Who are you? Really...

Who are you?
What do you stand for?

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." - attributed to many, including US Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall, Alexander Hamilton, and the more recognizable Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Take your pick.

I stand for honorable and decent behavior towards all.
I stand up for the young and old, the big and small.
I stand when people ask if I believe in God.
I stand up for my friends, even when they're odd.

Who are you?
What are your standards?

"Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something." - Henry David Thoreau

This question is pretty broad--and a matter of perception.

When it comes to actions (specifically in a prospective girl): Don't smoke...don't talk like a sailor...don't talk to me about the Yankees--seriously, I find them reprehensible, and a strong representative of all that is soulless and wrong with not only sports, but society in general...don't use the word "busy" or say things like "FML"--ever...don't talk too much in general...don't be cocky or self-absorbed...don't be...well...a hoard of other things that you can ask me about later, but should already know if you know me at all...

When it comes to ethics: Treat people right, period. Should be all I need to say, but many people don't seem get it, so here's more: Open doors for girls, whether they're 2 or 92. Talk to strangers. I've never understood why people say not to--that's terrible advice! Be a courteous driver. Give things away--even when you can't afford to...Money. Clothes. Love. Organs. You laugh; I'm serious.

Who are you?
Who do you play for?

"Mike Eruzione--Winthrop, Massachusetts...I play for...the United States of America." - Mike Eruzione, played by actor Patrick O'Brien Demsey--"Miracle"

Okay, that was corny. But sports are a big part of my life, and it's effective.

I was a Kansas Wesleyan Coyote for the only "official" time I spent as a college basketball player.
But I will always be a Bulldog at heart...
I was a McPherson College Bulldog in my collegiate days that mattered most to me. I still miss it there every day.
I grew up a Pretty Prairie Bulldog. It's in my heart--it's embedded in me.

Who are you?
What do you represent?

"I'm a better person than I was yesterday, but not as good as I will be tomorrow." - Derrick Mead

Yes, I just quoted myself.

I'm a country boy--but not a hick.
I'm a basketball player--coach, too.
I'm a writer and a prankster.
I'm confident and shy at the same time.
I'm a serious listener and a funny talker.
I'm just dumb enough to be smart--or maybe the other way around.

I want people to know me, but not really.

It's the reason I changed my major in college.

I once wanted nothing more than to be a sports commentator--preferably baseball. From ages 8-20 I dreamed about one day calling moments like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBJ89V7A_3c

The names Kirk Gibson and Joe Carter will always give me goosebumps just at the mere sound of them.

But ultimately, I didn't want to be that widely seen--or heard. I want to be much more discreet, but inspirational at the same time. Like maybe becoming the most successful basketball coach at a school no one has ever heard of--something like that.

It's the reason I'm a friend to all, but a stranger to many.

I'll help anyone in need. Example: I spent almost 2 hours helping a lady who should've been killed after rolling her car several times a few months back at 3 AM.

Never told her my name, though.
That's just who I am.

So tell me...

Who are you?

Do the right thing,
Derrick

Be a light--wherever you are.

I was bound and determined to write something important earlier this evening...err, yesterday by now. Then writer's block hit. Then distraction hit. But then again...

You'd be surprised how much inspiration you can find...
in a giant bowl of Crunch Berries...
at 2 AM.

Now while I still don't intend to get a whole lot written this time around, the wheels have at least begun turning. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

No idea what's going to come of each keystroke, or if it'll resemble anything coherent, but here goes...

I know I've talked about my best friend Amanda in numerous blogs before, but you know what--why not again?

When I think of Amanda, I think about faith. Amanda Lee Walker taught me more about Jesus in a month, than the rest of the world has taught me in over 24 years. Weird thing is, it's not like we just sat around and gabbed about God, 24/7. But I feel He speaks to me through her--my guardian angel.

There are several things I've learned about God from Amanda that I'm sure she isn't even aware of. The biggest one is this...I think we all need to reassess the ways in which we talk to God. Don't get me wrong, if you talk to God at all, I think you're doing all right. But I think we can do more...

I think too many of us (myself included) ask too much of God. We ask Him to send us answers, shower us with gifts, grant us miracles, and so on. Though I, too, am guilty of this--it seems silly to me. Why do we do this?

I think we should open our eyes and realize that in many instances in our lives, God is actually asking us questions. Maybe this seems crazy to you. True, God knows what we will do, and what we will go through...but I also feel that he presents us with opportunities all throughout our days, as if to say: "What do you want to do?" Options, or paths, if you will.

I think that's where free will comes into play. Even Amanda once wrote: "...I gave up trying to understand that whole subject." Well you know what? If she doesn't understand it, I certainly never will, either--and that's okay by me.

I don't really have a solution to offer here, just one piece of advice that I'll try to better follow, myself: When you talk to God, do not just talk--speak. Thank Him for the blessings you have in your life, rather than always just asking for additional blessings. Now that's not to say it's not okay to pray for miracles, healing, etc. But you know, just saying.

I'll just end this by saying thank you.

Thank you, Lord--for everything and everyone you've blessed me with in my life.
Thank you, Amanda--for teaching me about faith and Jesus. And faith in Jesus.

You saved me.

...and every time a light flickers, I still think of you. That will never change. Thanks for being my best friend.

Be a light--wherever you are,
Derrick

Social networking be damned...

Well, it's happened.

The time has finally come when I am not able to write openly about just anything. Like it or not, I must consider any and all potential readers, and any potential ramifications that my ramblings might have. This is weird to me.

I love sharing my nonsense with any of my friends who wish to indulge themselves, and not only get lost in my nonsense, but conjure up some of their own, as well. And because of the often wonderful, if not distracting world that is social networking, I can do so anytime I darned well please. That's pretty neat.

That being said, it's becoming evident to me that I must now consider my audience. Generally speaking, I can talk about whatever I want, I suppose. Whether it be my seemingly hot-and-cold trivial sports jargon, the occasional pop culture jab, or any of my other overly-opinionated hooey (according to the masses, I imagine), I can write whatever I want...or so I once thought.

I cannot write about one particular topic that occasionally pulls at my core--due to one of my Facebook friends who happens to be a relative (err, sort of). Even the mere raising of a particular topic, if seen, could be disastrous. Ironically, this particular topic was at hand in what I still feel is my best piece of writing ever--a MySpace blog from August 12, 2008. It's still posted there, if anyone is overly curious--the relative at hand isn't on there, to my knowledge--so it's safe where it is (for now).

Another topic exists which affects me greatly--even I can never quite decide just how much--has become extremely taboo, especially given the depths in which I could explore within said topic. This saddens me a little. Sometimes more than a little.

All of these restrictions put in place, in large part, by social networking.

If only folks like Mark Zuckerberg and Tom Anderson weren't so innovative, I wouldn't be in this predicament, right? Wrong. If only I were more innovative, I'd be able to more adeptly maneuver my way out of this mess, I reckon.

Curious thing about all this is--I have absolutely no qualms discussing anything in life--most people know this about me by now. It's just gotten to the point where I can't be 100% open about certain things, where it can be seen by all.

While I'm fully aware that I'm not a writer per se, I do enjoy writing, without a doubt. I often enjoy using it as an outlet to delve into personal topics--both my own, and those of others. It allows us all to open our eyes, our hearts, minds, and souls and let others in. I love it, I really do. But the concept of not being able to share whatever I want with whoever I want--however I want to do it--bugs me a little.

I'll probably work my way around it, in time. Just something on my mind in my quasi-triumphant return to Blogger, which I intend, as of now, to use as my future writing source. I'll try it out this time, while posting/sharing a link via--you guessed it, Facebook.



Ah, the wonderful world we live in...

Do the right thing,
Derrick