Super Heroes

Superheroes.

What are they??

Maybe they are made of titanium alloy, heat resistant rubber, anhydrous ammonia, glitter, sunshine dust, metal and brawn.

Maybe they are stronger than all of those things combined.

Maybe they are more perfect than a GE 1.5 mw Wind Turbine... because in addition to their flawless design that enables them to withstand such incredible force despite the incredible weight they themselves are carrying...

...they can feel.

They feel the overwhelming satisfaction of winning the fights worth fighting. They feel the fire rise up in their bellies when the going gets rough. They feel the peaceful contentedness when they lay down for a power nap, knowing they're doing everything they can. They feel the restless hunger that wakes them up in the middle of the night when they know there's more they could do to ease the pain. They feel the twisted sting of heartbreak. They feel the confusion when the line between right and wrong is blurred by their hero. They feel themselves gaining confidence as they redefine that line and continue on, exemplifying their own standards of excellence.

Maybe they wear a spankin' new black or khaki suit [...depending on the day]. Maybe they wear a bona fied cape. Maybe they duct tape Christmas bulbs to each other's sweatshirts. Maybe they wear Polo. Maybe they are dogged on for dressing like a Grandma [come on, who doesn't love Grandmas? SERIOUSLY.] Maybe they wear gilley suits. Maybe they wear their shirts wrapped around their heads-- Apocalypse Now style. Maybe they wear citrus smelly cotton night gowns. Maybe they wear a banana yellow button down with starched jeans. Maybe they wear the coolest platypus-related-animal t-shirt of all time. Maybe they wear pumas. Maybe blinged out show jeans. Maybe shants. Maybe they rock management material-- corduroy of the National Blue variety. Maybe they wear rubber boots with shorts and cowboy boots with long white dresses. Maybe they wear kickin' sweet Chucks and life jackets like diapers. Maybe they wear Batman underpants and tutus.

But no matter what sort of uniform they are most comfortable in... they've braved some pretty battletastic circumstances and survived, champions.... heroes. They bear hard core battle scars from the tricks they won with the hands life dealt them. 

...Yeah, they're thick skinned super heroes.

I love them all.

You know who you are. 

Snowy Remembrance

The snow on the ground shimmers. The lustrous sky overhead is saturated with twinkling stars that peek through the emptiness of stark, sterile trees. The black velvet of shadows and the stillness of the cold make the world sparkle silently with every swishing step, every single syllable pronounced begins and ends with soft simplicity.

"So define it... say what it means. Use a reference.... what's the dictionary say?"

"A man wrote that book. Man is flawed. One man's definition is not enough... and when you have other men       referring to his answer, language is distorted. There have been many, dictionaries, too."

"So name the dictionaries. How many dictionaries exist?"

"...I don't know... but they exist, or did at one time. ...Merriam......... and..."

"Yes. Websters. The most universally used source in the English language. How many other dictionaries are there?"

"I....... I don't know." 

Not quite one year later, only one day after the first snow in 2011, here is a link to the Wikipedia piece on dictionaries, to satisfy that segment of this old conversation that won't be over until it is won.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictionary

As for the roots of the conversation... let's proceed to the root of the word that was being discussed-- at first lightheartedly (in lieu of the granted wish to have "arguments"), and shortly thereafter fervently (each voice vindicated in the advice held dearly in our left brain attempts to uphold integrity: When you're wrong, admit you're wrong. When you're right, don't give up.)  

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary itself (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self). 

3 self; noun; plural selves

 Definition of SELF

1a : the entire person of an individual

  b : the realization or embodiment of an abstraction

2a (1) : an individual's typical character or behavior her true self was revealed 

     (2) : an individual's temporary behavior or character his better self 

  b : a person in prime condition feel like my old self today

3: the union of elements (as body, emotions, thoughts, and sensations) that constitute the individuality and identity of a person

4: personal interest or advantage

5: material that is part of an individual organism ability of the immune system to distinguish self from nonself

There you have it.

I look forward to future conversations. I look forward to finding hard truth, consequently all truth, and not giving up until that truth is accepted.

...And remember: There are no contradictions.:) 

Happy World Food Day!

Unfortunately, in some places on the earth, World Food Day is over. However, as long as you're reading this, you can STILL CELEBRATE!

Go eat something you love. I recommend chocolate, bacon or a combination thereof. Go eat something you hate and pretend you like it! Again, I recommend chocolate, bacon or a combination thereof. Go eat something just because it was fun to order it... like the Vesuvius Burger at Red Robin (say it with me: YUM!!!). Go learn about eating. Go learn about why it's important and how your body does it. Go learn about how your food is made. Go learn about how food is marketed. Go learn about the programs promoted and funded nation-wide to ease the food process. Go read a North Miami High School graduate's advanced placement English paper about his perspective of the food process.

Always question your food... from the difference between white and red meat to the true definition of organic. Experiment, have fun, and relish in the exploration of your food. I love it because it's delicious. It makes my physical body able to meet the demands of my mind. It comes from so many different places, based on so many different processes and conditions, is the product of many interesting folks and their hard earned experience. Why do you love it? How are you going to CELEBRATE it?

First Combine Experience...

Well, I guess the title is a lie.

I work at Reynolds Farm Equipment, a Gold Star John Deere Dealership in Indiana that markets, sells, inspects and repairs combines.
I showed a Gelbvieh Heifer with some FFA friends a few years ago, and everyday I walked Malibu Barbie-Q, we walked by the combine used on the farm.
I took agricultural education courses at Hamilton Southeastern High School,  and learned about the technological improvements and uses for a combine.
I have spent the last year and a half of my short life sharing experiences with FFA members who are involved in production agriculture and use combines to learn about themselves [seriously. Incredible]. <-- This is where this particular combine story begins.


Lucy is one of my greatest friends and role models. She has kindness, conviction and honesty, and for those reasons she's been elected as Jr. Leader President and is making great progress leading her fellow FFA members. We celebrated these accomplishments last Sunday. Before headed to support our beef and dairy producers at Steak & Shake [Frisco Melts and shakes], we took a ride with her father in their John Deere 9670 combine.


A.K.A. we harvested beans.


Standing there in the field before climbing the ladder into the machine, I was amazed by this thought:


My two sandal-clad feet stood where food comes from. I was in the field that grew a crop that would fill hungry bellies. 


Ladies and gentlemen, that's what we're in it for. We bust ours to feed ours. I love it for many reasons, but mostly:


BECAUSE IT HELPS YOU EAT SO YOU CAN BE EXCELLENT.


Blog Action Day October 16, 2011