This week has been a string of surreal adventures. Surreal isn’t out of the ordinary for me; my life is usually like a Bar Mitzvah in hyperspace, just more spread out. For example, I had no idea (and am very humbled) that when I did a talk in November about speaking Klingon that it would become the #1 viewed Ignite Fort Collins presentation.
I’ve really pushed my own boundaries to see what I could learn about myself. I love what I’ve found out.
I learned I really like dancing. I’ve never been very selective about how I make an ass out of myself, and all things being equal, dancing isn’t normally on that list. I saw knee-bending and shuffle-shoeing as a trivial act – boy was I wrong. After hosting LaidOffCamp all the major players were over at Kevin Buecher‘s house, hanging out with him, his roommate Si, and our cool new friends Cali and Polly. Cali is a pro dancer, and an all-around free spirit. She randomly decided that she wanted to teach us the Cha Cha.
I volunteered to go first. A quick lesson later, I was Cha-Cha-ing. Cali has unwittingly paved the path to my first white vinyl suit and disco ball purchases.
A few nights later, on my own accord, I opted to go country-dancing to a rockabilly band at Lucky Joes with Christina (who not only is a fun dancer, but does hilarious things with saloon peanuts if you give her the chance). Later, I ended up testing out Polly’s Cha Cha skills, and with huge smiles we added spins to the mix. Polly, operating under the assumption that I’m somehow skilled at catching spun women (as it turns out, groping non-”sexual harassment worthy” areas is actually a useful social skill), danced and spun with me miraculously without injury.
I learned that I’ve helped the community to help itself. The Digital Gunslingers reconvened on Tuesday, and the accomplishments of the people in the group are truly noteworthy. Fred started his own blog. Carol started her own jewelry business and came within $70 of breaking even for all her initial equipment costs. Dale created a video to recruit new tallent to his practice. Vi created a new traditional music group. To say that I’m proud to be a part of their lives is an understatement, and we’re starting a year of storytelling to make 2010 the year of sharing all the amazing things we do.
I learned that you can make a best friend in less than a week. Kevin and Si have quickly become my new best friends. You will never meet more caring, considerate people who pour everything they are into everyone else and ask for nothing in return. Bachelors through and through (and fed up with plain white toast), they let me take them on an adventure; I showed them how to grocery shop like Ghandi after the fast (as Alton Brown says, no unitaskers).
I learned that anything you say to a child becomes a binding contractual agreement. I met my new friend Jessy today, who is the mother of two amazing children. I bought her family dinner, chinese from South China on Harmony – and the kids were naturally most excited for the fortune cookies. So, I told them about my practice of keeping every fortune I’ve ever pulled from a cookie and how they always come true (yes, this is true). I showed ‘em my collection from my wallet before it was time to eat and they were all ears.
Then came the magical moment to crack open the cookies to reveal our true destinies. The boy’s fortune reads, “You look pretty.” His sister starts giggling and says something like, “Some people think he looks like a girl.” As with any handsome fellow, this is enough to cause his tears to start, probably because I had worked up the whole deal of how they always come true and he’d never given much thought to someday becoming “fabulous”. Quickly I offered to give him a second chance; he could have my fortune and I would take his, as long as he was okay with the prospect of tempting fate.
He nodded and I warned, “You know, mine probably says that I’m pretty too, what then?” He shrugged. I cracked open the cookie to reveal some great tome of Chinese wisdom better than “You look pretty” and he was satisfied enough to declare he wanted me to see his cool videogames.
All these adventures were possible because I took the time to step out of my comfort zone and try something new… and I -love- what I’m learning about myself in the process. To hell with boundaries, this is fun!
18 Comments
New on my blog: To Hell With Boundaries – This Is Fun — http://bit.ly/4U9aHA
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
@photocg @caligater I mentioned in you my new blog post: To Hell With Boundaries – This Is Fun :: http://bit.ly/4U9aHA
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
You rock, Nick!
Just before reading this post, I sent an email to a friend refuting an acquaintance's assertion that parents do a disservice to their children by making them socially odd. You are living proof that stepping outside of the comfort zone and doing 'odd' things, new things, things that maybe mainstream culture doesn't grok is empowering and freeing and literally wonderful.
We can't grow if we don't make new choices, if we don't find new experiences and new friends, and explore new ideas. We can't grow if we choose to hide from 'odd', to hide from uncertainty, from newness.
Nick, the day that you bust out a white vinyl suit will be a magical and enchanting day.
There seems to be a theme lately among my friends to throw boundaries, obstacles and “shoulds” to the wind. I'm really proud of you! You have a lot of forward momentum and are accomplishing a lot—personally and professionally. I am SO HAPPY we connected. Cheers to your 2010–you're on to big things!
You rock, Nick!
Just before reading this post, I sent an email to a friend refuting an acquaintance's assertion that parents do a disservice to their children by making them socially odd. You are living proof that stepping outside of the comfort zone and doing 'odd' things, new things, things that maybe mainstream culture doesn't grok is empowering and freeing and literally wonderful.
We can't grow if we don't make new choices, if we don't find new experiences and new friends, and explore new ideas. We can't grow if we choose to hide from 'odd', to hide from uncertainty, from newness.
Nick, the day that you bust out a white vinyl suit will be a magical and enchanting day.
There seems to be a theme lately among my friends to throw boundaries, obstacles and “shoulds” to the wind. I'm really proud of you! You have a lot of forward momentum and are accomplishing a lot—personally and professionally. I am SO HAPPY we connected. Cheers to your 2010–you're on to big things!
Great post, Nick!
It's awesome to see what good stuff can happen when you let your guard down. . .definitely something I plan to do more of in the new year. Cheers to you and if you ever decide to rock a white vinyl suit, I will fly up to be in attendance for the event!
Great post, Nick!
It's awesome to see what good stuff can happen when you let your guard down. . .definitely something I plan to do more of in the new year. Cheers to you and if you ever decide to rock a white vinyl suit, I will fly up to be in attendance for the event!
Thanks Lindsay!
Yeah, it really has been an interesting series of events, I have no idea where it'll lead, but I have no doubt I'm going to be having fun along the way.
-Nick
Thanks Cali – I am really driven to keep moving forward and to continue kicking ass! It's always good to meet a kindred spirit, welcome to the journey!
-Nick
Thanks Joe! I'll have to let you know, then. I'm sure it'll happen at some point!
-Nick
Thanks Lindsay!
Yeah, it really has been an interesting series of events, I have no idea where it'll lead, but I have no doubt I'm going to be having fun along the way.
-Nick
Thanks Lindsay!
Yeah, it really has been an interesting series of events, I have no idea where it'll lead, but I have no doubt I'm going to be having fun along the way.
-Nick
Thanks Cali – I am really driven to keep moving forward and to continue kicking ass! It's always good to meet a kindred spirit, welcome to the journey!
-Nick
Thanks Cali – I am really driven to keep moving forward and to continue kicking ass! It's always good to meet a kindred spirit, welcome to the journey!
-Nick
Thanks Joe! I'll have to let you know, then. I'm sure it'll happen at some point!
-Nick
Thanks Joe! I'll have to let you know, then. I'm sure it'll happen at some point!
-Nick
@IttyBiz Have you read about my latest exploits involving married women and fortune cookies? http://bit.ly/4U9aHA
This comment was originally posted on Twitter