hewasborninjune's Xanga

The Chief End of Man

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:05:53 GMT

For quite some time, I've been meaning to write about this remarkable Thoreau excerpt. Most of us have encountered the "I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life" but there's a thumbing of the nose at reformed Christians at the end of the passage!

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if proved to be mean, why then get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to 'glorify God and enjoy him forever.'

~Henry David Thoreau, Walden, published 1854

Q: What is the chief end of man [i.e., man's primary purpose]?
A: Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.
~Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1647

Midday Musings

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:58:48 GMT

It's been a while...
So much has happened, so much to say.
New job (though not by choice). New life lessons.

But what I want to write about is the remarkable experience I am having sitting outdoors in Suburban Square plaza. What's remarkable is being in an unhurried state, as autumn leaves fall nonchalantly around me, and wisps of clouds sail quietly overhead. Thankful for this moment of transience and permanence.

Ad Astra Per Aspera

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:31:52 GMT

In an hour's time tonight, teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan will join the crew of the shuttle Endeavor on the latest mission into space. Barbara will fulfill a dream over 22 years in the making.

As some of you may recall, Christa McAuliffe was to be the first teacher in space back in 1986, but that mission ended in a tragic explosion. I vividly recall that day. My 6th grade teacher walked into our classroom and was anxiously fretting with her fingers while she got our attention. "Children," she said, "I have some terrible news..." I recall walking alone at recess that day, anxiously praying that God would somehow keep that crew safe. Their deaths didn't hit me until I saw the evening news for myself

Barbara was the back-up teacher candidate to Christa 22 years ago. They became friends. Despite that tragedy in 1986, Barbara has not wavered in her passion for space exploration. She became NASA's ambassador to teachers and students and, in 1998, joined the astronaut corps when an effort was made again to send a teacher into space. She was scheduled to launch in the fall of 2001, until Columbia's tragic demise derailed plans. Despite the risks, Barbara remains committed to her dream, and possibly to see her friend Christa's mission accomplished.

I don't know how I missed this story until today, since I'm "plugged in" to so many news sources. I don't know why I got so emotional reading about Barbara's story and why I'm still emotional writing this post. Perhaps I'm 11-years old again, heartache and unfulfilled hopes now projected onto Barbara as she slips "'the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God."

Godspeed, Barbara.

Godspeed, Endeavor.

Matters of Life and Death

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:45:39 GMT

Since my last entry, "Fix You" seems to have entrenched itself as my personal soundtrack for the past two months. While much has transpired, matters of life and death are what my heart and mind are dwelling on as of late.

A couple of my friends gave birth recently, joyous occasions of celebration.

In contrast, my college roommate recently passed away, an occasion for mourning. While the occasion has come and gone, the mourning remains. My heart remains heavy. In lieu of tears, quiet sighs of unarticulated yearnings.

I remember my friend, Bernie.

"Fix You"

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 02:29:21 GMT

A song took a hold of me today.

A song of mourning
A song of hope
A song of reverberation and resonance,
heart chords rising heavenward
from this cathedral of life

Lyrics and melody
Bringing each other to life
Giving voice to silent tears, silent needs
And,
Amid the darkness,
Rays of light

Coldplay - Fix You lyrics

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

High up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
If you never try you'll never know
Just watch and learn

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Road Rage - a national survey

Tue, 15 May 2007 18:14:34 GMT

I found this Associated Press report on Road Rage to be interesting.

I have to confess that, yes, I have driven while enraged (DWE) but I have learned over the years to let slights (perceived or otherwise) go unpunished. Not sure whether it's the anonymity on the road or the pressure-cooker environment inside of a car while being stuck in rush hour traffic that brought out an inordinate sense of street justice in me--do unto others as they have done unto me. For me, having passengers has an inhibitory effect on tendencies towards DWE. Others, I think, almost find a license to vent and retaliate if they have a captive audience in their cars. Anyhow...

Here's the excerpt:

More than 2,500 drivers who regularly commute in 25 major metropolitan areas were asked to rate road rage and rude driving in telephone surveys between January and March. The survey was conducted by Prince Market Research has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. [The survey was released yesterday by AutoVantage, a Connecticut-based automobile membership club offering travel services and roadside assistance.]
The list, ranked from those reporting the most incidents of road rage to the fewest:
1. Miami
2. New York
3. Boston
4. Los Angeles
5. Washington, D.C.
6. Phoenix
7. Chicago
8. Sacramento, Calif.
9. Philadelphia
10. San Francisco
11. Houston
12. Atlanta
13. Detroit
14. Minneapolis-St. Paul
15. Baltimore
16. Tampa, Fla.
17. San Diego
18. Cincinnati
19. Cleveland
20. Denver
21. Dallas-Ft. Worth
22. St. Louis
23. Seattle-Tacoma
24. Pittsburgh
25. Portland, Ore.
Source: Boston.com

One Week Later

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:29:51 GMT

For the 33 families (Remembering the Victims), I can only imagine the world of hurt, pain, and grief they must be in. For me, I can't explain why, but my heart goes out most to Sun-Kyung Cho, the killer's sister. Until now, I've tried to refrain from getting swept up in the emotionally charged commentary that lit up the blogosphere--not only among my immediate circles but also in numerous other Asian-American communities (including South Asian, Vietnamese, and Chinese). But I feel I've had enough time and information to process some of the issues and possibly add--albeit late--to the discourse.

1) Shooter identified as Asian

Last Monday in San Jose, at 11:30pm California time, I read on cnn.com that the police identified the shooter as "Asian." Not sure why, but I swore under my breath. One prominent blogger erroneously concluded that "Asian" was police codeword for Pakistani. Needless to say, speculation ran rampant among various Asian-American blog communities, each community expecting dire backlash if the shooter was one of their own. Each community's collective prayer: "Let it be some other 'Asian.'" My mom called me the next morning from Korea and informed me the shooter was identified as a Korean national by the press. She asked me to be safe and stay away from crowds (the same request after 9/11). It took days for clarity to emerge regarding Seung-Hui Cho's immigration and cultural status--that is, whether or not he should be considered Korean-American. Fierce debates apparently erupted on wikipedia regarding this question on his entry.

2) The Korean-American (and Korean) responses

The responses from Koreans on both side of the Pacific Ocean were almost immediate: 1) Concerns of negative fallout (for Korean-Americans' physical safety and for trade slowdown for Korea) and 2) collective apologies remorse, responsibility, and shame, even from Korea's President Roh.

This is something I picked up off of the Korea Times website, a quote from a young Korean in Korea: "`I couldn't believe that someone like me was really involved in this brutal murder,' a netizen said. Other people showed the same response as they said they have begun to feel more responsibility for the case when they found out that a Korean was involved."

In collectivist societies, the natural inclination is to take collective ownership for the conduct and consequences of their members. In individualistic societies, individuals are viewed as solely responsible for themselves. (Much academic research is summarized in "The geography of thought: how Asians and Westerners think differently and why" by a University of Michigan professor.) Whether viewed as a misguided political move or face-saving gesture, the Korean societal response and Korean-American community's response to date by and large has been the "natural" ones for both. According to Korean society and to Korean-American leaders, Seung-Hui Cho was one of our own.

3) Are Korean-Americans safe from Caucasian-American mob reprisal?

Some of us may recall that a few days after 9/11 (September 15, 2001, to be exact) an Arizona "patriot" named Frank Roque shot and killed a gas station owner in Mesa who he thought was Muslim like the publicized terrorists. Turned out the owner was an Indian Sikh. Going further back in history, in California in 1941, after President Roosevelt's Executive Order authorized internment camps for Americans of Japanese ancestry, other Asians began wearing buttons like "I am Chinese!" to set themselves apart to the authorities and to their Caucasian "Jap-fearing" neighbors. Caucasian-American track record on racist reprisals at the hands of ignorant individuals and uncontrollable mobs hasn't been that great, but I think we've come a long way, even since 9/11. Here's a sardonic and incisive Op-Ed from a professor at UCLA: Non-Angry Koreans I Have Known

On a more somber note, to assuage fears of backlash and to note appreciation for South Korean compassion, here is what the Virginia Tech student government wrote to the Embassy of Korea:

April 18, 2007

To the Embassy of the Republic of Korea

Dear Minister Yoon,

With much sadness, but with appreciation, the students of Virginia Tech greet you.

It is no small task to describe the difficult and long days Virginia Tech has experienced this week, however in the midst of crisis, we have found moments of strength. Though our students continue to mourn our lost classmates, we would like to acknowledge the appreciation for the immediate concern and kind sentiment that President Roh, the leaders of Korea and the representatives of the Embassy have demonstrated over the past week.

We thank you for your compassion and your condolences: the Embassy's generous effort to donate 10,000 candles to our candlelight vigil resonates deeply and profoundly within the Virginia Tech community. Among our students, the message of your initiative to share in our sorrow is spreading as we each recognize that Monday's tragic events affect lives far beyond Blacksburg.

Together, we grieve this tragedy - from one nation to another, the loss of valuable lives is a common understanding. Please know that in the eyes of our students, the actions of one man will not and do not serve as a barrier between our students and the people of Korea; rather this circumstance is a time to provide strength and unity for all who share a passion to overcome violence. Our strongest feelings are those channeled towards restoring sanctity and safety for students and people of all ethnicities, faiths, and representations. We are grateful to the Republic of Korea for expressing solidarity in this common pursuit.

Please know your sympathy and outreach to our university will be a significant part of the foundation our university will use to move forward. For all of us, may there be solace and hope in the days to come. Thank you again for your kind condolences.

With gratitude,

Elizabeth Hart
Director of Public Relations
Student Government Association
Virginia Tech Class of 2007

http://english.president.go.kr/cwd/en/archive/archive_view.php?meta_id=en_korea_net&id=b21da2d98a0aa10f51e25d54
Virginia Tech Student Government - Assurance to Korean Embassy

4) "Has the idea of just being 'American'...been thrown to the wolves?"

A friend of mine, GrooveJunky, asked this question on his blog last week. It made me wonder at what point minority individuals in America are viewed as individuals and not as a representative (dis)credit to their race. Asians (Northeast and South) currently comprise 5% of the U.S. population; blacks, 12%; Hispanics, 13%. At what point do we stop standing out as "Other"? Is it only when we are a generation into intermarriage with the majority race, a literal cultural melting pot?

5) One of our own

I've been turning this phrase over in my mind and heart throughout this past week. As individualistic Americans, the entirety of American media (and the vast majority of us individually) have sought to demonize and distance ourselves from Seung-Hui Cho, looking for psychological factors that led to his monstrous acts. Asian media, reflecting their collectivist worldview, more likely focused on the sociological factors and possible environmental factors that precipitated this tragedy (if the research premise from "The geograph of thought" holds true). From President Roh's comments to the collective response of Korean society in general to the response of Korean-American community leaders, there was a sense of ownership and responsibility for Seung-Hui and for his actions that we who are Americanized Koreans now view as foreign and even inappropriate.

For me, these contrasting worldviews begged the question, "Who do we consider one of our own?" Which ties truly bind us together? And it looks like I haven't been the only one mulling this over: From the LA Times OpEd (thanks to kgirlpoetics for the reference):

"But the truth is that Cho was an American kid. He had lived in the United States since he was 8, and he was clearly immersed in the dark side of U.S. popular culture. In his video ramblings, he compared himself to the Columbine killers; he spoke English-major English.

All of us knew Cho, and, like it or not, he was one of "us," not the ultimately elusive "them." His horrific crimes are not a reflection on Korean people — immigrants or Korean Americans — but rather on the state of our cities, campuses, counties and country. We all were, and are, his keepers."

Seung-Hui's older sister, Sun-Kyung, took responsibility for her brother's actions and apologized for the untold grief he caused:

"We are humbled by this darkness. We feel hopeless, helpless and lost. This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel like I didn't know this person.

We have always been a close, peaceful and loving family. My brother was quiet and reserved, yet struggled to fit in. We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence.

He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare.

There is much justified anger and disbelief at what my brother did, and a lot of questions are left unanswered. Our family will continue to cooperate fully and do whatever we can to help authorities understand why these senseless acts happened. We have many unanswered questions as well.

Our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us."

Source: cnn.com Cho family apology

On that poignant note, let me leave you with one final quote to ponder from Rabbi Hillel:

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am only for myself, what am I?
And if not now, when?

"Recapture the Wonder"

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:15:23 GMT

The April 16th edition of TIME magazine features an excerpt from Einstein, a 2007 biography by Walter Isaacson. The excerpt, entitled "Einstein & Faith," highlights Einstein's beliefs in god. albeit an impersonal one:

"The most beautliful emotion we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle. To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly: this is religiousness."

This is the language of meditation, which is what we just covered in my church small group. What's more, this language resonates with what Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias' book Recapture the Wonder conveys:

"Our sense of wonder is a blessing from God given so that we would be continually amazed at His beauty and creation. But for many of us, our wonder has diminished through the years, and we doubt that we’ll ever be able to experience the overwhelming sense of awe we once had as children. Our minds tell us that enhancement is childish, while our hearts yearn to rediscover this very childlike sense of wonder. So the question is, can life be in tune with reality and also be enchanting without being escapist?"

Perhaps this sense of wonder is why I so enjoy being around toddlers as their eyes light up with delight.

"Delight yourself in the Lord..."

Easter Musings on a Kelly-Drive Jog

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 17:51:36 GMT

Went on a 5-mile jog with ews3 today on Kelly Drive.

He claimed he hadn't run in 10 months...he still ended up dusting me at the end of our run. Even so, it's been a good running week for me (5 miles on Monday, 3 miles Wednesday, 5 miles today) as I gear up for the 10-mile Broad Street Run on May 7. And yes, I will yet again provide free lunch to the closest guess to my actual finishing time. Last year, I finished in 1 hour 31 minutes (9:06 average pace, with a range of 8:30 to 9:40 or so). I'm shooting for a 1 hour 25 minute finish (8:30 average pace).

On our jog, ews3 and I chatted briefly about his recent post that showcased the lyrics of Kanye West. I never thought much of Kanye because I thought he was spoiled and overhyped so I never bothered with his music or his lyrics. ews3 noted Kanye's sincerity with the following lyrics may be suspect but the lyrics nonetheless were food for thought for him. I found the lyrics quite compelling, too, and thought I'd post them myself.

Never Let Me Down [featuring Jay-Z and J-Ivy]

"We are all here for a reason on a particular path
You don't need a curriculum to know that you are part of the math
Cats think I'm delirious, but I'm so damn serious
That's why I expose my soul to the globe, the world
I'm trying to make it better for these little boys and girls
I'm not just another individual, my spirit is a part of this
That's why I get spiritual, but I get my hymns from Him
So it's not me, it's He that's lyrical
I'm not a miracle, I'm a heaven-sent instrument
My rhythmatic regimen navigates melodic notes for your soul and your mental
That's why I'm instrumental
Vibrations is what I'm into
Yeah, I need my loot by rent day
But that is not what gives me the heart of Kunte Kinte
I'm tryina give us "us free" like Cinque
I can't stop, that's why I'm hot
Determination, dedication, motivation
I'm talking to you, my many inspirations
When I say I can't let you or self down
If I were of the highest cliff, on the highest riff
And you slipped off the side and clinched on to your life in my grip
I would never, ever let you down
And when these words are found
Let it been known that God's penmanship has been signed with a language called love
That's why my breath is felt by the deaf
And why my words are heard and confined to the ears of the blind
I, too, dream in color and in rhyme
So I guess I'm one of a kind in a full house
Cuz whenever I open my heart, my soul, or my mouth
A touch of God reigns out"

* A couple of quick cultural references for those who might not know: Kunte Kinte is the Maryland slave from the 1970s mini-series "Roots" who sought his freedom. Cinque is the captured slave in the movie "Amistad" who cries out during his trial, "Give us 'us free!'"

On this Easter weekend, may a touch of God reign out through all of us as we commemorate the death and celebrate the resurrection of Christ. On the cross, He was bound and crucified so that we could be free from sin's slavery and be free to live with unashamed love.

Breaking my silence

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:54:38 GMT

I can't believe it's already March...almost April.

I've been meaning to kick off my 2007 Xanga posts with a bang, especially after a whirlwind family bus tour of the West Coast and the Grand Canyon, work-related travels over the last three months, and random musings on ideas and books but just haven't got around to it...until today.

I came across this "VisualDNA" website, which uses "multiple choice" image selections to develop a personality snapshot around core mood, habits, fun, and love. Let me know if you think this is me!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

WILDCAT: You're drawn to the drama of a big spectacle and appreciate the unpredictability of nature. You like life rugged and rough around the edges. As for your music, it's the soundtrack to your world. It gives you focus and concentration - you might find it hard to switch off. Your choice of treat reveals someone energetic, who cares about their heatlh. You like to feel you are making all the right choices. You are focused and driven.

ESCAPE ARTIST: You like simple pleasures, and take time to appreciate all corners of your life. This makes you content and balances, someone people love to hang out with For kicks, you like to switch off and immerse yoursel f in another world. You are thoughtful and imaginative - you like to look at life from a different perspective. Cultured and creative. When it comes to holidays, you see them as the perfect chance to further yourself - to learn more about the world around you. You like to be immersed in a completely different world and would be really bored just sitting on a beach. What grosses you out? You favor the natural look and can't stand a pumped and plumped, plastic appearance.

HIGH TIME ROLLER: Living in a material world you are always flashing the plastic. You like to live for today and not get caught up thinking about tomorrow - hey, that would slow your shopping down. When it comes to drinking, you've got a tast for the hard stuff. After dinner discusisons - you're the type to stay up all night putting the world to rights - goodness knows what you talk about but it sounds great at the time! As for the home, you are traditional: you invest in quality and history. You like your home to be as stylish as you are.

LOVE BUG: You're a real romantic and a bit of a dreamer. For you, love is about devotion and tenderness. You try to show your feelings in simple ways every day. Your heart is right there on your sleeve.