The Blog of Glenn McLaurin

I oftentimes hear people state that they do their best thinking while in the shower. This claim has always interested me, because despite the diversity and variance amongst my peers and associates, the shower seems to be a universally accepted location of deep thought. Occasionally I’ll hear people say something along the lines of “It came to me while I was driving,” or “Last night, in bed, I was thinking so much I simply could not fall asleep,” but the vast majority of the people that I know all have the same location in mind when they think about where they think.

Why is this? I was (surprise!) in the shower when I began to consider this behavior, and what follows is my best guess:

In the world of today, we surround ourselves with as many people, as much noise, and the highest number of distractions we possibly can, and the shower just happens to be one of the few places we are ever alone with our thoughts. Humans are intellectually curious creatures, excelling in rational approaches as well as displaying a stunning capacity for abstract reasoning – our brains are designed to analyze and make attempts at comprehension of our surroundings; it is only natural that we think. Yet, from the moment we wake up in the morning until we collapse into bed for a brief repose before returning to our tightly scheduled routines the next day, we actively seek background noise that liberates us from thinking. Garrish morning show hosts read us headlines stolen from Farkas we drive to work or school – unless we tune to NPR, in which newscasters with smooth British accents share the inevitably depressing world events with us. Even at school or a job, with crowded hallways, busywork, or actual responsibilities, we are focused on some task at hand. Then, off to some sort of recreation: a movie, a concert, a club, somewhere with the volume cranked so loud we needn’t bother to do anything but process the sound.

And then, at home, where the bulk of television programming is actually incomprehensible if one does anything more than passively absorb the ‘entertainment.’

I would love to discuss this with someone else, but I believe that the trend I have mentioned is not the result of showering being a terribly ‘Zen’ experience, or that the harmonic pitter-patter of the water enhances cognitive function… I just think that most people have difficulty taking an iPod, television, laptop, or a host of friends into the bathtub with them. And as a result, not being in a place where we usually sleep, but still devoid of distractions, our brains wander more than we are used to.

I have decided that in 2008, though I have said this in other years as well, I am going to do my best to cut out more of the unnecessary from my life. I doubt it will be totally stream-lined, but at 17, 18, I don’t want a perfectly efficient life – where would I go from there? I will, however, do my best to read more than I watch television, write more than simply staring a blank page and scrolling through Youtube videos, and hopefully be able to look back a year from now and have measurable success in my goal.

On a completely different tangent, I am home from the beach and evermore thankful for those who mean the most to me.  I realized earlier this week that while we are unable to pick our relatives, we can definitely choose who we consider our family.  In the past few days I have done my best to be with close friends, people who I care more about than relatives I visit every few months in the farce that we call a holiday gathering.  I don’t believe that naming names is necessary — thank you, however, for being there for me; I hope I can one day return the favor.

I was in the midst of writing a completely different post that made attempts at being insightful (or something like that), but then Christmas happened.

Merry Christmas to all; I hope everyone enjoys time spent with those who matter most.

One day left at work, and then I will be free — as in really free, not just free from school. And then I will get to work doing some serious vacationing and everything else that I wanted to do in my spare time.

Goals:

• Survive tonight’s swim lessons – Survived!
• Finish a recommendation for a friend – Finished!
• Update this blog – Updated!
• Read – Reading!
• Attempt to establish contact with the author of a book I have been reading (see earlier post about the 5 people for 2008)
• Send a message to another author (actually mentioned on my ‘5 People’ post)
• Sleep, rest, take a breather, catch forty winks, manage a recess, embrace quietude, indulge in somnolence, and otherwise enjoy my holiday. – Dormí mucho

Happy December 20th to all!

I hurt.

The pain isn’t too bad though, and it makes me realize how much I want to go to college.

Apparently, along with “lifeguard,” “swim instructor,” “retail clerk,” and “inventory system management,” my job description includes “roofer.” Who knew? Not me, until today.

Nailing shingles onto my boss’ new roof was actually a nice break from the mundane chore that is physical inventory, and working under the warm sun was a million times better than counting o-rings as fluorescent bulbs buzz overhead, but when I grow up, I don’t want to be a roofer. I have all the respect in the world for the guys that are willing to do such a thing, and I believe that the cost associated with repairing a roof is completely justified, but it’s not a career I plan on pursuing. It was fun, it was a learning experience, it convinced me that if all else fails I could have a fall-back plan as a roofer, but in general, kneeling on a hot roof and swinging a hammer for hours on end eventually loses its novelty.

In other news, tomorrow is meeting number six of the North Carolina Civics Education Consortium Youth Advisory Committee, and I am totally prepared to talk about the progress I have made in researching the potential for youth advocacy positions in the area. And when the other overachievers in the group trump my actions, I have no qualms about bringing up my participation on the Small Grants Selection Committee. Because utter pettiness and snark may be what is needed to make tomorrow’s gathering interesting.

 Edit: Here is a rough approximation of what my day consisted of:

 Sometimes the comic is utterly bizarre…

Sometimes the comic is mentally stimulating…

.

And sometimes the comic is eerily similar to my everyday thought processes.

Edit: And periodically, the comic defies all expectations.

Anyone who has talked to me about books in the past four or five months has most likely heard me rave about The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss, and a recent update on his blog has prompted me to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions in a whole new way. For those unfamiliar with the writings and philosophies of Timothy Ferriss, he is the wunderkind of the entrepreneurial and tech enterprises world; Larry Page and Sergey Brin have nothing on him. In light of the success of his New York Times best-seller (found at http://www.fourhourworkweek.com), he posts frequent updates on his blog, making suggestions as to how the average person can streamline his or her day, boost productivity, and live life to the fullest.
Today’s aptly titled entry, “How to Get George Bush or the CEO of Google on the Phone,” is an excellent how-to for those interested in establishing contacts with the luminaries of society: the politicians, the business leaders, the doctors and lawyers and Indian chiefs. I cannot express how strongly I believe in the impact that early attempts at networking can have on the lives of young, motivated students; the article is printed in full here.
In a similar vein, Ryan Holiday, another mover-and-shaker whom I have much admiration for, posted some interesting tips for those looking to find a mentor.

I am forever seeking guidance, be it a teacher, a boss, or someone with slightly more influence, and anyone preparing for – or already in – college would benefit from doing the same. One tip in particular stood out:

“Bring something to the table. Anything. Quid pro quo. Even if it’s just energy. Even if it’s just thanks. You cannot ask and ask and not expect to give anything in return. The bigger the payoff you can offer, the longer they’ll take you under their wing. Figure out what you can offer and actually give it. Here’s a freebie: Find articles and books that relate to their field and pass on a recommendation and then they won’t have to waste their time searching.”

Of the suggestions made by Holiday, nothing compares to this. I believe that a vast majority of my successes, even at this time in my life, have stemmed from a can-do, energetic approach to whatever has come my way.
How does mentor seeking relate to finding the personal e-mail address of Mark Cuban? Timothy Ferris is productivity, and all of his advice is practical, organized, and user-friendly, utilizing open-ended questions designed to prod the brains of his readers. In his latest blog post, he introduces the question: “If you could choose only five people in the world to get to know in 2008, who would they be?”
In response, the five people I want to get to know in 2008 (be it through brief e-mail contact or, ideally, by establishing some amount of dialog), in no particular order:

1. Tucker Max
2. Dr. James L. Peacock
3. Thomas Friedman
4. Ryan Holiday
5. Gary West

Who are some of these people? Three are best-selling authors, two are involved in the revolutionizing of American media, and all are experts in their respective fields. By February 2008 I will have had the solid opportunity to meet two of the five in person, and I am likely to establish e-mail contact with one more within that time period.

Who are your top five?

But I slept a lot over the weekend.

I have grown to really enjoy being the only one awake in the house on certain evenings. I know that some people really dislike a lack of company and are averse to solitude, but I find these moments exceptionally peaceful. A cat is asleep in the office chair behind me, my dog is snoring gently at my feet, and the only noise that I can discern is the gurgling of the dishwasher or whatever music I have running in the background.

It’s reassuring to know that I can handle being alone with my thoughts and my conscience.

On a slightly more superficial (but perhaps less self-absorbed) front, I have thirty-nine hours and fourteen minutes and I will be done with my first semester of twelfth grade… and if my math is off, I really don’t care, because I don’t need to think about numbers any more this year. Of course, I return to Gypsy this Wednesday, where I get to perform my annual physical inventory of every single repair part in the largest scuba gear service shop on the Eastern seaboard, now complete with a snazzy barcode system that I get to learn how to operate as well… So, no immediate vacation for me, but it will be a change of pace. And this time, I will receive money for mindless tasks.

My to-do list for the coming days, weeks (and possibly months?):

• Finish an essay for MOSAIC
• Ensure that Beta Club is set to run next semester
• Make sure that I have my internship and independent study under control
• Finish the AP World History summer assignment
• Begin -and finish- the AP European History summer assignment
• Clean my book bag, room, truck, and general upstairs area
• Fulfill my duties for the NCCECYAC
• Not forget about Teen Court on December 18th
• Apply for more scholarships
• Read, read, read, read, read, and read some more

p.s. Correction: 39 hours

I am uncertain as to whether life is slowing down or speeding up as winter break draws near… perhaps the pace is steady, and I just haven’t noticed yet.

In the coming days, I have notes due and a test in Spanish, journals and a paper for MOSAIC, a graded assessment and a memory game for Statistics, and some homework for Human Geography that I will put off until the night before the mid-term. And then I will be done.

I fell asleep last night on my futon reading stories by Flannery O’Connor, and woke back up at about 4:30 AM, finished the assignment, and stumbled to my bed and slept for another half-hour. After some reflection on her writing post-coffee, I realized that the characters in her works are freakishly similar to members of my own family. I don’t know whether to be proud or ashamed of kinship with individuals straight out of Southern Gothic masterpieces, but it made for a damn interesting discussion in English. A few other students claimed similar experiences, but for me, it was uncanny — entire conversations that have taken place in my grandparents’ living room could well have been lifted right from the pages of “Everything That Rises Must Converge.”

I found out today that Stots, a teacher who shares the coveted seat of “Glenn’s Favorite Teacher” with Kaulfuss, will be leaving at the end of this semester. I would be lying if I said that the announcement surprised me, but I wasn’t expecting her to leave quite so soon. Though Southeast will be losing a tremendous asset upon her leaving, moving to Central Office will be a great opportunity for her, and the class was entirely supportive of her decision.

I am very thankful that I went ahead and took AP Government and Politics last year.

Approximately four flakes of snow fell upon the pavement as I was walking to my truck; I managed to contain my childish impulses to dash about screaming “It’s snowing, it’s snowing!” however, and for good reason — needless to say, nothing stuck to the pavement.

Enough reflections upon the day… I have important homework matters to which I must attend!

A list of things that have recently gone well:

• I ascertained that I can have 3rd lunch next semester following my AP European History independent study, meaning I will be done with school at 12:45.
• I picked up another free textbook from a teacher.
• I found an essay contest with a December 3rd deadline, and all I need to to is recycle a speech that I wrote over a year ago.
• I finally determined what camera I want.
• Mashed potatoes, edamane succotash, and glazed whole baby carrots from Fresh Market are sitting my refrigerator.
  • Note: My mother was thrilled to hear that her grocery shopping was blog-worthy
• I’ve taken care of the bulk of my Christmas shopping… probably the earliest I will ever succeed in doing so.
• I’m slowly catching back up on my sleep deficit.
• I picked up copies of James Joyce’s Dubliners, Douglas Coupland’s All Families Are Psychotic, and a novel by Salman Rushdie’s at the library… I have a lot that I want to read.
  • Salman Rushdie’s novel, The Satanic Verses, have provoked international assassination threats since its publication in 1988 — I assume that this means the book must be really, really good.
• My father’s birthday is tomorrow, meaning cake and an excellent supper tonight.

Not so excellent things in my life:

• I have an essay due on Monday.

In unrelated news, a classmate scoffed at the mention of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  In response I mustered up a class-wide shunning of him until he realized the error of his ways.  Seriously, who dislikes “Christmas Eve Sarajevo”?