Mike Navigates Reality

NASCAR dads go green?

Back in my days as a reading comp. teacher in Bangkok, I recall, the school chose to use an American reading supplement. It was from this supplement that most of the lessons were derived. This could be troublesome as much of the material was centered around American culture or was simply mundane. One of the least interesting stories covered the importation of the kudzu vine from Japan to the American South and how the vine became an instant menace to farmers. Imagine how exciting this story was for my fourth graders…

Anyway, this story comes to mind as some people in NASCAR are considering kudzu as a potential source of ethanol.

Things are indeed changing.

Sport and humanity

A man I have great respect for once asked why I waste my time watching sports. It’s not difficult to see his reservations about contemporary professional athletics. The money-driven, inflated importance of sports in our society is an easy target, especially when so many athletes are exposed for their moral shortcomings. Generations before us can look to unimpeachable stars of yore and tout them as heroes, especially in comparison to what we have today. Still, social responsbility has never been what sports are about.

In reading the Times piece on Jim McKay’s interview of Fidel Castro, the view of sports as a celebration of humanity was reinforced for me. While limitless competition and glorification brings out some ugliness, athletic competition also reminds us of the many strengths (and weaknesses) we commonly share.

I don’t remember a time that I so thoroughly looked forward to the Olympics. When I was younger, the games were pretty dull. Mostly a bunch of unknown athletes competing in one-dimensional events (running, jumping, swimming). Now, though I’ll admit that many of the events won’t garner my attention, I’ve come to a place of greater appreciation or the games. Some suggest that, in light of China’s human rights record, the US should not participate in the Beijing Olympics. I couldn’t disagree more. If anything, the games place a spotlight on China. To view them as a political bargaining chip undervalues their true weight. By fully participating in the games, we are not condoning human rights abuses, but instead invigorating the spirit of openness that may someday help us better address injustice.

Recently, I had one of those reminders that life is all too short. For a moment, the inevitable fear of death crept down upon me. I guess I’m just getting older and my feelings of invincibility are not what they once were. Perhaps this is why I’m more productive than I used to be. Anyway, that’s really why I’m here. I had a myspace blog for a bit, but I allowed that to die unceremoniously. Still, there’s been an expressive void since I’ve purged myspace from my life. Time’ss ticking and my thoughts are fleeting, so this is my attempt to catch a few of them before they disappear into oblivion.

Apologies for the grimness. Truth be told, this is a very exciting time to be alive. There are a lot of reasons to worry, but such worries are interspersed with potential solutions that can reshape everything.