Today, I realized that the year 2030 is just as far away as the year 2000 is.
Signing Santa.
If this doesn’t put you in the Christmas spirit, or at least bring a smile to your face, then I don’t know what will.
Officially: 2 weeks.
It’s officially since I’ve started my new big boy job. This is one of the mantra’s I’ve tried to tirelessly practice that was just perfectly illustrated. I hold this true when it comes to conference (or meeting marathons, as I like to them) season, too. It goes a very, VERY long way in terms of confidence. I’m always telling my students that I work with: if you don’t think you are the greatest thing since sliced bread, then no one else will either. 
What is home?
I’ve always been fond of the quote, “home is where the heart is.” But, realistically, I’ve always felt like I have multiple homes. The place that I was born? Northern Virginia. The place where I have a ton of childhood memories? Central Georgia. The place that I grew up? Fredericksburg. The place I’ve lived the longest (and my most formative years)? Blacksburg.
I can’t pick one. The one that rises to the top most naturally is definitely Blacksburg. That’s where my heart is. I take vacations there. I go back every single chance I get. I still provide most of community service and donations of time, money,e tc. to that place. But now, physically, I live in the D.C. Metro area.
There is one quote I discovered century that I think explain this “phenomenon” very well. It actually was the bookend on an episode of a show I watch frequently – Criminal Minds. Can you have your heart in many places?
Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave,
but not our hearts.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
“Fake” Buildings.
Fun fact: I earned a minor in Public & Urban Affairs as an undergraduate student. It actually was my very first major (and after switching a few times, I did still graduate on time!). I thought the major itself was more about working with people as public constituents (a la political science) than it was about the built environment of a community and, in some ways, architecture.
So when I discovered this on the internet today, I was intrigued and the city planner in me was so surprised. Did you know that some cities have “fake” buildings as a facade to cover up functional stuff that might otherwise be unsightly?
Since I really enjoy traveling, but can’t necessarily be on the move all of the time, I’ll occasionally spend time on the web diving into fun and unique characteristics of other interesting cities I’ve been to or would like to go to. New York City is one that I’ve only been to handful of times. While I don’t have any true desire to explore it further, one of the coolest things about the city was their frequent use fake buildings to conceal features of their subway system. Check out the linked article to learn more via a great post from Web Urbanist.
LIVE ART.
TLDR — LIVE ART is a community-oriented, inclusive, extraordinary, and moving art project that is based in Richmond, Virginia. Sponsored by SPARC (School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community), local community members came together through this idea to create a public art project that encourages students of all abilities to explore themselves through artistic expression and provide a safe, inclusive, and social space for students of all backgrounds and developmental abilities to interact.
Use this post to learn more about LIVE ART, donate here, and most importantly learn about the great students and the work they are empowered to do in this obviously amazing community. If you would like to learn more about the private screening and film that inspired the post, please click here. Can’t wait to see how this film performs as it has been submitted to the Sundance Film Festival as of late September 2014.
The Carlton.
If you don’t love the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, or were born after the year 2000, you probably won’t understand what makes this post so darn awesome.
If neither of those qualifications apply to you…you’re welcome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6Y_oEnHtM
Apple & Steve Jobs.
After writing a bit about my favorite coffee corporation last week, I started thinking about other brands that I am particularly loyal to. I am a proud consumer** (I always think of it as doing my little piece of helping our economy chug along here ;)) and although I feel it to be terribly cliché, I’m going to draw the line in the sand. Android fans, eat your heart out.
I sincerely, totally, and completely respect and admire the innovation that has been produced by Apple.
The reason I considered this post is because today marks 3 years to the day since Steve Jobs passed away from respiratory arrest that was at least partially caused by a pancreas neuroendocrine tumor. I remember being terribly shocked by the news of his passing. I always remember him as an intensely private person because there was always speculation about his health in the media, but no one ever really knew what was going on. As with many great people, after his death, many suddenly and more openly acknowledged how much of a visionary they thought he was. Before his death, I didn’t know much about him as a person, businessman, presenter, innovator, or anything. I just knew that he was THE guy at Apple.
Therefore, I guess I should preface the remainder of this post by admitting: I actually used to absolutely despise Apple. I didn’t think their software was intuitive; I actually thought it too difficult to learn/different from the Windows OS I was used to. I thought their hardware was too trendy and “out there,” I felt like they didn’t treat their customers well and only as numbers and opportunities for profit, and I couldn’t stand the aesthetics of many of their products. In fact, I also thought that people who would take the time to broadcast their love for a brand or company were senseless. How do you even develop such loyalty – unless you’re crazy and way too into it? And, too, why does that loyalty matter and why would anyone care?