Re-Living those Radford Days

Although I had been to my alma mater Radford University about five years ago, it has been more than ten years since I visited there with friends.  Physical places hold a lot of memories for each of us, but it is the people we care about who add depth to those memories.  So it was this past Homecoming weekend that brought it all back to life.

My best friend Marcus and I made the five-hour drive on October 13th from Portsmouth, Virginia to Radford.  Around the Charlottesville area, the weather brought heavy fog and rain though our spirits were far from dampered.  We passed a town called Crozet in the heart of the mountains that would always make us laugh years ago traveling back and forth during breaks.  As it happens, we have an inside joke where in our best stereotypical Asian accents we exclaim, "Mountain in Crozet!"  I really can't explain the meaning behind this joke but I break down in hysterics thinking about it.

Radford has changed a lot in the past ten years.  There's the new Hurlburt Student Center nicknamed "The Bonnie" after the former Dean of Students Bonnie Hurlburt.  It's a marvelous facility that frankly makes me a little jealous of the students!  A genuine Starbucks is located there... oh, how I would have spent my meal plan dollars at that location.  The Bonnie is directly in front of Trinkle Hall, where I lived my sophomore and junior years.

Trinkle Hall has been completely renovated, and one of the first things Marcus and I noticed was a wheelchair ramp at the entrance of the building.  He and I pushed hard against the administration to build such a ramp around 1998 but of course we didn't know the ADA laws then which state such accomodations aren't necessary until the building is renovated.  Still, we were pretty happy to see one of our dreams was realized.

Moffett Hall, the second largest residence hall on campus, is presently under renovation.  Behind Moffett, there's a behemoth building under construction for the College of Business.  Several streets have been replaced with grass and plazas.  The new Covington Center, also near Trinkle, features an art gallery and performance hall.  And as one female faculty member put it to me and Marcus, the new university president has been "a womanly touch" to the campus by adding plenty of flowers to the landscaping.

It was also great to see some familiar sights - for example, I often frequented the theatre in Porterfield Hall where many of my friends performed in plays.  As Trinkle Hall primarily housed visual and performing arts students, those students tended to be my friends (and honestly, those who dedicate themselves to the arts tend to be my best friends).  I took a few photos of the theater where a play called "God of Carnage" is presently being put on.



Porterfield Hall theatre, from the back row

View from the stage in Porterfield Hall

Of course, the best part about coming back to Radford was seeing three of my friends who I hadn't seen in what seems like forever.  We had such a wonderful time catching up.  Even though we've stayed in touch on Facebook, seeing each other face-to-face was a vastly cool experience.  We had lunch at Macado's, a staple of the Radford off-campus dining experience.  We trekked around the campus, reliving memories.  Muse Hall, my home my freshman year, unfortunately has been treated unkindly the last few years and definitely needs a facelift.  But we reminisced happily at Trinkle Hall the most; we snuck into the building, violating the guest policy in the process... here I was, an RD, breaking the rules!  But we got to walk to my old room where Marcus, my former roommate, lived.  Though the doors and hallways were in nice new shape, they kept the room numbers the same, which was great.  In the basement, they've converted some of spaces.  The best space downstairs was where Marcus and I had put on a swing dance our sophomore (or was it junior?) year for all of the Trinkle Hall residents.  That was probably our program we were most proud of.  And who doesn't love swing dancing to such great music like the Brian Setzer Orchestra?



Where we had our swing dance years ago...

 

Marcus and I in front of our old room



Angela showing off one of her old rooms!

View of the campus from the top of Muse Hall

There are plenty more photos that I've taken that are on my Facebook profile, so I didn't feel like I needed to post all of them here on this blog post.  But certainly we've got to have a group photo!

Erika, myself, Angela, and Marcus in the Governors' Quad

Visiting Radford again reminded me how much of an impact it had on my life.  I certainly would not be the person I am today if I didn't have such an amazing experience there.  I'm extraordinarily thankful for the friends I made, the leadership skills I developed, and the education I received. 

During our senior year, Marcus and I had put together a two-CD set of music that marked significant memories.  We called them, somewhat unoriginally, "The Final CDs."  Marcus and I vowed for this Homecoming trip to compile another CD of songs that didn't make the cut back then or were new to our experiences in our friendship since graduating from Radford.  So on the drive to and from Radford, we succeeded in making a list.  Music has always seemed to me to be one of the best ways to honor and relive our memories.  And as I write this blog, I've been listening to the songs from the final draft playlist.

So I figure it's poignant to end this blog with a video of the Brian Setzer Orchestra playing one of their cool cat songs "Let's Live It Up."  Because we really did live it up back then, and for a beautiful fall October weekend in 2011, we lived it up again.

 

Ten Years Ago

Ten years ago today, I had just started my first year as a Graduate Assistant Resident Director at Capital University of Columbus, Ohio.  We were in our Residence Life staff meeting, and someone mentioned that a plane had just struck one of the World Trade Center Towers.  When I left the meeting, I went straight back to my apartment in Cotterman Hall and turned on the television where I was transfixed by what I saw.  Peter Jennings, who'll always be my favorite anchorman, was talking about the tragic events of the morning.

I called my mother and asked her if she knew what happened.  She turned on the television too and we watched together for the next hour, discussing it all over the phone as it happened.  Watching each of the Towers fall, seeing black smoke bellow from the Pentagon, and hearing the report of the plane crashing in Pennsylvania were all really haunting to witness. 

After that hour, I was called to assist on campus.  I went to the service on campus with many of the students, staff, and faculty.  I remember a lot of people crying, and the world just seemed like it was in a fog. 

There are three specific memories I recall most vividly on that day:

• It seemed like the first-year students in my residence hall were playing the song "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton in just about every other room as I walked by to check on them.  That song will always be engrained in my soul in association with September 11th.
• The candlelight service that night outside of the Campus Center.  Listening to students speaking into a microphone about their reflections.  Holding that candle in my hands and seeing everyone else doing the same was somehow calming, I suppose.  Small lights to offer some hope.
• Calling my best friend Marcus from my parents' house (just five miles north) in the backyard, I looked up and saw a crystal clear starry night sky.  Marcus was in Virginia, and we just thought about how big - yet small - the world seemed to be that day.  We spoke over the phone with emotion just in awe that no planes would cross that starry night sky.

Today the events of September 11th, 2001 and the people so greatly affected by it are marked in my heart.  Always remember.  Always reflect.

Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles"

Drastic Measures for Plastic Tethers

It's funny how a slim card of plastic that can fit in your wallet can weigh you down so much.  Sometimes they multiply, especially under the right economic conditions, until there's a point those little pieces of plastic become tethers anchoring you down as the waters rise all around you.


img: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's a depressing experience when you allow credit cards and debts to become larger than you ever expected.  It started for me when I entered college in 1997.  I was getting so many credit card offers at the time during the good old Clinton era when businesses were booming.  As a college freshman, I gave in to the temptation.  Being an avid 49ers fan, I got myself an NFL credit card through MBNA.  And then I spent money like it was my part-time job.  But with most part-time jobs, the benefits are few.  In 1999, I had an awesome three-week vacation in England with my best friend.  He saved for it.  I didn't.  By that time, I already had accumulated a few credit cards.  Though I don't regret that trip to England for a moment, I'm ashamed to say that it started the lengthy trudging through deeper and deeper debt.
 
I always thought I'd get myself out of it on my own.  But it's been 14 years since the debt began - and gradually increased.  Over the last three years, the debt has plateaued but never decreased.  Then this August 2011 slammed me with such frustration and fear that I knew I had to seek help.

Early in August, I noticed my trusty 1998 Nissan Altima with 120,000 miles was making loud rumbling and squealing noises under the hood whenever it was idling or accelerating.  I had it checked out by the local mechanic and $530 later, part of the problem was fixed.  But the mechanic said the timing chain in my engine was about to go, which was the kind of work he didn't do.  I took it to the local Nissan dealer and they confirmed the problem along with a hefty $3400 price tag to get it fixed.  I couldn't afford this, not even if I combined all the remaining available credit on all of my credit cards.  The financial fear was gripping, and I called my father to ask if he'd help me get a "new-to-me" used car.  Initially he said he'd do it but then changed his mind and said he'd only give me a loan to repair the car.  I didn't have much of a choice unless I took out a large car loan - but even when I did the math for that, I wouldn't have been able to afford the monthly payments unless it was beyond a 60-month term.  So I called around to different auto shops and was able to get my car fixed for $1450 (which contributes to the notion that dealerships are greedy folks!) after getting a check from my father to pay for it.  But I still feared this was $1450 being sunk into a potential black hole.  It's an old car after all.  It took a week for the car to be fixed, which was the longest I've ever been without a car.  That wasn't too bad though since I was in the middle of Resident Assistant training at work which meant I was mostly stuck on campus anyway!

When the auto shop called me to say it was all repaired, I was so relieved when they told me everything else under the hood was in fantastic shape.  What a gift.

I didn't want to experience such stress again though.  What would happen when my car needs another major repair again - or worse yet, is beyond repair?  I knew I had to take care of my personal debt crisis seriously.  After speaking with a friend, I believed speaking with a financial counselor would be a smart start.  Another friend provided me with the name of a reputable credit counseling company, and that's when I decided to take control of my life again.  After a lengthy phone conversation with the counselor named Tricia, she helped me create a debt management plan and a personal budget.  Starting this Monday, I will be giving a little more than half of my monthly salary to the credit counseling company every month for the next 4.5 years.  They'll in turn distribute that money to the credit card companies each month.  It's well worth it, as they're able to lower all of my credit card interest rates by very significant amounts.  You can probably get a good sense now of how bad my debt has really become.

I have cut up all of my credit cards so there's no temptation.  And as each credit card is paid off, that particular account will be closed until all I have left is one credit card remaining with zero balance.  That's where I'll re-build my credit history, wisely this time.  Thankfully throughout the last 14 years, I've never missed a payment to credit card companies and I always made more than the minimum payments, so my credit score is actually really good right now.  So even as my credit history is gradually "lost" over the next 4.5 years, I don't think I'll ever have "bad" credit.  I have student loans too, but I have to manage them myself.  I'm not overwhelmed by those loans - they'll get paid down soon enough.

I've often felt weighed down and depressed by all of the debt I've had.  It's hard to believe that nearly half of my life has been inundated with that horrible feeling and a sense of no control.  But at least I now have a plan.  And with a new personal budget, I'll be able to put aside money monthly for emergencies like car repairs (or perhaps a down payment on a new car a few years down the road?) while also only purchasing the things I only really need.  Well... with one exception. 



My little piece of heaven

That exception would be mocha lattes!  I love them too much and I've visited Starbucks and the local Better Bean coffee shop to get my craving for so long.  Mocha lattes are my self-indulgence.  When it comes down to it, they are probably my most simple daily pleasure that I didn't want to lose.  Of course, I couldn't afford to drive out and buy them anymore with my new  budget.  Well - six years ago, my parents bought me an espresso machine that I never used.  Too complicated, I thought, quite stupidly I might add.  But three weeks ago, I chose to finally give it a try, and guess what?  I've made a mocha latte for myself every day since.  It's certainly an art form to make the perfect mocha, but I've succeeded at doing so.  And instead of paying $4.25 a day for a mocha - plus gas for the car (gasp!), now it only costs me $1.50 a day.

August 2011 was the month that nearly brought me to the financial brink.  Instead, I've chosen to use it as an opportunity to bring me to the light.  I can see the light.  And in 4.5 years, I'll be able to bask in it.  It's a tough journey ahead, but I'm ready for it.  

A Tribute to Our White Shepherd

It was around 2001 that Shaman, a beautiful White German Shepherd, was brought home by my parents in Columbus, Ohio. I'll be honest in saying that when I first met Shaman, I didn't like him. He was initially a little fearful of me, barking every time I looked at him. I walked out of the house to go back to my apartment (I was attending The Ohio State University at the time) and told my parents I'm not coming back until the dog was gone. Yeah, right. Quite the bluff on my part, because Shaman never left, and I came back not too long after.

Ten years later, I'm living near Boston and my parents live in Virginia. Every time I come home to visit for a few days, Shaman has been the first dog to greet me at the door. Tail wagging uncontrollably, pathetic but sweet high-pitch whimpers of excitement, and a craving to be as close as he can to me. When I'd first walk in the door, Shaman's thoughts were likely, as my mom put it, "He's home! The pack is complete again!" He's a brilliant dog. He recognizes different words and phrases easily: ball, walk, [Mikey, Daddy, Mommy - whoever]'s coming, and kittty cat." And if you talked to him, sometimes he'd tilt his head to the left and right as his mouth hung open (kind of like the photo above), trying to figure out what you were saying. He loved learning.

Unfortunately, like many shepherds, Shaman had a lot of hip and leg issues. He'd tear the ligaments in his rear legs, and while some owners might put their dog to sleep at that point because the surgery is so expensive, my parents made the investment - twice - to provide the surgery for Shaman on the two different occasions he took out one of his legs. Shaman got a very good life. He got to hang out with three different dogs in the household over his life - Echo, our Siberian Husky (still alive and well up in Maine with another family now); Diamond, our Doberman Pinscher (no longer with us); and Callie, our Great Dane (still with my parents). By that, you can tell my parents seem to love big dogs!

I went home about three weeks ago for a vacation, and my parents and I spent time at their new vacation home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Shaman and Callie came with us, of course. It was obvious Shaman was in some pain as his hips and legs were sore, naturally from him getting older. But the moment my mom would ask him if he wanted to go swimming in the pool in the backyard, with his BALL, Shaman would get right up and quickly hobble over. And he'd go swimming! I took this photo of him then with his Spongebob Squarepants ball.

Well, I got the news from my mom that Shaman sadly passed away this past Friday, July 15th, 2011. On Thursday, he apparently didn't have any food or water and was in some pain. That evening, he limped up the stairs with my parents since it was bed time. But at some point that night his body just went into paralysis. He couldn't move at all, and he was whining and panting a lot. My dad had to carry him downstairs, and as soon as the vet's office opened, my parents brought Shaman there. The vet wasn't really sure what it was - it could have been a number of possibilities, but none of them sounded like something that would allow Shaman to have a good quality of living. So my parents had him put to sleep so that he'd no longer be in pain. He would have been eleven years old this November.

I'm sure it's harder for my parents and Callie than it is for me since I'm not even home to be reminded of Shaman. But it's still sad to know that this sweet dog is gone. As for the relationship I had with him, it was good as it can get with a dog. He and I didn't see eye-to-eye initially, but Shaman and I ended up becoming best buddies whenever I visited home. I'm glad I got to see him just recently. One evening at the Outer Banks, I gave Shaman a good massage and he fell asleep he was so happy! I'm thankful I got to have that moment with him.

Rest in peace, Mr. Shaman!

A Whirlwind Trip to Myrtle Beach!

I just returned a few hours ago from a quick trip to Myrtle Beach, SC where my friend Stephanie and her family have just moved to.  It looked as though Stephanie would have to make the 16-hour drive by herself, so I volunteered to tag along.  It was a LONG overnight drive from Massachusetts starting Saturday around 5:30pm, and we saw some major thunderstorms and downpours, but we made it down there in one piece around 9am Sunday.  Stephanie's rabbit also survived the sometimes bumpy-road journey thankfully, as well.  On long-distance drives, I think sometimes the most interesting things are the strange town names you see.  The town of Zebulon, NC probably topped my list this time around.  I thought it sounded like a planet that some crazy aliens would come from. 

Stephanie, her husband Bill, and her daughter definitely have a nice apartment in SC, and I'm frankly a little jealous!  I could also see why Myrtle Beach is such a major tourist destination.  Plenty of things to do.  And I haven't seen palm trees in years, so that was cool, too.  The weather was a bit too hot for my liking in the 90's (coming from Massachusetts when it was raining and 60 degrees was a shock).  But I enjoyed seeing where they are now living.  I think once they settle in, they'll really love it.

Sunday was the only day I'd have down there, so I was limited in what I could do.  But we all had lunch, took a 4-hour nap, played a round of mini-golf together where a fun miniature train took us to our 18-hole course (playing golf, I came in second... Bill kicked butt, but I had two holes in one!), and had dinner at the Outback Steakhouse.  I LOVE that restaurant.  Though it's pricey, it's so worth it.  I savor every bite of their delicious Victoria's Filet.  Perhaps I will write to Outback and tell them how great it is, and they'll send me a coupon for a free meal there.  Haha, one can hope! 

It really stunk that I had to leave Monday morning since I'm on call this evening at work.  But at least I was flying back instead of driving.  It was tough to say goodbye, although I know I eventually return down there especially considering my parents live in Hampton Roads, VA and have a vacation home in the Outer Banks of NC, both of which are about 5 1/2 hours away from Myrtle Beach.  By the way, I definitely recommend Spirit Airlines as they have quick, inexpensive flights between Myrtle Beach and Boston.  Plus they have a $9 fare club you can join.

All in all, I was just happy to help out a good friend make the journey, see where her family's new life is, and get a mini-vacation in there, too!  Oh, and I can officially add South Carolina to the list of states I've visited - 38 of 50 now! Woot!  Now it's back to work...  but I'll be on vacation again in a week and a half in the Outer Banks.  Yay for that!

Please Help Me Raise Money for the MDA!

Hi gang!

The reason for my blog today is to make a plea to you to help me raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of southeastern Massachusetts.  The MDA provides support for children with muscular dystrophy and other neurological muscular disorders.  Last week, I received a phone call from Barrett's Alehouse asking me to participate in their Bridgewater Lock-Up to raise money for the MDA.  On June 22nd, I will be arrested and placed "behind bars for Good."  They have set my bail at $1600 - I know it is a stretch to make that, but I'd like to do my best!  I'm told if I don't meet bail, I'll still be released for good behavior... so don't worry TOO much.

Here is my game plan to raise money - now that I am out doing my brisk walks again (and will likely do another half-marathon in the early fall), I ask for you to pledge to donate for every mile that I walk between Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, June 19.  My personal goal is to reach 50 miles over the course of those 30 days.  You'll be helping to support Jerry's Kids, but I also offer you an incentive!

For every 25 cents per mile that you pledge, I will enter you into a drawing for a free meal at your favorite restaurant up to $25 with yours truly!  If you live far away and we won't be able to meet up, then I'll mail you a $25 gift certificate to your favorite restaurant.  If you pledge to donate 50 cents per mile, then I'll enter you twice in the drawing, and so forth.  So how's that sound? :-)  All you need to do is comment on this blog with your pledge, write on my Facebook wall, or send me a Tweet!  You can also me at mtgoodha@gmail.com.

Once June 19 rolls around, I will announce the drawing winner, and I'll let you all know my walking total and request your donation at my MDA Bridgewater Lock-Up personal page.  If you prefer to make an anonymous donation, you can still do so at my personal page noted above, any time you wish!

Feel free to share this post on your blog or in any form that you choose, too!

So are you willing to help me and Jerry's Kids out?  I hope so. :)

(p.s. - in case you're feeling skeptical about my walking total, I use RoadRunnerGPS on my walks and will post those on June 19th [until then, I'm going rogue with it]... so this is scientific! ) 

A StrengthsQuest Experience

An Introduction to StrengthsQuest

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a full-day workshop with fellow staff members on StrengthsQuest, a program that begins with a 30-minute assessment of one's individual talents and then explores how your talents can be harnessed as strengths in an academic setting.  Whereas a talent is a natural ability, a strength is that talent tapped into and developed.  StrengthsQuest boldly states that you need to focus less on your weaknesses and more on developing your talents.  Certainly you can't completely neglect making some improvements on your weaknesses especially when it comes to job requirements.  But you'll make better use of your time by building on your talent.

I was excited about the workshop for a couple of reasons: it's essentially a program that identifies personality traits, and since I love the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, StrengthsQuest sounded cool; the other reason is I had already taken the StrengthsFinder assessment a couple years ago, so I was somewhat familiar with the various 34 Strengths and my particular Top Five Strengths.  The workshop was very interactive, and we spent much of our time in discussion with a partner, a group of four, and in full room activities.  I couldn't help but compare StrengthsQuest to the MBTI many times, and I think I still prefer the MBTI overall.  But regardless I do feel StrengthsQuest is a very useful tool.  It's another lens through which you can view yourself (and others).

The 34 Strengths can be consolidated into four categories: Executing, Influencing, Relationship-Building, and Strategic Thinking.  Getting a sense of the distribution of your and co-workers' Strengths across these categories can help you understand how you can work as a team and if your team is missing some useful talents. 

As it turns out, three of my Top Five Strengths are in Relationship Building, and two are in Strategic Thinking.  In fact, even among my Top Ten Strengths - seven are in Relationship Building, and three in Strategic Thinking.  What that means is you can definitely count on me to consider others' thoughts and feelings in decision making but also to utilize logic to analyze different plans of action.  However, when it comes to implementing the plan or persuasively pushing my (or the group's) agenda -- not as much! (A funny example of that: ten years ago in my first year as a Resident Director, after much group deliberation over an issue in a staff meeting, I told my RAs "if it's okay with you guys, I'd like to make an executive decision."  Classic indecision.)

My Top Five Strengths/Talents

So, here are my Top Five Strengths, what they mean, and examples of those strengths (or talents) in my life.  I have italicized the definitions as provided from StrengthsQuest.  You'll have to forgive me in advance, as I feel like this next section comes across a bit narcissistic.  But these are my strengths after all.  ;-)

1) Connectedness: People especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things.  They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

I did a lot of research during graduate school on the topic of spiritual development among college students, and that was sparked from a situation my junior year of college when I had a bowel obstruction and would have died without emergency surgery.  That experience set in motion a personal search for meaning and purpose.  I read the Tao te Ching, fell in love with the idea of synchronicity discussed by Carl Jung, and came to believe that the world was vaguely meant to be as it is.  My love for genealogy is partly rooted in the belief that I was meant to be here, for if even a single one of my ancestors did not procreate at the time they did, I would not exist - at least not as I am.  I especially love the idea that the moment of conception is a high-stakes game of chance where the odds are overwhelmingly against you to be born; thus, if you're lucky enough to be born, you should consider yourself a chosen one (by who or what, I don't know).  Finally, when things in life get difficult, I have faith that it's all part of a cycle, and that eventually things will get better again.  These beliefs all help to keep me resilient and motivated.  I think the Connectedness theme also helps drive my involvement with sustainability efforts.

Oh, and my favorite song?  "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," by Sting. 

2) Input: People especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more.  Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

I've always loved books since I was a young child, and today I have quite the library in my apartment.  I mostly read non-fiction books - either biographies, history, or politics.  Like a batting line-up in baseball, I always have at least a couple books ready for whenever I'm finished with the current book I'm reading.  Along with that, I soaked in words as a child, and spelling and grammar became important to me as I grew older.  With genealogy, I love the pursuit of my ancestors (or my friends' ancestors - honestly, it doesn't matter!) as I search for birth, marriage, military, census, immigration, academic, and death records to name a few.  Having a collection of ancestors' letters during the Civil War, World War I, and World War II is a matter of pride for me.  I enjoy trivia games, and my home web page is CNN.com (I crave the news!).  And the Input theme definitely lends itself to my desire to work in a registrar's office one day.

3) Intellection: People especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity.  They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

As a strong introvert, I appreciate time alone to collect my thoughts, imagine different situations, and consider my feelings.  But I also thirst for discussions with others about the news, politics, and philosophy.  I've always been this way even in middle school.  I recall morbidly theorizing as a 14-year old that if the human population had to be reduced due to overpopulation, which people would be first to go and why?  I'm not proud of those ideas, but it is an example of me as an adolescent boy flexing the muscles of his brain.  With significant others, I've always needed to be with someone who shared my love for one-on-one philosophical discussions and debate.  Also, if there's a major decision for me to make, it's important for people to give me a fair amount of personal time to reflect on it. 

4) Individualization: People especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person.  They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.

I feel as though my obsession with the MBTI is a mark of the Individualization theme.  I used the MBTI when I was a student leader in RHA.  In graduate school, I was lucky to take a course in the Myers-Briggs.  After that, I was able to become qualified to administer the MBTI to groups and organizations - something I love doing to this day.  I consider myself pretty observant of others' qualities; I'm not necessarily as good at getting people to work together productively but that perhaps is a talent that just needs molding.  In conduct cases at work, I tend to take students' individual stories into consideration for judicial decisions.  During my senior year in college, I had written a poem that I read to a group of fellow student leaders at a banquet about the power of the individual.  Coinciding with that time, my letter of intent for graduate school outlined my firm belief in individualism.

5) Adaptability: People especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to "go with the flow."  They tend to be "now" people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.

I immediately think of the "Perceiving" type preference from the MBTI when this Adaptability theme comes up.  As a Perceiver, I am fairly spontaneous about many things at least in the long term.  In the short-term though, I do tend to have thought-out plans and goals.  But I feel no need to plan out my nights and weekends, and I'd rather have a day free to myself to do whatever I want rather than be tied down with a commitment.  If a plan goes wrong, I don't typically panic and can consider other options fairly quickly.  I also believe that planning things out too much can blind you from seeing sudden opportunities that may come your way.

*You can see how I rank for all 34 Strengths below:

Final Thoughts

I'm looking forward to collaborating with others in student affairs at Bridgewater in considering plans to use StrengthsQuest with others at the university.  I'm also keen on reading the StrengthsQuest book that we were given at the workshop - it's next on my line-up!

If you're interested in taking the StrengthsFinder assessment, you can go to http://www.strengthsfinder.com/ and purchase an access code, or you can go to your book store and buy the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book.

A Quick Little Update!

I thought I'm a little overdue for an update on all the walking and shin stuff, so here I am spreading the cheer on this Easter Sunday!

I've been in physical therapy for the last three weeks, and it's been great.  They started with flexibility and range of motion with my muscles and joints along my feet, ankles, and legs.  At the first appointment, they told me I was underdeveloped in just about everything which had surprised me a bit as I always thought I took good care of my legs.  But it's amazing how many muscles you don't really use effectively and how bad your posture can be without knowing it.

Last week they re-measured everything and found I improved in just about all aspects; my ankles' range of motion is now normal and even a little better than that.  They're continuing much of the flexibility exercises but now they've added balance and strength training, particular on my core.  I asked them what my core had to do with my shins, and it pretty much has everything to do with them.  By strengthening my core, I'll have more balance, improved posture, and I should find it's easier to speed walk and perhaps even run.

They've also been doing electro-stimulation of the muscles around my shins, and that's a cool experience.  Somehow it reduces the inflammation and in turn lessens the pain.  Inflammation and pain are cyclical with each other, so the goal is to put a stop to that cycle.

The weather today is terrific - sunny and 72 degrees around noon.  Though I'm really sleepy because of a busy night on duty as the RD on campus, I couldn't resist putting my sneakers on and going outside for a walk.  First I did some of the stretching exercises I learned, then I went out and briskly! walked 2.4 miles at a 14:09 min/mile pace.  That's pretty close to what I was doing at my first half marathon last June.  This was the first time I walked over two miles since February, and it was nice to do a true brisk walk.  The fantastic thing is I had no shin pain, with the exception of a little achiness after the 2 mile mark.  That's perfectly okay.

I felt like I was smiling ear-to-ear on my walk the whole time.  I genuinely feel elated at my progress.  I can sense the endorphins flowing today.  With the amount of stress and roller coaster emotions I've encountered in a variety of personal aspects the last few weeks, I think my return to brisk walking will finally put some balance back into my life.  In a figurative and literal sensitive, I'm working on strengthening my core.  Woot!

Clear Skies on the Horizon

I had my first physical therapy appointment today for my shin problems, and I'm ecstatic to say that I finally heard some clear explanations for the pain I've been experiencing and that there is definite hope for a full recovery within the next two months.  Before I go into all that, allow me to sidetrack for a bit first!

Firstly, my legs have been feeling better during the last several days and this time it seems to be sticking.  On Sunday afternoon, the weather was beautiful -- sunny and in the mid 50's.  I decided to go for a 30-minute casual walk along the Great Hill Trails on campus.  Breathing in the fresh air, experiencing the pleasant solitude in the woods, and having no leg pain was a combination that gave me great joy.  The soft ground provides some give for my shins.  I really feel like the trails will be my path to getting back to a routine that I so enjoy.

By the way, this Wednesday, April 6 is "National Start! Walking Day."  Check out the link for more details.  I think it's a great idea that the American Heart Association helps coordinate.  This Wednesday at Bridgewater State at 11:45am and 4:30pm, there will be planned walks for students, faculty, and staff on the Great Hill Trails starting behind the Tinsley Center.  I'm hoping to do the 4:30pm walk, time permitting.  Regardless, I love the timing of this event with what's going on for me personally.  Synchronicity in its prime beauty, I say.

During my physical therapy today, the therapist asked me a lot of great questions, and he thoroughly examined everything with my feet and legs.  For the first time, I felt like an expert was genuinely interested in my well-being, getting me on track, and really knew what he was talking about.  I learned I'm flat-footed but only on my left foot.  Many of the muscles in my legs, ankles, and feet need some flexibility training.  The joints in my ankles and feet were stiff, too.  All of these issues have been contributing to my problem.

So the next steps are five sessions of physical therapy over the next three weeks to stretch and strength muscles for my ankles, calves, hamstrings, and glutes.  I'll be getting some shoe insoles for the arches of my feet.  The therapist showed me exercises I can do at home, too.  They're also planning on doing an ultrasound of my shins -- not as a diagnosis tool, but as a way to "microwave" my shins to break up any bad stuff in there.  Literally, microwave was the term used.  Kinda crazy, huh?

My therapist told me I'm definitely in the final healing period for my shins, and with all of the exercises and advice he'll be giving me, he even told me that running should be in my future again.  Honestly, walking briskly is fine with me but if he can promise me I'll be able to run, that is fantastic news.  Within two months, I should be able to do intense distance walking again.

Though it was raining today, I can see there are most definitely clear skies on the horizon.  I have such a good hopeful feeling with this turn of events.

BSU BlogFest - Day Five: The Future

This is my final post of the five-day BSU BlogFest series, where BSU community members share their thoughts on a common topic each day.  BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.  Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Friday's BlogFest Theme: The Future

Firstly, I have really enjoyed writing these blogs for BSU BlogFest this week, as well as reading many of the other contributors' thoughtful and fun posts.  I hope that we can continue this throughout the year perhaps on a weekly basis.  Blogging allows for people to reflect and share their ideas in a creative way.  It also provides insight into the lives of fellow BSU community members, especially for those of us who may not communicate much with each other outside of the classroom and the workplace.  I've definitely appreciated that folks have opened up to the extent they have.

So this final post for the week pertains to "the future."  I don't think I'm very good at looking far ahead in time, and that may or may not be a bad thing.  I'm kind of limited to being a "one year ahead" sort of guy but no further than that.  I suppose that's because I appreciate the idea of leaving many doors open for opportunities that might come my way.  Most of my major life decisions have come about purely by chance.  I've often initially disregarded an opportunity at first glance but then found that opportunity to be amazing after a second more thorough look.  This worldview I hold has something to do with my personality, I'm sure.  As a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) aficionado, I can quickly state and explain my type preferences: INFP (Introverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving).  The first three are fairly self-explanatory, but as a Perceiving type, I tend to go with the flow and let things happen to a certain extent.  I just don't feel the need to control everything.  By the way, if you ever want to know your type, just ask - I'm a certified MBTI administrator!

But I'll go out on a limb for this blog post and offer up a general somewhat rambling sense of what I think the future might hold for us. 

We are generally part of a global community nowadays because social media and the internet make it so easy to be that way.  But I'm a strong believer in the idea of a cyclical life.  I think within the next twenty years, we may very well find that the concept of a local community -- a village, as Hillary Rodham Clinton would say -- will dominate again.

As the world becomes a much more complicated and complex place, it's getting more difficult for anyone to make broad, sweeping decisions (other than perhaps in the corporate world).  That may sound pessimistic, but I don't intend that to be the case.  Where greater numbers of individuals might feel socially isolated (ironically) in a social media kind of world, I think we may find folks will return to focusing on relationships on a local level.  Why?  Because empathy and human connection flourish best with face-to-face communication.  Yes, for argument's sake, video communication is prominent today and that's the next best thing to actual face-to-face contact (such as when family and close friends are hundreds of miles apart).   But I think empathy is driven primarily by interactions with people physically and emotionally near to us.

Human (and other) life is sustained through emotional connections.  I think over time, many people will realize they'll get that by focusing on those who are directly in front of them.  I see beauty in that.  I see hope in that. 

I leave you with three quotes that I think best drive my admittedly vague but relevant point home:

"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right." ~Confucius

"There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love." ~Mother Theresa

"If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors.  With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces.  Here it is love that is the frame we see them in." ~Frederick Buechner   

BSU BlogFest - Day Four: Community

This is my fourth post of the five-day BSU BlogFest series, where BSU community members share their thoughts on a common topic each day.  BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.  

Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Thursday's BlogFest Theme: Community

So today, I decided I would deviate a bit from the prompting questions provided to us.  Today's post begins at my alma mater of Radford University in Virginia, but it ends with Bridgewater State University.  Though I've touched on it a little bit already, I really wanted to share in greater depth the community that started my career in Residence Life.  That would be the Residence Hall Association.

Before going to college, I was painfully shy and didn't have much confidence in myself.  High school was definitely not my cup of tea.  The first thing I did when I graduated with my high school diploma was dye my hair bright neon red (like Woody Woodpecker red) since that kind of thing was never allowed in a private school setting.  This was my way of showing my "punk" independence.  The funny thing is by August when it was time to set off to college for the first time, my hair color faded to pink.  Pink hair is an interesting way to start college, I suppose.  I had all the first-year student jitters, but I was starting a new life with a blank slate.

I laid low during my first year, but I made a great friendship with a pal Marcus who remains my best friend to this day.  He was really outgoing, so his friends became my friends.  We ended up being roommates during my sophomore year, and that's when things really took off for me.  Little did I know that I would soon finally know what it means to be a part of a community.  Marcus was elected president of the hall council where we lived.  I didn't run for anything, as that was too overwhelming for me.  But mid-year, the vice president position opened up.  No one was interested, and Marcus encouraged me to go for it.  "What?  Speak in front of the five or ten people who attend the weekly meetings?  No way!" I said.  I always chuckle to myself when I think back to that moment in time.  But Marcus was relentless, and he brought me over to meet with the Resident Director.  The RD told me if I was interested in the position, it was mine - she could appoint me.

So I took my first step.  As the vice president, I helped run programs for the hall council.  I also decided to develop a web site for our hall council since I had those abilities.  Back in 1998/1999, not many people really knew how to design web sites because it required knowledge of HTML.  After I designed the web site, our's was one of only two among the 18 or so hall councils.  I really felt like I was making an impact in the community.  The Area Coordinator supervising the four halls in our area recommended I design the web site for the RHA, and I was SO excited.  I feel giddy just thinking back to that moment.  So the RHA created an appointed webmaster position for me.

A strong community helps individuals feel empowered.  That's what it did for me.  The weekly RHA meetings were definitely a step up from the hall council.  They tended to get about fifty hall representatives every week.  I wasn't satisfied with just creating the web site at the time.  I also pushed for a campus wide contest to design a logo for the RHA, since they never had one.  And I spoke up in every RHA meeting.  For me, that was a big deal but it helped me develop more confidence in my public speaking abilities.  Remember, speaking in front of five people was terrifying for me.

Ultimately, I ended up being the vice president of policies and procedures for the RHA after a highly contested election.  I was on top of the world.  But then in April 2000, I suddenly faced an illness that required major emergency surgery.  That ended up being a life-changing experience.  A little bit of it was because it was life-threatening so I respected life a heck of a lot more.  But the BIGGER, more important part for me was that all of the RHA Executive Board members stopped in to see me at different times during my week-long hospital stay.  The cards and outpouring of support was overwhelming. 

RHA E-Board Retreat at Radford

At this point, I truly knew what it was to be part of a community.  It's not just about planning programs, going to conferences, or pushing for campus policy changes -- though those are really important things.  It's about a sense of belonging.  It's about finding purpose and meaning.  It's about developing your identity.  And it's about giving back to others.  The RHA brought me out of my shell and instilled self-confidence.  It changed my life.  And I knew I wanted to give back.  It's because of that community, I was encouraged to go for graduate school in higher education.  An assistantship as a resident director paid the way.  I will always remember my first RA staff with fondness, and there was a point that I got every one on my staff a simple key chain with a symbol of a hand that represents "Unity."  It remains on my key chain to this day.

Fast forward several years to our current academic year at BSU.  I am really proud to currently serve this year as one of the co-advisors for BSU's fantastic RHA.  They are a wonderful community of student leaders on the executive board and among the general body.  They are doing great things this year and creating a bigger name for themselves on the campus and throughout the region.  I applaud them, and it's an honor to help advise the same kind of community that made me who I am back in 1999.  RHA is something truly special.  It's what community means to me.

BSU Blogfest - Day Three: Leadership

This is my third post of the five-day BSU BlogFest series, where BSU community members share their thoughts on a common topic each day.  BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.  

Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Wednesday's BlogFest Theme: Leadership

I will be perfectly honest with you about something: you probably will have heard some version of almost everything I write on today's topic of leadership.  Frankly, I am willing to bet my walking stick collection on the fact that if you go to a bookstore's self-help section, you'll find every basic leadership concept/cliché known to human-kind in those books.  So why bother?

Because knowing leadership concepts and living those concepts are two entirely different things.  Gaining experience and learning from that experience is the only sure-fire way to become an effective leader.  Granted, it is possible to be a naturally-born leader, but even then it's pure luck -- the first baby to leave the womb in a multiple birth delivery leads (okay, that's an example of my dry witty humor).  If you didn't close your browser after the first paragraph, you may have done so by the end of this one.

Assuming you're still reading, I'd like to *cough*preach*cough* share some leadership concepts that I personally find important based upon my experiences. Sure, as I said, you've heard all this before.  But it's kind of like listening to Baz Luhrmann's "Sunscreen." It contains insights you likely knew at least subconsciously, but it's beautiful to hear and reflect upon.  Don't know that song?  After you've read through my blog, you can click on the video for the freakishly good song at the end of this post.  Oh, you're welcome. :)

Mike Goodhart's Top Ten Leadership Concepts You May Want to Consider

1. Find your niche or passion, and run with it.  If you're struggling to take the lead on something, reflect on what you personally enjoy doing.  Chances are if you're good at something, you have a lot to teach other people in that area.  Start an intramural sport on campus.  Bring your photography skills to an organization.  Join the chess club and show off your mad skills.  In the medieval days of 1999, I was good at making web sites when few others did them. As a shy kid, I made a web page for my hall council and ultimately the Residence Hall Association.  This is what started the chain of events in my world of leadership to my current role as a resident director.

2. Tread lightly.  If you have a blunt firey personality and you're in conflict with others, know that tact and diplomacy might take you farther with them.  I've seen too many people's ideas get rejected because they were just too forceful.

3. But be direct, too.  If conflict scares you, take a cue from John Mayer's "Say."  Say what you need to say.  You might find you'll feel better.  This is totally more like me.  As an introverted sensitive type, I often worry I'll hurt others' feelings or risk hurting my own feelings in the process of confronting someone.  But I've had a lot of success where working relationships and friendships have bloomed following a respectful confrontation of a behavior.

4. Take responsibility for your mistakes.  If you do something wrong, own up to it.  There certainly may be consequences, but you'll find your integrity is intact and people will respect you for it.  As a supervisor, there are few things that bother me more than when someone doesn't take responsibility for their actions.  And for me personally, when I've made a mistake and immediately went forward to admit I screwed up, I found I could move on with my life much more quickly.  Sure, I faced the penalties but my colleagues and supervisors saw that I could be trusted to do the right thing.

5. Learn from your mistakes.  So you owned up to the mistake the first time.  Don't let it happen again - learn from it.  You will make mistakes in the future, but as long as they're not the same ones, there's a good chance you're growing as a leader.  Oh, how I have made MANY mistakes.  But I can proudly claim that I reflected upon each of those mistakes, considered how that mistake came about, and told my brain -- "brain, don't let that happen again."  My employer references can pretty much promise to potential employers that I won't get something wrong twice.  

6. Don't be afraid to be goofy.  As long as it's appropriate, people can relate to you much more if you can demonstrate a fun sense of humor.  I have no problem singing Minnie Riperton's "Loving You" in front of 90 people.  Ask the RAs here at BSU about that one.  But I'd like to think things like that help people feel comfortable approaching me and getting to know me.  This is especially important for me since I am an introvert and tend to be quieter than other leaders.

7. Take the time to recognize other people for what they do well.  Others will have a lot more buy-in with a group or task when they know you are aware of their accomplishments and thank them for it.  However, not everyone wants public recognition; sometimes they prefer subtle behind-the-scenes appreciation.  To be honest, this is an area that can occasionally be a weakness for me.  But I recognize that and try to be proactive in turning that weakness into a strength... which leads me to my next point!

8. Practice at what you don't do well.  Especially if your weakness is tied to your personality.  Try to improve in areas that you lack confidence.  It's the only way that you'll truly grow as a leader.  I was terrified of public speaking as a first-year college student.  But then during my sophomore year, a vice president position opened up in my residence hall council.  My roommate (and best friend now for 13 years), who was the hall council president at the time, encouraged me to take it on.  The idea of speaking in front of even ten people scared me.  But I decided to take on the challenge.  Later, I ended up on the Residence Hall Association executive board as the webmaster.  I made it a point to speak on something every week to the entire RHA general body.  That was the only way I would ever improve at public speaking.

9. Actively listen to what others have to say - and don't interrupt.  It's really easy to think that you know what a person is talking about, but try to block out your own thoughts and instead truly listen to them - and let them finish their thoughts.  I like to finish my sentences when I speak with someone about a concern that I have.  When I see that person nodding their head, demonstrating eye contact, and staying focused, I feel a lot better.  Sometimes people just need to vent a little, too!

10. You don't always have to be the leader.  Let others take the lead sometimes, too.  You just may find that you can learn something about yourself when you watch someone else shine in the spotlight.

BSU BlogFest - Day Two: Technology

This is my second post of the five-day BSU BlogFest series, where BSU community members share their thoughts on a common topic each day.  BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.  

Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Tuesday's BlogFest Theme: Technology

Today's question is: "What role does technology play to help or hinder relationships?"

Admittedly, I feel stumped about this question because there are many lenses through which one could view this dilemma.  Experts in political science, psychology, sociology, information technology, and anthropology could sit at a table (or Skype) to discuss this question, and you'd likely find widely different perspectives with no agreed-upon conclusion.  So I think it makes the most sense for me to share a few piecemeal thoughts.

1. It's never been easier to stay in touch with friends and family with social media.  I figured I would start with the most obvious statement.  We have Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Blackberry Messenger, instant messaging (such as AOL), text messaging, and of course lest we forget -- e-mail!  I know people whose grandparents utilize some of these applications which goes to show you how easy it is to use social media.

2. Building relationships with people across the world (i.e., networking), including those in positions of power with whom you might not otherwise feel comfortable approaching, is becoming a simpler process.  I recently attended the ResLifeTECH conference at Western New England College that highlighted social media's expansive reach in student affairs (it was an overwhelming but enlightening conference for me).  One of the presenters, Jenna Magnuski of Northeastern University, talked about how she was nervous for interviewing at a professional conference, and she used Twitter to express that anxiety.  Someone tweeted her back and offered to assist in preparing her.  It turned out this person was a vice president of student affairs (or similar position), so she ended up connecting with someone she may not have otherwise felt confident approaching.

3. Cyber-bullying is a problem we can't ignore.  There are unfortunately many, many cases of people being bullied through social media channels.  This is true especially for adolescents and young adults who are still developing their identities and self-confidence.  A decade ago, if you were bullied by someone, at least it was only when that person was physically nearby.  But nowadays, social media unfortunately gives bullies a lot more power to make life difficult for someone.  Victims of cyber-bullying simply cannot get away from bullies because social media is a constant presence.  Of course, cyber-bullying has garnered the attention of educators, administrators, parents, and the media, so steps are being taken to address this problem.

4. Social media is ever-changing and in flux; technology that progresses too much for society can lead to something called "future shock."  In 2002, when I was in graduate school, I was captivated by a book I picked up on my own called Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler. It's an "oldie" written in 1970. The author defines future shock as "the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time." Wow. Alvin Toffler, a sociologist, basically attributes many social problems (i.e., depression, addiction, violence, etc.) to technology that is advancing too quickly for people.  His book impacted my worldview significantly, as I infused many of his arguments into the way I think about technology.  It's easy to feel overwhelmed by technological advances, including those within social media.  There always seems like there is a new web site or way to communicate with each other.  And Facebook seems to change its' privacy settings and overall look on at least a monthly basis.  We are forced to adapt more quickly to changes, and there is great danger in that psychologically.

5. The infrastructure for social media is not sustainable in its current form.  This is definitely my biggest concern about technology and social media.  We live in a world of more than six billion people, and that number is rapidly increasing.  Because of limited resources on the planet, it is impossible for everyone to have access to social media in the way that many of us do in developed countries.  All of the technology built around laptops, iPads, and cell phones requires a lot of materials.  In all stages of the consumer process -- building, shipping, and disposal -- there tends to be a lot of waste.  So while I love social media, I also harbor fears as a concerned citizen that problems of sustainability must be addressed before we cause too much harm to our planet (and ourselves).  Limited resources + many people = conflict.  Imagine that on a global scale.       

Two things are clear -- technology in the form of social media is here to stay for quite a while, and we should expect social media to dominate our lives.  We have to make individual and collective choices as to how we use technology and social media, for better or for worse.

BSU BlogFest - Day One: Learning

This week, I am participating in Bridgewater State University's BlogFest, a five-day blog series focused on a different topic/theme each day.  The blogs are written by BSU students, staff, and faculty.  As a Resident Director here, I'm excited to also contribute my perspective!  BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.  Social Media Week aims to initiate conversations via various social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs. For those interested, follow me on Twitter at @mtgoodha (please know I'm still getting the hang of it).

Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Monday's BlogFest Theme: Learning

We've been offered a prompting question for each theme just to help exercise our brains, and I can easily work with today's prompt:  "What has been a learning experience that has impacted you the most in your life?"

Learning is such a broad concept, but to start this conversation, I think it's important to consider that learning is an individual experience that is affected by many factors such as genetics, the way we're treated as children, personality, teaching and learning styles, and social interactions.  We don't all learn the same way, and "teachers" don't all teach the same way, either.  I put the word teachers in quotes since they could be in or outside of the classroom.  The best form of learning is one that contributes to our personal growth and confidence throughout life.  While learning might be a single "ah-hah" moment, I like to think that it's more about a series of moments that reinforce our growth.

For me, my most impactful series of moments of learning revolve around reading and writing.  Writing is among the abilities where I feel most confident.  As a relatively quiet introvert, writing plays an integral role in my life.  My "teachers" empowered me with (and reinforced) the ability to read and communicate in the written form.  It's a useful skill that helps counterbalance an adequate speaking ability (certainly, I can speak publicly with some confidence, after much life-long practice - but it's not my strength).

Confidence in reading and writing started for me at an early age when my mother nurtured an appreciation of words.  She saw I loved when she read books to me and I'd request it often as a toddler.  She was then purposeful in directing me to read books out loud to her; I enjoyed reading out loud so repetitively that it became fairly annoying!  But, this reinforcement and attention instilled my quickly progressing enthusiasm for vocabulary in the English language.  When you love learning about something, you tend to stick with it.

The Alluring Speak & Spell

Remember the movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial?  Well, it's a prime example of how the media can influence what we learn.  There's a significant scene where E.T. uses a Speak & Spell toy to phone home.  Product placement in the movies at its finest.  I was three years old when E.T. came out in the theaters in 1982.  So when I got this toy and used it frequently, it reinforced my love for words - and more importantly, spelling the words correctly.  It's probably not a coincidence that a little later in life, I'd look forward to and thrive in annual spelling bees in school, eventually making it to the regional levels in the eighth grade.  Thirsting for re-living the Speak & Spell experience?

I appreciated it when teachers guided me in the right direction, too. Even in college. I distinctly remember when Dr. Tod Burke, a professor of criminal justice at Radford University where I received my undergraduate education, made it a point in class to everyone on how to properly spell judgment, writing it on the chalkboard. I was among many in the class who spelled it "judgement," but you better believe I remembered the correct spelling after that.

My second grade teacher made a big impact in my development, too.  I was learning that it was fun to put words together to create short stories.  I think it was Mrs. Capehart who saw how much I enjoyed writing.  She encouraged me to keep writing and then would occasionally send me to a kindergarten class to read my stories out loud to my slightly younger peers.  I'm so impressed by her creative means of inspiring me in this way.  This was a process that trended throughout my life, where I'd enjoy writing, then appreciate the positive (and critical) feedback from teachers, family, and friends.  English classes, especially ones that focused on creative writing, were consistently among my favorites.

We'll return now to my mother, who assisted in expanding my grasp of the written language by taking the time to review my papers that I'd have to do for classes.  She'd point out how I could re-word a sentence or where I needed to correct a grammatical mistake.  I yearned to know how to properly arrange sentences, where to place a comma, when not to use a semi-colon, etc.  I guarantee I will have re-read this blog posting several times to ensure it's as perfect as I can make it (no guarantee that it is perfect, though).

I firmly believe all of this learning -- and constant practice in writing on a daily basis -- has been exceptionally valuable for me.  Writing a final case study in graduate school, putting together a quality cover letter for a job, and maintaining two blogs are all examples of... well... a lesson learned.

(Not) Born to Run

An update on my role in the world of jogging and walking is long overdue.  The last five weeks have been difficult for me in terms of exercise.  Now's a good time to finally share what's been happening.

The last time I jogged was on February 7th.  It was a 3 mile jog, and I was proud of myself for finally beating the 12 min/mile pace.  I really felt like I was making progress in transitioning from brisk walking to jogging.  But I was ignoring the sharp pains in my shins.  You're told to "run through the pain" and I did, proudly.  But I've now recognized you shouldn't run through sharp pain.  That's your body telling you, "Hey, I'm not just tired - I'm literally falling apart here, so you had better stop this."  On that last jog, I even sprinted and though the pain intensified (it felt like a knife was cutting along the front of my shins), I stuck with it.

For several days, the pain stuck around, but I started to think maybe jogging just wasn't for me.  So on February 13th, I went for a semi-brisk 3.2 mi walk.  Still ignoring my body's screams, I walked through the sharp pain.  After that walk, I finally listened and decided I would rest until the pain went away.

Except the pain didn't go away.  Week after week, the pain was in fact getting worse.  Simple walking, standing up, sitting down, sleeping - it didn't matter, the pain was there.  So I scheduled an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon.  Maybe this wasn't just your simple case of shin splints.  I was lucky that I only had to wait a week for the appointment, even as a new patient.

During the appointment on March 7th, the doctor did a physical examination of my shins, pushing here and there, asking if anything hurt.  At one point, I nearly yelped in pain and he immediately thought it was stress fractures.  A stress fracture is a small crack in your bone, though not as bad as a full fracture.  It is however an indication you're overdoing it.  So he sent me to have x-rays and a bone scan to confirm that diagnosis. 

The tests were done on March 10th.  The x-rays were straight-forward but I'd never had a bone scan before.  They injected a radioactive fluid into my bloodstream, then I waited three hours for the radioactive fluid to spread throughout my system.  Then they did the actual bone scan.  They strapped me down (literally) and told me I would need to lie completely still for thirty minutes as a machine overhead scanned my body.  It's not like an MRI where you're in a tube; in a bone scan, the machine is simply above you, albeit only a couple inches above you.  Apparently, a bone scan can see where your blood is flowing in greater amounts.  If it is flowing more than usual in a certain place, it likely means your body is in the process of healing itself in that location.  Hence, if you have a stress fracture, the bone scan will show a dark area in that location because the bone is healing.  The bone scan results are then compared with the x-rays.

When I returned to the doctor this morning, I really thought he'd tell me the bone scan confirmed stress fractures.  Instead he said, nope - it's definitely shin splints.  He showed me the x-rays and bone scan.  I find these fascinating, by the way.  The x-rays showed all was well with the bones in my legs.  But he pointed out the bone scan did show the shin splints at least.  There were clear dark areas along the sides of my shins, and he said it was a classic case of shin splints.  Granted, I do have severe shin splints, but now I kind of feel like I'm a wuss!  My pain tolerance must be lower than I thought.  The doctor said rest will cure shin splints, but he was concerned that the five weeks of rest I've had so far hadn't yet relieved the pain.

So, now he's recommending I get an MRI to get a closer look at the shin splint injury and see if there's any other factors at play here.  The MRI has yet to be scheduled, as they're waiting to hear from my insurance company for approval.  But at least the main diagnosis of shin splints is confirmed.

I will continue to rest my legs.  No brisk walking, and certainly no jogging.  The doctor said that perhaps, "jogging is just not your friend."  I'd agree.  All I really want to do is briskly walk - I enjoy walking, and I'm good at it.  Heck, I beat the 3 hour mark in a half marathon just walking, and I'm proud of that!  I'm just ready to get back to exercising.  I miss it all, and I can't wait to have it back in my routine.

The lesson here for me is that Bruce Springsteen's song "Born to Run" doesn't quite fit in my situation.  That's right, Bruce, you've got it wrong.  But you better believe that when I'm in good shape again and briskly walking, my iPod playlist will include that song out of pure spite!  Haha, it's good to have a goal.

I'll keep you all updated on what happens with the rest of my journey to full recovery.

Buckeye Chocolates

Yup, I actually prepared these.

Buckeye chocolates: The finest peanut butter & chocolate delicacy.  OH, you say, what the flippin' heck is a recipe doing on YOUR blog?  I know, I know... this is much too hard to believe.

I wanted to make these for my staff and for anyone else I know, and, ah - of course, me. :)  They are essentially a home-made version of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but a bit richer and (I think) more delicious.

Firstly, a little cultural fact about the Buckeye chocolate.  They're very popular in Ohio where folks bleed scarlet and gray (figuratively, as a preference).  Those are, obviously, the colors of The Ohio State Buckeyes.  You'll likely find these chocolate treats at a party for an Ohio State game, and they are especially common around Christmas.  The unique trait about a Buckeye chocolate is they're shaped like a Buckeye nut.  Now you wouldn't want to eat an actual Buckeye nut as they are mildly poisonous - it won't kill you, but it'll probably give you a stomach ache.  So the only way you can really appreciate this is by making Buckeye chocolates!

I shouldn't brag that much as it's a REALLY simply recipe.  But I actually use a kitchen for its true purpose perhaps once or twice a year, so it's a big "to do" for me. 

Below you'll find the recipe I use to make them. I've modified it from a recipe I found a few years ago. I was slightly disappointed in this batch I made tonight as they came out a tad soft. I'm hoping that leaving them in the freezer overnight will help. Regardless, I already ate one and it still tasted... magnificent.  The amount of time you'll spend making these is about 45 minutes, plus the time you leave it in the freezer or refrigerator.

Buckeye Chocolates Recipe
Servings: About 50 pieces

Ingredients:

2 (18 ounce) jars of creamy peanut butter
16 ounce package of confectioner’s sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter, softened
2 (12 ounce) packages of semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon of shortening

Directions:

1. Blend together peanut butter, sugar, and softened butter. This will require you to use your hands a bit to mix it up!
2. Roll mixture into 1 inch round balls. Use flour on your hands if mixture is too sticky. Place in freezer for at least 1 hour.
3. Melt chocolate morsels with shortening. Whisk together until smooth.
4. Insert toothpick into each ball and dip into chocolate so that it is about 2/3 covered with chocolate. Place on waxed paper and allow to set in refrigerator.