For the Sake of What's Right

Service. It's the topic I've been asked to speak on for my school's annual Beta Club induction ceremony. Let me preface this post by saying that, due to an onset of writer's block, the following writing will probably be abrupt, convoluted, non sequitur, and riddled with grammatical errors. Please bear with (hanging preposition).

You would think that coming up with 10 minutes of rhetoric to entertain a group of middle school students would be easy enough, but that seems to be eluding me at the moment. Service is the act of giving of one's self for the ultimate betterment of mankind, even if only in some small way, without the expectation or compensation of praise or personal gain. That sounds about right, doesn't it? The real challenge though, lies in the very words, "without the expectation or compensation of praise or personal gain". Here's the thing. Serving can feel really good. And why shouldn't it? I mean, you ARE doing something good, aren't you? However, the key thing to realize, whenever you are doing any kind of serving, is that you must keep in mind that you are doing this thing because it is the RIGHT thing to do. The fact that it is good is in fact the driving force, not the reaction that you may or may not get from the people on the receiving end of your deed. This is the lesson that I learned this past Christmas.

I had one of those "revelation moments" last December where the clouds parted, and the light hit me just right, and I remembered the true meaning of Christmas...presents! Ok, Ok, giving and sacrifice. With that in mind, I decided that I would head downtown and volunteer with an organization in Atlanta that, among other things, served Christmas dinner to disadvantaged families. After seeing a post on their Facebook page requesting help with getting the donated meals from the restaurant to the place where the meals would actually be served, I volunteered to be the transporter. I contacted the head chef at the restaurant, and I even went so far as to call the guy who was running the program to ensure everything was set.

The next day, Christmas Eve, I drove the 60 miles from my house to the restaurant and pulled into the parking lot actually excited to pick up the food. I walked in only to discover that someone else had gotten the food (an hour before I was told it would even be available), and basically, my efforts were in vain. I drove home with my sister (whom I had convinced to join me), and trying to make light of the situation, stopped by Starbucks and grabbed two Peppermint Mocha Frappucinos, just to take the sting out of the issue.

After having our customary cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, my sister and I loaded back up in the car and headed back to Atlanta to do the serving we had promised to do. As the familes began to pile into the crowded confines of the building, we learned that each volunteer would be matched up with a family and would be spending the afternoon in fellowship learning the personal stories of each family member. Now keep in mind that these families are all supposed to be economically disadvantaged, so imagine my surprise when I saw that each person in my assigned family was carrying a cell phone with internet capability and was actively using that ability. But why did I assume that just because they have cell phones that they didn't need some kind of support? We spent the afternoon in gradually more and more casual conversations about anything from NBA hoops to complaints about our jobs (but thankful for having one at all), and it dawned on me that this is what my service on this day was all about. Namely, not me. To share, even if for only a few hours, common concerns, complaints, and the occasional debate over Falcons vs. Saints, it meant that regardless of our situations, we were all just people trying to get through life. See, that's the thing about serving. You usually end up getting as much if not more out of what you do than the people who are the actual recipients. Shhhh...don't tell anyone.

So, am I saying that service is really fueled by some self-aggrandizing motive? Not exactly. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once tried to describe this situation in a sermon he entitled "The Drum Major Instinct". His conlcusion was that if things were kept in perspective, this innate drive can be one of the most powerful and effective forces on Earth in the name of service, and each of us holds this ability within ourselves. And with that, I'll discontinue this rambling post and leave you with some far more coherent words from a far wiser man than I. I told you I would be abrupt.

"Everybody can be great...because everybody can serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. And you can be that servant." - MLK, Jr.

Please, as always, feel free to share your opinions, good, bad, and in between.

A Life in Flux

Changes and Progress...

Those are the two words that I would choose to best describe what my life has seemed to be full of over the last few months, and it's funny how meeting someone can bring all that about. The changes have been widespread and in depth, ranging from diet to time management to philanthropy, with fitness sprinkled in along the way. You know, the typical kinds of projects your average, suburban weekend-warrior takes on.

I'm continuing to focus on my nutrition, and my eating habits are now becoming standardized. The vegetables are organic, most meats and poultry products are grass-fed or cage-free, the sugar has been replaced by agave nectar, and the milk has been replaced by almond milk. I'm cooking just about every night for dinner, and fried food and fast food essentially no longer exist in my vocabulary. The results? I'm maintaining a steady weight of 176lbs, down from 185lbs since December. Body-fat percentage has visibly decreased, almost none of my 34in. waist-size jeans fit me anymore, and there is an overall sense of just “feeling better” that I carry with me throughout each day. I actually like the food that I eat, and I don't walk away from meals thinking, “Man, those 3,000 calorie chicken fingers were so good.”

Does focusing on eating better foods and creating more home-cooked meals take some adjustment to the time schedule? Of course, and that's why I have also decided to cut back on my soccer coaching career. The spring brings with it a hiatus from club soccer, as the high school aged players are currently all involved with their school teams. This has given me a break from the typical week of 4 training days, 400+ commuting miles, and 14-hour work days. Remember, I also have a career as a special education teacher in a middle school? When the fall rolls around, I'll only be in charge of one team instead of three like this last year, so I'm hoping to continue having spare time to dedicate to my personal sanity and other endeavors like keeping my fitness at what I hope are at least moderate levels.

As most of you who are friends with me on Facebook are probably already aware, I have tried to become a regular at my local indoor rock climbing gym, Ascension Climbing, making appearances at least 2-3 times a week. I'm now working on 5.8 projects, which I realize may not sound very impressive, but considering I only started climbing 5.6 routes on a consistent basis about 2 months ago, I'm happy with the progress. Sending a 5.10 by July may be ambitious, but it gives me something to work towards, and I love how this sport challenges me both physically and also mentally. It's not just about powering through a climb. There are techniques and problem-solving skills required that keep things engaging and fun. In addition to climbing, I'm also continuing to work on my running in preparation for the Publix Half-Marathon coming up on St. Patrick's Day weekend. My long runs are presently in the 6 mile range with pace times typically around 8:09/mile. With these two activities, I'm improving both my cardio as well as my strength. Now that the weather is warming up, I'll also be incorporating more hiking and backpacking to build up my legs for Rainier.

Finally, I've tried to work on doing my part to help my fellow man....er...young man, by forming and leading a Sibling Support Group at my school for students who have siblings or family members with disabilities. With the help of Holly Monahan, another special education teacher at Rising Starr, we have established a weekly group meeting where we are working on how to deal with being the sibling of someone with a disability. It gives the kids a chance to have their voice heard and to share with others who are in the same situation. Knowing you aren't alone can be a powerful thing. As I'm now introducing a series of lessons on leadership (since these guys are all going to have to be leaders in their families), it has been incredible to see the ideas and suggestions coming from such important young men. Although I still envision bringing a program like Big City Mountaineers here to Georgia, I feel like this is a good place to start and am excited to see where it will go.

That's all for now. I want to personally thank each and every one of you who has already helped contribute to my Summit for Someone climb of Mt. Rainier in July. Please keep spreading the word to others who you think might be willing to help out. New updates will be coming, so be sure to keep checking the blog and my climber page!

Oh, who is this person I met who has helped inspire so much of this change? Well, that's a topic for a different entry, but regardless of the outcome, I thank God for their introduction into my life.