Joel Frey

Missing the news cycle

As a PR professional, my cohorts and I are constantly assessing the "news cycle." As it ebbs and flows from important and not-s0-important happenings and events, it factors into our discussions and planning everyday. Weather, politics, war, terrorism, and the economy are just a few of the topics that we compete against in our never-ending efforts to get journalists, news producers, bloggers and social media mavens to consider Travelocity for inclusion in a story, segment, post or Tweet.

As you read the rest of this, note that I've decidedly missed the news cycle on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. My plan was to follow the status quo and share my observations on that Sunday, but other priorities at work, home and church won out. Now, 10 days later,  the seasons are set to change and we have moved on to more pressing matters: taxing millionaires, airshow safety, the 2012 election, conference realignment and the latest iteration of everyone's favorite social network, to name a few. Though in the grand scheme, we likely won't reflect upon any of these topics 10 years from now.

As Sept. 11, 2011 came and went, I was surprised by own memories that surfaced. For example,  I vividly recalled the tennis match I played the evening before the tragedy. It was a long three setter against a guy named Sam who I had never beaten. We played to a third set tiebreak and I had a match point, but couldn't cash it in. When I woke up on 9/11/01, my defeat was the first thought that popped into my head.

I remembered the fall boots my colleague Judy Haveson wore to work and how she paced nervously up and down the hallway as the tragedy unfolded, anxiety covering her face. She was only days away from moving from Texas to New York and, suddenly, all of her plans were in doubt. But a month later, as the nation healed, Judy was in the stands at Yankee Stadium cheering on the Bronx Bombers as they valiantly tried to win the World Series. Today, she's still a proud New Yorker and mother to Jack, her own little Yankee fan.

I thought about Pastor John Koelpin and the special service I attended at Calvary Lutheran Church. For a few weeks after the towers collapsed, worship and prayer were in vogue. Then, predictably, our post modern sensibilites awoke from their slumber and carried on as before.  Today I live in El Paso, a married man. On the 10th anniversary, Heather and I sat in a pew at Trinity Lutheran Lutheran Church while Pastor Koelpin still preached from the pulpit of Calvary. His oldest son, Philip and our daughter Megan are now classmates at Texas A&M. In the fall of 2001, they were innocent kids, probably wondering what their parents were so worried about.

I remembered the first flight I took post 9/11, an hourlong hop from Dallas to Memphis on American Airlines. Not only was I nervous, I found myself sizing up my fellow passengers before we boarded.  After safely arriving to my hometown and having breakfast with my parents, I drove to Oxford, MS and cheered on Middle Tennessee State, my alma mater, as they took the field against the University of Mississippi, led by their All-American quarterback, Eli Manning. Fast forward to the present and he is the quarterback for the New York Giants and commercial airlines have taken me to countless places near and far, including LaGuardia, Newark and JFK.

Thanks for indulging my utter disregard for the 9/11 news cycle. I look forward to writing about more subjects that were yesterday's news as soon as the opportunity presents itself. If you have any thoughts, please share.  Cheers, ya'll.

 

 

Movie Review: The Tillman Story

For months, I'd wanted to see The Tillman Story. After reading several reviews last summer,  I figured the documentary about the NFL star turned Army Ranger would eventually find its way to El Paso, home of Fort Bliss, the massive U.S. Army post that straddles the Texas-New Mexico border.

I began constantly checking the Flixster app on my Blackberry for local show times, but to no avail. At first, I guessed that El Paso was not big enough to warrant a run of screenings. But then, I wondered if the city's proximity to Fort Bliss was actually a deterrent given the film's unflattering portrayal of one of the U.S. military's most forgettable moments during the War on Terror.

Recently, I was perusing Netflix and The Tillman Story crossed my mind. While it wasn't available until February 1, I added it to our queue, satisfied that I'd finally get the opportunity to watch it.

The Tillman Story is well done and the footage and interviews are compelling, but if you've read Jon Krakauer's "Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman," as I had, I don't think you'll take away much new information.

That said, there is one unforgettable sequence from Tillman's memorial service that I didn't remember from the book. At some point, his younger brother, Richard, climbed the stage to say a few words about his fallen brother. With a beer in hand, he called out the previous speakers, including John McCain, who eulogized Pat as one would expect at a religious service.

"He's not religious," he countered. "Thanks for your thoughts, but he's (expletive) dead."

There is so much about Pat Tillman's military career that saddens and disappoints me: his inglorious death, the U.S. government then using the tragedy to market an unpopular war and finally the shameless lies that were told by some of the highest ranking leaders in our country as his family tried to sort through the facts.  As a Christian, however, that scene embodies the most haunting and most hopeless part of all.

 

Hotdish, Potluck, Smorgasbord

We're having potluck for today's 300 words. I hope it fills you up!

• Heather and I are slightly dumbfounded that Megan, whose great-grandparents have called the state of Wisconsin home for almost 90 years, rooted for the Steelers. It was almost as perplexing as when she painted a horseshoe on her cheek last year while we sported the fleur-de-lis during Super Bowl 44.
• Last year, we started a new Super Bowl tradition: jambalaya during halftime. Heather made a scrumptious batch on Sunday and I appreciated having a taste of the Crescent City during the game even if the Saints didn't make it back to the promised land.
• As a lifelong Star Wars fan, the VW commercial featuring a mini-Darth Vader futilely attempting to harness the Force cracked me up. On Facebook I wrote that it was "amazing that Star Wars is still relevant 30+ years after its debut," to which my friend and fellow Star Wars buff Shea replied, "Much like us."
• El Paso hasn't quite fully recovered from last week's plunge into the deep freeze.  Schools just reopened yesterday and the city finally confirmed this afternoon that it was okay to drink the water sans boiling.  Unbelievably, some homes and businesses are still without water.
• We submitted Meg's FAFSA application last night. For those of you unfamiliar with college application process that stands for "Free Application for Federal Student Aid." As I was writing this I asked Meg to recite the acronym and she rattled it off. A few seconds later she then passed the "What is your social security number?" quiz.

Like most Lutherans, I'm an ambassador of potlucks involving pots. We're having one at Trinity (3800 Hondo Pass) on Sunday. If you're on the Northeast side of town, stop by around 11:30 and fill up a plate. And should your soul need refreshing, the service starts at 10:15.

El Paso Feb. '07, Part III

On the final day of my first weekend in Sun City, I was Heather's guest at the small Lutheran church on the West side of town that she, Meg and her Mom had attended for many years. Heather introduced me to the young Pastor, his family and just about every other member of the congregation.  It didn't take long for the names and faces to blur.

"So are they all going to talk about us now?" I asked, as we headed to the car after the service.

"Oh yeah," Heather said, reassuringly.

For lunch, the lovely ladies took me to Village Inn and then we decided playing a round of miniature golf before I headed back to Dallas would be the perfect capper. It was slightly less competitive than bowling had been the night before. Heather thinks Megan won. We took the Roaming Gnome with us and he appeared in most of the pictures from the outing.

As we drove on I-10 on the way to the airport, we reviewed our brief time together.

(Note: Schmaltz alert!!! Schmaltz alert!!!)

"It exceeded my expectations," I announced.

"Me too," Heather said.

Heather and Meg escorted me inside and walked me to security. We embraced one last time before I stepped on the escalator. Once the TSA agent cleared me through, I stopped to fiddle with my backpack. I opened it and there was a giant Hershey Kiss with a sweet note right on top.

It was Super Bowl Sunday and the flight home was empty.  While the outcome of the Colts and Bears game briefly crossed my mind, other questions took precedence.  When would we see each other again? Could we make a long distance relationship work? Is she the one?

The reassuring part was that we both already knew the answers.

 

 

 

Vocation, not vacation

So how was January for you? I didn't make any resolutions, but on this last day of the first month of 2011 I've been thinking about a bunch of items that need my attention and how to balance it all effectively. Sound familiar?

On my Twitter profile, I describe myself as a "PR Man, writer, social media fan, friend of gnomes everywhere, Lutheran, affable step-father and devoted husband." When I first wrote this several months ago, my goal was to inspire surfers around the Web to connect with me.

Since then, thanks to a Bible class at Trinity Lutheran, I now realize that this is more than just a pithy attempt to increase my following on a social network.  These are my vocations and the list serves as a constant reminder of my responsibilities and the priority I need to assign to each.

Three of the seven - PR Man, social media fan and friend of gnomes everywhere -  are dedicated to my work for Travelocity. These naturally get my attention Monday - Friday during normal business hours and occasionally on nights and weekends.

Devoted husband and affable step-father are about serving Heather and Megan's needs, respectively. Since assuming each of these roles three years ago, I've learned that while family vocations are easily the most rewarding, they are also the most dynamic and, at times, the trickiest to juggle.

Naturally, home life and work life are the vocations that get most of my time.  I'm sure like many of you, I feel compelled to give more to those that aren't always top-of-mind.  Volunteering as a Lutheran - outside of Sunday morning activities - falls into this category. Writing does too.

So as January winds down, I have new resolve to approach my committee work at church and keeping my blog updated with more discipline. Hopefully, sharpening these will help me be a more focused employee and a more dedicated spouse and father figure. I look forward to keeping you posted on my progress!

 

Tiger, revisited

Yesterday my cousin Chris sent me a text: "U should update your 11/30 tiger woods blog to douche status."

My response: "Ya, I will. I admit I gave him the benefit of the doubt."

Chris: "Ditto."

Millions of people are having similar conversations about Tiger. Certainly, just about every columnist and talking head has had something to say in the last 48 hours. In my opinion, most of the commentary has been drivel with the exception of this piece in today's Washington Post. I think it mirrors what many of us are feeling on the whole saga.

I've also been reminded of Jesus' words from the book of Matthew: "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Many have asked the question "How could Tiger be so stupid?" But it's not a matter of one man's stupidity. Rather, it's one man's pride impeding upon his own good judgement.

Most of us place ourselves in sticky situations at some point in our lives - albeit without helicopters hovering over our homes and the paparazzi camped out on our doorsteps. Several moments from my early twenties captured in Cypress Walls exemplify this notion. Did I know my behavior from that time in my life was sinful? Sure I did. Yet, I kept choosing to go down the wrong path day after day, night after night thinking that I had everyone fooled. I now realize, of course, that I was the fool. Thankfully, when I woke up one morning and comprehended this, my name wasn't Tiger Woods.

Have a great weekend! Remember, Cypress Walls makes a lovely gift for the college graduate in your life!