Paul Merrill | Shiny Bits of Life

April 15, 2014April 14, 2014

Car fun

BMW i3 Two of my kids recently joined me for a fun day at the Denver Auto Show. Even though Rachel may not be considered a typical car fan, she loved our time together. Part of the appeal for her was free promotional stuff. Car2Go gave her lip balm, Scion provided headphones, and we shared the Visa gift card I got for test driving a new Lincoln crossover. (I was surprised at how much I liked the small SUV.)

We enjoyed pushing buttons and seeing and feeling the design of cars I had only experienced through magazines and websites. There is a lot to be said for real life compared to photos. Even though Ben disagreed with me, Jaguar’s interiors seemed to have no where near the quality compared to BMW or Mercedes. And Maserati’s rich design details showed a depth of emotion that German cars can’t touch. Though owning such cars will never be part of my life, I appreciate the beauty and technology they represent. (The photo shown is the BMW i3, a new electric car. BMW was kind enough to let the public experience the interior, though the car is not yet for sale.)

So go to the nearest car show. Even if you’re not a “car person,” you might enjoy a no-pressure test drive of a car you would never buy.

April 8, 2014April 8, 2014

Sketches from Church

This is a guest post by Chris Thomas, for your enjoyment. (Thanks Chris!)

A sketch by my friend Arturo I was not planning on going to church today. I was instead going to do my taxes. You know, “Give to Caeser…” and all that business, so skipping seemed biblically justified. But I needed to get a DVD from church, so I texted my friend, Arturo, to ask if he could pick it up for me. He texted back, “Sure,” and then proceeded to send me photos “live” from the first service. I thought it was funny that he was not only texting in church, but also taking candid photos.

Just as I was thinking that this was a new medium for him – he’s usually drawing in his ever-present sketch book – he sent me a photo of this amazing “doodle” (above).

When it popped up on my phone, it grabbed me immediately, like Jesus himself saying, “Chris, get your butt in here!” In an instant, I knew I had to go. No time for a shower, I quickly brushed my teeth, threw on a sweatshirt and sped across town in an attempt to make it to the second service.

I got there late and walked in with my friend, Sheryl, who was also alone. We sat together. After the service, we ran into Linda who has been having a hard time lately and needed a boost. As we shared a much appreciated laugh, TC snuck up behind me, singing “Help Me, Rhonda.” He was raving over a book I had loaned him on Brian Wilson. He’s a fellow music lover so we shared a few moments of giddiness discussing the Beach Boys. Just then, Phil came up and gave my whole little gang a “group hug”. It seemed he needed to give one as much as we all needed to get one.

I can’t tell you much about the sermon, or the service itself for that matter. But as I drove home from church, I knew for sure that Jesus was right – I was supposed to be there today.

Footnote: Arturo is a mutual friend. He has helped me in other ways than by sending me doodles from church – but he has given significant input to my life, nonetheless.

April 2, 2014April 1, 2014

One-time treasure

one-time-worth This truck was once someone’s dream vehicle. They had a huge amount of pride driving it off the dealer’s lot for the first time. Washing the dirt away to keep it shiny clean was a joy. Showing the amazing new features to the next-door neighbors was a delight.

No more.

Why did I feel compelled to remind you – and me – of how short pleasure lasts? I dunno. Maybe just to say we should enjoy it while we can! We were designed for pleasure, and if it lasted forever there would be no contrast.

March 25, 2014March 24, 2014

Old cars vs. new cars

Ford Galazy 500 I snapped this old beauty on the way to work a week or so ago. I love the blocky style of the mid-1960s Ford Galaxy 500. It weighs enough to stop a tank, should the driver encounter one on his way to work. It has no airbags or shoulder belts, so his safety was in his own hands.

I do love the style of old cars. But they pollute. The gas coming out of the tailpipe is significantly more polluting than what a modern car produces. Paris, Santa Barbara, California and Texas all have programs to take old cars off the road.

But it’s not necessarily an easy equation. Sometimes keeping your not-very-new car may be more environmental than buying a new one, because of the environmental impact of manufacturing a car (details).

I would totally support a ban on really old cars being daily drivers, or maybe a tax on using them as commuter cars. That would keep the environment cleaner. And the drivers would have less chance of getting in an accident and ruining that piece of history. Additionally, fewer drivers are out on the weekends, so each drive would be more pleasurable. Why not create an old car sharing club and split which weekends you get the old beauties? Then you will have some variety in which ancient iron you take to the highway.

March 18, 2014March 15, 2014

We need pain, we need variety

You go barefoot. There are rocky, muddy, sandy and grassy sections. A nature preserve in Belgium allows you to experience a wide variety of textures as you explore footpaths in the slightly hilly park. As their website says, you can feel the extremes of “hot and cold, moist and dry, pleasant, exciting and stimulating.”

In western life, our feet are not used to feeling much beyond the insides of our socks, the floor, grassy lawns or sandy beaches. The Lieteberg Park allowed my vulnerable feet to experience something different. The pain of rocky sections made me appreciate the squishy mud.

bath-mat And as I recently bought a bathtub mat to prevent slips and falls, I experienced tiny bits of pain from the soft bottoms of my feet. The mat’s spiky plastic tines poked into my soles. At first, I thought of taking the mat back. Then I realized it made my feet feel alive.

Life is like that. If we live a life of ease with no pain, we cannot truly understand pleasure. And variety keeps life interesting. You know this. I’m just reminding you – and me – that pain is OK. I also hope your life has variety and some respite from pain.

March 11, 2014March 15, 2014

The humble brag

Humble brag (n) – to brag about how humble you are.

I often fall into this trap. Readers of this blog have seen me brag about how humble I am, many times. “I save money this way, so I’m better than those who don’t.” “I’m more environmental than the people who drive that kind of vehicle.”

Humble-bragging is obnoxious to anyone who detects it. And as T Bone Burnett sang, “It’s a funny thing about humility, As soon as you know you’re being humble, You’re no longer humble.”

Having said that, let me launch into a humble brag.

an entry-level bike A recent Wall Street Journal article on triathlons had a sidebar featuring recommended equipment. the “entry-level” road bike was $1,449. that freaked me out a little until I realized that their normal readers are in a class where that price is entry-level.

Across the page, the featured mountain bike cost $11,000 (with an integrated hydration system).

My humble brag: my road bike is worth a lot less than $1,449. But I know that having both a road bike and a mountain bike puts me into the 1%. So there goes my humility.

March 4, 2014March 1, 2014

Matatu names

Matatus are the minivans that transport people all over Kenya (and Tanzania). They have some very creative artwork – and names! The first time we lived in Kenya was from 1991-1994. I kept track of some of the names in a little notebook, which you can see in the photo. (Double-click the photo to see a larger version of the notebook pages.) There are some great ones, such as: Beauty Options, Bush Poucher, Texas City, and Bison Jnr.

The artwork on the sides of matatus is uniquely African – and often very creative. (Do a Google image search for “matatu art.”) Matatu owners invest in creative artwork to give a competitive advantage. Wouldn’t you rather go in a cool matatu than in one with no artwork?

February 25, 2014February 23, 2014

The name flush

missing name I have a great ability to forget your name immediately after you tell me. This is not good.

Why do I forget? Maybe at a subconscious level, I think I don’t need to remember your name. Definitely, I am overwhelmed with keeping up with the flood of information I need to remember for work or to keep the wheels of life spinning. In any case, when I forget your name, I am cheating you. I am cheating myself. At a very basic level, if I remember your name, I am telling you that I value you. I am opening the door to a relationship and am showing you I think you are worth getting to know.

Work with me on this. Let’s try to remember names.

February 18, 2014February 16, 2014

We love to be the first

trander joe's foursquare checkin screen shot I was definitely not the first customer to enter the new Centennial Trader Joe’s on opening day. I also wasn’t the first one to leave without buying anything, because of my impatience with the long checkout line.

I was the first person to be Foursquare Mayor – a very small – and ephemeral – thrill.

For many people in Denver, the arrival of three Trader Joe’s store on the same day was exciting news. Great food at even greater prices is worth celebrating. (And I did go back the next morning to endure the long wait. My reward was some inexpensive Sriracha, among other things.)

My question is: What makes us want to be the first to experience something that is all the rage?

February 11, 2014February 9, 2014

We are all weak

magic shoe insert About nine months ago, I started experiencing pain in my left foot that just wouldn’t go away. Eventually, it reached the point where walking was painful. I put up with that for at least four months. I finally remembered my brother had experienced foot pain. I called him and he shared his experience of plantar fasciitis. Then I sought treatment, which meant a visit to a local foot pain specialist.

Complete healing came within about two months. Aaah! The difference has been dramatic. (Part of the solution was using the shoe inserts you see in this photo, and part of the solution was doing regular stretches for my foot muscles.)

The point of my little story is not to tell you where to go if you have foot pain, but rather to remind you to reach out to someone if you have a problem! Don’t wait. You may find an end to your misery a lot sooner than you imagine.

It may have been pride or simply laziness that prevented me from calling my brother. But if I had known that pain relief was within reach, I would have called much sooner. Please call someone you know who might be able to help with your problem. Even if they don’t know a solution, they may know someone who does.