Now that it is May, and the "last" spoken of in the preceding posts is completely over, I should probably finish the thought I started back in that first post.
After a couple of months working in the field of public accounting, it appealed to me much more than I had anticipated from what I knew of the profession from class experience. I still wanted to try my hand at managerial accounting, because that was my initial draw to the subject. This being the case, I was continually torn throughout the internship period, and whenever I talked with folks in the office, I could not give them a solid "yes" to public accounting, although I was enjoying what I did, and found that I did well in the work.
The deliberation between public and private accounting, and whether or not I would desire to accept a full-time position with the firm should it be offered, ran literally up to the wire with my wife and I. The Monday before the Friday I was to wrap up, I had lunch with one of the partners and we talked about my experience to that point, where I stood on plans for post-internship opportunities, and the likelihood of my accepting an offer. Since at that juncture I was more torn between my options than I had been, but I still wanted to get experience in the managerial field, I informed him that I would love to get an offer, but if there were others more strongly committed than I to employment with the firm, that I wanted the deference to go to them.
Such was the case, ultimately; out of four interns in the office, only two offers were able to be extended and despite a last-minute change of mind after a long talk with my wife, the wheels of decision were already whirring along, and it was just a little too late. I completed my final week and wrapped up all of my exit requirements, making sure I bid my farewells about the office before departing one last time. The following Tuesday, there was an office lunch to celebrate surviving busy season, and they invited me to participate in that as well; it was neat to see everyone out of the office for a while, and we chatted over chips, salsa, and Mexican cuisine for a couple hours.
It was an enjoyable end to my time with that group, and although I may have the opportunity to return there eventually, at that point, it was goodbye and a parting of ways.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Nearing Another "Last" (part ii)
To better understand the contributing factors and events surrounding this post, please read the preceding post below.
My tentative course set, I went through the interview process last fall, during my final semester of study at UA. During the course of two-plus years of recruiting events and making contacts at various local and national accounting firms, I had really hit it off with one in particular, and felt I had made a good impression at a few others. When interview season came around, the first step was applying for an interview slot with the various firms. The teachers and internship coordinators on campus recommended applying for seven to ten slots, in the assumption that several would extend an interview offer and the rest would decline your request. I was not interested in doing numerous interviews, nor had I the necessary rapport with that number of firms, so I applied for just four. Three declined me, but the firm that accepted my application to interview was the one I wanted all along anyway.
A week or so later, I was walking briskly across campus, looking sharp with a days-old haircut, a new suit (the first I had ever owned), and a new tie. The interview went smoothly and the conversation was animated, and I walked out fairly confident--although not completely sure--that I would be offered an internship for the following spring. Two weeks later, "call day" had arrived, and firms were allowed to begin calling their interviewees with offers starting at noon. I was in Latinamerican Civilization at that hour on a Friday afternoon, but I informed my teacher I would be expecting a call, probably at some point during the hour of her class. Sure enough, only minutes after twelve o'clock, my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I ducked out to take the call. It was the partner from the firm, and he offered me the internship, which I accepted on the spot.
Now, many months later, that internship I accepted on that warm autumn day is almost over, culminating on what will likely be a pleasant spring day in Birmingham, Alabama. My mindset toward public accounting has been greatly altered by my experience. At the onset of my time, I was very excited to have been extended the opportunity to work for one of the "Big 4" accounting firms, but I was unsure of the profession's fit for me, and as a relatively newly married young man, my wife and future family at large. I knew coming in that, as a tax professional, the weeks and months leading up to the April 15 deadline would demand a great deal of time and dedication and require a lot of work in a very detail-oriented environment. I relished the challenge in work that it offered, but was also chary of the challenge of work-life balance it posed as well. That topic is a popular one among businesses today, each eager to advertise the work-life balance their office promotes, or the perks they extend to their employees regarding the constant juggle of priorities.
In my time, I have been able to see this work-life balance come into play, both in my own family life, and in the lives of the professionals around me in the office. Although "just" an intern, and expected to work at least 40 hours per week, typically Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, which allowed for a one-hour lunch break, I was able to flex that time to meet the outside pulls for my time. Having an hour commute to and from work, making it into the office right at eight o'clock did not happen very often, especially as my internship progressed and I began working later. Three weeks ago I was in an accident where I was rear-ended on the interstate, a mere three miles from my exit into Birmingham. A little shaken up and sore, and just needing some time to deal with the aftermath, as minor as it was, I was able to stop in at the office, pick up a stack of items to work on, and turn right around and go home for the day, where I was able to deal with some logistical things and work from home for a time as well.
The group at this Birmingham office I was working with was relatively small--about 25 or so individuals, compared with 150 or so in, say, the regional hub in Atlanta--but as such, I was able to work with every person there in some capacity or another, which allowed me to collaborate and build rapport with the team as a whole. Another advantage of the size was the variety of work available to take part in; since there weren't enough people to create specialty groups, everyone did a little bit of everything, and I was no exception. I learned an incredible amount in three months of work through immersion in numerous projects, which catered to my learning-by-doing style. As the internship period wore on, I began to find that I enjoyed the work far more than I was expecting to at the onset, which is better than arriving gung ho and fired up and leaving disappointed and disillusioned. I was a gradual but steady convert to the occupation of public accountancy.
[to be continued]
My tentative course set, I went through the interview process last fall, during my final semester of study at UA. During the course of two-plus years of recruiting events and making contacts at various local and national accounting firms, I had really hit it off with one in particular, and felt I had made a good impression at a few others. When interview season came around, the first step was applying for an interview slot with the various firms. The teachers and internship coordinators on campus recommended applying for seven to ten slots, in the assumption that several would extend an interview offer and the rest would decline your request. I was not interested in doing numerous interviews, nor had I the necessary rapport with that number of firms, so I applied for just four. Three declined me, but the firm that accepted my application to interview was the one I wanted all along anyway.
A week or so later, I was walking briskly across campus, looking sharp with a days-old haircut, a new suit (the first I had ever owned), and a new tie. The interview went smoothly and the conversation was animated, and I walked out fairly confident--although not completely sure--that I would be offered an internship for the following spring. Two weeks later, "call day" had arrived, and firms were allowed to begin calling their interviewees with offers starting at noon. I was in Latinamerican Civilization at that hour on a Friday afternoon, but I informed my teacher I would be expecting a call, probably at some point during the hour of her class. Sure enough, only minutes after twelve o'clock, my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I ducked out to take the call. It was the partner from the firm, and he offered me the internship, which I accepted on the spot.
Now, many months later, that internship I accepted on that warm autumn day is almost over, culminating on what will likely be a pleasant spring day in Birmingham, Alabama. My mindset toward public accounting has been greatly altered by my experience. At the onset of my time, I was very excited to have been extended the opportunity to work for one of the "Big 4" accounting firms, but I was unsure of the profession's fit for me, and as a relatively newly married young man, my wife and future family at large. I knew coming in that, as a tax professional, the weeks and months leading up to the April 15 deadline would demand a great deal of time and dedication and require a lot of work in a very detail-oriented environment. I relished the challenge in work that it offered, but was also chary of the challenge of work-life balance it posed as well. That topic is a popular one among businesses today, each eager to advertise the work-life balance their office promotes, or the perks they extend to their employees regarding the constant juggle of priorities.
In my time, I have been able to see this work-life balance come into play, both in my own family life, and in the lives of the professionals around me in the office. Although "just" an intern, and expected to work at least 40 hours per week, typically Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, which allowed for a one-hour lunch break, I was able to flex that time to meet the outside pulls for my time. Having an hour commute to and from work, making it into the office right at eight o'clock did not happen very often, especially as my internship progressed and I began working later. Three weeks ago I was in an accident where I was rear-ended on the interstate, a mere three miles from my exit into Birmingham. A little shaken up and sore, and just needing some time to deal with the aftermath, as minor as it was, I was able to stop in at the office, pick up a stack of items to work on, and turn right around and go home for the day, where I was able to deal with some logistical things and work from home for a time as well.
The group at this Birmingham office I was working with was relatively small--about 25 or so individuals, compared with 150 or so in, say, the regional hub in Atlanta--but as such, I was able to work with every person there in some capacity or another, which allowed me to collaborate and build rapport with the team as a whole. Another advantage of the size was the variety of work available to take part in; since there weren't enough people to create specialty groups, everyone did a little bit of everything, and I was no exception. I learned an incredible amount in three months of work through immersion in numerous projects, which catered to my learning-by-doing style. As the internship period wore on, I began to find that I enjoyed the work far more than I was expecting to at the onset, which is better than arriving gung ho and fired up and leaving disappointed and disillusioned. I was a gradual but steady convert to the occupation of public accountancy.
[to be continued]
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Nearing Another "Last"
This Friday will be the final day of my internship. As indicated by the lack of posts in the last...period of time...I have been kept busy and productive during the job experience. Today, actually, is exactly three months since I started. The time has passed quickly, especially since the majority of the other intern class left in mid-March, one month ago tomorrow. With their departure, I received any and all assignments flowing down the pipeline as the lone intern in the office. As such, I was able to take on sundry projects that I may not have seen at all, or only seen limited parts if there were other interns with which to divvy up the work.
Thursday, of course, is April 15, "Tax Day," and it has been to this end that I have crunched numbers, prepared templates, completed forms, performed research, and handled deliveries for the last 90-odd days. Due to the variegated nature of my time, I have learned through experience more than all the time I spent in classrooms, studying books and taking notes. Now, some of those notes and a few of those books were helpful to a degree during this time--most notably the writing of research memos in Dr. Schnee's Accounting 471 - Federal Taxation course--but there were indubitably ideas or instruction I had to subconsciously unlearn to better understand the practical application of the knowledge I had in the environment I found myself in.
When I selected accounting as my major, I did not see myself as a tax accountant somewhere down the line, although as I progressed through the class schedule and the semesters, I found more and more that into tax or audit were the directions the Culverhouse School of Accountancy at the University of Alabama usually launched its graduates into, often accepting them back for yet another year to earn a masters in tax or accountancy (audit) before returning them as second graduates to the workforce, where they began their careers as well-educated associates at any number of public accounting firms. What I enjoyed about my two early accounting classes was the order and organization, the practical nature of the practice which allowed the effective directing of a company's financial course. Cost accounting, or managerial accounting, was my favorite course, but for most other students in the accounting program, that was their least favorite class. Agreed, learning 15 different methods of budgeting, nearly every one specific to a certain type of application, was challenging, and it would take a thorough review for me to distinguish and explain each one from another. Nevertheless, it made sense, and it seemed to be a constructive, beneficial application of the knowledge I was receiving.
Despite my leaning toward cost/managerial accounting, internships were not nearly so abundant or advertised in the field, and while I got some experience in the area as a student accounting/business intern at the University Press for nearly two years, a full-time internship in the profession eluded me. As such, I tentatively joined the flow of the rest of the accounting students, plodding through tax, audit, and governmental accounting en route to an internship in public accounting. It was not until very late in the recruiting process that I made up my mind one way or the other between the two major fields (tax or audit), and I eventually decided upon tax, because I liked the class and the process I learned from Dr. Schnee better than the audit class. Not the best way to decide, but without actual experience in either field, it was the best option for me since 1) tax professionals usually do not have to travel out of the office, and 2) the process of tax was more in line with the way I thought and approached things.
[to be continued]
Thursday, of course, is April 15, "Tax Day," and it has been to this end that I have crunched numbers, prepared templates, completed forms, performed research, and handled deliveries for the last 90-odd days. Due to the variegated nature of my time, I have learned through experience more than all the time I spent in classrooms, studying books and taking notes. Now, some of those notes and a few of those books were helpful to a degree during this time--most notably the writing of research memos in Dr. Schnee's Accounting 471 - Federal Taxation course--but there were indubitably ideas or instruction I had to subconsciously unlearn to better understand the practical application of the knowledge I had in the environment I found myself in.
When I selected accounting as my major, I did not see myself as a tax accountant somewhere down the line, although as I progressed through the class schedule and the semesters, I found more and more that into tax or audit were the directions the Culverhouse School of Accountancy at the University of Alabama usually launched its graduates into, often accepting them back for yet another year to earn a masters in tax or accountancy (audit) before returning them as second graduates to the workforce, where they began their careers as well-educated associates at any number of public accounting firms. What I enjoyed about my two early accounting classes was the order and organization, the practical nature of the practice which allowed the effective directing of a company's financial course. Cost accounting, or managerial accounting, was my favorite course, but for most other students in the accounting program, that was their least favorite class. Agreed, learning 15 different methods of budgeting, nearly every one specific to a certain type of application, was challenging, and it would take a thorough review for me to distinguish and explain each one from another. Nevertheless, it made sense, and it seemed to be a constructive, beneficial application of the knowledge I was receiving.
Despite my leaning toward cost/managerial accounting, internships were not nearly so abundant or advertised in the field, and while I got some experience in the area as a student accounting/business intern at the University Press for nearly two years, a full-time internship in the profession eluded me. As such, I tentatively joined the flow of the rest of the accounting students, plodding through tax, audit, and governmental accounting en route to an internship in public accounting. It was not until very late in the recruiting process that I made up my mind one way or the other between the two major fields (tax or audit), and I eventually decided upon tax, because I liked the class and the process I learned from Dr. Schnee better than the audit class. Not the best way to decide, but without actual experience in either field, it was the best option for me since 1) tax professionals usually do not have to travel out of the office, and 2) the process of tax was more in line with the way I thought and approached things.
[to be continued]
Monday, April 5, 2010
Lists in the Lists
I thought of this topic a while back, more likely than not as I was wending my way along I-20/59, to or fro work or home. Ah yes, I was listening to a broadcast of Focus on the Family, which is, in many respects, a fine production with much wisdom and principles from which to learn. On this particular occasion, the guest speaker had mentioned something about "the 10 such and suches," which started my mental cogs a-whirling.
Lists drive our day-to-day existence in sundry ways, to-do lists likely making the most appearances. Also of note: top-pick-your-number lists of whatever comes to mind, and lists of steps--to succeed, to break a habit, to construct this or that, etc. Be what they may, lists hold a strong draw for their organizational qualities, their ability to break down large tasks or daunting projects into manageable bites, and for record-keeping purposes (it can be a miniature time-travel trip to peruse old lists of whatever, reliving through their lines the events surrounding their authorship).
Anyway, these lists are in the "lists" (as in jousting) so to speak, because they are constantly competing, fighting for time and attention. Multiple to-do lists may exist which conflict with one another, causing issues of priority, top-N lists vie for "top-ness," and each list of how-to claims that the wisdom it unveils and shares is the most compelling and life-changing. Now, before this is assumed to be a list-bashing muse, let me say that I enjoy and employ lists for some of the reasons I listed above: to keep tasks organized and at times to break out unwieldy projects into components more easily wielded.
However, we should not--I should not--let these lists come to control. They may be an aid, but should not be a crutch.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
A Referential Chain
This is a reference to a quote from a reprinting of an original letter to the editor of a newspaper in New Jersey. Right, newspaper. What's that, you say? Ah yes, such has become the infusion of the electronically transmitted word, ironic as I blog this...
Anyway, here's the link.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Children are Different Nowadays--Or are They?
In listening to different radio programs, hearing the opinions of individuals, and reading various books, a consensus I am hearing is that children of today are different--than they were in the past, that is. The sources argue that it is hard to raise children in the way they used to be brought up because children have changed; thus, methods of raising them, disciplining them, teaching them, etc., should be different to adjust to the times.
I say that children have not changed--the culture has.
Yes, the problems that children have and cause today are much more severe than even as short as 20 or 30 years ago. However, drawing the conclusion that this is caused by a difference in the children themselves is erroneous. I am no doctor or psychologist or anyone else who may study behavior patterns and tendencies in children, but I was fairly recently a child, and have younger siblings and have been around friends with numerous younger siblings, and so I have observations to pull from.
Children are pliable yet resilient; they can adapt and adjust to many different situations and similarly hold up under difficult circumstances. These characteristics can also make them vulnerable: they can be easily influenced and led in one direction or another, causing far-reaching consequences in the course of their lifetimes. Also, children are different, but in another way altogether than is being argued by said sources. No two people are exactly alike, and that starts at birth. Nonetheless, these inherent differences in makeup and personality are not the sources of the rampant problems we observe today with alarming frequency.
The differences observed and referenced in these commentaries and whatnot seem to overlook the slew of inputs being foisted upon children today. Television programs, television advertisements, the Internet and all its components, good and bad, movies, music, books, schools, and numerous other subtle mediums inundate most everyone in the world, and the effects of this inundation are seen most strongly in the younger generation. Yes, parents try to "raise their kids right," but when their sphere of influence on their own offspring is limited to the time it takes to shoo them out the door, backpack in hand, to be nurtured by the state for seven hours a day, sandwiched between 45-minute rides on buses full of similarly-situated peers, and the time between their return home with "homework," possibly a meal as a family, and then bedtime, the influence they have on their children is minimal at best! Add into the equation the fact that while homework needs to be addressed most evenings, the television gets a fair workout as well, pouring messages into their eyes, ears, and minds whether they acknowledge the transfer or not.
What does this translate to?
Children are different today because of the way they are being shaped during development, not because of any difference in makeup between the children of today, those of 20 years ago, and those of the 19th century.
I say that children have not changed--the culture has.
Yes, the problems that children have and cause today are much more severe than even as short as 20 or 30 years ago. However, drawing the conclusion that this is caused by a difference in the children themselves is erroneous. I am no doctor or psychologist or anyone else who may study behavior patterns and tendencies in children, but I was fairly recently a child, and have younger siblings and have been around friends with numerous younger siblings, and so I have observations to pull from.
Children are pliable yet resilient; they can adapt and adjust to many different situations and similarly hold up under difficult circumstances. These characteristics can also make them vulnerable: they can be easily influenced and led in one direction or another, causing far-reaching consequences in the course of their lifetimes. Also, children are different, but in another way altogether than is being argued by said sources. No two people are exactly alike, and that starts at birth. Nonetheless, these inherent differences in makeup and personality are not the sources of the rampant problems we observe today with alarming frequency.
The differences observed and referenced in these commentaries and whatnot seem to overlook the slew of inputs being foisted upon children today. Television programs, television advertisements, the Internet and all its components, good and bad, movies, music, books, schools, and numerous other subtle mediums inundate most everyone in the world, and the effects of this inundation are seen most strongly in the younger generation. Yes, parents try to "raise their kids right," but when their sphere of influence on their own offspring is limited to the time it takes to shoo them out the door, backpack in hand, to be nurtured by the state for seven hours a day, sandwiched between 45-minute rides on buses full of similarly-situated peers, and the time between their return home with "homework," possibly a meal as a family, and then bedtime, the influence they have on their children is minimal at best! Add into the equation the fact that while homework needs to be addressed most evenings, the television gets a fair workout as well, pouring messages into their eyes, ears, and minds whether they acknowledge the transfer or not.
What does this translate to?
Children are different today because of the way they are being shaped during development, not because of any difference in makeup between the children of today, those of 20 years ago, and those of the 19th century.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Snow Day
Last Friday I had an experience, which, despite having grown up in Pennsylvania, with liberal snowfall a reasonably common occurrence, I had not yet run into: leaving work early due to snow.
I was at work in Birmingham, having driven up that morning as usual, and there was a buzz about the office in a way there rarely is. I could hear people chatting excitedly in the hallway and hear snippets of conversation about "...it's snowing..." and "...home early..." Being my Northern self, inured to such things as a little snowfall, I paid little attention to the hubbub, although it was mildly interesting to me as well: steady snowfall in Alabama for most any duration is a very unusual sight. Come lunch time, the snow was actually falling fairly thickly, in big, fluffy, wet flakes, collecting in a glaze on the top decks of parking garages, street-side trees, and parked cars. The streets themselves remained predominately clear, a combination of the ground not being quite cold enough to sustain collection and a steady stream of traffic through the city. As I had heard before, not a few people were speaking of leaving for home early, and some urged me to leave as well since my drive was the longest of anyone in the office that day.
Initially, I brushed the idea aside, like so much snow off my windshield, but as they continued reasoning and I pondered the situation a little more, I realized the prudence in the suggestions: as accustomed as I may be to dealing with snowy roadways, 1) Alabamians are not, 2) Alabama does not have the equipment nor resources to clear the roads of snow, and 3) the temperature was dropping, which would eventually cause the now-melting snow, without a melting agent like salt, to freeze and create potentially disastrous driving conditions. As such, I ate a quick lunch, finished the project on which I had been working through the morning, and then popped my head into the manager's door to let her know I would be heading home.
The drive home was different, to be sure: it was the middle of the day, instead of five o'clock or a little later, and so I could see much more of my surroundings. The snow fell at varying speeds and thicknesses throughout the drive, and the traffic responded accordingly. One accident had occurred a little short of halfway home, but although traffic was slowed a little, the wreck did not seem too serious and there were already emergency personnel on the scene.
Most impressively though, the snow had, as in downtown, collected on the trees along the interstate, completely altering the landscape. For those that have not seen a snow-covered treeline before, it is challenging to describe the transformation that snow causes upon its fall. I wanted to capture a photograph--as I have so many times in scenery and views similarly beautiful--but a picture could hardly do, especially one taken with my wee camera phone.
I was at work in Birmingham, having driven up that morning as usual, and there was a buzz about the office in a way there rarely is. I could hear people chatting excitedly in the hallway and hear snippets of conversation about "...it's snowing..." and "...home early..." Being my Northern self, inured to such things as a little snowfall, I paid little attention to the hubbub, although it was mildly interesting to me as well: steady snowfall in Alabama for most any duration is a very unusual sight. Come lunch time, the snow was actually falling fairly thickly, in big, fluffy, wet flakes, collecting in a glaze on the top decks of parking garages, street-side trees, and parked cars. The streets themselves remained predominately clear, a combination of the ground not being quite cold enough to sustain collection and a steady stream of traffic through the city. As I had heard before, not a few people were speaking of leaving for home early, and some urged me to leave as well since my drive was the longest of anyone in the office that day.
Initially, I brushed the idea aside, like so much snow off my windshield, but as they continued reasoning and I pondered the situation a little more, I realized the prudence in the suggestions: as accustomed as I may be to dealing with snowy roadways, 1) Alabamians are not, 2) Alabama does not have the equipment nor resources to clear the roads of snow, and 3) the temperature was dropping, which would eventually cause the now-melting snow, without a melting agent like salt, to freeze and create potentially disastrous driving conditions. As such, I ate a quick lunch, finished the project on which I had been working through the morning, and then popped my head into the manager's door to let her know I would be heading home.
The drive home was different, to be sure: it was the middle of the day, instead of five o'clock or a little later, and so I could see much more of my surroundings. The snow fell at varying speeds and thicknesses throughout the drive, and the traffic responded accordingly. One accident had occurred a little short of halfway home, but although traffic was slowed a little, the wreck did not seem too serious and there were already emergency personnel on the scene.
Most impressively though, the snow had, as in downtown, collected on the trees along the interstate, completely altering the landscape. For those that have not seen a snow-covered treeline before, it is challenging to describe the transformation that snow causes upon its fall. I wanted to capture a photograph--as I have so many times in scenery and views similarly beautiful--but a picture could hardly do, especially one taken with my wee camera phone.
Abundantly Blessed
My wife and I were getting ready to head to worship with our church yesterday morning, and I was about all dressed and ready to go when my wife requested that I change so that we might get a picture of us together in which we matched more than we were already. I acquiesced and went to alter my attire, and while standing in our walk-in closet--a much-desired feature of our new apartment as we were looking at it--and doing a bit of complaining in my mind about having to change clothes, I was struck by the absurdity of the situation: there I was in a room full of clothes with which I have been blessed, and instead of being grateful for what I had to use and wear, I had complained!
Every few months I make a point to weed out my "stuff," especially clothes. I am of simple, staple tastes when it comes to clothes, and when I find something I like, I wear it over, and over, and...well, suffice it to say that jeans can absolutely go a week without being washed, and the more they are worn and washed, the better they get. That being the case, I try to thin out my wardrobe every so often, but even when I am done, there is still an abundance of clothing for me to enjoy.
Faced with necessity, I have found I can go day to day with very little clothing variety. For five weeks in Europe, I had two pairs of long shorts, a pair of jeans, a few undershirts, and a brace of polos. In that situation, where it was understood that everyone in the group had the clothes in their bag and not much else, the repetition was expected. I wish it were that way in "real life"--where the home and workplace are. I could make it that way, but as much as i like to tell myself I do not care what people think of me, I still find myself pondering in the morning before heading to work, "when did I last wear that shirt with those pants and this sweater? Has it been long enough where I could get away with running a repeat?" Instead, could I not simply wear, cheerfully and gratefully, what comes to hand, thankful for what God has provided for me?
Every few months I make a point to weed out my "stuff," especially clothes. I am of simple, staple tastes when it comes to clothes, and when I find something I like, I wear it over, and over, and...well, suffice it to say that jeans can absolutely go a week without being washed, and the more they are worn and washed, the better they get. That being the case, I try to thin out my wardrobe every so often, but even when I am done, there is still an abundance of clothing for me to enjoy.
Faced with necessity, I have found I can go day to day with very little clothing variety. For five weeks in Europe, I had two pairs of long shorts, a pair of jeans, a few undershirts, and a brace of polos. In that situation, where it was understood that everyone in the group had the clothes in their bag and not much else, the repetition was expected. I wish it were that way in "real life"--where the home and workplace are. I could make it that way, but as much as i like to tell myself I do not care what people think of me, I still find myself pondering in the morning before heading to work, "when did I last wear that shirt with those pants and this sweater? Has it been long enough where I could get away with running a repeat?" Instead, could I not simply wear, cheerfully and gratefully, what comes to hand, thankful for what God has provided for me?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A Challenge
I nearly titled this post "the challenge," but considering how numerous challenges are posed claiming to be "the" challenge, I refrained from adding to the clamor.
During the first post, the observation was made that difficulties and troubles present themselves in many mediums, and some are absolutely more terrible than others--Haiti being the prime example of late. In a Bible class last Wednesday night, a tangent arose, addressing the topic of hardship, and as such, Haiti came up. Two more persons had been recently rescued as of that time, this after 14 days being trapped in rubble. Fourteen days amidst dust, heat, crumbled sections of what was a house or other structure. The average American mind has issues wrapping itself around that experience. The thought of two weeks of trapped, minute-to-minute existence is in a frame of reference residing in a gallery across the sea. "How could a person survive that?" is the obvious question from our centrally cooled-and-heated, internet-and-cable equipped apartments (not to mention the "expected" necessities of electricity and cold and hot running water). To the Haitian that was rescued, the experience was indubitably terrifying and excruciatingly exhausting, but nonetheless, it was less so for him than it would have been for any of us. This is not to diminish his trial, but to illustrate that there is a continuum of terrible experiences, and there is a sense of relativity to it, depending on where one starts along the grade.
All that to say, a challenge for us, in our predominately cushy culture, is to constantly increase awareness for all the blessings we are provided with, and to really examine what it is about which we are on the verge of complaining or affecting a martyr-like tone as someone asks us how our day is going.
I am guilty of this, remarking that, "Oh, I'm hanging in there" or something equally survivor-esque. What exactly am I "hanging in there" with? Working in an air-conditioned office for eight or nine hours a day, and commuting an hour each way? Sounds pretty atrocious, no? Oh, it doesn't? Exactly.
So in addition to being a light, I want to increase my perspective, my understanding of how blessed I really am, so I can be truly grateful and in turn, share what I have and bless others.
During the first post, the observation was made that difficulties and troubles present themselves in many mediums, and some are absolutely more terrible than others--Haiti being the prime example of late. In a Bible class last Wednesday night, a tangent arose, addressing the topic of hardship, and as such, Haiti came up. Two more persons had been recently rescued as of that time, this after 14 days being trapped in rubble. Fourteen days amidst dust, heat, crumbled sections of what was a house or other structure. The average American mind has issues wrapping itself around that experience. The thought of two weeks of trapped, minute-to-minute existence is in a frame of reference residing in a gallery across the sea. "How could a person survive that?" is the obvious question from our centrally cooled-and-heated, internet-and-cable equipped apartments (not to mention the "expected" necessities of electricity and cold and hot running water). To the Haitian that was rescued, the experience was indubitably terrifying and excruciatingly exhausting, but nonetheless, it was less so for him than it would have been for any of us. This is not to diminish his trial, but to illustrate that there is a continuum of terrible experiences, and there is a sense of relativity to it, depending on where one starts along the grade.
All that to say, a challenge for us, in our predominately cushy culture, is to constantly increase awareness for all the blessings we are provided with, and to really examine what it is about which we are on the verge of complaining or affecting a martyr-like tone as someone asks us how our day is going.
I am guilty of this, remarking that, "Oh, I'm hanging in there" or something equally survivor-esque. What exactly am I "hanging in there" with? Working in an air-conditioned office for eight or nine hours a day, and commuting an hour each way? Sounds pretty atrocious, no? Oh, it doesn't? Exactly.
So in addition to being a light, I want to increase my perspective, my understanding of how blessed I really am, so I can be truly grateful and in turn, share what I have and bless others.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
An Insight
Light murklins.
For much of the time, "making it" through the day or the week--or perhaps just the meeting or the errand--consumes the focus. Concentrate on "getting through," or even "just getting by." Delving further, however, through what exactly is status quo being maintained? Challenges? Tough times? Relational issues? How are such problems defined?
Two weeks ago, I strolled into a major commercial building, grateful to get out of the disagreeably cold and windy street. I was there for job training, in preparation for the challenges of working as a professional. As I waited with a group of trainees for the elevator, a television in the area was proclaiming what was likely "the worst natural disaster in the world."
Tens of hundreds of thousands were affected in Haiti, in the brief instant of an earthquake's devastation. The people that were left, dazed and shell-shocked, had an enormous challenge to face--with nowhere to begin. News has been broadcast around the clock of the supplies and manpower being pushed to the stricken Caribbean country, and its seemingly futile effects on destruction so epic.
As the technologically advanced, materially blessed nations around the world are struggling to channel resources into the tiny country, the Haitians, with their scarce supplies and depleted population are helping each other, sharing what they have, working to support those around them. To give up would be easy. The daunting task at hand is unimaginable from countless comfortable homes across this nation.
It is going to continue to be a struggle for Haiti to recuperate from the earthquake of January 12, 2010. However, in dark moments, light can glimmer, spread, and grow unlike at any other time. During the day, with the sun shining, or with lights on around the house or apartment or office, a little light is hardly to be missed. but cut the lights and a little light is appreciated, there is a draw to it.
Whether the challenge is rebuilding a city, a nation, or a life from scattered piles of what used to be, or "surviving" school or work, inside of it the outlook tends to be dark and bleak.
Light murklins. That is where this comes full circle. "Murklins" is a little-used adjective meaning "in the dark." A "light in the dark" is what i want to be. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world," and "let your light shine before men."
The world is dark and needs a light. I am a light. Light murklins.
For much of the time, "making it" through the day or the week--or perhaps just the meeting or the errand--consumes the focus. Concentrate on "getting through," or even "just getting by." Delving further, however, through what exactly is status quo being maintained? Challenges? Tough times? Relational issues? How are such problems defined?
Two weeks ago, I strolled into a major commercial building, grateful to get out of the disagreeably cold and windy street. I was there for job training, in preparation for the challenges of working as a professional. As I waited with a group of trainees for the elevator, a television in the area was proclaiming what was likely "the worst natural disaster in the world."
Tens of hundreds of thousands were affected in Haiti, in the brief instant of an earthquake's devastation. The people that were left, dazed and shell-shocked, had an enormous challenge to face--with nowhere to begin. News has been broadcast around the clock of the supplies and manpower being pushed to the stricken Caribbean country, and its seemingly futile effects on destruction so epic.
As the technologically advanced, materially blessed nations around the world are struggling to channel resources into the tiny country, the Haitians, with their scarce supplies and depleted population are helping each other, sharing what they have, working to support those around them. To give up would be easy. The daunting task at hand is unimaginable from countless comfortable homes across this nation.
It is going to continue to be a struggle for Haiti to recuperate from the earthquake of January 12, 2010. However, in dark moments, light can glimmer, spread, and grow unlike at any other time. During the day, with the sun shining, or with lights on around the house or apartment or office, a little light is hardly to be missed. but cut the lights and a little light is appreciated, there is a draw to it.
Whether the challenge is rebuilding a city, a nation, or a life from scattered piles of what used to be, or "surviving" school or work, inside of it the outlook tends to be dark and bleak.
Light murklins. That is where this comes full circle. "Murklins" is a little-used adjective meaning "in the dark." A "light in the dark" is what i want to be. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world," and "let your light shine before men."
The world is dark and needs a light. I am a light. Light murklins.
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