Friday, February 04, 2005

The Proverbial Sunrise.

I've been listening to Relient K's new album in my car all week, and there's this line that I keep getting stuck in my head: "I watch the proverbial sunrise coming up over the Pacific." umm...I'm a bit confused about that, because doesn't the sun SET over the Pacific? it's bugging me. I guess the next line says, "I might be losing my mind..." but the song is making me lose MY mind! maybe that's the point.

I've had a rather busy week, preparing for our Arlington YD fundraising banquet in March and preparing the promotional materials for "Bob's Island Getaway," (our re-named spring retreat on San Juan Island.) AND--I've been ridiculously tired after getting 6-8 hours of sleep all last weekend. Aaargh.

Bronco and I are starting a new book study today for training purposes...and after 38 pages, I'm still interested, which is a good sign...(I often abandon books in the first 38 pages and then say 'oh yeah, i've read that' when it comes up, even though i only read the first 38 pages...humorously enough, no one ever notices the difference.) The book is called Hurt by Chap Clark. It's a rather scientific psychosocial look at contemporary adolescent culture with some actual research involved in examining teenagers. This is impressive, considering that most resource books on youth culture speak in sweeping generalizations and grandiose simplifications.

One of the key things that he has identified in the first 38 pages, which I am totally down with is this: "Midadolescents [teens age 13-18] are fully capable of penetrating and insightful dialogue regarding a variety of topics and issues, but when it comes to applying the conclusions reached during these discussions to a relationship or social reality, especially in a different social context, they cannot see the connection" (Clark 37). AMEN! Preach it brother. If I could bottle up all of the ideals and good intentions of my kids and release them as actual actions and behaviors, well, I would not need to be doing what I'm doing.

So I now await Bronco to arrive in the office so we can discuss contemporary youth culture as I wait anxiously to be at the end of today's work day because TOMORROW, I am going kayaking with four friends. Hoorah! It will be my second venture in a hardshell kayak. (That is not a picture of me or of any trick I will be able to do in the near future, just for the record. I will probably flip over, bail out and nearly drown all in the name of recreation.)

6 comments:

suz said...

And really, what about the sunrise is particularly proverbial? Can you quote me a proverb that smacks of suns rising over the Pacific? And may I clarify that songs sung by redheaded orphans do not count as proverbs. I am annoyed by proxy.

Drewser said...

The sun rises over the Pacific if you're in Japan, or Asia, or somewhere over there. Kind of like the Michigan license plates...there was a big argument over whether it was a setting sun or a rising sun. Then they realized that half the people in Michigan saw it rise over water, and half saw it set over the water. Then it all made sense. Silly Michiganders.

hmb said...

It has been brought to my attention by Drew that perhaps I'm being a bit ethnocentric in saying that the sun does NOT rise over the Pacific. He says that maybe Relient K was in Japan or Hawaii when they wrote the song. I'm basing my frustration of the song on the fact that Relient K's lead songwriter, Matt Thiessen, lives in LA, where the sun certainly does not rise over the Pacific. Just to clarify that I'm not as ethnocentric as this entry makes me appear to be.

Drewser said...

Well stated. Every argument is a good argument if you can back it up. I respect and approve of your conclusion.

hmb said...

Hey Drew, Thanks for the encouragement. And by the way, a very special thank you for hosting my profile picture on your server! Every girl needs a good friend with their own server.

Drewser said...

No problem. My server is your server. Dang, sounds like a really cheesy nerdy computer programmer pick-up line: "Hey baby, my server is your server." "You've got the kind of programming I'm looking for in a girl." "We could be two processors on one motherboard" Ok, I just need to stop. I'm a nerd for even thinking of these.