I've been to Winnipeg before...
All right, first of all, I feel much better today. I got less sleep last night and I think that was key.
So, Portland. I have a friend (Christine) whose parents live in Portland (yes, Oregon), so some of us decided to go on a road trip. We left after work on Thursday and drove for twelve hours, arriving at six in the morning. We had a nap (the others slept for six or seven hours, but I woke up after three and a half and couldn't sleep, so I sat around for a while and chatted with her parents) and then we went to the beach. It was the second time I had visited my mortal enemy: the Pacific Ocean. The first time we met, it attacked me without provocation, despite my attempts at following established protocol and convention, thus setting the stage for our epic struggle.
The beach was good. The sun was shining, which I guess is not a guarantee, and it wasn't terribly cold. I had never been to a beach, at least an ocean one, and I think I see the appeal. There was a fog that had settled onto the far reaches of the beach, leaving the giant stone formations that jutted out here and there shadowed in mist, which I thought was cool. I like fog. We hung around for a while, walking up and down the beach, dipping our toes in the water and just having some fun.
So it was with bemusement and a newfound respect that I realised the Pacific had changed his tactics to attacks with a more subtle, psychological bent. I shall have to be more wary in the future if I am to prevail. This is not over...not by a long shot.
The next day we got up late again (I like having days off) and went to walk around the open air Saturday market in downtown Portland near the river. It was interesting to see. We also visited a book store where I bought four books, which was the extent of my spending on the trip (besides food and gas). Later that night we went for a hike up a mountain...okay, we just walked halfway up a hill (from the parking lot halfway up to the top) where there was a good view of some mountains around the area. We could see Mt. St. Helens. from there and...other...hills. After that we went back to Christine's house and sat in her front yard watching the neighbours set off fireworks (it was the fourth of July) and other, larger displays, though we couldn't see much due to the copious number of trees in the area. At one point a police car drove down the street and had to drive around the fireworks that were going off on the street, and he didn't even slow down. The US is a weird place. Then we sat in the back yard and played cards and had s'mores.
That was my weekend trip to Portland. It is quite a beautiful place with plenty of trees, which I like. I think I like tree covered hills as much as, and likely more than, huge rocky mountains, as cool as those are.
Also, it is odd to me to see cellists playing in street clothes.
posted by Pants since 1986 @ 8:19 p.m.
3 comments
3 Comments:
just for fun, i changer the word "fog" to frog! then i laughed!
Sounds like a good trip. I, too, have had 2 encounters with the Pacific Ocean. No, wait, three, but two were at the same place on two separate occasions.
The first time (Acapulco), it almost got me. These nasty things called undercurrents nearly had me dragged out. Nothing like swimming endlessly, but each time you look you're in the same place. Finally, somehow, made some headway and got back to safety. The second time was at the same beach, but I didn't really get too adventurous.
The third time was much further north. Prince Rupert. Went fishing for three straight days and caught nothing. Yet another story of futility.
Glad you had fun.
My word is mioran, but I keep wanting to type moron.
A mixture of current events, Tour de France, and The Princess Bride got me thinking about the following...
When love and leadership intersect there is usually pain involved. A leader makes the choice to absorb something because of his or her love for the mission, the team, or a friend. In my young leadership experience, I have been surprised how frequently the choice before a leader boils down to this:
Will I be the one who suffers personally or will it be others?
The loving leader makes the choice to take the pain upon themselves, especially when the practical outcome for the organization will be the same. Not talking about a leader filling their plate with more stuff to do so their team can have more time. Not talking about a "boo hoo" attitude of someone who volunteers to set an example to their staff.
* Talking about enduring the pain of a confrontation because letting it go would allow the perpetrator to continue spreading venom.
* Talking about enduring the pain of telling someone you really love they are not doing good enough.
* Talking about enduring the pain of releasing a cherished role to someone who is better at it than yourself.
That sort of stuff. The examples will only hurt when action is motivated by love.
I think the plain truth is this - "Loving leadership hurts."
But here is the comfort - especially for the Christian leader. When you do this you are in good company. Jesus is the example of willingly taking pain upon yourself for the good of others. And with appropriate humility, as the Christian leader empathizes with Christ they should find:
* The suffering is not in vain (death is followed by eventual resurrection)
* Results are by-products (your real goal is to display Christlike love)
* It is in the imitation of Christ where he is found (you are not alone)
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