My Brief Biography submitted with my Scholarship Application

Bracken Growing Through
Originally uploaded by David Reece

I was born Joseph Clifton. My LDS family and heritage was evident. My father told me I was named after the prophet Joseph Smith. As the youngest of six children my designation, "the baby", outlived by far my childhood years. And, my family. Father was a National Guard chaplain and Mother, a nurse. I learned much about charity from my parents. My older brother, Gary Wayne, was born mentally and physically handicapped. My mother and father spent much of their life caring for him; however, I was not resentful for receiving less attention.

I learned to be independent.

During my junior high years Gary passed away. For some death may be a captivity, but for him it was freedom from a body and mind bound by circumstance.

I grew.

I started my first day of work at sixteen. I learned how dependent I was. But I enjoyed life. Far into high school I looked back with contentment on the many years I had spent developing acting, singing, dancing, academic, and other life skills. The blazing light of the stage was that year's zenith. My mother passed away my senior year.

It was dark, yet I grew.

I set my sights on the future. I became interested in pharmacy school, served a mission in Venezuela, and started working on my degree at BYU. Not only did I grow, but I developed new dimensions, new perspectives. I learned to love science, interact with people, and be self-sustaining. My love was not only for subjects and facts, but for people, places, feelings. A love of life.

And still I grow. (Like a plant putting forth new leaves to catch the Son’s light.)

On Balance

Reckless person
Originally uploaded by res03uq9

Pirates of the Caribbean III: The Plunge

Sometimes the direction that society is taking reminds me of a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean. Two opposing pirate ships push into a swirling vortex that plunges into the depths of the ocean, shooting at each other even as they go down. We lose valuable assets when we pursue similar societal behaviors. Today called one such asset to my attention. I was speaking with my grandfather about his life's work in a steel mill. It was wonderful to observe as he conjured up the past for my viewing pleasure; I was the passenger as he relived a significant period in his life. I was struck by the amount of detailed knowledge and experience that he could relate. Having experienced more than 80 years of life and almost 60 years of marriage and children, my grandfather is the source of a vast accumulation of knowledge and its applied form, wisdom. Lamentably, today's society views the elderly as a burden to be born, rather than a trove of knowledge to be delved into with vigor. The world's wisdom is rusting away when it should be burnished to a glossy shine. The cankerous source? Society's own: Indifference and Arrogance.

Epiphany

In the epitome of irony, I had an intriguing though while going about my mundane slave labor (aka a job): Peace flourishes when the fear of misunderstanding is greater than the fear of being misunderstood. In other words, when we focus on understanding the other person we are much less likely to be offended by anything they might say. Taking the focus off ourselves and emphasizing the other person promotes peace and a sense of unity that is not disturbed by diversity. Just a thought.

1984

In honor of my 25th birthday, I decided to Wiki some of the events that occurred the year I was born, 1984.
According to the incredibly credible source Wikipedia:

1. "The Macintosh was introduced on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface rather than a command-line interface."

2."The first untethered spacewalk was by American Bruce McCandless II on February 7, 1984, during Challenger mission STS-41-B."

3. April 4, 1984. "U.S. President Ronald Reagan calls for an international ban on chemical weapons."

4. May 8, 1984. "The longest game in Major League Baseball history begins at 7:30 PM between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox. The game is played over the course of 2 days, lasting 25 innings, with a total time of 8 hours and 6 minutes."

5. May 11, 1984. "A transit of Earth from Mars takes place."

6. August 30, 1984. "STS-41-D: The Space Shuttle Discovery takes off on its maiden voyage."

7. September 26, 1984. "The United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China sign the initial agreement to return Hong Kong to China in 1997."

The following are Wikis of events occurring on April 8:

1. 1893. "The first recorded college basketball game occurs in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania."

2. 1913. "The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, requiring direct election of Senators, becomes law."

3. 1946. "The last meeting of the League of Nations, the precursor of the United Nations, is held."

4. 1974. "Hank Aaron Surpassed Babe Ruth with his 755th Home Run"

5. 1869 "Harvey Cushing, American neurosurgeon (d. 1939)" is born.

6. 1973 "Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist and sculptor (b. 1881)" dies.

And finally, according to Wiki, Japan celebrates Buddha's birthday on April 8th.

A sigh of gratitude for children's literature

"Many waters cannot quench love...Neither can the floods drown it." - Madeleine L'Engle

It will blow your mind!

It blows my mind that the more I study, the less I feel like I know!

No Joke, Doc Oc

Well, it seems Otto Octavius had it right about T.S. Eliot. After reading a few short pieces written by Eliot, my IQ seemed to drop drastically. I always believed I could read English. Maybe I just can't read Poet. I suppose I'll try wrapping myself around time's leg and see if, in the shuffle, before being kicked off, Eliot will yield his secrets.
Now Shakespeare, he writes in plain English! Unless, of course, you consider his substantial editions to the language; in which case it might more properly be termed Shakespearean. 'Ay, there's the rub'

Sonnet 29

When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf Heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least:
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee,--and then my state
(Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings'.

-William Shakespeare

(One of my favorites.)

Customize Me!

A friend of mine was recently showing me how I could customize my Google homepage. It's great. I can see the weather, the Dow, the New York Times, the local news, my e-mails, and even a "Places to See" picture that changes everyday. And all of this comes displayed according to my color/design template preference! It's wonderful.....or is it? While I love personalized web pages, I'm not sure I support the underlying principle being taught.
Today's culture funnels us into a whirlpool of customization and instant gratification. With the advent of I-Pod technology we can listen to a custom play list anywhere we go. If we get sick of the song we simply change it to a different one that we like more. Our cell phones give us the ability to have an instant conversation with anyone in the world with the push of a single button. YouTube web pages allow us to view everything from the weekly Presidential Address to the last episode of American Idol that we missed. Global research can be done without ever leaving the room. The world is at our fingertips.
Unfortunately, such instant gratification can lead to an underdevelopment of important life skills. A poor relationship with your children cannot be changed with a fast forward button. Financial difficulties do not respond to a skip button. Tragic events will not reverse with the click of a mouse. Life does not come with a remote control. You can't download life's lessons, you have to learn them. An environment of customization cannot foster values of self-discipline, patience or tact. Maturation is oft times measured by the steady sway of the pendulum.

Holi: The Festival of Colors

(Photo by Ananda Henriksen)

While celebrating the Festival of Colors, my wild side emerged. I found my pulse in the upper sanctum of the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, melding to an ever-quickening drum, merging rhythm, chants, cheers, floor. Yet another facet of me surfaces.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported over 15,000 people in attendance and 25,000 bags of color thrown. I watched the mushroom cloud of color explode from a friend's traffic car. In reading various explanations on the origin of the festival I was impressed by the idea that Holi is a day during which concepts of caste and class are literally blown away on the wind. Everyone brings a different color, their self, to the festival, yet the celebration is the same for all. Each color lends to the beauty of the picture. Each person is marked by the colors of another. There is a thought to ponder.
In a way, this festival mirrors other holy celebrations in promoting unity. For example, one of the Five Pillars of Islam is the Hajj. The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca. This pilgrimage is required of every able Muslim. Upon arrival in Mecca, Muslims change into white clothing and enter their mosque to worship. Once inside the mosque, prince and pauper appear the same. There is equality and unity.
For some, colors offer unity, for others it is found in white, but the purpose is the same.

A beginning...

I sit, pensive after reading one of my favorite works: Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson. The pen of Tennyson has etched his lines on my mind, and my heart echoes both the sadness and hope found therein. "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" is indeed a noble goal.