Day 2: What I wore

What I was wearing this evening - on my hands, on my pants.

What I Wore

Alabama Sweatshirt

My family has always loved watching sports.  Some of my fondest memories growing up were related to going to games with my dad, mom, and sisters. We were able to go to many baseball, football, soccer, and basketball games, but I always tended to favor going to college football games.

In the fall of 2009, we were able to visit my sister in Alabama. I had always wanted to see a University of Alabama football game, especially since my sister was an alumnus there. The weekend of our visit, we were planning to go to a game. However, this was one year that the team was undefeated and in contention for a national title. Additionally, this particular weekend Alabama was scheduled to play LSU, an in conference rival. We travelled on-campus to Tuscaloosa in the hopes of buying tickets on the day of the game, but of course the game was sold out.

Just as we were about to leave the heart of campus to watch the game at a restaurant, my dad revealed two tickets for my boyfriend and I to go see the game.  In addition, he had purchased an Alabama sweatshirt for me, which I still cherish to this day. The game was by far the best college football game I have ever been to, and the experience was something I will never forget. Alabama won the game, and ended up winning the national championship that same year.

I wore the Alabama sweatshirt for the game, and still wear it on game day even when I am just watching Alabama play on TV. It is such a prized possession for me because it reminds me of my dad's generous gift to me and this unforgettable experience.

What I wore

Uniforms have a way of defining us.  For this photo what I wore was a ticket to explore Saddam Hussein's  destroyed palace in Baghdad.  By strange coincidence my wife was there at the same time.  I like to think that photos like these represent hope for the future in spite of the remnants of violence.

Grand Attire

Labor Day 2010

A once-in-a-lifetime bachelor party

Beautiful views and sore legs

More trail mix than four men can eat

Memories to last a lifetime

 Bright Angel Trail - Grand Canyon, AZ

Months of planning went into this 4-day boys weekend/bachelor party (when to go, where to stay, what route to hike, WHAT TO WEAR, etc.)  For someone that had never done any real backpacking, I did some significant research: water points, food, weather, and clothing.  It was intense, but I'm a fan of the 6Ps (Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance).  A little of trial and error along the way with adjustments to equipment, routes, and timelines.  (The park actually sent me a letter and said our original itinerary was too ambitious and it may lead to unauthorized camping or DEATH.)  I'm proud to announce that no one perished, actually I have very little to report in the way of casualties (camera screen and some blisters).   The weekend was a blast and  along the trail new friendships were forged and old friendships strengthened.

Trailhead

What I wore (head to toe):

Goofy-looking Sunhat

Smith (Slider 01) Sunglasses

Dri-fit T-shirt

Osprey Hiking Pack

Food and Fuel for 4 days

Army Sleeping Bag

Sleeping Mat

8L of Water (~20lbs)

Lightweight Convertible Pants

Hiking socks (w/ liner)

Hi-Tec Hiking Boots

What I Wore

This isn't the most original interpretation of the "What I Wore" theme, but I chose to post it anyway because, like Doug, the words triggered such direct memories of my military time, eight years of wearing the uniform.

I always talk about what a profound effect joining the military had on me, and so I decided to just go with what felt natural on this one.

The role of uniforms can be so crucial to creating/shaping identity, building teams, and managing perceptions.  The military has always capitalized on this perhaps more than any other field.

I suppose the challenge for today's Army is creating an environment that continues to rely on notions of standardization - standardized appearance, standardized processes and procedures, even standardized ways of speaking -- while at the same time fostering the freedom of its members to innovate, create, and think outside the box.                                                                                                                                                          

learning to lower your standards

In the Insight and Innovation class, we'll be lowering our standards.

Read about what I mean here: http://edwardmills.com/2011/08/lower-your-standards/

What I wore

When I first saw the latest prompt I thought about posting a picture of the green polo we are going to wear to class today.  Then I thought of the Army BDU's I used to wear and eventually I began to think of all the different uniforms I have worn in the past.  I found the logos of some of my past employers who required me to wear a uniform and this is what I came up with. 

Day 1: self-portrait

You are a mash-up of what you let in to your life.

My queue.

Hidden Cost

Grad-school is paid for monetarily, but it is still expensive.

Self Portrait

This is the first thing I thought of when I saw the prompt for todays project.  I thought about all the influences in my life that have made me who I am today.  I went through folders of pictures going back about 4 years and copied anything that caught my eye into a folder that the mosaic program used to create this picture.  I don't know how much detail will show up in the blog but the file allows you to zoom in and see the individual pictures that make up the whole.  The program is actually very easy to use, selecting the pictures is the hard part.  

Selfie Mashup

Our first discussion started with exploring the idea of what it means to "steal like an artist."  We steal the best parts of what we see, what we experience; what a more poetic type might refer to as building upon the shoulders of those who came before us, what a more analytic type might refer to as the iterative process.

We also talked about Austin Kleon's idea that we are a mashup of our parents.  A good portion of our character, abilities, and aptitude is genetically determined by who our parents are.  

For the theme of self-portrait, I decided to create a selfie using a mashup of these two notions -- a combination of the notion of building upon what came before - and the idea that our basic being is programmed by a certain genetic mashup. 

This selfie is composed of four shots of me, at ages 4, 14, 25, and 34.

What or who I am now consists of all the parts of my previous self that I either consciously, or unconsciously, chose to retain.  My whole is the sum of those parts that I chose to steal, the elements that I take forward.

Self Portrait

This 'selfie' is how I've seen myself lately.  

The picture of my feet is symbolic of three things: (1) I need to find a weight-loss strategy that works because the Army reminds me every six months of how heavy I am, (2) I have run over 92 miles in the last two months despite my weight, and (3) Tuesday was my 3rd treatment for plantar warts on my left foot (notice the curled toes).

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog for the Army-Baylor Insight and Innovation Course!

As part of their deliverables, the students are required to respond to a daily prompt. The prompt becomes available to them at 12:00 AM and closes at 11:59 PM each day.

They are unconstrained in how they respond to the prompt - the only requirement is that it be interesting and somehow related to the prompt.

Please give them your support!