My 500 Words

In junior high school, one of my math teachers convinced ten or twelve of us to learn some simple computing in an optional after-school club using an Atari system. We had to learn some BASIC programing language and we got to design some of our own games. Most of us started by writing programs that would quiz kids on math facts. I wrote programs to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It was cool to write the code and then see it come to life, especially when someone else actually played your program. I finished the club with a group project where we programmed a bouncing ball breakout-style game with sound. Lacking an outlet to practice those nascent computing skills I missed any opportunity to be an early creator of computer software, instead I became an early adopter and consumer. I was delighted when my parents got us an in-home computer. I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t even remember the name of the computer manufacturer. I do remember that when we bo...

Like a previously owned car, if it’s better than what you had before it really is new to you. You can know that someone else used to drive the car and call it her own, but those facts shouldn’t stand in the way of your enjoyment. It might take a little time, a few road trips and perhaps a dent in the fender, but sooner or later you can not only call it your own, it will feel like it was always yours. My dad was born in Canada and most of my grandparents were either born or lived there. All of my dad’s siblings made their homes in Canada and my two oldest siblings were also born there. But my mom and dad moved back down to the states and settled near my maternal relatives. The combination of having fourteen siblings and my father working in jobs that earned enough for our needs, but not very much in ways of extras meant that we didn’t get to see our Canadian cousins as often as we liked. The trips we did make stand out in my mind and rank amongst the best of childhood times. Some...

The historic Mormon Tabernacle is an impressive structure that so efficiently carries sound that musicians love to perform in its immersive space. The tortoise-shell dome and the almost completely open hall allow any performer to hear the music as it reverberates from the back walls toward the main stage. This building allows a clarity of sound whether it comes from a full orchestra and choir, a chamber group, a single voice or even a pin drop on a wooden podium. The acoustics create one of the greatest places on earth to either perform or enjoy the melodious sounds by talented artists. The Tabernacle has hosted many world-class performers but it also allows talented amateur artists the chance to put on display their own growing skills. Each year, Utah’s high schools select singers from their elite choirs to form a gigantic 400 or 500 voice All-State Choir. They then invite a respected director to come and work with these kids in a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Most will never sing in...

I was 16 years old when The Wall hit theater screens. I really looked up to my brothers and my brother-in-law who were fans of Pink Floyd. I didn’t really understand the album’s message but I acted the part and mimicked much of what my family said about the music in an attempt to sound smarter than I was.  My next oldest brother had recently turned 18 and when he said that he was going to the movie I begged him to let me tag along. He agreed, and the only question was how I was going to get into this show that required that viewers be older than 17 or be accompanied by a parent or a guardian. We decided that we were going to go to the movie at the giant screen at the Villa theater. We arrived early and as we stood in the Villa parking lot there was a lot of excitement about the show and everyone wanted it to live up to the hype. Pink Floyd music was playing on boom boxes and car stereos. Some people carried Walkman cassette players and immersed themselves in the tunes they we...

It was a simple slip of the tongue that took me back 25 years. My daughter had just made an offhand remark about peanuts.I had recently purchased a megabox filled with individual serving size packets of almonds, cashews and peanuts from our neighborhood Costco. I said, “Go down to the fruit room and get some.” You probably missed the slip of the tongue. You see, my family and I have lived in our home for five days shy of twenty years. In all of that time we have had a pantry or a storage room, but we have never had a fruit room. So why would I ask my fourteen-year-old daughter to go down to the fruit room to get a bag of peanuts? The answer has everything to do with my childhood. My mother didn’t have an actual orchard in our backyard but we had trees of many varieties.  Peach, pear, apricot, apple and cherry trees as well as vines that produced both green and red grapes. Because we were 14 children total and up to twelve of us kids lived at home at one time, my mom became the...

Once again, I didn’t make it. I have set a personal goal to watch all of the sessions of General Conference during the live broadcast. That goal requires me to watch six two-hour sessions of church talks. This year I made it up until the final session but I lost it during the end of Elder Christofferson’s talk. I’m not sure at what point I nodded off, but I didn’t wake up until the middle of Elder Keetch. As soon as I awoke my first thought was, just like a die hard Cubs fan, “Maybe next year.” Later I heard about a new craze that might be hitting Mormon communities. People were talking about this made up word that got introduced by Elder Durrant during the one talk that I completely missed during the conference. The word is ponderize. Elder Durrant and his family would choose a verse of scripture each week and spend time during the week pondering its meaning but also memorizing the verse. It apparently made for a beautiful conference address but it came with tremendous backlash whe...

Camping. That single word carries the alternate power to either inspire or cause unmistakable dread. Some see mountains and deserts as escapes that offer near infinite opportunities to explore in settings that are simultaneously serene and stimulating. Others cringe at the thought of surviving without the common comforts of modern convenience, especially those that come from running water and mattresses. I count myself as someone completely enamored by the idea of camping but too timid to explore on my own. The fears of getting lost or encountering a wild animal are enough to require a guide to accompany me when I go out to explore. So when I go out with a backpack and a sleeping bag I make sure to tag along with family and friends. On these trips I have discovered that most campers are happy to follow the ever increasing trend toward bringing all the comforts of home while you are out on the campout. Many people simply drive a motor home which, by definition, means taking an ac...

I’ve been involved in more arguments than I’d like to count. Most arise out of the course of practicing law. The structure of a litigated resolution demands argument by the respective parties. My professors taught that the adversarial system intentionally pits opposing viewpoints before a neutral fact finder. When done correctly and each side effectively presents its own interests and uncovers the flaws of the other, advocates of the adversarial system opine that truth will emerge through the vigorous contest between these opposing points of view. I believe in the adversarial system and have see it work beautifully in the discovery of truth. But even this system fails to persuade the entrenched litigant who refuses to see any perspective other than her own. In my experience, the adversarial system especially fails to persuade those who are not only convinced of their correctness, but insist on others being wrong. This a fundamental goal of the adversary system is to present dispute...

I love the Old Testament.  Recently someone joked that much of Leviticus has proven properties to combat insomnia. I laughed because I have personally used the Old Testament to get me to sleep, especially in my youth. Nonetheless I recognized that the joke carries the undertone of why so many people glance over the Old Testament rather than find the many gems that glimmer the light of truth. The Old Testament does present some obvious challenges. The lifestyle and culture are alien to our present day life and most translations use words and phrases that our out of step with modern speaking style. We also have other writings and scripture that seem so much clearer. It is not uncommon to simply skim the Old Testament and then move on to the more understandable teachings of Christ and his apostles. I decided to take myself to task and read the first two chapters of Leviticus. These chapters discuss the sacrifice of herd, fowl and grain. To my lifestyle and moral code, these sac...