Am I a six question deep friend?

A friend of mine recently described Washington, DC as a six question deep town. Most of America is a one question town when it comes to current events. "What do you think of the healthcare plan?" "Boy, I don’t know, but we got to do something." In DC you better be prepared to answer about five follow up questions on any generic answer you give on current events.

This made me think about the questions that really matter in life. How are you doing? How was your day? Can I help in any way?

Do I accept a superficial answer and move on to what I really want to talk about (usually myself) or do I insist on delving deeper and really getting to know how my friends and family are doing? Do I allow myself to be questioned in a way that forces me to be vulnerable?

I am not sure were on the spectrum I fall but I am sure it would not hurt if I went a little deeper across the board.

Sunglasses make us feel cool.

I feel about 50% more awesome when I put my sunglasses on.

So do other people. As soon as their shades go on they strut just a little more and they begin to slightly over exaggerate their poses.

It is one of my favorite spring time phenomenon's to observe.

I am concerned about my lack of concern.

Last week my friend Jon asked for my thoughts on the stimulus bill. I did not have much of an answer. This caught me, and I think Jon, by surprise.

I realized that over the last month I have stopped following the latest news on the financial crises almost entirely.

I don’t understand how it happened. The crises is affecting my family in a very real way. Actions taken now will impact my future children. I genuinely believe it is part of my civic duty to be educated on these matters and to have an opinion. And I work for the World Bank - it is arguably part of my job to know what is going on.

What could have led me to this? Three theories with one obvious answer:

1. The issue is too complicated for me to follow so I have subconsciously given up.
2. Most people don't seem to be following it all that closely so it is easy to fake my way through a general conversation.
3. I am far busier than most people and simply don’t have the time.

It is scary to realize what really motivates me to stay on top of critical issues.

Things my gut does not want to talk about: Faith

I was speaking with a very good friend of mine a few weeks ago when I experienced that certain feeling which only creeps up in conversations about awkward, embarrassing or uncomfortable topics. It is a strange feeling that melds frustration, insecurity and fear into one gut emotion that makes you want to immediately move the conversation elsewhere. Some may call this feeling dread but I don’t think that fully captures it.

I get this feeling every once in a while and am always intrigued by the word, context or topic that triggers it. This time it was churches that practice speaking in tongues. It is a contentious topic within the Christian community and is understandably a completely bizarre phenomenon for even the most open minded non-Christians. My friend falls into the latter group.

There are many theological views on the issue. My personal stance can be summed as, “to each his own”. I embrace the realness of other people’s experiences but it is not a part of my personal relationship with God.

Christians believe that a supernatural being sent his son to earth in physical form to show us his love and that someday we will join both of them in a place called heaven. That is a pretty crazy thing to believe. So is the idea that God gives certain people the ability to speak in a prayer language. To Christians it ultimately comes down to the faith we have that all this craziness is true.

The thought of having to explain the concept of faith was my trigger this time. My life does not embody faith to the point where I can easily describe it. This leads to all kinds of fears, insecurities and frustrations about what society and my friends will think when I talk about it. I worry if they will see it as truth or if they will just think I am crazy. This is not a good thing.

Every time I come home I turn into a child.

When I visit my parents I am not a delight. I am perpetually tired. I do not help with any chores. I come and go at my leisure. And I drop my laundry in the hamper with the expectation that it will magically appear on my bed a day later clean and folded. The worst part is that I totally get away with it.

I am like a spoiled child that knows he cannot get punished. The pathetic part is that I am a 28 year old child. I am fully aware of my transformation yet seem unable to stop it.

Yesterday, I tried telling myself that I have a very demanding job and that my parents understand I need to rest. To this, I quickly reminded myself that my parents are twice my age, run two companies and work twice as many hours as I do and if anything I should be tending to their needs.

Apparently, the reality check did not work because today, after leaving to have breakfast with a friend, I was back on the couch watching my mom prepare lunch while my dad set the table. I could barely muster up the strength to answer their questions as I lay staring at the ceiling.

After conducting a short survey I have found that others in my age bracket experience the same transformation when visiting their parents. This should bring me some comfort but it doesn’t. Instead, it makes me worried about what will happen in 30 years when we are the parents and we are laying along side our kids, staring at the ceiling, waiting for someone to make us all lunch.

My Alter Egos

When I go back to Austin I usually drive my mom’s European sports sedan. I love the car and it suits me very well. It is exactly the car I would own did I not live in a city where rent eats up most my paycheck and a car is not a necessity. However, on some visits I have the privilege of driving my parents’ run-around pick-up truck.

It is a nice truck that has large racks attached to the pickup bed. The racks make it even more practical but clearly define it as a tool of the trade and not simply a mode of transportation.

I have been driving the truck for several days now and am really enjoying that observers (yes, I agree with you - there are surely many) are puzzled. Why is this preppy and clearly white collar guy pulling up to super hip coffee shops in a work truck? I have come up with three plausible scenarios:

1. I am a painter – this seems very tedious and does not excite me but I like that people have noticed my attention to detail.
2. I am a landscaper – I fear my current muscle mass makes this a bit of a stretch but the beard I was sporting until yesterday was sending strong signals about my love for working outdoors.
3. I am a furniture maker – this is the most obvious choice. How could I not be a crafter of high end sustainable furniture?

Most Awesome Public Statement of '08

I do not know anything about the political ideology or background of the current Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. What I do know is that this is one of the most refreshingly honest statements I have come across. The statement is in reference to the US Senate seat which will become vacant if Senator Hutchison steps down to run for Governor of Texas.

"After a great deal of consideration, and much soul-searching, I am today formally announcing my intention to join many of my fellow elected officials and not seek the U.S. Senate seat," Patterson said. "I have been urged by many of my fellow Texans to seek this seat ... actually only a few Texans ...truthfully just a couple members of my staff and a few other officeholders who want my job ... so I'll sit this one out."