Lee Hoover » My Thoughts

The Phenomenon of The Cool

Lee Hoover — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:14:00 +0000

The word cool is an interesting word to me. To be honest, I’m not even sure what it means. Dictionary.com has 28 different definitions for the word, but none of them say what cool is; they don’t explain what qualifies as cool. Perhaps it’s odd that I’m thinking of such things, but I am. I think there is a phenomenon surrounding the word, something really interesting to me. For lack of creativity, and/or intelligence, I’ve named it The Phenomenon of The Cool.

Basically, The Phenomenon of the Cool is that every man and woman wants to be just that, cool. I know what you’re thinking, but just hear me out on this. I believe that everybody desires to be part of something, they want to feel wanted, accepted. They want to belong, they want to feel safe, loved, cool. Donald Miller described the phenomenon as a boat in the water that represents cool, he said something along the lines (I don’t have the book in front of me) that everybody wants to be in the boat, so much so that they’ll even throw others out just to get in. I think that’s a good assessment. Imagine a moment in time when a person you just met tells you how good they are at something, or when a person you know puts down somebody else just to be accepted by their present company. Or even better, imagine a moment in time when you have done either of those yourself. It happens, and, personally, I think it happens because everybody wants to be cool.

Now I know what some of you are saying. You are saying you could care less about the cool boat. You are saying that if there is a boat - which perhaps you don’t believe there is - you don’t really care about making sure you’re in it. I think that’s a good thing. But I imagine it is because you already feel as if you are in the boat. You feel accepted, loved, wanted. You feel as if you belong. But imagine if I said you were not in the boat. Imagine if I told you your present company did not accept you as you, you aren’t wanted. Do you still not care?

Of course, the boat isn’t real. I don’t believe in the boat, I just believe that we, as humans, have created a boat in our minds and have begun to believe it matters. What I do believe is that when God created us he did so by instilling those desires in our hearts. At the time, when God was fully present on Earth, when Adam and Eve had direct contact with God, all those desires were met…by Him. They were accepted and wanted. They belonged and felt the greatest of loves. But perhaps after the fall of man, when that direct link was taken away, we, as humans, became as fish out of water…or better yet, as humans out of the cool boat. We began to flop around looking for acceptance, hoping to get back in the comfort of the boat.

The problem is we’re looking in all the wrong places. We’ve looked for those desires to be met by other human beings when the only one who can fully realize all those desires is God. Perhaps that is why when a man or a woman fully accepts and realizes the scope of the Lord’s love, when they fully realize what Gods love is and means and can provide man, their heart settles. No longer do they try as hard as they can to get in the boat, they realize the water aint that deep anyways. The challenge then is to continually remember that what the cool boat has to offer isn’t all that great. Acceptance by other human beings isn’t what life is about, being cool isn’t cool. As a human being I know I can forget that concept. I can feel as if I’m drowning in the sea of uncool and start panicking. Not until later do I realize the cool boat is not so cool after all. I can stand on my own.

But let’s say, perhaps, that you really want to be in the boat. Maybe you often find yourself in the sea of uncool and the boat looks pretty nice. If so, I don’t blame you. We all do. Being cool may not be cool, but being uncool is worse. Or let’s say, perhaps, that you’re already in the cool boat and are beginning to see the leaks. Maybe it isn’t as nice as you once thought. Either way, we shouldn’t forget the other boat. As we all flop around in the sea of uncool, as we try our darndest to get in the cool boat - which I imagine as a little life boat directly in front of us - there is another boat lurking in the waters. It might be harder to see, it might seem like an illusion, but it is very real. This boat, of course, is God’s boat. It’s a yacht with all of life’s necessities: love, hope, comfort, belonging. And the best part is, there is always room. In fact there is a rope waiting for you grab ahold of so you don’t drown in the sea…uncool or not.

The Obama Tax

Lee Hoover — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:19:00 +0000

Did you hear what Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Biden said this morning? According to an AP report, he said paying higher taxes is the patriotic thing to do for wealthier Americans; which means he’s basically saying that every American who has worked hard and wisely taken advantage of everything our country has to offer should pay even more in taxes than they are already paying so that the people who haven’t can benefit. And they should feel proud and patriotic for doing so.

America used to bill itself as the land of opportunity; if you put your mind to it and work hard you can succeed and make a good living. Why do you think we had so many immigrants in the 1800s? It wasn’t the land, it was the opportunity. Now are we saying that you can still succeed if you work hard, but when you do we want to take even more of your money? Does that seem fair?

The report says, “People earning more than $250,000 a year would pay more in taxes while those earning less — the vast majority of American taxpayers — would receive a tax cut.” A direct quote from Biden is, “We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people.” Now, don’t get me wrong…I am middle class. I would most likely benefit from this…but is it right that I would? Should I be ok with knowing that the people who have worked harder than me - let’s be honest…the majority of those people who are making more worked for it, they didn’t have it handed to them (I said most) – are going to have to pay even more than they already do so I can have some relief? Do I deserve it?

This is just another reason I think I’ll end up voting McCain.

Another is the arrogance of Obama.

His arrogance is starting to drive me crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I want somebody in the white house who is confident and believes they belong there. But there is a difference between (1) believing you belong there because you will do a good job and (2) believing you belong there because you are the best and brightest person in the world. I want my president to love his country, not himself. And I am starting to believe that Obama loves himself and his ideas more than he loves his country. Why else would he create his own Obama seal? Why else would he campaign across Europe and say, “People of Berlin - people of the world - this is our moment; this is our time,” during a speech in Berlin? Is he running for President of the world or President of the United States?

Anyways, enough rambling…there are a few other reasons I’m not that keen on Obama, but I should probably get off my little soapbox. To be honest, I’m not quite sold on McCain either. But I learned a while ago that you’ll never be completely sold on a candidate. I guess that means you vote for who bothers you less, right? Ok, maybe not…but right now that’s McCain. And right now that matters.

Thinking About Foreign Films

Lee Hoover — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:07:39 +0000

Two weeks from now, I plan on leaving work early. I’ll head to a theater no more than ten minutes from my home. I may change first; I may not. When I get there, I’ll buy a bowl of popcorn and head to my seat - preferably in the front row - and I’ll sit there as long as my backside will allow. I’ll take in a movie or two, maybe three. And the best part of it all? It’s free. The European Film Festival in San Antonio always is.

I’m not sure why it’s free. As I sit there, I’ll feel as if I’m ripping off the directors of these remarkable films. I pay 8-10 dollars to see an American film, why am I not paying a dime to see these? Sure, the majority of American films work off a higher budget. They include things like explosions and car chases. There are sweet little love-stories that try to pass off as comedies and admittedly successful attempts at making a movie look like a comic book. But the majority of American films lack one important element - an element nearly all foreign films seem to capture with ease: Emotion - the simple feelings of passion, sentiment, and love in all its variety of forms.

Before I get ransacked with expressions of disagreement, I must admit that, yes, there are American films that come with emotion, especially if we consider humor and excitement as true emotions – which they are. But any honest viewer must admit, in general, the emotion is lacking. Look at the some of the top American films of this summer alone: Tropic Thunder – funny, perhaps, but no real emotion. The Dark Knight – exciting, incredible acting, but no real emotion. Get Smart, Hellboy, Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, Hancock, Wanted, The Pineapple Express – need I say more? Most American films simply lack passion. They lack sentiment. They lack love.

Watch The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - a French film about a man who must communicate with his left eyelid - and you’ll see passion, you’ll see sentiment. Better yet, watch Once, an Irish film that proves budget is meaningless. Watch Paris Je Te’aime or City of God. Watch The Motorcycle Diaries, Amores Perros, Amelie, El Crimen Del Padre Amaro, Life is Beautiful, Hero – need I say more? Just head to Blockbuster and pick up any movie with a title you can’t read. Sit down, watch it, you’ll know what I mean; you’ll feel as I feel; you’ll see what I see. Where American films aim for a hoo-rah, foreign films aim for a simple ah, or better yet: aaaaaahhhh, and they usually get it.

Perhaps that’s why we as Americans call them, “Foreign Films.” Not because they are made in a foreign country or because the dialogue is in a foreign language, but because the concept of filmmaking is unfamiliar to us. It’s foreign. We just don’t understand. And I’m not so sure we ever will. Our track record of learning from foreign worlds speaks for itself. It all reminds me of a joke I heard once; one that continues to crack me up, only because it is sadly true:

Q: What do you call a person who speaks three languages?
A: Trilingual

Q: What do you call a person who speaks two languages?
A: Bilingual

Q: What do you call a person who speaks one language?
A: American

Need I say more?

Thinking About Love

Lee Hoover — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:47:12 +0000

I’ve been thinking a lot about love lately. Maybe it’s because I’m back with Stephanie. Maybe it’s because I went to a wedding this past weekend. Or maybe it’s none of those things. Maybe it’s because love is always on my mind. It’s a mystery to me and I’m constantly trying to figure it out. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any real success.

It’s a tough question, really: what is love? Teenagers fall “in love” and the first thing their parents tell them is, “It’s not real love”. Well, what is real love? And if adults know what real love is why do millions of them around the world fall in out of “love” every day, sometimes on the same day? Or do they? I mean, are they really falling in and out of love or is it something else entirely? I don’t have the answer to that question, I’m just wondering… Can’t there be a true definition of the word love? Something that we can understand and identify with? Something we can look at and say, “Yes, this is what I’m feeling. Right there, that’s it. I’m in love.” I think it would save us from all the divorce and the heartbreak. I mean, I truly believe that love is eternal. So, if everybody that ever married was truly in love… See where I’m going?

Unfortunately that definition doesn’t exist; our hearts are left to decide what is and what is not love and often times we get it wrong. I sure haven’t been able to figure it out. I think I have discovered a little about what love is not.

I don’t think love is the desire to be with somebody. I think if you love somebody you desire to be with them, but I don’t think that desire is love. If you’re separated and it kills you, that doesn’t mean you love somebody. You may very well love them, but that isn’t how you know. Many times people get married - I see this in the military a lot, heck I did it - just to be with a person. They can’t stand the thought of leaving them behind…so they marry.

I don’t think love is feeling nervous when the person is around. If you’re hands sweat, or if you get all jittery and your words stop making sense when a person of the opposite sex is next to you, that doesn’t mean you love them. I was watching The Bachelorette the other night, (I should say Stephanie was watching it, I sat there and tried not to laugh…unsuccessfully) and the guy who won said he knew he loved her and continued to try and “prove it” by saying, “My hands are sweating right now”. I don’t see how that is love….

I also don’t feel that physical and emotional attraction is love. That’s why I don’t really believe in love at first sight. You can be attracted to somebody physically, but - and I shouldn’t have to explain this - that isn’t love. You can also be attracted to them emotionally. Your heart can skip a beat when you’re with them…but that isn’t love either.

I don’t think that any of those are love, at least not individually. I could of course be wrong; I have no idea what a true definition of love would be. The closest I can come up with, and the more I think about it the more I believe it, is that love is the desire or willingness to give to and/or give up for a person. Family members give to and give up for each other. Parents give to their kids all their lives, and later on kids give to their parents, perhaps by inviting the parent to live in their home. Friends give to each other: they give gifts, they give up time, they offer advice.

It’s the same thing with personal relationships with the opposite sex. I think you love somebody if you want to give to, and more importantly give up for, that person. Are you willing to give up space? Time? Money? Property? Are you willing to give up comfort to make them happy? If so, and if you’ve really thought about what that means, I’d say you love that person. Perhaps you don’t, I don’t know…but I think so.

The most popular verse in the Bible, John 3:16, is a good example. It says “God so loved the world he gave His only begotten son…” It doesn’t say He so loved the world that He got all nervous and His hands sweated when they prayed. It doesn’t say He so loved the world He couldn’t stand being separated from them. It says He gave…and He gave a lot…His only son.

I don’t know. I guess it’s weird that I think about things like this. But I’m glad I do. I know how much I want to give up for Stephanie, and it comforts me knowing that. I feel, for once, that I truly do love. I don’t have a definition to compare my feelings to, but I do have some thoughts on what love is and it helps. Maybe they’ll help you. Maybe not. But I’m glad you read them anyways…

Sonics: The Last of the Downs

Lee Hoover — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:53:20 +0000

Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp

When I was a kid I would hide away in my family’s basement, sit down next to the washer and dryer and spend the next three hours, nerves on full alert, wishing my favorite basketball team to victory. I’d cheer, I’d yell, I’d tell others to shut up; the Seattle Supersonics were on and nothing else mattered.

Tom Chambers, Xavier McDaniel, Dale Ellis, Ricky Pierce, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Nate McMillan, Sam Perkins, Detlef Schrempf, Hersey “The Hawk” Hawkins…these guys were my heroes, they were my favorite TV stars and every night they were on I would sit down, turn on the TV, and watch them soar.

It’s hard to describe the feelings of a fan. There is pure joy when your team does well, pure anger, or sadness, when they fail. Like the ball itself, it’s a constant up and down. In 1992 the Sonics had the best record in basketball and somehow lost in the playoffs to the Denver Nuggets. Up and then down. My first prayer might have honestly been for Dikembe Mutombo to break an ankle.

I remember jumping up and down in my living room on a summer night in 1996 when the Sonics beat the Utah Jazz to go to the NBA Finals. That night I was up, way up. Two weeks later I was down, way down, they lost to that Michael Jordan guy and the Bulls.

A few years ago Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, and Co. were the surprise of the league. After a few down years, I was up again…only to go back down when Tim Duncan and the Spurs came to town.

1996 NBA Finals

Up and then down. As a fan you get used to it, it comes and goes with the wins and the losses, but never, do you ever, expect to go as far down as I feel today: the Sonics are leaving Seattle. I don’t know when, but they’re leaving and they will no longer be ‘my’ Sonics. The feeling is worse than any playoff loss, way worse. If I were less of a man, I’d be able to hold back the tears.

There are reasons to be sad, and I’m sad because of them; there are reasons to be mad and I’m mad because of them. David Stern, Clay Bennett, Howard Schultz, Washington State Lawmakers, it’s all of their faults. A part of me is angry, a part of me is sad, a part of me doesn’t know what to do.

What do I do? It sounds like a dumb question, but every basketball season from here on out I’ll ask it of myself. There will be no team to cheer on, no green and gold uniforms to wear, no hope for a good season, just emptiness. Maybe I’ll become a Portland fan…no, that will never happen. Maybe I’ll become a Spurs fan. I live in San Antonio now, and I hear they’re pretty good. I even got excited when Tim Duncan hit that three pointer the other night.

But a part of me feels becoming a fan of any team is too risky. What happens when they start to lose? What happens when the stars retire? What happens when the arena is old and the team wants a new one? It’s all too risky. This could happen to any team in any city and perhaps its best to avoid the NBA for good. No matter how many ups a new team might bring, it’s just not worth it. Not if there’s a chance of another down like this.

Seattle Sounders FC

Lee Hoover — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:24:57 +0000

The Seattle Sounders Logo

It’s been a while since I’ve been excited about anything sports related in Seattle. The Mariners are moving upwards toward mediocrity, the Seahawks are moving downwards to meet them, and the Sonics…soon the Sonics won’t even be a Seattle sports team. (Which, on a side note, is one of the most depressing things to think about. I will seriously cry when the Sonics leave town.)

Today, however, my spirits are up, there is something to be excited about in the world of Seattle sports and it has nothing to do with football, basketball, or baseball…I’m talking about the truest and most beautiful sport of them all…Soccer…or futbol for you folks who are adamant on calling it by its original name.

Last November the MLS (Major League Soccer) announced they were bringing an expansion team to Seattle which was exciting enough, but today my excitement rose to a whole new level when the expansion team owners unveiled the name and logo for the team: Seattle Sounders FC (Naming the team was a whole different issue which you can read about here). Knowing there is a team coming and seeing the logo and look of that team are two completely different things. Now I can honestly say I’m excited and anxious for them to play. I literally can’t wait. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to for a while; the Sounders (FC) won’t play a game until around this time next year, but I’m ready to buy a jersey and call them my favorite Seattle sports team…who cares if they’re going to suck at first. I’ve been rooting for sucky Seattle sports teams for some time now…

This also gets me excited about the MLS…now I have a reason to watch it. Anybody who knows anything about soccer knows the MLS is like a crap minor league compared to leagues in Europe and S. America, but I do think soccer in the states is on the up and up. Maybe the MLS will be exciting someday. Although, I have to admit I would still rather have the best American soccer players go overseas and play. It’s bad for the league…but better for the players, and ultimately the country when it comes to competing internationally…but that too is a whole different story. For now, I’m just excited about an MLS team in Seattle…and we don’t even have a coach or a player yet.

Politics Schmolitics

Lee Hoover — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:42:38 +0000

A Constant Battle

I received an invitation on my Facebook page the other day that said, “Come help the Republicans win the battle against the Democrats!” This made me chuckle a little bit. Is it really a battle? Is there a war going on between the Republicans and Democrats? I’ve never been into politics much, but this year, this time around, I am. And what I’ve found it is that I, as a Christian, am automatically made to feel as if I should support the Republican Party. Well, I don’t agree. I mean, why? Was Jesus a Republican?

Does this mean I am voting Democrat? No. I don’t know. Maybe. I want to vote for whomever I think will lead this country best, whether they’re Democrat or Republican shouldn’t matter. I understand the whole liberal/conservative thing, and for the most part I would consider myself a conservative, but is it more important to have a president who is against abortion or has a good foreign policy? A president who is against same-sex marriage or who has a good economic plan? I feel many Christians vote Republican because they feel it is God’s party or something. I feel they look at one or two issues, like abortion and/or same-sex marriage, and decide based on those issues. Are those issues going to make our country a better place? Are they that important?

Really?

Take abortion for example. First, let me make this clear: I am completely and wholeheartedly against abortion. I think it’s a terrible thing. But to me, when it comes to electing a President, it’s a non issue. One, I don’t feel it will ever change. Even if a President is against abortion…it’s not going to change…not in America. And two, even if it did change, would that make America a better place? It’s still going to happen. It will happen underground in more dangerous situations and more people will die or get hurt. Is that really what we want? Just because it’s illegal doesn’t mean it goes away. Drugs are illegal too and last I heard they’re still around. I am comfortable knowing that I personally am against abortion; I always will be. Whether or not it is illegal in my country won’t change that, it won’t change my personal relationship with Christ, which, to me, is more important.

Speaking of change…I also feel many Christians or Christian organizations have a “we need to change the world” attitude, and to that extent I totally agree…we do. But are we doing it the right way? Jesus changed the world more than anybody who has ever lived and He never once picked up a picket sign. He never even got angry. What if we put down our picket signs, and put away our ‘us against them’ attitude and started do what Jesus did best: love? If we learned to love everybody and accept everybody I don’t know…maybe there would be change. Maybe. Just a thought…

But anyways…I’m off the point. I wanted to discuss politics. I’m not sure who I’ll vote for. I might even end up voting Republican, but not because I am told to. I want to look at the issues, all of them, and make an informed decision based on what’s best for this country, and even more specifically, what’s best for me and my family. I think everyone should do the same. We should at least know why we’re voting a certain way. And heck, if issues like abortion and same-sex marriage are the most important issues for you…then that’s what you should vote for. Even I can’t argue with that. I just have a different set of priorities and I don’t feel that voting Democrat is such a bad thing. I don’t think God feels that way either…but what do I know?

True Love

Lee Hoover — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:11:52 +0000

Two days ago I wrote about love…true love, awesome love, the kind of love that makes you write dumb blogs about love…but I didn’t write about the truest of all loves.

This weekend at church the drama team put on a small skit that I guess has been done multiple times around the country, but it was a performance I had never seen before and one I will probably never forget. The skit put true love on display, the truest of all loves: God’s love.

I didn’t cry when I proposed to Stephanie, I didn’t cry when she said yes, I didn’t even cry when she gave me that wonderful video…but last night while watching this performance I couldn’t help but shed a tear. The love I share with Stephanie is true, it’s awesome, but it doesn’t make me cry, it makes me smile real big because it’s so dang cool. The love God has for me, and all of us, is different. It’s never faltering, even when we treat the love with arrogance and disrespect, as perhaps I do too much, it is still there. That love makes me cry, because that love is by far the truest of all loves.

Here is a video of the performance, not by my church, but by one of the many church groups that have done the same thing.

It’s definitely worth watching.

Lifehouse - Everything Skit

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Lee Hoover — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:59:08 +0000

I was listening on the radio today to a Christian talk show where two Christian leaders, or writers, were discussing global warming and other political issues. They brought up the fact that Rick Warren, a popular Christian leader, along with 85 or so other Evangelical leaders, signed a letter stating to help with the cause against global warming, or something like that. The topic was interesting I guess, but that’s not what caught my attention. (Whether global warming is a real threat or not, who knows? What I do know is that God is in control so if the world blows up, it happened for a reason. Isaiah 24 touches on that. Verse 3 says, “The Earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered…” So it sounds like this whole global warming thing has been planned for a while.) What caught my attention is that this writer, and Christian leader, was bashing people like Rick Warren and the other evangelists for signing this letter. He was laughing at them and couldn’t believe that they did what they did. And that frustrated me.

As Christians, how can we expect to spread the word and love of God to everyone if we can’t even get along with each other? Doesn’t that sort of defeat the purpose? To me, this guy’s response to the letter on global warming, saying it wasn’t the Christian thing to do, was, in itself, very un-Christian. When I say un-Christian, I mean acting opposite to how Christ taught us to act. To me, we don’t have to agree but can’t we accept? Can’t we believe that Christ moves in different ways among different people? It’s the same thing when people bash Joel Osteen about not being “Christian enough.” That doesn’t make any sense.

A couple posts ago, I wrote about doubt and mentioned how Donald Miller wrote in his book Blue Like Jazz, that there are people who believe and know that God exists and people who don’t believe and know that God doesn’t exist. He said that the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it’s about who is smarter. Well, the same thing is happening amongst Christians. Many Christians spend a lot of time worrying about what other Christians are doing and pointing out what is wrong and maybe the argument stopped being about what is right and wrong a while ago, and now it’s about who is right. Are not all arguments about that?

Anyways, it bothered me to hear that today and I just wanted to write about it. I wish we, as Christians, could all just get along. I think that would do wonders if we stopped pointing the finger at each other and actually lived as Christ wanted us to live. And yes, I realize the ironic thing about this post, that by me pointing out my frustration with a Christian going on the radio and bashing a fellow Christian, I am also doing the same thing. I guess it’s an endless cycle. Hopefully it will stop sometime.

Save Our Sonics

Lee Hoover — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 22:34:08 +0000

I’m going to take a break from my usual rambling and discuss the situation the Seattle Supersonics are in. Actually, I’m going to let actual sportswriters do the rambling in a sec, but I will give a short backstory.

The owner of the Sonics, Clay Bennet, is from Oklahama City and wants to move the Sonics there. His argument is that there is no support for the team in Seattle, which is bogus. What he really means is the city won’t give him a 500 million dollar arena so he wants to move the team to his hometown. This week he sent a formal letter of intent to move the Sonics to Oklahoma as soon as he could. This is depressing.

I think Clay Bennett is a retard and luckily I found out that I’m not the only one. If you’re interested in this kind of stuff, here are two links from ESPN.com that discuss Clay Bennett in all his retardedness.

Page 2: Cash-Us Clay Tries to K-O Seattle Fans

True Hoops: Save Our Sonics: This Game is FAR From Over

Thats it…

Lee Hoover » My Thoughts

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