Saturday, July 30, 2011

A Bump On the Head

Recently I was hit in the head, multiple times. It was for a improv part of a skit that I was apart of where I played a boy who died and someone sees me and checks to see if I'm alright. The way the decided was funniest to check if I was dead was to slap me repeatedly to see if I had any life left in me. The crowd laughed as it happened, but I became furious with every blow that landed on my head. It was as if the person hitting me was injecting me with an infuriating passion of hate and pressing the trigger that was about to have me explode. At the end of the skit I felt fine, but I was angry with the person who hit my head.
Afterwards, I took time to reflect on why I became to angry. I thought it would be normal to become a little flustered with getting hit on the head, but the level of fury that my mind had was too much for too little of a circumstance. I began to think about other times that I've hit my head, and all the ones of recent memory, lead to me becoming very angry instantly. I began to wonder if there was something in my past that caused my fury to be unleashed from hits on the head. I started to remember that I've received quite a few hits on the head in my childhood. From head-butting soccer balls when playing soccer as a lil tike to punishments for saying something wrong from my parents to falling off my bike with my helmet on but still causing a jolting shot to my head. Head bumps came decently often.
But there is still the question of why it infuriates me when I get hit. To me its inconclusive. I've bumped my head so many times in some many places that its hard for me to blame any one incident. All I know is this happens only when I get hit on the head, its interesting, and unjust to all those who see it in me when it happens. I think I need to have a little more self-control, and peace in my mind, something i'll be working on for a while.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Selflessness

"Hope for the future of America yet!" that is how this article starts itself. Its about a boy doing a selfless act of kindness for someone that was not as fortunate as him. The best part of this entire video though is seen at the 17 second mark. That is when the fortunate child sees the other child crying, and on our hero's face, you can see that he is thinking about doing something, and acts upon it. This is the highlight of my day.

Play of the day! Selfless young fan returns ball to upset boy - Big League Stew - MLB Blog - Yahoo! Sports

Monday, July 18, 2011

When the Imaginary Becomes Reality

Currently where I am working, there happens to be an actor from All My Children, a soap opera on day time television, enjoying a stay. I was talking to a co-worker about the acting he does and the impact that it has on his family. Do the intimate scenes bother his wife? Is it odd for his children when he holds another little girl/boy in his arms? When he says I love you to someone on the show without meaning it, does his family know that when he says it to them that he does mean it? I wonder if it affects them at all, or if they even watch the episodes together as a family.
I've often heard the phrase, 'fake it till you make it', and I find myself decently fond of this phrase. I think that many times that this is how people are able to force themselves into liking something. Like acquired taste, you have to work on the acquiring in order to enjoy the taste of the food or drink. But at what point does what we are pretending to be doing become something that is normal, and a reality? I find this interesting, because I cannot tell when the imaginary process becomes a truth. Often times I find that when I began to be pretend 'best friends' with someone, at some point, they actually become my best friend, and i'm theirs, but I don't know when it happens.
I feel as though its an unexpected process. If you were pretending to be in a relationship (whether it be for on the tele or just for fun) it would creep in, and one day you're sitting across from the person, looking at them realizing that you're slightly jealous of the person sitting next to them. That is when it occurs to you, that you have true feelings for this person and you find that you really want to be with them. It happens so sudden, and before you know it, like the ocean you are in deeper than you actually thought you were and the beach is no longer a few steps away.
How does this actor balance the love he have with his television wife, and his real wife? How can we swim back to shore, before we make life altering decisions to have this new pretend life we have the new reality? Or should we go deeper into the ocean and make a new reality? Either way, there may be regrets for not making the other choice.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

A Speech to Be Remembered



I love Conan O'Brien. His story, his life, his comedy. He is a good hearted man, that has experience life at the top and at the bottom. This is a very touching speech that is hilarious but true. I may have slightly let a small itty-bitty tear drop when I listened to this. I hope you enjoy this.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Opposite Day, Rebellion and Applebee's

Today we are talking about 3 different issues, Opposite Day (why that will never be the name of a day), Rebellion (the innate response every person has inside of them) and Applebee's (Never go to the one in Watsonville, Ca). These three topics have occurred often lately, so I thought I should speak about them.
First, Opposite Day. There will never be a day called opposite day, because if there was a day dedicated to doing the opposite, by definition the name of the day should be declared as opposite of what it is supposed to be, because it is opposite day...or actually same day! But if you think about it, who would actually follow the rules of a day that is named Same Day. It would be the same as every other day. Then again, if we think about what we do everyday, one very common occurrence is easy to see: rebellion!
(step 2) The definition of rebellion is resistance to or defiance of any authority, control or tradition. Everyday we rebel against something, whether we notice it or not. In our individuality, we are rebelling against all cultures that claim you to be in line with everyone else. In our religion, we are rebelling against every other religion that claims to be the truth. In our everyday live at home, we raise children the way we believe is best, rebelling from what your parents may have done, or the countless books written by childless counselors. In our work, when asked to preform a specific task we preform it in the way that we have learned to be most efficient and beneficial to ourselves, rebelling from the way other people do it, or the way your manager trained you to do it. And one that everybody does: when we drive faster to make it through the yellow light instead of slowing down. Rebellion is to be opposite and we do something opposite to someone else everyday. Its a natural reaction that every person does.Whether it be on purpose, like a girl deciding to cut her hair because a certain boy like long hair, or on accident, when we choose a specific path to take home while your spouse believes the other path is more efficient. There is a rebel in all of us.
Then there is Applebee's. When ever I here someone say opposite day my mind tends to drift towards a children attempting to right their wrong by saying its opposite day and making it okay for him to so what he was doing. Applebee's has done the same to me and a group of friends quite a few times already. As a store that has special deals after 9pm, it seems that every time that we go there they are completely out of stock of only those items that are on sale right at 9 o'clock. The first time we went there we decided to leave and go to another food place. The second time we accepted their imperfect menu and order from the little that was available. Both of those times they tried to explain how they run out of items on night we come because they get their new shipments in the next morning. On the third visit, they decided to close their doors 4 hours early to update their computer system. There is always something they are doing that is opposite of their norm and they try to justify it because like children, because though they are rebelling against what should be done, they still want to be seen as correct in their ways.
This is another reason why we will never have an Opposite Day, because if we do things opposite, we would have to show that what we were going originally was the way it was supposed to be done. But no one explicitly desires to the opposite of others unless it is in spite, because deep inside everyone want to be normal.
But to be normal, is to be loved by everyone, to be seen as acceptable and exceptional to anyone who looks, to be a standard for all others. Normal seems to be the idea of perfection, and no one is perfect, though we strive for it. Our individuality is what keeps us from being normal, but it helps us to be ourselves, with our quirks, mannerisms, imperfects, but above all, it allows us to be human.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

When You Love What You Do

My boss comes up to me and says, "Hey, I like to handle things straight forward and learn from my mistakes so we don't do them again in the future. On that note, I picked up your trash from your Espresso Cart this morning."
My response was simple, "I'm sorry, I must have forgotten it, I'll take care of it next time."
As my boss turned to walk away, he stops, turns back and says, "And by the way, if I haven't told you, you are doing a good job."
Politely I thank him for the compliment. But perhaps he didn't like the way I may have seen it as just a light compliment, so he completely faces me and says, "No, you are doing a Great job, and I really mean it."
Surprised, and a bit stunned, I answer, "I like working here sir, so I try to do a good job."
His response, "Well you are, keeping it up. Thank you"

When you enjoy what you're doing and when you like where you are, work is not work, but an enjoyable activity that you happen to get paid for, and people will notice.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Leadership

I've heard that the way to become a good leader is to be under a bad one for a long time, so you know exactly what NOT to do...
I've heard that the way to become a good leader is to be a good follower...
I've heard that the way to become a good leader is to always look after those who are with you...
I've heard that the way to become a good leader is to be harsh, apply strict rules and make everyone respect you...
I've heard that the way to become a good leader is to be a good listener...
I've heard that the way to become a good leader is to always be available...
I've heard that the way to become a good leader you need to always have someone else to follow...
I've heard that the way to become a good leader you need to buy the book, and learn all the easy steps to being a good leader...
I've heard that the way to become a good leader you need to be a good speaker so others will be drawn to you.
I've heard that the way to become a good leader you need to think out of the box and be different from everyone else.
I've heard that the way to become a good leader you need to lead.
I've heard that the way to become a good leader you need to be born with an innate ability to lead.
I've heard that the way to become a good leader you need to be strong and confident in yourself.

I've heard of so many ways to becoming a good leader, and some work, some don't. I think the best way to be a good leader is to be adaptable. No matter who you are, or what leadership position you're in, each job, day, moment is different from another. And to be a good leader, you need to be able to lead for that day and be what that day needs you to be, whether its strong, confident, strict, rule keeper, a good speaker, or a good listener. Whatever is needed for that moment for whoever.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Playing Ball

I don't believe there is anything I enjoy more than playing basketball. Its my favorite sport to watch or be apart of. There something about this game that I cannot really communicate that makes it fun. Perhaps its the rush of adrenaline that comes while you drive the lane hoping a small window of opportunity shows up giving you a view to the hoop for a clear shot. Or its how suddenly a burst of energy can enter your body even though you've played an entire game and are completely tired. Maybe even how no matter how loud the crowd can be that is cheering you on, the court seems silent when playing, as if its only your team against the other battling for the win. There is more to the game I love, but I've learned to enjoy it in a new way.
I used to be ultra competitive in games, I simply had to win and would at all cost. That competitiveness helped me to win quite a few games with my team, but I did not enjoy the game as much. One day I tried to have fun in a game and not just win. I lost the game, but I had the a great time playing against other players. Since then, I've learned to have fun with every aspect of the game and truly appreciate the game. I like playing it just to play. Whether its 21 with 2 other guys, or 3-on-3, or if I'm on the court by myself working on my foot work for whenever the next game is, I enjoy doing it all. the game and all it entails, win or lose.