Exploring Your Call

Red Rock Reunion & Quick Escape on Monday

It was great to be back at Red Rock on Sunday - I don't get out there as much as I used to other than for staff-training in July. We decided to go for the day and got there to join their chapel service at 11. It was in part to celebrate the cyclathon but also from 3pm on was an alumni reunion. It was good to see some former campers (later on staff) - especially my mountain bike/out-trip campers! Also some CIT's that Wendy & I directed, along with the CIT counselors from Summer of 99. The girls had a blast down at the beach even though we'd forgotten to bring swimsuits. We just let them play in the water with what they were wearing and I think it made it more exciting. Zach did awesome and seemed to enjoy being handed off from female to female. It was his first significant road trip other than to Winnipeg - I can't imagine us having that mobile after three weeks with our first two. Back then we basically stayed in our house for a month.

Monday, I had my first conflict management class which I'm auditing at a graduate level - it should make my interpersonal processes class even more substantial. Then I escaped for a good but short mtn bike excursion with Pat & Paul - 9.8kms on the Suicide Ridge trail system. We explored that extra loop that I found a few weeks ago and found some pretty steep ascents/descents that made for some whoops & hollers & a few wipeouts. Lots of ticks though - although for some reason I didn't have a lot - helps to stay on the track.

Pictures & Personality

Here's an interesting exercise entitled the Imagini Visual Profile that describes a person's personality in response to mood, food, love, habits, etc. by the participant choosing their favorite images. These images interestingly correspond to our personalities & interests. I would have to admit that however you choose pictures, a personality is spun in a positive way. My honest favorite images result in me being described as:

Mood: - adventurous, pioneering attitude, unconventional when it comes to art, good sense of humour, music is the soundtrack to my world, I like to escape reality from time to time. - all true!

Fun: - you love physical activity, spirit of adventure, adrenalin rushes, take risks & push limits, holidays are about exploring, etc. - also all true!

Habits: - you never have enough rest - either too busy or too exhausted, snooze is your best friend or worst enemy, you have a relaxed approach to life & the environment, caffeine, etc. - mostly true!

Love: - a real romantic and bit of a dreamer, freedom is about energy and activity, exploring your boundaries and pushing limits, etc. - mostly true.

All in all the profile is pretty accurate for where I am at right now - have a try & let me know your results as I'm always curious!

Explore the World through Blogs?

So yeah - I attached a tracker of sorts to this blog & musings as well just to see where in the world people are actually from who pop by for a visit. Most who do obviously don't stay long or bother leaving comments but I'm just curious if the ClustrMap is accurate. I have hits from all over the world - not tons mind you but 193 visits since Mar. 2 - which I think is pretty good for my lil' blog. Places like the Manitoba area are understandable, I have friends in Ontario, Alberta, & BC but it is neat see places like the UK, the eastern coast of the US (hmmm who do I know in NY or NC?), Philippines, Malaysia, France, Netherlands, Caribbean, etc.
Hey word to you lurkers - where are you from and feel free to post anonymously if you don't wish to de-lurk - I'm just being curious & exploring the world through my little online journal explore play?

Okay I'll start - Steinbach, Manitoba! Just name your general location on this lovely planet of ours?

Vintage 1989

Weird to think anything is vintage that was made in 1989 but as I googled Game Boy - sure enough it came up as a vintage on Ebay and instead of selling for $99 it is listed at 99 cents. I'm sure it will sell for more but wow! Interestingly, I still have my Game Boy from 1989 and I definitely used it well.
It's pea-green monochrome screen has a few scratches but it has held up well over the test of time. SuperMarioLand & Tetris were probably the most used games on it...

My first year of college I admit to bringing it along to a few of my more dull classes where profs would drone on about theology & philosophy. Tetris helped me stay awake and provided some entertainment while I took in all that valuable information. Plus it had that lovely classical music that obviously deepened my understanding of musical scales & timing. Those creative Russians!
Oh the ironies of life as I know all too well that I've had students playing Solitaire in class on their handy dandy laptops. I like to think generally speaking my lectures keep most more focused & alert. But who knows? I realize that I do use big words too and bring up theology & philosophy in class as well...ultimately - I do know that my relationships with students in the end will count more than anyone lecture but it was cool to get a note & a few comments from students this week who appreciated how the classes had connected with them - maybe the mojo is real!

Escaping the Doldrums

It's been awhile since I've last reflected on the actual focus of this online journal - exploring play. Play can be a distraction from life and clearly we all need to just getaway sometimes but I believe that play can actually help us focus on what life is all about. The lives we live should be full and absolutely play-full. It is through play that we discover what we lose in our busyness - joy for being creative, for being alive!

When we exercise our bodies, our minds, etc. through play we awaken what was lost in the doldrums or in the fast-lane of traffic. How often do the threat of looming deadlines kill our spirit or murky the waters where clarity once existed? Nobody likes to be the Eeyore, the prophet of impending failure - right?

Exploring play is all about changing pace - maybe slowing down or turning a corner or even just resting & contemplating ones' existence. Play can be about asking questions like why do we do what we do? Play can be philosophy just as much as it can be about escaping. Play can bring us back to the importance of relationship - of genuine presence in the lives of others. Are we strangers in the night? When is the last time you laughed? When is the last time you were good and kissed? When is the last time you enjoyed exploring play?

Explore Comics?

Here's something you may not have known about me - I have a small collection of illustrated books & comics. I know it sounds a little geeky for the true outdoorsy adventure guy I am but hey what can I say I like reading about adventures as well as living them. I'm guessing watching Spiderman on Saturday mornings or after school helped kick start my interest in heroic stories.
Because I grew up outside the big city, we didn't have access to a great library other than the books shared by my grandmother or books that we purchased as a family. But the Winnipeg Public Library offered a service for a nominal fee - in lending books via mail in a big ol' green canvas bag that we would exchange the books with.
I remember the Batman comics were some of my favorites - it was an amazing treasure for me as a 12 year old to read all these adventures about the Dark Night.
It was also through the library that I discovered Tin Tin (see above) and Asterix (below) - and to date - I have complete collections of both and even some hardcover versions.
As far as comic mags I have collected - I tried to focus on the Silver Surfer. Admittedly, I have enjoyed the X-Men movie series, Smallville TV series, the latest Batman movie was amazing, and occasionally open up a comic book on a magazine rack but my hobby of collecting comics has stalled for the past few years. My favorite comic book heroes include: Batman, Silver Surfer, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and hey Spidey still is pretty cool. I should also note that The Fantastic Four movie franchise will be including the Silver Surfer in their new release this summer.
Anyways while doing a search online - I came across a comic from the UK that intrigued me as the hero happened to carry my name.

Name: Garth
Identity/Class: Human / extra-terrestrial hybrid
Occupation: Adventurer
Base of Operations: Active throughout time and across the world
Powers/Abilities: Extremely strong. He was also a military genius.
Background/History: As a small child the man who would become Garth was washed ashore in the Shetlands in a tiny coracle. Pulled out of the sea by an elderly couple who then adopted him, Garth grew up to be incredibly strong. He became a Naval Captain, but his boat was torpedoed. The shipwrecked Garth washed up from the sea on a wooden raft, amnesiac from his experiences, coming to land on a small island. He is discovered by Gala, a native girl, who introduces him to her people, and whom he later saves from a despotic tyrant. Later his friend Professor Lumiere psycho-analysed him, restoring his memories. Garth had many adventures, travelling through time to a variety of eras and encountering a wide range of opponents.

I did a little more research online and discovered Aquaman had a sidekick named Aqualad who later morphed into Tempest - whose real name was Garth as well. So anyways - there's my little divergent explore of comics. I didn't even touch on my Far Side collection or my wife's love of Calvin & Hobbes. I gotta get out of my batcave - I can only stay indoors by a computer for so long...

Exploration Quotes

Here are some interesting quotes to ponder & explore:

"We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started... and know the place for the first time" - T. S. Eliot

"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration" - Ansel Adams

"Writing is an exploration. Your start from nothing and learn as you go" - E. L. Doctorow

A life without exploring from my perspective would be a boring one and I'd question whether "living" is actually occurring. If a person never breaks into a sweat or whose pulse never races, my guess is they've never stepped foot outdoors. This world is too amazing to not explore and experience! I try to live my life in a way that keeps pushing boundaries, learning new things, and stepping over the edge into full-on adventure!
My fear of heights has never stopped me from climbing and my love of the outdoors has brought me to glimpses of Eden that leave me wanting more! Part of the reason why I love photography as it allows me to capture those moments in part and provides me with another conduit for creativity!