The notion seems simple but you'd be amazed how many people miss this concept. A date is not watching tv, doing laundry, going to the grocery store, etc. These are all things that one does alone just as well as with another. These things are not dating, they are "hanging out".
Dating has a twofold purpose: to get to know a person and to woo a person. Hanging out is great to get to know a person, but I do not feel wooed running errands and watching TMZ.
I need thought. I need to feel at some point you took a few minutes, or maybe even seconds to think how I might enjoy something and then figured out a way and time to do such. And a date can be spontaneous.. Just not an afterthought.
And while I'm on the subject, let's be clear that what constitutes a date is not determined by the amount of money spent. A date can invoplve no spending, and a non-date can involve a substantial sum. We get so caught up in money and hype that we let it stand in for what's important. Like trust, adoration, honesty, kindness, and love...
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The Reasons
I blog. Obviously sporadicly, but I blog.
I blog because I used to be able to write. I could write words to woo the heart and persuade the mind. I could write words to stir the soul and honor the spirit. Then I went to law school, an institution that cherishes the structured and simple writing. And I forgot that words can be both intelligent and beautiful. Words have depth and power. I miss such words. I miss the ability to express. So I blog as the first step towards creativity and the return of writing.
I blog because I have opinions to be heard. I have thoughts that deserve to be considered. I watch television. I listen to the radio. I read... everything. I constantly consume information. I don't believe in regurgitation. Information must be taken in, weighed, doubted, compared, and applied appropriately. I blog because my opinions are important and cannot be valued unless expressed.
I blog because the world is a fascinating place, deserving of comment. People are interesting and do interesting things, from friends to the local politician to a movie star. Interesting events happen everyday, from lunch to the weekend party to the Superbowl. Beautiful and amazing places exist all over the world, from your hometown to national monuments to the City of God. I blog because I cannot simply let thse people, moments, and places pass me by without commemorating their impact.
And so I blog.
I blog because I used to be able to write. I could write words to woo the heart and persuade the mind. I could write words to stir the soul and honor the spirit. Then I went to law school, an institution that cherishes the structured and simple writing. And I forgot that words can be both intelligent and beautiful. Words have depth and power. I miss such words. I miss the ability to express. So I blog as the first step towards creativity and the return of writing.
I blog because I have opinions to be heard. I have thoughts that deserve to be considered. I watch television. I listen to the radio. I read... everything. I constantly consume information. I don't believe in regurgitation. Information must be taken in, weighed, doubted, compared, and applied appropriately. I blog because my opinions are important and cannot be valued unless expressed.
I blog because the world is a fascinating place, deserving of comment. People are interesting and do interesting things, from friends to the local politician to a movie star. Interesting events happen everyday, from lunch to the weekend party to the Superbowl. Beautiful and amazing places exist all over the world, from your hometown to national monuments to the City of God. I blog because I cannot simply let thse people, moments, and places pass me by without commemorating their impact.
And so I blog.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Best Week Ever: Part 2 - Nov. 7th
Yes, I know this post comes over a week late. But its my blog, and I can post when I want to...
Yes, Congratulations are due to ME. Hence the unofficial results posted on the internet and the very official letter I received in the mail, I have passed the Maryland State Bar Examination.
After three years of intense reading, six weeks of intense study, and two days of intensity, the reward finally comes in the form of four little numbers posted on a website.
And Congratulations are due to all my fellow bar passers, regardless of the state. So this post is dedicated to us, the Bar Passing Class of 2008.
We have accomplished an amazing feat. However, the past two weeks have shown me that while this moment is amazing, gratifying, and uplifting, it is not the life-altering moment that I expected. And maybe I was naive or just plain stupid to expect such. However, I expected upon my passing of the bar, that I would have a newfound appreciation for the law and for my role in society as an intelligent and productive adult.
What I found instead was that there are factors far more important and urgent affecting my life than my bar status. Yes, passing the bar fundamentally affects the types of jobs I am eligible for in the future. It does not affect the person that I am, the things I cherish, the type of life I want, or the day-to-day chaos that is life. But I did discover things about myself. The people that were first on my list to call to share the good news. The people that have sent emails and left messages of support and congratulations. The example that my accomplishment has set for my niece and nephews. These are the important people in my life. These are the people that shape me, and that my world focuses around.
So passing the bar examination has been amazing in what it has shown me: the people that I cherish and that cherish me most. And it has served as encouragement that I can accomplish great things. And it has been a validation of years of academia.
And then the question becomes.. What next?
Yes, Congratulations are due to ME. Hence the unofficial results posted on the internet and the very official letter I received in the mail, I have passed the Maryland State Bar Examination.
After three years of intense reading, six weeks of intense study, and two days of intensity, the reward finally comes in the form of four little numbers posted on a website.
And Congratulations are due to all my fellow bar passers, regardless of the state. So this post is dedicated to us, the Bar Passing Class of 2008.
We have accomplished an amazing feat. However, the past two weeks have shown me that while this moment is amazing, gratifying, and uplifting, it is not the life-altering moment that I expected. And maybe I was naive or just plain stupid to expect such. However, I expected upon my passing of the bar, that I would have a newfound appreciation for the law and for my role in society as an intelligent and productive adult.
What I found instead was that there are factors far more important and urgent affecting my life than my bar status. Yes, passing the bar fundamentally affects the types of jobs I am eligible for in the future. It does not affect the person that I am, the things I cherish, the type of life I want, or the day-to-day chaos that is life. But I did discover things about myself. The people that were first on my list to call to share the good news. The people that have sent emails and left messages of support and congratulations. The example that my accomplishment has set for my niece and nephews. These are the important people in my life. These are the people that shape me, and that my world focuses around.
So passing the bar examination has been amazing in what it has shown me: the people that I cherish and that cherish me most. And it has served as encouragement that I can accomplish great things. And it has been a validation of years of academia.
And then the question becomes.. What next?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Best Week Ever: Part I - Nov. 4th
Last week was one of the best weeks of my life. Nearly seven days of dream fulfillment, and the small joys in between.
The accomplishment of generations: President-Elect Barack Obama.
The Obama campaign was one of the most inspiring things I have ever witnessed. He truly transcended the normal barriers of race, age, gender, and nationality.
As a black American, this moment is more than historic. It is unbelieveable. Still. Having a black man in the White House is the fulfillment of generations of people calling for equality. It means that my niece and nephews will never live in a world where it is inconceivable for a black man to be President. It means that all across this nation, and the world, young black people can see crowds of tens of thousand of people gather around Barack Obama. Barack Obama the politician; not the athlete, or rapper, or actor, or gangster. Barack Obama, Harvard Law graduate, an intelligent, eloquent, open-minded, even-tempered, family man.
As a young American, this moment is inspiring. Although Barack Obama is not of our generations (X, Y, etc.), he is beyond the Baby Boomer generation. He represents a new and refreshing type of politics, and promises to be that for us. His words and passion has encouraged us to find our voices and has stimulated our own passions. His rise to the Presidency has reminded us that our life is NOW. We don't have to wait for the things we want. We can pursue them now. We can have monumental achievements as long as we are ambitious, hardworking, and unafraid.
As an American, this moment is the moment we have all been waiting for. The Obama campaign would have been historic regardless of his winning or not. Not because he is black or because he was such an underdog from the start. But because in 22 months of campaigning, Barack Obama reminded us of something. The shared dreams and hopes that we have for this country. The spirit that the founders of this country shared, and the technological and cultural progression of that spirit over time manifests itself in Barack Obama. He sees this nation as it is, but also as it should be. And he knows that when we unite, we can make the United States the land of freedom and opportunity it claims to be.
Yes we can.
The accomplishment of generations: President-Elect Barack Obama.
The Obama campaign was one of the most inspiring things I have ever witnessed. He truly transcended the normal barriers of race, age, gender, and nationality.
As a black American, this moment is more than historic. It is unbelieveable. Still. Having a black man in the White House is the fulfillment of generations of people calling for equality. It means that my niece and nephews will never live in a world where it is inconceivable for a black man to be President. It means that all across this nation, and the world, young black people can see crowds of tens of thousand of people gather around Barack Obama. Barack Obama the politician; not the athlete, or rapper, or actor, or gangster. Barack Obama, Harvard Law graduate, an intelligent, eloquent, open-minded, even-tempered, family man.
As a young American, this moment is inspiring. Although Barack Obama is not of our generations (X, Y, etc.), he is beyond the Baby Boomer generation. He represents a new and refreshing type of politics, and promises to be that for us. His words and passion has encouraged us to find our voices and has stimulated our own passions. His rise to the Presidency has reminded us that our life is NOW. We don't have to wait for the things we want. We can pursue them now. We can have monumental achievements as long as we are ambitious, hardworking, and unafraid.
As an American, this moment is the moment we have all been waiting for. The Obama campaign would have been historic regardless of his winning or not. Not because he is black or because he was such an underdog from the start. But because in 22 months of campaigning, Barack Obama reminded us of something. The shared dreams and hopes that we have for this country. The spirit that the founders of this country shared, and the technological and cultural progression of that spirit over time manifests itself in Barack Obama. He sees this nation as it is, but also as it should be. And he knows that when we unite, we can make the United States the land of freedom and opportunity it claims to be.
Yes we can.
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