Lent – A Ritual Worth “Giving Up”

Note:  This a re-post of something I wrote a few years ago

For those of the “christian” faith, and i use that term “christian” loosely (you’ll find out why in a couple paragraphs), you’re familiar with the terms “Lent” and “Ash Wednesday“.  For those who need some history, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays).  Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned.  (more info about AW here)

I understand the significance of lent and ash wednesday, but from an early age as a child of Catholic parents, I’ve always had a problem with these observances (at face value).  And as I aged, matured, and developed a greater understanding of God and my relationship with Him, my view of these practices and this time of year has only been reinforced.

While lent is to some a holy  and sacred observance, in essence it’s a period of time created by religion to help appease people’s guilty consciences.  I grew up seeing people give up beer, cigarettes, sodas, and various vices for lent, only to celebrate the end of lent with a cooler full of beer and alcohol.  I’ll hear so many family members tell me over the next few weeks how they’ve given up beer, cigarettes, or chocolate, thinking that God is pleased with them and is adding points to their heavenly scoreboard.  They won’t eat meat on Fridays, which only reinforces their “feeling” of “holiness”, and for those that didn’t give up alcohol for Lent, well, they’ll just enjoy their fish sandwich with a tall 40oz bud light.

On Feb 25th, observers of Lent will be walking around town with ashes on their forehead, which to me, is just another re-enforcer of a false sense of righteousness with God.  In Matthew 6, Jesus encourages us to pray and worship God in “secret” or in private.  He made reference many times to how the Pharisees enjoyed displaying their “religion” and “holiness” with their long robes and religious garments and head gear.  Those Pharisees were seeking attention and acknowledgment of their “holiness” from men.  If that’s what they wanted, then they surely received that reward in full.

In Matthew 6:6, Jesus states: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” What benefit is there in having ash put on your forehead?  Is it because of the attention that is drawn to you?  Does it make a person more “holy” or “righteous”?  Yes, I understand that these observances allow “christians” to remember Christ and his sacrifice for us, but that can be done without the ashes and it should be done on a daily basis without the help of ashes, palm leaves, or not drinking beer for 40 days.

This type of religious observance isn’t necessary, given the fact that Jesus fulfilled any need or desire for us as humans to please God in our own ability. “Giving up” something for Lent is a form of “sacrifice” in the eyes of its participants, but the ultimate “sacrifice” that we can offer to God is to surrender our lives to him.  And if a person doesn’t “know” Jesus as savior, then in all honesty, the only thing a person will get out of fasting junk food or a vice for 40 days is a smaller waste and a well deserved break for their liver.

This season that we call Easter can be different for us all if we stop and think about what do and observe.  The sacrifice to be be made this year is very clear.  It’s not about giving up any type of food, beverage, vice, or hobby.  The sacrifice for you and me this year should be to give our lives totally and completely over to God and trust Jesus as our savior.  Only then will any other sacrifices or fasting having true meaning.

Would love to hear your thoughts.  Thanks for reading.

Practice Really Does Make Perfect

I don’t usually post videos of BMX on my blog but I had to share this one.  This video features Chad Johnston, one of the most skilled flatland bmx riders in the world.  For those that don’t know what flatland is, know that most flatland freestyle tricks are done with pegs on the front and back wheels.  In this video Chad does all of his tricks with no pegs and no brakes (many riders already ride with no brakes.  Optional.)

What I wanted to touch on by using this video was the subject of dedication.  Chad has been riding since the late 80′s and has always been a rider that seems to be ahead of his time.  You don’t get to this level of riding without lots of practice and dedication.  Chad and many riders like him spend hours in parking lots or secluded riding spots practicing their tricks over and over and over, perfecting them and mastering the bicycle.  This is a true example of “practicing making perfect”.

This type of discipline is what we should all be applying to every part of our lives.  And if not every part, at least the most important ones such as our work, our families, & marriages and relationships.  I doubt that any successful person achieved that place in life by doing life “half-ass”.  Whether you’re building a business or trying to be the best father to your kids, it takes a lot of work and commitment.   Lots of sweat.  Long hours and many sacrifices.

Whatever you’re doing in life, do it with all of your heart.  Put in the time and spend those long hours in “the parking lot”.  You’re going to make mistakes, get banged up, and even want to quit at times.  Stay focused and committed and mastery of your “skill” will soon come.

@hectorgarcia

Royce White wears anxiety disorder on his sleeve

Flipping through radio stations this morning on the way to the office it was a hip hop station that grabbed my attention and stopped me in my radio surfing tracks.  The topic of discussion was Rockets basketball player Royce White who has recently made news with his suspension from the team due to his generalized anxiety disorder.

White suffers from a mental health disorder and the Rockets knew of his well-documented anxiety disorder before they drafted him.  The disorder becomes exacerbated during certain situations, one of them being flying in planes.  Royce has had to miss practices and games due to the disorder, thus leading to the suspension.  Royce is very open about the disorder and is not leaving the Rockets without a fight.

As the DJs on 97.9 the Box were talking about him they were surprised to get a phone call from the man himself (he was on a Jack in the Box food run by the way).  He immediately pleaded his case and took a very strong stance for mental health disorders.  One of his statements about mental health was that it doesn’t receive the awareness and attention that other illnesses do such as cancer.  Mental health disorders are very real but also very stigmatized and dismissed.

It was great to hear this dialogue because I’ve found myself becoming an advocate for mental health disorders within the past few years.  My girlfriend is Bipolar 2 and I can vouch to how very very real the disorder is.  Bipolar is very misunderstood and even though I live with someone who suffers from it, I don’t even get it right all the time.  There are only a few of her friends that somewhat understand what she goes through and how challenging it can be on a daily basis.  On the outside you see a very pretty woman with a big smile and bubbly personality, but what you don’t see is a girl struggling with various moods and even thoughts of taking her life.  She’s a fighter and I respect her unashamed stance on the disorder.  She documents her advocacy through her blog PepperVintage.com and her Facebook Page.

I hope that this situation with Royce helps bring more awareness to the disorder and that more and more who suffer from mental health issues would stand up and speak out.  I would venture to say that mental health issues affect more people in this world than cancer does and if there was a large ribbon movement or campaign to identify it, there wouldn’t be enough vehicle bumpers to stick that little ribbon to.

- @hectorgarcia

Connecticut, we love you.

It’s gloomy outside.  Quiet here in my office.  I’m the only one here.  Soft hum of a tiny little heater fan I bought at Target this week.  Wind is blowing just enough to make the leaves dance on the trees right outside my window.  I’m content, but a little confused.

18+ children and several adults were killed today by a young 20 something man today in Connecticut.  It’s all over the news and if you already know about this tragedy then the many Facebook posts that simply have a sad face make a lot of sense.  So many are confused and saddened by this news.  I just got off the phone with my girlfriend who’s heart hurts over this , being that she has two little kids herself.  The thought of this ever happening to her little girl or happy little son hits hard.

There is no explanation for this, and I know that many are wanting answers.  Some of the words I’ve seen posted to describe this today are “evil”, “hell”, “sick bastard”, “tragedy”, “sad”, “disheartening”, and “godless”.  If you believe in a God then I’m sure you’ve asked yourself and others that ever so popular question, “How could God let something like this happen?”.  Though some might try to answer that question, the real answer will always be . . . “I don’t know.”

Like all of you I have so many questions for God.  I know that because children were involved in this tragedy we’re all wondering why God didn’t protect them.  So much innocence in one building and God couldn’t have struck this guy down before he even made it in?  Couldn’t he have been hit by a truck “accidentally”?  Again, the only answer we have is “I don’t know”.

We may not be able to stop “evil” from hurting others like this young man did in Connecticut, but there is one thing that we can do.  We can love.  We can walk in love and give that love to those around us.  Love is powerful and it changes lives.  Love wouldn’t have done what this young man did today.  Love wouldn’t do the “evil” that someone might do tomorrow.  But love WILL change someone’s life for good.

Show some love today to the world around you. Give without expecting anything in return.  And let’s all remember to pray for the families that were affected by today’s tragedy.

Love you.

@hectorgarcia

I love Jay Z.  Not him personally, but his music.  And not all of his music, but some of it.  My favorite is “Bonnie and Clyde” where he throws it down with his woman Beyonce. The song has a Latin flavor to it which is probably why I like it so much.

Anyway, this post isn’t about his music or how that song makes me want to bust out my awesome Salsa moves, but about something that Jay Z recently stated in an interview regarding the President and his race.  Here’s an excerpt from that article found on Breitbart TV:

Despite his support for the President, Jay-Z’s “less government” viewpoint is more in line with Obama’s opponents on the right, such as Republican candidate Mitt Romney, who also calls for smaller government. But his stance on smaller government aside, Jay-Z is all in for the president’s re-election….

“I support Barack because I gotta respect that sort of vision. I gotta respect a man who is the first black President ever,” he said. “To have that sort of vision and dream, I have to support that.”

VOTE FOR THE MAN, NOT HIS RACE

Hate is a strong word, but I do hate when I hear that someone is voting for a person based on their race.  Jay Z proves his ignorance by stating that though he prefers smaller government and many other things that aren’t in line with Obama’s politics, he’s still going to vote for him because he’s Black.  What’s sad is that many other blacks in this country are going to do the same.  Obama cannot run on his record from the past four years or on any promises that he made before entering office, so the blacks that vote for him are not doing so because he’s done an awesome job.

WILL NEVER VOTE A MAN INTO OFFICE BECAUSE HE’S MEXICAN

During the Democrat Convention recently, the party showcased two young Hispanic men who are currently holding political offices.  One was State Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas and the other was San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who was the first Latino keynote speaker at a Democratic National Convention.  Prior to the convention and especially after, the media was foaming at the mouth over these two, mainly because of their race and their connection to the party.  I knew better and it was more important to me about what these men stood for, rather than what color their skin was.  If i lived in San Antonio, Julian wouldn’t have gotten my vote and it would be based on his politics, not his Latinoness (i created a new word).

I would never ever vote FOR a man based on his skin color.  I would never vote AGAINST someone for the same reason.  I’m not concerned about whether or not we ever have a Latin President in office.  I’m more concerned about the values of this country and what it has always stood for and protecting it’s constitution.  I will always put that at the forefront of any voting decision and I would hope that all Americans would do the same.

A company who hires a black or Latino person for a job can get into a lot of trouble for hiring based on race.  A smart employer chooses the best person for the job based on skill, education, and experience.  If that person doesn’t perform and doesn’t do their job, they will most likely be fired.  They’re not being fired because of their race, they’re being fired because they can’t do the job.

Look at this election in the same manner.  Has Obama done his job?  Has he followed through on all of his promises?  Should he stay in office based on performance?  If not, then remove him, and do it based on everything but race.  If the current president was Latino, he wouldn’t be getting my vote this year.  But then again, he probably wouldn’t have gotten my vote the first time around either.

Don’t be JayZ.  Vote colorblind.

@hectorgarcia

Over the past few months, Google has unleashed a series of commercials that work to promote their Chrome browser, Google hangout, and a few other great features.  You would think that you were watching an Apple commercial, but no, it’s freakin Google and their commercials are pulling at my heart strings.

The latest commercial is called “Jess Time“, most likely a play on the words “Face Time” which is an app and video chat feature that comes with all iPhones.  Nonetheless, the 1 minute spot shows the heart warming interaction between a single Dad and his daughter who is off at college.  It can be clearly assumed that the mother has passed away, and with the help of Google Chrome’s video chat features this father and daughter are able to communicate daily and be there for one another.

Though it’s just a commercial, the close interaction between a Father and his daughter is so powerful to me.  We live in a day where it’s very rare that you see such close bonds between the two, and in a society riddled with so much divorce and single parenthood, many young girls don’t have the luxury of having Dad around as a role model, much less a close friend.

I was just telling my girlfriend the other day how i love seeing Dad’s hanging out with their daughters and vise versa.  There’s just something special about that bond and whether you dad’s know this or not, your daughter(s) are hungry for your attention and love.  They desire to be led and guided by you and there’s so much that only a father can offer to his daughter.  In my lifetime I’ve seen many young girls lost, seeking attention from boys or men in unhealthy ways because they never received it from Dad.

Fathers, love your daughters.  Cherish them.  Play with them.  Guide them.  Speak into their lives.  Be a strong manly example.  Protect them.  Build them up through words and deeds.  Be their friend . . . And most of all, be their Dad.

@hectorgarcia

Meet Caine. He’s a kid from California who one day decided to begin buidling his own arcade games out of cardboard at his dad’s used auto parts store. Caine built these elaborate games using nothing but cardboard, packing tape and other small items. He never had a customer until one day Nirvan stops by and is amazed at what Caine has built. He gets permission from Caine’s dad to put together a short film about Caine and organizes a flash mob that offers the biggest surprise that Caine would have never expected.

This short video brought tears to my eyes. It may not touch you the way it did me, but for me this was emotional because I love seeing kids do amazing things and when they are rewarded for it or they receive surprises like the one Nirvan provided, I can’t help but root for Caine. Through this video and the twitter, facebook, reddit, and other efforts spear headed by Nirvan, over $68,000 have already been raised for a Caine Scholarship Fund! This kid will have the money to one day go to college. These guys have helped change a kid’s life forever. That’s freakin amazing!

If you are touched and want to donate to Caine, you can do so by visiting http://cainesarcade.com/
Follow the Caine story on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cainesarcade
Like CainesArcade on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cainesarcade

If you’re not living under a rock and have some form of connection to the internet, then you’re no stranger to the Kony 2012 viral video that reached over 70 million viewers within 48 hours of its release.  Hell, you don’t even need an internet source to know about this since the media jumped on this quick, as well as many radio talk shows and news outlets.

As well as receiving tons of praise and accolades, this campaign has also received much criticism, and it didn’t help the cause any when the creator, Jason Russell, was recently video taped walking around naked and acting super bizaar on a street corner near his California home.  The video shows Russell, butt naked, pacing back and forth, talking to himself, rambling, clapping his hands, and doing aerobics.   Jason was obviously exhibiting characteristics of someone “under the influence” and almost looked like a sleep walker.  Any normal person watching the video would have to agree that this was not normal behavior and I’m sure Russell himself, after watching himself in the video, is saying “who the hell was that?!”

There aren’t a lot of answers right now, especially since the family is choosing to deal with this privately.  You can’t blame them though.  This is embarrassing and it’s no one else’s business.  But i want to touch on a side of this story that you aren’t hearing much, and that is “mental illness”.  We have no idea what Jason’s mental state has been for the past several years or is now.  For all we know he could have had a mental condition that was never going to surface unless he was put under the stress and demand that he received upon the launch of this Kony video.  People have nervous breakdowns everyday as well as panic attacks, bipolar episodes which include manic highs and lows, anxiety attacks, and more.

If you’ve ever witnessed someone having a seizure, it’s an obvious sign of distress and is clearly a mental issue that needs immediate attention.  No one sits there and watches a seizure victim and points at them and laughs.  Your friends would slap you, I hope.  Twice.  Most people don’t understand mental illness and because it doesn’t have a very clear “face”, society takes it lightly and it doesn’t get the attention that it deserves.  It also comes with a social stigma that causes people with any type of mental illness to keep it under wraps.  I’ve witnessed first hand what the brain can do and how it’s “malfunction” can cause behavior that catches you off guard and is hard to understand.  I’ve been there when for no apparent reason a friend goes from being happy, laughing, having drinks to throwing their phone out the car window on the freeway and attempting suicide, only to snap later and ask “did i just take all of those pills?!  why?”.

We all remember Charlie Sheen and his antics, which lasted quite a while, way longer than it should have.  This was clearly a man with a mental condition that wasn’t being treated, wasn’t taking the proper medication, and was left untreated for all the world to see.  The diagnosis was bipolar and all of the signs were there to support it.  What did we all do?  Yes, we laughed.  And yes, a lot of what he did was hilarious and off the wall, but that’s what a breakdown will do, it’ll make a person do “crazy” things.  No one is winning when it comes to mental illness.

With all this said, I ask you all to step back and give Jason Russell a break.  Take into consideration that this young man was not himself and i think it would be safe to say that this was not the result of some type of bad trip on drugs.  Shame on all of you who are posting videos ridiculing him or calling him names.  I hope that you never have a break down and that your mind is always healthy.  We don’t poke fun at an elderly person with Alzheimer’s who is wandering the streets, lost, having no idea where the hell they are.  Let’s give this same amount of respect and consideration to someone who was caught off guard by a similar fate.

Jason will recover and should be fine.  He will have to live with this for the rest of his life.  If you pray, then pray for him and his family.  If you don’t, then maybe write to him and show him your support and wish him well.  And if you’re a perfect human being who never makes mistakes or falls, call me, I’d like to know your secret.

Wish you and your family well Jason.

-Hector Garcia

This week the internet galaxy woke up to the “campaign” of Mr. Joseph Kony, guerilla leader of the Ugandan LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army).  This campaign was cleverly created by a non-profit called Invisible Children, who has been doing some great work in Africa, working to rescue children who are kidnapped by the LRA and turned into child soldiers.  Over the past two decades, the LRA has made it common practice to enter towns and kill the adults, take the male children as soldiers, and sexually abuse the female children.

As a designer and owner of a creative agency, one of the first things that stood out to me was the genius behind this campaign.  It is branded very well and just look at the momentum and attention that it’s received.  One would think that Kony was running for President of not only Africa or the U.S., but the freakin world.  The only other time that I’ve seen such a powerfully branded and well designed campaign was during Obama’s run for President.  Kony is receiving exactly what Invisible Children sought after . . . Attention.

The second thing that came to mind, after watching the very well produced Kony 2012 video, and after seeing so many people talk about giving to this cause on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets, was how trendy it will become to latch on to this campaign.  People are spreading the Kony video like wild fire and boasting of their support for this movement.  This campaign is only about 3 days old and the video has received over 16million hits on youtube.  I’m seeing people on Facebook refer to the attachment to the campaign as “trendy” and many will say that this will be short lived until the next big trend pops up in about 2 weeks.

I myself feel the same, but isn’t this what the campaign is designed to do?  To bring attention to this “evil” leader for one year, or even less if he gets arrested before the end of 2012?  Inivisible Children is now receiving some criticism for the campaign and there are even videos popping up that attack their integrity and financial transparency.  This is part of the game when an organization does something ground breaking and becomes an overnight “celebrity”.  Regardless, I have to say that the organization is doing what they felt would be the most effective for their cause and in the end if it works, then more power to these guys.

Whether you decide to support this campaign or not, I hope that it brings awareness to what is going on in Uganda and drives people to do their research and find out about even more atrocities taking place around the world.  If this Kony campaign moved you to give or step out and do something that you’ve never done before, then it’s doing exactly what it was supposed to do.  We should all have a giving heart and be a regular supporter of anyone or anything that is doing good and changing lives.  If you could care less about Kony, that’s fine, but find something to care about and give to it, whether it’s your time or money.  You have the power to change the world, even if it’s the small little world around you.  Make a Shift.  Change the freakin world.

- Hector Garcia

I was fresh out of high school, maybe 18 or 19 and I remember her passing by my house in her little red Hyundai Scoupe, honking and waving.  This happened regularly and I would do the same if I passed by her house.  We lived down the street from each other, for years, yet we never talked to one another.  We knew of each other, went to the same high school, and our little brothers were good friends, yet we never talked or hung out.  We may have had secret crushes on each other and we were both just too shy to talk to one another.  Who knows, we’re still trying to figure that one out.

Well, she did get enough balls one day to stop by and ask me out.  I was either outside cutting the grass or working on my car and to my surprise she showed up and asked me out to a local club.  Red Square to be exact.  Back then it was the place to be, and it’s where Christine would go practice all of her new wave dance moves.  You should see her new wave moves by the way, they’re awesome.  Anyway, what’s crazy is that neither one of us remember anything after her picking me up that night.  Not because we were drunk, because neither one of us drank, we simply can’t remember the night.  Only little bits and pieces.  We do remember her dropping me off after the club and that was the last time we talked, until years later.

This is just one part of our story.  There’s a lot more, which I may detail in a small book one day.  I believe there’s a great love story here at work and after being with each other for the past 1.5 or 1.8 years, we are always amazed at how connected we are.  I’m not sure why things happen the way they do, but like I said in my blog post yesterday, “Life’s all about moments of impact and how they changed our lives forever”.  (Read yesterday’s blog post) Both of our lives have gone through major changes over the past few years.  Neither one of us expected to be where we are today and who would have ever predicted that two people who lived down the street from on another would come together one day and have a second chance at love.

It’s happening right before us, and though we’ve been through our own challenges, we learn to love every day.  We learn something new about one another every week and it only pulls us closer and closer.  I love her smile in the mornings and how her hair looks all crazy sometimes, like an 80′s rock star.  I love her style and wouldn’t change it or ask her to ever be something that she’s not.  Her laugh is awesome and it’s music to my ears.  She’s feisty and I sometimes want to give her shaking baby syndrome, but I love her for being her.  That same feisty passion translates into the love that she has to give and it’s wonderful.  The way we end up sitting in the truck for half an hour in the driveway when we get home from somewhere is just one way that illustrates how much fun we have together.  And though she hates the freckles on her face, it’s those same freckles that caused me to fall in love with her.

So yeah, life is crazy.  We’ll never understand how we end up where we are or with whom, but that’s life, right?  I love where I’m at now and though “it took twenty years for us to find each other”, in Christine’s words, it was worth it.  Love you Christine.  Happy Valentines Day.

- Hector Garcia