Global Night Commute

So on Saturday, Bethany and I went to the Global Night Commute in Dallas and with a few hundred other people walked about 2.5 miles from the campus of SMU to a church that had a big baseball field. Once at the field we wrote a letter to the president and a letter to one of our senators. After that we went to sleep on the baseball field. The next morning, we walked back to SMU, got in our car and went home.

The whole event was symbolic of the daily commute that thousands of children in Northern Uganda make every single day just so that they can sleep in a place where they are fairly certain that they will not be kidnapped, brutalized and forced to serve as soldiers in a war with no point and seemingly no end. The purpose of the event was to draw the attention of law-makers and everyday citizens to the on-going crisis.

Today I watched the news as a different nation-wide protest/march took place. Initially I was frustrated at how today's protest seemed to dwarf the demonstration of April 29, in both sheer numbers and media coverage. But then I remembered why a cause like this one is so important. The children in Northern Uganda are truly powerless. They don't take to the streets in protest, but in an attempt at survival. And if they did, who would care. They can't scream for "justice" because they are too busy praying for mercy. And if they did scream, who is there to hear.

I care. I hear. I'm doing what I can. To those of you who would say, "But there are so many other things closer to home that need attention." I would ask what have you done to support one of those causes. To those of you thinking, "You are pretty arrogant to think you can do anything for children you don't know on the other side of the world," I would leave you with the following two quotes from the book White Like Me by Tim Wise:

You do not do the things you do because others will necessarily join you in the doing of them, nor because they will ultimately prove successful. You do the things you do because the things you are doing are right. (originally written in a letter to Mr. Wise from Archbishop Desmond Tutu)

I have no idea whether anything I say, do, or write will make the least bit of difference in the world. But I say it, do it, and write it anyway, because as uncertain as the outcome of our resistance may be, the outcome of our silence and inaction is anything but. We know exactly what will happen if we don't do the work: nothing. And given that choice...I will opt for hope.

And finally as for further personal motivation, I look to the Bible:

Matthew 25:34-46

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Oprah Must Be Reading My Blog

Ok, so maybe she's not reading it, but she IS having the filmmakers of Invisible Children on her show on Wednesday, April 26, so if you're home or if it's not too late to set your TIVO/VCR, then don't miss it.

California Addendum

Since writing California Dreamin', I've discovered that I actually know 2 more people living in California. My good friend Lady Lucia (hey, Lucia!) now lives in LA. She's a singer. She's really good. Check her out. And one of my high school friends, Amber lives in San Diego. She's a rich doctor. Ok. She's not rich. That might come in about 20 years or so... maybe... depending on the direction American healthcare takes in the next few years. Anyway, she is a doctor. (Hey, Amber!). I just wanted to post this in a spirit of inclusion.

To Do

Hey, y'all. I'm wearing my bossy activist hat again today. Here is your to do list:

1. Check out this video. (You'll laugh.)
2. Then check out the invisible children website.
3. Get your hands on the invisible children dvd and watch it if you haven't already. (You'll cry.)
4. Join with others in your community to give voice to otherwise voiceless children by attending a Global Night Commute in your area on April 29.

California Dreamin'

So on to the next destination in my journey to discovering my journey: California. I've decided recently that I need to live in California for a little while before I die. Why California? I'm not sure. I don't think it is because of that song by Baz Luhrmann that was popular back in 1999, although I'm sure it carries some influence. And while the mild temperatures are a big time plus, I don't think that's enough to really draw me, either. No, I think the real reason is because there was a time in my life when I said, "I will never move to California. One day California is going to break off and fall into the ocean!" And whenever I say "never" you can pretty much bet that I'm gonna end up doing exactly what I was nevering about.

So I can hear you asking, "Yeah, but what is there for you to do in California? Do you know people there? Do you have a job?" If you can hear yourself asking those questions, then you are not like me. You need a plan. You need security. You need to make well-thought-out, smart, safe decisions. I don't need that. I need to get there. I need to see what all my options are and try several of them out. I need to learn new things about myself. I need to get stuck doing a job I would have never dreamed of, and then know whether I love it or hate it. I need change and challenge. But since you asked...

Possible options for me in California are: working at Boys Hope, going to grad school, working at a surf shop. I know nothing about surfing, so for now we'll set that one aside. One of the graduate schools that I've been considering is in Oakland. It's called Mills College, which is actually a women's university. Hey, Tom Hanks got his start at a women's university, why can't I? Actually, they allow men into their graduate programs so I won't have to get a wig or special order any size 12 heels. The program is to learn to be a Child Life Specialist, which I think will be a great job for me, but I'm not quite sure yet and so I'm not really ready to commit the time or money. However, that is on the back burner.

My other likely option is to work for Boys Hope, a non-profit that I previously worked for while I was living in NY. They have homes in San Francisco and Orange County, and while I came dangerously close to burning bridges with BH when I left, I think there is still a tightrope I could walk should I decide to go that route. I DID love the program and mission of BH. And the boys I worked with while I was there are AMAZING and to this day I value the relationships I was able to build with them, most of whom are now in college. So I could do that again.

And since you asked, I do know a few people in Cali. Some of whom I actually met while working at BH (hey, Sarah and Kelli), one I met while working at Camp AmeriKids (hey, Jenny) and a guy that I graduated high school with and whom I cyber-stalk because he is a budding filmmaker and actor and I think that is awesome (hey, Bill. Just kidding about the cyber-stalking...sort of). Anyway, three people (and two of them native Texans) spread out all over the state of California seems like a support system to me. And besides if I get into any trouble, Arnold will save me.

So, the way I see it with a very minimal amount of work and planning, California is quite a feasible option for me. And who knows I may love it... or I may hate it, but then I'll know. But either way, Baz, I'll be sure to wear my sunscreen.

I'm Gonna Be An Uncle...Again

Well, Jonathan and Kristin (my brother and sister-in-law, for those non-related readers) found out this past weekend that they are gonna have a kid. It will most likely be named after me. Lots of people name their kids after me. So that is cool. I say "Again" in the title because I'm actually already an uncle thanks to my sister's step-son (hey, Drew) and that counts, so if anyone says it doesn't I'll block you from my blog. But this is the first time I'll get to be an uncle during the pregnancy and birth of the little niece or nephew (I'm betting on nephew), so that's exciting.

Jonathan and Kristin's other new addition is the new blog that they coincidentally started up right before they found out they were pregnant. I'm sure there will be all kinds of boring pregnancy stories over the next nine months followed by all kinds of awesome pictures of the baby (including some of the baby being held by me) which will make it worth hanging on for the next nine months to get to the good stuff. Anyway, you can check it out by going here. You can also click the link over in the links section to the right. So far Bethany hasn't started her own blog, but when she does, I'll let you know.

My Advanced Global Personality

Hey, y'all. I took this Advanced Global Personality Test (I LOVE these kinds of tests) and here were my results. What do you think? Diana, I'm only 43% anti-authority. How do you like that? My favorite one is Self-Absorbed: 36%... I must have misunderstood a few of the questions or something.

Just for a little analysis, my top seven categories were: Religious, Physical Security, Stability, Artistic, Narcissisim, Adventurousness and Individuality. My bottom 8 categories were: Hedonism, Romantic, Change Averse, Dependency, Histrionic, Materialism, Wealth and Hypersensitivity. I'll take that.

Advanced Global Personality Test Results Extraversion 56% Stability 76% Orderliness 43% Accommodation 56% Interdependence 43% Intellectual 63% Mystical 50% Artistic 76% Religious 90% Hedonism 16% Materialism 30% Narcissism 76% Adventurousness 76% Work ethic 50% Self absorbed 36% Conflict seeking 70% Need to dominate 56% Romantic 16% Avoidant 50% Anti-authority 43% Wealth 30% Dependency 23% Change averse 16% Cautiousness 56% Individuality 76% Sexuality 50% Peter pan complex 43% Physical security 90% Physical Fitness 57% Histrionic 23% Paranoia 43% Vanity 70% Hypersensitivity 30% Female cliche 43%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Public Service Announcement

For all of the local readers of my blog, I want to make you aware of a very special event that will take place April 9 (Palm Sunday) at the Palestine Civic Center at 6:30 PM. The Anderson County Community Choir, in conjunction with the Anderson County Children's Choir and the Anderson County Civic Orchestra (I think I got all those names right) will be presenting a musical contata entitled "The Rose of Calvary". I'm singing bass and Mom is singing alto. Although the adult choir has been singing together for a few years, now, this will be the first appearance of the Anderson County Children's Choir. I heard them practice tonight and they are really pretty good. So if you are in the area or have unlimited time and resources and can fly out from wherever you are, I hope to see you there. Oh, and did I mention its FREE!

Exhibit B: New York City

As promised- and I know you are all on pins and needles waiting for this entry- I will now continue to explore the possible options for what's next. If you are new to my blog (and let me tell you, new readers are rolling in by the hundreds) I would suggest scrolling down to the entries entitled "Green Day" and "Blogger Envy and the Case for Africa" and doing a little background reading before finishing this post.

So. New York. What can I say about NY. For anyone who doesn't know, I made NYC my home from January 2002 until May 2005. I managed to live in three of the five boroughs, worked five different jobs, met some of the most amazing people in the world, and tried out for three popular competitive TV shows (Star Search, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, American Idol) . But all that instability is very draining. It drains you emotionally and it drains you financially! So in May, due to some health issues and to the fact that I was facing another apartment/roommate/job change I decided it was time to walk away from the city that I love so much.

But I need you to know that I still love NYC and I have every intention of moving back there someday, once I figure out how to raise my earning potential. Currently, with the job market the way it is, my Bachelor of General Studies (with an emphasis in Biology) degree just doesn't bring home the type of paycheck necessary to live in NYC. Unless, of course, you are willing to work 70 hours a week and live in the spare bedroom of a strange married couple or rent a room the size of a closet from someone who smokes a joint or two a day and eat a steady diet of egg-drop soup and Whopper Jr's from Burger King. To some of you this may seem quite worth it. While I was doing it, it was definitely worth it. But after a while, when that Broadway show you wanted to see comes and goes and you had to miss it because not once during the entire run of the show did you have enough money for a ticket, or despite the 70 hours you worked at your two separate jobs you still had to call home to borrow some money to pay the rent, or you spend another gorgeous spring day inside your apartment, because even though you have enough money to get to Central Park, you don't have enough to get back... After a while, you start to wonder why you're really there.

Don't get me wrong. I loved it. I would unequivicably do it again in a heartbeat. After all, for every thing I had to miss out on due to low funds, I had 10 amazing experiences that I wasn't looking for. And being totally honest, if I hadn't had the aforementioned health complications (or if I had just had health insurance), I would probably still be there now.

But I'm not. I'm here. Waiting patiently. And planning. Plotting my eventual and triumphant return to New York City!

Finish the Sentence

Ok, I had to take a brief hiatus from the computer after lightening zapped our modem a few nights ago. There's nothing like the forced removal of the internet to show you how addicted you really are. Anyway...

I'll continue with my rants and raves about my future, soon, but I thought I'd lighten the mood a little with this cool little survey thingy that I'm totally stealing from my friend Joi's blog. (If you ever start a blog, just know that the best way to improve your blogging skills is to read a bunch of other blogs and steal things that you like.) Anyway, if you are reading this and you have any training in psychology whatsoever, read no further. I don't want you figuring me out based on these sentence completions. (I actually did an excersize exactly like this once during a psychological evaluation I underwent to work at Boys Hope.)

Here goes:

My ex is: non-existant.

Maybe I should: move to Africa.

I love: Camp AmeriKids!

I don't understand: Calculus anymore.

People say I'm: a good dancer.

Love is: patient.

Somewhere, someone is: weaving a basket.

I will always: love you!

Forever seems: like it is almost here.

I never want to: eat sardines.

I think the current President is: under-appreciated.

When I woke up in the morning: I hit the snooze bar...for thirty minutes.

I get annoyed when: people refuse to see their own potential.

Parties are: nerve-wracking.

My dog is: with my ex.

Kisses are the worst when: you don't want them.

Today I: was very productive, despite hitting the snooze bar for thirty minutes.

Tommorow I'm going to: hit the snooze bar for thirty minutes, then teach an eighth-grade English class.

I really want: fulfillment.

I have low tolerance for people who: preach tolerance.

If I had a million dollars: I would buy you a house.

Blogger Envy and the Case For Africa

Ok. I've been reading some other blogger blogs, and I have to say there are people out there who blog better than me. I don't really know how I feel about that. My good friend Joi keeps a blog and she uses lots of links and pop culture references and talks about interesting things. Then there is this girl called thesciencegirl, who I don't really know but she's posted some comments on one of my other blogs, and hers is really good, too. Then I read mine back. I don't think its bad, but I don't reference much pop culture and the few links I have always lead to kind of boring things. I think I might have blogger envy. Does anyone know any good books about how to write better blogs? Get back to me with that.

As far as my last post: My best friend Alex read it (I think he gets some kind of email alert when I update the site) and he posted that comment about "Don't y'all think Christopher should go to Africa or something?" Or whatever he said. (I love the way I use quotation marks around phrases that aren't actually quotations. That's fun.) Anyway, no one responded to his comment, so I kind of feel like, "Ha, Alex, I win!" Except that I went ahead and applied for one of those positions. It was kind of a big step for me. It kind of isn't a big deal because I feel like to even be considered for the job is a long shot, but sometimes long shots end up happening for me, so that makes it a big deal. And why shouldn't I go, anyway. I'm single, young (27 is quite young, thank you), willing and able. Why be single if you're not gonna take advantage of the freedom you have, right? It's like the line from "Wicked" that says "And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free!" I like that. I also like the line that says, "Some things I cannot change, but 'til I try I'll never know." (Both of those really are quotes. That's even more fun.) And that kind of applies to what it is I'm talking about here. Does that make sense to you?

Anyway, so I thought I'd expound upon my last blog entry and talk about each of those locations I'm considering. Heck, if nothing else, it might give me some clarity on what it is I'm doing with this life. Let's see. We might as well go in order of preference. Which means: Sub-Saharan Africa. Why do I want to go to Africa? The rational/analytical side draws a blank. Really, I don't know anything about Africa. I mean I've read books. Some fiction, some non-fiction, some picture books. But I don't really KNOW Africa. Why do I even think I could survive a day in Africa? What could I have possibly learned growing up in a small town in the United States of America that could prepare me for life in Africa? Nothing, I think.

But somehow on a more visceral, dare I say emotional, level I feel like I'm supposed to be in Africa. I see signs. Not logical signs. The kind of signs that are more easily passed off as coincidences. John Nash kind of signs. The kind of signs that you shouldn't really talk about and you should NEVER blog about because people might think you're crazy. But try as I may to dismiss them, they oddly point to the same place. Africa. Why do I have close friends and closer relatives who have or are going to spend time working in Africa? Why do I have a very tender place in my heart for children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS? Why did Alex have to turn me on to Invisible Children? To me they are signs.

If it were someone else I would be skeptical. I would say, "What are you talking about? Those aren't signs. Most people probably know people who've been to Africa, there are kids on every continent affected by HIV/AIDS, and as far as the Invisible Children, it's a very powerful grass-roots movement that is daily gaining momentum, you were bound to hear about it sooner or later. It doesn't mean you go running off to Africa." My analytical mind sometimes causes me to be brutally honest. And by sometimes, I mean virtually always. But its not someone else. It's me. And being me, I can't dismiss the visceral, emotional, spiritual, mystical part of my being, which tells me that maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but someday I am supposed to be in Africa.

So Africa is my first choice. It's where I would go if there were no obstacles. And that was a lot longer than I meant for it to be and I am really tired, now, so I'm going to bed. You'll have to check back later to hear about the next place on my short list of where I want to be: back to NYC.

Green Day

Ah, man! I can't believe it's the middle of March already. Just two days until St. Pat's Day! Sorry I haven't posted lately. I opened up a new account over at myspace and I've been messing around with that. I mostly opened it just so I could look at pictures and profiles of people I went to school with, but I will say this: myspace can be a bit addicting. And a LOT of people have accounts, so chances are you can find a lot of people you know or used to know on there. It's kind of fun, and sometimes... interesting.

Anyway, as far as my life goes, I'm still subbing at Palestine ISD. I just finished a long term thing at the Middle School and now I'm starting back short term subbing. I haven't actually worked this week though, and next week is Spring Break, so I guess I'm on a two-week vacation. Of course, I can't afford to do anything, because it's an unpaid vacation, but hey laying on the couch for two weeks counts as vacation, too, as far as I'm concerned.

I sang the National Anthem again last night. It was the last Soccer home game of the season, thus ending (for the time being) my short-lived and short-distance stadium tour. So I ended up singing at three soccer games, two of which simultaneously had baseball games being played on the next field, which of course I'm counting separately. So that is five stadium appearances in four weeks. Wow! I'd say my career is skyrocketing.

As for the rest of my life, I'm trying to figure out what happens with my future. I do know that I will be moving this summer. I just can't stay in Palestine more than one year at a time. Too slow. But where will I move? Here are my choices, in order of likelyhood: Austin, Dallas, California, Houston, back to NYC, Sub-Saharan Africa. Here are those same choices again in order of preference: Sub-Saharan Africa, back to NYC, California, Austin, Dallas, Houston. I could rank them alphabetically or according to population, but I won't. In fact, that would be a good activity for you to do if you have some spare time.

Speaking of time, it is almost 11am and I haven't had a shower, yet, so I'll let you get back to your own life. Be looking for more pictures in the albums soon, (I'll have some time in the next week and a half to do some scanning and uploading) and perhaps I'll expound on my potential futures at a later date.

Be good.

How It Went

It looks like from the counter that I'm the only one who still reads this page, but that's ok. I'll keep typing away, anyway; there is something therapeutic about it.

Well, I sang the Anthem last night. I'd say it went pretty well. It was fun anyway. The best part is that there was a baseball game on the next field over, so I made sure to sing loud enough so that they could hear me, too. I'm counting it as my first AND second sporting event National Anthem.

For any of you who know my cousin Ashley: she's in the hospital right now trying to have her baby. That's cool, right? I'm gonna have another little baby cousin really, really soon. I'll let you know all the details soon.

Okie, dokie. Be good, y'all. And leave a comment if you're reading these posts, yo.

Later.

Special Appearance

I just wanted to let everyone know I have been asked to sing "The National Anthem" at the Palestine vs. Chapel Hill High School soccer game this Friday night. I'll be singing before the varsity game. There are usually about 60 people at the games, including both varsity and junior varsity teams, coaches and parents, so it won't be the biggest crowd I've sung for but definitely the biggest arena. It should be fun. I've secretly always wanted to sing the anthem at a sporting event. This puts me one step closer to a Super Bowl appearance. Hmmmm...I'd better start working on my wardrobe malfunction.

Anyway, if you're reading this and are around Friday night (that includes maybe one of you) then you should come hear me sing. This could be the platform from which my long awaited career is launched. No I'm serious. Maybe there will be an agent among the 60. Hey! It could happen!

Two Hundred

Well, we've reached 200. I just love that. I like watching those numbers get higher and higher. In fact, I've begun to measure my self worth on how quickly the number at the bottom of my blog starts to grow.

Well, I don't have any real news to report right now. I went to church this morning. Back to work tomorrow. I'm trying to start planning what I'm gonna do this summer. I just gotta get outta here. I need to DO something.

Ok. Well... I'll keep you posted on that. Be good everybody!

Some of My Famous Friends

Hey, y'all. I've added a new album to the Photo Albums page. It's my celebrities album. Pictures I've taken of celebs by themselves and pictures of me with celebrities. It should be more fun to look at than just a bunch of pictures of me. I assure you all the pictures are real, and all the famous people are my best friends... Ok, well, all the pictures are real anyway.

See the Invisible Children

Ok, everyone, listen up! This post is being written by Christopher the activist. Just doing my part to help the cause:

So anyway, a few months ago, my friend Alex calls me up and says something like, "Hey! I have this dvd I think you'll like. Why don't you come over here and get it."

Well, the only movies I really like are ones that make me cry, so I said, "Is it gonna make me cry?"

To which he replied, "I don't know. It might." He knows I like sad movies, but he also knows that if I think he really, really wants me to watch it I might not watch it (that's just how my relationship with Alex is.)

So I'm like, "Well, OK." I tried not to sound too interested (again, that's just how my relationship with Alex is), but I think I went that same day and picked up the dvd and took it home. That night I watched the most moving documentary I've ever seen.

The movie is called "Invisible Children". Without going into too many details, it is about these tragically beautiful children from war torn Uganda who have to go to great lengths to avoid being captured by rebel forces. If they are captured, they are turned into soldiers and are forced to kill or be killed.

All of this has been documented by three young film makers from USC. They have done an amazing job of digging beyond the labels that are so easy to place on these kids, and capturing and communicating their humanity. The movie presents hope in the midst of despair; thanksgiving in the midst of ruin.

But my words are inadequate. You need to see and decide for yourself. Tomorrow, Invisible Children is launching a nationwide campaign to raise awareness for this injustice that is going on while you read this. Over the next few months, they will be holding events and showing the movie all over the United States. I would definitely urge you to go and see the movie.

You can find out more information about Invisible Children, including a schedule of events, by visiting www.invisiblechildren.com. If you live in East Texas (like me), you can catch Invisible Children in Palestine on February 19 or in Tyler on February 20. See the movie.

Awesome Link

Now you can look at pictures of me all day long. Just click over on the new Photo Album link or you can click here. Or type in photos.yahoo.com/cjryal2 in your web browser. And if you don't think you're interested in seeing pictures of me, look anyway, because there might just be a few pics of you, too. Right now they are in no particular order. They may stay that way or I might organize them. You just really never know. So check it out and tell me what you think... about the pictures in general. Don't tell me what you think about how I look specifically. I really don't care. Ok, well, I'll be waiting to hear.

WARNING! I need to draw your attention to the fact that there is a snake in one of the pictures in the photo album. If you are severely ophidiophobic, please use your own discretion before viewing the pictures.

Holy Cow, I Broke 100

Well, according to the counter at the bottom of the page I've now had 100 hits! That is awesome. Of course, probably half of those are mine, but still that is quite an accomplishment. I think we should celebrate...hmmm...I know! How about everyone who reads this could send me $100 to commemorate 100 hits to the site. I love that idea. Email me if you need my mailing address.

Working Again

Well, I started my new job as a Substitue Teacher last week. My first assignment was filling in for my brother's 8th Grade Math class. It was kind of fun. The kids were all tripping out because we kind of look alike and they were like, "It's too weird calling you Mr. Ryal when our real teacher's name is Mr. Ryal. Can we call you something different."

Over Christmas I went to Tyler, Odessa and Port Arthur to spend time with family. In Port Arthur, we have some property that was torn up by Hurricane Rita, so we assessed the damages and started making our plans to get that cleaned up. That is gonna be a chore. Since we don't actually live in Port Arthur, that is gonna be a BIG chore. And since we don't live in PA, AND there are no hotel rooms available in PA, that is gonna be a GINORMOUS chore. But it will get done.

Ok. Well, I need to go shower and straighten my hair. My goal is to post again before the end of the month, so check back then.