Posted by Alec LaLonde
Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:57:00 GMT
Most of these posts incubate in my brain for days, weeks or even years before finally seeing light.
I just got done watching American Beauty for the umpteenth time. Perhaps, as the theme of this post weaved its way through my mind like mycelium, the film became the final piece of inspiration to bring it to fruition. Or maybe it was the recent conversation with my wonderful girlfriend, and my appreciation of her unyielding gratitude. She gets it.
You are lucky. If you have family and friends that love you. If you have always had the resources to support yourself. If opportunities fall from the sky into your lap.
I am lucky. I have all these things. Throughout my life, I have been supported by those I love and motivated in ways they'll never understand. Brandon. Dennis. Evan. Only three of so many.
Thank you.
Posted in Life | no comments
Posted by Alec LaLonde
Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:38:00 GMT
- You often find yourself at your desk making clove hitches and slipknots in your headphone cable
- You keep getting comments about white marks on your work clothes, especially on casual Fridays
- You've brought climbing shoes to work
- You've traversed, stemmed or laybacked the office I-Beams
- You've gone up or down office floors without use of the stairs OR elevator
- You constantly find rolled-up, discarded medical tape in your desk, car, etc.
Posted in Life, Climbing | 1 comment
Posted by Alec LaLonde
Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:31:00 GMT
There aren't many moments from my childhood I can still recall. One, however, remains illuminated fifteen years later. I was sitting in the back of a classroom with the rest of my 4th-grade classmates in a group discussion with my teacher, Mrs. Bingle. I forget the discussion, but I do remember the question: What's your favorite season?
I was an exceedingly shy kid growing up (surprise surprise). Rarely would I raise my hand to answer a question or participate in a discussion. My quarterly report card would be immaculate save for a few demerits concerning "needs to participate more" or the like. This time was different, though.
"Winter!" I exclaimed without hesitation before anyone else.
We took a vote, tallied the results, and lo and behold -- winter had twice that of any other season.
"I would've thought for sure it'd be summer!" Mrs. Bingle said after the tally. "You don't even have to go to school then!"
Perhaps my rare enthusiasm influenced the vote. It doesn't matter. As soon as those first flakes start flying, I'm as giddy as a fourth-grader. For the past few days, there has been snow in the forecast for the mountains, and today it came. I awoke to 40-degree temperatures and a cold misty rain over the valley. Sometime around mid-day the fog lifted enough to reveal a snowy blanket on the foothills. I looked out my third-floor window and smiled.
Lately I've been basing my ranking of the seasons based on the outdoor activities tied to each. Winter means ice climbing, skiing and mountaineering. How you can go wrong? So what if it's dark by five? So what if you have to bundle under two extra layers just to go to work? There's snow!
I'm getting ahead of myself, of course. The snow in the mountains will be gone in weeks, if not days, and the first real snowstorm likely won't be til November. But these winter teases are all it takes to get me fired up. I'm sick of 85 degrees. It's been too damn sunny. So bring on the cold and bring on the snow, I'm ready. The rest of Northern Utah sure as hell isn't, but I sure am. Bring it!
Posted in Life | no comments
Posted by Alec LaLonde
Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:44:00 GMT
Today I stumbled upon another fantastic blog post by the inimitable Kathy Sierra. It may contain the single best piece of advice for teachers of any kind: center the experience around the students, not yourself. Check it out.
But the concept doesn't just apply to teaching. I often find myself, likely due to my personality, in situations where I'm thinking "are you really still talking about that? This conversation should've ended 15 minutes ago." This is especially apparent in business settings, where underlying political agendas can so easily derail (or make interminable) the original topic of discussion. Does what so-and-so said really need to be repeated slightly paraphrased by half the meeting's participants? What benefit is your contribution providing to your audience? Why should anyone care? Everybody's busy. Perhaps the most effective means of paying respect is by respecting one's time.
Why stop with teaching and conversing? The best writing employs the same techniques: conciseness and a central focus on a target audience. This blog is probably not the best example, since it was originally a way to let people know of my travels abroad. It's since had to morph into something different, but I've been noticing recently an inverse relationship between a post's popularity and how much it's about me. Shouldn't have really come as a surprise, but strangely, it did. Not that I'll stop discussing my adventures, of course, but I'll try to make each more relevant to my (miniscule) audience.
Paying close attention to your audience and their desires is essential. It's not about you. It's about them.
Posted in Life, Rants | 2 comments
Posted by Alec LaLonde
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:05:00 GMT
Really? Seriously? Give me a break.
I stumbled upon this article the other day. It's a fairly in-depth definition of the "quarterlife crisis," or to put it more bluntly, the "plight of the white middle-class well-educated twenty-something."
Let's take a step back and look at this from another perspective. It's 2009. We have experienced six decades of exponential economic and cultural growth, reaching a level of wealth never before seen on this planet. We're still mired in a fairly deep recession but the bottom has clearly been reached and we'll soon be rallying back. Opportunities abound: you're in your twenties, well-educated, and socially adept; not to mention a native speaker of the bona fide lingua franca of the world. You could live anywhere on the planet and prosper immediately. Travel is cheap and your currency is the world's standard.
Quarterlife crisis? Get real. It's another feel-good term for the mopey, spoiled, urban, white-collar twenty-something struggling with their own identity. Spend some time alone for once. Reconnect with yourself. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, for God's sake. You are blessed and lucky beyond all imagination. Your problems are dwarfed by those of the vast majority of the developing world. Your family and friends love you and will stand by your every decision, good or bad.
Cheer yourself up. Think positive. Stop absorbing whiny existential ramblings online, go outside, take a deep breath and soak in the sunshine. The world is your oyster. Go get it!
Posted in Life, Rants | 2 comments
Posted by Alec LaLonde
Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:11:00 GMT
A little reminder for all you twenty-somethings out there.
Posted in Life | no comments
