A Life in Line

I’ve never read a book that described my personality more accurately than The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People With Too Many Passions to Pick Just One. I am a Renaissance Soul. I have too many interests to settle on one. I typically don’t follow through with things I start, and that’s just fine with me. I am excited by the pursuit of knowledge on a particular topic. I hate long term goals, because I’m most likely to change interests long before I would ever reach those goals. I don’t like planning things too far into the future, because I’m not sure I would want to do that thing when the time comes. I like to go with my own flow.

If any of these statements sound like you, then you may be a Renaissance Soul, too. I urge you to read the book. It was an eye-opener for me, not to mention a huge relief to finally realize that I’m not weird. I’m just wired differently than others. People look at Leonardo DaVinci and Benjamin Franklin and see geniuses because of their many passions, but those same people look at Renaissance Souls today and say, “He’s just flaky. He can never stay focused on one thing.” It’s considered normal to be like Mozart who stuck with his one passion — music — for his entire life. He made a great contribution to the music world. But I would argue that the contribution from the Renaissance Souls of history have been even greater, because they cover a much larger variety.

Thoreau said it best when he said, “If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” This is my theme. I march to the beat of a different drummer, and, quite frankly, I prefer my drummer’s beat. It’s more liberating. It’s who I am, and it suits me perfectly.

1. I design wastewater treatment facilities for money.
2. My work isn’t very fulfilling.
3. I am absolutely fascinated by urban design, and I plan to go back to grad school within two years for it.
4. I have played the piano for 26 years so far (not continuously).
5. I have struggled with my weight all my life.
6. I enjoy lifting weights. It feels good and, to be honest, lets me eat more.
7. I have two cats, Fritz and Roper, who I love dearly.
8. I have one younger brother.
9. I have one nephew, and one nephew or neice on the way.
10. I consider myself an intellectual.
11. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies.
12. Playing the piano is a stress relief.
13. I graduated from Georgia Tech, which I am proud of.
14. I am a licensed professional engineer. I am so glad I passed the test on the first try. It was too much work.
15. I am a certified personal trainer through NSCA.
16. I like old Volvos and want to restore one some day.
17. Coffee is my morning drink of choice.
18. I am slowly starting to like beer.
19. I like long island iced tea.
20. I live in Knoxville, TN.
21. I’ve never been an outside person, but I am trying.
22. I like to ride my bike, but don’t do it enough.
23. My ideal life would include living and working in the downtown of a large city and not owning a car.
24. I am single.
25. Some days I really wish I were married.
26. Some days I’m glad I’m not.
27. I am an introvert, 100%.
28. I think the American church has it all wrong.
29. I enjoy the study of theology.
30. I spend too much time on Facebook.
31. Seinfeld is my all time favorite TV show.
32. I hate urban sprawl.
33. I miss living in downtown Newnan.
34. I dream of traveling the world.
35. I am working towards being debt free.
36. I am like DaVinci and Franklin, a Renaissance Soul (read the book).
37. I am becoming a writer and am really enjoying it.
38. While in college, I played keyboard in the CCF band and loved every minute of it.
39. I have lived in 12 different places over the last 13 years.
40. I am a Calvinist.
41. I enjoyed the college experience.
42. I always have to be learning something new.
43. I’m not good at keeping my house clean.
44. I eat out every meal.
45. Knoxville is too small for my taste.
46. I burned my leg on my dad’s 3-wheeler when I was a kid.
47. I’ve never broken a bone.
48. I’ve worn glasses since I was in 7th grade.
49. My prescription has never changed.
50. I’m halfway there.
51. I hate shopping for clothes.
52. I buy almost everything I need from Amazon.com.
53. I buy too many books.
54. I’ll eat pretty much anything fried, including Oreos or Twinkies.
55. I am politically conservative, but am fed up with politics overall.
56. I’ve voted for one democrat in my life – Zell Miller.
57. I get mad at bad drivers.
58. I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life.
59. I have enjoyed a few cigars.
60. I’m thinking of getting an Amazon Kindle.
61. Chilling in a great coffee shop is my pastime of choice.
62. Sting is my favorite musician.
63. I’m not much of a fiction reader.
64. I shave with an old fashioned safety razor and brush. The shave you get from them is amazing.
65. My favorite shaving cream is Proraso.
66. I would love to live in Italy. They seem to be on the same speed of life that I would like.
67. My favorite shampoo is American Crew Citrus Mint.
68. My favorite movie is The Talented Mr. Ripley. I love the setting in 1950’s Italy.
69. I really like Wes Anderson’s and Christopher Guest’s movies.
70. I never cared too much for sports, but I like to see LSU win.
71. I think professional baseball players are spoiled.
72. I think professional basketball has been overtaken by thugs.
73. I never watch the Olympics.
74. I’m thankful that Facebook has allowed me to reconnect with so many old friends.
75. My brother and I used to own a construction business, but we closed it.
76. I think red light cameras are a disgrace.
77. I suffer from heartburn.
78. I have to be on my side to fall asleep.
79. The life of simplicity really appeals to me.
80. I have come to really dislike clutter.
81. I am a pragmatist.
82. So far in my life, I’ve only cultivated my left brain. I want to cultivate my right brain now.
83. I believe there is an artist inside of me that wants out.
84. I like to turn the heat down really low at night and sleep under a down comforter.
85. I have to have a fan running while I sleep.
86. I have a very bad sweet tooth.
87. I am training for a 5k.
88. I wish I could play piano like Bruce Hornsby.
89. The best job I ever had was chauffeuring old folks around from a retirement home in Buckhead.
90. The worst job I ever had was parking cars at a posh condo in Buckhead.
91. My favorite season is winter.
92. I know I’ve been in love once, and maybe twice, but that’s all.
93. I don’t like people who are fake.
94. I love my family.
95. I wish God would save my grandfather.
96. My favorite Christmas gifts growing up were Lego sets.
97. I used to play trombone in the marching band.
98. I visited the Baptist Student Union at Georgia Tech when I was a freshman, but they were not very welcoming, so I went across the street to the Christian Campus Fellowship and never looked back.
99. I really admire my best friend Jeremiah for becoming a priest.
100. Like my mom, I think there’s nothing better than a good grilled hamburger.

My “To Be Read” list keeps getting longer, because I get new books faster than I read them. As of today, I am not going to get any new books until I have read the ones on my reading list. Here are my lists, broken down by category:

Fiction
1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
3. The Stranger by Albert Camus
4. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
6. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
7. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith (Highsmith wrote The Talented Mr. Ripley, which is one of my favorite books AND movies of all time.

Personal Development
1. What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson (I’ve read this twice already, but it’s good enough to read a third time.)
2. On Writing Well by William Zinsser (currently reading)
3. Put Your Life On A Diet by Gregory Johnson (current reading) DONE
4. The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine (I’ve read this one already, but need to read it again. It describes my personality to a “T.”)
5. Your Money Or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin (I’ve already read this once, but need to read it again.)
6. Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin (I have a hard time getting past the liberal propaganda, but there is really some good stuff in there.)
7. The Not So Big Life by Sarah Susanka (I started reading this one and decided to put it down, but I will give it another shot.)

Urban Planning
1. The Life and Death of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs (I’m in the middle of this one, but it’s slow going.)
2. The Great Neighborhood Book by Jay Walljasper
3. Livable Cities Observed by Suzanne and Henry Lennard

Miscellaneous
1. Reagan, In His Own Hand by Ronald Reagan (I hope to learn a few things from him.)
2. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

This is a phrase with which I am very familiar. I have come to the realization over the last couple of years of my life that I am a chronic sufferer of the “Grass is Always Greener Syndrome.” I’m always on the lookout for the next bigger and better thing in my life. It doesn’t matter which area of my life, there is always something that looks better to me than my current situation. This is a dangerous position to find myself, because it will cause me to never be able to settle down and enjoy life. For example, since moving to Knoxville, I have caught myself thinking there is probably a different place I could be living that is better in any number of ways than where I live. I have a new job, about which there is nothing to complain, and I am thinking that there is a better job somewhere out there for me, even a better profession than engineering. Someone wiser than I once said that if you find yourself unhappy in circumstance after circumstance, you must realize that the common denominator is you. I must be the reason that I can’t find contentment.

Paul said in Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Paul knew contentment. He was content in knowing that in whatever circumstance he found himself, his focus was on something bigger than those circumstances. This is what I desire – contentment in whatever circumstance I am in. The great Puritan theologian Jeremiah Burroughs wrote a book about contentment in 1651, so this is not a new struggle. The book is called The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. I think the title says much about contentment: 1. That it is rare. 2. That, once obtained, it is like a jewel. I happen to have a copy on my shelf that I have not yet read, so that book will be the next on my reading list. It will be a long and arduous read, but I’m sure will be well worth the effort.

The name of this blog – A Life in Line – is a reference to getting my life in line with the life I want. This will take many forms: my career, my relationships, my spiritual life, my finances, and my health. This post is more general in nature, but could vaguely be classified in the relationships category

You know, sometimes it’s really difficult being an introvert. This country puts alot of weight on being an extrovert. Extroverts are recharged when they interact with other people. Introverts are recharged when they spend time with their own thoughts. I am not an extrovert at all, and I have experienced the admonishment of those extroverts who don’t understand why I just don’t talk more or why I just don’t come out of my shell. I’ve realized that it’s not really that they dislike me, it’s just that they don’t understand me. Unless an extrovert has an introvert as a close friend or family member, they don’t really understand us. They think we are weird. If I had a nickel for every time in my life someone has said to me, “Why don’t you come out of your shell and live a little?” or “You are soooo quiet!” then I would definitely be retired by now (in a small Swiss village in the Alps where I wouldn’t have to socialize with many people, of course!).

On the other hand, I think my introversion has actually helped me in my move to Knoxville. I don’t know anyone here, other than the people I work with so far, so spend alot of time at home by myself. This is not bad, because that’s what I enjoy to do anyway. I do still miss the few friendships that I left in Georgia, but I know it will just take time to develop those here. But overall, I think being an introvert has made this move easier. If I were an extrovert, meaning I got my energy from interactions with other people, then I would probably be depressed.

There are a few misconceptions about being an introvert. I’d like to set the record straight on these.

1. Introverts are socially incompetent. I don’t consider myself a social ninja, but I have no problems interacting with others when I have to. Sometimes, I do struggle initially, but I loosen up fairly quickly.

2. Bring introverted is not the same as being shy. If I had to stand in front of a group of people and give a lecture concerning a topic that I knew alot about, then I would have no problems. I have no problems getting up in front of the church and playing the piano. Assuming that since someone is an introvert he is automatically shy is simply wrong.

3. Introverts are distant or aloof. While I’m sure there are some introverts who really dislike people and would prefer to not associate with anyone, most introverts really do enjoy the company of others. The distinguishing characteristic here between introvert and extroverts is that extroverts must have lots of interaction with others to maintain their sanity. Introverts, on the other hand, don’t need it, but enjoy it in small quantities. A prime example of that is how much I enjoyed my meetings with my small group from church. I looked forward to those meetings, because I love those people, but I didn’t need the meeting to be energized. In fact, I enjoyed the solitude that I got at home after the meetings more than the meetings themselves.

So it is my plea that you extroverts out there cut us introverts some slack. We really are interesting people if you would take the time to get to know us. We’re not weird, just different.

I am on a quest to find my favorite coffee shop in Knoxville. I want one where I will want to linger and spend the afternoon. It has to be a destination, not merely a place to swing by and grab a cup of coffee. So far, I have not found that place in Knoxville. There are still some places I need to visit, so I may find it or I may not find it. I surely hope I do. Lately, I’ve been thinking, “What makes a coffee shop great?” So this post is about that. What do you think makes a coffee shop great?

Creative Latte Art

Picture yourself sitting in the ideal coffee shop.

What do you see?
What do you smell?
What do you hear?
What does the furniture look like?
What does the music sound like?
What do the people look like?
Where is it located?
What’s on the menu, besides coffee?
How do the people working there treat you?
Do they know your name?
Do they offer anything else besides coffee, like food, books, music, etc?
Do they offer live music?
Do they offer open mic nights?
Do they offer anything else cool?

Please help me to describe the perfect coffee shop. I’ve read that some people say that coffee “shops” are merely places where you buy coffee, but coffee “houses” are places you like to sit and stay a while. Do you agree or is it merely semantics?

I joined a gym last week called National Fitness Center. So far, I’ve been four times. I am following a routine I developed for myself. It’s a 6-day routine that is broken up into two 3-day modules. Each module hits each body part with three different exercises. So, in other words, I do legs twice a week, but the three exercises on the first leg day aer different from the three on the second leg day. That way, the muscles don’t get used to it as fast.

The gym is great. In fact, it’s the best one I’ve been a member of. It’s huge. It’s so big, there is never a wait for the equipment. I think it looks like the Parthenon. Check out the pictures below, and you’ll see what I mean.

My Gym

The Parthenon

So you’ve stumbled upon my blog as you were roaming aimlessly around the internet. Well, I’m glad you’re here. This is a brand new blog. What does that mean? Well it means a few things.

1. Content May Vary Initially
Since I’m not really sure yet what my focus will be on this blog, the content will be changing until I hone in on my particular topic of choice. So initially, the topics will vary, but I will still try my best to make them interesting.

2. Blog Title May Change
My initial thoughts on titling this blog “A Life in Line” is that I might chronicle my ups and downs as I try to bring my life in line with the life I want. That includes my health, my career, my spiritual life, my relationships, etc. However, like I said in No. 1, it may change, but maybe not. That’s reason enough to stick around.

3. I May Be Blogging To No One
I am quite aware that a new blog isn’t going to get much traffic. So, I understand that, even though I may be writing as though I am speaking to “the readers” or “the subscribers,” I may just be talking to myself. (This item is mainly for me, since I know I don’t have any readers right now.)

In the end, I hope to at least make someone’s life a little easier in some way by providing quality information and content on this blog. I’m new to it all, so I’m still learning. It will be an exciting journey.

This is the official first post of my blog. It’s just a place holder until something greater comes along. I promise something greater will come along. You can be sure of it.