How you get there is part of the adventure....

I will be honest, the idea of waking up 16 youth to get on a 4 AM airport shuttle to catch a place was a bit nerve racking.  What time could they sleep till and still be ready by 4 AM was my biggest logistical plan.

You know what the hardest part was?  What to do with the extra 10 minutes they had after, getting up, packing up, and getting ready.  The youth (and adults) were amazing.  After 40 minutes at Philly's Airport printing boarding passes and another 30 minutes through security...we made it to our gate with some time to spare.  The flight to Houston was fine...then in my head I hear Tom Hanks, "HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM".

The problem, well we boarded on time.  Found our seats and were ready for take off.  Then 5 minutes passed. 10, 15, and finally 20 minutes.  We are told they are fixing a small mechanical issue.  Code for "YOUR PLANE IS BROKEN AND WE ARE GONNA PATCH AND PRAY"!  Well maybe not, but we were told we were missing a screw.  Now, I have always been missing at least one screw, and I get along JUST FINE.  The problem is, we weren't told if it was a screw to hold the wheel on or just the coffee holder in.

We leave Houston about 12:40 (our original landing time in NOLA) and as soon as we take off, we prepared to land and NOLA!

To save you boring details....Got our luggage, broke into three groups for travel to the hotel on the shuttles, arrived at the hotel, went swimming.  Then three friends show up in "UNIQUE SHIRTS".  We share some laughs and when we get ready for dinner, our already crowded room of 9 people is becoming too much for Shaughn Thornton.  When I say, "go get everyone else", he asks "this isn't everyone"?  Then 21 people are crammed in this room and Shaughn's mind is blown.

The 24 (21 + 3 UDLC Gathering Volunteers) venture off to Cajun Cabin for dinner.   Alligator, Dead Cajun Burgers, Blackened Protein of all kinds, Po' Boys are had by all. 

I convince Woody Fulmer and Adam Krizner to join me for a "Dead Cajun".  Now, I told them it was delicious and big, but to give you an idea on actual size...

Now they enjoyed it, but when the carbCOMA hit about 10 minutes later, a 45 minute stroll up and down Bourbon Street helped.

The youth ventured off to Bourbon Street.  To see what there is to see as a teenager (a lot of gift shops and entrances to shady places).  There were places called Gentleman's Clubs, but I didn't see any men in suits, just women asking people to come in...WEIRD HUH?

 

Then we headed back to the hotel for a team check in and early night....Remember, at the beginning of this, we woke up at 3:30 AM, so 9 PM was pretty late!

Well, Erik House's alarm has now gone off 3 times.  Must be time for him to get up.  We will start the day and you will need to check back in to see what adventures may come.

-Ray Hopkins

Where is your talent?

To follow up on how can I get involved at UDLC? Here is an example of how Upper Dublin Lutheran Church is already out in the world.

Technoliday...Do we all need one?

So last night my wife and I were getting ready for dinner. I mention I would like to see what is on TV so I sit down at the laptop she was working on in the kitchen, log in to Facebook and start reading. I then get up to do some things at the stove and she asks "so when did checking what is on TV equal logging into facebook?

I froze and thought, TV. I wanted to see what was on TV!!!! Why did I log into facebook. She then floated that we may need to put a stop to all the time we get sucked out of life with these types of things.

I immediately say, "oh it is not that bad." Then 10 minute later, was downstairs with my laptop open, my XBOX on (playing Black Ops online if it must be known), with my cell phone next to me, while she streamed a show on the desktop and I started thinking...SHE IS RIGHT.

Now, before you all send this to my wife and she prints it for use later in life, I should preface this by saying, my wife is at genius level intelligence. Literally, not like oh she is genius, but like super smart and has amazing art abilities. If this were Italy during the Renaissance, she would be hanging with DiVinci asking what is up with the dead body in the other room. So, for her to be right is not really an odd occurrence, but pretty much an everyday occurrence at our home.

Now, as I moved on from quietly mulling this over and on my 40th game of bejeweled on Facebook, I start thinking...What could I gave done in the last 40 minutes if I was not sitting with a computer in my lap. At very least, I could have sat with Deena and watched TV.

So now, about 13 hours later (8:15 AM EDT for those who need details), I sit thinking what would i be able to give up and what kind of sense of emotional, psychological, and physical pain would it cause me and do I really feel I can do it? I know, many people realize my ability to cut FB or email out of my life is almost impossible, but I think I could do it. The problem is, can I cut it out and then come back to a less frequent usage and not have a sense of loss for the time I have given it in my life.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not anti-Facebook or technology all of a sudden, I am just realizing how much communication I do only digital and how little in person I do and wondering how healthy that is?

As a youth director for UDLC, I am constantly saying "ok, cell phones away." or "Please stop texting" or "if I see that again I will hold it till we are done" and in the past this was just for texting, but now it is facebook updates, tweets, games, photos, video streaming, and music. I mean these young people have what Star Trek was only dreaming of in the 1960's. Yet, I know the technology is important and to them is the umbilical cord to their social lives, but I ask how healthy is it?

* How healthy is it when we read about people texting up to a housemate, spouse, or child on the upper level of a house or the same floor asking them to do something.

* How healthy is it that youth spend more time relating over facebook than carrying on real conversations?

* How healthy is it that youth and younger generations (and some older) now expect immediate satisfaction or information or answer because of Google or Bing or any Wikipedia?

* Why has it become so important to have to reach someone at anytime, anywhere, for anything? Why is leaving a message not good enough?


Now granted there are great things coming from online personalities. Reclusive people and introverts, may be able to express or share more in the written form and I mean who sends cards or notes anymore? People with communication challenges are able to be a part of an online community with everyone else, but is that also taking the burden from learning about their challenges easier for the masses?

I don't have answers, I just have more questions and follow ups. I just wonder if opening this dialogue and personal experiment may show how instead of only helped, how much technology and always being plugged in HINDERS us from each other and the world around us.