Crumpled Notebook

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how, for me at least, that recently I’ve really used the internet as a way of connecting with people. Now, I know that’s always been a great use of it, but what I mean is I’ve been connecting with and talking more to people I wouldn’t normally talk to in everyday life. It’s always been good for keeping in touch with people, but if it’s people you would normally keep in touch with, it just makes it easier. I specifically mean people that I’ve either re-connected with or just plain may have forgotten about.

I understand people do this all the time. I just have been more aware of it in myself lately and thinking about it. Part of it is that I’ve had a couple of conversations with people from an older generation about everyone’s fascination with knowing what everyone is doing all the time, or making sure people know what you are doing (i.e. Twitter, or Facebook status update). I admit I sometimes feel like I have to update my Facebook status. Not because everyone else is, but because it’s there. If I say “I’m working” and then I come home I’m not exactly working anymore, so I feel the need to update it. I know. It’s silly. But, that isn’t the point of this blog post.

Here are just some examples of how I’ve felt more connected to people or things recently:

Today, I needed some help coming up with gross food games for the teens tomorrow night (Fear Factor Food Night). I send a quick Facebook message to people I know work with kids or that might have some ideas. Within a couple of hours, I have plenty of ideas. Most of the responders were other Salvation Army youth workers (or former SA youth workers). I know them, but I wouldn’t call them up to ask them, or even really email them for that matter. I just posted a note and tagged them in it.

A girl I went to high school and college with, Melanie,  and I converse on Facebook or IM about stuff. Usually computer stuff. The other day, she needed help with Wordpress, so we IM’d until she got what she needed to know. Before we connected on Facebook (or maybe MySpace first) I hadn’t talked to her in years, but we have common interests now, so it’s nice to know what’s going on in her life.

I have become a frequent reader of The Muckraker’s Blog. Rob does most of the posting. I’ve just recently got to where I’ll comment on things…usually baseball related. Rob is a baseball fan, so I usually comment on those post. The other day, he commented how he was jealous of my baseball trips I have planned this year. But anyway, his blogs are usually funny and light-hearted. Sometimes, even inspirational. It’s just cool for me because it helps me connect the music to who a person actually is, rather than a stranger.

I emailed a guy who runs a Church Tech blog to ask about a Computer workshop ministry they do at their church. I emailed him before on something, and read his blog, am connected on LinkedIn with, but obviously never met him. However, it was cool just being able to send a quick message and know that whether we know each other or not, it doesn’t really matter in the blog world.

So, I think I lost my point somewhere in there, but all to say, there is definitely a different level of connecting with people that I am at. Whether I do it a lot or just every now and then with a random person, I much more likely to do it than if I had to randomly email someone not through a social network, or heaven forbid, actually call someone. Now, if I could just transfer that over to real life….

I’m told this video explains the whole Twitter/Facebook status phenomenon pretty well…by someone who didn’t really get it to begin with.

I’ve been listening to this song non-stop for the past few days. The song is “Lights of Louisville” by The Muckrakers. The link is to their Myspace and the song is in their player. You should definitely check it out. As a side note, before I get into this post, you should also listen to “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.” It may be in the player too.

So, “Lights of Louisville.” Well, Louisville isn’t exactly my favorite place in KY, but the song is great. Something about a song about Kentucky always gets me, but check out this part of it.

I gotta get out. Wanna get out. Won’t you help me get out? Gotta get out.

And you lose yourself, find who you are.
And you fight to breath. It shouldn’t be so hard.
And you lose yourself, when you’re all alone.
Let the lights of Louisville carry you home. Let the lights of Louisville carry you home.

I just like it. Don’t we all have our own “lights of Louisville” that take us home? I’m not sure what mine is. Lately it’s been the lights of Nashville as I’m flying back home. Or maybe the 90-Bypass, depending on if I’m heading to Monticello or Granny’s. But you know, as someone who has been away from “home” for over four years now I find it increasingly easy to lose yourself. I don’t think its a bad thing though. I’m not going to speculate what this song is about, but the part “when you lose yourself, find you who are” is true for me. I think I had to let go of myself, and get lost, to really find who I out who I am. It’s hard sometimes being out here all alone (alone as in, away from family and people I grew up with), but I can safely say that without this part of my life, I wouldn’t have ever found myself, and probably not ever really appreciated home.

There is a pretty good sense of ease that comes over me when I’m home. It’s like almost a sense of relief and calmness. In fact, this isn’t a new thing. I had a college friend (Kelli Giorgio) who used to tell me when she’d go to Monticello with me on the weekends that I was so much calmer, relaxed and nicer when I was there. Like there was no pressure. Sure, family can be pressure, but it wasn’t pressure put on me. I think it’s just that unconditional acceptance and love that you get there.

Looking at the spiritual side of that whole “finding home,” I am thinking right now that’s what Heaven is gonna be like. Hanging out at Nana’s house, climbing the mountain, and eating Granny’s mac and tomato juice. That is life my friends.

Anyway, this was about a song. Listen to it and The Muckrakers. Rob is a baseball fan, so you gotta like him for that, even if he is a Reds fan.

The Cinderellas are dancin’!

So, in the Mid-West and the West brackets, the 12 and 13 seeds will play for a spot in the Sweet 16. That means that there will be two 12 or 13 seeds (or one of each) in the Sweet 16. How awesome is that?! Nevermind my brackets.

(As a side note, if you don’t know what I’m talking about right now, you may want to stop reading. It’s basketball. college ncaa. march madness. anything ring a bell?)

So, truth is, I really don’t care about most of those 12-13 seeds. My brackets would be a lot happier if “most” of them didn’t win. However, the one I picked, and the one I care about is the WKU (Western Kentucky University). I was reading Rob Carpenter, of The Muckrakers, blog and he summed it up pretty good (who is also a WKU alum).

Are you kidding me?

With 5.7 seconds left in overtime, WKU - my alma mater and the birthplace of our band - was down by 1 to Drake. Momentum had left the Hilltoppers’ side a long long time ago. They had blown a 16 point second half lead and barely made it to overtime against the favored Drake Bulldogs. They looked flat. More turnovers than points. Stupid fouls. They were having troubles with the Drake full court press. Their luck had run out. Then again, they weren’t supposed to win. They were a 12 seed. Drake was a 5. Ce la vie.

What does all that have to do with crying? Well, I cried twice this week. Not full on crying, but just eyes watering up crying. I cried with Kentucky lost to Marquette. Now, by the final few seconds, I knew they were going to lose, but come on CBS, did you really have to pan to Joe Crawford sitting on the bench crying, while his teammates were trying to shield him from you? I mean, the guy carried the team, score 35 points or something like that, and he’s a Senior. That was it. The year we weren’t supposed to be in the tournament they fought their way in there and to have it all end like that, was just heart-breaking. So yes. I cried. Thanks a lot CBS!

Now, I’ve cried with my team lost plenty of times. High school softball games I played, H.S. basketball games I watched. College basketball games at WKU, Kentucky basketball games in front of the TV. I do it. Not a lot, but I do occassionally.

The second time I cried came yesterday. Wait? Didn’t I just say my team won? Yep, they sure did and I STILL cried! I was so worked up. So emotionally invested in this game. So prepared for it to fall the other direction , that when that last shot went in, all that emotion and everything built up in me just came out…tears included, because, rest assured, if they had lost, I would have cried too.

I don’t think I’ve ever cried when my team won. Check out the below and see if it doesn’t make you just want to cry.