Flavors of St. Louis

Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to visit St. Louis. I ran the Half-Marathon with Mr. Smith and his brother and had a wonderful time enjoying the 90 degree weekend full of sun.

St. Louis doesn't always have the nicest reputation, and much like Detroit it has seen its better days. But St. Louis, like Detroit, still has its hidden gems, and on a spring weekend where the trees and flowers were blooming, the roadways were lined with green, and I could wear shorts with the windows rolled down I must say St. Louis really shined.

As always, my favorite part of a vacation is trying out some really good food, and this vacation did not disappoint. The moment we walked off the plane, Mr. Smith already had our evening plans in line, which I totally appreciated. We dropped our things off at his apartment, freshened up with some deodorant (planes just have stinky, sweaty air), and took off to the Central West End, a cultural mecca near downtown St. Louis.

The Central West End is full of restaurants, bars, and an overall urban vibe that seems to excel as the sun goes down. In the warmth of the April night, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Pi, a local pizza restaruant. Pi has some amazing pizzas, both deep dish and thin crust. The pizzas have been featured on numerous eating shows and the President himself wanted this pizza at the White House. And it was good.

We had a few tasty deep dishes and a thin crust to fill up our large party (more than just Mr. Smith and his brother) and it certainly did fill us up. My favorite part of the deep dishes, and arguably the most important part, is the tomato sauce that covered the toppings. The sauce had thick chunky tomatoes mixed in with delicious seasonings and a wonderful crust. The sauce truly makes the pizza and Pi did it right. What's more is the atmosphere in Pi is something I just haven't been used to in the barren restaurants of Detroit. The place was alive and full of ambiance and fun. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and the street was teeming with people even as the night wore on.

Saturday gave way to my favorite meal of the weekend at a place called Winslow's Home. If you're ever taken the Art and Architecture History class at Western Michigan University, than you know that Winslow's Home is a play off of artist Winslow Homer, an American artist known for his landscapes. The restaurant was a combination general store and restaurant, but don't think Cracker Barrel, think awesome local establishment.

Winslow's Home is a wonderful restaurant that also has its own farm. The restaurant uses the farm to raise crops, cattle, and other foods to be used in their cooking. Everything is fresh, real, and tastes phenominal. What's even cooler about the restaurant is that the tables are simply mixed in the general store so while you're waiting for your food you can browse the eccentric wares and mixture of cheeses, meats, and wines. I even found a book about how to make your own cheese!

If the restaurant experience was awesome, the food was divine. I had a wonderful omlette, potatoes, and orange juice, which seems very simple, but was so much more than simple. The eggs were the freshest I've ever had, the flavors were so incredibly delicious, and the potatoes were cooked to absolute perfection with the finest of seasonings. It was the kind of food that you didn't want to scarf down. It was the kind of food that you couldn't help but enjoy every savory bite. And the orange juice was equally outstanding. Behind the check-out counter was a large orange squeezer with a small hole at the top to put oranges in. At the bottom of this machine was a small spigot. If you follow the logic, this orange juice was freshly squeezed and tasted like you were literally drinking an orange. Before I even tasted it I knew we wanted a carafe.

The portions didn't look big, but it didn't matter. After eating food that good, you were full and completely satisfied. The only problem was that we wanted more. The other meals that day were still quite good, but they were masked by the amazing meal we had in the morning. So I'll skip to the Sunday meal after our race.

All three of us had a great race. In 90 degree heat and beating sun, we all finished within minutes of one another near the 2 hour mark. Despite a crowded course and blazing heat, we all did well. But all that running and heat makes a man hungry, so we ventured to a small restaurant near Busch Stadium. The Broadway Oyster Bar was one of the few places open, but full of life. The restaurant is in a generally open setting which was so wonderful in the heat of the day. It transported us into the Louisiana Bayou (or what I picture the bayou to be like) and gave us a menu full of wonderful cajun flavors. I ordered a grinder and was pleased to see the best grinder I've seen. I'm used to grinders with two halves of bread filled with some warm meat in between. Apparently, I've never eaten a real grinder. A grinder is half a baguette hollowed out and filled with amazing treats. Mine was full of andoullie sausage, cajun spices, and wonderful cheeses that made an amazing complement to cajun fries and wonderful water.

Every meal we ate in St. Louis was wonderful. I firmly believe that one of the best parts of travel and maybe even life is finding some great meals to write about. Nothing beats eating something so delicious that you can't stop thinking about it and savor every bite you take. Having a meal you can share with another and have some great times and funny stories told is what family and community is all about. We are so consumed with our busy lives that we allow ourselves to be satisfied with fast food and microwave meals. But if you think about it, your favorite memories with food probably involve good, real meals that took longer than 5 minutes to prepare and eat. If you'll excuse me, I'm a little hungry now.

When the Unexpected is Okay

I honestly have so many things to write about today that I'm not sure where to start. Thankfully, I still have pen and paper to jot some thoughts down to save topics for later.

For today, I'll tell you a bit about what I did today. The sun was shining, the temperature was nice, and I took a trip to a high school to talk with students. Now this is nothing out of the ordinary as I regularly visit high schools in my job. A major part of my job, in fact, is to visit high schools and talk about the great qualities that my school has. I very purposefully tell the facts to hopefully find the right students who fit the school's personality.

But today, I was in for a bit of a surprise. Normally when I visit a high school, I pass out some colorful pamphlets, talk about the stats and programs, and hopefully jump into the feeling of the student life. There is some time for a few questions, bada bing, bada boom, students are out and I just got some more people to call.

Not today. I brought my handy crate full of materials and introduced myself to the greeter at the front door. I signed my visitor pass and got directions to the classroom I was looking for. When I arrived, I was greeted by a woman in a red t-shirt and red pants. This was Ms. C (the name shortened for anonymity.) She was older, but clearly full of tons of energy. She reminded me of my sixth grade teacher. I quickly discovered that I would not be there to share information with students.

Instead, what Ms. C wanted me to do, was speak to her Life Management classes about college. I would be speaking on my career, interviewing, how I found my career, what types of things college has, and some general review of requirements and application procedures. Little did I know that this would turn into one of my favorite visits I've ever been in. The classes clearly favored Ms. C. Ms. C, with her short haircut and incredibly eccentric room, filled with student projects, lots of papers, quotes plastered on any area of free space, and a gigantic portion of the chalkboard, doorway, and surround wall filled with students' senior pictures. She said hello to every single student who walked in the door and still managed to have a conversation with me, and several students stopped by to get a hug for the day and carry on to their next class. In a world where teachers are regularly demonized by education reformers, this woman clearly had so much to give to her students. It was clear to me that she was a great teacher, and I did not need to see her students' standardized test scores to see that.

As everyone filed in to take their seats, I could feel my heart pace quicken and suddenly felt very that my arms and hands were very awkward, a sensation I normally get when speaking to a crew of people. However, I have been in the position so many times the feeling passed quickly. Ms. C took attendence, quieted the class, and introduced me. The floor was mine. I had prepared to talk solely about the university and very little about the topics she offered so I was momentarily stunned. 'Good Morning' only goes so far when you're looking to pull some energy and find your stride. But, I quickly introduced myself and began to speak about what it is I did.

Ms. C was quick to interject with questions, but not in the way where you're annoyed with the person, just a very conversational question about the things I was talking about. We had a great flow going as I became comfortable and sensed that it would be important to include far more about my personal story in this presentation than ever before. You see, I represent a school that is not my Alma Mater, a great challenge I assure you. But, in this case, I was encouraged to talk in great length about my experiences and how they differed from the school I now represent.

Suddenly, I was involved in a very reflective moment, something I'm not sure we all get the opportunity to do very often, and was able to speak greatly about my experiences and why I am where I am today. While many students laid their heads down to rest and some looked out the window at the day they could be having, it was clear to me that Ms. C not only allowed kids to be kids, but she respected the fact that they were. Therefore I could only follow her lead and realize that even though the students were putting their heads down, they were still absorbing a lot of what I was saying. I had another class come in with a repeat performance and afterward there was a 30 minute lunch break.

Ms. C spoke with me during this time about my presentation and asked me more about myself. She was shocked that I was in the position I was in at my age and with how great my presentation was. She loved the things I had to share and then told me something that no one has ever told me before. She asked what I wanted to do in the future and I told her some of my ideas, but that I wasn't sure. She said, "You seem like a person who doesn't always do things the conventional way. I see how you landed at admissions, but I can tell that you're already going to be moving on sometime soon. You have such an unconventional way of getting places that I bet you'll be doing something great soon."

I was speechless.

Naturally, I cracked a smile and thanked her for her comments and simply brushed it aside by saying that most people don't find their path by their first choices as a senior in high school. Most students are changing their minds, finding things to get involved in, and discovering their passion that way. We had one more class and then I was excused to leave for the office. I handed out less than 10 pieces on the university, but had one of my favorite visits. So many students clearly saw my excitement and I realized that I must be a good presenter. I realized that I had just winged a presentation and delivered it in a way that made others excited.

My post today is not to dote on how awesome I am. (Hehe) My post today is to talk about how sometimes it takes the unexpected to transform your day. This could have easily been just another high school visit. I would have driven home and submitted some cards to the office, typed up a report, and gone about my business.

But today, I was able to speak with someone about my personality, my growth. I was able to share more about my experiences with others, high school students who need some knowledge. I was able to meet a woman who was so incredibly positive, who was so optimistic about her students, who was clearly invested and happy to take time and energy to get students excited about their school. It is so refreshing to have something unexpected to change your mood. I have many friends, family, and overall important people in my life who are teachers. For about 2 seconds today I thought about what that must be like, and then drove the thought out of my head in sheer terror. You all do some amazing work and I appreciate it.

I recently saw a book by a woman who supposedly is a great researcher. Her book, the title of which I can't remember right now, was about positive thinking. To be precise, her book was about how positive thinking was ruining the future generation of America.

Based on the back cover, her research indicated that because America is generally a positive country (hard to believe, right?) our future generations are continually less and less worried about realistic challenges and thus less willing to help solve the problem. Now I didn't read the book and have yet to track it down again, but to me, what she was implying is that we need to tone down our positive thinking, lest it ruin the country by letting us fester in problems.

This seems completely crazy to me. I have always been optimistic and overall positive and will continue to be so. I feel I'm grounded and realistic and I certainly pay attention to important issues and think about problems we face. But to think that we should stop thinking so optimistically seems absolutely nuts to me! Are we going to slowly wither into an unhappy, yet realistically grounded populous that has no hope for the future? I certainly hope not.

And if Ms. C and the other teachers out there who are giving it all they've got for their students continue to give kids even 40 minutes of happy, positive classtime, then I think we're all going to be okay. Thanks Ms. C for a great day.

The Power of Excuses

Every single person on this planet has an amazing potential.

We are all born with some great talents that we hone and learn and master. Every city and community has amazing potential. Every place has its unique locations and culture that no other place can boast. So why on earth do so many people suffer through unhappy day after unhappy day? Why do so many people struggle to accomplish their goals or give up on their dreams? Why do cities suffer from so many problems that have plagued us for decades if we all know that we have the skills and talents to develop solutions to the problems?

One five letter word creates the greatest roadblock to any success in people or in places. Doubt. Yes, doubt. That feeling that creeps into your mind when rationally thinking about any idea or plan. Like some kind of inception working to dismantle your dreams, doubt comes bursting forth to tell you that that you can't do something. It is a feeling that if left unchecked, will begin to creep into your thoughts on a more regular basis and cause you to question every single idea that you have.

But doubt takes form in something far more sinister. Doubt morphs into something that is difficult for anyone to argue against. Doubt morphs into an excuse. Every person on the planet has had an excuse at one time or another, and every single excuse is a form of doubt that tells you why you can't do something. Let me give you an example:

Many people in this country have a desire to lose weight. They want to be thinner, stronger, or simply not be quite so plump waddling around the supermarket. While there are many reasons why a person may have become heavy, there is usually only one reason why they cannot lose the weight. Watch any episode of "The Biggest Loser" or talk to anyone who struggles with their weight and you will more than likely hear an excuse for why they can't do it. You will hear all kinds of things about not having time, not being able to afford healthy food, not being the athletic to exercise, or that its simply in their genes to be a big person. Really? In your genes?!? Last I checked generations before us somehow managed to have the same genes and not have the diet and health related problems that we do today.

No, the reason why people who struggle with their weight do so for so long is because they make an excuse. Has there ever been something you wish you had time to do? Do you wish you were good at a language or playing an instrument? Do you wish you had time to exercise more?

Well you do. Think about your day. For most people that day starts by getting up in the morning, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, maybe having a bite to eat, and dashing out the door to work. When the final whistle blows at the end of the day we all head home, grab a bite to eat, and settle in for evening activities. What the evening activities are are different for different people. The point of this, however, is not to discuss our routines, but simply to think about what our routines consist of. For a long time I used to tell myself that I didn't have time to squeeze in a run. Yet I knew the tv programming for the next two hours and when to change channels so as to avoid commericals. After the two hour tv spree I would generally mope about wishing I had something to do, probably log on to Facebook at least three times, and wait for something to happen.

And then one day, I realized that if I turned off the tv (watching reruns, I might add), and stopped spending so much time sitting around, I could find time to do a lot of things I've wanted to. I run almost every day, generally at least 5 miles. I have started to use the internet to look up things I'm interested in and learn more about opportunities, programs, or events that are coming up so as to plan my weekend around things I like to do. I do my best to hang out with a different friend several nights during the week so as to keep up with everyone and to have a good variety of conversation. I still get plenty of sleep and have found time to start cooking good meals on a regular basis. Its true, I have missed some tv episodes lately, but my point is, the time exists for me to do many of the things I want to do. If ever anyone tells you they don't have the time to do something fun or exciting, what they are actually doing is making an excuse. They may not want to hang out with you, they may not be that adventurous, or they may simply have nothing better to do than mope about better days to come. Lack of time, money, or effort is simply an excuse for us not wanting to put in the thought process for how to get around these roadblocks.

Cities and communities can be full of excuses too. While these aren't quite as cut and dry as individual excuses, the root cause is still the same. Detroit is full of excuses. We have heard them all about why it is in the mess that it is. We have heard why people left the city and why there were riots and why the crime was so bad. We've heard all the reasons why Detroit sucks and why it is a dead city with no hope for the future. In all honesty, its cliched and its old. Even the artists who are flocking to the abandoned buildings hoping to paint a picture of the broken American Dream are getting old. (We all know that the Michigan Central Railroad Building has no windows.) The difficulty is getting past these excuses that continue to haunt Detroit to make some real change happen.

Living in the world with the society we have, Detroit has a major hurdle to clear the old excuses of the past and march onward to the future. Slowly but surely, that change is coming. More new ideas are being put into place and people are starting to work with the problems at hand with solutions, rather than explanations of why the problems are there. Perhaps we have spent so much time analyzing the problem for how to best tackle it, that we forgot real people are being affected by these decisions to hear more of the facts every day.

Working in Admissions, I often hear excuses from students about why their grades are poor, why they can't get a copy of their transcripts, why they didn't apply sooner, and the like. But in every case, the rules are the rules. I tell the students what they need to do to gain admission, and if they don't like it, they'll have to find another school to tell their excuses to. Perhaps we can remember this and apply it to Detroit and our personal lives. Excuses are just in the way. Get rid of them and pursue the things you really want to happen. Envision the future and see if we can get there. Like an overweight celebrity, Detroit must work hard to fight the excuses, shed the pounds, and return to the limelight with a new kind of chip on its shoulder.

For you personally, think of something you want to do. Think of all the things standing in your way. Now figure out how to get past those. Soon enough, you'll be exactly where you want to be.