The Quiet Majority: Part 1

“I write to understand as much as to be understood” - Elie Wiesel

Occasionally I’m baffled by my own world view and far more often baffle others with it. I’m writing this in hopes of clarifying to myself, and maybe to others who, for some reason, care where I stand on issues.

Currently, there's an awful lot of noise being made in and about our society and politics. The loudest voices come from the extremes on either side; the progressive left and the alt-right. I want to believe the overwhelming majority of individuals fall somewhere in the middle with moderate, rational ideals. The media would lead us to believe that we are on the brink of civil war, but I still have a strong faith in the freethinkers of our society. I am worried, however, that moderate individuals may be compelled by an emotional response to arguments on either side to join a team. I think it is the responsibility of myself and other rational individuals to speak up and reclaim the dialogue that is currently a tug-of-war between extremists on both sides.

The most glaring example I can think of at the moment is the topic of Muslim immigration. The rhetoric of the far right would have you to believe that all Muslim immigrants pose a threat and that the most prudent course of action is a nation wide Muslim ban. The far left narrative dismisses this argument calling any concerns about welcoming large numbers of immigrants into the US as racist and bigoted. The immensity of middle ground in this argument, like most arguments, is staggering.

The only way to effectively examine this issue is no different than the vast majority of the matters we face today; with logic and objective evidence devoid of emotional bias. As an individual I am empathetic to the struggle of my fellow human beings, and there is certainly no lack of hardship for the sweeping majority of my fellow human beings amid the conflict in the middle east. And I am not blind to the fact that considerable credit for this conflict falls at the feet of the United States’s policy of foreign intervention. No rational person can deny that this foreign policy has left blood on our hands. We have helped create a mess and it is our responsibility to help clean it up.

The controversy lies in the incompatibility with a conservative Islam ideology and liberal western society. The fact is that acts of jihad are exclusively committed by followers of Islam and that a frightening percent of the Muslim world would be happy to see sharia law implemented as the law of the land (source). I am not saying in any way that most Muslims want nothing more than to peacefully integrate into western society. I’m only pointing out that, as we welcome our friends from overseas, we must also be aware of the cultural differences.

I agree that a thorough screening process is prudent and necessary in these tumultuous times, but anything beyond, any sort of ban is wildly counterproductive and deeply un-American. Set aside the fact that we are a nation of immigrants, any sort of Muslim ban only gives strength to the radical Islamic agenda.

Welcoming those of different beliefs has never been more important, not only for the people suffering overseas, but for the future of a peaceful world. We have a great opportunity not only to save suffering people, but also to give them a platform to redefine Islam as a religion compatible with modern, liberal society.

Winter in Whitefish

Another Whitefish Powder Day

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a video worth?

This video has a frame rate of 30 frames per second and the video is 54 seconds long. That means this video is worth approximately 1,620,000 words. Nuff said.

One Down

I finally got my first real estate photography contract in Whitefish. It’s been a long time coming so I wanted to share my results and lessons learned.

Challenges manifest themselves in unpredictable ways for each location, but I find that shooting in snowy environments can be extra challenging, especially with a narrow timeline. In this case, my biggest challenge was the weather. The past few weeks have been unpredictable to say the least.

After checking for angles earlier in the day I returned to the property in the evening before sunset. Just as I arrived some clouds moved in and began to unload a barrage of snow inconsistently. I moved inside to get the interior shots first and bide my time. During a short break in the precipitation I moved outside and got my exterior shot.

I would have liked to have more time and maybe I’ll get another chance in the future, but most importantly the client was happy. As usual, I am my own biggest critic which I think this is typical of any creative type.

Resistance

Occasionally things come to you just when you need them most. The theologian might call these God’s miracles, the spiritually inclined might cite this as evidence of the universe communicating with us. I think both fail to recognize the other side. It’s been said that only fifty percent of a conversation is defined by what the speaker says, the rest is determined by the perception of the listener. In our society, resources abound. It’s up to us to recognize them and, when necessary, pick them up.

You could say this was the case in my most recent neglect of my responsibilities as a student and as a blog writer. Regardless, here I am and here is something: Resistance. That is the name of the artist’s enemy as defined in “The War of Art,” a nonfiction by Steven Pressfield. On the cover, Esquire declares the book “a vital gem...a kick in the ass.” I couldn’t agree more.

Pressfield paints a vivid picture of the abstract. He unmasks the monsters that haunt the creative types, particularly those who struggle with sitting down to create. Sitting down to create, he reminds us, is the hardest part of creating. By stripping bare the mystery of ‘Resistance’ and presenting a more concrete interpretation of the phenomenon that plagues creators, myself included, he removes its power over us.

I’m about a quarter of the way through it and I already feel a surge of motivation and empowerment. I’m clearly not the first, based on many glowing reviews. For the tools to identify and overcome resistance, I highly recommend The War of Art.

Truly Raw #2 - Scott Wiley & Will Van Atta

Hold onto your britches, I’m writing something political. “Dear god no,” you gasp? “Dear god yes,” I reply, stone cold. But for now, lets keep the mood light.

Before you watch my new video, I want to provide some context. My whole goal to become a content creator means that I need to have a body of work. One of my latest endeavors is the production of a new video series I’m calling “Truly Raw.” The concept for the video series is to document and deliver content in a raw, rough edit format. This is a trendy solution that eliminates the problem of obtaining licenses for music. It authentically represents where I am and paints a picture of where I want to go.

Video description:
Just in case any of you suckers forgot, we're still out here working while you sleep, trying to make this dream a reality. It's Truly Raw at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Today, the snow is coming down hard - more on that to come. But it wasn't all that long ago that we were just barely scraping by, surviving on Tahoe's table scraps, stomping 150-ft booters on uphill ice, son. Say hi to ya boi Scott Wiley and his PBR pounding friend, Will Van Atta. Shout out to Truly Spiked & Sparkling, you fellas make one hell of a hard seltzer, give me a call and we can get something going.

F****** Epic

What can you say about a day like today? Inevitably you roll up to a familiar face and just a glance says it all. It’s f****** epic!

It was just another one of those days that, after waking up at 6am, there was absolutely no way I was sleeping in. Warm up with a nice stretch, quick breakfast and tea, getting ready between glances at the snow report and webcams, yelling at my roommate that it's time to go, "no, like right now." No friends on a pow day.

Waiting for the chairlift to start loading on a powder day, this may be one of the few places you’ll find people happy to wait in line. It sure beats the DMV. The morning light broke through the clouds to shine on the crowd as patrol dropped the rope and the first chair was loaded.  F****** epic doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Type 2 Fun: Part 3

Despite being out of the wind, the longer we sat on the summit of Werner Peak the more the cold crept into our bones. Very soon we were preparing for the decent. We clipped in and continued north along the ridge looking for a good place drop into the west face and out of the wind. It was still bitter cold and we still had to cross the giant snow drifts, but at least we were going downhill.

We found a nice shot of sparse trees and dropped in, leapfrogging around each other. In early December I was more concerned about hitting rocks than anything else. But if you go into the backcountry without your eyes open and inattentive to potential avalanche danger, you put yourself at serious risk. We analysed the danger as we continued, but all we found were perfect open snowfields. It was glorious.

Eventually we got into the old growth forest and the terrain started to level off, signs that we were nearing the end of our adventure. We had suffered on the climb and reaped only a fraction of the skiing we would have gotten within the boundary of a resort. But the margin of fun had been exponential. Putting in the hard work for accomplishment, that's what brings a meaningful happiness. That’s type two fun.

Type 2 Fun: Part 2

With our skis precariously bungeed in the bed of the truck and Scott crammed in back seat between packs and ski boots, we set off. Our destination was Werner Peak in the Whitefish Range. The plan was to take the snowmobile up the road as far as possible before skinning the rest of the way to the summit. The forecast called for more snow, high winds, and lows in the negatives. It was still early season and the avalanche danger was low, but we were still on guard.

At the trailhead we unloaded the sled, threw on our gear, and took off up the road with Damon on the snowmobile and Scott and me in tow. Quite a few miles later, we parked the sled, threw our skins on, and started up the trail. By now the snow was really starting to come down and we were getting some pretty strong winds from over the ridge. It was cold. By the time we gained the ridge we were being blasted with what must have been a -20 wind chill. We all had the same thought: get to the lookout station.

After taking the gale on the head and negotiating 10 foot snow drifts for another 30 minutes, we finally made it to the small ranger shack. We were disheartened to find it locked but found consolation in the lee of the building. Here we had a quick lunch. Damon was disappointed by his breakfast burrito, which had frozen on the hike. I explained to him what an apple was and let him try some. It confused him but I think he liked it. Ever the stoic, Scott sat in silence.

Type 2 Fun: Part 1

There are many types of fun and not all are created equal. Type 1 fun is obvious, the kind of fun that requires little to no effort. Type 1 fun is riding a roller coaster. Type 2 fun requires considerable effort and, at times can be downright miserable. It's often not until the ordeal is over, in a type 2 fun scenario, that the fun is actually experienced.

Type 2 fun isn't always predictable. But sometimes you knowingly put your feet in cramped ski boots and walk out the door into subzero temperatures. On this occasion, I did just that. I even managed to convince two friends to join me. The first, long time comrade and accomplished skier, Scott Wiley. The second, a scruffy man child with more size than sense, young Damon Sedivy.

Scott was selected to join me on this expedition based on extensive merit and charm. Scott has spent more time in the backcountry than three of me combined and his skiing is flawless. Damon was selected based on the fact that he recently bought an old touring setup from me and because he was the only one among us to own a snowmobile. Also, Damon is dumb enough to do anything I tell him to do.

chuckfin raw#2: svvag_lavvd ROUGH DRAFT

Ambition v Execution

Lately, I’ve been having to think hard and this stresses me out. I’ve always been a big picture kind of person, trying to account for all the little parts and where they fit into the grand scheme. I hesitate and slave to get my ideas organized. I’m learning to overcome this by forcing myself to execute. In the same way writing helps to organize my thoughts, action helps me to focus my intentions. I’m able to give form to my ideas and a chain reaction of progress begins.

To become the creative professional I want to be, there are hundreds of details that, all at once, overload my mind and derail progress. Of course I need a website, but I’ll need to develop my brand first. I have no shortage of content, but I have to dial in my logo to create unity in my work. For me, this is the hard work.

Luckily I'm full of ambition, that has become abundantly obvious in the past few weeks. In the coming weeks I’ll need to match my ambition with perseverance and execution, two virtues that have been sorely inconsistent in my life until now. By focusing the my same passion of photography and videography to “getting my shit together,” I’ll find myself in a much better position to achieve what I set out for in the first place. I may even get a good grade.

Vision Statement(s)

1. I strive to create innovative, compelling content in the form of writing, photography, and videography to engage an active commuting.
2. My goal is to share stories to inspire individuals through writing, photography, and videography while also delivering successful marketing outcomes for clients in a wide range of industries.
3. I work hard to deliver innovative, professional content in the form of writing, photography, and videography to not only achieve marketing success for a wide range of clients, but to inspire exploration in individuals.

Welcome to Ski School: Part 3

Like most things, from the outside, skiing may seem one dimensional. Just some people sliding down some mountains, what else is there to it really? You don’t really see it until you dive deep, head first. You need to live in a ski town to feel the anticipation as the leaves change color, as you watch the first flakes fall.

To spend a winter in the mountains allows you to see the depth of the sport and the community behind it. You begin to understand the diversity, from the terrain park to the backcountry, from the racers to the big mountain skiers. You begin to see the variations in equipment and technology. But, you can show up at the bar and, over a beer all these differences pale in comparison to the overarching common love of the sport.

I don’t know if coming from a warmer climate has allowed me to see this sport through a different lens, but I believe it has. Just as I took growing up in Hawaii for granted at times, I’m sure some of my students don’t yet understand how fortunate they are to be born into not only such a beautiful place, but also such a beautiful culture. More than wedge turns and pole plants, I want to teach a love for the culture of skiing.