Commitment. What do you think?

The other day my mom told me that her pastor recently mentioned only 40% of Americans claim they go to church. Which is a dwindling number, meaning there is an exodus of people either going to church, or claiming to go church. Maybe both.

She asked me what I thought about that and instead of reacting to the lack of religious conviction, my mind was automatically drawn to the fact that, lately, I've noticed there's a lack of commitment to a lot of things. In fact, just about everything.

Religion or no religion, I think you can see it in secular arenas too - Lions Clubs, Jaycees, and others face lacking participation; notably, marriages fall by dozens (some may view this as religious, I know). But, my comment in the moment of this question was, "Look at cell phone contracts. People can't even commit to those. They want everything like it is at Burger King. They want it their way, every day."

I really see it as an issue of selfishness. It's a lack of ability to commit because one is too selfish to give up doing whatever they want to, whenever they want to. Acting in any way that seems pleasing in the moment, justifying whatever they do as right because they say so. There may be plenty of people who, when they learn about a particular issue, could be compelled to commit. But when/if that means they need to change their lifestyles, pay attention to the things they do and say to be responsible or culpable for them, or to even to just go and rededicate themselves and learn more once each week, that's just too much.

Commitment is about being selfless, at least in many ways. A person has to say they are giving themselves to something, someone, a cause or whatever, and living within the boundaries that result is ok because they are all in.

When was the last time you saw someone do that?

The Devil May Not Actually Be In the Details

I used to hear this saying a lot, that the devil was in the details. I've always taken it to mean that flaws or red flags can live deep within the fine print. A person should be very thorough, considering multiple possibilities or scenarios, one should make sure all the details are understood and clearly play the role they need to. It can be tedious, time-consuming work, but that's what's supposed to save the day and ensure success, right? Right?

I'd like to somewhat debunk that theory.

Yes, the devil can be in those details and those details can be what bring a you down. But all the same, details really aren't that important if the big structure isn't sound.

Lately I've noticed an inordinate number of instances where heaps of effort were put into the details of a project, but little to no thought was put into the big picture. Think of it like this: making a household wheelchair accessible, adding in a home theatre and a gourmet kitchen, but forgetting to concern yourself with finished walls and a good roof. The details were incredible, but the fact that you were building a house was totally lost.

The funny thing with situations like this is all that time and effort in the details wears people down and makes them feel very busy. Meanwhile, the fact that the big picture is overlooked makes those who need it frustrated. Those people ask for improvements to the big picture but the people stuck in the details are too busy to do anything about it (and have lost sight of it anyway in many cases). And so the cycle continues.

If you didn't like the house example, I'll give you another one to chew on. It's like a parent spending a lot of time and money to ensure their child has the best clothing or sports equipment, or access to the best schools, but doesn't spend the time necessary to instill values, teach the child boundaries or manners. The parent was too caught up in the details of a particular lifestyle to remember that the child needed a foundation for life first.

Or, let's say you are at work and you are putting content on your website to entice new customers. In the process of doing that, you get working on this incredible map of how to get to your store - maybe you include directions from different areas of town, a standard map, and even use Google Earth with the 3D buildings function so users can really "get in the map" and find their way. This is a great tool for sure. But you spent so much time working on that you forgot to display pictures and descriptions of your products (ie: the real reason someone would be enticed to come to your store).

Overall, it's safe to say I think the devil may be in the big picture. I think that if that's solid, well planned and well executed, 9 times out of 10 the details will work themselves out for the best. That's where my money is anyway.

Check!

I did it! I checked an item off my list (see Callings from 01.13.10) and did a painting! Here is my first attempt at becoming Georgia O'Keeffe.

If everyone gets a 16x20 Christmas present next year, I'm apologizing in advance. Many of you were very kind during my foray with knitting. ...

Every Woman's Nightmare? Or, Just That of a Few Men?

Swimsuits.

It may only be early spring (or mid-winter where I am) but about a week ago I decided to start shopping for swimsuits. The demon of all demons, the bane of women's existences, swimsuits cause fear and loathing in the hearts of many. Dun dun duuunnnnn. (read: sound effect)

But I have to say that for me, while I look about as far from Gisele as does my boyfriend, swimsuit shopping doesn't bother me. I understand what I've got to work with and I know that 1/2 a yard of fabric and plastic clasp isn't going to change much. Going in with realistic expectations saves me the brutal shock and pained eyes many experience.

After digging a bit online, a thought crossed my mind. I am of a certain age and a certain body type that perhaps it's time to go the route of the one-piece. I was thinking a classy, flirty one-piece, something in a solid, richer color, perhaps with a lower neckline to keep things interesting. (no ruffle skirts or Olympic uniforms)

I really thought I was on a roll and feeling pretty proud of myself when I sent 4 options via email to the aforementioned man in my life. He swiftly responded that I must have age and/or body issues for even considering these one-piece shenanigans. "Ha! One man's opinion," I thought.

Later that week I asked a female friend if she liked one-pieces or if my idea was in left field. She got very excited that one-pieces were, in fact, adorable and she was looking for some too (she actually does resemble Gisele, so I was starting to feel back on track). Yet, only about 2 seconds into my relief, her fiance piped up in the background that one-pieces were nothing but horrible.

So I got to thinking. Are one-piece swimsuits really that ugly or are they just ugly to men? Are they like capri pants, skinny jeans, and pointy-toe shoes??? (ie: the only people who think they are sexy are the ones wearing them)

1. Is that true?

2. If so, what's a girl to do who wants to swim/tan/wakeboard/boat in something classy, flirty, comfortable, and fun?

The saga continues.