High Standards Are Relative

This past year I have had the privilege to write posts spotlighting amazing individuals who have each held themselves to high standards in a variety of ways. After spending the past 10 weeks as one of forty-three Air Force officers in military training I have been overwhelmed by numerous fresh examples from across the country and world. It was too difficult to choose just one member to interview so I decided to write about the whole class :)

This experience revealed to me that to keep your standards “high”, or to “raise” them implies there is a relativism involved when it comes to things like standards. Although I subscribe to the belief of an ultimate standard that I fall short of regularly, it is also in our day to day interactions with individuals where we choose to live a life that drags the standards of others down, or lifts them up. These constant interactions sharpen each individual involved much like iron sharpens iron to become a better version of themselves.

While spending 10 weeks around some very impressive people I felt my “high” standards tugged at in both directions. This tug back and forth was a challenge I am very appreciative of because it pushed me to grow and not be content with where I was at. Below is a short tribute to the members of Raptor and Lightning II flights and the short chapter of life we shared together (warning, this is one of those "you had to be there" type poems).

Flying and driving we made our way

43 lives on a 10 week track to that graduation day

Raptors appreciated our Miller time while L2 enjoyed their tips from Pitts

With a class full of leaders, talent and sass there were many highs with very few dips

Friends and weight were gained @ NOLA and Half Shell

Although some tabs and tales we rather not tell

Acing tests, community service and 0500 PT balanced us out

With shared stories from Hart and hearts we continued our 38P route

Forming, storming, norming, performing oh yeah that is part of our class reel

Next stop: kicking butt at OFE, with Red Horse Cadre wondering “are these O’s for real?”

With MREs, tents and Turkey we came together

With a host of memories, this time spent has  made us each better

Keep your standards aimed high even if you may miss the mark now and then

Know your integrity, service and excellence set the stage for the next gen

Remember what taking chance means to you for the suit of duty we each wear is a tailored fit

Bang Bang!...Woooow! Time flies…thank you all and know every day...you saw this coming...it was worth it

- Banner1

Parenting is a Powerful Platform

One of my childhood sports heroes was the gunslinger from Kiln Mississippi, Brett Favre. My admiration for his blue collar style and competitive spirit spanned for over a decade including numerous Pro Bowl and MVP selections and culminated to his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame this summer. During his induction ceremony a special game was recalled that many Packers fans will remember: the Monday Night Football game against the Oakland Raiders Dec. 22, 2003. Thinking of that game still gives me goose bumps as Favre passed for 4 touchdowns and 399 yards (311 yards and 4 touchdowns in the first half) in a 41-7 win after unexpectedly losing his dad and former football coach Irvin Favre the night before. Despite Favre's reputation of being an ‘ironman’ and epitomizing toughness, it is clear from his emotions that night back in 2003 as well as during his recent induction that his dad was a powerful influence not only in how he played football, but also in how he lived his entire life.

Ironically, my own dad’s most impactful influence on my life mirrored Favre’s days in Green Bay from my time in grade school all the way to the brink of my 21^st birthday when my dad and I listened on the radio to Favre’s last game as a Packer. Similar to Favre and his dad, I put my dad on a platform and learned from his example. I recognized his work ethic when he went in on his days off simply because he said “there was still work to do”, or the early Saturday mornings he spent doing yard work which I drug myself out of bed to try and pitch in with. I noticed his vigilance as he drove my mom into work when the roads on her 30 mile commute were icy (which was often) and how he was a regular sideline figure at my sports games. He taught me attention to detail by how to properly stack a cord of wood and would make me go back and mow a missed patch of lawn, or re-wash the car if it looked sloppy. Bottom line: a parent’s child is constantly looking up to them because parenting is a powerful platform. I suppose it is nice knowing Brett and I have something in common :)

I recently encountered a perfect example of this with recording artist and fellow Packers fan Amanda Vernon (singing the National Anthem at Lambeau Field gives her major "cheesehead credibility"). I know she realizes the powerful platform of parenting since in the two live shows I have seen her perform she had her children with her on stage; in one show with her infant in a baby carrier literally looking up to her and in the second show her next bundle of joy still in her womb as Amanda belted out a beautiful melody. Enjoy this brief interview as Amanda shares how she keeps her standards high, celebrates the beauty around her and exemplifies how parenting is a powerful platform In Real Life.

• What motivates you to do the work you do?
  "As a recording artist and song writer, my inspiration is beauty! When I experience something really beautiful, I want to share it with other people through my work."
  

• Why?
  "I always learned that gifts are meant to be shared. Awareness of beauty, in both life-changing circumstances and in ordinary moments, is a gift that I desire to share!"
  

• How would you say you have raised your standards in your life?
  "I can pin-point the moment when I raised my standards in my life. I was 15, and I realized I wasn't actually practicing a lot of what I believed on a spiritual level. Once I came to the understanding that my life would be more full by integrating my spirituality with my actions, I started chasing after that level of integrity. And I haven't looked back!"  
  

• What keeps others from raising their standards?
  "At the heart of my lack of integrity in the past, was fear. I was afraid that if I admitted the truth about myself and my own beliefs, others wouldn't like me or accept me. And I was afraid that I wasn't actually worthy of being the best version of myself. I can only imagine that others shy away from raising their standards because they feel a similar fear." 
  

• What upcoming events/initiatives/songs/projects would you like to share, or highlight?
  "My husband and I are about to welcome our fourth child into the world! It's been a new and humbling experience to continue with music production at a steady pace while I'm also making a person! The progression is notable on my YouTube show, In Real Life. In a couple of episodes, I'm going to release a new song called 'Pregnant Pause.' The lyrics are about the encouraging things a person could say to a visibly pregnant woman."
  Go Pack Go!
  Miles

Fun Questions

• What do you want to be when you grow up?
  • "I'd like to be a mentor for up-and-coming musical talent. While I love my career as a recording artist, my long-term goal is to help other artists make a living from sharing their musical gifts."
• What do you enjoy doing in the summer you cannot do other times in the year?
  • "I live near Oakland, California, where practically every day of the year is like summertime!" 
• Who is your favorite music artist to listen to and why?
  • "When I go running, I listen to Stevie Wonder's Pandora Station. That type of music always lift my spirits with catchy melodies, thoughtful and funny lyrics, and upbeat rhythms."
  
  
  
  

   

Patched Together and Beautiful

Although I grew up in Chiloquin, Oregon nearly all of my Christmases have been spent at what our family simply calls “the farm”, located on a little slice of heaven just off Fern Ridge Road east of Salem, Oregon. Established in 1896 it has survived  generations of family (my grandpa was born in one of the small downstairs rooms), 1 fire (which nearly burned it to the ground), and several remodels. If those old  farmhouse walls could speak they would probably loudly whisper—  “hey Jerry [my uncle who lives there], do you mind cranking up the heat, it’s colder inside than it is outside!”. Yes, Christmas was always fun there, however with a house that old it has always been difficult to keep warm. Despite this there were always workarounds during Christmas: stand directly in front of the fireplace, keep your jacket(s) on, take a swig of Uncle Teddy’s whiskey, or my personal favorite, stop complaining and start a conversation with a cousin, or aunt you never get to see and let the conversation warm your soul. Eventually the night would taper off as everyone tried to stake out a spot on a couch, or a position on the floor where “santa” would not step on you when he delivered presents wrapped in newspaper at 3am in the morning. Wherever I found my spot to sleep my mom would often find me and come lay an extra blanket on me and I loved it, especially when it was this particular quilt. This big old dense blanket was composed of various patches that made the whole thing a collage of beauty, and completely covered me, bringing  a sense of warmth and peace. Looking back now on those Christmas Eve nights I notice the diversity in my family. Seeing us literally spread across the living room floor on couches, with random blankets and in sleeping bags of different colors, it is easy to see my extended family quilted together as this big old blanket patched together and no matter how cold the world is they can bring a unique warmth and peace to my life whenever I am around them.  

One such family member is my cousin Zippy who is one cool cat. Besides being an aspiring quilter (☺), he has been a recording artist (Misteltoe cover), worked on music scores of major motion pictures like the Twilight series, produced an inspiring film about human trafficking, been a stage actor at the Enchanted Forest, built homes through Habitat for Humanity both locally and abroad, traveled around the world (literally), served as a camp counselor, or director at numerous summer camps for 20 years, is a regular in the Timbers Army (look for the guy with the turned up hat bill) and currently is the founder of his own video production company “Only Today”.

With experiences all over the world and interactions with people from all levels of society such as poor child soccer players in Nepal to Mark Zuckerberg, Zippy has patched together an amazing life. When I ask him what motivates him to do what he does he answers immediately with the direct eye contact and matter of fact tone that tells you he is sincere. “I work on things for the greater good and often that has meant raising awareness of bad things happening in the world”. We spend the next moments discussing his multiple trips to Nepal where he said his world view changed while building a house for Habitat for Humanity (a prize he had won for being a top fundraiser in the North Willamette Valley). “You know it is one thing to have someone poor ask you for money once, but it is very different when you are being asked all the time from multiple kids each day and you are living in houses with no running water, no bathrooms and with people who live on less than 80 cents a day”. As we sip on our $5 microbrews, which in Portland is a good deal on a Thursday night, Zippy throws out enough stories of connecting with people he could easily write a book on it, but I reluctantly move to our final questions.

I ask him to talk more about his motivation and what makes him raise his standards since much of what he does is voluntary. “Man, when you have experienced life changing events in your life…for me losing my mom at a young age, to one of my closest friends a year later, to my own person fight with cancer…it triggers something in you to value every day, focusing more on the relationships and experiences in life versus just the things you own. In fact my company, “Only Today”, is based on the concept of what would you do if you only had today…I am energized by that thought to continue going out connecting with new people and their stories to shed more light on what is out there in the world”. When asked what may keep people from raising their standards he talks about the fear we all have of doing something uncomfortable. “You have to realize I never thought I was going to leave my hometown of Stayton…I was terrified of flying, and the unknown of leaving the small comfortable place I’d spent most of my life” as Zippy lets out an ironic laugh. “One thing my mom taught my brother and I at a young age is you can always come back home, but first go out and see the world now, or otherwise you may never see it. She grew up as an Airforce brat , so she lived all over the world.

To see the world is important; not just through photographs, or other people’s Facebook photos, but to actually take it in with your own senses. Zippy mentioned earlier part of his motivation is wanting to be part of a greater good; a belief I feel is heightened in all of us when we experience how others live. This is a concept we can all find common ground with. For the atheist, or nonreligious you can understand it by the concept of systems thinking of how we are all connected by a vast network of cause and effect. For the Christian you can understand it by Jesus’s teaching we are all the body of Christ and that if one part of the body hurts, the whole body suffers. I interviewed Zippy just a few days after the shootings in Orlando. There are many strong beliefs fueled by possibly stronger emotions highlighted in this event including gun rights, public safety, treatment of Muslims, treatment of the LGBTQ community and immigration policy to name a few.  No matter your view on these individual aspects there is a greater good inside us that tells us what happened there was wrong. We are all woven together in a global quilt comprised of different colors and beliefs, but there is a thread of valuing this greater good that binds us together. We are all patched together and beautiful.  Yes our quilt is frayed on the edges and is due for a dry cleaning, but it is when we try to rip out a patch we do not like that causes the most damage to the whole because it is ultimately ripping a hole in our own shared fabric of life. It hurts when we have something ripped from us. For some it may be a mass shooting targeting a community you identify with, it may be the loss of a parent at a young age, or a significant other, but no matter how much it hurts it will heal and you will again be blanketed in a warmth and peace no matter how cold the night of the world may be.

-Miles

Fun Questions

What do you want to be when you grow up and why?

• “I would love to be doing what I did as my favorite job before: a camp counselor. My summers back in 2005-2006 working at Snow Mountain Summer Camp are some of my best memories. I am still involved in camps from a director role, but eventually would love to just do the counseling portion of it”

With 4th of July as the big holiday in July, what do you think is the best thing about America?

• “To be 100% honest I identify more as an Oregonian than an American. However, with that said America continues to be a great place despite all of our issues. I’m sometimes surprised how well received Americans are in most parts of the world. I was in the U.K. during the Bush Presidency and while getting groceries at a Tesco the checker revealed to me in a low tone how he wished he lived in America, calling me a “lucky boy”. To my earlier point as well, as far as America goes, Oregon is a special place and I love the whole Cascadia region of the Pacific NW”.

As a regular with the Timbers Army, what is your favorite Timbers memory so far?

• “It would be cliché to say winning the MLS Cup last year although that was pretty awesome. I would say the infamous penalty kick shootout win during the playoffs last year, with the infamous “double post” that helped the Timbers get to the Championship; that game was absolutely crazy! A close second would be hugging the Timbers head coach Caleb Porter in the men’s restroom at Deschutes Brewery shortly after they won the Championship…also absolutely awesome, and maybe a little awkward

See a Need and Jump In

Being a lifeguard has never appealed to me. The thought of sitting for hours and monitoring a pool of water waiting for something to go wrong seemed to me a great source of both boredom and anxiety at the same time; the fact I am a poor swimmer may have a small part in it as well. Don’t get me wrong, I admire lifeguards. I grew up catching the last wave of the original Baywatch series and watching The Sandlot (I REALLY hope you get that reference). All kidding aside the very fact that they do monitor a situation hour after hour, day after day and stay ready to spring into action when they are needed is very admirable and noble. Think about it, you are at a pool on a hot day crowded with people and all of a sudden someone yells “help!” just as you notice a struggling swimmer stranded in the deep end. What would you do? As you ponder your decision you hear a distinct splash pierce the clamor to notice the lifeguard jumping in and quickly closing the distance to the victim and then slowly, but surely guide them to safer waters. A key difference is that when they see a need they do not hesitate, their instinct triggers and they have the courage to jump in. 

As an OSU undergrad studying veterinary science Chelsie Vukovich was talked into being a lifeguard at a summer camp for kids in the foster care system by her grandparents 11 years ago. The Royal Family Kids Camp (RFKC) as it is known is the Nation’s leading network of Camps, Clubs and Mentoring for children of abuse, abandonment and neglect. With 209 camps in 40 states and 4 international countries RFKC has served over one hundred thousand kids since its’ inception in 1985. Little did Chelsie know how much this favor for her grandparents would end up impacting her life trajectory as she describes her feeling after that first camp: “I just remember falling in love with the kids and when I returned to OSU I knew I had to switch my major so I began studying social work and volunteering at RFKC every summer since then; I absolutely love it”. This passion continued growing and since then Chelsie has earned her Masters in Social Work from USC, has been a Royal Family Kids Camp Director for 5 years and is the Behavior Specialist at Sherwood school district where she meets the mental health needs for students there. On top of this Chelsie volunteers with Cares Northwest at the Randall Children’s Hospital emergency department where she partners with DHS and police departments to serve child trauma victims in the greater Portland area stretching from Vancouver all the way to the coast.  This is where you pause reading and give Chelsie a big air high five for being awesome…I will give you a few seconds to do that, so go ahead.

Her work is anything, but easy and can be exhausting. Chelsie reflects “I have to admit some days when I get home I am just tired and have to find the energy somewhere because I might have a double shift that night…remembering to pray helps as well as knowing what I do has an impact, I know because I have seen it…it may not happen instantly, you know you have to plant the seed and seeds grow at different speeds, but the important thing is that the seed is planted…when you see your work pay off it is a thrill that helps me keep going”. Asked why some people may not find that extra kick in the butt to reach out in help, or try something new Chelsie’s answer echoes a common response I have heard before of fear and being comfortable. “It can be scary to try something new and if you are comfortable it is easy to stay where you are at, but how are you supposed to grow? The thing is you can’t. To grow you need to take that next step even if it seems uncomfortable…the part that can be scary is when you run into conflict with others and you have to stand firm in what you believe”.

The nature of Chelsie’s work exposes her to being involved in many traumatic experiences where she needs to stand firm and embrace the uncomfortable in order to grow. One recent example is the revelation of an Oregon law that “to convict a suspected child abuser of felony assault or criminal mistreatment, prosecutors must prove that the victim suffered a ‘physical injury’ under Oregon law. And that, in turn, means proving that the person experienced ‘substantial pain.’” (excerpt from Oregon Live article). We live in the 21^st century and yet have a law on the books that allows someone who beats a child to face no criminal charges simply because the child does not, or cannot say that they felt “substantial pain”. When a lifeguard sees someone drowning they do not wait for the swimmer to say “I’m drowning!”. What do they do? They see they are drowning and jump in and save them! Waiting in this scenario could very well mean the difference in losing, or saving a life. Now will each child that is beaten with their abuser not facing justice necessarily lose their life? Not likely if you limit the definition of “living” to just having a heartbeat. However, as I hope most of us know, an abused child can grow up to suffer immensely below the surface physiologically, emotionally and spiritually when the figure charged to protect and nurture them does the opposite.

You may not realize it Chelsie, but you never stopped being a lifeguard.

To all those reading, if you see a need around you that you have an ability, or skill to help with then what are you waiting for? Jump in and don’t be afraid to act because the sad reality is the majority will stand around and do nothing.

Fun Questions

What do you want to be when you grow up and why?

• “I enjoy what I do although it is very tiring at times so I hope I can grow up and can continue to have the energy to do what I am doing now; that would be great. Thinking about it more it would be great to be married to a prince since I feel like if you are married to a prince you get to travel the world and serve the needy, that sounds fun” J

Summer is not officially here according to the calendar, but let’s get real, summer is here. What are you most looking forward to this summer?

• “Well of course I am looking forward to the Royal Family Kids Camp in August I am running. On top of that though I am going on my first big trip abroad during June. I will be visiting Malaysia and Thailand while spending time with my cousin and dad, which will be great since it will be Father’s Day while I am there. It will be a great way to celebrate the end of a school year.”

It is also the season of graduations and thus commencement speeches as well. If you were giving a commencement speech what would you say?

• “I would say just keep an open mind. We have an agenda of what is going to happen in college for the next 5-10 years and it rarely stays the way we planned. If my original agenda in college held through I wouldn’t be where I am now. Have a good general direction, set goals and allow time and experiences to shape who you are and where you end up. Do not act like in 5-10 years you will arrive at a destination and you will be ‘done’;  there is always a next phase. Don’t get too comfortable in life and continue challenging yourself; if you stop challenging yourself you will stop growing”.

Life is Heavy, Have a Spotter

I began first seriously lifting weights in high school in conjunction with football practices in the summer of 2001. It was fun to progressively increase the amount I could lift and see the results of my efforts on the field. The most popular lift was by far the bench press. In my experience it was not too far of a stretch to say how much one could bench press was a clear signal of how strong and indirectly how “manly” one was considered by his peers. This was measured by “maxing out”, which meant lifting as much as one could for one rep. I remember the day I wanted to max out and I asked by buddy Briston over to spot me. I recall the moment when I was pushing the weight up and it was a 50/50 chance if I could get it up all the way to the top rack, or if the weight would crash down on my chest. The fact I had a capable spotter ready to step in if needed as well as motivate me to finish gave me the confidence to finish the lift successfully. Fast forward a few years later to college where I was bench pressing at Dixon Rec Center at Oregon State University. Not only was I stronger now, but I worked there and was more familiar with weight lifting; the biggest difference was I did not have a spotter. As I foolishly attempted one more rep versus racking the weight and resting for a bit, all of a sudden the weight froze just 2 inches from the top rack. Despite all my effort I couldn’t get it to the top rack and the panic set in as I fought the weight that slowly, but steadily lowered closer to my chest. I was just able to place it on the “emergency” racks and had to embarrassingly wiggle underneath the bar as I sent up a quick “thank you” prayer I didn’t get pinned underneath. I was stronger, more knowledgeable, I had lifted thousands of times before and knew my limits so how and the heck did I let this happen? My realization now is that the pressures of life are heavy (often heavier than we think and with no emergency racksJ) and if we try to withstand them all on our own we will sooner or later be crushed; unless we have a spotter.

In my experience one of the seasons of life where life is heaviest and we need the most help is ironically during our traditional college years. No not just with maxing out at the university rec center, or gym, but with the exploration of new relationships, new communities and countless opportunities while for many feeling the first true taste of freedom and independence. A man who understands this and is skilled in “spotting” when someone in this demographic needs support is my brother in Christ Dan Fitzpatrick. A fellow Oregon State alumni Dan has been involved extensively in the “Fragua” program offered to college students primarily at Oregon State and Portland State Universities. Dan describes Fragua as “somewhere for college students to retreat from their lives for at least a little while from the stress from home, from classes and anywhere else they may be feeling it…it allows a place to feel an interior silence”; a rarity in the world of Facebook status updates, YouTube clips and mountains of procrastinated homework. Designed to meet people where they are at through a simple approach of dinners, talks and short retreats Fragua is a Catholic program that encourages college students to live a Christ centered life in college and beyond. Whether it be organizing the programming, music ministry, recruiting, giving testimony, or filling in recently at the last minute to help lead a retreat Dan is very familiar with what the program has to offer because he himself attended it when he was an undergraduate at OSU. When asked what motivates him to do it all he said “I remember the impact it had on me; I grew up Catholic, but this was different, these people were normal <laughs>…not trying too hard to be someone they weren’t, they just lived a Christ centered life in a normal way and that attracted me and since then I just wanted to pass that on…plus the food at the events is pretty good, you definitely need to try the chicken parm”J.

Anyone who has met Dan quickly realizes his talent for maintaining a positive presence, cracking a joke and ability to work the crowd with a sincere care and interest in each individual he is talking with. The fact he has found an avenue to care for other people in a way that leverages his strengths is a beautiful thing. He reflected on this when I asked him what makes him raise his standards. “Over time I just became more and more certain we are not enough for ourselves, we need something more to fulfill us and as a Christian I feel that is ultimately God although it also means we can reflect God in the life of others because they need it…for example this last retreat I really was able to interact more with the participants and it was crazy, I REALLY felt like I cared for them when I

heard their stories and my heart grew like the Grinch at the end of the How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which may sound silly because I always have cared, but this was a deeper love… it made me feel for a moment how a father must feel for a son, or daughter when they are sad and hurt and it reminded me how much God must feel for us when we are in those times of loneness and brokenness…Fragua gives me an avenue to help  people in college when the pressures are too much and need a community to support them during these times”. Dan went on to share with me many stories including an agnostic student who stated the Fragua events were the “highlight of his week” along with a student with a seemingly “perfect” life letting her guard down and show the real pain and heartache that can often be masked by what looks like success externally. In raising his standards he has in turn helped this community raise their own and if that is not awesome then go check your dictionary on the definition of awesome and get back to me.

Dan and I discussed more on why people including him and I may not raise our standards. He felt it is fear and loneliness primarily that keeps us from raising our standards. It is scary to reach out for something you know is good and may take more effort when peers around you are content with the status quo, which can lead to a feeling of isolation if you decide to reach out. Self-doubt can sink in the psyche of all of us as we question if we are as good as we think we are so we tend to feel more comfortable shrinking  than growing, or at the very least keeping pace with the masses. As Dan describes, “we become a product of our external circumstances and if we do not have a strong positive internal pressure pushing back then we are bound to be the product of whatever happens at us from the outside…we just buckle”.

What about you? Are you in life right now feeling like you are maxed out? Who is your spotter? Better yet who in your life do you know is struggling and may need an assist to avoid life crashing down on them? Wherever you may be I encourage you to reflect on how you can raise your standards and whatever you feel called to do remember to not be afraid, or fall victim to loneness. Do it one rep at a time and know you have Jesus as your personal trainer spotting you to push forward and nothing is too heavy for Him.

 

Miles

 

 Fun Questions

• The saying goes April showers bring May flowers…what is your favorite flower and why?
  • “Rhodonederen because all the places I have called home have them including good ol’ OSU.”
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
  • “I always wanted to be a rock star growing, but now I would like to be like this couple I know in their 60’s who love having fun and throwing parties. I would love to be the center of social life when I am in my twilight years devoted to a loving wife and with friends and giving life away…I think that would be better than being a rock star…at least 9 out of 10 times it would be.” J
• What upcoming events/initiatives would you like to share?
  • “In general I just want to share we all have something specifically to share and that we should try and do at least one thing in our life for other people because the natural tendency is to only focus on ourselves. More specifically I would want to invite all those interested to join me at 10:30am mass at St Patricks, to see a beautiful church, good coffee and donuts, a community that is growing… a community trying to raise their standards and is made up of Catholics who are normal people.”
     

Living Space

The Oregon State University campus is one of the most beautiful places on earth; in fact I know a few Ducks who may even agree with me. It goes beyond the historic Memorial Union peering over the crisply cut grass of the MU Quad, or the waving shades of orange and yellow leaves that turn the trees lining sidewalks into works of art. It is the life lived at these physical places where I spent four transformative years of my life that catapult it to my list of most beautiful places. Now don’t get me wrong, I have been to several beautiful campuses in my life for various reasons, but it is at Oregon State where I lived, which elevates it above the rest. The Memorial Union is more than a building, it is where I “jumped” into Greek Life quite literally, where I took countless naps in broad daylight and where I played capture the flag at midnight accidentally spooking a few passing students on their way to the library (as the kids say these days “my bad”). The changing colors in leaves may just be “pretty” to a visitor, but for me those falling leaves were calming while I walked to a looming accounting mid-term and to this day bring back memories of raking leaves at the Chapter House and flag football at Chintimini Park. At their bare bones, these were merely buildings and places, just objects to host me temporarily. However, it is the life I lived in them that turned them into home and transformed the surrounding area into a community I still feel connected to today.

A man who believes a place a person lives should REALLY be a where a person lives and builds community is Kenji Lopez. I first met Kenji over 3 months ago as I looked for a place to stay during my work rotation in Monterrey, Mexico. Over my time in Mexico I grew to know him as Kenji the explorer, Kenji the engineer, Kenji the businessman, Kenji the tour guide and as Kenji mi compadre (as well as the guy you can trust for authentic Mexican taco and tequila recommendations). Kenji runs Urvita, a property development firm comprised of young professionals focused on providing beautifully smart designed residences at affordable prices throughout Monterrey (the photos in this post are buildings he has designed...check out more here http://www.greenfieldmx.com/).  When asked what motivates him to raise his standards Kenji explains “one day I realized I wanted to shift my energy to serving the most instead of individuals” in reference to previously having a higher end of clientele. To understand the weight of his decision the reader needs to understand Kenji’s background. After graduating at the top of his class at one of the most prestigious engineering universities in Mexico, Tec de Monterrey, Kenji had jobs as an assistant project manager for a steel high rise buildings and was the lead auditor for the state government where he earned accolades for taking a process that took 2-3 days and streamlined it to a 13 minute process; all during his early 20s.

It is easy to forget he is a LEED certified engineer and his laundry list of design awards when hanging out with him. One specific time I was in his office and picked up an architecture magazine and noted how amazing the home looked on the cover and turned to him and asked if he knew the designer, his answer “I designed it, it was fun” as he closed his laptop and switched the conversation to local craft brewery in Monterrey and a new Dunkel beer he wanted me to try. The thing is he is often more excited to get you to go climb a mountain with him, invite you to go watch a game, or show you where to get the best cocktail in Monterrey (Maverick is the answer to that question btw). This “work to live, not live to work” mentality are not just words to Kenji; he lives by them. After facing burnout in his 20’s and nearly falling asleep multiple times while commuting between full time work and full time school and going to the hospital as a result of stress, he realizes what is most important in life. After saying no to lucrative offers from big name firms he used his innovative spirit, intellect and eagerness to share life with those who he felt had a right to live in an environment conducive to living, not just surviving. In doing so he has not only raised his own standards, but is striving to raise his country’s standards as well.

“I remember early on as an auditor I was one of the only engineers who would go out in the field. Yes, it was hot and dirty and my peers found it much easier to stay in the air conditioned office, but I couldn’t understand how you can audit a building if you are not in the field. I was shocked at what I saw. The ‘homes’ all looked cookie cutter and had very bad quality; concrete beams had multiple holes in them and to cover them up some builders had tried to fill them with small rocks. It was also common to be auditing a site and see the workers doing nothing, or even having sex in these buildings because the lack of oversight. I knew for those buying these homes it would likely be their first home, that is special, and I did not want them to buy shit; Mexico deserves better and can do better”. From there he has launched a career as an entrepreneur developing a number of amazing award winning properties for his focus on not only creating beautiful buildings, but beautiful living spaces for the common person.

This month remember a home is more than walls and a roof, more than an address and a driveway; it is a living space where people connect, build community, find peace and live. Thanks for the reminder Kenji.

Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, and in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places (Isaiah 32:18).

Fun Questions

• What do you want to be when you grow up?
  • “When I grow up I want to be helpful and ignorant so I can still work and learn with family and friends. :D”
• What was the best April Fool’s joke you have done to someone?
  • “I have been a bit of prankster for most my life. This was not on April 1^st, but I once played a trick on my younger brother. I took him to school each morning early at 6AM. One early morning at about 2AM I turned all the clocks forward, closed the blinds and woke him up frantically and said we were late. In his mind he thought it was 7AM and so he got ready in a rush thinking he was late. When he finally realized what time it was he was furious, which didn’t help the fact that he couldn’t get back to sleep…he didn’t think it was very funny, but I sure did!”


• What is going through your mind when designing, or constructing a building?
  • “I remember someone is going to live there. I want to build cities worth caring about where I think of people in the community as citizens and not just consumers…I enjoy making the most of the natural habitat and keeping the neighborhood/community as the centerpiece of a project…with this mindset I believe the people who live there will take more responsibility for the area they live.”