Ch-ch-ch-changes (turn and face the strange) ch-ch-changes...

As sort of said in the introduction to this undertaking, I like lists. I make a lot of them. Many of the lists I make have to do with goals, experiences I want to have--big picture things. It is, I think, the grown up version of teenage girls writing their first names with the last name of the boy they like that week. Except that it's maybe less fantastical... if only marginally.

As far as I can tell, my parents did a lot of things right in raising me and my sister, and aside from "do unto others", "protect your family", and those sorts of things, perhaps the most important among them was that they taught me, both directly and indirectly, that there's no reason to place limits on the things I want to do. A couple of weeks ago, I summarized that idea in my status update on Facebook, which read, "James Harrington never learned to dream medium." That is a huge, huge gift my parents gave me. I hope my kids won't learn how to do that, either.

One of the unintended benefits of engaging in this little seemingly-impossible to-do list is that every so often, I get to see how my priorities have changed. It becomes clear that some things have weight and merit, and mean something deep down, while others may have been whims, or were otherwise trumped in importance by some new pursuit. I think that's a necessary and healthy part of the process. I'll write more extensively about this at the conclusion of this whole thing in Sept 2010, but I wanted to check in and give a little snapshot of where I stand, and where I'm going.

A couple bits of unsolicited advice, in case you're going to make any sort of list of goals (and I really, REALLY think you should):

1) Make sure you look at it often, and cross things off. Feeling that you've accomplished something is addictive, and gives the process momentum.

2) Make it personal. You have to include personal goals--things that will have real, life-altering meaning, that might even get you a little choked up. Ask forgiveness, repair relationships, enrich yourself through learning, re-try something you love and had given up, go someplace you never thought you'd go, re-connect with God.

3) It should go without saying, but let it be flexible. Give yourself the freedom to update the list as things grow and fade in importance. This list should drive your life forward, not bind you to the past.

4) Make a list. I mean it. There are studies that strongly suggest a positive correlation between success and writing down lists of goals. You have to see it in front of you. It has to remind you--even taunt you--about where you want to be. I don't know if it was something that my parents taught me or something I did instinctively, but when I used to make lists of goals, or job titles, or degrees, or whatever, they always had dates next to them. It forced me to take those big goals and see what the smaller steps were between me and them. I chose not to pursue most of them, but I knew how I was going to get there if I had so chosen.

5) Give yourself deadlines. Another no-brainer that gets lost in the shuffle. It's not good enough to say, "before I die." "June" is a much better--and more tangible--target. :)

6) Grow or go home. Make yourself uncomfortable. Just as a list like this should push you forward instead of binding you backward, I think it misses the point if the list only includes the sorts of things that are within one standard deviation of what you'd do anyway, given enough time and boredom. Those things have their places, especially on a list this long... but they're the low-hanging fruit. If you finish the list and have accomplished 101 things and aren't changed or challenged, or somehow improved, you've missed a huge opportunity.

---

All right, that's all for now. It's time for football, and Sunday, and rest. I hope you're blessed today, and I pray that you recognize the ways in which you are.

Master List – 101 Things in 1,001 Days [Revised and Bumped]

Confession: I am a compulsive goal-setter, but only a sometimes goal-achiever. It’s not that I’m lazy, and it’s not that I don’t actually intend to meet these goals; my main problem is that I'm forever setting new goals on top of the old goals and losing sight of the old ones. That is to say, I suppose, that I've lacked a sort of connective tissue to keep them organized and trackable, and thus achievable.

I found out about 101/1001 by reading a friend's blog, and I think it sounds like just the sort of thing that might help me get many of these goals accomplished. So here, with thanks to Allison (even for her format), is my list of 101 goals to accomplish in the next 1,001 days.

(Note: [LINK] and [LIST] are notes to myself to post those items publicly. They go live as I post the lists or have a page to link to.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Start Date: 03-Dec-2007
End Date: 30-Aug-2010

# Complete: 48
# In Progress: 17

101 in 1001 [1/1]:
1. Complete my list of 101 specific, quantifiable, challenging-but-achievable goals. (101/101)

Health [5/11, 1]:
1. Get my cholesterol checked.
2. Make my own (not pre-packaged) meals for 14 days.
3. Set up a 5 day/week workout regimen.
4. Wake up at 6am every day for 2 weeks. (0/14)
5. Get new glasses. [LINK]
6. Give up soda for a month.
7. Complete some sort of detox fast/diet.
8. Find a PCP in Nashville.

9. Run a 5k.

10. Run a 10k.

11. Get fitted for running shoes.

Faith [3/11, 1]:
1. Keep a prayer journal for 12 consecutive weeks, to remind me of God's work in my life.
2. Read major confessions, creeds, and statements of Christian faith. [LIST and Reaction]
3. Read the whole book of Psalms. (9/150)
4. Go on a retreat at Our Lady of Gethsemani.
5. Get more involved at church.

6. Read Knowledge of the Holy

7. Read No Man Is An Island

8. Read Life Together

9. Read Surprised By Joy

10. Read Surprised By Hope

11. Read Ragamuffin Gospel

Family and Friends [5/7, 2]:
1. Email or talk to Mary every month while she's in Russia. (11/11)

2. Call mom and dad once a week for at least half a year.

3. 5 phone calls (no agenda but to talk) to friends who don't live in Nashville. (2/5)

4. Take a trip to Boston that includes firm plans for at least 3 one-on-one get-togethers with friends.

5. Complete 4 generations of genealogy research and documentation on both sides of my family, to the extent that the information is accessible without travel to Ireland, England, or Greece.

6. Make a substantial dent in the junk I've left behind at my parents' house in NH. Be ruthless.

7. Consolidate all of my contacts into Address Book.

Travel [4/13, 2]:
1. to New Orleans

2. to NYC

3. to Chicago (Kurt Elling @ Green Mill, and Wrigley Field are bonuses)

4. to Boston (non-holiday)

5. to Atlanta, GA

6. to Charleston, SC

7. to Savannah, GA

8. make plans to travel somewhere outside of the US, Canada, and Mexico. (Oct '10)

9. oh yeah, and finally get my passport

10. Visit Joe Raposo's grave in Chatham, MA, and leave something in tribute. (July/Aug '09)

11. Go to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge.

12. Check out Chatanooga (and Lookout Mountain?).

13. Drive the whole Natchez Trace.

Learn [2/10, 4]:
1. Find a voice teacher and get back in shape.

2. Take ballroom dancing lessons.

3. the difference between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, from someone who really knows.

4. Memorize 2 German poems.

5. Take a writing class through Gotham Writer’s Workshop.

6. Take an acting class.

7. To change the oil in my car.

8. To drive stick.

9. Take a golf lesson

10. Apply to grad school for 2010-11.

Music [2/3, 1]:

1. Audition for Nashville Symphony Chorus

2. Audition for Nashville Opera Chorus

3. Have 50 songs ready for jazz jams.

Write [2/5]:
1. one poem/day for a month, even if it's crap. Even if it's a haiku. (0/30)

2. a letter to the editor of some publication. [LINK]

3. letters to Mrs. Reyer, my 4th grade teacher; Mr. O'Reilly, my high school AP Euro History teacher; Coach Murphy, my high school lacrosse coach; and David Ripley, my first voice coach.

4. the rules to Gizzo down, once and for all. And laminate them.

5. the beginnings of a history of The Hyannis Sound, to be completed (hopefully) for the 20-yr in 2014.

Try [1/2]:
1. Top 10 Bourbons by value, as determined by bluekitchen.net. [LIST]

2. Some type of foreign cuisine that I'm otherwise too scared to try.

Work [3/4, 1]:
1. Contact 10 print music publishers for 5 Scribes.

2. Contact 50 bands and offer to write their bios.

3. Get paid for something I wrote.

4. Create and launch my own website from scratch.

Nashville [9/19, 2]:
1. See a show at 20 different Nashville venues. [LIST]

2. Go to the Symphony.

3. Go to Nashville Opera.

4. See show @ TPAC. (MND @ Nashville Ballet April '10)

5. Go to Bachanalia. (Mar '10)

6. Go to the Frist.

7. Season tix @ Nashville Symphony.

8. Member @ Frist/Cheekwood.

9. Member WPLN.

10. Arrington Vineyards

11. Gallery Crawl

12. Pick fruit at a TN farm/orchard.

13. Play 3 Nashville golf courses. (2/3)

14. Go to the Musicians Hall of Fame.

15. Go to a Nashville Sounds game.

16. Go to a Vanderbilt football, basketball, or baseball game.

17. Go to a Predators or Titans game.

18. Go to a Friday night high school football game.

19. Hike all 4 trails at Radnor Lake State Park.

Do [3/5, 1]:
1. Finish researching SEC schools so I can confidently choose my team. [LINK]

2. Watch 50 of the AFI’s 100 Best Movies of All-Time. (16/50) [LIST]

3. Watch a presidential debate before the primary.

4. Get my digital camera fixed.

5. Create a comprehensive and up--to-date log of all service done to my car since I've owned it.

Get [2/3, 1]:
1. my license plates changed over to TN.

2. another tattoo.

3. pictures taken. Pictures I like, and can give to family, use on websites, or in publications.

Simplify [5/5]:
1. Get rid of books that I haven't thought about in a year.

2. Finish scanning my magazines so I can recycle them and reduce clutter.

3. Get rid of clothes I don't wear.

4. Sell or give away a pile of CDs I don't care about.

5. Sell or give away a pile of DVDs/VHS that I don't care about.

Loose Ends [1/2, 1]:
1. Complete remaining Gen Eds

2. Schedule and take remaining CBXs at Berklee

To Ditch, Or Not To Ditch?

I've got some thinking to do, with regard to my 101.

One of my pet goals has been the reading of all of the Pulitzer Prize winners in the "novel" category. I have noticed, though, that in the last year or so, while I've enjoyed reading fiction (mostly short, but a couple of notable novels), my priority has clearly been theology. It's likely because I'm a limping, bumbling mess of a spiritual being, and I like reading what other, smarter messes have written before me.

I think that this priority is well-placed; I am a 28 year old man, trying to form and reform his character into the likeness of Christ, knowing full well the work will never be done--not by him, not in his lifetime. I got a late start, and I feel like it's worth the effort to commit as much of my energy as possible to getting up to speed.

I want my walk with God to be a lifelong one... I want to explore every doubt I have in exhaustive detail... In my old age, I want to know God as my Creator, my Savior, and my old friend--with whom I've been speaking, battling, and alongside whom I've been ambling for my whole adult life.

I don't want to do the fully-blind trust thing ever again. I believe that God appreciates my doubts and my shortcomings, because it means that I'm working it through, and really thinking. I may well be wrong. I want to give God my mind... I wish that He'd give it back to me full of answers to questions, but that would obviate the living process.

So I read. And I think the priority in that area falls to theological works, not the award-winning canon of literary fiction since the mid-20th century, deserving as that canon is of my attention.

I suppose this means some re-working is in order. I like that this project can be fluid.

Progress Report: Jan 2, 2009

Just ran some numbers on this list here, and accounting for the percentage complete on partially complete tasks, here's what I've got:


34 items complete
+ 5.37 items worth of partially completed tasks
_________________________________
39.37/101 items = 38.9% complete

28 days in 2007
+ 366 days in 2008
+ 2 days in 2009
________________
396/1001 days = 39.5% of time elapsed


Which means that, after having neglected my list for a good chunk of the last 6 months, I'm still more or less keeping pace here. That's really exciting. 2009 should be a really good year for this list, too. I can feel it.

LIST: Confessions, Creeds and Catechisms... [Bump]

Here's the list of creeds, confessions, etc. that I'm reading...

1. Apostles' Creed
2. Nicene Creed (325/381)
3. 95 Theses (or Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences) (1517)
4. Belgic Confession (1618)
5. Westminster Confession of Faith (1646)

This exercise, I think, had its desired effect. I walked away from the Westminster Confession with several questions still unsettled about predestination/election, and I'm not sure I can ever quite be settled about those things. As always, I'll check in with my pastor, and ultimately, probably never quite feel right about Calvinist theology. This is that tension I say I love so much, but really, I want this one to go my way or make more sense. I don't like the idea of election.

Letter to the Editor: The Tennessean

(this letter was submitted on Wednesday. September 17, 2008)

Dear Sir,

I have a question about interstate driving conventions in Nashville: Is there a law requiring drivers to travel in the far-right lane at all times on Tennessee highways? The reason I ask is that since moving here from Boston, I have either observed or been involved in several near-accidents while merging on to the interstates, particularly the ones immediately surrounding the city. I have never driven in another state or city where drivers clogged the travel lane as they do in Nashville, and it makes merging at highway speed a perilous endeavor.

In Massachusetts (home to notoriously erratic driving practices), where the law requires that cars travel in the right-hand lane except when passing, it is nonetheless customary to to move over one lane when traffic is merging on the right. In ten years of driving in the northeast, I cannot recall having had trouble merging more than once or twice; here, I have trouble that often each week. Am I out of my mind?

Sincerely,

James Harrington
Nashville, TN

Next Big Nashville, I hardly knew ye

Next Big Nashville is over. It feels like summer camp ended.

For the uninitiated, this 4-night onslaught of music that takes over 20+ Nashville clubs is one of the highlights of the Nashville year. I hoped I'd find a couple of bands to follow up with throughout the year, and I was not disappointed.

Takeaways--

Favorite Band: Waves on Waves

Virtuosic mid-80's British New Wave sound dusted off and given a new suit of clothes by outstanding musicians who also are charismatic showmen. Conjured sonic images of Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Erasure, and George Michael.

I couldn't have been happier.

Runner Up: Matthew Perryman Jones

I concede that the masses were right on this one. Watching him play feels like it must have felt like watching a young Bono pour out his own poet soul in his soaring tenor in the early 80's. You can't help thinking that Jones also has about 20 years of important and awe-inspiring music left to make. Here's hoping.

Oh, and bringing Glen Phillips up to rehash old Toad stuff didn't hurt, either. Fear was the first album I ever bought with my own money, and that music holds a very special place in my heart.

Favorite Experience: Glen Phillips, Dan Wilson, Daniel Tashian, and Kevin Griffin @ Bluebird

It was like hearing my high school record collection without a backup band. And hearing the stories behind those songs. And caring more than I knew how to then.

Glen Phillips is the big, recognizable name here, but the others are names you should know: Dan Wilson, formerly of Semisonic, who wrote "I'm Not Ready To Make Nice" for the Dixie Chicks, and who shared a great story about Semisonic's hit, Closing Time; Kevin Griffin, frontman for Better Than Ezra, who shared their hit Good before revealing that he'd co-written Howie Day's beautiful song Collide, and finishing up with Juicy; and Daniel Tashian, who fronts the retro-chill Silver Seas (formerly The Bees-U.S.), whose music sounds like Jackson Browne, Orleans, and The Byrds pressed together.

Suffice it to say this was an incredible, worth-being-crammed-in-a-pew-with-strangers, only-in-Nashville evening showcasing 4 guys who were obviously enjoying each other as much as we were enjoying them. For the record, these guys are all funny, charming, and brilliant songsmiths.

Runner Up: Space Capone

The funkiest, soulest scene kids who ever did live. I was shocked at what these guys did, and honestly, when I arrived mid-show, I thought that I was looking at a bunch of scene goons who had rushed the stage to lip sync and dance to a legit funk band. Oops. I apologize for doubting you, Sapce Capone.

Favorite Quote: "It comes so easy to the hardest working man in Nashville..."

Spoken by the too-cool-to-be-square, bespectacled sideman to the Dynamites' lead singer.

Other Shows I Saw:

Heypenny - They added horns this time and got rid of the video screens, and I think they went 1-for-2 on those choices. The video screens were cool, but disallowed the kind of freedom that their frenetic pop output demands. The horns made them sound a little like a ska outfit, and that, to me, is just about never a good thing. Lead singer Ben may have been a little over the top/intentionally quirky, but bassist DJ's honest-to-goodness effusiveness balanced the ticket.

Umbrella Tree - This one made me hurt. It's clear that they're good musicians, but they're one of those weird-for-the-sake-of-being-weird bands that I just can't stand. In the words of a good friend and bona fide music historian, "If you start out trying to be unique, you're in trouble."

The Dirty Guv'nahs - I was won over during sound check by the lead singer's older-than-his-age blues pipes. I was lost almost as quickly by his younger-than-his-voice, spastic stage presence. Good songs, but the players weren't quite tight enough, and background vocals often were an (out of tune) afterthought. All of these things will average themselves out and the Guv'nahs will be a truly decent blues/southern rock band in the next few years. I'll look forward to it.

The Armed Forces - Not being a punk aficionado, but having listened to my fair share of the Ramones, et al, I can only say that this was ballsy punk, and I really enjoyed the show.

How I Became The Bomb - I first saw them at Cannery during last year's NBN, and have now seen them thrice. I think this was a step down on the overall experience chart from the first show I saw, but the first show was possibly distorted by my elation at having found a local band that sounded like them. Anyway, the show was solid, and many loyal fans were in attendance. Their stage presence is excellent, as is their writing. Lead vocals are always delivered ably and entertainingly.

See you next fall, NBN.

Update - April Sixteen

I haven't been great at keeping this thing updated, but I've gone back through and added the things I know I've done in the last month or so. Here they are:

-went to Chicago (and Wrigley) with Erin ("Travel" #3). You can see pictures at my facebook.
-went to the Frist (also with Erin) ("Nashville" #13) and saw the excellent modern art and Aaron Douglas exhibits. Do yourself a favor and go before both leave (June 1 and May 11, respectively).
-got paid for ghostwriting some historical liner notes for a series of 3 EMICMG Publishing releases called, 15 Hymns/Worship Songs/Songs That Changed the Church. ("Work" #3) This was really, really exciting.
-saw James Farrell and the Farrelltones (okay, that's not the name of his band) at FooBar ("Nashville" #1)

The pace has slowed, but there's room for this to be cyclical, of course. I'll be back at the AFI list again soon, and the Pulitzer list, and the big list... I think I burned myself out in that initial sprint. Ha.

Update - March Five

- watched On The Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, Sullivan's Travels, Swing Time ("Do" #2). Received The Gold Rush.
- posted another blog
- wrote a letter to Joel

Again, I'm having trouble keeping track with these occasional posts. I'm noting things in the original list (which I bumped below to make it easier to reference), but I may not get everything into these updates.

Update - February Fourteen (That Is, Valentine's Day)

- Watched Night At The Opera (#85) and Casablanca (#3) ("Do" #2)
- Wrote to 7 more publishers ("Work" #1)
- Contacted a professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School who's designing my next tattoo. ("Get" #3)
- Received Sullivan's Travels (#61) and Swing Time (#90) in the mail.
- Made tentative plans to go to 2 shows next week, one of which is at RCKTWN, which is a venue that I haven't yet knocked off. ("Nashville/TN" #1)

I think there may have been more, but I'm starting to lose track. Maybe that's a good thing?

More Rentals, and West End Pt. 2

Just rented:

A Night At The Opera (#85, 1935)
Dr. Strangelove (#39, 1964)
On The Waterfront (#19, 1954)
A Streetcar Named Desire (#47, 1951)
Vertigo (#9, 1958)

I have plans to watch Yankee Doodle Dandy tonight, and I still have Ben Hur here, as well, so it'll be a busy week.

Also, took inventory of most of the AFI list at the West End BB, and found that they had at least 40 more (that is, apart from the ones I've just rented) of the movies on the list that I've yet to see. That's great news, as it means I'll be able to finish at least the 50 I'm trying to see, and perhaps the whole darn list.

Update: Watched Yankee Doodle Dandy. Was hilarious to see James Cagney try to pull off the part of a song-and-dance man. E and I were laughing a bunch at his spoken-word style of "singing." Watched A Night At the Opera tonight, too.

Update: ...and I've decided to return Ben Hur, unwatched. I just don't care enough about movie #100 to watch over 3 hours worth of it. Y'know?

One More Movie Down

Just watched Nashville (1975). ("Do" #2)

I must have missed something. I'd swear there've been at least 100 movies made that were better than that one.

Day Seventy - Progress Report

Today is day 70 of my 1001 day odyssey, so I thought I'd do a quick status check to see if I'm keeping pace. I know I lost some time to the Christmas season there. The result is encouraging:

Goals Accomplished: 9.5%
Time Elapsed: 7%

(That 9.5% figure takes into account the percentages of multi-tiered goals completed... lots of .12 and .06's there.)

Onward.

AFI Update, and renting movies in Nashville

Being impatient as I am, I've been doing a lot of in-store swapping of movies to maximize the dent I'm making in the AFI list. I had been accustomed to going to the Blockbuster on Gallatin Rd. in Inglewood, but was really discouraged by their selection. Problem solved.

If you're thinking of undertaking this sort of endeavor in the Nashville area, the Blockbuster on West End has an outstanding inventory of these movies. West End is most certainly my new Blockbuster.

Update - February Six Thru Nine

-Watched One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (disturbing, but excellent. Chief is a great character, and I loved Nicholson.), Taxi Driver (interesting and unsettling. Glad I saw it once.), Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, and 12 Angry Men (Loved both. Really excellent movies.) ("Do" #2)

Also rented Ben Hur and Nashville. I'll watch those in the next day or two.

Update (2/8): Yankee Doodle Dandy just arrived in the mail.
Update (2/9): Watched All The President's Men today and saw Disappointed By Candy/Harrison Hudson @ The Rutledge ("Nashville" #1) last night. Ran into Joe Kirk there. Awesome.

Also, Mat Kearney was there. He's everywhere. I think he's following me. Ha.