Dichotomy? Dichotomy.

With this blog, I often run into the same thing I run into with nearly everything: I have a great idea, then I don't get to a place where I can write it in time. I'm not good enough with my phone to do it there and frankly I type fast enough that I really need to do it on a computer.

One of the things I tell people about me a lot is that two of my favorite things could not be more different: NASCAR Racing and musical theatre. I love them both, and it's entirely my parents' fault.

I could really talk about either of these first as my story for loving either is based on time spent with family, but the NASCAR side came up today in conversations with a co-worker, so let's start with that.

My recollection of racing fandom actually started with open wheel cars, specifically Indy Cars. I really think we watched that more than we watched NASCAR and other stock cars at first. Dad, Jay, and I went to the inaugural Denver Grand Prix run on the streets of Denver. Watching races at a street track is not real exciting.

However, that really wasn't the reason that NASCAR became our preferred form of motorsport spectation. It had more to do with the proximity to Colorado National Speedway (CNS), what is one of today's NASCAR HomeTracks.

We'd go watch the races on an occasional Saturday night and we started to watch what was then known as Winston Cup racing on TV once we got cable. Then, on a random off-weekend during the summer, a half-dozen or so Winston Cup drivers drove a short demo race at CNS and sign autographs. Now, among the drivers signing autographs but not driving was Richard Petty, the King. Ernie Irvan, Brett Bodine, and Michael Waltrip. They drove the short demo race in cars from the local drivers.

When NASCAR announced they'd finally be heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400, Dad put in for tickets, figuring it was about a million to one chance. He's often said that one of his greatest Christmas presents was the letter he got saying he'd been one of the lottery ticket winners. We were going to the inaugural 400.

There really is nothing like going to a major NASCAR race. Camping in the on-site campgrounds, making friends over a "colbeer," as they're often called, and just the whole atmosphere in the campgrounds is crazy, fun, and boundlessly energetic. Talledega is legendary for its party scene, but Bristol's campground is all night. I lost a lot of sleep listening to the *thump, thump, thump* "WOO!" of cornhole into the wee hours.

My favorite camping in Phoenix. It's spread out more than any of the other campgrounds, in the middle of the desert and much more serene. I'm not much of a partier and that's the kind of scene I've always enjoyed when camping.

The last few years, my dad and I have gone to Kansas Speedway for the spring race every year. It's close to Lincoln and really a great place and track and general experience. It's also one of the few times I get to see one of my long-time snowmobiling, race, and golf buddies, Mike. It's really a great weekend.

I get that people DON'T get NASCAR. I do. I'm sitting here on a Thursday night watching the Duels, the qualifying races for the Daytona 500. Often, I'll turn a race on, watch the start, then take a nap, then watch the finish. I'll be real, I get why people think it's boring, but I still love it. Even on TV it's loud, it's powerful, and the skill is mind-blowing.

I am anxious to take Everett to his first NASCAR race. When he has a sibling or more, I'll take them as well. If they hate it, I won't make them watch it with me or go to a race again, but I'm hoping they'll at least give the race a shot live.

While it's maybe not explicit up there, the fact that I get to go to the race with my dad, and often with my brother, is a big part of why I love racing. The association with great time with my family is a huge part of why I love the sport. Nights with the family are a big part of the reason I love musical theatre as well.

Now, my mom is a retired music teacher. I've never really asked my parents how my dad became a fan of musicals himself, but by the time I have a solid recollection, my parents had season tickets to the Temple Buell Theater in Denver. If there was a show they thought Jay and I would like, they'd get us tickets. They were usually right. It was also a time to put on some fancy clothes and head to downtown Denver as have a fancy meal as well.

Musicals also served as dates for me when I was, well, dating. Sometimes I'd take her along when my family went, but more often I'd pick up tickets and the two of us would go, including to Wicked in Omaha and in Denver, in less than a year.

Wicked's my favorite musical, hands down. Though I will say that Once is close behind. I love the songs and I could sing them out loud at any opportunity. I know I am not a great singer. I'm not delusional. However, I love belting those songs out. I also love the story: the humanizing of the Wicked Witches of Oz.

Keya and I are fortunate here in Lincoln, the Lied Center gets great shows through. It's also part of the University of Nebraska, so we got discount tickets as Keya was going through her PhD program. We've continued to support the Lied through donations and buying season tickets.

As was mentioned at the beginning of this, musicals and NASCAR are two of my favorite things. I mentioned to a friend of mine that if I had any advice for my 18 year-old self it'd be to define yourself. Don't let anyone else define who you are.

One of the my most valuable learnings in college was that it's okay to like whatever the hell you like (within reason), so if others are going to tell you that you should or shouldn't like that, don't listen. I became a lot happier when I listened to whatever music I wanted to, wore what suited me, and generally comported myself in the way that felt most comfortable. As soon as I cared much less about what others thought, my self-worth improved.

Yeah, it's weird to have a NASCAR tee underneath my Wicked sweatshirt, but it's who I am. They're two things I enjoy, and embracing those two sides of myself has made me happy.

Negative Ghost Rider

Negativity.  I'm over it.  It's everywhere.  I've tried to live my life with a fairly positive outlook, and approach everything optimistically.  I know I'm not always perfect with it (sometimes things just go awry).  I also have to admit, as I go through this blog, that I've been guilty of many of these things, and I likely will be again.  For that, I am sorry for past and future transgressions.  Let's be real, I'm not perfect.

I also want to be clear in saying that no one person or one incident has prompted this blog.  It's kinda the amalgamation of many posts on facebook, and stories from people I know both directly and second and third person.  I'm not calling anyone out.  I supposed this could be seen as somewhat passive-aggressive, and I know some of you will feel like I'm talking directly to you.  I am not.  I. AM. NOT!  I just realised that in writing this blog I am partaking in a bit of negativity.  I'm not trying to be negative, but I am venting.

Let's be real, we all think we're right.  Of course I think that in posting these, I am helping people by guiding them toward, maybe, a bit more positivity.  I love my life.  Bad s#*t happens to me from time to time.  Occasionally I feel like it's my fault, and occasionally I feel like I'm a victim of circumstance, but in my head, I always felt like it would work out in the end.  There's a saying that goes when God closes a door, he opens a window (or when one door closes, another opens).  I've tried to live by this mantra, and it's always worked for me (it was never harder than when waiting for a job offer over this past summer).

We all have that friend (or more than one) who never seems content at work.  It's always a boss who's out to get them, or a co-worker that's clearly sabotaging them.  We've all had terrible bosses.  We've all worked with those guys (or gals) who seem to be out for no one but themselves.  It's so easy in those situations to run away or delegate blame to someone else.  I realise it's so easy to quit, but then the cycle seems to begin anew.  You find a job you like at first, rave about it to your friends, and then within a couple of months... a co-worker's out to get you, or your boss gives you more work or is more critical of you.  Often times, this person doesn't go to the boss to simply ask, "Why?" or, "What can I do to fix this?", this person sits and stews and complains to co-workers.  It's hard to shoulder blame, especially when it's hard to find how you could be to blame.  However, looking at it as a means for improvement, rather than simply bailing seems to make it better...

The other thing that's bothered me for a long time (and I have DEFINITELY been guilty of) is deciding how terrible something (especially a sequel to a movie/book or a follow-up album) is, and then telling people who like that that they're of a lesser intelligence than you because they like it.  WHAT?!  I LOVED "The Dark Knight Rises."  I have friends and acquaintances on facebook who love it, and many who hate it.  Oddly... no one who's apathetic.  Point being, my opinion differs from you.  Additionally, I don't have to compare its merits to its predecessor.  Admittedly, the later Harry Potter books didn't hold up to Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, but book seven was still excellent.  I'm not going to change anybody's mind here, I realise, but it's the same problem I have with political discourse in the country.  Do we forget that others have different opinions and can?!  Before this becomes a Liberal-Conservative debate, let's be clear... everyone is guilty of this in at least some capacity.  It makes others feel AWFUL when you put your foot down with the "I'm right, you're wrong" stance.  This is not arguing that some facts are facts and aren't really open for debate, but many things (my feelings on "The Dark Knight Rises", for example) are a matter of opinion.  If you're going to be one of those people whose opinion cannot be changed, and you belittle others whose opinions differ from yours, you'll gradually find yourself lonely.  I have cut a metric ton of those people out of my life in the last decade, and am glad I don't feel the need to do that again.

Okay, I wasn't going to admit this, but I suppose I will.  What really, really precipitated me finally getting these thoughts down on (virtual) paper is the fact that this weekend is the Bristol night race in Tennessee.  Yeah, NASCAR.  The newer generation of fans has pissed and moaned about the racing recently.  Admittedly, there have been more long runs under green, but there's been good passing, and great racing.  You know what's missing?  WRECKS!  I have to admit, yeah, the wrecks are exciting, but frankly I was more excited to watch Jr. go under Jeff Gordon to make it four wide at Michigan last week.  I REALLY loved watching Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose race as hard as I've ever seen anyone race at Watkins Glen the week before.  They bumped, yeah, the leaned on each other (as Keselowski put it) but they raced HARD.  Had one of them wrecked (as Kyle Busch unfortunately did.  It'd have been a hell of a race with three of the greatest drivers in the world fighting for that position) and had their car disabled, and the caution thrown... we'd have been deprived of that.  Be honest.  If you LOVE wrecks, tell us.  Don't call it "bad racing".

Okay...  Like I said, I've been guilty of many of these things.  I apologise to anyone who's been offended by something I said.  I want to re-state that there is no one person who I am thinking of as I write this.  It's just some stuff that's been weighing on my mind for the last bit.  Thank you all, again, for reading.  I'm more than open to discourse through facebook, twitter, or email- on any topic.  Take care of yourselves!