Florida

A few weeks back I mentioned the release of Patty Griffin's new album. I just listened to one of my favorite songs of hers entitled. "Florida". Such a picturesque song, particularly the first three lines.


A couple of young girls went
Sailing down A1A
Into the arms of Florida...

Sailing down a highway
Singing their heads off
Protected by the holy ghosts
Flying in the ocean
Driving with their eyes close

The night wants to kiss you deep
And be on his way
Pretend he don't know you the very next day
Isn't it hard sometimes
Isn't it lonely?
How I still hang around here
And there's nothing to hold me

You slide down into the seat
From twelve hours on your feet
And get the tide to wash you away
For thousands and thousands of days
And someone you never meet
Signs a check you get every week
You try and you still can't forget
All the strangers that you have met

The night never owed you nothing anyway
Makes promises that he never intends to keep every day
Isn't it hard sometimes
Isn't lonely?
How I still hang around here
And there's nothing to hold me

Every time, every year
The travelers come and go
You see them landing with their pale wings
And flying back to the snow
And the summer comes marching in
With his heavy boots on
Kicking along the blacktop
Sidewalks of A1A
The young girls in their bare feet
Cigarettes smoking
Looking every which way
Wishing and hoping

And you want the night just to let you sleep
And be on his way
Wrap you up in some cool sheets
And have nothing to say

Isn't hard sometimes
Isn't it lonely?
How I still hang around here
And there's nothing to hold me

Tears of Rapture

This past weekend while hanging out in Chicago, I resumed my reading of Dostoevsky's, The Brothers Karamazov. This monumental work continues to shape a lot of my thinking in many areas of life.

Piggy-backing off of last weeks post, I thought this excerpt from the Brothers K would be appropriate.

After the death of his beloved Mentor Father Zossima, Alyosha, Doestoevshy's hero falls into a dream like state...

"The elder raised Alyosha by the hand and he rose from his knees.

"We are rejoicing," the little, thin old man went on. "We are drinking the new wine, the wine of new, great gladness; do you see how many guests? Here are the bride and bridegroom, here is the wise governor of the feast, he is tasting the new wine. Why do you wonder at me?I gave an onion to a beggar, so I, too, am here. And many here have given only an onion each- only one little onion... What are all our deeds? And you, my gentle one, you, my kind boy, you too have known how to give a famished woman an onion to-day. Begin your work dear one, begin it, gentle one!... Do you see our Son, do you see Him!?"

"I am afraid... I dare not look," whispered Alyosha.

"Do you fear Him. He is terrible in His greatness, awful in his sublimity, but infintely merciful. He has made himself like unto us from love and rejoices with us. He is changing the water into wine that the gladness of the guests may not be cut short. He is expecting new guests, He is calling new ones unceasingly for ever and ever... There they are bringing new wine. Do you see they are bringing the vessels..."

Something glowed in Alyosha's heart, something filled it till it ached, tears of rapture rose from his soul...he stretched out his hands, uttered a cry and waked up.

Fried Cheesy Things and St. Patrick's Day

Things in life change.

What you find humorous or painful, even what you find enjoyable and satisfying seems to change as you grow older. I’m not sure these changes are necessarily better, but I’m almost sure they are.

This past weekend served as one of those moments in which I realized that life is very much changing. Friday night, my family, and two of my closest friends, met for dinner at Tamarind, the best Thai restaurant in south Florida, and had a great time simply enjoying each other’s company. Great food, great friends, and two hours in, I wished we could have started all over again if our stomachs could manage it. You can’t help but wonder- it’s as if family and food were two things intended to be married to each other.

Actually, I think they were.

On the flip side, Saturday loomed as the great party of all parties. Somewhere along the way St. Patrick’s Day became this crazy animal of an event in America. My own hometown of Ft. Lauderdale stands on its head, literally, each year for the day of green. We braved the crowds earlier in the evening Saturday night to our chagrin, only to stand at an “Irish” pub/bar waiting 20 minutes for a beer, while countless of my tanked fellow residents bumped into us. We lasted 20 minutes, before we hopped back in the car and headed north.

There’s always a first for everything. As we headed north to Boca, I was about to experience my first true Latin family dinner. My friends who went with my family and I the night before, invited me to come along and experience their family. It was the grandmother and matriarch of the family’s birthday. Complete with food, dancing, dessert, and very attractive women (what!?) our St. Patrick’s Day took a huge turn for the better. Since we didn’t eat until almost midnight, I had time to think about what had stirred me the night before.

There’s something about family.

And we all know there’s something about food.

And when those two things come together, there’s simply nothing like it.

I come from a very small, yet tight family. I have no aunts, uncles, or cousins, since both of my parents are Only Childs, so whenever I get to see a very large family enjoying themselves, I’m like a kid in a candy store. The large family dynamic is something I hope to experience someday soon. I’d love to marry into a big big family, and I know I hear you naysayers out there…I really do!

Life changes though. When dinner with friends and family, and family parties become so much more appealing then the downtown partying scene, life has changed. Twenty minutes downtown Saturday night was twenty minutes too long for us. Give me panang curry, kim-chee tuna, homemade flan, and little fried cheesy I-don’t-know-what-they’re-called- fried things, and I’m set.

The thing about families though is that they’re two things at the same time, beautiful and broken. Most families don’t have to look too far within themselves to see tragedy and brokenness. The beautiful aspect of family is that through that brokenness, people find love, belonging, and renewed purpose. So when a family comes together, they share there pain, and they celebrate. They bring their tragedy, and they bring their laughter. And in the midst of all the chaos and turmoil this broken world brings us, for a little while, when we all gather, we see a glimpse of what things should be like. What they will one day be like again.

The scriptures tells us of a day when a very large family will gather around a very large table and have a feast. This feast though will be different than all the rest we’ve known. This feast will know no pain, and no tragedy, only the joy of grace and the abundance of peace and love.

So until that day, we enjoy our own families. We share great food and wine together, and we share our pain and suffering, and together we look forward to the day when our food and wine will know no tears, but only peace.

Maranatha!

Ecclesiastes 9:7
"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do."

Lead On, O King

I saw the box office smash "300", twice this weekend. It's amazing.
A mix of jaw-dropping cinematogrophy and awesomeness. It really is terrific if you're into swords, inspirational speeches, and cool camera tricks. King Leonidas, the King of Sparta, leads his 300 warriors against the millions of Xerxes' Persians, where the famed epic battle plays out 90% in the new blue-screen technology. I'm convinced that every human being responds to the gut wrenching call of a king. So when Leonidas lets out his verocious, "SPARTANS! PREPARE FOR GLORY!" You can't help but feel the chills go up and down your entire body.

The Spartans have a code, a law that requires nothing to be greater than the law of Sparta itself. But as each man follows the every movement of their king, you know that Spartan law isn't what drives these famed 300. The call of their King does.

Leonidas.

The Great Leonidas, whose lion roar of glory you felt could deter the Persian storm of arrows.

We follow the movement of a King. Every step brings closer glory.

Today I came across again the lyrics of an old Christian hymn.

Lead On, O King Eternal

Lead on, O King eternal,
the day of march has come;
henceforth in fields of conquest
thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
thy grace has made us strong;
and now, O King eternal,
we lift our battle song.

Lead on, O King eternal,
till sin's fierce war shall cease,
and holiness shall whisper
the sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords loud clashing,
nor roll of stirring drums;
with deeds of love and mercy
the heavenly kingdom comes.

Lead on, O King eternal,
we follow, not with fears,
for gladness breaks like morning
where'er thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted o'er us,
we journey in its light;
the crown awaits the conquest;
lead on, O God of might.

Chicago

March 23-25, I'll be traveling to Chicago by myself to just get away, be in a different city, investigate, and did I already say this? Get away.

People's reactions have been interesting though. I say, "I'm going to Chicago in a few weeks," and their reply goes something like, "Oh cool! Who are you going with?" Which is met with my answer, "just myself", followed by a funnier response, "oh" (as a puzzled look comes across their little faces)

Originally I hoped someone would go with me, but when it didn't work out, I still decided to go. I don't know anyone, i've never been there before. I'm just going. It's only 48 hours. I think I'll be ok by myself for 48 hours. In fact, I'm looking forward to it. In fact, I can't wait.

Spring Training

Most of my readers know that I'm an avid sports fan. There are a few things I need to explain about that statement however. In my mind there are two distinct types of sports fans. You may be familiar with guy-who-knows-nothing-but-his-favorite-team-paints-his-chest-team-colors-fan. I am not that, and frankly, that guy annoys me entirely. The other type of sport fan is the guy who although he has his favorite teams, his overall love for every sport makes him more of a "sports nut", then a fan. I like to think I fall into the second category.

I love every sport. I mean it, anything. From football, to the international sports of tennis and soccer, I embrace it all. I'm the kind of guy that would lie in bed late at night watching the final of the Ft. Collins Table Tennis Finals. It is what it is.

Lately, my sporting plate has been dominated by European soccer. My favorite club, Liverpool F.C. is enjoying another great season beating Barcelona in the first leg of their tie in the Champions League last week.

However, March is here. And that means one thing....

Spring Training.

Although I love every sport. Although I love international sports even more. Even though my love for Miami Dolphins football is great. There's no question in my mind, the greatest sport is still, and always will be... Baseball.

It's the great sport of the world. It's the gift of America to the Americas. The smell of the grass, the optimism of every team in spring training, and the final cooling down of the hot-stove off season, this...this is baseball.

"The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love." - Bryant Gumbel

"I'm convinced that every boy, in his heart, would rather steal second base than an automobile." - Tom Clark

"I see great things in baseball. It's our game--the American game. It will take our people out of doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us." - Walt Whitman

"Since baseball time is measured only in outs, all you have to do is succeed utterly; keep hitting, keep the rally alive, and you have defeated time. You remain forever young." - Roger Angell

"All I want out of life, is that when I walk down the street folks will say, "There goes the greatest hitter that ever lived." - Ted Williams

"A hot dog at the ball park is better than steak at the Ritz." - Humphrey Bogart

Though football may be king now, baseball will forever be the great sport. Spring training is here, so grab a hot dog, catch a game, draft your fantasy team, and enjoy the true beginning of summer.