Remember the Dixie Chicks

I'm writing this on a friend's laptop back home in Florida. Right now, President Obama is on TV and the Internet addressing questions through a "town-hall" style meeting, answering questions via YouTube submissions as well as a live audience in the same room as him.

It is important to never act as a partisan. Democrat or Republican nor Liberal or Conservative. By nature, I'm not a partisan person, nor do I believe anyone is. By nature, in groups, we can be partisan -- take sides, be reactive, not address complex issues in a thoughtful way, in George Carlin's words "people in groups wear stupid hats." Its easier that way. However, as individuals, we think different.

Much like how someone is born into a certain society or culture, a certain religion, a family of intolerance, environment plays a huge role in what we know, what we don't know, and how we know or don't know. Worse off, one tends to shut out other viewpoints and even worse off, his or hers own logic is censored.

Partisanship isn't disagreeing or arguing, either. In fact, when partisanship gets really bad, rational arguments actually stop happening! Absurdity. And why do these arguments fail? Because the approach for partisans is to win or lose. Many people don't engage in arguments because they don't want this battle.

For truly smart people, the goal is not to win or lose. The goal is to move the conversation forward. The idea is to learn from each other through conversation, through arguing different sides, figuring out what approach or idea makes the most sense based on history and the present circumstances.

Partisanship is like watching a soap opera. It plays on our need for entertainment, negative entertainment. Instead, "pulling" - the process of pooling ideas and going through a process of dissemination as to which one(s) are the best - provides positive entertainment. Positive breeds positive and negative breeds negative.

The way I try to engage politics or any issue is based on the logic of that issue. Nonetheless, I get pulled into petty arguments at times and fall into what I call the "label trap." Once you label something, including "liberal," "conservative," "right," "left," your unconscious and your conscious begin seeing things in that prism. This falls back to yesterday's blog. It's just like any sort of training or muscle memory process. Just like eating or smoking habits, you have to make a conscious effort to change that prism which, unfortunately, is ingrained in many of us from such an early age.

Just because Peyton Manning finds ways to beat my Jacksonville Jaguars and drives me crazy for the long completions he makes doesn't deny the fact that he's a helluva football player. All it says is that the Jags need to get a better defense.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Chicks -- This is intolerance of free speech, not to mention the simple fact that the major point of what they said came true. Break through to the merit of the words, not the simple fact that they may not like the guy you like. Break through the black and white and discern as much grey as you can.

Putting aside some manliness for a second:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwc5YSAc-7g "Not ready to make nice"- Dixie Chicks

Thin-Slicing

I'm reading this book right now called Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell. Many of you may have read the book or some of Gladwell's other best-sellers, The Tipping Point and the most recent release, Outliers. In Blink, Gladwell often refers to something he calls "thin-slicing." In his words, " 'thin-slicing' refers to the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience."

Having just gone over the half-way point, I'll refuse to prognosticate on any sort of merits of the book (although, it has been a rediculously fascinating and informative read thus far). What I will do, however, is offer an example I've experienced that I think qualifies as thin-slicing.

Jobs: I wouldn't be writing this blog right now if I hadn't done some serious thin-slicing in my past work life. Only 23, I've run a gammit of tormenting positions: McDonald's fry guy (my dad called this one a real 'character-builder'), non-profits, busboy, host, dishwasher, waiter, administrative office position at Florida State University, Project Coordinator on a DOE-funded research project, Production Assistant in reality TV, telemarketer, tutor, bank teller, and now coach, comedian, and whatever you call this.

Where's the thin-slicing? Has the thin-slicing helped or hindered me?

First off, there's no way I could tear through that many positions if it weren't for a "this job doesn't feel right" thing occurring in my brain. From my interpretation, that's a lot of what thin-slicing is. Intuition and feeling. At many points, and still now, I have trouble verbalizing exactly why the job wasn't for me or why I found them tortuous at times. When I think about it, telemarketing isn't that bad. Even waiting tables or working for a TV show or in an office. But I hated them. And when I try to describe them, maybe my words don't necessarily match how I feel. By the way, Gladwell says that verbalizing can block the picture that pops in our brain and leads to intuition. This he says, is a right vs. left brain thing.

I tend to not believe so much in regrets. But looking back, maybe I'd have thin-sliced more often when it came to jobs. Or at least followed through on my thin-slicing and instead of fallen back into a job that was similar to the one before (restaurant-to-restuarant or office-to-office), maybe I would have been more aggressive with following my intuition. What held me back? Traditional dogma certainly played a role (i.e. make it a goal to not spend a lifetime or multiple jobs "character-building"). What I've found through tutoring, through coaching, through comedy, people pay for things that are good. If you like what you're doing, you'll get good at it. People will pay for it. Don't ever be content with something that isn't making you happy, and if you have to pay the bills, then stick with it, but work to get out of ASAP! Why? You're wasting the only thing you have, life. Not to mention, you bring your miseries onto others. And that's just mean.

Now, is this to say we should always make snap decisions over analytic-type planning? Probably not. I don't know. Read Blink and other stuff out there. Fall on your past experiences, maybe. But I do believe in the power of listening to how you feel. How you feel is unconscious, but listening and interpreting those feelings is conscious. I think the more we can combine our unconscious and conscious and utilize the power of them, or in other words, utilizing the power of rational analysis with gut intuition at appropriate times and places, the better decisions we make.

I had this explained in a very simple way to me. This person told me: recall back to an experience, whether its a specific event or just a specific environment or circumstance. Again, maybe its a theme park or a beach or just sunny days or the feeling of truly accomplishing something you're proud of. Let that sink in. Think to that often and refer to it constantly. Eventually your unconscious mind, where those feelings resonate, will start to translate into unconscious and conscious actions. You'll wind up in your happy place much, much more often.

And I can say, after applying this method for a couple months, it does start to work. And no matter what they say about getting to your happy place, illicit drug use isn't necessary.

"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XDY2UyMTYE - John Lennon, Beautiful Boy

Performing is Different

It is. Live performing brings out adrenaline. Because, even though you may know the act, you never know the performance. The act is what's planned. For the artist: it is the set list; for the athlete it is the practiced shots or culmination of workouts; for the skilled test taker it is the note taking and endless hours of study.

Performing keeps us alive, though. Because for all that we can control, for all of our work ethic and practice, we can't control the questions asked, the conditions of the course or the audience and stage we'll be performing at.

How cool is it to not know?

The key to being our best (and at the same time, the very counter intuitive part) is focus. It is easy to get swept up in the perceived pressure of performing. If you're a runner who races, you can't help but notice the hundreds if not thousands of other competitors. Not to mention, all the tents, the race clock, the line for the porta potty, the pre-race and post-race chatter, etc. etc. How do you stick to your act? How do you not go out too fast? Your practiced miles and trials?

Focus.

And focus on you.

And focus on the act that you have practiced.

The winner of the race, just like the doctor, just like the Broadway actress, just like the polished comedian was made a long time ago. On muddy trails. In libraries. In evening acting classes and endless summer camps. In dirty clubs with little to no sound systems and even smaller audiences.

I look at performing as a result of a culmination of work. The one who can focus back on the work the best is the one who performs the best. But sometimes we get caught up in the moment. The crowd is too much, the environment is difficult, the pressure is overwhelming.

But take away the competitive aspect. Better yet, take away all the shit you cannot control.

In the end, you're only competing against yourself. Screw others and the circumstances. The coolest thing about performing is discovering self. It's amazing, and it will trump winning a god-damn trophy any day. And when self-discovery is your big picture, you're mind automatically focuses on self and doesn't get caught up in all the hoopla of the performance. It's a bit weird, but true. When you change your end goal to self, embrace the moment for what it is, indirectly, you will become a better competitor. You'll rise above your competition without trying. Why? Because your competition is so focused on what you and the rest are doing. They get sidetracked by the same crap you wanted to but were too disciplined to fall for.

I once knew a coach who looked at a cross country team who won a major cross country meet. After the meet, he took the trophy the team won, and in front of them, threw the trophy in a river. The team beat all the other teams, but they won based on talent, not on performance. They're performance was lack-luster and if thrown into a different arena, maybe the other teams would have kicked their ass. That didn't matter -- the level of competition. It was good enough compared to the others in the same field, but not to the standard they had set for themselves.

This isn't to knock the idea of competition. It's healthy and necessary. However, competition should mostly be saved for the practice range. It's healthy for game-planning, strategy, research.

It is only when performing that one can get in "the zone." The Zone is the zone of one's self, not of me and another performer. So my thoughts: find something you enjoy and start to schedule performances. Feel the adrenaline, the nerves, and the fear that underlies it. Work your butt off to get better when you perform. But always perform. And never worry about your rank. That's all crap anyway. Let self-satisfaction and decency be your guide.

U2 Where The Streets Have No Name: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpVbLm4TN3g

Open Book

People open up more when they think they are alone. That's the true brilliance behind social networks like facebook, myspace, twitter, match.com (not that I have any experience on the latter). Sure they are mad profitable, but the user buy-in comes down to an instinct in us to open up and share ourselves in a sort of private way -- even if we fill out our profiles in private, we still know people will eventually look at them.

Same thing with music. Lyrics can inspire, but often times the writers and musicians of these songs seem reluctant to open up about the deeper meaning behind the words. On the same note, you won't see me belting out tunes in front of any sort of moderately-sized audience (unless of course I'm offered a sizable sum of money and a couple c-grade hookers). We tend to be most in touch with lyrics as well as our own thoughts and sentiments when we don't have others around.

The obvious reason is that we're embarassed to open-up when others are present. I've heard that the number one fear for Americans (not sure about the Aussies, they are f-in crazy) is public speaking. There's another factor, however. When we are around others, things are more complicated. Our mind is consumed with our surroundings and those who fill it, often times lacking the solitude necessary to articulate or act on the truths we define when our mind is in a simpler and more sedate state. If you don't believe me, just move to California and try pot. You'll open up a lot more in front of others.

I argue, however, that you don't need pot.

What you need is a balance of inspiration and perspiration. In other words, you need inspiration -- long-term motivation to reach some goal, as well as perspiration -- a steady dose of hard work.

Good example: listening to Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" and then moving across the country to be follow your passion of music or acting. Bad example: watching Steven Segal jump a building and then trying this on your own or watching Stevo sniff wasabi and then proclaiming in front of a group of testosterone infused males, "anybody could do that!"

And I believe it is the perspiration part that scares all of us. I remember back in high school when I watched the Prefontaine movie, "Without Limits." I took it pretty literally, being extremely inspired. The next morning I had a cross country race. Pre was a front runner, so I figured why not the Cross-Man. Yeah, come mile 2, Cross was no longer a front runner. Why? Maybe I lacked the talent, but talent is hard to measure. What I could control was my work ethic. My perspiration. And that certainly wasn't at the level to put me in front-runner status.

I've noticed something with certain people: Bob Dylan, Bill Belichick, Harrison Ford, my old high school coach Steve Lyons. These people, all extremely good at what they do or did, are men of few words. If you ask them an intricate question about what they do, often times you get an ironically short and simple answer. Why? Maybe they have a limited vocabulary heavily versed, in "yes" and "no" and "maybe." I tend to think it has to do with the fact that these are perspiration people. People who value the work that's necessary to get a desired result and that therein lies most of the answers to the interviewers' questions. Why go any further?

I'm certainly not pithy like Belichick, nor do I necessary feel it is the best way to go all the time. However, I totally get the sentiment. And I appreciate it. Belichick interview following Super Bowl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7FNsSl80vM

Inspiration can come in varied ways and can happen everyday: through music, sunshine, rainy days, the beach, a comment from a friend in support of something you've put time and effort into. When you match it with perspiration, simple work, you become more of yourself, both in private and in public.

Song: Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard, Paul Simon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqtX4qZBdRs

Topanga Canyon Morning Run

Today's run began at 9am PST. Sadly, it was the longest I've gone for a while, just over an hour. Not bad, but for someone slated to run a marathon in a month, I may want to pick up my game.

Nonetheless, this morning was great. Cool, wet, muddy, windy and rainy until on my turnaround when the sun broke through. With the exception of the near wipe outs as I made my way through tight, sticky turns on the trail, I was brought back to the joy of the old cross country days.

There's something about plowing up hills and holding the arms out as I try to maintain balance on the downhill while flinging wet clay from my shoes that seems both adventurous and natural to me. The thing about running trails and terrain is that when I'm doing it, my mind is no where else but on the trail. The few times my mind has trailed off in the past, I've payed in the form of embarrassing falls, such as the one by Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia. At least the summer campers who witnessed me get the skid marks enjoyed it!

Most surprisingly, I found Topanga Canyon, a state park centered between the valley and the foot of Malibu's Pacific Ocean to have an oddly independent and isolated feel to it. Unlike many of the arid and dry southern California trails I've been on, much of the trail I trudged up had more of a North Carolina feel -- very green, pretty wet, skinny trails in some areas, tight turns, lots of nature/wildlife (I discovered a deer within the first minute), and yes, hilly. I liken it also to those air freshener or potpourri commercials I would see growing up. Or the tampon one where the woman is frolicing in a green, yet moutainous area while "there she goes" is playing in the background...youtube it, I swear. Damn, if there's one commercial that makes me want to buy tampons that's the one.

As you can see from the picture at the top, Topanga has this sort of Boone, NC feel to it. As you take Top. Canyon Rd. off the PCH, you start to feel like in a little mountain town. Small mom and pop stores and little artsy festivals. If you live in LA and you're in for an escape without escaping, this could be a good place for you.

Song: Carolina On My Mind, James Taylor and The DixieChicks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LvhF0uSEAE

Justin

The Running Scene and Scenes in General

Skinny jogging pants, Nike and Adidas hats, anorexic men, band-aided nips, the occasional breath-right nasal strip, maybe some ipods, and then the beer garden. This is a generalization of the common scene you'll see after a 5K, 10K, half-marathon, or God-forgive, a 26.2 mile race. OH, and I forgot bagels. Lots of bagels.

The chatter: "could've gone faster, but i've been at pretty high mileage for the past month" or "my knee's been bothering me, or I would've been up there."

Am I generalizing? Yes. Stereotyping? Yes. But stereotypes persist for a reason. Scenes are scenes are scenes. How many coffee shops have you driven by where gaggles of cyclists are hanging out sipping on a cup of joe and chattering about their ride? Or networking events for tech, business, or entertainment, where people thumb each other while getting loaded on over-priced mixed drinks, imported beer, and ego.

And I understand the importance of these events. And I understand the postive nature that scenes can have. Belonging is important, right brothers of Sigma Chi?

My point in writing on this particular topic is that we can all be better networkers, fraternity brothers, runners, if we acknowledge the scene we walk into. Scenes somehow tend to provoke competition and subsequently, self-importance. We try to prove things to others through talk. In the words of many, talk is cheap.

In my perspective, when I walk into scenes I try not to take them too seriously. And subsequently, I feel I am at my best. Looser, more honest, more fun, more effective. "Humble Pie" in the words of the New England Patriots, and the proof is in the pudding. I just try to remember, as scenes are scenes are scenes, my work is my work is my work.

Wasting Time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srnxJ6YxrYQ

Justin

March Madness

This is the first year in a while I've really immersed myself in March Madness. The reason: my team is in. Florida State is set to take on Wisconsin tonight, and it's about damn time. A college like FSU, with all it money and prestige within athletics is making its first tourney debut since 1998. Hard to believe, but all can be forgotten with an impressive showing.

My Powerhouse Favorites:

1. UNC (#1 seed) - I hate to say it, but once they have all their guns, they're going to be tough to beat.
2. Louisville (#1 seed) - These guys are good. I think the average height is about 7'5".
3. Syracuse (#3 seed) - Well coached and talented. Know how to win.
4. Villanova (#3 seed) - These guys will surprise.

Over-Rated:
1. Pitt (#1 seed) - As I write this, they pull off a close win over #16 ETSU.
2. UCLA (#6 seed) - Sqweeker last night. They will fall in round of 32.
3. Missouri (#3 seed) - Will fall to Marquette in round of 32.

Diamond in the Buffs (an ode to Dustin Diamond):
1. Florida State (#5 seed) - will they rise? or will they, in Bob Dylan's words, "break, like a little girl."
2. Maryland and Michigan(#10 seeds) - Both from big conferences and have FSU-like potential to surprise...both have survived into round of 32.
3. Texas (#7 seed) - Playing the Dukies in round of 32. Duke has been weak the last several years, and well, you don't want to mess with Texas.

Presidential Picks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keMBascrkm0

Justin

Different Degrees of Muddy Faces

"The outrage!" says one Democrat to a CEO on CNN. "How could you blindly betray the public trust, " a Republican says.

Really?

A sub-par analogy to illustrate a point:

Two roommates live in a house. One roommate, Jason, has a dog. The other roommate, Michael, does not. Jason leaves town for a weekend getaway. Michael feeds the dog. While he's gone, he leaves all of the doors closed in the house, including the back one which is usually left open for the dog to go to the bathroom. He does this because he figures he'll be back in a few hours, and the dog should hold it. But it's Cinco de Mayo, so let the festivities begin. Two days later he returns. The dog has now left his mark in various rooms throughout the house. Michael calls Jason and complains about how the dog went to the bathroom without explaining the details of his two day absence.


So, if I'm a politician and a major company..lets say..AI..B..decides to be the top fund-raiser for my campaign. I, along with other politicians like me who also received money from AIB and other corporations of the like then decide to write legislation allowing for loopholes and incentives for those particular types of companies as pay back. At the time I write the legislation, things are cool because the people who elected me were busy raising their kids, some may work for a company like AIB, some don't have the educational level to understand what's actually happening in government, others describe themselves as "not into politics," and then some would rather cheer on Sanjaya on American Idol.

But then shit hits the fan, eventually one piece of corporate-style legislation and another piece and another begin to add up, more backroom deals occurred as top level people for AIB and others are making a killing off of this loose legislation and lack of regulation but the money and good times run out. Why? Because the money had to come from somewhere and a lot of it came from retirement plans and 401ks. Now the well is dried up. Who's left out? Hardworking parents and families, low and mid-level AIB workers, and yes, even Sanjaya fans.

Who's to blame?

The top guys at AIB? How about the 'outraged' Democrat or the 'furious' Republican? Or maybe even the Sanjaya fan club?

Maybe we go in order of self-servance.

1. AIB...definitely!
2. Washington Legislators...definitely!
3. Sanjaya himself...I mean, is he really that good anyway?...well, your call.
4. Some of us...maybe we took our eye off the ball somewhere between macarena and crocs?... ??

No song for today but this rapper, Immortal Technique is pretty thoughtful...says in an interview in reference to selling weapons to Saddam and the lucrative business and power dealings within our government and the private sector, as well as in governments throughout time, "in the end, its our inability to conquer ourselves."

Justin

78 Degrees and Sunny

Today was a fartlek day. That means I run fast and then slow and fast and slow, but just keep running. It's a fun workout for me because I can control when and how much I change my pace, while getting the aerobic benefits of a moderately-distanced run as well as the speed of a light interval workout.

It was nice because I wasn't bored, my mind wasn't spinning around in circles as it often does on regular runs, nor was I gasping for breath the whole time. In the end I was gasping, but throughout it was fairly smooth. California cherry blossoms in full bloom and summer on the horizon, my mind flash backed to the neighborhoods in Tampa where I began my running. Similar smells, similar feels.

In the movie, "Happy Gilmore," Adam Sandler is told by his golf coach to go to his "Happy Place." My apologies for sounding so corny, but this was sort of mine. Kind of like singing in the shower, running through quiet neighborhoods on clear afternoons has a unique solitude that I've appreciated since I began doing this thing. It's when you do something so much for a period of time, back off from it, and then go back to it and have the same positive feeling that you know you truly appreciate it.

The conclusion of a run and a day like this is the best. When it is all done with, you've cooled down, maybe done some stretching, grab a huge Gatorade, and then sit or lay or drive slow and play some good music. Sort of zen-like.

Tomorrow, maybe my agitated mind will use tomorrow's run to try to grapple with the AIG mess or Obama's selling of the economic bailout (he's in So Cal doing a town hall today and on Leno tomorrow). For now though, I'll use the ignorance-is-bliss card and go for a drive.

Serenity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-i_AcTz0UU Jack Johnson, Breakdown

Justin

St. Patty's Day - A Little Less Cynical This Time Around

This morning I parked my car on Washington Street by the Venice/Marina Del Rey pier. I was meeting one of my runners for a long run. As we caught up on our walk out to the beach, we walked past several bars and restaurants where local Venetians and those just looking to experience "Deliverence 2" were hanging out. I'm kidding of course. The eclectic culture in Venice is a great experience (just watch out for head lice).

Anywho, I've always looked at "holidays" like St. Patrick's Day with heavy cynicism. Historical remembrence is one thing. Getting hammered by consuming 6 car bombs, 3 Guinesses, enough green beer to satisfy a University of Georgia frat party, and then going home with a girl who looks like Raggedy Anne is a totally different thing.

Nonetheless, I took to it a few different thoughts during the natural lulls in conversation that go on during a long run. Instead of the natural comedic cynicism that resides in me, I thought about Homer Simpson. Just go with me on this. A brilliant quote from Homer, "Alcohol: the cause of-and solution to-all of life's problems."

Now, maybe you're not a drinker (albeit, after reading my blog, you may decide to be). However, the idea that many do use alcohol as a way to blow off steam (I know a doctor who rarely drinks, but after a difficult day in surgery, he will polish off a glass of scotch and hit the sack) maybe isn't such a bad thing? Especially, now-a-days. Financially speaking, St. Patty's day isn't a bad time to hit the bars...when else could you get $.99 shots in LA? Ok, maybe cinco de mayo, but that's to the same point.

The most important reason why I'm shining a positive light on the green holiday this year is because of the comradery I hope it's bringing to people. No, we haven't busted out the bread lines yet, and hopefully, we don't come close to it. But 1-in-4 Americans are jobless, while many others dabble in part-time jobs and spend the heart of their day virally spreading their musings to folks ;)

In many ways, the celebration of holidays is really the celebration for the act of celebrating. To live. To make food. To satisfy those tiny urges we have to throw a party or cook a dish and consume what someone else has created. To give and receive and hopefully, to return the favor. People behaving positively.

Turning back to running, it reminds me of that scene from "Without Limits," the movie highlighting the life and times of American distance running icon, Steve Prefontaine. There's a scene in the movie where all the runners, including Pre (played by the talented Billy Crudup), are sitting in the bleachers of Hayward Field holding a team meeting before the season is set to begin. The legendary coach and Nike Co-Founder, Bill Bowerman (played by the man, the myth, Donald Sutherland), begins a discussion on team hair cuts and how long the length of hair should be--alluding to the pride and physical demonstration in which the team should represent their school, each other, and themselves with. ("Without Limits" Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O4W7u_wMzY)

Bowerman: What's the standard for how long hair gets before it's offensive?

Pre: It's a completely arbitrary length.

Bowerman: Right.

Pre: So is the length of a meter.

Bowerman: Does that make a meter race unfair?

Pre: Of course not. Not when everyone agrees on what the length is.

Bowerman: Then lets all agree. (Pause) No one on the team will have hair longer than his dick...which means everyone gets a hair cut, except Bob.

Pre: Why except Bob?

Bowerman: God's will, Steve.

More than just an elaborate dick joke, the conversation between Pre and his coach make a brilliant point, and an inference to some of the basic premises of the "social contract" theory originally sprouted from philosophers: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract (that's right, Wiki research)

I think it applies on this day. We all wear green, we play games, we cook Irish meals, some of us drink our asses off, but underlying it all, is a sense of togetherness. A sense that celebrating to celebrate has a greater purpose than what may be advertised on the beer signs outside of restaurants. Hence, why I have let up on making smart ass personal asides when I meet someone who declares how proud they are to be Irish when the furthest they've ever come to visiting Ireland is Dublin...Dublin, Georgia. Ok, maybe not all the way.

Song in my head: Holiday From Real, Jack's Mannequin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-89ECq0Ut4 (sorry, this is a VH1 edited version)

Off to tutor and drink Bud Light with green food coloring.

Justin

Running for Perspective - Madoff, Cramer, Stewart

In a week featuring swindler Bernie Madoff, a somewhat sane Jim Cramer, and a sobering and serious Jon Stewart, I found my running a good place to discover my own reality. My runs, well not all but some, had this sort of guy-standing-sedately-as-a-tornado-chaotically-swirled-around-him feel to it. Kind of like some of those Zack Braff scenes from the movie "Garden State"--like when the airplane experiences turbulence, people go crazy, and he sits mildly, staring blankly.

Some of the runs I do are boring, a struggle to just keep performing the act. These didn't have that feel. No performance and no act. Instead, they felt like an escape to normalcy, where the legs just move and the arms sway and the last thing I'm thinking about is what I'm doing.

My decisions to run this week were instinctive and the time spent was alone, as if I am someone famous and had to have my "Justin Time." On a side note, whenever someone places their name followed by the word "Time," there is a decent chance he or she may take themselves way too serious (or at the very least, publish a blog).

Occasionally, my mind slipped into the week's top news events. On Friday's run, I recalled the Stewart-Cramer interview. I'm usually not defensive of people who screw others for personal gain, which was Stewart's overt inference to Cramer. Still, I couldn't help but feel a little remorse for Cramer. My feelings dissipated, both at the time I watched the berating and in retrospect at effortless mile 4 when I thought about one line, "This is not a fucking game."
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Stewart_to_Cramer_Its_not_fking_0313.html

Immediately, my mind recalled the American traditionalists who I know. My grandfather--the long-time Ford employee; two of my friends--Merrill Lynch employees; my dad--a banker...people who put much of their stock, both personally and financially, in security. All of them suffering in one way or another from a massive financial storm that occurred in a blink, and without warning. Like the aforementioned tornado.

"So what now," I thought, as a light sweat maintained itself somewhere around mile 6. The truth of the matter is I don't feel like someone who truly knows much about the economy or the collapse itself. I'm just now starting to figure out how to manage my own money (albeit, I am a bit of an entrepreneur).

On Saturday's run, a relatively short 4.7 miler (that's a pretty good estimate) with nearly perfect Santa Monica weather, the running conversation (pun intended) arose yet again in my head. This time I came to, not an answer, but a resolution. Having not looked up the actual definition of an answer or a resolution, I decided an answer means that one feels absolutely right when they come up with an "answer." When one "resolves," however, the absolutism isn't there. In my head, when I resolve, it's like this is what I'm choosing to believe or this is what I'm going to do, whether it is right or wrong this is the best I can come up with.

I resolved in the "value of work." Another phrase brought up by Stewart, I resolved that "the value of work" trumps it all. With all the visions of vanity that lead us to fast money, quick cars, the country club life, and whatever else that may be over the rainbow, the value of work in the least, seems to just make sense. Find something you have passion for, then you'll work really hard at it, and the money will come because you're producing a high-quality product that people will pay good money for. And when the money comes, and it will, you'll have a better idea of what to do with it since you knew what you had to do to get it. Pretty simple.

The sport of running itself is simple. But it's not easy. What gets you furthest in running? Running. Not breathing techniques, stretch routines, plyometrics, training techniques. Those things make a difference, and sometimes a significant difference. But simply running. That's what gets you the furthest in running. Logging miles. Putting in the time and effort. Working. And so to it is our job, our relationships, our passions.

Off to run to a clear day and a clearer mind.

Good Song Coming to Mind: "Keep It Loose, Keep It Light," Amos Lee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmQFwIKsU1U

Justin