Today I’m on a plane
Posted by jOe
...to Pennsylvania. Which means nothing more than I'm a day away from arriving in New York. Denise, my coworker and good friend, is from Brooklyn, so whenever she's in the area (the top, right part of the country, that is), she tags a trip home.
This time I'm going with her. And for the last month she's been on serious count-down every time she's walked past my desk. We'll be there for exactly 31 hours, but I've been secretly adding up her list of must-dos, and it's clocking in somewhere around eight days.
It'll be good.
There will be pictures.
Speaking of pictures. I took some of those.
This is along the lake a couple blocks from my house. I used to always drive this way until they started doing this...
[sad face]
Another Guest Blogger [Beau Bredow]
Posted by Beau
I feel honored to contribute to [JOE] blog. I met Joe about 5 years ago at Metairie Baptist Church, a suburb of New Orleans. Joe and his brother Sam were looking for a new church and met my brother (Chad) at the first church they attended...and that was that.
My brother makes a big impact on everyone he meets, and typically not a good one. I was on staff or maybe just a member at the time. I even convinced Joe to help me out with a program for elementary aged boys on Wednesday nights at church and to go to camp with them. We had fun and Joe bought a camera, so in a way I single handedly kick-started Joe's photography expeditions.
My name is Beau Bredow, and I am a Baptist minister living in Lakeland, Florida. I oversee the elementary children's programs and Bible study programs at Scott Lake Baptist Church. I am married to Andrea--you guessed it: Bredow--and we have a two-year-old son named Blake, and another child on the way (coming in February of 2011). I am a Christian (a person who does his best to love Jesus and show His love to others through words, actions, and lifestyle).
Not sure what I will write about each time. I have my own blog, but the topics I discuss there are direct more toward church ministers and church ministry, but much is applicable to life, leadership, and relationships. Before this gets too long and boring, I'll tell you now. I want to talk about TRIBES.
Seth Godin is, well, I am not really sure what exactly he is or does, but I heard him speak a few years back at a leadership conference where he talked about his new book called tribes. (You can download a free audio book here). At first I thought, what does this have to do about anything? After all, when I spend 300 dollars for a conference, it had better be about me. Years later I am still thinking about the tribes concepts.
Tribes are: groups of 3 or more people with at least one thing in common and have a leader. Anyone can be the leader, but typically the person with the most passion or interested naturally becomes the leader. People are asked to be part of these tribes (groups) and are expected to participate and be involved with whatever the purpose is while promoting it to others.
Think about groups on Facebook, AA classes, social groups, Tea Party, politics, Bible study classes, Trekies, Vampires, Harry Potter, Disney, Red Hat Society, Mason's, Justin Bieber followers, Twitter, or as simple as a I-am-so-cool-I-have-my-name-tattooed-on-my-arm tribe (which I started, but canceled). I was sharing tribes with a friend, and she just could not get the point or the importance. I told her to start a Facebook page for red-haired, curly headed girls. The purpose to discuss hair styles and products for their hair and bond with other red-heads. Not sure if she ever did it, but if I had red, curly hair and was a girl I would join it. It's informative, holds a status of belonging, and gives useful tips; these are things everyone is looking for, even for something as superficial as hair.
I think Joe has strong potential when it comes to tribes. When there is something Joe cares about, buys into, and finds reward in, he takes off and leads it. Photography, music, New Orleans, movies...
For me, what stands out are the principles found in starting Bible study groups. Once I have a leader who is passionate about sharing the Bible with people I can start the group (tribe). He or she as a leader will invite people to be part of it. If the group is, say, for young-marrieds, he will find all the young married people he can find to be a part of the group. The group needs to be marketed broadly, but defined specifically to those that qualify. The group is open to both those in the church and not a part of the church. The group's purpose is to share life together, discuss the Bible, meet regularly, and start more tribes.
I have never met a person that did not wants friends, to be included, find purpose in what he or she is doing, and not to be judged for what he or she believes. These groups are very easy to get into, but if the follower (participant) does not hold up their part of the agreement to attend, participate, and promote the group, he or she will need to be removed because the group is the more important than the individual person. Some people want to make these groups broad, vague, and inclusive; but smaller, exclusive, and targeted groups have the most success, and they are the ones that people want to belong to.
Think about a person standing on the outside looking into what he or she really wants. He will do anything to get into the group, even start a new group of his own.
For me Tribes is important for developing Bible study groups. What kind of tribe(s) do you want to start or be included in? And as a side note, if you want a Power Point with Notes on Tribes email me, and I can get it to you.
Until Then,
Beau Bredow
beaubredow@gmail.com
http://beaubredow.blogspot.com/
fish.
Posted by jOe
"This is it. Let's do it."
I can remember, that's what I was thinking at this moment as I watched the boat being made ready for the water. My own silent peptalk.
That was the start of a three-day live-in-a-cabin fishing trip I took last year. I can totally handle the cabin (I don't even mind regular camping), but it's the fishing that did me in.
I don't particularly like the taste of fish to begin with, so the extra toil of pulling them out of the water and making them tasty appeals to me about this much less. That, and I'm not really the "be patient and wait" type. As a side note, I'll have you know I spent my entire childhood believing the be-patient-and-wait trait was a grown-up gene.
Then I became a grown-up.
But the trip turned out okay. I survived. And my initial looming fears of boredom and extreme anxiety almost completely resided in my head.
As I write this, it strikes me, I'm not really into the nostalgic, throw-back posts (although my good friend Katie is doing it flawlessly on her blog right now). But I came across these pictures when I was looking for pictures of my Dad for last Friday's post.
It was a funny and unusual situation for me to be in, and I wanted you to know.
There.
Via Chicago
Posted by jOe
I write this sitting in an airplane seat I can't recline because of the emergency exit behind me. I'll be cordially reminded of this the entire flight by the small sticky note on my left.
I'm flying to Kansas City from New Orleans.
Via Chicago.
It kind of reminds me of that person who asks you for a ride home from somewhere. You know who I'm talking about. You say yes, then ask something like, by the way, where exactly do you live?
"Oh, it's kinda far out of the way." Following up with a "you don't mind, do you?" as you've just steered onto the onramp.
Sigh. Via Chicago.
Anyway, FocusFocusFocus. Kansas City is a place I've been to more than once. More than twice. Actually, if we're being honest with each other, more than… well, it's not necessary to go there.
The purpose of this trip and each before it is to attend, learn, and network at the annual International Food Aid Conference put on by USDA & USAID. There is some good stuff here, but most of it is just business. Suits walking around talking to other suits while they spear little fruit wedges with tiny, colored toothpicks.
All in all, despite my cynicism it's a worthwhile trip. I'm just tired.
The name of this post is doubled in it's allusion. It's the title of one of my favorite songs by Wilco. Naturally, I've forgotten what it's about.
Anyway, I'm writing tomorrow's post now. It won't be quite so stupid.
Joe
Get Real Guns
Posted by jOe
This is really one of my favorite pictures. Much of it had nothing to do with me except the chance moment I happened to push the button on my camera.
His stance, posture, the tilted cigarette, the truckerhat-sideburns combo.
You can't fake this stuff.
I would almost be happy leaving it at this.
But there's more.
More:
Friday
Posted by jOe
As I was making the coffee this morning at work, I thought to myself: Joe, you know what I like about this place--America? It's the freedom to say, I came in first, and I'm making the coffee, so I'm not gonna count the scoops.
And you know what else, I think I might just pack it down twice to fit as many coffee grounds into that tight, little space as I can. I know it might cause the water to overflow a little, but let's be serious for a minute...
That's where all the fun is.
Update: just tasted the coffee. It's has the consistency of dried maple syrup. If I put a spoon in it and let go, it would stand up all on it's own.
Meanwhile, came across this and this yesterday.
Both interesting in their own rights.
Friday.
Saw the above the other day. In case your still piecing it together, it's a flag pole mounted to a scooter.
“Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the audience…
Posted by jOe
"...I don't think it's fair to call my clients frauds. Sure, the blackout was a big problem for everybody. I was trapped in an elevator for two hours, and I had to make the whole time. But I don't blame the. Because one time, I turned into a dog, and they helped me. Thank you."
[the courtroom in bewildered silence]
"Very good, Louis," says Egon. "Short, but, pointless."
This line is from one of my all-time favorite movies, Ghostbusters [II].
Ever feel like that? It started out so well. Or, er, maybe not well, but there were good intentions buried in there somewhere. However, by the time you get to the end you're looking around thinking you just made a train-wreck look good.
Eyhh.
This kinda sums that up. Plus, there's a clean version on YouTube now. So, I can post it:
Speaking of great lines, I'm reading Get Shorty (Elmore Leonard, 1990) which was made into a movie by the same name. Great, great, and great. I guess, Awesome, too.
It's has the feel of old time film noir and detective fiction, but it's neither. The movie was fairly straight to the book, but as is always the case, not nearly as encapsulating. Without getting too fulsome, I'll just say this. When I'm done, yes you may.
Dear Maturity. Oops.
Posted by jOe
The other day I had a thought: what if I don't mature any more for the rest of my life. What if, last Tuesday... I just topped out.
First reaction. Where does this ridiculousness come from?!
Second reaction (seconds later). [shrugs] WhatchaGonnaDo.
Here's a picture of a Mustang:
Reigning it in...
Many times when I get an idea or am working through a concept, I'll write it down. This helps me to remember it beyond the usual 3-5 seconds, but also to better digest it. Like the old adage: you don't really know something until you can teach it to someone else.
These notes usually end up in my phone. Here's one such musing:
Have you ever found that if you can chisel down to the finest point of one, your favorite something, it's only because you're less passionate about it (and it's area) as a whole?
Put another way, when you can say, this is my favorite song with such definition, aren't you really alluding to something else? As if your favorite wasn't the songs itself, but the catalyst to a feeling or emotion the song aroused in you. This would explain why one certain song can be elevated so far above all the rest. If you begin to dissect songs, regardless of the genre and origin, they tend to have more things in common than they do different, which would make it hard to pick one single song based purely on a technical criteria.
This reminds me of all the other similar notes I've written. I quickly think, the arduous project of tagging all these emotionally-laden facts to come to some conclusive, single answer would probably be the death of me.
At least, that's the rumor.
I'm using this post (read: I have no pictures for today) as an extension of my Notes app on my phone. To open it up to you...what do you think about all this?
And in keeping with good practice, another completely unrelated picture. Of Louis Armstrong:
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