Ends and Odds
Various and sundry wanderings to and fro
I’ve been working on a new post for a little bit here and there and it’s not quite ready to come out of the oven - hopefully by next week.
In the meantime, I realized it has been awhile since I did an “Of Good Report” post (where I share random things I’ve been reading, watching, listening to, and learning) and figured now was a good time for that.
As some may know who follow me on social media, my wife and I went to Disneyland BY OURSELVES a few weeks ago - the first time we’ve ever done that in over 35 years of marriage. Having been many times as children and as adults with our children, it was a very different experience to be there as a couple. Also, VERY fun. We could pick which rides to ride and which ones not to. Eat whatever we wanted, when we wanted. Sleep in if we wanted. This is starting to sound pretty selfish…
The Imagineering Story
Perhaps one of my most favorite things about Disneyland is the imagination that has gone into the creation of the experience there. I just finished watching a series on Disney + called The Imagineering Story and loved how it captured what a Disney Imagineer does. So inspiring. There were a lot of lessons there for anyone trying to express their creativity and bring goodness to the world. I would highly recommend it.
While still on the Disney track, I’ve also been listening to a lot of classical music (more on that in a minute) including some of the movie scores by Michael Giacchino. You may not recognize his name, but you would very likely recognize his music. He’s composed the music for Up, In and Out, Ratatouille, Spider Man, The Incredibles, Lost, and so many others. Here is one of my favorite pieces of music he’s composed. It just instantly takes me somewhere beyond words…somewhere I once was and can’t quite remember.
Michael Giacchino
Going to Disneyland and listening to Giacchino’s music also reminded me of one of my favorite Disney characters - one who actually “died” in a Disney movie.
Bing Bong!
(I’m so hoping that he somehow is “remembered” in the new Inside Out movie coming out this summer. In the meantime, here is the moment that made me love Bing Bong and also made me cry (still does each time I watch the movie.)
#BringBackBingBong
The Anxious Generation
On the subject of childhood, I’ve been reading Jonathan Haidt’s sobering new book The Anxious Generation. The subtitle states what the book is about - How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Yes, not the most uplifting of subjects, but the data and research he cites about the impact that giving children and adolescents a cellphone is quite startling. I would even go so far as to say it’s a “must-read” for parents of young children and teenagers.
Near the beginning of the book he suggests four reforms that if instituted would, he believes, have a profoundly positive impact on children specifically and society generally.
No smartphones before high school.
No social media before 16.
Phone-free schools.
Far more unsupervised play and childhood independence.
Yes, those can appear daunting, especially for those with children or teenagers who already own a cellphone. But he makes the case for changing the relationship we all have with devices, and his book has me thinking a lot about the time I spend online and in front of screens.
We Are The World
Ironically, I have another recommendation of something I just watched and enjoyed. As a child of the Eighties, I remember well when the song We Are The World was released. I was then and still am a big Bruce Springsteen fan and remember hearing the song for the first time and going “no way, they got Bruce!”
Netflix has a documentary telling the story of how that song came together. It’s called The Greatest Night in Pop. I had no idea that the song was recorded in a single night. But after watching it, there’s no other way they could’ve done it any other way. Other than some brief “strong” language (I always find the use of the word “strong” when referring to swearing a little funny) there’s nothing offensive and it was inspiring to me to see so many creative people come together for such a good cause. I think they said it has generated over $160 million in food relief to people in Africa and continues to do so today, almost 40 years after it was recorded.
The Spirit of Revelation
Another book I have read twice in the past month is The Spirit of Revelation by Elder David A. Bednar. As I mentioned in my recent post about the gift of the Holy Ghost, I’m trying to learn more about this gift and reading Elder Bednar’s book has taught me so much about how to receive revelation but also about to better recognize how the Spirit is speaking to me. The format of the book is also inspired (he actually shares how in the concluding chapter.) In the first half he shares different principles of receiving personal revelation and in the second half he (and family members) share stories of how they have learned or are learning and living the principles shared in the first half of the book. Add this one to your list!
“Never do anything that would cost me…the Spirit.”
Finally, I mentioned above that I’ve been listening to a lot of classical music lately. There are a few reasons for that, but one of them is because of a quote I recently heard from the late Joseph Fielding McConkie as shared by his friend, Robert Millet. Brother Millet related that Brother McConkie and his wife had been called to serve as mission leaders in Scotland and had been going through all of the training materials in preparation to begin full-time missionary service. Brother Millet asked Brother McConkie if he had to summarize what they had learned in one sentence, what that might be. This is what he said:
“I will never do anything that would cost me the influence of the Spirit of God.”
That has been on my mind almost constantly since I first heard it and then later read it in Brother Millet’s marvelous book The Holy Spirit (another book you should definitely add to your list.)
This isn’t to say in any way that we should only listen to classical music or “church music.” I listen to a wide variety of music, including rock, country, alternative, and much more. What I am saying is I’ve become more aware of what I read, watch, listen to, etc. in the framework of Brother McConkie’s statement and like him, want to never do anything that would cost me the influence of the Holy Ghost.
Here are two lovely pieces of music to start you off on what I hope will be a lovely week of loveliness.
Your friend and fellow sojourner,
Scott
Elder Bednar’s book is outstanding.