"Train"ing the Mind

Riding a commuter train to and from work can provide a revelation almost every day. You see so many different people; the variety is amazing. For the most part they mind their own business hunkered down in some carefully controlled little world. Most a busy with something... though some slumber away the miles and frequent stops.

As I looked around today, I noticed that some were lost in a book. A few were texting on their cell phones. The normal number were nodding their heads to tunes on iPods. One was carrying on a rather loud argument with his wife on his cell phone. It sounded like a divorce in the making. Another had his laptop on his lap, probably unable to leave work at the office. Still, a handful were talking, friends on their way home from college classes.

Now, it's not that any of these things are wrong or bad, some might even be necessary. However, there is another activity that could benefit anyone who tries it. I call it "train"ing the mind. Not bad for a Basicguy, huh. Just what is "train"ing the mind? Consider what you can learn by listening, thinking, and writing.

One of my sons and his wife gave me a small leather notebook for Father's Day for this very purpose. It's a place that I write thoughts and impressions while on the train. The process has made me a better person; a more thoughtful person. I'm also a more confident person because I carefully think things through and have a better idea which direction I need to go. Basically speaking, focused thinking and writing enriches my life.

Now, I know I'm just a Basicguy and you might feel I lack some expert degree to be talking about such a thing. Forget about me and just give it a try. what can you lose? Some sleep? Not every one rides a train everyday, but everyone has down time somewhere in the day. find your down moments and make some of them a little more productive. I did.

"Fake 'em Out!"

Most of us have some kind of hobby; something we love to do. I'm no different. I don't share or talk much about my hobbies beyond family and close friends. It can be a bit embarrassing when you blab about your hobby as if you are some kind of expert to someone who really is an expert (or at least appears more expert than you as you talk). When you come across someone who shares your passion for the hobby in question, they ultimately want to compare notes, or, worse yet, see your work. That's when the inferior flags go up: "may- day, may-day, danger approaching!" At least for Basicguys.

One of my hobbies is photography. Recently I was on a Hawaiian cruise. As we cruised to the next island, the ship's captain promised we would cruise the famous Na Pali coastline of Kauai. I found a good spot to shoot from and planted myself. I wasn't disappointed. The Na Pali is awesome. I fired shot after shot. The guy next to me was doing the same with a point-and-shoot. He watched as I changed lenses back and forth on my Canon DSLR. As I packed up my gear, he asked if I got some good shots. I could tell he felt a bit jealous. I said I thought I did. He said, "I'll see your stuff in National Geographic."

Of course, he assumed photography was more than a hobby for me because of my gear. But I've learned that it isn't the gear that makes the shot, but the person behind the gear. Don't get me wrong, many times more advanced gear provides advantages that a point-and-shoot can't match. Still, I've seen some nice stuff taken with a point-and-shoot. It just takes a little more time and patience to get it. I took a shot last Christmas that is suitable for printing and framing. It was a night shot taken with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ3. I hand held the little 5 megapixel camera and used no flash. But its the composition that makes the shot. I took great care to only include what I wanted in the picture when I snapped the shutter.

So, the next time you have a chance to compare notes with a fellow hobbyist, take it. You will either learn something worth knowing and enriching your own hobby experience, or you will give someone else the motivation to take their hobby to the next level. Remember, with a little time and patience, you can show little flashes of brilliance in your hobby. Basically speaking, fake 'em out!

Ring True?

Well, it happened again. How many times can you feel good about announcing something that you very well know is a lie, or, at the very least, a deception? Now I know I’m just a Basicguy, but that just doesn’t seem, right. Maybe it’s OK to the privileged, or those who have told themselves that the means justifies some grand end. But somehow I can’t help but think it violates something… something good… something we shouldn’t lose or allow to slip from our grip. It’s something worth latching onto and never letting go. Do you know what I mean?

Here in my current home state (which isn’t the state of my home), a political issue is topping the news and water-cooler conversations. Here it’s known as Referendum 1. It deals with providing vouchers to families with students in the public schools, who have a desire to try a private school instead. The voucher awards $500 to $3,000 per student depending on the family income. Even at the highest amount, it is less than half of the total allotted to students in this state. So, those opposed to the voucher (mostly educators, both state and national), advertise that $459 million dollars will be siphoned out of the public schools. You can imagine what that number looks like to concerned parents. Of course they will vote against it. However, the ad doesn’t explain that more than half of the funds stay with the public schools, even though their class sizes diminish. Basically speaking, there is something devious about their selective information campaign.

If that was all the anti-voucher folk were saying, I’d think the voucher proponents might have a chance to refute the message. However, added to the multi-million dollar deficit lie is the suggestion that teachers in the private schools are not required to have certifications. False! So, parents in this state have to consider a huge loss of funds and ill-prepared teachers. They’d obviously wonder why anyone would even suggest a voucher plan that fails so miserably—a plan that was drafted and passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor. They must not have done their homework. I guess the only ones who know how to do the homework are the teachers—the same ones who have an invested interest in doing anything they can to not give private schools more money—who probably fear the competition.

Well, I don’t know about you, Basicguy’s like me are probably just not thoughtful enough to figure all these weighty things out. That being said, it sure seems strange that most of the people opposed to vouchers are public school teachers and the NEA. If there were a broader support for the opposition it might not look so odd. It might ring more true. As it is, every time I see a public school teacher of the year on TV proclaiming that Referendum 1 is bad for my home state, I’m basically saying to myself: “You mean, it’s bad for you.” Now that rings true for me.