You Can Take the Man Out of Michigan...

Last week I had the opportunity to go Michigan to celebrate the holidays. My time there reestablished a fondness that I have with Western Michigan. Despite the parsimonious, Dutch, Christian reform conservative horribleness that characterizes the area, I was able appreciate my home state in a way that I have not been able to in the past. This may be due to the fact that I am living in a different part of the country. I now have the ability to compare and contrast the lifestyles of two subcultures of American life; DC and Western Michigan. Here is the short list of what I have observed:

Professional Sports:
DC takes professional sports waaaaaaay too seriously. Despite the tradition of having mediocre teams, there exists a stalwart allegiance to everything Washington. For example, no matter how poorly the Redskins are (and any Washington fan will be the first to tell you how perpetually disappointed they are with their performance) FedEx Field is always sold out. That takes commitment.
Michiganders enjoy their sports as an opportunity to socialize, drink, and be merry. I would imagine that if Curling were to all of a sudden make it to prime time television, people would congregate. No one would follow the end result but, you see, that's not the point.

Disposition:
Michiganders have a much more laid back demeanor. Comments made by Michiganders are generally more off the cuff and straight forward. In contrast, the DC dialogue seems to be calculated, politically correct, and heaped in double speak and acronyms. There is an absence of levity that is hard to describe. Everyone in DC seems to be wound so damn tightly and as a result there is little room for humor or jocularity.
While DC’ites tend to be void of a rapist's wit (SP?), they tend to be more engaging than those back in Michigan. They are more likely to talk politics and speak on it from a more thoughtful and educated perspective. This part, I do enjoy about living here.

Fashion:
Thanks to DC, I have learned a lot about what is trendy and what is not trendy. I now know what a hipster is (apparently the only thing all hipsters have in common is skinny jeans), I know what preps wear, and I know how to tie a bow tie. Outside of those things listed, I try to disassociate myself with anything fashionable. What seems to be the uniform for men in DC is your standard tie and sport coat. Even in a casual setting, this apparel is commonplace (albeit, jeans sometimes are worn because, hey, they want to look comfortable). I have never seen so many dudes go out to relax wearing something that I would wear to a job interview. For females, one must wear the skirt, spandex (leggings, Dan), and knee high boots to fit in. I am pretty sure if a female does not have this set in their closet, their DC ID is revoked.
Although this wardrobe can be found in Michigan (mainly by men who mean business and by women who have spent some time in Europe) it is definitely the exception and not the rule. Jeans and a hoodie are your standard apparel for outside of the workplace. It’s simple and practical (not to mention comfortable). If someone showed up to a bar in Michigan wearing a full suit, he'd look like an asshole.

Moving to DC has made me realize that even though I am relatively well traveled compared to my fellow American, I am lacking in experiencing what my own country has to offer. I feel fortunate that I have been able to live outside of Michigan yet stay inside the US. It definitely puts things in perspective and demonstrates how 700 miles can separate hardcore drinkers from hardcore sports fans; tennis shoes from knee high boots; and jocular folk from careerists. Now I understand that I am making gross generalizations but, hey, this is my blog. If you take issue with any points I have made, kindly piss off and stop reading. That might seem harsh, but I guess that’s just the Michigander in me…

Relearning How To Learn

I have just gotten through week 6 of my Master's program at American University. Graduate school is not an easy thing especially when you have been out of the classroom for four years. I have had to relearn how to sit and pay attention for several hours on end, manage my time more efficiently, and hone the fine art of bullshitting. These are all concepts that I had gotten quite good at as a graduate from Aquinas College. But these skills had laid dormant for a long time and as a result it took a period of relearning to get them down pat once again. Not only did I have to relearn how to learn but I am currently trying to figure out how to survive in this new level of scholarly intensity. It seems that I have had to force my brain to function in a way that it has not had to before. This "next level" involves a high degree of independent thought. Sometimes when discussing an issue, or analyzing a concept, my mind goes blank and I end up focusing more on the fact that I can not focus than on finishing the thought that my brain is trying to tackle. Usually I can think clearly and understand the ideas that I am learning but there are times when I get overwhelmed by the complexities of a particular concept and at my inability to explore it in a more intellectual manner. This only gets compounded by the intelligence of my fellow students and the faculty that I encounter. Even though I sometimes feel that I am in over my head, I always need to remind myself that I have a habit of underestimating my own abilities. I have not gotten this far solely on luck and good looks. I need to keep reminding myself of that. I also need to keep fresh in my mind the fact that I am paying to get a challenging education. What would be the point of all this if it wasn't hard. When I struggle with this issue, I revisit a conversation I had with a friend of mine by the name of Burns. We were sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette and I asked him if he thought that anyone was capable of understanding even the most complex of ideas. He said "of course" (after he excluded the mentally disabled from the population being considered) and said that it isn't about whether or not you are smart enough to understand something, it's about the amount of time and dedication you give to it. I like that idea. It's something that I can understand...

New City, New Blog

It has been quite some time since I have used this medium to communicate with the outside world. The last time I wrote in a blog, I was sitting at a computer (no doubt swimming in sweat)in a tiny computer lab in a tiny primary school on a tiny island in the Caribbean. That is no longer the case as I now live in DC. Six months ago, I was accepted into the School of International Studies at American University. I gladly accepted the invitation and packed up a U-haul last month. Its been about four weeks living in the United States' capital and it has been quite the adventure. I've never lived in a city of this size and density before and it is taking some getting used to. My time here has flown by thus far and I don't foresee it slowing down any time soon. This blog will be a way in which I can voice my opinion on issues that arise, share my experiences living in DC, and explain my frustrations and challenges in a manner that is entertaining and informative for the reader as well as therapeutic and cathartic for the writer. I hope that everyone will continue reading as I invite people into my life as I begin this next chapter. Love and peace.