Tea with McNair

• mcnair-ipedia

All of a sudden I have my very own Wikipedia listing! I did not post it, but thanks muchly to whomever did! It was mostly accurate. I added just a few bits and removed the opening line that I am "Billy Graham's nephew"—I am not now, nor have I ever been related to that good man (except as we are brothers in God's kingdom.) Have a look at my new McNair-idedia lisitng,  HERE.

• read me first

IT FINALLY HAPPENED: AN ENTIRE DAY WITH ZERO READERS OF MY POST. (WELL, HALF A DAY, 16 HOURS, TOO LONG!)  WHAT MUST I DO: OFFER FREE MONEY, GIVE AWAY CARS, OFFER CASH FOR CLUNKERS, REVEAL MY STRATEGY FOR WINNING AT TEXAS HOLD 'EM POKER, ANNOUNCE A FOOL-PROOF DIET FOR LOSING 10 POUNDS-A-DAY, PUBLISH THE NEXT INDIANA JONES OR STAR WARS SCRIPTS, PROVE (SCIENTIFICALLY) THAT RED WINE & CHOCOLATE WILL EXTEND YOUR LIFE BY FOURTEEN YEARS, OR TELL YOU WHERE I RECENTLY SAW ELVIS (OR WAS IT JACKO), SCOOP TMZ, POST CUTE PUPPY PHOTOS, GIVE YOU DOWN-LOADABLE CASH, OR PUBLISH OBAMA'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE FROM... There. Did I get in all the current buzz words of meaningless news items to catch Google's attention?  What's it take to get you excited, enthused, motivated to tackle a creative project that's been collecting dust (ignored) in a garage, attic, or basement, and is now ready to meet the world? If you were a sailboat, lean into the wind. What are you waiting for? Start. Re-start. Try, fail, try some more. My current book project gets a few minutes, a couple hours, a big chunk of my time—everyday. Even on the "few-minutes-a-day" days I feel I have accomplished something worthwhile. That leads to me being in a more enthusiastic, proactive, affirming state of mind. Every one around me benefits from that. Go light 'em up, friend. The rest of us are counting on your effervescence. Get fizzy! Stay fizzy. (Repeat often.)                  

• iHop iDea

iT was late. iHad a very big day at work, as did our entire Compassion International team. iT was the annual Day on the Green (at a park across the street and behind the Coffee & Tea Zone.) iNside our offices, the morning (Friday, 14 Aug.) was filled with a playful, frenetic, and remarkably creative event.    I had brought several items from home to be used in our teams creation and loaded all of them in my car to make the first trip home, half a mile away.

    iN a scant five minutes I was home, garage door open and unpacking everything. iMagining this would be the first of two trips, I ran upstairs (apartment is over the connected-garage) to shower and change into my Friday-night-go-to-dinner togs. Clean and refreshed from the quick “hose-down”, I sat on the couch to catch the news and my breath.

    iNstead, I slept for four hours and woke up groggy and filled with indecision: should I fix dinner at home or finish dressing, head back to my office to retrieve my laptop, costume and a few other stray items, then go for dinner at any one of several favorite local eateries. iN my mind I spent five minutes weighing my options: home or out. iN reality I  dozed off for two more ours, curled up in front of a crackling television.
    iN a flash—after now more than six hours of napping—I was in my jeans, red Crocks, purple (!) golf shirt, and Compassion fleece (black), and out the door. My new boss pegged me early on for a no-time-restraints guy and arranged for me to have 24/7 access with my ID badge. Popped in, grabbed my gear (the place seemed nearly haunted with minimal lights and no one else about) and I was out. By now, 1:00 AM even all my favorite local places were done for the day. Champs, “our kitchen is open till 2 AM” was dead. I know ‘cause I stood at the hostess stand for five minutes watching their wall of sporting events on too many screens and saw no other living person. I chose iHop. I was not alone. Half way through my breakfast/dinner an iDea occurred to me for a chapter in one of my new book projects.
    Untying my new, hand-bound, leather sketchbook, I began to scribble a few thoughts. Two pages became five, and by the middle of page seven I had a full chapter on the subject at hand. Reading Natalie Goldberg’s WILD MIND, some years back, convinced me that chapters can be short if they accomplish their objective. (Wild Mind is the last book on my “Books for Your Spirit” list at the left here on Tea Blog.) I am always strolling through a handful of new-to-me books at any given time. (Can you say “Avid Delver into Diverse subjects, aka ADD?)  The best book in my current reading stack is the War of Art by bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield. (Also at left in “Current Reading” list.) My long-time friend and mentor, Wes Roberts said, ”You could have written this.” I had to take a look. It is in my bag NEXT to my sketchbook, daily. Many of Pressfield’s chapters are less than a page, but full, rich, and remarkable!
    All of the above to share this simple, important thought with you, dear reader, the time to create is NOW. Waiting improves nothing.
    Michelangelo never owned a clock. Da Vinci probably made a dozen time tellers but likely ignored them. iT is the stuff of legend that Thomas Edison, who personally held over 1500 patents, slept only four hours in a 24 hour cycle. (Kids, don’t try this at home!) 
    Got an idea now? Scribble it now. Hence the legendary “it started with a doodle on a napkin” cliché. Well, my friend, I can take you to Disney theme parks around the world and show you multi-million dollar projects that began as ideas on a napkin—literally. Further, ALL of my books started as scribblings in sketchbooks...more than a few in iHop.
    iHope you’ll seize the moment wherever, when ever the sparks fly. Be sure, too, take time to doodle and scribble when there are no sparks, but plenty of napkins near by.
    What have you scribbled today?

{ This post draft over a smooth latte at Serrano's Coffee, Colorado Springs. And posted at Biaggi's with my friend Gnarly Head Zin.}

• mr. pivot's questions

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Based on the “Proust Questionnaire” then reworked by French TV host Bernard Pivot (right) and popularized by James Lipton on cable channel, Bravo’s The Actors Studio. Here are my answers...until Mr. Lipton calls me.

What is your favorite word?

Grace: as in graceful execution of an art form, grace-filled spirit, and the Grace of God

What is your least favorite word?

(I never say it—it is a vile four-letter word that you don’t hear everyday, thankfully.)

What turns you on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally?

Creativity—dashing off a playful cartoon on the butcher paper table covering at a favorite eatery or in my current sketchbook, acting in a play and finding a new wrinkle to my character after several performances of the same play, writing a few pages in my latest book project and rereading them the next day and enjoying the word play. 

What turns you off?

Name-calling: when there is no intellect or cogent argument to be made, ridicule your opponent—like we used to do in fourth grade.

What is your favorite curse word?

CRAP!

What sound or noise do you love?
Laughter—anytime, anywhere, by anyone—except as an act of ridicule.

What sound or noise do you hate?
Anyone yelling into their cell phone.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Painter or pianist (composer/lyricist)

What profession would you not like to do?
Any job that involves tedious, repetitious, work that doesn't challenge me creatively.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
(No words—just a big, long hug. And in my ear....giggling.)

Tell me a couple of your answers in the comments section or post all ten on your blog and post the link here in the Comments,Dept.

Have a look at the original Proust Questionnaire and his answers.
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