The Fam

I spent this past weekend in southwestern Oklahoma at the Quartz Mountain Resort (yes, resort, not reservation). It was a Jones family reunion which doubled as a surprise birthday gift for my Grammy who turned 75. She had absolutely no idea. We all arrived over the course of a couple of days. Each new carload of people that drove in was a complete surprise to her. The expression on her face and the tears in her eyes were priceless.

We were twenty-four in all. This weekend marked the first time that we have ever all been together. Usually someone can't make a reunion or holiday for whatever reason. But this time, everybody showed. My older brother, Josh, even flew in from Mexico City and then flew out from the reunion to Dubai. But he made it, which I know wasn't easy.

The weekend was filled with babies smiling and kids playing and laughter and love and lots of fried food. It was perfect. I have to confess that, sometimes, I get in a New York state of mind and show up at family gatherings a little defensive. I was worried that such things would get in the way of this trip and was, admittedly, a bit apprehensive about going.

All of that evaporated the minute I put my arms around my family. There truly is nothing in the world as special as the bond of family, whatever form it takes. The picture attached to this post (with my newest nephew, Holt) epitomizes the joy and the peace that filled our reunion weekend. Oh, and did I mention we had t-shirts made? Yep, we're that family now.

Joneses, you all are simply the best. You have all my love, all the time.

I Want To Be A Gymnast

It's no secret that the Olympics inspire me. Watching the athletes compete makes me hungry to take care of my body and stay in shape. During the Athens 2004 Games, I was moved to take up swimming. Goggles? Check. Swim cap? Check. Affordable membership to someplace with a pool? Forget about it. My dream was short-lived.

I decided that, after watching the Men's Gymnastics competition in these Beijing 2008 Games, that I would look into some gymnastics classes for adult beginners. Surely NYC, if anywhere, would have something like this. After all, it is the place where dreams come true. Chelsea Piers offers just the course I was looking for. Last night, I went with my buddy, Will, to this gymnastics class and it was awesome!

Understand, I have NO gymnastics experience. Didn't matter here, though. We learned forward handsprings, back handsprings, jumping forward rolls, and some other stuff, too. It's the ideal place to learn because the whole place is padded and you just practice again and again and again without worry of hurting yourself (too) badly. I managed to sprain my thumb early on, but I persevered through the pain and finished the night strong. If only Bela Karolyi had been there to carry me off the mat.

The other cool thing is that, in this same gymnastics room, is all of the Olympic apparatuses. There were guys there who were practicing on the high bar and still rings. These fellas look like Olympic hopefuls. It was amazing to watch them practice. Who knows, maybe we'll see them in the 2012 games?

If you're inspired by the Olympics like I am, ride the inspiration and go pursue your athletic dreams. I'll never be Olympian, but at least I can say I gave gymnastics a try. No regrets.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

I love the Olympics. Love, love, love them. The pomp and ceremony is unparalleled: trumpet fanfares, waving flags, matching uniforms, global community. It brings tears to my eyes every time.


My all-time favorite Olympic sport to watch is the Men's Gymnastics. More specifically, the still rings. The Maltese cross, where the athlete holds himself in a straight position, parallel to the ground, blows my mind. You can actually see their muscles quivering to maintain the body in perfect form. The way that these guys (and all the other athletes gathered in Beijing) train and discipline their bodies is nothing short of amazing. That's the only word I can find for it: amazing.


Did you see the men's gymnastics team finals last night? Team USA pulled off an upset by clenching the bronze medal. More impressive, though, was Team China's performance. Their coach said that if his team comes home with less than 5 gold medals, he will deem it an unsuccessful Olympics. Oh, gosh. That's intense. I'm glad they won.


Joe, an avid Olympics fan, blogged recently "What one thing do you wish you could excel at that you don’t already?" For me, it would be gymnastics. I would love to have that much control over mind and body. And would love to look that good in navy blue and red spandex.


Another one of the reasons I love the Olympics is for the music. It's quite majestic. If you're interested, most of what you hear on NBC intros and outros can be found on John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra: Summon the Heroes album, originally composed for the Atlanta 1996 Games, available on iTunes.

And now, to capture the Olympic Spirit, I leave you the lyrics to the Olympic Hymn:


Olympian flame immortal
Whose beacon lights our way
Emblaze our hearts with the fires of hope
On this momentous day

As now we come across the world
To share these Games of old
Let all the flags of every land
In brotherhood unfold

Sing out each nation, voices strong
Rise up in harmony
All hail our brave Olympians
With strains of victory

Olympic light burn on and on
O'er seas and mountains and plains
Unite, inspire, bring honor
To these ascending games
May valor reign victorious
Along the path of golden way

As tomorrow's new champions now come forth
Rising to the fervent spirit of the game
Let splendour pervade each noble deed
Crowned with glory and fame

And let fraternity and fellowship
Surround the soul of every nation

Oh flame, eternal in your firmament so bright
Illuminate us with your everlasting light
That grace and beauty and magnificence

Shine like the sun
Blazing above
Bestow on us your honor, truth and love

Makes Me Laugh Out Loud

10 Reasons It Would Rule To Date A Unicorn

9 Reasons Not To Date A Tyrannosaurus Rex

Thanks, M.

I'm done

I'm done catering to people's comfort levels. I'm done squashing my own self in the name of respect for others' opinions. I'm done with euphemisms. I'm done keeping my mouth shut. I'm done.

Little House on the Prairie, the musical!

Today's New York Times tells me that Little House on the Prairie has been staged as a musical! What could be better than combining the American homestead, prairie life, blindness, and musical theatre?

Melissa Gilbert (who played Laura in the TV series) is playing Ma in the stage production. Awesome. The show opened this weekend in Minneapolis with obvious hopes of making it to Broadway. I guarantee that Casey and I will be there with open arms to welcome the show to NYC. We have many fond memories of LHOTP and it's one of our favorite reminiscences. To see the show become a musical is somewhat of a dream come true. If the show does make it to Broadway, I only hope that we can attend the performance dressed as our favorite character.

The Performance of a Lifetime

Last night, I went to see Gypsy starring

Patti LuPone. Patti LuPone, people! Holy cow!

The show was beyond incredible. It was, honestly, the greatest theatre performance I've ever witnessed. This woman commanded such a presence from the moment she walked on stage. I mean, she is Patti LuPone. Her voice was throaty, bold, and experienced. When she threw her arms up in the air and belted out "Everything's Coming Up Roses", I said to myself "Don't ever forget this moment." I may have had tears in my eyes. Shhh.

If you care about the theatre at all, you must go see Gypsy while Ms. LuPone is playing Rose. It will be the performance of a lifetime and worth every single penny.

Sex And The City

I've seen Sex And The City twice now and can't seem to get it out of my head. The movie, the soundtrack, everything is surprisingly captivating. Understand, I have no special connection to the girls or the HBO series. I've seen the series intermittently in syndication and it's good, to be sure. It's fun, a little bit shallow, and really glamorizes NYC. But I wasn't particularly excited about the movie coming out. I went to see it on a whim.

The movie, though, is about real New York. It's about people trying their best at relationships and failing, and trying again. It's about making huge mistakes. It's about forgiveness (cue the song). It's about never being alone in the world. It's about loving your loyals without condition. And, hopefully, it's about falling in love someday, despite the odds.

There's this powerful scene where Carrie shows up at Miranda's door, unannounced, on New Year's Eve. Miranda opens the door, Carrie hugs her and says, "You're not alone." That's it. Simple as that. You're not alone.

It is one of my mantras. It's important that you say to people you love, as often as you tell them you love them, to tell them "You're not alone."

Terminology

We've all heard of gaydar, yes? It's the keen perception that allows one to judge whether another is gay or straight, based on appearance. The last few months, it seems my gaydar is broken. Maybe I'm getting older and losing touch with the new class of gays. Or maybe, it's because the line is becoming increasing blurred between heterosexual and homosexual dudes. Here's some new terminology that I've recently become familiar with, courtesy of Details, that will keep you in-the-know, and the categories clear:

Bromance - a reciprocated mancrush between two heterosexual guys; term made famous by the movie Superbad; when you say to your best friend, "I'm not gay dude. But if I was, you'd be the one"; famous bromances include Matt Damon & Ben Affleck, Geeorge Clooney & Brad Pitt, Matthew McConaughey & Lance Armstrong

Stray - a heterosexual guy who is consistently mistaken as gay; blame it on the appearance, the mannerisms, the speech, whatever else; the stray guy is 100% straight, no doubt about it (not to be confused with guys on the downlow, who call themselves straight but actually sleep with other dudes); famous strays include Ryan Seacrest and Kenny Chesney

Straymance - my own term; the requited mancrush between a straight dude and a gay dude; a purely platonic relationship; the inter-sexual version of the bromance

Who knew there were new categories emerging to make the once-unmistakable now very-mistakable? Eh, I guess you live and learn. And there's probably some lesson to be learned here about stereotyping, but I'll let you (and me) read between the lines to figure it out.

Thou Art The Potter

I've been up all night, so this post is composed as I'm feeling tired and probably a little bit vulnerable. But I've been thinking a lot about God tonight.

When I pray, there's a difference between "going before the Father" with routine prayer and "really going before the Father", exposed, vulnerable, pissed off, hollowed out, etc. In other words, though my heart is always in it, some prayer time is more poignant than others. The poignant ones take many forms: There's the prayer when I feel rotten because of sin and I come crawling on my knees. There's the one where I feel disconnected from God and come asking for renewal. There's the one where I'm angry and the prayer involves more harsh words than kind ones. There's the one where I'm overwhelmed and seek peace. But none of those really describe how I'm feeling right now.

You know how clay (or Play-Doh) gets those little cracks in it if it has been left out for too long? That's how I'm feeling. Still pliable, but with little cracks in me that need to me kneaded and smoothed out. I want to feel the hands of God physically working me over. Not in a forgiving way, but rather in a nurturing way. You ever feel like you need God to make himself known in the physical, tangible sense? Real Live Preacher makes the comment that he occasionally sneaks into churches and takes naps in the pews because he likes the feeling that God is watching over him. That's what I want right now. I want to walk into an empty cathedral and lay down in the back pew and just go to sleep. For hours and hours. And wake up and feel sore because God's hands have been at work.

Like so many others, I'm spent. Life is a little bit hard right now. I'm nearing a breaking point. Lend me your hands, God. I'm the clay (or blue Play-Doh). Have Thine Own Way.

Hill Country BBQ

Yesterday, being Memorial Day, necessitated a menu of red meat and beer. It's the way that we Texans honor the fallen. Normally, I'd fix the burgers or meat myself, but since I'm studying again these days, I opted to have someone else do the cooking. So, Casey and I went to check out this new restaurant that has opened called Hill Country.

Hill Country is modeled after the famous Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas. For the men in my family, Kreuz is somewhat of a sanctuary. Imagine my excitement to find a BBQ place, another Kreuz Market, in New York City!

Now, imagine my disappointment. This place was WAY overpriced. Two beef ribs and 4 small slices of brisket cost me $17.50. No lie. Didn't include side dishes nor beverages. They do their service counter-style, where you take your tray from counter to counter, and ask the pitmaster or side-dish-master (?) for what you want. Everything is served on butcher paper, like BBQ should be, but the nostalgia did not make up for the tough texture and overly sweet (read: bad) BBQ sauce served with the meat.

The decor is grossly "Texas-centric". It tries too hard. The waitresses were even wearing cowboy boots. Yep, that's right. You know, because everyone in Texas wear cowboy boots. (I love mine, but not for waiting tables.)

The only saving grace for this place was the Blue Bell Ice Cream and Lone Star Beer. Thankfully, those things are made somewhere else and shipped to NYC, so they offered the same taste and satisfaction I remember from my days in Austin.

Fellow Texans, don't waste your time or your money on this place. If you want some BBQ, let's get together sometime soon and do it up right ourselves. I'll cook the meat, somebody else bring the sides, and I promise, no one will wear cowboy boots.

MCAT update

I got my MCAT scores back recently and they are not as competitive as I want them to be. So, I'm going to re-take the exam on June 13. Interestingly enough, I am not upset as I had imagined myself in this situation. On the contrary, it's a matter of "If I need to take the test again in order to be a more competitive applicant, so be it. I have to do what I have to do."

Thanks for support and well-wishes. Keep you all posted.

Home Improvement

I have successfully completed my first home-improvement project. I installed four bookshelves on my bedroom walls. It's been a week-long process involving many trips to Home Depot , countless conversations with Matthew, and a few new tools.

I called my sister-in-law today from Home Depot as I was looking for some drill bits I had forgotten. Lovingly/sarcastically, she said "What a surprise... A Jones man starting out to do a project without all of the proper equipment." What can I say, it's genetic. And, I didn't mind perusing the aisles once again. It's a little bit therapeutic.

Myanmar Relief

OEM (Office of Emergency Management) urges those who wish to help those affected by the cyclone in Myanmar to make cash donations. A list of organizations collecting donations can be found at Network for Good (http://www.networkforgood.org). Please consider making a donation.

Catching Up

I survived the MCAT yesterday. It was a hard test, to be sure. I expected as much, though, and am really glad it's over. The actual test-taking experience was not nearly as brutal as the studying and preparation. I should have my results in the next 30 days or so.

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Have you heard of Leona Lewis? This girl is awesome. She won the UK's version of American Idol. Her debut album, Spirit, is incredible. Check it out and see what you think. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

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These are the days I love New York and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The last few days have seen temps in the mid-70s, bright blue cloudless skies, and tons of sunshine. I didn't wear my winter coat for the first time this week. New Yorkers are waking from our long winter nap, and we're hitting the streets in droves. Literally, people stop on the sidewalk and just stare into the sunlight. I was all over mid-town yesterday just walking and walking and loving being outside. I spent a couple of hours meandering through Central Park around dusk yesterday evening. NYC is truly a place unlike any other.

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Wilber's show, Swing, opened last week in Beach Haven, NJ, but I haven't been down to see it yet on account of studying. So, Casey and I are headed down to the Jersey Shore this afternoon in our rented Volvo S40 to go see the show and lend some support to Wilber.

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Holt Westbrook Jones

My younger brother, Matthew, and his wife, Sienna, had their first baby last night in Austin. Holt Westbrook Jones was born at 9:26p, weighing 7 lbs 1 oz. and measuring 20 in. Everybody is doing great. We Jones boys are now seven strong: Josh, Nate, Matthew, Campbell, Warner, Everett and Holt! We're pumped to add Holt to our ranks.

A Blogging Hiatus

With less than 3 weeks til the big day, I'm taking a blogging hiatus (much like these past 3 weeks). Hopefully, my next post will be full of joy and relief, celebrating the end of the MCAT.

Faith of the Faithless

The thoughts that follow are inspired by two ministers, Jen and Katie, for whom I have much respect. They are quoted with their permission, of course.



I am certain that we, as people of faith, will never fully understand what God meant in sending his Son to the earth. I am certain that we will never fully understand the Scriptures. I am equally certain that anyone who believes that they have their faith entirely worked out has their head in the clouds.

Faith is a dynamic as opposed to static. I have the responsibility to examine, at every turn, what I know to be true and what I have known to be true in the past. I must hold those things up and scrutinize them and mull them over and, with the Holy Spirit's guidance, reshape them as needed. My recent mullings over have focused on communal faith.

What is communal faith to you? I've often thought it meant that Christians will assemble periodically (on Sundays) to share our faith and edify one another. The individual faiths that we walk with Mon-Sat become communal on Sundays (or whatever the appointed time). We will bear one another's burdens and strengthen one another. But everyone will bring some kind of faith. It's an understood rule. In order to share, both parties must bring something.

What if someone doesn't bring faith with them? What if their faith is fatigued? What if they use to have faith but, because of life, let that faith go? What if they never had faith at all?

Consider this:


"...I think even atheism can be a mode of faith in this way. I know some people who’ve lost it, just can’t see how the God they grew up believing can be reconciled with the reality of the world they see. I don’t see this as a fault. I see it as an honest response, the outcome of a real struggle. For myself, I have faith that God too might see it this way; that God would prefer someone to give up the pretense of faith rather than deny the reality of evils. And my response to these friends is not to press my faith that all will be well upon them, but to view my task as carrying faith for them. An intercessory faith, if you will."

I will. The communal faith Jen refers to goes beyond sharing. It doesn't require that I bring some faith to the table and you bring some of your own and we will thusly commune. It states that I will carry faith for you when you cannot carry yours. Those who have faith will collectively carry the faith for others who do not. The faith of the faithless.


Katie goes on to say "I think this is a critical point for we who have been blessed with belief — that not everybody is. Elie Wiesel, for example, writes painstakingly about how impossible it is for him to believe (and how he prays right through that unbelief with his very life). And what else could the Apostle have meant when he said in 1 Corinthians 12 that among the varied gifts of the Spirit is the gift of… faith? “To another, the gift of faith.” Meaning, perhaps, that just as all are not blessed with the gift of, say, 'healing' (next in Paul’s list), faith may come really hard or not at all for some of God’s children."


Wow. How many times have I read over that scripture and missed what Paul was getting at? Faith is a requirement, surely. Tongues, wisdom, prophecy...those are spiritual gifts, no doubt. We all agree that some have them and others are gifted in other ways. But faith as a gift? I'm moved.

It's refreshing and at the same time unnerving when my understanding of Scripture changes even slightly. I guess that's the feeling of being stretched and having the Holy Spirit at work. It's not supposed to be comfortable. I'm grateful to Jen and Katie for their wisdom, insight, and capacity to teach. I'm equally grateful for their boldness to speak what is at times, I'm sure, not easy.

1000 Words

Almost Famous

Over the weekend, Wilber and I were having a lazy-Saturday-afternoon bagel in the bagel shop near the house. We noticed a news reporter and her cameraman outside the window of the shop, looking in at the customers. Wilber joked, "They must be coming in to interview me."

Sure enough, the reporter and cameraman walked inside and walked straight over to our table and said, "We'd like to interview you two."

"About what?", I asked.
"About your thoughts on same-sex marriage."

"What?", I thought. "Are we wearing a sign or something? Is G-A-Y stamped across my forehead?" I was a little perturbed by the implication.

As it turns out, the lady was a reporter for a Filipino news network, and they were interviewing New Yorkers about their feelings regarding same-sex marriage and its not being legal in this state.

On camera, I made some comment about how it's a shame that it's not legal, etc, etc. Very creative, I know. Then they turned the camera to Wilber. He spoke so eloquently about how New York is such a diverse, progressive city and how it's counter-intuitive that same-sex marriage isn't legal here but is legal in other seemingly less-progressive states. Well said, babe. You're a natural in the spotlight.

I thought it was interesting, given my previous blogpost, that someone would then turn on a camera and call on me to defend my viewpoint.

So today, I'm walking down the street and this representative from the Human Rights Campaign (a GLBT-rights organization) stops me and asks me to become a partner of them and support the end of workplace-discrimination for gays. People are coming out of the woodwork this week calling on me to advocate for equal rights for the GLBT community. "YES!", I replied. Awesome!

Gay rights is one of those things that I believe strongly in. But sometimes I am still a little wary of making that belief known publicly.

Not anymore.

I'm a member of a community. The community needs help.

Here I am!

Let's go do this thing!