The Rogers News

Author: Chris

  • Creativity and Inspiration

    There are a few places I feel inspired and “at home”:

    1. College campuses
    2. Good concert
    3. Film festivals
    4. Some conferences

    My experience with the later two is macro enough to not be jaded by any of the politics involved. My time in college was the last truly free thinking time in my life. The classes and the people allowed that. Since then the focus has been on becoming more focused – on closing doors – on growing up. I know a concert is good if I leave feeling excited – giddy, almost. I think to myself, “Why am I not a part of this more often?”

    It would be amazing to find something that allows me to experience this creative satisfaction and inspiration every day. Maybe that is what people feel when they say they love what they do. Finding the right mix of people, events, activities, and then stepping up to the plate yourself is the tough part.

  • Work and Creativity

    There is a massive clash between the work I will end up doing as an attorney and my desire to be creative. Sure, many have bridged the gap, either (1) by finding creativity within the law, (2) by being satisfied to explore their creative interests outside of the law, or (3) by leaving the law to be creative — whatever that means.

    #1 isn’t really the creativity I’m talking about. No matter how brilliant one’s ability is to view the law, it does not become art. In fact, if the law became art at any point, I think we would all be in trouble. There is already far too much room for interpretation in the law without it being subjected to the massive number of quandaries tossed around at art museums and shows. If law became art, law school would be irrelevant, lawyers would be useless, and there would be anarchy. There is no institution overseeing the creation and interpretation of art like there is the law. That just sounds absurd.

    #2 is what most people do — they turn their dreams into hobbies. This is the sad reality of having to make a living. The opportunity cost of wanting material things, having a family, and living comfortably means saccrificing your dreams for most people. I do not dream of being an attorney. I see it as a way to make a good living. A way to support a family. A path to security.

    #3 is what I would do if money were no object, and I hate that it comes down to money. I say that and I think of my friends that have corporate jobs. I think of the job I had at an Internet start-up. I think of the foolish demands to which we subject our precious time. I think back to my time in undergrad reading about Ponzi schemes and the “castle in the clouds” where as long as you can get the next fool to buy into your foundationless story you’ll be OK — never mind that what you are selling has no value if the next person doesn’t buy into it. That’s what life feels like at times — not that it’s valueless, but that we’re all doing something because it fits in the grid — because it propagates the masses — because it’s what was done before.

    These thoughts are far beyond creativity. Creativity is the antithesis to work for me. The time I spent writing fiction, nonfiction, or pure gibberish when I was younger is the exact opposite of what is considered productive or successful now, yet it was freeing and inspiring. Although writing was far from easy at times, I loved the idea of it. I loved the blank screen — the blank page. I still love blank journals — I just bought a new one and plan to fill it with unproductive gibberish and stuff. Just stuff.

    I’ve been thinking about all of this for a long time — years.

  • Change is not Unique

    One day while I was home on college break, heading out the door, my mother said to me, “You’re probably more liberal than you think.” I laughed it off, as if being called a liberal or a democrat was a personal attack. (Not that some wouldn’t take it that way.) At the time I would have easily classified myself as a conservative republican, but without justification. Politics was more about the image than the idea.

    Only recently have I begun to fight back against my default apathy, which, as I type these words, I am reminded is a much more difficult fight than I ever expected. I refuse to give up, or give in. I want to care very much, and I believe that my vote ultimately does count towards something. Even if that something is ideologically out of reach. Baby steps.

    I’ve watched friends get behind a candidate (Ron Paul, mostly), and their passion and conviction is inspiring. I hope to one day feel that connection, but it seems that falling head-over-heals for a candidate is far more complicated than crushing on a cute girl in class. Rarely, in this day and age, am I permitted to observe a candidate from afar and overlook the imperfections that would otherwise dissuade me from supporting him. Instead, the micro attention feeds me an incessant stream of useless information. Never has so much been made of so little.

    Further complicating things, information, useless or otherwise, without a personal conviction breeds apathy. It’s all static, and I want to cut through it. Oddly, the Friends episode where Ross tallies the pluses and minuses of Rachel and Emily comes to mind. I wish supporting a candidate were that easy. E.g., McCain has fat ankles – Vote Obama.

    The real fight, for me, is realizing that… I don’t know how to put it exactly without falling into patriotic rhetoric too much. I need to realize that this all means something. For eight years now we’ve seen how badly a president can damage the image of the United States. The modern day cliche, “Change,” is what is needed. But, it certainly isn’t reserved solely for Barack Obama. Instead, each one of us, as Americans and as humans needs to look in the mirror and consider what change would mean for us and how we can bring it about ourselves regardless of who our leader is.

  • The U.S. Open

    Tiger Woods decided, with one short stroke of his putter on the 72nd hole, that today’s round was not the final round of the 2008 U.S. Open.

    Today was evidence of why I love watching Tiger Woods play golf. If he doesn’t dominate the field, which he hasn’t lately, and certainly didn’t do over the past few days, he puts on the greatest show on earth. Thirty on his back nine on Friday. Two eagles and a birdie yesterday. The putt to tie Rocco Mediate and force a playoff today.

    What will we see tomorrow? I can’t wait.

  • Meet the Press

    Since college, my ideal Sunday morning has been waking up early and watching Meet the Press with a hot cup of coffee by my side and a newspaper or my computer to peruse.

  • Voice

    I have not written for a long time and need to rediscover my voice. The best way to do that is to start writing again and be patient until the old one returns or a new one is unveiled.

    Check back on Thursday, June 5th for my first story in some time.

  • Round 1 of 2008: High Pointe Golf Club

    I played my first round of the year at High Pointe Golf Club in Williamsburg, Michigan last Thursday. If you’re not familiar with High Pointe, it is one of Northern Lower Michigan’s best courses. As its homepage reads, “Two unique nines, one great course.” The greens are spectacular, too. Huge undulations and contours that reward precise approach shots and penalize poor ones.

    Having not hit a golf ball on real grass since last October, I had no idea what to expect of my game. The relaxed expectations resulted in a decent score of 78, which could have been lower. The fairways on the front nine were forgiving enough to allow me to spray a few drives and still have an approach shot. We played through a slow group and as a result I rushed my tee shot on the par four twelfth hole and ended up with a triple bogey. In an otherwise error-free round, that was my lone mistake.

    What needs work?

    • Short game — misjudged pitches and chips cost me a few strokes.
    • Irons — distance control with mid and short irons.