My Anti-Bucket List: Things I Would Never Ever Do! (Part 2)

January 30, 2014


My Anti-Bucket List: Things I Would Never, Ever Do! (Part 2)

Yesterday, I shared with you certain activities that will never make it to my bucket list.  Today's post continues those things that will not make the cut because of the many phobias that I possess.  Let's just say that I like to play it on the safe side of things.

If you missed Part 1 of my Anti-Bucket List blog from yesterday, you can view it here.

Cheers,

Steve

* See the Aurora Borealis

Not to brag or anything, but I have seen light shows in the sky before - fireworks on the Mall in Washington, D.C.  So that was pretty cool.  Why would I need to travel to the far North to see yet another light show?  There aren't even any explosions at this one.  There's that, and the fact that I suffer from auroraphobia - fear of Northern lights.

* Learn Chinese as a Second Language

I've thought about learning another language.  One could make some big bucks being able to speak Chinese and English.  But I've decided that Chinese is just too darn hard.  You have to even learn pitch as well as pronunciation.  Can't you believe that???  But as you have probably guessed, that isn't the only reason.  I have Sinophobia - fear of the Chinese culture, as well as xenoglossophobia - fear of foreign languages, not that I am a cultural or linguistic snob, mind you. There is also the matter of my sophophobia - fear of learning itself. Forget being a life-long learner. I'm all for dumbing down!

* Ride/Drive in a NASCAR Race

Yes, you do not need to point out to me just how popular NASCAR is.  I'm sure that there are thousands of people who would give their right arm to be inside one of those cars during a race.  But not me.  First, there is my amaxophobia - fear of riding in a car, never mind that it is a race car. There is also my tachophobia - fear of going really, really fast. And last, but not least, my dystychiphobia - fear of accidents. I have anxiety just driving myself to the grocery store.

* Run With the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain

This is a good one.  I watch the Today Show.  Every year they show those idiots, inspired by Ernest Hemingway, who throw all caution to the wind and willingly let bulls with horns chase them.  Last year, 16 people were hospitalized because of injuries.  One guy was gored twice!  And over the last 100 years, 13 people have died.  13!!!  Apart from the fear of death, which I mentioned yesterday, I also have taurophobia - fear of bulls, which in my opinion is a perfectly rational fear to have.

* Flying in a Hot Air Balloon

Please!  Do I need to even mention why I won't do this?  Heights, man, heights!  That, and my illyngophobia - the fear of having vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down.

* Go Parasailing

You already know that I won't skydive.  Why in heaven's name would I willingly strap a parachute on and let myself be pulled by a speed boat across open ocean waters?  What would happen if the cord securing me to the boat broke?  Who knows where I could end up?!  So there's that, and my ancraophobia - fear of wind.

* Drink Champagne at the Top of the Eiffel Tower

Haven't you heard of "Freedom Fries?"  France is soooo passe!  In addition to my Francophobia - the fear of French culture, I also have dipsophobia - fear of drinking.  So let's cross that off my list.

* Ride Virgin Galactic into Space

How could anyone who is afraid of flying still be willing to shot into space?  Richard Branson's newest endeavor, Virgin Galactic, proposes to take folks like you and me - make that just you - who have $250,000 to throw around and achieve sub-orbital space and the experience of weightlessness in the very near future.  Yes, you too can be an astronaut!  But not me.  My astrophobia - the fear of stars or celestial space - will just get in the way. I'll keep my feet firmly grounded, thank you very much!

* Bungee Jumping

Jump from a bridge (or some other very scary high place), tied to nothing but a giant rubber band, bouncing up and down like a human yo-yo?  I'd rather ride Virgin Galactic than do this.  Besides, I have catapedaphobia - the fear of jumping from high places. Guess I should cross off cliff diving in Mexico, too.

* Go Caving

Lynn and I have a very dear friend, Meredith, who is a supreme caver and loves the idea of traversing the deep, dark places under the Earth's surface.  As much as I admire her skill and bravery, I don't think I will be joining her ranks.  First, there is my claustrophobia - fear of confined spaces. Then there is my achluophobia - fear of darkness. And thirdly, my chiroptophobia - fear of bats. I should note that I have been to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, but it was so well lit and easy to access. That's as close as I am going to caving.

* Win the Multi-Million Dollar Lottery

First off, I don't play the lottery.  I've taken math and probability, so I know the odds.  Plus, I'm morally opposed to it as a tax on the poor.  But what if I did play and actually won?  Then I would have to deal with my hylephobia - fear of materialism, as well as my plutophobia - fear of wealth itself. I would be absolutely paralyzed by that amount of money. I would have to just give it all away. So why play in the first place?

* Crowd Surf in a Rock Concert

Even at a Bruce Springsteen concert, I don't think I could do this, as much as I love Bruce.  There is my demophobia - fear of crowds; my aphenphosmphobia - fear of being touched; and that's not the worst of it, I also have chirophobia - fear of hands! Really, where have they been recently? Does anyone have sanitizer handy? Germs! Germs! Germs!

* See the Tulips and Windmills in Holland

I loved the story of Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates as a boy, still I must cross this off my list.  You see, I have both anthrophobia - fear of flowers (really, how does one take in the vast multitudes of tulips?) and also Dutchphobia - the fear of the Dutch. What kind of people wear wooden shoes?

* Pose Nude for Erotic Calendar for Charity

You know, the prudish English seem to go for this kind of thing quite often.  But I must protest myself doing so to my British cousins.  First, there is my gymnophobia - fear of nudity. I mean really - have you seen me nude? I seriously doubt it, nor might you want to. That's not to say I'm too shabby for a 53 year-old, but I'm no Burt Reynolds in the 1970s posing in Cosmo. Also, there is the matter of my catagelophobia - fear of being ridiculed.  I need not say more.

* Ride the Orient Express

How romantic that would be to some - especially to fans of Agatha Christie.  But train travel is just not what it used to be, that and my siderodromophobia - fear of trains, railroads and train travel itself.

* Judge the Miss America Pageant

What red-blooded America male would pass up an opportunity like this?  This American male - that's who!  One reason is that I don't like to judge people - for better or for worse.  Who am I to judge?  Then there is my venustraphobia - fear of beautiful women.

* Get Elected to Public Office

Throw the bums out?  I say let them stay - that way we can keep an eye on them!  Me run for elected office - just ludicrous I say.  First I would have to overcome my politicophobia - fear or abnormal dislike of politicians. I think I am not alone in this phobia. Then I would have to deal with my kakorrhaphiophobia - fear of failure or defeat. And if I actually won a race, I would have to own up to my hypengyophobia - fear of responsibility. This last phobia is shared by much of our current Congress, I believe.

* Visit Athens, Greece (or Other Really Old Places)

I'm sure Athens is an absolutely beautiful place and I know from personal experience that the Greeks have awesome food.  Can you say "baklava" or "gyro"?  Alas, I have a nagging case of atephobia - fear of ruins. The Acropolis would just creep me out.

* Attend the Cirque du Soleil

Speaking of being creeped out, I avoid the circus - any circus - like the plague.  No matter how cool that circus may be - and from what I hear the Cirque du Soleil is way cool - there will always be the issue of clowns.  Like so many, I am afflicted with coulrophobia - fear of clowns. Read Stephen King's book, "It," sometime. Clowns are dangerous and to be avoided at all costs!

* Visit Sesame Street

I do love Bert and Ernie.  I look up to Big Bird.  I identify with Oscar the Grouch many days.  But as much as I care for these wonderful characters, I have to acknowledge my pupaphobia - fear of puppets, or in this case - muppets.

* Read the Oxford English Dictionary

Everyone should leaf through a dictionary from time to time.  It's important to no howe to spelle wurdes.  I thought I might actually take on the Oxford English Dictionary until I discovered I had hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia - fear of long words.

* Actually, Doing Much of Anything Else...

Do you remember the Peanuts Christmas special where Charlie Brown goes to Lucy for psychiatric advice?  She proceeds to list quite a number of fears from which he might be suffering.  Then she finally comes to pantophobia - the fear of everything - and Charlie Brown explodes in self-recognition, "That's it!"  Well, that's me too!

Thanks for letting me share some of my phobias with you!  Here's to do absolutely nothing of significance with your life!

My Anti-Bucket List: Things I Would Never Ever Do! (Part 1)

January 29, 2014

A bucket list is a list of things you would like to do or accomplish before you die.  The origins of the term in all probability come from another turn of phrase - "kick the bucket," i.e. to die.  This term became especially popular in 2007 when the movie, "The Bucket List," starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, came out.

Lots of people have bucket lists.  There are quite a number of websites dedicated to collecting and compiling such lists.  This blog post is not one of those.  My list is an "Anti-Bucket List."  It is a list of things I would never, ever do - even if you paid me, which of course, you won't.  You see, I'm not a proud man.  I will readily admit that I embrace many fears and anxieties.  Rather than viewing these phobias as a character flaw, I see them as protecting me from my own foolishness, and therein keeping me alive much, much longer than those people who have actual bucket lists.  Who knows when one of the items on such a list is going to backfire on you and drastically shorten you life?

I won't draw this out much further.  Here is ...

My Anti-Bucket List: Things I Would Never, Ever Do!

* Skydive

Are you kidding me???  Jump out of a perfectly good plane going 120 m.p.h. at 10,000 feet in the air with only a piece of well-folded fabric to save you from certain death?  I don't think so.  Plus, I have severe acrophobia - the fear of heights.

* Get a tattoo

My belly button and freckles are the only body art that I need.  I also suffer from aichmophobia - the fear of needles.

* Swim with sharks

Have you seen those flimsy little metal cages that are supposed to protect you while you swim with the world's most dangerous fish?  I've seen Jaws and that's as close as I want to be to a great white.  Besides I have ichthyophobia, which is the fear of fish; and then there is also my phagophobia - the fear of being eaten.  I have no intention of being some shark's appetizer. 

* Go on a cruise

Can you say, "Norovirus?"  I watch the news.  I know how many of these behemoth ships end up stranded in the middle of the ocean with no power, water or working toilets.  Like I'm going to pay a $1,000+ dollars for that experience.  Anyway, I have my thalassophobia to cope with, which is the fear of oceans and deep water.  I get seasick just going to the beach for an afternoon.

* Run a marathon

Me?  Run a marathon?  Hahahaha!!!  I came in last in a Kingsport Fun Run Race back when Lynn and I were first dating.  In any event, I am a student of history.  I know what happened to Pheidippides - the very first marathon runner.  He died at the end of his race.  I will continue to just walk, thank you very much.  And, as you might imagine, I also suffer from thanatophobia - the fear of dying.

* Visit every continent

Antarctica has already been conquered.  Australia is mostly hot, arid desert.  Then there is the matter of my hodophobia - the fear of travel itself.  Home, sweet home, I say.

* Go on a safari in Africa

I am no Teddy Roosevelt.  In fact, I am no hunter of any sort.  While I do have the desire to see the beautiful and exotic animals of Africa, the National Zoo and a camera will have to do.  Did I mention that I have agrizoophobia - the fear of wild animals, especially those roaming loose on the Serengeti.

* Climb Mount Everest

In May 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stood alone together at the very top of the world.  These days, the summit is more congested than Washington, D.C. traffic.  In 2012, 236 people reached the peak in a single day.  If I wanted to stand in lines, I would go to Disney World.  There is also the matter of my altophobia, the fear of heights.  Mount Everest is over 29,000 feet.  I get queazy standing on a step ladder.

* Go paintballing

What is it with guys who like to have fun shooting things at each other?  As a kid, I loved to play "war" and shoot suction cup darts at my friends, but I gave that up when I was 11 or 12.  Paintballing at age 53?  I'll pass.  There is also the matter of my ballistophobia - the fear of being shot.  Considering that every day in the U.S. an average of 289 people are shot - a fear such as this is well founded.

* Shoot a gun

I have never, ever shot a firearm.  Nor do I ever want to.  Simple as that - that, and hoplophobia - the fear of guns, which in my opinion is a reasonable fear to have.  Also, see ballistophobia above.

* Spend New Year’s Eve in Times Square

My daughter, Cora, has done this.  That is sufficient for me.  I'll live through her experience.  Besides, you have to get to Times Square very early and stand in the freezing cold for hours upon end.  Did I mention that there aren't any bathrooms?  So you've either got to hold it, or buy a supply of Depends.  I should also mention that I suffer from chronophobia - the fear of time itself.  I don't need a crystal ball reminding me that yet another year has passed in my life.  Live for today, I say.  Carpe diem!

Part 2 of My Anti-Bucket List Tomorrow!

Cheers,

Steve

________________________

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

Online Poll Results

January 25, 2014

Good Morning, Faithful Readers!

First of all, I want to thank all of you for your support.  As of today, there are 143 of you who have subscribed to receive my blog musings by email.  In my opinion, that's an amazing beginning for a blog that's only a few weeks old.  I greatly appreciate your willingness to take this journey with me.  Writing on a regular basis was something that I did frequently before my illness.  Now, almost 12 years into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, writing regularly is an act of faith - and hope.  Thank you for giving me a reason to do this.  After all, who is a writer without readers?  So, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Today's post is kind of a "catch all" of things I want to share with you - the first of which are the results of our online poll about future blogging topics.  I appreciate those of you who took the time to weigh in.  If you didn't get a chance to participate, don't worry, there will be other polls down the road.  Reader input is something I highly value.

Online Poll Results

First Place:

* My Anti-Bucket List (Things I Would Never, Ever Do)

Second Place:

* My Experience of Living With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Third Place (tie):

* My Adventures in Crock Pot Cooking

* Someone Who Has Inspired Me

So be on the lookout for these topics in coming days and weeks.

Kindle Giveaway Ending Soon

The contest for the free Kindle giveaway is still ongoing and will continue through January 31st, next Friday, at 11;59 p.m.  To be eligible for the free Kindle giveaway, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive an email confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.  I notice that some of you who have subscribed to the blog have not yet confirmed your subscription.  Please do so by this coming Friday.

If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  Let them know about the free Kindle giveaway and encourage them to subscribe before Friday.  This really helps me build my audience.

Check Out My Website

I have a professional writer website.  This is a key component of my online platform.  If you haven't seen it or visited it, then I encourage you to do so.  The address is:  http://stephenarhodes.com/Home_Page.html.  There is information about me, my first book, and my upcoming book projects.

Social Media Connections

If you are a Facebook or Twitter person, then I invite you to follow me:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephenarhodeswriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephenARhodes

Why All This Online Activity?

One of the main reasons why I have started a blog, created a professional website, and have become more active professionally on social media is to create what the publishing industry likes to call "an online presence or platform."  At the end of March, when I submit the first 100 pages of my newest book to a literary agent in New York, one of the things that she will want to know beyond whether I am able to write well is if I have an online audience for the potential book.  Agents and publishers want to know if an author has a following and a possible audience so that my book will be successful if published.  In the current publishing environment, it's just not enough for a writer to write, but to also be able sell the book after it is written.  This is why I am so active online even as I plug away at my manuscript.

Thanks once again for your support.  If you would like to contact me, feel free to email me at: stephen@stephenarhodes.com.

Cheers,

Steve

This Writer's Movie Review: "Her"

January 22, 2014

"Her": A Review

Have you ever gone to a movie, have it affect you profoundly and still not know whether you enjoyed it or not?  That was my experience when I went to see "Her" recently with my daughter, Sarah.  I was completely mesmerized by the movie, yet as I left the theater I didn't know how I felt about it.  As Sarah and I talked about our reactions to this film, I mentioned to her that it gave me so much to think about that it would be days before I could really tell how much I liked it or not.

Many days have now passed and not one has passed by without me thinking about "Her" and the issues the movie raises.  I can now unequivocally state that it is one of the best movies of the last twelve months, in my humble opinion.

"Her" is a tale about the very near future, though no date is given.  By the intimacy and ease with which human beings related to technology, I would put this movie about 10 to 20 years in our future, which means that today's children who are now growing up on iPads and smart phones are all grown up.  The fashions of the future, by the way, include high rider pants, no belts and horn-rimmed glasses, just in case you want to prepare your wardrobe.

If I had to categorize "Her," I would say that it is at heart a love story.  The main character is a man by the name of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) who is a master of words and possesses the spirit of a poet.  He works for a company called beautifulhandwrittenletters.com.  He spends his days dictating letters to his computer which are then printed out in beautiful script, thus making them appear personally handwritten.  In essence, he writes letters for others who have lost the art of communication with the ones that they most care about.  This is something that Theodore knows a little something about.  He is separated from his wife (Rooney Mara) and keeps postponing signing the divorce papers.

Theodore is both sad and more than a bit depressed.  He is lonely in a society of people who are also lonely.  There is a scene near the beginning of the movie in which Theodore is on a subway train.  The scene seems so animated as the people who fill the train car carry on conversations.  Then I noticed what appeared odd about the scene.  Yes, they were all talking - but not to each other.  Everyone on the train was having a conversation with their hand held devices.  They all found it easier to talk to a digital machine than with another human being.

Theodore does try to reach out.  There is his friend Amy (Amy Adams), who is his neighbor and also an old friend from school.  There is also his friend at work (Chris Pratt), who makes a point of engaging Theodore in real conversation during work breaks.  Theodore even goes on a blind date, set up by his friend, Amy.  It is with a beautiful, but insecure and somewhat neurotic woman (Olivia Wilde).  It does not end well.

Then, almost by chance, Theodore stumbles upon an ad which features an new operating system to his computer.  It is labeled OS1 and is advertised as the first self-aware and intelligent operating system.  So he tries this latest new tech.  As Theodore is walked through the installation process, he almost by chance chooses a female voice for his OS1 (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).  The OS1 chooses her own name, Samantha or Sam.  Imagine if Siri became self-aware and you have Sam.  He soon comes to accept her as real, as does the audience.  Sam is fun, witty, well-organized, very curious and always learning.  She is an ideal companion.  Simultaneously, a secretary who organizes his email in the blink of an eye; a friend who intuits his emotions; and yes, finally his lover.

In an age like our own, when we spend so much time on our computers, iPhones and the like, often to the neglect of those immediately around us, does it seem that implausible that someday we might form deeper emotional bonds with our tech than with each other?  I think it is all too plausible.

The film is written and directed by Spike Jonze ("Being John Malkovich," "Adaptation," "Where the Wild Things Are," "The Master").  Jonze brings such an emotional depth to his movies.  And he invites us to reflect not so much on technology, but on what it means to be human.  Jonze's screenplay is up for an Oscar, as is the movie itself.

Joaquin Phoenix gives one of the best performances of his career.  He should have been nominated for best actor.  Scarlett Johansson is magnificent as the voice of Sam.  Though she never appears on film, she gives weight to this character - in fact, she embodies her.  Amy Adams (whom I almost didn't recognize) was incredible as Theodore's artist friend.

The cinematography of the film is absolute sublime.  The way in which Los Angeles is filmed, at it's most futuristic, also becomes a character in "Her."

Well, that's my take on the movie, "Her."  I encourage you to see it and let it pose it's questions about the nature of our humanity to you.

(Rated R.  Contains profanity, sexual content and brief nudity.  126 minutes.)

Please be sure to add your own thoughts and opinions about this movie in the "Comments" section below.

Cheers,

Steve
________________________

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

What to Do on a Snowy Day: Some Suggestions

January 21, 2014

As it now stands, the weather reports are predicting 3-6 inches of snow starting this afternoon.  In addition, it's going to be very cold as well.  It's not supposed to get above 32 degrees for the next five days.  

Finally our first winter storm of the season!  Yippee ky-yay!  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

I just love snow days.  They are some of my favorite days.  But just in case some of you are worried about what to do with yourselves and your families during Winter Storm Janus, then have no fear!  I have some very fine suggestions for you on how to spend your time - whether outside or in.

Be sure that if you have some of your own favorite ways to spend snow days that you share them in the "Comments" section.

Have fun.  Be safe.  And enjoy yourself.

Cheers,

Steve

______________________________

Outside Activities:

* Go on a walk in the snow
* Have a snowball fight
* Make a snowman or snow-woman
* Make a snow angel
* Go sledding
* Make a snow fort
* Catch snowflakes on your tongue
* Go cross-country skiing

Inside Activities:

* Make a hearty breakfast and leisurely enjoy it
* Stay in your pajamas all day
* Wear your favorite and most comfortable slippers or house shoes
* Make a homemade bird feeder (peanut butter, seeds and a pine cone)
* Bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies
* Make some homemade soup or stew
* Crack open the cookbook and try a new recipe
* Call a relative that you have been meaning to be in touch with
* Email an old friend (better yet, take time to write a handwritten note)
* Get an early start on those Valentine’s Day cards
* Clean out your closets
* Organize your kitchen or home office
* Plan your dream vacation, or this summer's vacation
* Make a "Bucket List" of things that you want to do in your life
* Write in your diary, journal or blog
* Make hot cocoa with milk
* Make a batch of snow cream (see recipes below)
* Break out the board games from the closet
* Play cards
* Put a jigsaw puzzle together on the kitchen table\
* Read a good book in front of the fireplace
* Spend time with the one(s) you love
* Watch family movies or look at photo albums together
* Visit with your neighbors - better yet, shovel their sidewalk for them
* Do your taxes now when you have the time
* Have a movie marathon and eat popcorn
* Catch up on all those TV shows on your DVR
* Binge-watch a TV show (on Netflix) that you have been hearing about
* Enjoy a relaxing afternoon nap under a warm blanket
* Take a long hot bath or shower
* Snuggle up with your significant other

______________________________

Recipes for Snow Cream

First Recipe:

* 8 cups of (clean) snow
* 1 (14 oz) can of condensed milk
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Place all contents in a large bowl and mix, and serve right away.

Second Recipe:

* 1 cup of half and half (or whole milk)
* ⅓ to ½ cup granulated sugar
* ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 6-8 cups of (clean) snow

Place all contents in a large bowl and mix, and serve right away.

________________________

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

Take My Online Poll

January 17, 2014

Dear Faithful Readers:

I am conducting an online poll on my blog homepage so that you can help determine which topics are chosen for future posts.  Now the reason for this isn't because I have run out of ideas, but because I really want your input and opinions.

I have listed a number of possible topics.  You may vote for more than one.  The poll will last six days.  If you don't find a topic that you are interested in, then I encourage you to email/message me and suggest one of your own.

Here is the list of topics:

• My Experience of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• More Top Ten Lists of Books
• Answer Your Questions
• My Adventures in Crock Pot Cooking
• My Anti-Bucket List (Things I Would Never Do) 
• My Upcoming Book Projects
• Sneak Peak (On What I'm Writing)
• Tech I Can't Live Without
• The Process of Writing and Publishing
• Someone Who Has Inspired Me
• A Day in the Life Of...
• Bill Gates or Steve Jobs?

My hope is that the readership for this blog will grow because there are interesting things to read here.  I also hope a type of online community will form around these various blog postings.

To participate in this poll, please go to my blog page - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and you will see the poll in the right hand side of the page, immediately beneath the "About Me" section.

To suggest a topic of your own, you can contact me through the blog post form or email me directly at: stephen@stephenarhodes.com.

Cheers,

Steve
________________________

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

My Top Ten in Books: Personal Favorites

January 16, 2014

Introducing a New Series: "My Top Ten in Books"

Everyone (well, most everyone) enjoys lists.  They are simple, informational and fun.  A good list brings order to the chaos of subjectivity.  A list can build community - as in a subject around which conversation may be had.  With this in mind, I've decided to start a periodic series of posts on what I consider to be my personal "Top Ten" in different categories of books.  Today's post is about books I've read which have made a difference in my life and would gladly consider worth recommending anyone.  These are my personal favorites.

I hope you will let me know what you think of my own subjective list of the "best" books in this area, and make your own recommendations of those that didn't make into my list but you think should have.

I encourage you to leave your thoughts and opinions in the "Comments" section of my blog - that way, everyone can see them and conversation can take place.

Cheers,

Steve
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My Top Ten in Books: Personal Favorites

1.  A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

2.  Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

3.  11/22/63 by Stephen King

4.  Father Melancholy's Daughter by Gail Godwin

5.  Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

6.  The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

7.  Oral History by Lee Smith

8.  Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

9.  Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

10.  Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

Hello! My Name Is...

January 15, 2014

I must admit that I am generally not a big fan of name tags.  I prefer the anonymity of large gatherings of people.  I also prefer introducing myself to strangers.  It just seems more personal.  That said, there is much to be said for name tags.  It's an ice-breaker between strangers.  It gives another person permission to greet me by name.  It's an invitation to get to know each other.

Today's post is about this very thing: getting to know each other.  Many of you have already reached out to me through messages and email, introducing yourselves and offering reasons why you are following my digital musings.  All of these are greatly appreciated.  Some of you have connected with me because we are already connected - as family, long-time friends, friends of friends or as colleagues.  Some of you have a different kind of kinship with me in that we share the same illness.  Still others of you feel an affinity with me because I am a writer or pastor.  Whatever the reason, I welcome you to this new community and look forward to getting to know you much better.  It is also my hope that you will get to know each other in this electronic fellowship by making comments in the "Comments Section" of this blog.  You can share in each other's thoughts and reactions.

Stephen A. Rhodes

Even though this blog has been going for a few weeks now, I thought it was time to introduce myself to you - to tell you a little bit more about who I am.

I was born and raised in Kingsport, Tennessee, which is in the upper east corner of the state.  My parents were Jim and Charlotte (Hale) Rhodes.  Dad was from Scott County, Virginia; and Mom was from the nearby county of Wise.  I have one brother, Ken.

When I graduated from Dobyns Bennett High School, I attended Emory & Henry College, which is near Abingdon, Virginia.  I was a religion major, but I actually took more courses in political science.  Both were and still are areas of major interest to me.

After graduating from E & H in 1983, I attended the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.  I was a Woodruff Scholar at Candler and focused on theology, biblical studies and ethics.

I married Lynn Rasor in the summer of 1986.  She was the daughter of one of my college professors.  Lynn is a special education teacher, focusing on learning disabilities.  Together, we have five wonderful and inspiring children: Cora, Hannah, Sarah, Gabbie and Abraham.  They bring us much joy.

Our family (Summer, 2013)

I was ordained as a deacon in The United Methodist Church in 1985, and as an elder in 1988.  I am currently a clergy member of The Virginia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.  Since coming to Virginia in 1986, I have served four appointments: 1) first in the Charlottesville area; 2) Virginia Beach; 3) Northern Virginia; and 4) Richmond, where I presently make my home.

I came to Richmond with my family in 1999 to serve as the senior pastor of River Road United Methodist Church.  I had five wonderful years with that congregation.  But while I was serving there, I became ill with a serious and mysterious illness.  Later diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this illness has been a part of my life since onset in November, 2001.  In 2004, I became so ill that I had to take a medical leave from active ministry.

There is much more to tell, but I will stop here.  Feel free to ask me questions.  I'll do my best to answer.

If you would like to know even more about me, then I encourage you to check out my website: www.stephenarhodes.com.  More specifically, check out my "Biography" and "Vita" pages.

By the way, I intend to devote a future post just to what it means for me to live with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  Hopefully that will help those of you who have not heard of this disease to understand it better; and for those of you with this illness too, I hope my experience with this illness will speak to your own.

Cheers,

Steve

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

Happy New Year! (Roman Style)

The Roman god, Janus

January 13, 2014

Happy New Year!  Welcome 2014!

Okay, okay... so I'm a couple of weeks late in my greetings.  Still, it is a new year and well-wishes are always in order.

Do you know why the New Year begins in the month of January?  It all started when this month of the year was named by the Romans after one of their more important gods, Janus.  Janus was the god of time - specifically of beginnings and endings.  As such, he was also the god of all types of transitions - birth, death, marriage, journey.  Therefore doorways, gates and all types of portals were considered sacred to Janus, for to pass through one of these was to literally transition from one place to another.

Here we are two millennia later and we are still observing January the way that many Romans would recognize.  Not that Janus any longer plays a role in our celebrations, still we pause and reflect as we pass through life, acknowledging that one span of time has ended and another begun.

Janus was frequently depicted as having two faces looking in opposite directions.  In much the same way, during the month of January, we take stock of our lives, looking back to what the previous year brought us, and also looking forward, trying to anticipation what the next one will bestow upon us.

One of the ways that we observe this time of transitions is assessing what didn't go so well in the past, and making commitments as to how we will change in the future.  Well intended, we start out the New Year with a list of resolutions: to lose weight; start exercising, drink less, get finances under control, eat healthy... the list could go on and on, but you get the drift.  Then a few weeks into the month of January - usually about this time - our resolutions seem to overwhelm us and begin to fall aside.

But I believe that there are ways we can make positive changes in our lives and chart a new course in the coming months.  Here are my suggestions:

1.  Set goals that are specific and attainable. 

Let me illustrate with one of my own resolutions for 2014 - to write more.  To make that very general goal work, I have made a commitment to write two pages a day of written material - minimum.  I consider this attainable, considering that the writer Stephen King sets a goal of writing at least 10 pages a day.  Two is reasonable for me.

2.  Be time specific.

My goal of writing is very specific - writing something every day.  Within that goal, I have set up a time frame for when I write and for how long I write.

3.  Track your progress.

I've started keeping track of my writing with a small moleskin notebook.  In it, I record the day and the amount written.  It is a way of keeping me accountable to myself.

4.  Reward yourself.

Goals become habits when a routine is established.  I discovered that one of the ways I can routinized my behavior is to give myself a treat when my task is accomplished.  Specifically, I tend to write before in the late morning and do not take a break until I finish my writing.  Thus, my lunch becomes my reward - generally a bowl of homemade soup which I find very satisfying especially during these cold days of winter.

5.  Make it public.

Tell others about your resolutions or goals.  Don't keep it private.  When you share your plan of change with others, first, it becomes more real, and two, it also holds you accountable to someone other than yourself.  I told my family about my goal of writing at the beginning of January, and now I'm telling you.  Help me stay on task!

6.  Practice grace daily.

There are going to be days when we fail ourselves and miss the goals we set for ourselves.  That's just the way it is!  So you will need lots and lots of grace and forgiveness for yourself for when this happens.  Then what?  You start fresh the very next day and just keep plugging away until you've worn a groove in your life making something new an ongoing routine.

So what are a few of your resolutions for 2014?  Share them with me and with others in the comments section.

Cheers,

Steve

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

You've Got Mail!

Okay, I'll admit it - I am a philatelist - yes, a philatelist!  I love collecting stamps.  Recent ones, old ones, new ones, used ones - I love them all.

When I was about 10 years old, my mom's adopted (sort of) sister, Aunt Maude, came for a visit and especially to spend time with my grandmother, Cora.  My grandmother had taken Maude in at a very critical period in her life and had cared for her.  They loved each other as if they really were mother and daughter.

During her visit, Maude introduced me to two things: 1) Ranger Rick Magazines (a blog post in and of itself); and 2) the love of collecting stamps.  After she returned to her home in California, she sent me a large envelope of used stamps - some of which dated to WWII and were from Germany.  My parents promptly locked them away in a box because of this potential value, so I didn't get much of a chance to enjoy looking at them.  But I have never forgotten this wonderful gift - both of the stamps themselves and of the hobby.

In the last year, I have begun collecting stamps again.  It happened quite by accident.  After my

daughters, Sarah and Gabbie, left for college, I realized that four of my children no longer lived at home.  I wanted to stay in touch with them and so I started sending all four of them monthly (usually around holidays) greeting cards.  I picked out what I thought were cute cards or cheesy ones, but at least able to bring a smile.  Then I began to stop by the post office to pick out interesting stamps.  All the feelings of my childhood fascination with stamps came flooding back.  Soon it wasn't enough to pick from whatever was available at the local P.O., I started ordering directly from the U.S.P.S. online which had a much greater variety of stamps.

As time has passed, no longer do just my four daughters receive cards from me (now more frequently than monthly), but I've even started getting requests for cards.  My mailing list has greatly expanded - much to my joy.  I love picking out the cards and inscribing them with greetings.  I also enjoy decorating the outside envelope with various kinds of stickers - on both sides.  But the choice of which stamp to affix to each envelope really brings me delight!

I encourage you to think about becoming a philatelist - a stamp collector.  Or at least, become a supporter of the post office and buy stamps for letters and cards that you can send to your family members and friends.  The truth is - everybody loves getting mail, and especially mail sent adorned by beautiful stamps, cheesy stickers, and lots of love.

Cheers,

Steve

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.