Check the books.

BIG 'OL Photo overhaul on the book. check it out. I am all caught up. Gooford Observationals (created that word (observation testimonial)) to come. And i'll just let you know whats up.

Welcome back mac attack.

Heck ya it does. Well, just went from cool to awesome. Back in business. I've learned to like the free flowing spirit I am without any technological dependency. I made it work. I know what its like. Now, well, all is well.

Uhh, thanks for pulling my hair

As times have come and gone. Stuff has happened. Bad stuff indeed. I regret to inform those of you who give a rip that Gooford, well, is temporarily r.i.p. Computer has blown up, I guess because Espana was just too liberal, even for a steadfast, liberal, Apple product such as mine. With the fastidous viewership (at least I like to pretend so), I am in a bind. Just know that the future is bright, hopefully... i'll try my best to keep it real.

=<>

alright already. vale ya!

first. new jams- Bon Iver. check that

second. just got back from barcelona. PICS are taken there minus the flamenco  (Corlita). incredible.

third. quote of inspiration and then a big ol' update

Alright Goofordites,

Permission for a ex nay on the Gooford-a , and pausa conmigo. Let’s talk me, in Spain. Me perdido ( I lost myself). My mind wanders. I am trigged by the sound of a native tongue.” ¡Oye! Como se va a…” I have arrived. She obviously hadn’t yet, because she was consulting the apparent Sevillano local for some directions on her whereabouts (and it has happened multiple times). So I figure I better live up to my billing.
It has been one month (mas o menos) in Sevilla. Ups, downs, alredadores, y todas las cosas entre. Let’s get this straight; Spain and I are great together, like peas and carrots. We both enjoy the following: art, music, community, education, people, architecture, fun, food, style, and so on. Don’t be fooled, at first she was my date to the middle school dance. Arms extended to ensure ample distance and awkwardness. This is not because we were afraid, but because it is all so unfamiliar. Now, flamenco.

Speak of it; flamenco is a flawless art form. As far as ability and understanding, I lack both. It is far beyond my grasp. It embodies enigma at its essence. It seems the level of passion is so high that if the dancers approached each other closer they might explode.. It has been a long ways coming, but I decided to present myself to the Spanish world and take a leap.
It is rather intimidating at first to approach the Spaniards. Plus, I am not even funny here, kind of a bummer. I just act like the natural goofball that I am and hope for the best. I think naturally I have done well for myself with it. The beauty of it all is that in being so basic, they have to except me with no front at all, just as I am, and as vulnerable as I’ll ever be.

I am definitely figuring out why I’m here. Walking everywhere is glorious (pasear not caminar). I have really learned to enjoy the time in between plans. Stale time isn’t dead time. I’ve seen the beauty of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona to the Cathedral in Sevilla, both distinctively ornate. The beauty of the place is unparalleled. Having a language barrier just lets me enjoy being in the moment with people and enjoy their company.

I acknowledge the parallels between us that collide perpendicularly. The beauty is real. The looks, the fashion, the glasses, the high-tops, and just a flat out way of composing themselves, it is all beautifully done. Inside the core of all this is a sense of brokenness in most. There is void in the hearts of many. Beautiful cathedrals, no one inside. For the most part, there is not where to turn for most. Be praying for this.

I can be something different; beyond my own natural and flawed ability. I’ll let you know how all of this plays out. So what is your purpose? Why even get out of bed today? The future is very intriguing here, much more ambiguous than back home. No structure. I delight in this insecurity. Life is happening in more place than one.

-J

Am not!- AM TOO!

And so here we meet, all together, very different but all the same in that fact. (thanks ryan). Spanish has been enlightening on so many levels. Beyond the basic need to breakdown the communication barrier, I have learned so much about myself and my tendencies through the mirror of language. Samuel Fernandez, my spanish teacher explained to us that in Espana, people are more apt to use the present tense juxtaposed against the tendency of Americans to speak in the future and the past.

Take a step back, now why does this even matter, and what are the implications?

First, calm down, its going to be fine. Secondly, let's examine our own culture. So much of what America is founded in is focused on prospering, and excelling in hopes of a fulfilling life down the road. People working to retire (and then enjoy life) or get to gray hair and tell stories all day long.

Something called life happens in between all of that static. There is never enough family in Spain. Lunches for 3 hours, joking, chatting, and the world comes to a halt for it. Most of you can count on one hand how many times your family has gotten together in the past year. Most of the time, it is simply tolerated.

"But I have to work, to get things, to make money, to have a family, and leave them content."
Just show up and be there, that is where it's at.

By golly, just give everyone a chance to prove themselves.

So go make a jello mold for your neighbor. Everyone deserves a thumbs up.

Ciao- Gooford.

and for a bit of musica for those who need a kick

The French Kicks- So Far We Are
check the side bar

Wake Up

so people. who ever is out there. this is appropriate for two reasons. gooford is back, but never really got started, so wake up already! And arcade fire is a finer thing of life. 

ciao

-gooford

Wake Up from gohn on Vimeo.

Peace and Mullet Grease

Bigger is better, Manifest Destiny lives, and capitalism and materialism define an identity that is America. Indulge as much as you please in this society wherever, at a buffet or a mall. Thank the Lord for the economy bringing us back to the root of what matters, people. Gooford is moving to Spain. In order to truly appreciate and intentionally experience what is in store, we must define what is America. Then we can vividly see the dichotomy in the cultural boundaries. Instead of taking the easy way out, we took the pathway that would lead us to understanding these American ideals. Its name is I-40. 

Oxford, MS to Orange County, CA is 1,876 miles. The trip took us through the Ozarks of Northern Arkansas, through the barren wasteland and densely native Oklahoma, to Shamrock, TX, to Santa Fe, NM, to the Grand Canyon, arriving at the paradigm of bubble lifestyles in Orange County. Experiencing the culture, the people, and the quaintness in America gives me a pretty good idea of what we are. I may not always look like everyone I come across. Some people tend to have more body odor than others, or look like me in the 90’s, but in the end people are people. Although many of us find identity in our culture as well as a level of comfort, that should never get in the way of people being people and interacting without deprecation or prejudice.

-Gooford S.