everconstantcuriosity

[everconstantcuriosity]

Brass Tacks

Well, it has been a while since I have contributed to the blogosphere. It’s been a pretty crazy few months, and there are different reasons as to why I haven’t been able to post anything, and in typical form, I am going to elaborate far beyond the expected level of information! 

I bet you’ve missed that, haven’t you? 

Reason 1) I’m going to be a dad! You heard that right, this soon-to-be father is finally going to be able to tell horrendously dorky dad jokes without being judged as much. It’s a great time to be alive. And just a few months ago, we found out that it’s a boy! The ultrasound technician has to be careful not to be too definitive, because you don’t know for sure right up until you get to hold them in your arms… BUT… Our boy was far from shy from the pictures they took. So we are pretty confident with we have seen thus far.

2) I got my CNA certification, and have been going to college! It’s been a crazy spring and summer so far, but with no sign of letting up, I figured that if I don’t make time for this when it’s this busy, I won’t find any time for it ever. So essentially, I have been driven to exhaustion by the normal demands of adulthood… Where’s Neverland when you need it? 

3) I have had no shortage of ideas of what to talk about here… But to be completely honest, being wrapped up by politics has truly been the last nail in my coffin. What used to be fascinating to discuss and observe has become a never- ending tsunami of poop. I started this blog wanting to talk about whatever was on my mind, but that ended up evolving into just being unbelievably frustrated with everyone and the current political climate. I’ll always find it fascinating, but I need to take a break for a while. There is a lot more to marvel at and discuss than the infuriating machinations of our politicians. See, look at that… I lose focus trying to tell you I’m done getting caught up with politics by getting caught up with politics. I’m like a goldfish, with half the attention span. Anyways, long story short, I’m shifting my focus for the time being. I think it’ll do some good for my already-scrambled brain. 

Now onto what I wanted to talk about today! Brass Tacks. I have never really understood what the phrase means, but I have grown to appreciate what it does for discussion… Cut the crap, let’s get to what’s really important. Speaking as the most frivolous language user in history, I have learned to appreciate the people who know when it’s time to “Cut the crap”. As a watcher of people, I have noticed that there are a lot of topics that we all should consider and discuss, but never do. Whether that’s because we feel bad about casting dispersion on others, make ourselves feel bad about our own decisions, or that these topics merely make us feel uneasy or uncomfortable, we all are guilty of this. I see these neglected conversations divided in three different spheres: with close friends and family, with strangers and acquaintances, or with ourselves. For example, if I am at a restaurant that I go to frequently and my meal has something wrong with it, I am pretty slow to say something to the server or manager. So say I don’t say anything… A week later, I go to the same restaurant and have the same issue come up… Who do I blame? Why on earth would I have expected anything different? Another example: At your work, your boss likes to call you a turd(Weird choice of insults, I know… Not to mention, this already sounds like a terrible place to work… Please humor me). Aside from the normal expectation of not being called human excrement at work, if you don’t ask them to call you something different, can you blame them? Absolutely not. Now when you say something, be respectful and kind… But that’s a whole different tangent for a different day. I’m having a hard enough time staying on topic as it is. 

The main problem that I see with this is that you create two conflicting narratives: 1) Terrible and stupid things happen to you all the time, and it’s out of your control… And lastly, something I think we all would like to think about our own lives, 2) We are the masters of our own lives and destiny. Do you see the problem? We want it both ways, we want a reason to complain about things we don’t take responsibility for, while we want to be treated as arbiters of our choices and existence. We either have to admit that part of our misery comes from our inability to speak out against what we disagree with, or that we actually are completely helpless in acting independently or autonomously. 

I realize all too well that life can trample all over anyone regardless of their attempts at speaking out against it. I understand this reality all too well. But with recognizing the things that are out of our control that metaphorically kick us in the shins and gonads every chance that it gets, we can’t let those things make us forget the litany of other things we can control.  

Above are some examples of conversations that we avoid because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, and there are tons more of examples aside from what I mentioned. Moving forward though, I want to talk about what makes us feel uneasy or uncomfortable. 

If you would, either ask yourself or picture someone else asking you the following questions about yourself. 

Are you happy with your life?

Do you project a more polished version of yourself on social media because you don’t like yourself as you currently are?

Is there a chance that some of your unhappiness is partly or mostly your fault?

Do you make people uncomfortable with some of your unhealthy outlooks on life?

Why do you look down on people you don’t know or don’t understand?

Are there ideas or thoughts you’re not ever willing to entertain because they scare you or confuse you?

What are you afraid of? Why?

If you were to look at yourself from outside your purview, would you want to be friends with yourself?

How much of what you can’t control controls you and your reactions?

Are these questions and other similar visceral questions something you consider or ask yourself? Did they make you feel uncomfortable? I sure hope so. Because I felt pretty uneasy considering some of my reactions to these thoughts. I don’t think we spend enough of our time being uncomfortable or vulnerable. Whether we have these types of conversations with ourselves, or with people that we love, I think we could do better with having them more often. If you see a loved one acting selfishly, or engaging in a toxic relationship, couldn’t an act of love be pointing them towards redirecting some their unhealthy behavior? And if we love ourselves, shouldn’t we try and keep ourselves in check by asking ourselves some of these challenging questions? If you would, just try this out every once in a while. While honesty in itself won’t solve our problems, it’s the only foundation that we can build meaningful relationships, and truly understand who we are. And if Brass Tacks could do that for us, I think we shouldn’t be so afraid of them. Well, be happy, be safe, and remember who you are. 

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Brass Tacks

Well, it has been a while since I have contributed to the blogosphere. It’s been a pretty crazy few months, and there are different reasons as to why I haven’t been able to post anything, and in typical form, I am going to elaborate far beyond the expected level of information! 

I bet you’ve missed that, haven’t you? 

Reason 1) I’m going to be a dad! You heard that right, this soon-to-be father is finally going to be able to tell horrendously dorky dad jokes without being judged as much. It’s a great time to be alive. And just a few months ago, we found out that it’s a boy! The ultrasound technician has to be careful not to be too definitive, because you don’t know for sure right up until you get to hold them in your arms… BUT… Our boy was far from shy from the pictures they took. So we are pretty confident with we have seen thus far.

2) I got my CNA certification, and have been going to college! It’s been a crazy spring and summer so far, but with no sign of letting up, I figured that if I don’t make time for this when it’s this busy, I won’t find any time for it ever. So essentially, I have been driven to exhaustion by the normal demands of adulthood… Where’s Neverland when you need it? 

3) I have had no shortage of ideas of what to talk about here… But to be completely honest, being wrapped up by politics has truly been the last nail in my coffin. What used to be fascinating to discuss and observe has become a never- ending tsunami of poop. I started this blog wanting to talk about whatever was on my mind, but that ended up evolving into just being unbelievably frustrated with everyone and the current political climate. I’ll always find it fascinating, but I need to take a break for a while. There is a lot more to marvel at and discuss than the infuriating machinations of our politicians. See, look at that… I lose focus trying to tell you I’m done getting caught up with politics by getting caught up with politics. I’m like a goldfish, with half the attention span. Anyways, long story short, I’m shifting my focus for the time being. I think it’ll do some good for my already-scrambled brain. 

Now onto what I wanted to talk about today! Brass Tacks. I have never really understood what the phrase means, but I have grown to appreciate what it does for discussion… Cut the crap, let’s get to what’s really important. Speaking as the most frivolous language user in history, I have learned to appreciate the people who know when it’s time to “Cut the crap”. As a watcher of people, I have noticed that there are a lot of topics that we all should consider and discuss, but never do. Whether that’s because we feel bad about casting dispersion on others, make ourselves feel bad about our own decisions, or that these topics merely make us feel uneasy or uncomfortable, we all are guilty of this. I see these neglected conversations divided in three different spheres: with close friends and family, with strangers and acquaintances, or with ourselves. For example, if I am at a restaurant that I go to frequently and my meal has something wrong with it, I am pretty slow to say something to the server or manager. So say I don’t say anything… A week later, I go to the same restaurant and have the same issue come up… Who do I blame? Why on earth would I have expected anything different? Another example: At your work, your boss likes to call you a turd(Weird choice of insults, I know… Not to mention, this already sounds like a terrible place to work… Please humor me). Aside from the normal expectation of not being called human excrement at work, if you don’t ask them to call you something different, can you blame them? Absolutely not. Now when you say something, be respectful and kind… But that’s a whole different tangent for a different day. I’m having a hard enough time staying on topic as it is. 

The main problem that I see with this is that you create two conflicting narratives: 1) Terrible and stupid things happen to you all the time, and it’s out of your control… And lastly, something I think we all would like to think about our own lives, 2) We are the masters of our own lives and destiny. Do you see the problem? We want it both ways, we want a reason to complain about things we don’t take responsibility for, while we want to be treated as arbiters of our choices and existence. We either have to admit that part of our misery comes from our inability to speak out against what we disagree with, or that we actually are completely helpless in acting independently or autonomously. 

I realize all too well that life can trample all over anyone regardless of their attempts at speaking out against it. I understand this reality all too well. But with recognizing the things that are out of our control that metaphorically kick us in the shins and gonads every chance that it gets, we can’t let those things make us forget the litany of other things we can control.  

Above are some examples of conversations that we avoid because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, and there are tons more of examples aside from what I mentioned. Moving forward though, I want to talk about what makes us feel uneasy or uncomfortable. 

If you would, either ask yourself or picture someone else asking you the following questions about yourself. 

Are you happy with your life?

Do you project a more polished version of yourself on social media because you don’t like yourself as you currently are?

Is there a chance that some of your unhappiness is partly or mostly your fault?

Do you make people uncomfortable with some of your unhealthy outlooks on life?

Why do you look down on people you don’t know or don’t understand?

Are there ideas or thoughts you’re not ever willing to entertain because they scare you or confuse you?

What are you afraid of? Why?

If you were to look at yourself from outside your purview, would you want to be friends with yourself?

How much of what you can’t control controls you and your reactions?

Are these questions and other similar visceral questions something you consider or ask yourself? Did they make you feel uncomfortable? I sure hope so. Because I felt pretty uneasy considering some of my reactions to these thoughts. I don’t think we spend enough of our time being uncomfortable or vulnerable. Whether we have these types of conversations with ourselves, or with people that we love, I think we could do better with having them more often. If you see a loved one acting selfishly, or engaging in a toxic relationship, couldn’t an act of love be pointing them towards redirecting some their unhealthy behavior? And if we love ourselves, shouldn’t we try and keep ourselves in check by asking ourselves some of these challenging questions? If you would, just try this out every once in a while. While honesty in itself won’t solve our problems, it’s the only foundation that we can build meaningful relationships, and truly understand who we are. And if Brass Tacks could do that for us, I think we shouldn’t be so afraid of them. Well, be happy, be safe, and remember who you are. 

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Social Justice Vs Equality

I’m already feeling the leers of doubt from those reading the name of this entry.

I’ve held off on expressing my feelings about this for a while, but I think I have figured out how best to express my thoughts. To start off, I would like to establish who I think social justice warriors are, aside from those who self-identify as such. I see anyone who demands recompense and/or apology for any offense and slight that they observe or feel for either themselves, or another person or group. This could be on the basis of religion, race, culture, sex, sexual orientation, your political affiliation, your preference of either dogs or cats, or anything else that you can think of. Now while that appears like a fight for equality, I believe that equality isn’t at all addressed in this fight. In fact, I think they are juxtaposed from each other. I have thought about two examples of true leaders who have helped us become more united. Unless you have skipped just about every day of history class, slept through every third Monday of January and February, never been to Mt Rushmore, or any other obscure indicator that I can think of, I’m sure you are well aware of Martin Luther King Jr, and Abraham Lincoln. I think that a look into their roles in our history can show us that a fight for social justice will be a fight against equality. 

Let’s start with Abraham Lincoln. 16th president of the USA, super tall, sported an awesome top hat, and president during one of the most divisive times in our nation’s history. Historically, there were many things that lead to the conflict of the civil war breaking out, but the one prominent reason for me stands out as slavery. After years of battle, literally hundreds of thousands of people losing their lives, and living as a nation divided, the north had won. Many people were furious with the leaders of the south, and demanded that they pay for seceding from the union, and causing so much turmoil. Now most people rightly give Lincoln the most praise for abolishing slavery. Another incredibly admirable feat of his was keeping his cool, and wanting the nation to heal. Because while many northerners in power were after blood, Lincoln wanted to heal and move forward. Now, putting ourselves in the shoes of just about any person in the north, punishment for the south doesn’t sound like that bad of an idea. I bet most people would have been for that. But I believe this demonstrates when proponents for equality become pitted against those who fight for social justice. Lincoln didn’t just lead the fight against the south and slavery, he lead the fight against the carnal emotions we all feel of revenge, wrath, betrayal, and distrust. I feel like he understood the need to look forward to a time where we would all be united again, and make decisions based on that vision. Equality takes the time to remember the ultimate goal is peace and kindness, and Social Justice demands our initial need for retribution. 

Now on to Martin Luther King Jr. Sadly, I believe he is a figure that is one of the most often referenced, but so badly misunderstood. In a time where racism and injustice for black people was rampant, he lead the masses in peaceful protest.

A quick comment on civil disobedience and peaceful protest. Those seeking equality during these protests demonstrated the corrupt nature of these laws by submitting themselves to it’s mercy.They assembled, and when the cops came and arrested them, they submitted. By being peaceful in the face of oppression, they dispersed these demons by exposing them to the light. Regardless of the issue, I will support anyone’s right and ability to peacefully protest and assemble. But I believe the riots and violence that we have seen lately spit in the face of equality. They fight for social justice, and by extension fight against equality. Of all the many reasons that Jesus was so revolutionary was the fact that He stood firmly yet peacefully against those who wrongfully put Him to death, and persecuted His followers. Martin Luther King Jr understood this, and this is why the civil rights movement had so much power. 

Martin Luther King Jr didn’t want justice for the times that he or anyone else felt slighted, or was persecuted, he wanted peace and love. When I look that this, I think of family members or friends that became estranged from each other. From what I have witnessed, healing doesn’t come from the two who are estranged talking out why they were mean, why they lashed out, and why they feel like the other needs to apologize. Those who truly want healing don’t think about their reasons, or what the other persons reasons could be... When both people only want peace, the only things that come out of their mouths are “I’m sorry” and “It’s okay”. When peace is the end goal, rehashing details and grievances become irrelevant. 

So I ask those who riot, use violence, and attempt to censor those they see as the oppressor: Do you want Social Justice, or do you want Equality? Is peace your end goal, or is it retribution? If I can be so bold... If you fight for retribution and social justice, stop citing leaders like Martin Luther King Jr and Abraham Lincoln. You fight against what they stood for. 

Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Echo Chamber... Fake News... Intellectual Dishonesty... What’s the difference?

So unless you are completely unhooked from the world, and living in a cabin off the grid(To which I say... Respect), You probably have heard of this fake news controversy floating around. There were a lot of different places my brain went to when I first read about the different aspects, just in case you are one of those heroes of mine living the life of Ron Swanson I described earlier, i’ll give you a brief overview of the turf: After Donald Trump won the election, there was some outrage about how someone like him could’ve came out on top. So naturally, most of the media and the politicians attacked news companies and personalities who were apologetic of trump, and his behavior. Now a label of fake news signifies a “scarlet letter” which discredits any source of news that the media and political elite see fit. I am trying pretty hard to be objective, but I am sorry, I can’t look past the problematic point of censorship. 

Now let me get something straight; I was an opponent of Trump during the election. If you don’t believe me, read some of my earlier posts. I think those that ignored the dumbfounding behavior from our president-elect through this election cycle should do some self-evaluation. But on the other side of the coin, I do not sympathize with the #notmypresident trend, just like I did not sympathize with it 8 years ago. That attitude is counterproductive. I feel pretty disgruntled with just about everyone’s behavior pre and post-election. This fake news business is, dare I say, just another version of the already-coined phenomenon, the Echo Chamber. This is where a person slowly shuts out people and sources of information that they disagree with until all they see and hear are things that they agree with. This is something that we all have done at some point, so no one in particular is getting called out... But everyone is getting called out. Sorry. We all have a point of view, which comes from experience, choices, and upbringing. The mutual understanding I try to have with people is that if I want my views and opinions to be respected and heard, then I have to offer that same courtesy. So if you are still with me (If you are not...Join the club), then let’s continue the line of logic of human subjectivity and list those who are guilty of dispensing fake news: Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, Wall Street Journal, The Blaze, New York Times, your Facebook feed, my Facebook feed, every journalist or common person on this planet. The fact is, if we are defining fake news as a thought, story, or any piece of writing or speech that seeks to prove our own biases, then we are all guilty. Let us all be stamped with that bright red letter “F” for fake news, and be forever shunned! 

That was the second reference I have made about the scarlet letter... I am sorry. I’m thinking that’s two too many. Plus, a big red “F” would probably not be the most prudent mark. But as I am typing, I realize I am putting too much thought into this. Either way, I promise to leave the nasty business of Hester Prynne and her adultery out of this blog forever more.

Let’s get real for a second. Ignoring different sources of news and information is not how you stop the flow of fake news. That’s merely how you create your own brand of it. Do you know who I blame for the start of this whole problem? Whoever it was who read an article from The Onion(a satirical news site), misunderstood the subtleties, took it as fact, and then threw an entitled tantrum when they found out it wasn’t real. (If that’s you, I am sorry. This post is for you.) By letting the elite members of politics and the media make these decisions of what is real and what is fake, we relinquish the responsibility of processing and filtering information for ourselves. Here is something that I learned in my entry-level Biology Lab: Check for credible sources. It’s the only way for us to be intellectually honest. If we deem all of the actions of one person good because of the limited scope we take, then we are being dishonest with ourselves. The truth is, the world and the people living on it are far more complicated than we want to admit. Every person, policy, political party, leader, or anything else will have good and bad to it, and it’s up to us to be objective and honest. President Obama was not the socialist villain from Kenya that was portrayed by some... But he was not a perfect president, and has had a hand in the partisan politics that has helped divide our country. President-Elect Trump may be the physical manifestation of the mountain troll Harry, Ron and Hermione faced in the Hogwarts bathroom, but he isn’t even the president yet! He can’t be blamed for all of the problems that we are facing. I was guilty at different points of being blind to what good President Obama could offer, and I am trying to be better with my objectivity. But we all have our own stumbling blocks of bias, that’s a human condition, indiscriminate. With most anything, there will be some good and some bad with issues that we discuss. And with those different parts of the issue, some news outlets will do a better job at presenting the facts, while they might not do a good job with another. The solution? Read everything. Most of us have the ability to scroll or scan the bottom to see if whatever we are reading is legitimate. There are some who blatantly spread lies and falsehoods, and it is up to us to know who they are. But the caveat to that is, I don’t think there is as much of that as we would think. People reporting contrary to our biases does not mean they are wrong. That is also intellectually dishonest. 99% of the time, when we read an article about any issue, we gain a sliver of visibility into the problem. With another article, another sliver of light. Some pieces may shed more light, others not so much. But the more we read, and consider, our views of the issues become clearer. Whether it slants liberal, or conservative, considering all points of view equally and openly is the only way of being intellectually honest. Please join me in taking back responsibility for what we read and learn. Creating an echo chamber of ideas, or contributing to more cultural echo chambers in our world is something I believe we really can’t afford. I promise to listen and consider where you are coming from, as long as you promise to consider and respect where I am coming from. If we have lost this basic level of civility, what then?

Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are.

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

I love my wife.

It's been a while since I have posted anything. The Trump pre-presidency shenanigans, holiday shopping, thanksgiving, Christmas, and all of the political misadventures thrown in have made for a tumultuous month and a half. But today is the day that Leslie Ward was born. 25 years ago today, she graced the world with her presence. "A quarter of a century... makes a girl think" 200 points to whoever can name what movie that is from. Moving on, I couldn't let this moment pass by without saying something of mediocre importance about someone of great importance. I say that because 1) I speak in riddles with no solutions and 2) I couldn't come close to fully expressing what that woman means to me. She is my oar and wheel, for when I need direction. She is my constellation and guide when I forget to look up and dream. She is my source of humor, for no one on this earth is as funny or weird as she is. She is my fire that burns my bum when I consider anything less than what I can achieve. She is the most perceptive woman I have ever met. She knows more about you than you realize. She is the only person I can want to hug, kiss, punch, discuss things with, wrestle, and snuggle all in the span of a day. She makes me feel comfortable with me, and with what I can do. She also is an artist at pushing my buttons and bugging me. Absolute pro. And as her profession is teaching, she teaches me so much about life, love, loss and perspective. Let the whole world know that Leslie Ward Kohler was something Logan finally got right. By happy, be safe, and remember who you are. And who I am is a man who is forever changed by my confidant in everything I do. Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

The 8th of November, 2016

Yesterday, something historic happened. It’s in the middle of November in eastern Idaho, and I didn’t need a jacket to go outside. Did you see what I did there? You thought I was going to remark on how crazy it was that someone like Trump won the presidential election? Well, you, me, or anyone else residing in this country shouldn’t be surprised. We all helped create the atmosphere that lead to this exact day. When you read this, you better not be thinking that everyone else but you contributed to this problem… If you are thinking that then I say to you, Child, you are not the exception. I’m sorry if this comes across as me being a sore loser, that’s not the case. I think that no matter who would have came out as the winner last night, the damage to our culture had already been done. The presence of Trump is merely the result and accumulation of our childish patterns. If you are having a hard time wrapping your mind around this massive umbrella of blame for a Trump presidency, let me help you out. I’ll break it down the best that I can.

Shame on the right wing for nominating the worst republican from what was a pretty promising line-up of other possible Republican candidates.

As a more obvious one, shame on the racists, sexists, xenophobes, anti-Semites, and fear-motivated voters who consistently spoke and acted terribly and hateful to those who disagreed with them. That’s a truly scary precedent. I know that not all Trump supporters are like this. I have more to say on Hillary’s comment of “Basket of deplorable” later.

Shame on anyone who excused terrible and corrupt behavior simply because you thought the other candidate was worse. Specifically, there is no excuse for disregarding multiple allegations of sexual assault, or exhibiting patterns of little to no respect for women, or minorities. More shame on you if you are currently defending your excuses for this kind of behavior. 

Shame on the left wing for crying wolf. Let me explain. I’m going to assume you know the gist of the tale, a boy loses credibility by saying a wolf is in the field, when it actually isn’t. Let’s look back on the past 8 years. The media on the left  said some pretty inflammatory things against Romney and McCain, including war-monger, will put black people back in chains, being a sexist with a binder full of women, will send us back to the 1950′s, and the usual xenophobe, homophobe, sexist, and racist. I think we would all agree that these things are pretty bad. A lot of these things could be and have been rightly applied to Donald Trump, but the problem is, you guessed it, you cried wolf. Turns out, John McCain and Mitt Romney were none of these things. I have my beef with both of these candidates, but they didn’t deserve being vilified like they were. So i’m sorry to say… A lot of credibility has been lost, and now when you actually see a wolf, nobody cares what you have to say, because you have been crying wolf for more than a decade. 

Also, shame on those who respond to generalization and discrimination by generalizing and discriminating. I’m talking to you Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama with your Basket of Deplorable comment, and throwing out terms like implicit bias, and implicit racism.

I need to take a deep breath, and try to attain some patience. Because this one has really bothered me. Heaven help me. SHAME on any of you who discouraged and antagonized people who wanted to vote third party. Please read that over and over again, until it sinks in. Shame. On. You. I don’t even know where to begin with this. Those who were voting for Trump just to shake up the status quo, are like if they had a living room, but absolutely hate the way it was decorated. So naturally, they decided to throw a pissed off Hippopotamus in there and let it “shake things up.” A person who votes third party for change is like if you simply tried to move the furniture around yourself. Those who pushed and believe the narrative that a vote for third party is a vote for the other party have been played big time. If you take a small little teeny tiny step back, you would realize that both major parties were using that same line. Are they both right? Or are they both wrong? That alone should raise concern. A vote for a third party candidate is a vote for that same candidate. On a side note, doesn’t that raise a few red flags? Neither party, which are both incredibly influential and powerful, want us to vote for third party candidates. It sounds like these “protest” votes might pose a threat to their influence. If we are all so sick of politics as usual, which I think we all are… DON’T VOTE FOR THE MAJOR PARTIES! Incase you forgot our not-so-ancient history, the two party system has played host to many different parties that aren’t the republican and democratic parties that we know and don’t love. The change and shifting of the two parties is not a foreign concept in the slightest, with Federalists, Anti-federalists, Whigs, Progressives, Jeffersonian-Republicans, to name a few. And a little note worth mentioning, the root of the Republican party that sort-or resembles the one today came as a third party option that opposed slavery, and as a result, a Lincoln presidency. Those who have dismissed the fact that Abraham Lincoln was a third-party candidate… You guessed it… Shame on you. In case you couldn’t tell from this post, I voted 3rd party. All I wanted was the freedom to vote for who I wanted to, but noooooooo. You thought I was throwing my vote away. Well, I wish I could’ve thrown my vote at your face. Of course by vote, I mean a 30-year-old, moldy rhubarb pie. 

Now don’t you fret, we have gotten to bitter pill of this post… Shame on me. To start this off, I would like to share a Facebook post I shared four years ago on the night we found out Obama beat Romney for the presidency:

“I pray that this go around, we hold the President of the United States completely accountable for his actions, and for the lofty promises he has made to us, the American people. In the real world, when you make promises to people and break those promises, you lose their trust. President-elect Barack Obama is not exempt from this concept that binds us all. I will always respect the office of president, as a citizen of this great country. And I will, as the founding fathers did, seek liberty and freedom at whatever cost. The change that America needs will not come from the White house. It will occur when each person takes the initiative to take responsibility for their actions, accept the consequences for their mistakes, and live the American dream, and create the very best existence for themselves. God Bless America”

I share this to show you, and myself a little perspective. Shame on me for losing the perspective that everything will be okay, and shame on me for getting carried away with this election, as we all have. And, unfortunately, I am guilty of some that I mentioned above. Four years ago, I was lost in the obscurity of not knowing what four more years of Obama would look like. It turns out, it didn’t look or feel very different from other years of my life. I try to keep an open mind, and an accepting perspective, but I get caught up on my sense of what the world should be like, and how people should act. I apologize for falling prey to my own brand of pride and judgment. I hope that as this election cycle closes, PLEASE look at yourself for problems to fix before you try and fix and criticize others. As you can see, I need to do the same. I hope I illustrated the fact that we all have blame to take on with this current cultural climate. I apologize for getting a little worked up, I have kept a lot of these thoughts to my self, and they kind of ignited as they left my mouth. Please take them from the context of one person trying to navigate this cruel world, just like you. 

Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are.

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Grow Up.

Kind of an ironic beginning to this blog, seeing how I am going to be asking that we remember what we all should’ve learned back in the first grade. I’m going to be honest with you all, I am tired. I can’t stand any more coverage about this years election, or any of the politics involved with it. As much as I would like to blame the vindictive orange troll, or the robot learning how to portray human emotion, i’m afraid to say they are only scapegoats. We are the true villains in this story. Despite the fact that we all can relate to each other with feeling incredibly marginalized, and misrepresented by our elected officials, we choose to lash out at those we are pitted against. How backwards is that? What especially infuriates me is when I see some sort of fight on Facebook... Some of you are saying some extremely abhorrent things to each other, either because they disagree with you, or they called you something mean first. Let’s look at this for one minute. If your six year old self called someone a terrible name, and you got caught by a teacher or parent, what would their reaction be if you blamed it on someone else calling you a name? Would they then give you a pass on behaving like an ogre? NO! They would tell you to be a better person, and move on. In no scope of reality, is this type of behavior okay. Period. It’s politics, there is some level of compromise that is taking place with who you choose. That’s the nature of life. Those who vote for Trump are being blamed for a Clinton presidency, and those who vote for Clinton are blamed for a Trump presidency. And then those who want to vote 3rd party are blamed for every possible outcome, and accused of throwing your vote away. Let’s simplify our voting. It’s not a calculation, it’s a pledge. Please respect other people’s process and contemplation. We all truly want to do the right thing, regardless if you think it’s Clinton, Trump, Stein, Johnson, McMullin, Mickey Mouse, Batman, or Billy Joel. (Billy Joel definitely has my vote. New national anthem: “New York State of Mind”.) Treat others how you want to be treated. Children are behaving better than we are. This is an extremely confusing and difficult time for people to figure out what is important to them. Can we learn to speak our peace about our opinion, and respect that someone else might see things differently? My bet is that the people you disagree with, deep inside, probably are scared, and wonder if they are making the right choice themselves. You know how you want to be spoken to. Derogatory slurs and condescending rhetoric are tools of monsters. We are not monsters. Well, at least I don’t think we are. Need I remind you that we need to get along for the next four years after this election, and well beyond? Let’s not make life more awkward than it already is. And lastly, children... Behave.

Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are. 

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Captain America plays the rebel

It’s honestly kind of shocking it’s taken me this long to talk about the movie that has polarized the nerd world: Captain America Civil War. I am going to try as hard as I possibly can to stay clear of spoilers, but be warned, I don’t ever really know what’s coming out of my mouth as I’m say or typing it, so beware and I apologize in advance.

I loved it. Oh sorry, I don’t think you fully understand, I LOOOOOVED IT!! There you go. And I forgot one other disclaimer, this is my admission of bias... I am on team Cap. I tried to remain objective going into it, but that’s where I’m at. What I found incredibly interesting about the movie was the psychological element of the movie. It raises the complicated issue; How, if at all, should superheros be held accountable? Iron Man/Tony Stark is behind the United Nations efforts, calling for the Avengers to be regulated and put in check. Captain America/Steve Rogers is on the side of letting each hero be in charge of  their own conscience. The ramifications of each side taken to their extreme pose a number of concerns. Both sides can be seen at fault for not compromising, or considering the other side’s position, but it presented an allegory on how our generation approaches compromise and communicating to those they disagree with.

I do have a confession... I haven’t seen the whole movie. Before you get up in arms, I haven’t seen a total of about two minutes of the movie. I was the idiot who decided to drink a gallon of water before we saw the movie. Not only did I miss two minutes of the movie, I missed the very two minutes that accelerated the plot with a frame job, and an explosion that killed lots of people. What a time for my ureters to need relieving. I literally sprinted down the aisle, through the lobby, and back from the bathroom, and I still missed the crucial moment. Moral of the story: Don’t drink water. Okay, maybe that’s not it... Let’s stick with Going to the bathroom before the movie starts. That’s better.

So both Steve and Tony have had lots of experiences that have lead them to take the positions they have right now, but it’s not only their principles that keep them entrenched by the end. Later in the movie, it becomes apparent that they both have extremely personal reasons why they are where they are. I feel like this is when I see parallels to how it is with people trying to reconcile different and apparently opposing view points. While we all will claim to have thought-out and empirical reasons why we think the way we do, there are so many emotional reactions and events that cause us to feel a certain way about an issue. Like I said, I’m trying not to spoil the movie, but what starts out as a big plot with even bigger institutional/political ramifications, ends up becoming extremely personal and with no regard to the principles they originally upheld. It’s hard to play the what-if card, but I would imagine that the disagreement and issue at the beginning would have been helped a lot had one of them took a step back and said: “I’m sorry, that’s really a tough situation. what can I do to help? And how can we reach a compromise?” I know what you’re thinking, and I agree... There is no way in Hades I would’ve watched that movie. Had that happened, we might not have had some of the most amazing action sequences in movie history, and the most breathtaking movie might have ended up more like an episode of Oprah, and less like a Jerry Springer episode. (Sorry Oprah) But while I will recommend this movie a million times for all of spectacle and action, I will also recommend it a million times for it’s ability to make you question the “side” you take, regardless of who you sided with. And maybe on a more practical note, you will watch it, and recognize the allegory of how terrible we all can be at communicating with someone we don’t understand or agree with. Maybe before we pick up our Repulsor rays, and Vibranium shields and head into battle, we can take a stab at compromise before engaging in the battle of the century. Just a thought. Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are.

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Apology Notes #2

It’s been a little while since my first post of apologies, so that means I’ve got “Some ‘splainin to do!” I think that was the first I Love Lucy reference I have ever made. Moving on...

I’m sorry to all of the workers who are operating the drive thru when I come through to order my food. I am incredibly indecisive. It takes me about 15 minutes to order the same thing I always get.

I’m sorry to those I don’t communicate well to, or don’t keep in contact very well. My friends deserve a medal for putting up with my complete social ineptitude.

I’m sorry, Tracy. It’s been far too long since we have created beautiful sweet music together. You are always on my mind. By the way... Tracy is the name of my guitar.

I’m sorry to my neighbors who got to hear what sounded like my best T-rex impression a while ago. I had a case of food poisoning from hell. Of course, I probably made it worse, now that you know I wasn’t practicing my dinosaur call, but I was actually throwing my guts up. I’m sorry.

I’m (cough - not) sorry for how often I wear sweatpants. They are incredibly comfy, and they cover everything clothes should be covering. What more do you want from me?!

I’m sorry to my family for my desire to fill any awkward silence with something irreverent or inappropriate. That’s something you can always count on. I’m reliable that way.

I’m sorry to any of those I have inadvertently creeped out by my staring. I’m not plotting your kidnapping or murder, My brain probably didn’t realize that it left its body behind. 

I’m sorry to my wife for always stealing the blankets in the middle of the night. It may or may not be on purpose.

I’m sorry to all of those who thought that I looked like a ragamuffin with my beard last month. My wife thought I looked sexy with it. What more is there to discuss?

I think that about does it for me. Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are.

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Trigger Words

Are we able to be more than emotional reactionaries to the world around us?

From the beginning, different leaders and groups have tried to control the masses, and consolidate control. And when I stop and think of why we fall for demagogues and fallacious leaders over and over, it’s got to be because of our emotional reactions to what they say, and what we see. That’s all that politics really boils down to; A person saying the right “trigger words” to either spark frustration and anger with the egregious opposing side, or to incite familiarity and trust for their side. (This is in reaction to a lot of things going on lately, and what has happened at different times in history. I am not interested in calling out a specific person or group right now, just asking us to take a step back and see how we react to people and causes. And I may be in a frustrated mood right now, because of how hot it is right now, or because the sunburns I got have caused my entire body to be outrageously itchy. Maybe it’s because I can’t sleep very well because of the heat. Maybe it’s Maybelline. Any one of these these could be helping my less than optimistic view on the world. But mostly, it’s probably Maybelline.) So here is what I think: We all need to sort out what we think and feel without the pressure of wondering if it coincides with a belief system we want to belong to. We’ll use our current political system as a way to break this down. So Roger is a republican, and he is talking Debra, who is a democrat. Roger says something like “I believe in a strong military”. (I’m generalizing quite a bit, please forgive me, I hope you can see the bigger point.) Debra, reacting emotionally, might respond like: “You’re a militant fascist!” Same scenario, but Debra says something like this: “I think we should consider legalizing pot.” and Roger reacts similarly, “You dirty communist hippie!” Aside from agreeing that Roger and Debra sound like incredibly obnoxious people, couldn’t we also agree that both of those interchanges were incredibly short-sided and silly? They were both guilty of dehumanizing the other to a right-wing or left-wing fanatic, incapable of reason. Maybe not to this extent, but we do this, or have done this. So here is the exercise for the day: read the rest of the blog without any preconceived notions of what groups I agree with or disagree with. These are things that I believe:

I believe that life should be fiercely protected, fought for, and preserved.

I believe that our right to think, act, feel, and be however we want to is paramount.

I believe that every single sound-minded adult should be fully accountable for their actions.

I believe we all deserve the benefit of the doubt.

I believe that we have a moral obligation to help anyone less fortunate than us.

I believe everyone has a right to have their beliefs heard.

I believe that bananas are terrible.

I believe that love and forgiveness can heal any disconnect, or hurt feeling.

I believe in self-reliance in heart, mind, and action as a cardinal trait.

I believe we have the right to defend ourselves and our families against those with ill-intent.

I believe in everyone’s right to their own belief’s regarding religion and spirituality.

I believe in justice.

I believe in mercy.

I believe in equal opportunity in all things.

I believe in Santa Claus like I believe in love.

(If you didn’t catch that reference, do yourself a favor and watch A Year Without A Santa Claus.)

I believe that mental illnesses should be treated and considered with just as much weight as physical illnesses.

I believe that the first person to ever eat a crab or lobster must have been past the point of starvation. They are essentially giant arachnids who live in the depths of the ocean.

I believe that man is no better than woman, and the other way around.

I believe that a life without dairy would be a life without love.

I believe we are a product of what we think and what we do.

I believe that we have the obligation to indict those who are violent, or who call for acts of violence, no matter the cause.

I believe that revenge is more potent than cyanide.

I believe that fighting fire with fire solves nothing, and creates more problems than it remedies.

I believe we shouldn’t use that phrase. Utter nonsense.

I believe that farts are hilarious. And deep down, so does everyone else on this planet.

Well, how did you do? I hope you were able to reflect on each belief and what it's worth, rather than look for implicit relations to something else. I think this will show everyone that we agree on so much more than we disagree on. Fight against those who try to divide us, and look for common ground with everyone you meet. Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are. Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Remember the days your world stood still

 It’s been an interesting week for us. Late last week, my wife’s cousin past away in a car accident. There was no foul play, no one to blame, just a heartbreaking accident. There seemed to be some kind of shift in the world that same weekend with the tragic shooting in Orlando, parents losing their child to an Alligator, and with a terrible accident taking a family member away. While the shooting in Orlando really shook the hearts of all Americans, events like this happen everyday to someone somewhere. When people lose someone close to them, their world stops. We all can remember those days in our lives where living through a normal day seemed like more than you could handle. I can remember a few off the top of my head: 28 January, 2008. 22 April 2012. 12 February, 2013 to name a few. Depending on when you were born, you can remember days like 7 December, 1941 and 11 September 2001. But what we don’t realize is that souls are hurt and confused from loss every single day in between these events that happened to me personally and the ones that a larger community remembers together. Worlds are shattered everyday whether we recognize it or not. From experience, one thing that makes grieving so hard is the realization that everyone’s world is turning unhindered while you are struggling. With this in mind, let’s try to take a step outside our world, and recognize the possibility that people close to us maybe be going through something we don’t see or understand. And while it’s admirable that we take time and help bring awareness and aid to tragedies like the Orlando shooting, let’s take a step back and realize that as incredibly tragic and horrific as that was, hundreds of others just like them have had the worst day of their lives. And they don’t get media outreach and sympathy. (I hope this isn’t coming across as insensitive, my heart aches for the friends and families of those who were maliciously murdered at that club. I’m just hoping that we can take a step back and actively look for chances to lift a burden from grief that may not be publicly known. Speaking from a person who knows how it feels to be alone during a tragedy, I know it can truly make a world of difference.) So that’s that. I’ve had this on my mind quite a bit, and having my wife go through it really brings it to the front of my mind. People have been incredibly kind to her, and that means the world to me.This world we live in can be such a beautiful place and so full of meaning. It can also be a confusing, heartbreaking, and torturous place. Let’s you and me, right now, pledge to be present and helpful for all phases of life. I don’t think that’s asking too much.

(It’s been a while since I have posted anything, and I know you all have been so upset about it. So I apologize for my absence. We just recently got over a cold from Hades, and that was no fun at all.)

Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are.

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Captain America plays the trumpet

Me and my wife just watched a fantastic movie this past weekend. In between building pectorals that could only exist in our dreams, it seems that Chris Evans had time to tug at our heart strings in an introspective indie setting. On top of starring in the indie flick “Before We Go”, it was also his directorial debut. I highly recommend it. In a cinematic world where Death Stars destroy planets, superheroes thwart alien invasions, and a different take on a Zombie Apocalypse is tried almost every week, a movie where nothing of any significance happens can catch you by surprise.(I am in no way bashing superhero flicks, or zombies. I love all things marvel and zombie related, especially The Walking Dead. I couldn’t live with myself if I were to not clarify that.) But isn’t that what life tends to be? A series of events that may not be outwardly impactful, but they somehow leave unforgettable marks? That’s probably why I loved the movie so much. The events of the movie all transpire in one night, and with the lingering shots and contemplative music, it gives the audience time and space to think and feel all of it. It was refreshing, since a good number of movies these days tend to force-feed what they want you to think and feel. Sorry, back to why I chose to write about the movie. This movie reminded me what I love about life so much. Life is filled with so much monotony and repetition, which puts full responsibility on our shoulders to find meaning and purpose in it. Any person in life can walk away from their experiences and draw insights from them that are probably different from how someone else saw them. That is the beauty of life. I won’t spoil anything from the movie, but it’s on Netflix, so you should go check it out. But it centers around two strangers who meet for the first time, and both confront different crossroads they are at. I walked away from the movie wanting to seize more opportunities, and to learn to appreciate what I have now. I would be willing to put money on the fact that I took something different than what my wife took from it, or what you might take from it. I feel like that we can sometimes lose sight of how magical life can be. It’s very refreshing to be reminded of that fact. Well, I probably should go do the dishes… I have put them off for long enough. So be happy, be safe, and remember who you are. 

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Assumptions

I’ve had a hard time figuring out how to approach this thought. Ever since I decided I wanted to do a blog, I knew that I wanted to talk about it. But I hope I can do it without making anyone thinking I am taking any sort of stand on other issues surrounding us today. So with that disclaimer, please know that this is independent of any other controversy that may be in the news.

So a while ago, me and my wife were driving to my parents house. Half of the drive is on the freeway, while the other half is mostly a straight-shot down a country road. Most of the road is 55 MPH, but right off of the exit, it’s 35 MPH. Being the oblivious and aloof buffoon that I am, I saw the sign but decided to go 55 anyways. A local patrol car happened to be parked there waiting for someone like me to blow right through the reduced speed zone. The first thing he asked when he came up was “What’s the hurry?” I don’t remember how I responded, but I’d like to think that is was something cool, collected, and with a little edge of attitude... But it was mostly likely something similar to how a child reacts when their parents catch them eating the dog’s food, or something like that. After whatever my response was, he told me that this was my chance to come up with some crazy story about a household full of orphans I needed to feed, or a dying relative I needed to get to. This lightened the mood, and my wife and I were able to have a fun interchange with the officer. After this, he proceeded to tell me about the speed limit change there, and encouraged me to not speed through there again. After that, we parted ways. Now I know that the world is a complicated place, and I can’t speak for the every single police officer in this country, but after getting pulled over and being talked to with respect, I have never sped through that stretch since then. Like I said, I’m not remotely trying to comment on any sort of controversial issue, because I won’t come close to claiming that I have all the answers. But something important happened in that interchange. And it only happened because of mutual respect. I assumed the best from this officer that was trying to do his job, and he assumed the best from me. What happened was a small moment that could’ve been uncomfortable and confrontational was turned into a pleasant moment that taught a lasting lesson.

Now the question is, why do we assume? Is there a purpose or reason behind it? I’m sure that officer had seen a lot of riffraff that looked like me out to do no good, or hanky-panky(or whatever the kids are calling it these days), and I have had interchanges with police officers who were less than pleasant, and I could’ve easily projected that onto him. But either subconsciously or consciously, we chose to assume the best. I’m sorry, my mind is kind of everywhere right now. I’ll narrow my thoughts with two questions: Does this even matter? And if so, then why?

Yes, and because I said so.

I’ll tell you, I am incredibly guilty of taking it upon myself to pass down judgement to how I think someone deserves to be treated. I see someone act a certain way, and I automatically pass judgement on them. With how little we know about the people around us, the type of assumptions and judgements we pass along say nothing about them, but speak volumes about us. There are sometimes in life that others may not deserve our best assumptions, but we deserve to be the type of people who assume the best. A common question among people is “Are you an optimist, or a pessimist?” Confession time: In my opinion, what bugs me more than anything is when people answer, “I’m a realist.” Lazy. Fence-sitter. Cop-out. Just to name a few terms that come into my head. Obviously, I can’t deny that there are realities in this world, and objectively good and bad ideas. My positive attitude won’t affect my attempts at air-bending, or fire-bending.(Those of you who know what I am talking about... I love you) And neither will it change the fact that if she hasn’t replied to your 15 text messages in the past six months. I’m sorry. She’s just not that into you. But while I recognize and concede that point, I believe there is a bigger decision to be made. Will you choose to see the good? Or will you choose to see the bad? Saying your a realist just says to me that you aren’t ready to make that decision yet. It’s like marking the question with “N/A” or “undecided”. Whether you like it or not, the world can be an extremely ambiguous place. And it will become like that with the more people you interact with. And that is a good thing! It’s our job to recognize that fact, and decide what we are going to see, and seek out. There is so much good and so much bad in the world. There is also a lot of good and bad in all of the people that we meet. So the next time someone says something that might be offensive, or didn’t make sense to you, will you assume that they didn’t mean to offend or hurt you? Or do you assume that they have a secret revenge plot in their head, Count of Monte Cristo style? Ready for some tough love? They probably don’t. I know there are crazy people out there that might possibly maybe could want to take revenge against you, but to be honest, you’re probably just watching too much Revenge, House of Cards, Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon a Time, or any other of the million shows with revenge plot lines. You either have an overactive imagination, or you are flattering yourself. 

Okay. I’m sorry. That was a little harsh. I’m one to talk, I literally day dream of being the Avatar, or some sort of bender at least three or four times a day. When it comes to an overactive imagination and being wrapped up in a story line, I’m a judgmental and stupid kettle calling the unassuming reader/pot black. I apologize.

Do you get my point though? If we take cuts and jabs at people in our minds, and assume the worst, we are exposing our own problems and insecurities. The decision to assume the best or the worst is one that everyone needs to make, and I hope you see why. If you ask me, it’s like deciding if you’re personality’s billboard is going to be a bright smiling face, or a big turd. Choose wisely. I hope some sense was made through my consternated keystrokes. If you see it differently, please keep it to yourself. No, but seriously, please let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts. And as always, Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are. 

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Apology Notes

So for the sake of variety, I am going to try something different. Every so often, I am going to do a page of apologies to people in my life that I may have wronged, or offended. While I will call it an exercise in taking responsibility for my actions, you may see it as another excuse for me to poke fun at myself and the world around me. Well to be honest, you are probably right. And on that note, here we go!

I’m sorry to my neighbors who hear me yelling bloody murder all the time. Don’t worry, I am not killing anyone, I probably just lost my lead in Mario Kart because I have gotten hit by four consecutive blue shells. It’s a lot more serious than it sounds.

I’m sorry to all of my co-workers for all of the times I have said something inappropriate, or unsettling. I promise I don’t know how to cook meth, I have just watched a lot of Breaking Bad.

I’m sorry to everyone I talk to. I make comparisons between things in my life to TV shows I have watched about twice as much as I say anything with any real importance.

I am very sorry to my wife Leslie. Whenever we go anywhere together, you can interchange the phrase “going out with Logan” with “Babysitting Logan” about 100% of the time.

Actually, I’m going to take that last one back. While I may play childish games more often than I will readily admit, she plays them right back. It’s like we are soulmates or something. We seriously have way too much fun. So I will replace my apology to Leslie with a “Thank You.”

As a slight edit to my first apology to my neighbors, Leslie is probably yelling right along with me when the rest of the Mario Bros. are ganging up on us. So on behalf of the both of us, we are sorry. But it will probably happen again.

And lastly, I am sorry to my family. Every time we visit, I feel the need to agitate June, the dog, until she barks uncontrollably. I don’t really have any sort of explanation or anything, it’s just something that I have to do. So I also apologize for the inevitable times I will rile her up again.

And that’s about it for right now. I will write another one after I have made more people feel uncomfortable, or awkward. So very soon. And for those who I forgot, I am sorry. You’ll get your chance. Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are. 

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Name’s Sake

So the title of the blog’s page is kind of a mouthful, now that I am looking back on it. While part of it comes from the fact that someone already was using the name “Constant Curiosity”(Whoever you are I forgive you... But I never forget), there is another part that has some personal meaning to me. And while Curiosity is something I deeply admire, and strive to apply everyday, the Name’s Sake I am referring to today is the word Constant.

So about 6 years ago, I started out on a mission for my church in the state of Michigan. It was for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I was gone for two years. The only contact you could have with friends and family was through email and letters, with the exception of being able to call home twice a year. During the first two or three months, I was pretty homesick. I would especially miss being able to just hang out with my family. I wanted to be effective at what I was doing, and find my sense of purpose. In one email that I got from my mom, she told me that I should strive to be constant, rather than consistent. She explained to me that while consistent and constant generally mean the same thing, there is a difference in the connotation of the words. While doing something with a consistent effort is a good thing, I think it comes a cross like automated, or robotic. Being consistent is something that can be quantified. Constancy cannot be quantified; Because it is always changing and growing.

My wife Leslie is a swimmer, so I think that she will appreciate this analogy. If I were to ask her now to swim a 100m freestyle faster than her personal best when she was 15, she would be able to do it with great ease(She’s a great swimmer, by the way. Watching her and I swim next to each other is like watching a pine cone trying to keep up with a dolphin; It doesn’t make much sense, and it’s kind of embarrassing for the pine cone. I know this analogy is kind of farfetched, because pine cones actually float. I don’t. Replace the pine cone with a rock, and that accurately describes it.) Yikes, talk about a meaningless tangent! Moving on. Back to Leslie competing with her younger self. She would easily be able to beat her old personal record, because of her training. Now for her training, would she have gotten faster if she had swam the same speed for the same amount of time everyday? No. While she would be exercising and being consistent, she would reach a certain level of improvement, and never would’ve gotten to where she is today. Instead of being consistent, she decided to be constant. When she would beat her personal record, she would strive to break that. When she would practice until she had nothing left, she would practice even harder the next day. And when she would feel her legs and arms start to go out after a long practice, she would keep swimming. While Consistency is wanting to be acceptable, Constancy is continually striving to be your best. Consistency is good, Constancy is Exceptionally Excellent.

Now back to me six years ago reading my mom’s email. Not many things have stuck with me as much as that little bit of advice. A lot of what I did on the mission was helping the local congregations, and also meeting new people and helping them improve their lives, and see themselves in a whole new light. Instead of trying to help and serve people consistently, I wanted to do it constantly. And that made all of the difference for me. Taking that next step in really applying myself in a worthwhile endeavor taught me so much about how much we can grow if we are always stretching and improving. So with that, I just want you to think about the things you are doing consistently everyday... So what did you think of? Relationships with friends? Family? Your spouse? Job? Hobby? Exercise? Mental Nourishment? Spiritual Nourishment? Whatever it might be, there is a reason that you have been doing it. Is there any reason not to apply yourself in that task with a Constant effort? I’m currently picking somethings to do more constantly now, so we’re all in this together.(If you were singing that last line, shame on you.) I think that we’ll look back on our lives with less regret if we would apply ourselves just a little bit more. And if we do that, I bet we could make that transition from Good, to Exceptionally Excellent.

Anyways, I think that’s about it for me. Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are. 

Logan

[everconstantcuriosity]

Salutations

So this is me starting a blog. It’s kind of odd, I’m used to writing my thoughts out, but it’s kind of new territory for me to be sending them out to through the airwaves like this. I guess I should introduce myself first off. Hello! My name is Logan, and I am addicted to thinking. Those who know me well know that nothing pleases me more than discussing a topic, and dissecting it thoroughly. To give my friends and family a break, I’ve decided to direct my long-winded rants to the open inter-webs. So in advance, I’m sorry. I personally believe that a lot of the world’s problems come from an inherent ability(or more appropriately labeled as an inability) for most people to resist seeing things outside of their own paradigm. I am just as guilty of this as anyone. But when I want to scrape the bottom of humanity’s barrel, I don’t need to look further than internet trolls. I personally think that insulting someone by degrading one’s religion or lack thereof, family, appearance, friends, political affiliation, or ancestry is just a bit of an overreaction to merely having a different view on something. I would like to add my voice to the cause of mutual respect, and open communication. These causes may seem silly to get behind only because they appear so obviously admirable, but they are so often forgotten in day-to-day interactions. I believe that we can find a balance between speaking our minds and living with integrity, while being kind and respectful to a person’s differing opinion. So to summarize a series of run-on sentences, and nonsensical thoughts: Be nice. I don’t plan on keeping a theme with these posts, I see this as me just regurgitating my thoughts as they come. So I don’t plan on sticking to politics, art and culture, lifestyle, or anything else under the sun. And while I have little to no authority to speak about something like fashion and design, I’d sure like the option to! So be prepared for anything. I like to see the world from a “macro” type perspective. As in, I see it functioning based on overarching principles and ideas, rather than in the minute and nitty-gritty. With this perspective, I do tend to miss details and views that will add to the picture as a whole. If you are one of the individuals bored enough to read this thing all the way through, and you see something I may have overlooked, then please say something! That is kind of the point of what I have been talking about. If nobody ends up reading my posts, that’s okay too. It’s therapeutic for me, if nothing else. Be happy, be safe, and remember who you are.

XOXO Gossip Girl

Just kidding. My wife as been watch Gossip Girl lately, and it felt necessary to include a shout out… and I couldn’t help myself. 

XOXO Logan