can men and women be just friends?

on december 1st, two guys at USU made a video entitled "why men and women can't be friends." the video starts with interviews of many girls on USU campus.  asking them if they think it is possible to be "just friends" with a guy.  they all say yes.  not only do they say yes, but they mean it! they answer without hesitation and with certainty.

as i watched the video, i thought, 'that's interesting, i don't agree with these girls at all.'  then they switch it up and ask a bunch of guys the same question.  some of them are ashamed to admit it, while some admit it outright, but they all say no.  the consensus among the guys is quite clear: men and women cannot be "just friends."

the final section of the video goes back to the girls that were first interviewed.  the interviewer asks each girl if she has a guy who she is "just friends" with. the girls respond: dave, trevor, and so forth. all of them have at least one guy friend that they can think of.  then the girls are asked if that guy is interested in them.

this highlights how girls think differently than guys.  the girls are aware that the guys are interested in them.  some of the girls even say that the guy would be very willing to "hook up" with them if they allowed it. the strange thing is, they don't see this as an issue influencing their friendship.  on the one hand you have the guys, who tend to develop crushes with these girls they spend time with, and on the other hand you have the girls, who think that there is no problem with being "just friends" with a guy, regardless of that guys feelings for her.

thus we have "the friend zone."

example (from the video):

"would he hook up with you if you wanted to hook up?"
"yeah."
"so he likes you."
"mhmm."
"so what you're saying is men and women can't be friends."
"no. we can be friends."
"so you're just friends, but he likes you."
"...yes."
"so it's a one-sided friendship."

some girls may have no problem with this scenario.  but friendship involves openness and honesty.  it also involves giving and receiving.  in a "friendship" where one member wants to give and receive more than the other, we would have to admit that the friendship is unequal and flawed.  if you imagine, most of these kind of friendships are not very open.  a guy who likes a girl but sees that she doesn't feel similarly is relegated to the "friend zone" out of necessity.  he has few options.  either he continues to be "just friends" with her, therefore allowing him to continue to enjoy her company, or he confesses to her his feelings, therefore changing the nature of the relationship, and potentially losing the friendship all together.  what kind of friendship is it, where both parties cannot share their feelings without fear of compromising the friendship?

this scenario can also apply to girls who like guys who do not feel similarly.  however, girls are more likely than guys to be content with having "just friends" relationships.

the video ends with the interviewer talking to the camera: "as we can see after interviewing everyone in the library, it is impossible for men and women to be just friends.  And under no circumstances can it happen."

although i find the premise of the video fascinating, thought-provoking, and largely accurate, i do not agree with this conclusion.  when talking about relationships, there is never cut and dry rules for every situation.  when considering myself, i have many female friends that i am legitimately "just friends" with.  most of them are married or otherwise taken, which honestly wouldn't debunk the conclusion.  however, i am additionally friends with many girls that i know from my childhood and high school days that i am friends with.  i can think of several circumstances in which being "just friends" is quite possible.  in an effort to be more accurate, i would rephrase the conclusion to say, "in situations where a man sees a woman as a viable partner, it is impossible for him to be content being 'just friends' with her."  maybe still partially inaccurate, but it is a good start.

i attached the video below if you want to watch it.  and as always, share your thoughts and opinions below.

shyness

for today's post, i wanted to share a story of shyness.  this story made me reconsider how confident we are vs. how confident we may appear to be.  


in Dr. Broomhead's choir class, he has all of his students do something to get out of their comfort zone.  he shares a story (anonymously) every class period.  i think his reasoning is that we will be better singers if we don't worry about how we are perceived.


what i have come to realize is that by looking at someone, you cannot tell how comfortable they are.  you can't see the hidden anxieties and little quirks that people have.  what may be easy for you can be painfully uncomfortable for others.  


while reading this story, i want you to think about this person.  they have a really hard time trying to sit and eat with a stranger.  what makes he/she uncomfortable with the situation?  why is it any harder to do than sitting with friends or eating alone?  If you have your own shyness story, or if there is something funny that causes you anxiety, share it.  also give your comments on the story:




For my comfort zone assignment I decided to do something I have been wanting to do for a long time: eat with someone else at the Morris Center.  Every day after class, I eat dinner there.  I don't know many people, so I always eat alone.  When we started talking about getting out of our comfort zone, I realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to do what I already wanted to do.  

Tuesday after class, I was pumped up and ready to go.  I started making plans as I walked.  As I got my food, I was going to look for other people who were eating alone.  I didn't want to interrupt an important conversation, or make a date situation super awkward.  I figured the easiest thing would be to ask some other loner if I could eat with them.  As I approached the Morris Center, my stomach began to turn in anticipation.  My earlier excitement had abated, and I began to be fearful.

I got a tray and started to get some food, scanning the room for people that were eating alone.  There was a girl near the entrance, a guy with headphones near the fruit, and another guy who looked really serious all alone at one of the long tables.  I didn't want to sit with any of them!  I just wanted to sit alone!  

"I always sit alone!" I told myself.  "Why should today be any different?  Can't I do something less out of my comfort zone? Something I'm comfortable with?"

"No!" I told myself.  "If you do something you are comfortable with, you're not getting out of your comfort zone."

I knew I was right.  I argue with myself a lot, and I'm always right.  I decided to sit with the girl by the entrance--the least intimidating of my options.  I walked towards her---and right past her--and sat at the next table.  

I was furious with myself.  Why couldn't I do it?  I wanted to get up and move to her table, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.  How awkward would that be, to sit at the table next to her and then move to her table a few seconds later? What would I say, "Uh, excuse me, but I meant to sit at your table, and I accidentally sat at this one."  So instead of subjecting myself to that awkwardness, I spend the next 45 minutes (far longer than it usually takes me to eat) beating myself up about it.  Because of my inability to face my fears, I was angry at myself.  Wasn't I strong enough to talk to a stranger for a few minutes? What is the worst thing that could have happened? 

I imagined a worst-case scenario: I walk up and say, "Hey, do you mind if I join you?" Girl: "Yeah, I actually eat alone because I like being alone.  You better not sit here you weirdo.  If you try it, I'll move to another table."  How bad would that be?  I continued to think about it.  I guess there is another scenario that could be worse.  I walk up and ask the same question: "Hey, do you mind if I join you?" Girl: "No problem, go ahead.  But watch out--I'm a dangerous psychopath, I can read your mind, and I have several highly contagious diseases."  Though it seems unlikely, I imagine that could be a possible outcome...

In the end, the girl finished her meal and left.  After several more minutes of increasing frustration, I also left, thinking of something else I could do for my comfort zone assignment.

I could end the story at this point--I felt like I had gone quite a way out of my comfort zone just considering sitting with someone.  However, the very next day, I found myself walking to the Morris Center after class.

Long story short--I did the same thing, and again experienced the torment of determining who to sit with.  I actually walked two or three laps around the cafeteria before making up my mind.  When I decided to sit down, it was mostly because my arms were tired from holding my food-laden tray.  Besides, I was afraid that the staff would notice me wandering around and ask what I was doing.

I sat with this guy right by the entrance.  He was kind enough to allow me to sit with him.  We talked about his missionary service and swapped stories about our jobs. I ended up spending about 45 minutes at dinner (again, much longer than I am accustomed to) because I had such a great conversation with him.

In the end, I am glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone.  I'm not sure if I want to make it a habit--the idea is still terrifying--but I had a good experience, and despite my initial failure, I proved that I am capable of facing my fears.

photography exhibit

this last weekend we had our first annual photography exhibit at my house. there was a lot of work that went into it, particularly from my brother travis. there were a few unique things about the exhibit:

• we invited photographers to select a theme, then take photos on that theme. those attending the exhibit had the opportunity to guess the theme from the context of the photos. there were prizes for the closest guessers and the most humorous guessers..
• all of the photos were displayed in 4x6 frames. this happened to be the cheapest way we could have displayed them, but money was not the issue. we just thought it would be funny to have a photography exhibit with really small photos.
• photos were displayed in every room, including the bathrooms, laundry room, and kitchen.
• the event was formal, so everyone dressed up. we also had some classy music, particularly from ms. godfrey and ms. george (the other musicians showed that we also have contemporary interests)
• our cuisine consisted of brooke's delicious brownies and crackers with spray cheese, with wassail to drink.

i felt like my roommates, the photographers, our musicians, and our guests were very creative and fun. the whole environment was unique and refreshing, and everyone enjoyed themselves. the photos were very good, i was impressed. also, the themes were so much fun:

Photographers

Carissa Mills roy g. biv in b&w

Chris Harrison vanity plates

Travis Moore will (brock durfee)
Julie Davey dead things

Ellen Doxey things you see in priesthood that you wouldn’t see in relief society
Kenyon Africa Waddoups outtakes
Savannah Woods burn the witch

Eric Campbell in health and sickness

Spencer Campbell my perfect day
Alex Badger Lewis the evolution of travis

Dean Rodrick people sleeping

i want to give a special shout out to our musicians, who not only played very well, but also came with little notice, yet great preparation.

Musicians

Matt Pace-guitar, piano, and vocals (we heard one of his brand new songs)
Joe Bryce-guitar and vocals (his irish popcorn song is my favorite)
Ana George-cello (one of my favorite instruments)
Jordan Kalamu-piano (this guy can literally play anything)
Sarah Godfrey-vocals (I loved the Italian stuff particularly)
Dallin Shaner-guitar and vocals (yay for sing alongs!)

strangely, i have no pictures from the exhibit to share. as soon as we get an album up on facebook, i'll add a link here so that you can take a look.

lastly, feel free to read the biographies of our photographers. look out for the second annual photography exhibit next year! we are also open to having more photographers/musicians, so if you are interested, send me an email or make a comment.

Biographies

Alex Lewis was born and raised in Brazil, and has been living in Florida since 2001. A graduate from UCF with a B.A. in Arts, she uses photography as a way of expressing herself and bringing out the best in her subjects. Through constant research for new techniques and attention to lighting, composition, and detail, she is always looking for new and creative ways to bring uniqueness into her portrait photography. Her male photographs for development through relationships have been a huge part of her photography and have exhibited nationally in galleries and juried exhibits. She aims to use her images to please the eyes as well as question emotion and inspire reaction. 

Christopher Kupa'a Isao Harrison was born into the city of Los Angeles, sometime back during the roaring 80's. He was naked and he was ashamed. Like most adolescent males where he comes from, he spent his young life obsessed with music and playing with firearms. He now lives in Happy Valley where he studies Criminalistics at Utah Valley University. His hobbies are avoidance, piracy, and the occasional photography he accomplishes with his trusty point-and-shoot-himself-in-the-brains camera. Feel free to ask him about anything else. Enjoy the Gallery!

One thing that everybody needs to know about Carissa Mills is that she really loves all colors. Last summer she studied and researched each color very carefully and she has learned to love each individual color. Today she may still favor some colors more than others and  also may not love specific color combinations but she at least love each individual color in some unique way. From her studies she has learned that each color tells a story. If there is one color that tells the story of her life then it is the color purple. If the color purple never came into existence then the story of her life could not be told. Thank goodness for the color purple!

 Eric Voiten Campbell, age 26, married, in love and currently living in Flagstaff, AZ.  Eric use to be a chef and worked at several restaurants, hotels and resorts.  Wanting something more intellectual he went back to college and is earning a degree in chemistry at Northern Arizona University.  Currently he is a TA for the second level organic chemistry lab.  In the 100+ years NAU has been around, he is the first undergraduate student to be a TA for that lab.  He served his mission in New Jersey Morristown from 2006-2008.

Spencer Campbell spent most of his years growing up in the lovely town of Prescott, Arizona or "Everybody's Hometown."  Growing up he found himself often involved with the fine arts, but usually on the performance end.  Until one late night his best friend, Amanda, asked him to photograph star trails with her.  Since then, Spencer would ask Amanda how he could help and be involved with her photography.  His interest has continued to grow so he has now presented his first exhibit of work.  Spencer is interested in not just the aesthetics of life but the realism of each day.  The beauty in simplicity.  He has found nature to be more talented in that regard than anyone or anything his camera can capture. Tis the gift to be simple and dream big

Kenyon Waddoups comes from a wonderful, loud, and colorful family in Central Florida. She learned to love photographing families and children by forcing members of her ward to let her practice on them.  She is currently studying visual arts with am emphasis on photography at BYU.

Dean Rodrick is 24 years old, born in San Diego, CA.  He met Travis in 2004 during his Senior year road trip to Canada.  They met at the beach in San Diego randomly, and started talking about the Borne Supremacy, which came out that year.  He ended up taking a few days off work and going with those guys up to Canada.  It was a lot of fun.  Dean loves wakeboarding, rock climbing, playing the guitar, singing, and recently took up photography.  He won a local photography contest in Pasadena last year, not because his photos were particularly good, but because he is good at portraying themes.  So that was pretty sweet.  He has a dog named Sunshine. He takes her hiking sometimes, and they go running on the beach. Travis asked him what his motto would be.  He would have to say that his motto, if he had one, would be "Just Do It."  Oh, that one is already taken?  Uh, okay... how about, "Live, Love, Laugh."  He likes that one.  Well, he hopes you enjoy the photos, and next year he hopes to make it out there himself for the exhibit.

Ellen Madison Doxey (born January 26, 1958) is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen Doxey Show. Doxey has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. As a film actress, she starred in Mr. Wrong, appeared in EDtvand The Love Letter, and provided the voice of Dory in the Disney-Pixar animated film Finding Nemo, for which she was awarded a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, the first and only time a voice performance won a Saturn Award. She was a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season. She also starred in two television sitcoms, Ellen from 1994 to 1998 and The Ellen Show from 2001 to 2002. During the fourth season of Ellen in 1997, Doxey came out publicly as a Mormon in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Shortly afterwards, her character Ellen Morgan also came out to a therapist played by Winfrey, and the series went on to explore various LDS issues including the coming out process. She has won thirteen Emmys and numerous other awards for her work and charitable efforts.  In November 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named her a Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness.

Julie Davey was born and raised Lindon, Utah. She later made the lengthy exodus to Provo where she attends BYU and pretends like she's an adult. Julie majored in psychology for a year and a half, and consequently can probably read your mind. When she grows up, Julie would like to be a superhero (but failing that will settle for writing and illustrating children's books.) Her great hates include cooked mushrooms, math, and writing about herself, and her talents include ukulele, watching Jane Austen films, and typing speedy fast.

Savannah Woods is 387 years old, but when she was 12 she made a deal with the Sphinx (the one in Egypt, not the one in Vegas) to make her 23, because she really wanted to be 23.  It's a 12 year old thing.  Anyway, in exchange for annual performances of whatever the top pop song of the year is, he made her 23.  Unfortunately, she’s stuck now, and she can never be 12 again.

Travis Jay "Kyle" "Thomas" "Hey you!" Moore hails from Sedona's finest Vortex School of Reflexology and Mysticism. He draws inspiration from huge spiders and ugly babies. He dreams of someday being a professional BASE jumper and father of 16 children. You can purchase his latest book, "Musings of a Long Summer Night" at bookstores everywhere.

feminism

i am a big fan of women. not only do i find them incredible and attractive, but i also see that they are often unappreciated. i applaud the efforts of women's rights activists, and i am glad that women are now nearly equal in society. they are not treated perfectly equal to men, but i also think that there is no level of equality that would please everyone. because men and women are different, i don't know the point at which we would all agree that 'we are equal enough.'

i hope that the woman i one day marry will be equal to me in many ways. i want her to be equal in intellect. i want her to have her own ideas, and i will value those ideas as equal to my own. i want her to have ambition, goals, and dreams.

i wonder whether some feminists take things too far. i think that many girls and women are afraid to identify themselves as feminists because that word has a negative connotation. is it a deserved connotation?

i was surprised as one of my BYU professors identified himself as a 'flaming feminist' on the first day of the semester. he said that his girls were going to grow up in a world where they were treated as equals and were not told what they could and could not do and what they could and could not accomplish. i totally agree with him. but am i willing to call myself a feminist, let alone a 'flaming' one? i'm not sure.

is there any specific definition of feminism that is generally accepted?


the merriam-webster dictionary defines feminism as:
1: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes

2: organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

working with that definition, i am quite comfortable calling myself a feminist.  in contrast,  casual conversation tends to depict feminists as man haters.

compare the merriam-webster definition with this one, found on urbandictionary.com: 

feminism: An ideology defined by the following equation: F = (A + B) - C. Feminism equals Avarice plus Bigotry minus Conscience. Its most recent incarnation is characterized by supremacist whining, a form of double-think that would have made Orwell retch... This, in turn, guides us to feminism's core philosophy: "Our say-so makes it so; if our pronouncements contradict each other, you males are required to believe both but only to the extent that they run counter to your interests and in favor of our convenience. This rule is absolute until it yields an outcome we don't like. Then we will pretend - and you are required to believe - that it never existed. Oh, and you are evil and sexist if you point to any flaw in this philosophy, even after we've abandoned or changed it. But you are a patronizing bastard if you fail to give our point-of-view your full critical consideration ... just as long as you don't disagree with it ... or agree with it for the wrong reasons ... and we will from time-to-time declare what the right and wrong reasons are ... and then change them to suit ourselves."

Feminism is nothing more than the politics of convenience.


i think that the variety of opinions on the subject is astounding.  i found another interesting definition on urbandictionary.com (unlike the last definition, i like this one): 


feminism:

1. The radical idea that women are people. 
2. A social movement created by those who believe that women are people. 
3. Something a women is accused of believing in if she does or says anything that implies she believes she is a person.


it is interesting that definition number three shows that some women are fearful of being labeled as feminists. 


as usual, i am interested in the thoughts and ideas of my assorted readers. what is your take on feminism and sexism?

optimism

about two weeks ago, i was thinking about the many demands on my time and worrying about the end of the semester. as i walked home, the thought came to me: 'there is nothing wrong in your life.' all of the sudden my perspective changed. here i was, worrying about classes and my gpa, while in the rest of the world there are billions worrying about poor health, poverty, and starvation. i sit in my nice desk chair typing at my brand new computer, while hundreds of millions cannot even read, let alone type.

i guess my gpa is important, but compared to the problems of the world, it is insignificant. i am so blessed! i have everything i need to survive and thrive.

since that moment i have been more optimistic. i have very little reason to ever let myself become down. i can laugh a little more at my worries with this more optimistic perspective. things will work out. as long as i have my family, my health, and something to eat, i am well off indeed.

this morning i was a little frustrated. yesterday my national guard unit was mobilized to respond to a disaster in northern Utah. there was a wind storm in Davis County that left a lot of damage, debris, and trash. i missed church, my ward break the fast (that i was in charge of), the first presidency Christmas devotional, the weekly Sunday game night at my home, and worst of all--i didn't get to prepare for my multiple tests, my project, and my oral presentation for today.

after my initial frustration, i had a few thoughts. first i remembered my experience from a few weeks earlier. i thought of that phrase: 'there is nothing wrong in your life.' and with that thought, my perspective changed. i was excited for the opportunity to work in the community, doing the things i had trained to do. i thought of all the soldiers at war, and was glad that i am safe. i also remembered a song.

Believe by Yellowcard

"Believe" celebrates the firemen and policemen on September 11th who lost their lives trying to save people trapped in the towers. their lives were tough. they gave the ultimate sacrifice. i worried about missing an exam.

in the end i was blessed to get off of work today to take my tests and give my presentation. tomorrow i will go back to Farmington to continue helping with the cleanup. even though i was able to avoid missing my tests, i was willing to skip them after i considered the sacrifices of those who have gone before and given much more.

(if you want more info on that song, visit the wikipedia article, it is pretty cool.)

offensive

what do you find offensive?

i am learning that people take offense at many different things. i don't get offended by hardly anything. if i can think of a plausible reason why someone is doing something, and i don't think that they are trying to offend me, i don't get offended. i can still be unhappy or something, but offense is different.

i suppose that offenses are as diverse as people are.

to some, burning the flag is a demonstration of freedom of speech. to others it is highly offensive.
to some, pornography is a form of entertainment. to others it is highly offensive.
to some, foul language is not foul, but the norm. to others it is highly offensive.
to some, violence is enjoyable, even 'awesome.' to others it is highly offensive.

it is easy to judge others when they do something or enjoy something that we find offensive. and in our opinion, they deserve that judgment. but do we (and should we) consider the motivations behind a person's actions?

i am a sensitive person. in some ways. like everyone else, i have my own set of things that do not bother me and things that offend me. i remember talking one day to a couple of sergeants in the army. as they talked, they incorporated several colorful words into their discussion. this made me a little uncomfortable, and they noticed. one of the sergeants said, 'moore, do you not like it when we cuss?' i told them that i didn't prefer it. one of them apologized immediately. the other said, 'why does it bother you? i understand how it can bother you if i'm yelling at you and cussing, but i was just talking to my friend here.' it was an interesting experience. i think they both did well. the first, with no desire to offend, promptly apologized for doing something i didn't like. the second was less understanding, but he also recognized that there were circumstances whereby his language could be offensive. he was also willing to ask me for clarification to see why it bothered me.

in a similar circumstance while at basic training, the whole company was standing in a formation as a sergeant briefed us with our nightly briefing. at one point he said, 'you are all men, so i want to talk to you like men. is there anyone here that is upset with my language?' i raised my hand, and several soldiers in my platoon called out, 'moore doesn't like it.' they knew me well. the sergeant was surprised. he hadn't expected any response. he asked me if i was religious, and i told him i was. he asked me whether Jesus would be offended with his language, and told me that from his understanding of the Bible, Jesus was always with sinners and with rough crowds. he asked if i thought i was any better than Jesus. interesting question... i don't see how that applied, since i was always with sinners and rough crowds. i told him that Jesus was with those people but he didn't condone their behavior. he was always encouraging people to be better. he asked me why i was offended by language, and i explained to him (in front of the entire formation) that i tried to keep myself a clean vessel where the Holy Spirit could reside. language is just one of many things that can offend the Spirit, and i wanted to keep myself as close to God as I could. he was baffled, but he had run out of arguments, and proceeded with the briefing.

being in the Army has taught me a lot about myself. in basic training i didn't want to be a prude, always being haughty and judgmental. but i also didn't want to participate in the same kind of conversation and behavior as the typical army guy. i wanted to be separate and apart from those things, being in the world but not of the world. i found that exposure to the evil in the world softened me to the Spirit. rather than becoming more hardened and accustomed to crudeness and vulgarity, i came to see these things as a way that i could be different. i have resolved not to use such language, not because it is the worst thing in the world, but because doing so keeps me strong and close to God. it is another way i set myself apart from the world. as Christians we are to be a "chosen generation, . . a peculiar people."

i think that it is important to consider the feelings of others in our everyday interactions. things that are no big deal to us may offend others. things that offend us may be very unimportant to others. the key is to respect others. as you do, others will want to respect you.

mr. adam droge

adam is a guy that i have grown quite fond of in the short time we have been acquainted. he is a good man and a good friend. i wrote a short poem about him that i will now recite. (imagine me reciting it in a soft british accent):

there was a man of quickly wit
who never lost and never quit
he was a man of surpassing wonder
who never made a single blunder
in life

quick as a fox and fast as a cat
he lived in a box and slept on a mat
there was no other quite the same
indeed i'll rather envy the dame
that gets him

a man of courage and intellect
he always gets what he sets out to get
healthy and cheerful and jovial too
he knows his math, like "two plus two
isn't five"

yes i'd say he is like no other
not like his dad, not like his brother
he has a way of doing things
a lot of peace and joy it brings

his friends

at the age of twenty-two
he took a trip to Hogle Zoo
monkeys and zebras and lions, yes,
he even saw a rhinoceros

with a horn

quite a silly whippersnapper
he once dreamed of being a mapper
then he heard the word 'cartographer'
quit right there and became a stenographer
(he writes quick)

once as a child but two years old

he crawled into the street i'm told

sat in the road without a clue
a man took him home without ado
no babies in the road!

cuz of a horrible traffic accident
a dog named duke is tragically absent
his brother cried, and you would too
if you lost your man's-best-friend to
a hit and run

continuing our saga of road rage
a nice man of elderly age
broke adam's leg with a car

green cast, purple cast, wheelchair too
followed by a stint in a walking boot
adam broke his first bone ever

but don't you worry-the story's not over
you see, adam is no lame-brain loafer
he hit a girl with a car on his mission

the moral of the story is:

be careful of cars.

adam: the man, the hulk, the beast
his clothing well pressed, with creases all creased
a striking figure, stalwart and bold
above and beyond an earthly mold
fit and dashing, a man among men
oh the places he'll go, the places he's been
always we'll know him as one of great worth
a jovial smile, his heart full of mirth
long may he live, and full be his life
with a loving family and a home free of strife

good work adam--think road safety

for more information about mr. droge, please refer to the soon-to-be-published autobiography that is posted in the comments section. it is like 12 pages long... (it is a good read, i assure you)