Classes and Classes

The school year winding down, administration met with the senior class for a debriefing. What did they enjoy about their time at Tennessee Christian Preparatory School? What should be changed?

Whereas the extent of my commentary in 12th grade would have been, "No more geometry" or "Give me a better grade in Spanish," these young adults blew my minds. They'd digested what the school has to offer and provided some invaluable insight into where they felt the school should go. I was impressed at their attentiveness, their willingness to share, and their understanding that as a small school, we have limits. Not having a lot of time to socialize with this year's seniors, I was thankful to break bread with them and watch their brains in action.

On another class issue, I should be teaching journalism next year. It's been a few years since I've been in the classroom, but with such an awesome subject and great students, I'm anxious to get started.

So here's to this year's graduates, as I await the 2009-2010 school year.

Behind Closed Doors

Over the past few months, I've been blessed to pick up a second full-time freelance client. It's a change from much of my freelance writing, but it is a welcome change, one that allows me to grow myself, my writing, and my research skills. How much growth has taken place? Consider this: The first piece I did for this client took a total of around eight hours to complete. When it's only 500 words and requires no interviews, eight hours is an insanely long time.

Thankfully, it paid off. The client really liked the first article, which resulted in consistent work for pretty good pay. Now all I have to do is keep up the quality and quantity and the relationship should remain solid. But there's something eating at me, slowly but steadily. I have no clue what these articles are actually for, whether a magazine, newsletter, newspaper, website or the client's personal satisfaction.

Yes, the client gave me some vague idea of where they're going, but he wasn't too keen on giving me information. Whatever he's storing these little nuggets for is a new project he's working on, and it seems he's afraid someone else will take his idea. Kind of strange to be working so far in the dark as I have, but when you're getting paid it's hard to complain.

Besides, when else will I have a chance to write a story about Robert Penn Warren?

Quote of the Work

"An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment the world hands out and the punishment he inflicts upon himself." - Irwin Shaw

Days Like This

Ahhh...'tis in the 60s, the sun's shining strong, and the fishing report says there should be some serious action tonight.

Days like this make me want to do something with my body that involves soaking up some free vitamin D.

Maybe next time.

The New Space

In a strange accumulation of God's goodness, I have found a new space to do my freelance writing. Far from the hustle and bustle of the house, I am now stationed at Shades of Grey's Cleveland, TN location.

It's a perfect situation and I am eternally grateful to Rob for giving me the space. Essentially, I sit here and write and man the station, talking to potential clients who come in.

Good stuff...

Heath Ledger Is Amazing

Okay, so I waited until the new Batman was out of theaters and in my local video store to watch it. And I was not disappointed. Good story, fun action scenes, creepy villains.

Oh yeah, there's also that Heath Ledger guy in it. He was awesome. Unfortunately, not so awesome that I voted him in for every big movie award known to man. After all the hype, I suppose it's impossible for Ledger's performance to have met the expectations, so I don't hold it against the guy. He was just doing his job and some folks became sentimental and went a bit overboard.

But the movie is good. The whole thing. Every actor. Every actress. Even the dialogue. Not like the campy Batman flicks of my youth, but thoughtful.

So if you've yet to see the new Batman, get to it. You won't get to stare at a beautiful Heath Ledger (too much makeup) or even hear his regular voice (he sounds rather maniacal), but there is a lot of movie to enjoy.

The Ultimate Country Christmas

There is nothing better than the sights, tastes and excitement of the holiday season. If you can’t wait to get the good times rolling, a short stroll up Interstate 24 will get you in the holiday spirit. With more square footage than any other resort on the planet (possibly the galaxy), Gaylord Opryland Resort makes it possible to bring in the holidays without going bankrupt. Unless you’re set on it. Then there’s enough shopping around to put you well into the hole.

Wondering what it offers for you and yours? Read on to find out.

Food
He says: Amazing. Simply amazing. From the buffet breakfast with more options than could possibly be taken advantage of to the incredible dinner entrées, every meal is A) exciting and B) memorable. With their team of renowned chefs, cheese and wine pros and pastry creators, finding a bad meal inside the confines of the resort is as likely as looking up and not seeing a Christmas ornament.

She says: If you’re in the mood for a family style dinner consisting of a variety of Christmas season comfort foods, then get your tickets to The Louise Mandrell Joy to the World Christmas Dinner and Show. The menu was designed by Gaylord Opryland Executive Chef Michael Swann, who worked with Mandrell to create a delicious meal made of Mandrell’s holiday favorites. And what better after-dinner entertainment can you find than the talented Christian country singer and performer Louise Mandrell and her band as they lead you on a joyful Christmas journey around the world. By the time it’s all said and done, you feel like part of Mandrell’s family. And it’s a pretty good family to belong to.

He says: And we can’t forget the green eggs and ham. That’s right. If you visit on a weekend, ask about having breakfast with the Grinch and chowing down on green eggs and ham. The idea of green eggs wasn’t too appealing to me, but plenty of other people dug in.

ICE!
He says: Any time there are 1.5 million pounds of ice to look at, it’s going to be impressive. If the ice is colored and carved into various characters from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, it’s magical. That is exactly what ICE! is. Before entering, you’re given a parka, which seemed like little more than a thick raincoat. Granted, you’re walking through a nine-degree ice sculpture exhibit, so even the thickest coat will only cut the cold so much.

There’s also an ice slide to slide down. While the exhibit is a bit short for the price, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so take it while you can. As this marks the final year for the Grinch to be found in ICE!, this is also your last time to chill with the Grinch.

She says: I have never seen anything like ICE! in my life. It is definitely a one-of-a-kind exhibit. It was fascinating to see the animated creatures from Dr. Seuss’ beloved Christmas story intricately carved out of colorful blocks of solid ice! It is a sight both kids and adults can enjoy for sure. Just when you think the exhibit of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is over, you’re in for a nice surprise in the last section. It is a dazzling, sparkling, larger-than-life Nativity scene made out of solid clear ice. It was easily my favorite part of the exhibit.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular
She says: It was exciting to see the world-famous Rockettes in their holiday show, which has been entertaining captive audiences for the past 76 years! It was a non-stop production filled with dancing, singing, beautiful costumes and amazing scenery. The Rockettes were extremely talented, with every move synchronized with each other. After seeing former Rockettes perform on movies like Annie, it was fun to see them in person.

He says: They kick, they dance, they sing – and they do it all flawlessly. ‘Tis a rare event to see so many people move as a single unit, and the Rockettes did it from start to finish. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the show too much, but once it started, I couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off my face. If you’ve seen the Rockettes, you realize there’s nothing like them. If you’ve never seen them or it’s been a few years, they’ll be on stage through the holidays in Nashville. Don’t miss your chance.

Gingerbread Houses
He says: One of the cool things Gaylord Opryland offers this year are classes to learn how to make awesome gingerbread houses. No, mine wasn’t awesome, but at least it didn’t fall apart.

She says: That’s not nice.

He says: Sorry. But it didn’t. And I didn’t say yours did. For anyone planning to attend the gingerbread class or make a gingerbread house at home, a word of advice: Don’t weigh your roof down with heavy candies or Frosted Mini-Wheats. More than likely, the rest of your house won’t be able to handle the weight. But if you go to Opryland, the fine folks there will be kind enough to help you rebuild time and again.

Spa

She says: What better way to pamper yourself this holiday season than to relax at Tennessee’s largest spa located at the Gaylord Opryland Resort? Relâche offers guests an opportunity to enjoy a time of peace and renewal during this stressful time of year. This full-service spa was definitely a haven of relaxation for me. I highly recommend the organic cranberry pomegranate facial.

He says: After spending a while attempting to pronounce the spa (we figured it was a hip way to spell “relax”), we got down to business. This holiday season, they’re offering a holiday special, which includes a facial, body scrub and pedicure. If you’re like me and tend to kick if your feet are touched, skip the pedicure.

Fuse

He says: All my life, I’ve avoided dance clubs, and now I know why. I can’t dance. But it was fun watching people bust a move. Gaylord Opryland recently opened Fuse, and the club is marketed as a Las Vegas club experience. Never been to Vegas, so I can’t compare, but I was uncomfortable enough to know I was in a dance environment. However, everyone else seemed comfortable moving and grooving in public – including the guy with his leg hiked up on a handrail to stretch before hitting the dance floor – so I had plenty of entertainment.

She says: If you love music and dancing, Fuse is a great place to go. So grab your friends, a drink and an appetizer and dance the night away!

Get more about Gaylord Opryland Resort’s Country Christmas at GaylordHotels.com. Special thanks to the fine folks at Gaylord Opryland who treated us to the finest weekend of dining, wining, entertaining and lodging we have ever experienced during the Christmas season.

Published at Chattanoogan.com.

Wordless Wednesday: Cactus Blossom

I've noticed a few people post pictures on Wednesday, declaring their posts "Wordless Wednesday." If this is relegated to a select few, please correct my misstep. Otherwise, I may do it again. Only without the words.

On Being a Christian and Writer

Over the Thanksgiving break I did some much-needed reading. No, I didn’t pick up a novel or book of poetry. I read William Zinsser’s On Writing Well.

After 50 pages, I wondered how I’d written for so long without going back and reading and rereading how-to books. There are simple things I’d forgotten about writing. One is that writing isn’t always simple. Another is that I need to bleed for what I write. My critical eye has been closed in favor of mass production. It was demanded at my first full-time writing job, and I’ve held onto that mentality. How do I get over it? Read. And write. And read what I write, forcing myself to bench a story if it isn’t a grand slam. Or as Zinsser says, “Notice the decisions that other writers make in their choice of words and be finicky about the ones that you select from the vast supply. The race in writing is not to the swift but to the original.”

Inside Zinsser’s book was something else to think about. He said essentially, writing is all about ego. Which is true. If you don’t think you can write, you’re not going to do it for a living. You may write 5,000 words a day, but you’ll never make money at it. Because you'll never think it deserves to be published. So what is the Christian to do with this ego-driven occupation?

Pray. Pray for a quick mind. Pray for equally fast fingers. Pray for humility. And remember that while putting together sentences in a meaningful sequence is a wonderful ability, it is not earned or deserved. It is a gift.

Cool Down: The Polite Bad Review

Every once in a while, I'll receive a CD to review that I really don't want. While I typically shy away from reviews that will hurt an artist's career, I'm not always able to do so.

One of these problematic CDs came my way this week, courtesy of Southeast Performer. I've not written anything for them in a while, so I gave them the green light to send something my way. As soon as I popped the disc in, I knew what I would be up against: give it a real review or be nice and shelve my feelings.

Well, I had to go the hard route. The band may like me if I give a sweet review, but it would be a lie. For a writer, there are few things worse than risking your integrity to make someone happy.

For a person, I believe the same holds true.

So there will be a few guys who wish someone else had received their music to review. Does it really matter what I say? It's just my opinion and plenty of other people have been digging their music. Besides, if they're doing it for the critics, they won't survive long anyway.