Thoughts & Deeds

Mine is a pretty cynical generation. Most of us in our 30s have spent the majority of our lives in a recession, in a war over oil, facing climate change, and enduring political parties that fail to inspire much less to lead us to a better tomorrow. We’ve lacked hope that things will get better, that people are good and decent, and that we can somehow change our situation. … more

Whatever you do today, wherever you are, get out there and vote! If you’re in a vote-by-mail state like me, then go hand in your ballot if you haven’t already. This is it, folks, this is your single chance to express your most precious right as an American. I don’t care what your politics are, but I do care if you don’t vote. People in other countries die fighting for the right to possibly vote some day in a less oppressive future, so don’t do them a disservice and express your selfish ignorance by not voting.

Get off your ass and VOTE.

Put aside ideas of “real Americans” and “pro-American” parts of the country and the divisive rhetoric from both political parties. Look around you. Take in what you see, and realize that we can’t become a better city, state, or nation without each other — in spite of our differences. … more

I sent this email to the Obama/Biden campaign earlier today after reading Obama’s stance on Proposition 8 in California, same-sex marriage, and his Faith & Family tour. … more

Maybe it’s that I’ve played team sports since I was 5, but I love me a team. Not watching teams, but being part of one. I love the cameraderie, the friendly competition, the way the whole transcends the sum of its parts to become something new, better, more awesome. Nothing brings this home for me like going to the Gay Softball World Series with my amazing Cleats O’ Fire.

We’re not the best team in the world. This year we’re 5th in the nation in the D division, which is the lowest division for women’s teams. We’re kind of like the Bad News Bears at times, throwing wildly and popping the ball up so high that it might hit a plane. Then again, there are the grand slams, the double-plays, the amazing catches, and Wheels O’ Fire around the bases.

Our rules are simple:

1. Have fun.
2. Be safe.
3. Throw to people.

Softball isn’t an individual sport; grand slams can’t happen if the bases aren’t loaded, double-plays require 2-3 people (most of the time), and some of us need the extra help of base coaches and on-deck batters to remind us when to run from third base to home (not that this happened to me, of course). We need each other. We’re better together. In fact, we’re at our best together.

No home run hitter in the world can pull together a crappy team and turn them into winners. A single ringer doesn’t win games. An individual can excel by themselves, or they can help to lift the whole team up. We have some pretty impressive players on the team, but each year we all get a little bit better, become more confident, and play smarter because we all work together regardless of skill or experience.

So, a week with the Cleats reminds me of the transcendent power of being part of a team, taking care of each other, having fun together, and running your butt off when it’s called for. Whether it’s playtime in the pool, board games in the hotel lobby, carpooling to games, or being on the field with our cleats in the grass and sun in our eyes, we’re a team through and through. That’s what I want to bring to my work, my friendships, my marriage, and my life.

Keep up the good work, my Cleats!

* Team pictured above in the photo that won us $500 in sponsorship money from Subaru. Oh yes, we’ve got stuff!

When I decided I wanted to be a designer, I was going out on a limb. The year was 1997, and I’d just completed my bachelor’s degree in English, had no design experience, and had only created one (very hideous) web site. Back then, Amazon.com was still in its infancy and I wasn’t even sure there would be a job for me in this “new media” field. What I did know is that visual communication was exciting, I enjoyed tinkering around with HTML, and I was pretty good at learning new technologies. … more

Portland is a small small town in some ways. Working in the interactive industry only seems to exaggerate the smallness, since everyone has worked with everyone somewhere along the line. If I had a nickel for every time I met a prospective client who turned out to be best friends with a friend, friends with a coworker, cousin of a teammate — or what have you — I’d certainly be rich by now. Life is like Alice’s relationship map on The L Word; we’re all woven together more tightly than we think. … more

Sometimes, I learn about teamwork and collaboration in the least likely places. In the two years that I’ve been a volunteer dog walker at the Oregon Humane Society, I’ve walked with four different teams and had varying experiences on each.

The dog walking schedule is broken down into morning and evening “teams” that work on getting all the dogs out for a break during the day. OHS asks volunteers to commit to walking on a regular schedule so they can count on who will come and know the dogs will get a little exercise. … more

I admit it, I can be a social networking curmudgeon. MySpace confuses me. Facebook bores me. LinkedIn just helps me keep track of former coworkers. So I was pretty set against Twitter from the start. I mean, seriously, who cares what you’re doing right now? Brushing your teeth? Who cares? … more

I always wanted to be a teacher. Ok, not always, since I also wanted to be a ninja or a breakdancer. But starting in high school and going in to college, the plan was to be an English teacher. Since turning into a designer, I’ve either wanted to go to graduate school or teach. I only want to go to grad school when work stops being challenging and fun, but the idea of teaching sticks with me even when work is busy and exciting. … more