T-M-I from T-I-M

The Reward of the Next Level of Understanding

I was talking with a couple of friends about the way I listen.  I'm intellectually quick.  It serves me remarkably well working with entrepreneurs.  They really appreciate the fact that in a matter of 30 minutes or so I understand the essence of the company they have for so long struggled to articulate.

Personally, it's a little trickier.  Because of my intellect it doesn't take long to get what I think is an understanding of what someone is saying.  Once there, I'm ready to move on or discuss whatever angle the person would like to look at the subject further.

If the person restates what's already understood on my part, I get....restless.  My friend today shared with me that after intellectually getting something that the marginal benefit of then understanding it emotionally or even spiritually is greater than the intellectual understanding most times and that restatement sometimes facilitates that journey.

I guess I've got some form of acute intellectual ADD, once I get it, I'm ready to move on.  Of course there are times when I "get" something, but get it wrong (not often, but sometimes).  That aside, I'm interested in looking at levels of understanding as a means to more deeply experience something that would seem to only really require an intellectual understanding.

If I'm talking with someone who operates along the same intellectual principles, the pace is snappy. 

I'm capable of slowing down and going deeper, I guess I'm learning when I should.

The Difference Between Tennis & Basketball

I was out with a big group of friends the other night at a club when a song by Lil Wayne came on.  First, I quickly realized how uncool I had become because I didn't recognize the song as being Lil Wayne and I know he's hot.

More importantly, the song has a distinct vibe that is too cool.  I was standing next to a friend of mine who is black and I asked him:

"Why is it that, more or less, only black guys can come up with stuff like this that is so damn cool?"

He looked at me and said: 

"It's like the difference between tennis and basketball."

Nothing more needs to be said, I couldn't have said it better, in fact it seems to me that even THAT comment is something that mostly a black person can come up with....classic!!

Book Review: Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About

I just finished this book by Mil Millington about a guy named Pel and his girlfriend Ursula and their day by day lives living, or perhaps more accurately surviving, relationship life.  Millington's writing is zippy and hilarious.  I love the way he developed the scenes and situations keeping the characters true to throughout the book.

He nails it when he describes the differences between the way men and women, generally, deal with children.  But he shines most brightly when he shifts the scene to Pel having lunch or coffee with his good buddies Roo and Tracey when he would lament about his life only to be taken to task by two sarcastic, quick friends (who ultimately, in a bit of a lame twist, end up together in a relationship).

The book runs a little long, but he consistently makes things funny.  One of my faves was line during an interview where Pel says:

"I'm glad you asked me that, Keith.  In fact, I think my lack of computer "qualifications"..." I made little quotations with my fingers, the motion simultaneously waving goodbye to my imortal soul.

....classic.

Like Nick Hornby, he has the blatant comedic honesty of British authors that I really enjoy.  He's not quite as engaging a writer as Nick Hornby (then again who is?), but he is super cool and has a good flow.

It's a light romp, worth the effort.