Ten Years...

Two Sundays ago, on September 11, 2011, I thought all day about what that day meant and the events that occurred 10 years ago meant. Two very distinct events revolving that horrible day are never far from memory. The first was how I found out about the acts of terror. I was in band class as a 9th grader. That day, it seemed like the faculty just mentioned what happened. But in reality, they were trying to convey to us the importance of what was going on. However, I wouldn't fully understand the significance until the following Sunday.

I remember the congregation being larger than ever on Sunday, September 16. People must have been searching for some sort of solace in their religion, considering the wide range of emotions we all experienced those five days prior. Pastor Steve started the sermon in a calm manner. For the most part, I felt that is what people were looking for: to be calmed. But after about five minutes of soothing speech, he began to scream, yell, and convey anger, hurt, and grief. While this seemed to amplify my feelings, it forced me to understand just how big of an effect the acts of terror had on myself and society.

The first Sunday Night Football game fell on September 11: Jets versus the Cowboys in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The pre-game show and National Anthem brought similarly intense feelings from that day, ten years prior. Lady Antellebum had the honor of sing the Star Spangled Banner. And since it made me shiver, I felt it more than warranted to reiterate it's passionate emotions here.

Last Minute Decision

Today is the first day of classes at the University of Minnesota. This reminds me of how beneficial my time at the University was. Although I am still putting the final touches on my master's degree, this is the first time in six years that I won't actually be in the classroom.

Like most college bound students, it all started during my junior and senior year of high school. I visited six schools and applied to all six. However, I was only going to apply to five. After my visit to the University of Minnesota, coupled with my long time, jaw-dropping appreciation for all things maroon and gold, I wasn't so sure it was worth it to apply to be a Gopher. Everything about the sprawling, urban campus amazed me. I struggled to identify whether the idea of myself as a gopher was a possibility or a reality.

Nonetheless, I applied to the University of Minnesota. The preparation of application materials was pretty eye-opening to me. In all of the "hustle and bustle" I managed to send off my application package on the last possible day. There were a couple noteworthy items associated with the correspondence I received from the U a few months later. Jesse Jay Brown was not accepted, but Tesse Jay Brown had been accepted. This individual was also accepted into the College of Agriculture, Environmental, and Food Sciences. My first choice was the College of Education and Human Development, whose acceptance requirements were "lower" than the former.

It still scares me to think about how close I was to not even applying to the U of M. And it scares me to think about what my college experience would have been, had I not been a Gopher. Whether it was living in Minneapolis, playing on the lacrosse team, figuring out the city bus lines, my friends, classes, work, or being close to Prior Lake, the whole experience played an extremely large role in who I am today. I have absolutely no regrets about becoming a Gopher. In my mind, it is the greatest academic institution on the planet. I understand that there are many people who don't agree with me. I am okay with that, but I hope they have an experience that is comparable to mine.

My Top Ten Beers

Deciding on an alcoholic beverage is not unlike social media. Yes, Twitter, Facebook, and blogs are avenues that allow people to express themselves and to stay connected with friends, family, and acquaintances. However, these tools also allow people to create a reputation for themselves. You have the power to show people components of your life that make them think a certain way about you. Now, choosing a beer can be that but it is also about taste as well...

Some people choose a beer based on what that particular product or brand conveys about the consumer. I will admit I am guilty of that. My conscious thought says, "If I get this beer, they will think I'm cool, not trying to be too flashy, and maybe I'm a little mysterious."

Regardless, I still do choose my beers based on taste but they also have their own aura about them. So, here are my top ten beers:

10. Lift Bridge Farm Girl (Tasty, support local)

9. Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy (Lemonade and Beer fusion...)

8. New Glarus Spotted Cow (Farm boy, "I like beer...")

7. New Belgium Ranger IPA (Hint of class, but "I'm trying to get drunk")

6. Bell's Hopslam Ale ("What happened last night?")

5. 21st Amendment IPA (West coast vibe, shows your daring side)

4. Grain Belt Nordeast (Hipster, alternative, and a little hint of class)

3. Surly Furious ("I'm a badass")

2. Summit EPA (One of the well known MN breweries, can't go wrong)

1. Grain Belt Premium (Average joe, not a douche bag, friendly)

The Adventure Blog: Taking Care Of Mother Earth

The Adventure Blog: Taking Care Of Mother Earth: I've seen this video making the rounds a bit the past week or so, and thought it was worth sharing here as well. For starters, it is beautif...

Bike around Minneapolis...

A video I filmed, produced, starred in, and created--all in about three hours of work. One perspective I have of this video is that it is centered around biking. This is a fantastic mode of transportation that is is simple, outstanding exercise, and conducive to our struggle against the waning health of our environment. The second perspective is that this is an artistic expression that really involved about three hours of my time. I wish I could devote more time to things like this. But the cool thing about it is that for those three hours, I wasn't sitting on the couch--I was doing something that improved my state of mind.

A Day in the Life of a Biker

I'd say I biked close to 25 miles today. The normal bike to work--just south of Downtown Minneapolis to the St. Anthony Park neighborhood in St. Paul, near University and 280--took about 20 minutes. Then, I got a call from my surgeon's office, notifying me that I needed to have a pre-op physical. So, I quickly scheduled an appointment in Downtown Minneapolis. There is no real "quick" way to navigate this route.

I bolted west down University Avenue, through campus and Dinkytown, crossed the river on the Stone Arch then zig-zagged to Nicollet Mall, where I cruised South to 8th Street. After my appointment, I took the same route back to the office. We had a training in South Minneapolis, near Lake Nokomis, after work today. So, I hopped on my transport and headed West on Franklin Avenue and then darted South down Cedar Avenue to my destination.

After a nice, little barbeque with the fellas, I dropped my helmet on my head and switched on my strobe and jumped onto the Grand Rounds and rode North, parallel to Minnehaha Parkway. After cruising past the Lake Harriet Bandshell and around Lake Calhoun, I think I hit almost every red light in Uptown. I rolled past Rudolph's and Mortimer's and moved up the hill to the Steven's Neighborhood. Then I was home. Now, I did pretty much everything you did today, or at least relatively the same stuff. The difference is that I rode my bike everywhere I went. So, here is a top ten list of reasons why you should bike.

10. Beat traffic.

9. It gives you time to reflect.

8. You get to judge people in cars for not doing their part to help the environment.

7. Be more productive at work. Biking gets your endorphins moving.

6. It beats sitting on the couch.

5. It gives a different perspective on your community.

4. You feel like a kid again.

3. Reduces your carbon footprint.

2. It's amazing exercise.

1. It's super fun!

Day One Butterflies

I'm about twenty minutes from hopping in my truck to head to Prior Lake High School's first lacrosse practice of 2011 season. Now, I "leave" to head to the lacrosse field all of the time and every time I do so, I feel absolutely thrilled and fortunate to be able to do what I'm doing. But there is something different about the way I feel right now. I think the "butterflies" are due to the fact that it is something so dear to me, as I recall playing lacrosse at PLHS. This experience set the stage for who I am today.

There is a lot of talk about who the best team in the state is, who the best player in the state is. Although these things are extremely important, it is not my main focus. I do remember scores and specific facts about my high school athletics days, but the thing I remember most is the experience. I remember the energy I felt after the first goal I scored on the lacrosse field. I remember sitting on the "other" side of the board watching my teammates play a hockey game through the glass. I was required to do so because I missed a practice while on a marching band trip to Paris.

So, I am nervous and I am excited. It is hard to not get too caught up in the rankings, scores, etc. However, I know what won't change for me. Every time I step on the field (in today's case, the gym floor), my number one goal is to help facilitate an experience for the guys, so that they find meaning in their life. This experience will set the stage for the things they do in life. My goal is to help my players help themselves.

Surely, more to come on the season. 

Don't get stuck on words

Tonight in class, the subject of "best practices" came up. We discussed the phrase at length. The majority of the class was not in favor of the widely used words in the education and youth development field. I understand their arguments, as it implies that there is only one or two ways to accomplish a goal. Due to our society's love affair with electronics, we should take a lesson from the computer's ability to become obsolete almost once a month, if not more frequently.

However, I don't want to get stuck on the terms. I would rather figure out an effective means to accomplish our goals, regardless of the amount of times I've used it. To simplify the issue, I like to think about peeling an orange. Now, everyone, for the most part can peel an orange--but there are many different ways to do so. The question lies in which way is the most effective? Which strategy for peeling the citrus gives us the most edible matter? The least stringy, annoying pulp on the outer levels of the tasty fruit?

He or she who can do this has the ability to alter the "best practice" for peeling an orange. Additionally, this person can get more and more effective, each time they take part in this activity. This person .has the ability to minor the practice to make it more effective. Nonetheless, this is applied to youth work in that the one who can identify successful past experiences and make them co-exist with new, revolutionary strategies holds the key to best practices.

Photos from Duluth

My new hobby

Last October, I started tagging along to Vertical Endeavors with Grant and Dave. I initially started going basically for something to do. Little did I know, would it be something I'd enthusiastically immerse myself in. After about four sessions of climbing, I seemed to be hooked. I anxiously was looking forward to the next time I'd get on the wall and each time I was able to climb, I found myself learning something new.

Your body's ability to complete something, in this case, a climbing route, after multiple instances of "failure" is truly fascinating. There can be times when I'll attempt a route for almost 20 minutes, with no success. Then, the next time I climb, I may be able to just "walk" up the route. Whether this is a matter of increased strength or composure, I'm intrigued by it. Now, this is not a revolutionary idea to the climbing world. However, it is something I am newly discovering. So, I'm looking forward to the next time I get on the wall to finish the "projects" I'm working on.

Another fascinating idea associated with climbing is the sport's ability to challenge not only your body, but your mind. Sometimes all it takes to complete a difficult route is a small amount of reflection and refreshing breath. I also often sit back and try to look at the route from a different angle and envision myself finding the final hold, ultimately finding nothing holding me back from my goal. The lesson I find most intriguing in the climbing world is that the goal is always attainable, but the question lies in how you attain it. How do you get there?

What's next? Excuse high school athletes from class?

Yes, college athletes (primarily football and basketball) help to bring in revenue to their respective institutions. Yes, these individuals are highly skilled and possess talent that a small percentage of the population has the ability to possess. However, paying said athletes to represent their university in the form of their sport, on top of their largely reduced (sometimes nonexistent) tuition fees, is absolutely ludicrous. The argument to do so is detrimental to the world of sports and our society in so many ways.

When the objective of going to college is analyzed, the main goal is to receive an experience. A non-athlete college student receives the experience by going to class, meeting new friends, living independently, exploring new geographic areas, becoming involved in extracurricular activities, and essentially an unlimited amount of activities. Now, a student-athlete is able to do all the things a non-athlete college student can do, plus so much more. They are able to train in a sport they (hopefully) love, travel across the country (sometimes the globe), perform their sport in front of millions of fans, etc. Additionally, they are afforded the opportunity to receive additional academic tutoring, utilize special accommodations like textbook rental, and other benefits the general student population is not entitled to. And to top it all off, many student-athletes pay less, sometimes nothing, for their college education. Why is a student-athlete who is training to be a professional in their sport any different than a student who is training to become a cardiologist?

I understand that not all student-athletes are soliciting to be paid in addition to the benefits listed above. However, for those that are as well as those fans that argue they should be paid, I ask, "why?" Are they not already paid in the form of tuition, benefits, and experience? In one light, they are gaining a greater experience than their full-paying student counterparts. Paying student-athletes only further perpetuates our society's motivation to work for, and only for, monetary gain. It also diminishes the value of sport across the globe. By engaging in this disgusting act, we are losing sight of what it means to participate in sport. And by participate, I am not excluding fans, supporters, and other stakeholders. Sport brings people together, at least it should. As for the athletes, they should see the value in representing their university, town, or team. They should find pride in this opportunity and recognize the power their performance has on so many "students" out there, not find pride in searching for a price tag.

Time Management

Seeing that my last personal blog post was in September of 2010 almost makes me want to stop trying to maintain this page. Nonetheless, I haven't given up. You see a lot of people's posts that start like this: "I've found a new energy to start writing in my blog again" or "This attempt will turn the activity of blogging into a habit." While these aren't bad, I think I'm writing this blog to motivate myself to be intentional about my time and the things I do with it.

Over the past few weeks, I've been feeling a strong sense of burden and anxiety over my seemingly endless list of things I have to do and things I want to do. With graduation looming over my head and it's close yet far distance teasing me, I'm making it a point to use my time more wisely. And with Homegrown positively more and more of my time, I'm finding it more difficult to focus on things that I "enjoy" doing. But I'm coming to the realization that I can and do enjoy everything I do. Although, I should be creating space for the growing list of books I want to read and for the people in my life, regardless of the sector I know them from.

So, I'm making it a point to produce a more exhaustive account (my blog) of the things I'm doing with my life, with the goal being that it will allow me to reflect on how effective I've been in the times between my posts. Effective meaning, have I been spreading my energy wisely and widely, across the many great things life has to offer.