Posts

Reflections on Ignorance-Slow Walk, Fast Talk

    I have always been a fast walker. Even in my youth I wanted to run everywhere, be in various places, and see new things. I haven't slowed down much since then, but I have tried to slow down more recently. I am not sure what prompted this thought in the past couple of years, but I finally realized just how quickly I walk. I get frustrated when others are  slowly walking in front of me. I also experience this when I walk up stairs. Many opportunities to exercise patience in the halls of St. Mary's I suppose. One day, I forget when exactly, I started to reflect on why I walk so quickly. Where do I have to be that makes my pace of walking so rushed?      I am in such a rush to be everywhere that I forget this life is a marathon and not a sprint. Our lives of course are a race in a certain sense (1 Cor 9:24),   but it is not a race that needs to be carried out in such a worried manner. When our lives are characterized by a lack of peace and an acco...

Reflections on Ignorance-Dad Strength and Determination

      This semester the Knights of Columbus on campus have been hosting events once a month called "Into the Breach." At these events we have been watching a series from the Knights of Columbus called "Into the Breach." The series talks about masculinity within the context of Catholic Christianity. The specific episode we watched this week talked about the importance of fatherhood. In the discussion following the video we talked about various father figures we have, or have had, in our lives. I talked about my father.      My father, although expectedly imperfect, has been a constant exemplar of determination and selflessness in my life. One example of such behavior from this past summer perfectly demonstrates this, and I could give countless others. My parents had recently remodeled part of the exterior of our house, and there were two or three pallets of leftover brick sitting in our front yard. My dad of course decided the bricks needed to be moved to th...

Reflections on Ignorance-Kwik Trip and Socialization

     This past week I was at Kwik Trip with my friend Ryan. Our weekly Kwik Trip runs, which sometimes happen more than weekly, are a beloved tradition of ours. We get pizza, chicken sandwiches, Arnold Palmer and then take to the counter for conversation. We were doing what we do best: shooting the breeze.  A young woman walked past us and made a very random, albeit funny, remark to us. She said something along the lines of "I love the Kwik Trip date." That was all she said, and that is likely to be the only conversation I will have with that young woman. Now, what is the significance of this for me? Yet again, my ignorance is revealed!      I do not have any predilection for conversation with strangers. To be quite honest, my conversational skills are lackluster, so I just choose to keep to myself, but I think a more fundamental explanation for this aversion to spontaneous conversation is found in my fear of embarrassment. For whatever reason I have a...

Reflections on Ignorance-Jeans and Boots

      I basically wear the same outfit every day with the exception of Sundays. I wear jeans, the same boots, and often a plain t-shirt. Some would say that I do not have a high sense of fashion. I had not put much consideration into my dress until a couple of years ago. A good friend of mine was talking about how our dress reflects the way we think about ourselves and others. In this post I would like to share some thoughts about the wisdom my friend shared with me. In this way he is vicariously offering a guest post on this blog, so thank you Collin.      Humans appear to work in such a way that a lot of what is manifested externally has its origins internally. I think the way we dress is not very different in this regard. Thankfully, not many people choose to walk around without clothing. When we clothe our bodies we pay it the proper respect, for what is underneath is extremely precious and meaningful. So, I would conclude, the way we choose to adorn wh...

Reflections on Ignorance-Silence and Noise

      I  enjoy listening to music, specifically country and EDM. Surely an eclectic combination, but I think together they can accommodate a wide variety of circumstances and moods. I listen to music in the car, while I'm studying, and when I'm in the gym. However, I saw a video the other day that is starting to make me reevaluate some of my listening habits.      The video talked about the importance of silence. Silence is not something entirely foreign to me given my specific practices in prayer, but in a deeper, more essential way I am alienated from silence. One of my biggest motivations in life is the pursuit of pleasure and comfort. This I cannot deny, and although that it is not inherently bad to seek either pleasure or comfort, it can certainly become a disordered desire. For example, at certain times I am overwhelmed by school, and so my first instinct is to find refuge in the "noise" of YouTube, Clash of Clans, or music. It is not physical no...

Reflections on Ignorance-To Draw or not to Draw

      I am a very bad artist, but I was reading an article the other day that encouraged the practice of keeping a journal that records one's encounters with beauty. This was rather profound to me. It encouraged people to write, draw, and do whatever is necessary to recount the beauty one experienced. I do not seem to have any sort of predisposition for artistic talent. Every art class from elementary school up to graphic design in college has been a struggle. I do not understand the dynamics of color (my color-blindness may be partly responsible), the organization of shadows, or just about anything else. This has always discouraged me from pursuing any artistic endeavors. I think this might be rather small-hearted of me.      Every human has the capacity to see and appreciate beauty. It is something we can encounter in the most menial or monumental of circumstances. For example, after I had read this article, I was reading in the woods and saw a squirrel i...

Reflections on Ignorance-What is the Purpose of Weightlifting?

    For most of my life I ran for exercise. For some unknown reason I was drawn to the suffering that is the sport of cross country. My parents both ran marathons, so maybe that is where I found the interest, but the love for a sport so cruel must have mysterious origins. Running allowed me to practice the virtue of perseverance. Step after step, mile after mile, I sojourned on. It was only after high school ended that I discovered weightlifting and bodybuilding. Both of my brothers were heavily involved in weightlifting because of their participation in football, and they were (are) both incredibly strong. I figured that this power must be somewhere in my genes.      At the beginning of college I truly "went to the gym" for the first time. I was motivated, but I lacked a lot of knowledge and even more so experience. This did not deter me. Day in and day out I went to gym, lifted weights, and ate way too much, but it worked. I got bigger and stronger, just like ...