off, a double Wave rose in both directions, colliding in the middle and continuing on to collide once more at its origin. It was basically awesome. After the game, Mike’s parents took us out to a delicious Italian meal.
On Sunday we went to church, then picked up some Jimmy John’s subs (yum) to take to the park for a picnic, followed by my first-ever game of disc golf. Ben is pretty much a pro, and the rest of us did our best to not throw our discs straight into trees. It was another beautiful day; we played all 18 holes. We finished out the evening talking and eating by a backyard bonfire at the house of one of Mike’s friends.
Labor Day morning found us out to a tasty breakfast. Then we went on a sort of a treasure hunt for the gravesite of Philip’s grandpa, who passed away a year ago, a mere 12 days before our wedding. After some searching, we located his headstone, and Philip and I spent some quiet moments reflecting on what a compassionate man Grandpa Don was.
From there, all of us headed out to Belle Isle to explore a once-thriving weekend destination that could now use some substantial rehabilitation. Philip’s grandpa had taken him there many weekends; the elaborate Scott Fountain there is still jaw-dropping – like something straight out of downtown London.
Our stay ended with Mike’s parents preparing a tasty barbeque for us out in the backyard – what hospitality. We were treated like family, our bellies stuffed beyond capacity as we headed to the airport, not quite ready to head back home.
Friday, September 01, 2006
NEW JOB, NEW YEAR OF MARRIAGE
Hi friends. It’s been a while. I haven’t felt terribly inspired lately, though a few pieces of news are long overdue.
Firstly, I started a new job. I’ve left the freelance world to once again join the ranks of full-time office employment. My new employer is World Publications, which publishes 20 or so magazines primarily out of Winter Park. My title is “copy editor,” which is a fairly one-dimensional position. My assignment is simply to copy edit files (check for grammar, style, accuracy, etc.) that come across my desk. Once I’ve copy edited all the files that have been sent to me, my work is complete, and I just have to sit and wait for the next thing to come.
Copy editing is what I’ve been doing from home for the last year and a half, and it was also a big part of my job while I was working at Relevant, so I’ve gotten pretty stinkin’ good at it. I’m pretty content to do it, too, though sometimes I long for a more multifaceted job that would utilize more of my skills, such as organization, communication, brainstorming ideas, and writing.
This place is very laid-back; I’m not micromanaged; and I’m not overloaded with a stressful and unrealistic amount of work. Pretty much all of my cubicle neighbors are sport fishermen; two of the magazines I work on are Sport Fishing and Marlin. I also copy edit Destination Weddings & Honeymoons and Florida Travel & Life.
I do miss the freedom of freelancing, but you really can’t beat a steady paycheck, and it’s nice to be back in the professional world. I guess I feel more legit, even though I had a pretty decent business going at home. I enjoy being around people again, too.
Shortly after starting at World Pub, Philip and I celebrated one year of marriage. We spent a week in Clearwater Beach, and the pictures are up on our Flickr page. We had a great time exploring state park beaches, reading, snorkeling with our new gear (yay!), and finding as many wild creatures as possible. I really can’t think of anything I enjoy more than traveling, especially with my husband … adventure and relaxation and escape from daily drama and responsibility – it’s the absolute best.
Tonight we leave for Detroit to visit Philip’s friends Mike and Ben. Philip told me this is what he wanted for his birthday. I’m really excited to leave the state for a few days and bask in the love and hospitality of good friends. Dianna comes to visit us in a couple weeks; I’m so glad – she’s one of my favorite people in the world.
Other than that, it’s basically just daily life. We do a lot of stuff with our church; we listen to NPR in the morning; we share meals with friends; we watch movies that come in the mail through Netflix (the greatest service ever invented). We navigate family issues and insecurities and tiredness. We think about the future. I try to find time to scrapbook; Philip gets online to check on his Fantasy Football team. We go to weddings and birthday get-togethers and going-away parties; we grocery shop and do laundry and drink dollar margaritas at Amigo’s. And in my mind I’m always analyzing all of it, feeling very much content and longing for so much more at the same time.
Firstly, I started a new job. I’ve left the freelance world to once again join the ranks of full-time office employment. My new employer is World Publications, which publishes 20 or so magazines primarily out of Winter Park. My title is “copy editor,” which is a fairly one-dimensional position. My assignment is simply to copy edit files (check for grammar, style, accuracy, etc.) that come across my desk. Once I’ve copy edited all the files that have been sent to me, my work is complete, and I just have to sit and wait for the next thing to come.
Copy editing is what I’ve been doing from home for the last year and a half, and it was also a big part of my job while I was working at Relevant, so I’ve gotten pretty stinkin’ good at it. I’m pretty content to do it, too, though sometimes I long for a more multifaceted job that would utilize more of my skills, such as organization, communication, brainstorming ideas, and writing.
This place is very laid-back; I’m not micromanaged; and I’m not overloaded with a stressful and unrealistic amount of work. Pretty much all of my cubicle neighbors are sport fishermen; two of the magazines I work on are Sport Fishing and Marlin. I also copy edit Destination Weddings & Honeymoons and Florida Travel & Life.
I do miss the freedom of freelancing, but you really can’t beat a steady paycheck, and it’s nice to be back in the professional world. I guess I feel more legit, even though I had a pretty decent business going at home. I enjoy being around people again, too.
Shortly after starting at World Pub, Philip and I celebrated one year of marriage. We spent a week in Clearwater Beach, and the pictures are up on our Flickr page. We had a great time exploring state park beaches, reading, snorkeling with our new gear (yay!), and finding as many wild creatures as possible. I really can’t think of anything I enjoy more than traveling, especially with my husband … adventure and relaxation and escape from daily drama and responsibility – it’s the absolute best.
Tonight we leave for Detroit to visit Philip’s friends Mike and Ben. Philip told me this is what he wanted for his birthday. I’m really excited to leave the state for a few days and bask in the love and hospitality of good friends. Dianna comes to visit us in a couple weeks; I’m so glad – she’s one of my favorite people in the world.
Other than that, it’s basically just daily life. We do a lot of stuff with our church; we listen to NPR in the morning; we share meals with friends; we watch movies that come in the mail through Netflix (the greatest service ever invented). We navigate family issues and insecurities and tiredness. We think about the future. I try to find time to scrapbook; Philip gets online to check on his Fantasy Football team. We go to weddings and birthday get-togethers and going-away parties; we grocery shop and do laundry and drink dollar margaritas at Amigo’s. And in my mind I’m always analyzing all of it, feeling very much content and longing for so much more at the same time.
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