Good Evening internet,
It’s Groundhog Day. Bill
Murray, you’re a national treasure.
Aside from today being a holiday centered around a rodent, I’m
told he saw his shadow….but I am not 100 percent sure what that means, and no,
I’m not going to look it up.
But I also promised myself I would write a monthly blog
about my New Year’s Resolution/effort to live more “Holy moments,” inspired by
Matthew Kelly’s “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity,” to write letters
to people in an effort to be more intentional about communication.
So here we are – one month in. Granted, it took me a week and a half to go to Meijer
to buy paper, envelopes and stamps to write said letters, but letters are
letters, so here we go.
To date, I have eight addresses of people who have
agreed/been coerced into my letter-writing journey, with topics varying from
New Year’s Resolution to what I think of modern-day NFL offences spoiler alert, I kind of hate them, and everything
in between.
With the super-frigid weather that has hampered the United States
Post Office which operates through rain,
shine and government shutdown, I haven’t gotten letters back yet – but to be fair I’ve been rather slow with
mailing them out.
I also still have a list of people I haven’t written my first
letter too, and people who have expressed potential interest in my project, but
I haven’t gotten down to getting their address yet.
OK, enough of the appetizers, time for the meal.
The process for all of this begins with a simple request. I
need a person’s name, willingness to exchange letters, address and an opening topic.
From there I am hoping the conversations carry on naturally from there. In Communications courses at Aquinas College
this was called a dyad (spelling might be off – warning, this entire blog is
not responsible for proper spelling/grammar/manners).
The subject matter of the letter vary well enough, which is
good because I hate, HATE, talking about the same thing over and over again.
Yeah, probably a weird thing to admit for someone who writes for the Church, but
luckily our faith has so much going on, from schools, to parish ministry, immigration
and general human interest pieces, it really is a new topic every day.
I like talking about different things. And I’m lucky enough to
know people from a diverse array of backgrounds, where I can dabble in different
topics with different people.
Anyway, back to letter-writing….and this blog. Adamantly,
the blog was going to be the most challenging part of this whole experience,
for many reasons.
Number one, I write for a living. So sometimes in my
downtime, I don’t feel like writing. But really that is really a copout since I
always keep a notebook of story ideas and short columns next to my bedside table, so I am really always
writing, just most of it will never see the light of day – because most of my ideas are either half-baked or I don’t know where to
start with the research and framing of the story. I have this habit where I
kill more than half my story ideas before I even dare speak them out loud. Side note: if you haven’t figured it out by
now, I’m using italics for my asides instead of parentheses. The AP style guide
police can come find me whenever they want.
But the biggest reason why the blog would be a challenge is
I have had blogs in the past, but updating them on the regular has been a challenge.
Like, a really big challenge.
The closest I got to a regular blog posting was a bunch of
posts I did 2013-14 during the summer when I was on temporary assignment with the
Ann Arbor News. The blog, “Barstool
Banter” clever right….? was my
musings and amateur review of dive bars in Ann Arbor… and later Jackson and
Grand Rapids side note: some guys like clubs,
other guys like trendy bars, I’m forever a defender of the classic dive bar,
you just feel more at home. The blog was from the perspective of an introverted
reporter who didn’t say much but made note of everything. Really, it was a blast. I'm sure this blog lives somewhere on the internet....but I prefer to think it doesn't.
The blog was regularly posted because I was mostly bored and had time. My job with the Ann Arbor
News would be to go get photos and follow up to police and fire calls…not
the most chipper material to cover, or write about high school sports. Usually,
I would get off from work around 8 p.m. in Ann Arbor, and then midnight or 1
a.m. when I moved back to Grand Rapids.
This is a work schedule which encourages a lot of drinking
during the closing hours because I never mastered the ability to go straight
from work to bed. Godspeed if you can.
So, being awake at midnight and 1 a.m., and nobody in my
social circle willing to stay up till 2 a.m. on random Thursday night. Going to bars to wind
down after work was just a habit not a
healthy one, I might add. And then it turned into a writing experiment.
Telling a story of what a passive observer sees. Making it all seem relatable.
It was fun to write for a few reasons.
One, part of the joke was the blog was meant to be terrible,
so I didn’t give too much about writing style side note: with this scrap I’m typing away now, probably not going to
use too much spell-checker; just warning you now.
But second, it was nice to write with a “voice.” Not really
reporting, just observing. And writing in a style I enjoy reading, and not
really giving two bits if other people liked it. Side note: Enjoying something because you don’t care what others think…..novel
idea.
OK. Back to the letter-writing.
I was this whole project to focus on stop floating around
and just waiting for things to happen and really make an effort to build
connections with people. In a world that is so super-connected, we seem to be
divided on everything. Yes, I know I’m not
the first shmuck to say this, but sorry, it’s true. This issue isn’t really
connectivity, it is honest to goodness connections aren’t coupled with our
connectivity.
We’re certain of what people think, but hesitant to ask why.
I’m tired of interacting with people via Facebook comments
and retweets, so I thought this could be a change of pace.
Now, before you accuse me of “Old man, yells at the sky” riot
act, I will like to say I love technology and social media. It has a lot of
positive values in today’s world ----and
some really awful values that have brought wholesale destruction to how we as human
beings deal with one another.
So this is my one-man, Don Quixote-like charging at the
windmill effort to try and live out more meaningful relationships. I’m hoping
the practice of purposely taking the time out of my day to write letters, to
really focus on my words and what I choose to say. And this will somehow lead to some
personal, spiritual growth on how I treat people overall.
I am a big fan of the YouTuber CP Grey, who made a post about how you spend your time communicates a lot about yourself. And I after doing some review, I realized I don’t do enough in intentionally reaching out to people. So I hope this letter campaign (I probably need to think of a better way to say that….it doesn’t make for good marketability) will help.
Also, more importantly, not just how often I communicate with people, but the way I select what to say and how to say it.
A nifty things about letters, there are no comment sections, no delete buttons and no editing. Aside from a few scratches, it really is just first thoughts coming to mind and putting them on paper.
There is something both authentic and vulnerable about that, Note to self, authentic and vulnerable……remember the connotation between those two words when thinking of Detroit Catholic ideas.
But even more than the intentionality or having a greater understanding of choosing what words, phrases or even things I say more meaningful.
So here’s to the project. Here’s to starting something new…and make a concentrated effort in keeping with the plan.
One a first readthrough, I worry this blog post might be a little lame. But it is an introductory piece……I might write another bit tow weeks from now as the first “real” post, since really this is just a pilot episode. But I wouldn’t hold your breathe.
I am looking forward to writing more letters, receiving letters from folks, and God-willing, learning something about people and myself, and how to just be a better person. Which I like to think is everyone’s goal.
And here is to all of us, living out more “Holy Moments.”
--Courage.
SIDE NOTE: If you want to be part of said letter-writing campaign, let me know via ways you normally interact with me.
SIDE NOTE TWO: I’m not in love with the name of this blog….who knows it probably will change every post. So feel free to send suggestions.
