Category Archives: Popular Culture

Jacob, LOST, Popular Culture

The End Is The Beginning Is The End

Lost is not just a television show; it has become an epic story filled with mystery that has garnered twenty-three million participants. Some might call them viewers, but a participant of Lost doesn’t sit in front of flickering electronic pixels, seeking to escape life through subpar television programming. Lost requires us to be involved. The story, which has blossomed into a marathon of cultural, literary, scientific, and religious allusions, offers to its faithful adherents ideas worth pondering, books worth reading, scientific theories worth exploring, and ideas that very nearly burn a hole in our pockets. Lost, in all its illustrative, complex glory, demands that we dialogue, research, meet ourselves in the characters, and share our latest discoveries with one another.

What makes this series unique is not merely the distinctive flashbacks and flash-forwards through time, the infinite twists and turns of the narratives, the endless symbolism, clever and often subtle references to philosophy and theology, spellbinding storylines, and captivating mysteries. It is the sum of these parts that has created an entirely new genre of television and attracted what may be the most committed and diverse fan base in television history. College students are discussing the show with their grandmothers, professors are citing the show in their teaching, and adolescent boys are buying posters of Evangeline Lily in the same way my generation bought posters of Farrah Fawcett. Theologians engage the historical and biblical references, blue-collar workers discuss the show on their breaks, white-collar workers debate their theories around water coolers, and on an island off the coast of Honduras, kids in an orphanage raptly and faithfully follow the antics of the castaways via bootleg copies of the series. (from The Gospel According to Lost by Chris Seay)

Tonight the final season begins. Lost has been an incredible treat for me these past five seasons and I am incredibly excited to countdown as final secrets and mysterious are revealed (hopefully).

To say I’m sad that a tv show is wrapping up sounds pretty lame. I mean it is just a collection of stories and scenes and to some these stories and scenes are incredibly weird and disjoined. However, to me, Lost is just plain stinkin’ awesome!

I will miss the hours of entertainment. I will miss the theorizing and guessing with my friends. I’ll miss the “I’ll-have-to-Google-that” moments that drove me to learning about all kinds of things from ancient Egyptian customs to philosophy to Flannery O’Conner to quantum physics and time travel. Lost is a nerd’s dream come to true.

Tonight marks the beginning of the end. I guess everything that rises must converge. I’ll meet you on the island… for one last season. Namaste.

Popular Culture, Religion, Resources, Resurrection, Teaching

Bible Major Geek Out! Shroud Edition

Archeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered a first-century burial shroud. The find seems to be extremely significant and pretty cool as well.

Jerusalem (CNN) — Researchers said Wednesday for the first time they have found what they believe to be pieces of a burial shroud from the time of Jesus. The find is of importance because tests on the shroud and the body it wrapped revealed the earliest proven case of leprosy in the Old City of Jerusalem. And in addition, the weave of the shroud raises fresh doubts about the Shroud of Turin, which many people believe was used to wrap the body of Jesus. According to researchers involved in the excavation and subsequent testing, the recently discovered shroud lends more credible evidence that the Shroud of Turin does not date to Roman times when Jesus died but from a later period.The latest shroud was found in a tomb complex on the edge of the Old City of Jerusalem. “This is the first time that we have a shroud from the time of Jesus,” said Shimon Gibson, the excavation director.

In my opinion the article places way to much emphasis on the Shroud of Turin (If I’m honest, I could care less about the Shroud of Turin). This new shroud however, is a collossal find on it’s own merit for a couple of reasons.

First, this find seems to corroborate a specific element of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He called such a find in the Jerusalem area unique because the high humidity levels in the city do not normally allow for the preservation of organic material. Gibson said the remains of the man covered in the cloth consisted of different wrappings for the body and the head, which was consistent with burial practices of the era. He also said research had shown that the weave of the cloth was a simple one, much different from the more complex Shroud of Turin’s.

John 20:6-8 says, “Then Simon Peter came along behind (John) and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.” This is just a little throw away detail about the resurrection of Jesus and yet it is these details that often underscore the larger truths. If the authors get the details right- the thought goes- then it lends greater credibility to the whole. Jesus’ body was wrapped and then a head cloth was placed over his face- the exact practice verified by first century traditions.

Secondly, it gives us a better idea as to what the tomb of Jesus may have looked like.

Based on the tomb’s location and the style of the shroud wrappings, researchers have said the shrouded man was an affluent member of Jerusalem society.

Jesus was buried in a tomb donated by a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin named Joeseph of Arimathea. It is very possible that this tomb would share some of the same characteristics. I look forward to filing these pictures away for use as a visual aid in my teaching classes. Let’s hope the archeologist took some great pictures. Hey guys, post those pics on Facebook! Kidding. High Res shots would be much better.

Finally, this find means that we could be close to understanding that age old skin condition known as leprosy. Now maybe we can speak with authority instead of basically making things up.

Because of the unique nature of the find, the remains of the shroud and the bodily remains were subject to molecular and DNA testing. Researchers said they were surprised to find that the shrouded man suffered from both leprosy and tuberculosis. The discovery of leprosy was found in DNA samples taken from the skeletal remains and is the earliest proven case of the disease, according to Hebrew University professor Mark Spigelman. It is likely the shrouded man died from tuberculosis, Spigelman said, and its presence in other remains found at the site suggest “the significant impact social diseases such as tuberculosis had on society from the low socioeconomic groups up to the more affluent families, such as Tomb the Shroud in first-century Jerusalem.”

Leprosy? Are you kidding me! (Allow me to slip into Bible teacher mode) This could mean that I can stop saying things like, “Well… we don’t know exactly what leprosy was…” or “Leprosy could have been a simple skin disorder…” NO MORE! Leprosy can be leprosy! Yay!

I’d encourage you to read the article and to check out the pics for yourself (first century corpse- you’re welcome!). It will be interesting to find out more about this latest find. As the weeks go on I hope that the researchers will release more of their findings so we can find out all we can about the times in which Jesus lived.

Story at CNN.com

Music, Popular Culture

5 Alternatives to Album of the Year

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The Grammy Awards—or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry.

Behold the consequences of abandoning your mission. This year’s Grammy nominations are in and they are horrible!!! Sure there are some good nominations across the board but I am dumbstruck by the mediocre choices for Album of the Year. Surely, surely they could have come up with some more deserving alternatives to nominate for the big prize. Instead, we have a hodgepodge of noise being passed off as credible “achievements in the music industry.”

If I were choosing this year’s Album of the Year my choices would look decidedly different. Here’s a look at my choices for Album of the Year. (For recordings released during the Eligibility Year October 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009)

The Resistance // MUSE (over I Am… Sasha Fierce // Beyonce)
Why reward a bloated double album of pop standards when you can reward a single bloated album of rock genius? You might not yet know who MUSE is but you soon will. These guys are huge across the pond. 2009 brought us The Resistance, MUSE’s biggest release yet. This space-opera-concept album, is full of haunting lyrics, driving beats, and even a three part symphony. The first single, Uprising, should be nominated for song of the year too. A very fitting anthem for 2009.

Day and Age // The Killers (over The E.N.D. // The Black Eyed Peas)
If you award the BEP with Album of the Year, then Autotune wins. Is that what you want? Is that the kind of world you want your grandchildren to inherit. Like Beyonce, BEP are the “big name” nominees. Sure they’ll bring in the viewers and put on a lavish light show but you aren’t supposed to awarding lasers. Remember, Autotune or saving humanity. The choice is yours.

For some good dance beats, strong music, and real voices try to sit still listening to the latest release from The Killers.

Nails on a Chalkboard // 1000 Angry Cats (over The Fame // Lady Gaga)
I would also rather listen to Fran Drescher sing the complete works of Frank Sinatra than to sit and listen to this crap. If you feed it, it will hang around. I say starve this Fame Monster and put us out of our misery. Too harsh?

Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King // Dave Matthews Band (over Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King // Dave Matthews Band)
Way to go Academy. This was a good nominee for Album of the Year. 1) The album is DMB’s best release in years and is a fitting tribute to their fallen founding member, LeRoi Moore. 2) The music is tight with every arrangement perfectly balanced. 3) There is an epic quality to sound. Hands down this my favorite DMB album since Before These Crowded Streets.

Backspacer // Pearl Jam (over Fearless // Taylor Swift)
I’m not a hater. I like Taylor Swift, her music, her lyrics, and her eye makeup but I am unwilling to say she deserves to win the big prize. Give her a songwriting award or a pop award but not Album of the Year. Instead, look to Pearl Jam for a solid and self-produced album. This is a big step forward for this Seattle band. The songs are driven by great music but the strength of these tracks come from the lyrics and vocals. Listening to Backspacer sounds familiar and brand new all at once.

(Obligatory Statement) U2’s No Line on the Horizon would be my real choice for Album of the Year. Yeah, yeah, yeah- I know. I might be biased (Who I am I kidding? I most certainly am biased.) but musically, lyrically, sonically NLOTH is leaps and bounds, over and above any of the real nominees for Album of the Year. It may not be the “best” U2 album but it is an awesome listening experience and a classic album. 20 years from now I will stand by that statement.

20 minutes from now you’ll be asking “Who is Lady Gaga?”

Live Music, Music, Popular Culture, Remarkable, U2

Scenes from U2360

I had an absolute blast at the U2 concert on Monday. Unfortunately, my camera battery died halfway through the show so these are the best of best shots I was able to capture. I cannot explain to you how great this show was. U2 has ruined all other bands for me.

I was able to catch them in Atlanta last week and the show was great. the Dallas show however, was over the top! The energy level was amped up, Bono’s voice sounded crisp, and the whole thing was just that much better. What an experience! See ya next time boys!

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Facebook, Ministry, Popular Culture, Resources, Youth Ministry

10 Ways to Use Facebook In Your Youth Ministry

Create a group page or a fan page for your youth group. This will allow you to send out group messages, post group photos, and create group events all in one place. Create a group today, invite your teens and their parents to join, and then begin building your group by adding some photos and creating an event for your Sunday morning class.

Send birthday messages to your teens and their parents. Facebook reminds you which friends have a birthday coming up. Post a quick birthday message on your teens wall and let them know that you are thinking about them on this special day.

Use your status to brag on your teens. In the status bar Facebook asks, “What are you thinking?” Let everyone know that you are thinking about your teens by posting a quick message about how well the retreat went or how proud you are of what they accomplished at the service project.

Encourage your teens with messages on their wall. Maybe one of your teens received an award or maybe they passed their driving test or maybe they are feeling hurt or frustrated. Posting a message that says “Way to go!” or “I’m proud of you!” on their wall let’s your teens know that they aren’t just someone in the youth group- they really matter to you.

Post photos from events and trips. Upload photos of your students on your wall or organize your photos into folders.

Tag your teens in photos. Facebook lets you tag the individuals in pictures. When you tag a person they receive a message that they have been identified in a picture. Tagging your teens in photos helps drive them to the photo and often they will comment about the event with memories from the trip.

Create an event to remind students and parents of things coming up on the calendar. Invite students and their parents to a devotional or a lock-in or your Sunday night worship event. Facebook lets you create an event page and send our invitations. The students can then RSVP giving you an idea of how many to expect.

Comment on the status updates from your teens. Reading your teen’s status updates gives you insight into what’s going on in their lives, what they are thinking, or what they are feeling at any given time. Comment on their status to engage them in conversation.

Use your profile pic to rotate in pictures of you and your teens.

Create an event page for a particular class or study and use that page to continue the conversation, thoughts, and lessons beyond the meeting time. Link to articles, post questions, or upload a summary of that day’s class notes to your Facebook event to help students process your Bible study throughout the week. You could also post thoughts or questions beforehand to stir up dialogue or prepare your teens for what you’ll be covering.

Ministry, Popular Culture, Resources, Twitter, Youth Ministry

10 Ways Twitter Helps Me Be A Better Minister

Twitter helps me communicate quickly and effectively. I have 140 characters to say what I need to say. No long messages. No wasted words. I have to find the most concise and specific way to communicate an announcement.

Twitter lets me encourage my students and parents. Often I will send out a quick word of encouragement or a Scripture to let my parents and teens know that I am praying for them, thinking about them, pulling for them.

Twitter helps me tell our parents (in real time) when they can expect us back from an event. If the group is late, I can quickly inform parents on our new arrival time so they aren’t waiting around in the parking lot. If we are going to arrive early, I can quickly inform parents on our new arrival time so I am not waiting around in the parking lot.

Twitter lets me advertise upcoming classes and events. Sometimes the only thing that keeps a teen or parent from attending a class or event is a quick reminder or short preview. Example: Come to REFUGE and celebrate the God who gives you a “do over” in life. 7:15-8:15p. Take some time to honor and to seek God with us 2nite.

Twitter lets me continue classes and events by sending out follow-up questions or challenges. Often I’ll send out a follow-up message after class with a scripture reading or a spiritual challenge for students. Since this message also goes out to parents, thy can get an idea of what their teens are working through and even join them on these challenges.

Twitter lets me send out prayers and prayer requests to those who follow me. I can quickly send out urgent prayer requests to everyone as soon as I get them. I also can send out messages asking my followers how I can pray for them.

Twitter can be used to get teens and parents to sign-up for events through direct messaging or can be used and a reminder for upcoming deadlines. Again, anything that helps me streamline my announcements or administrative work gives me more time to build relationships.

Twitter lets me get to know my students by asking fun questions and seeing the responses. Sometimes I’ll ask a fun question about something we talked about in class or sometimes I’ll ask a question about things going on in the lives of teens. I always enjoy seeing their responses.

Twitter allows me to send out a weekly devotional thought or challenge. During holiday weeks- Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Spring Break- I send out a daily prayer, scripture reading, and challenge to those who follow me. This connects us even as we are scattered across the country.

Twitter can help everyone participate in a trip even if they are at home. I have Twittered our last two mission trips allowing those left at home- parents and teens- the chance to see what we are doing, keep them updated on what’s happening, and ask them for prayers. Last year, we pulled into the parking lot from our trip to Atlanta and a parent bypassed his teen to give me a huge hug saying, “Oh I loved the Twitters you sent. They were awesome!”

Art, Cinema, Film & Theology, Leadership, Music, Popular Culture, Thoughts, U2

5 Leadership Lessons From Rock Royalty

If you get the chance, go see the new documentary film, It Might Get Loud. This film is a 90 minute love letter to the electric guitar starring three of the most amazing and talented rock icons. The film chronicles the careers of Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes) letting the viewer catch a glimpse (or a listen) of the history, hardware, and creative power that fuels each artist’s unique sound.

Never one to pass up a learning experience, I walked away from the film with a little bit more than just a greater appreciation for all things rock. As I listened to each of these masters talk about their experiences I couldn’t help but jot down a few notes for myself. I feel like I got a good dose of rock ‘n roll today but I am even more appreciative of the leadership lessons I gleaned from the movie. Here are 5 Leadership Lessons I Learned from It Might Get Loud:

1) ABL- Always Be Learning: Jack White, 34, is the youngest guitarist in the film’s trio. He is fourteen years younger than The Edge, 48, and thirty years younger than Jimmy Page, 64. White is featured in the film because, without a doubt, he has developed a distinctly unique sound. When you hear him play you know for certain that it is Jack White. White could have strolled into the studio, unique sound in hand and a chip on his shoulder, ready to show the old guard a thing or two. Instead, White showed that he understood the opportunity handed to him through this project. White, with a huge knowing smile, says, “I plan on tricking these guys into showing me all their tricks.” Always be learning starts with a humble attitude and a desire to make the most of every opportunity. Yes, White has a lot to bring to that table but someone with a teachable spirit and a heart for learning will walk away from experiences like these richer for it.

2) Disregard Most Critics: Everyone has a shared experience in receiving criticism. Critics love to cut you down and write you off. A perfect example of this comes from Jimmy Page as he is discussing the harsh criticism that he and the other members of Led Zeppelin received with each album release. Page says that Led Zeppelin IV was only given a one paragraph review. One paragraph!!! For those of you who are unaware, this album contains a wide variety of music and some of rock’s quintessential tracks including Black Dog, When the Levee Breaks, and Stairway to Heaven. Everyone can listen and learn from constructive criticism. However, most critics just love to hear themselves talk. Learn to discern the helpful from the hurtful. Get better from the critics who want to see you do better and ignore the ones who just want to cut you down.

3) God Moves In Mysterious Ways: Jimmy Page says that the only reason he even began playing guitar was because they had moved into a new house and the previous owner had left a guitar behind. The only reason one of the world’s greatest guitar players even picked up a guitar was because some man’s trash became another boy’s treasure. I don’t know what Jimmy Page’s religious persuasion is. I believe that God determines the steps of the believer and non-beliver alike. I believe that coincidences like this are not really coincidences at all. That well worn passage in Jeremiah says that God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. He does this- directs our steps- so that we will call on him and seek him with all of our hearts. Maybe God has led you to this place, opened this door, or given you this gift so that you may see him, know him, and seek him. What ever it is you do, do it for the glory of God.

4) Do the Hard Work: The Edge is a master technician. A great aspect of the film is watching him run his guitar through various amps, filters, pedals, and gadgets to produce just the right sound. In fact, The Edge calls the sounds from his guitar “his voice” and righty so. In the film, you get to watch The Edge alone in the studio with just his guitar, equipment, and computer tweaking away at a few chords for what ultimately becomes the opening of “Get On Your Boots.” You see him working late into the night– strumming here, moving a dial there, stepping on a pedal over here- until the final product emerges. What started out as a straight-forward lick becomes and full fledged rock riff. It all came about because the Edge put in the hard work. Many may never know the behind the scenes struggle, the tweaking, or the long hours you put into something but you know that it was in those moments that the project was given life and brought to fruition. Do the hard work every time- even if you are the only one who ever knows.

5) Seize Opportunities: Every U2 fan knows that the band was formed when the boys were schoolmates in Ireland. Larry Mullen, drums, put a flyer up on the school bulletin board to recruit band members. The rest they say is history. The film takes you back to the school with the Edge as tour guide. He walks through the halls and over to the bulletin board telling us that this was where the flyer was posted. The Edge admits that he probably would have joined another band at some point but he wonders what would have been different. Would he have gone on to fame and fortune if he had ignored the flyer? He admits he couldn’t play very well at that time. What if he had seen the flyer but had been too afraid or self-conscious to follow up on it. In a very matter of fact way the Edge says, “Who knows? I could be working at a bank somewhere.” Seize every opportunity! Don’t let fear or critics or even your “small” abilities keep you from pursuing the right opportunities when the present themselves. The Edge answered that flyer and found what he was looking for.

I absolutely loved this film. If you like rock music or documentary films or if like me, you like both of these things, find a theatre showing It Might Get Loud and rock out with your bad self. The music is great, the conversation is great, and you might walk away thinking about more than just rock ‘n roll.

Awesomenessness, LOST, Popular Culture

Ille qui nos omnes servabit

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“He who shall protect/save us all.”

The fifth season of “LOST” is in the history books… or the future books… or something. What a great season! We got some answers to old questions and, of course, we got a whole big bunch of brand spankin’ new questions to contend with. After the final scene in last night’s season finale I just sat there dumbfounded. I on one hand didn’t like the ending at all but on the other found myself loving every single white pixel on the screen. Such is the case with every episode of “LOST”. It is love/hate, enlightened/confused, Dharma/Others back and forth that few shows match.

Now we find ourselves with one final season. Is the future rewritten or has what’s been done, been done? The only hint about where we are going that we got last night was a teaser for the sixth season with the tagline Destiny Found. Last week Doc Jensen, Entertainment Weekly’s LOST Guru, asked the all important question for every LOST fan.

Which mysteries do you feel must be resolved during the sixth and final season?

That is the 4 8 15 16 23 42 million dollar question isn’t it?

For me, here is what I absolutely want resolved once and for all:

1) What (and now I wonder Who) exactly is Smokezilla?
2) Was that Jacob visiting our Castaways last night or was that Mr. Nameless from the beach?
3) What ever happened to Claire?
4) Who is Richard and Where/When did he come from?
5) What ever happened to the Oceanic 815 castaways kidnapped by the Others?
6) Why the fertility experiments?
7) For a show about Good and Evil, Black and White we haven’t been given a clear picture of who is who. I need to know who is on which side.

Right now, these are the 7 burning questions I need to find the answers to. Did I miss anything?

I want to hear from you. What questions do you need answered? What mysteries do you need resolved?

In the words of Jacob, “What about you?

Apple, Music, News, Nosebleeds, Not-So-Awesomeness, Popular Culture

Drawing The Line On My Horizon

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On September 23, 2005 I wrote on the blog about something I saw coming down the music business pike. I commented on a curious article quoting the outcry of some music execs (specifically Warner Music Group) desperately wanting “flexibility” in the price points of online music downloads. I warned that this line of thinking would lead to inflated prices on the newest, hotest tracks by top artists. Here is an excerpt from my post:

Record executives, however, are seeking some flexibility in prices, including the ability to charge more for some songs and less for others, the way they do in the traditional retail world.

“There’s no content in the world that has doesn’t have some price flexibility,” said Warner Music Group Corp. chief executive Edgar Bronfman at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia investor conference here. “Not all songs are created equal. Not all albums are created equal.

“That’s not to say we want to raise prices across the board or that we don’t believe in a 99-cent price point for most music,” he said. “But there are some songs for which consumers would be willing to pay more. And some we’d be willing to sell for less.”

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Think about that for a second. What he is effectively communicating is that he believes that he can suck more money out of consumers for hot, popular music. He is saying that he can manipulate you, the consumer, into paying whatever he wants you to pay for your favorite artists. In theory, an artist could be an .88 cent artist one week and a $1.50 artist the next. I am begining to see what the real problem is in the music buisness. Leadership. Small-minded, money grubbing leaders.

Sony Music wants to thank you for legally purchasing their music by adding an enjoyment tax. Here’s to you, music execs! Way to ruin the party!

I don’t know when it happened but it has happened. Right now in the iTunes store some tracks have jumped to a high of $1.29 while some tracks have hit a low of .69 cents. I saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on SNL last week. They played an amazing performance of Zero, their first single from their latest album. I really dug it so I headed over to the iTunes store. Guess what?

Zero is the only track from the album priced at $1.29.

I began to think about that post from 2005 so I rushed over to Top Songs (this list is updated hourly). 49 out of 100 Top Songs are priced at $1.29. Out of those 49 I had purchased 5 of them in the past few months all at the original .99 cent price.

Want to hear the latest single from the Black Eyed Peas? How about that Jason Mraz/Colbie Callet duet from an album that came out this time last year? You can also stop believin’ that the classic track from Journey is only .99 cents. They will all cost you a little more.

Why? Because they are new or hot or a top seller.

These tracks will cost you a little bit more because the music industry believes that “there are some songs for which consumers would be willing to pay more. And some we’d be willing to sell for less.”

This consumer- a loyal, hardworking, music fan, downloading-for-pay-since-2003 consumer– is unwilling to buy À la carte tracks for more than .99 cents just because they’re the flavor of the week.

I hope that this is just an experiment. I hope that in the coming weeks that the new price points return back to normal. Maybe then I’ll get that song from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Maybe by then the track will be .99 cents again. You know by that time though, I might have forgotten all about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Part of the genius and the selling benefits of downloadable music its immediacy and being able capitalize on the impulses of buyers. Right now my impulse is to say “No Way!” I wonder if the record execs took that into account?

I am refusing to pay the $1.29 price point for hot and new tracks. I will not pay an “enjoyment tax” for the latest songs. I will not play this game.

I hope you won’t either. Who’s with me?

Read the original post: Hidden Agenda

Collecting Experiences, Ethos, Life, Popular Culture, Self-Leadership

My Murtaugh List

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I started watching How I Met Your Mother on the recommendation of a friend last year after the writer’s strike. I love the way that friendships are presented on the show and I absolutely love how the show deals with getting older. The protagonists are all young 30 somethings dealing with growing up and moving forward through life.

On Monday’s episode the guys brought out their Murtaugh list- the list of things that they are now too old to ever do again. The idea for the list came from Danny Glover’s Det. Sgt. Roger Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon series. In the films Murtaugh is always about one week from retirement when some crazy terrorist group of money-launders or dirty South African diplomats crop up to threaten his well-deserved R&R. His famous catchphrase was “I’m too old for this stuff!” (this is a PG site)

On How I Met Your Mother things like crashing on a friend’s futon, dying your hair a crazy color, and pulling an all nighter were all on the Murtaugh list. The episode was really funny and, of course, it got me thinking.

Today is my 29th birthday so I asked Sandy to help me come up with my own version of the Murtaugh list. I asked her what are some things that I am too old to do anymore. I sometimes still pull an all nighter- my recover time is a bit longer though. I still like going to concerts during the week nights- again recovery time is more of an issue. I still eat crazy mexican food without the help of Tums or Prilosec.

In some ways I’m still as young as I ever was. However, the bell tolls for everyone so I wanted Sandy to help me start a list before my memory starts to fade (joking!).

Here is what we came up with:
“I’m too old for this stuff.”

I’m too old… to forget which days the trash is picked up. (acc. to Sandy)
I’m too old… to drop clothes next to the hamper. (acc. to Sandy)
I’m too old… to keep sneaking “Black iTunes Cards” ($50, $100) into the shopping cart in the hopes that Sandy won’t notice. (acc. to Sandy)
I’m too old… Windows down. Sunroof open. Stereo blasting… In a school zone.
I’m too old… to shop at American Eagle.
I’m too old… for lava lamps.
I’m too old… to decorate our bedroom exclusively with Christmas lights.
I’m too old… to play crab soccer.
I’m too old… to forget toothpaste on a trip. (I never forget my toothbrush. Just the paste)
I’m too old… to “get” the Jonas Brothers.
I’m too old… to teach other drivers a “lesson” with my horn or deceleration.
I’m too old… for flip-flops.
I’m too old… to get anything pierced.
I’m too old… for the front tuck.
I’m too old… to take quizzes on Facebook.
I’m too old… to eat mexican food everyday for a week. (I’m pushing 3 days already)

Seriously though… I’m almost thirty. Most people go through life never out growing the really negative and immature things in life. As I get older I try (try, try, try) to get wiser and better with age. I haven’t learned much it seems at times but I have hung onto a few truths recently…

I’m too old… to hang onto grudges.
I’m too old… to argue with you.
I’m too old… for winning points.
I’m too old… to care whether they like me or not.
I’m too old… to care about getting the credit or the glory.
I’m too old… to keep up with the Jones… of anyone else for that matter.
I’m too old… to blame others for my shortcomings.
I’m too old… to waste time.
I’m too old… to wait for someone else to clean it up.
I’m too old… to avoid responsibility.
I’m too old… to remember how they slighted me.
I’m too old… to let others get me off my game by snide comments.
I’m too old… to waste any time fretting over past mistakes.
I’m too old… to give up on the future.

What are you too old for?

Here’s to getting old everyone! Have a great day and may your Muratugh lists- the funny ones and the real ones- be short lists!