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Pleased to Meet You

Clay Offering to Shake Your HandI launched The Growing Life two weeks ago and the reception has me enthusiastic and grateful.  I’m glad that you’re here.  And given recent friendships and the humbling generosity of people I’ve never met, I think it’s time to introduce myself.

About one year ago, Unitarian Universalist minister Kate Tucker related some thoughts on identification that hit home.  While boarding a train, Reverend Tucker was asked to show her ID; in that situation, the criterion for train boarding was simple: who you were, and who you said you were, had to be the same.  On this page I’ve hopefully honored this criterion and her remarks.

So let’s get to introductions.  I’m Clay.  Pleased to meet you.  I’ll say a bit about myself and am all ears to responses.  Here goes . . .

Some of my favorite things are Quetzals, food prepared in a campfire (or a Dutch oven), the outdoors, backpacking, and human rights. Like a mutual fund, I seem to grow up more than down over a five-year period, but the key is to hold on, not sell


(out).

The North Shore of Lake Superior really gets me, as do the music, stories, myths, and geography of Northern Minnesota.  I enjoy carpentry (though I want to get better), wish to cook more, roll my eyes at self-help books but read them anyway, and want to learn the banjo. I don’t own a T.V.

Random Facts

  • I was raised in rural Southern California and lived part of my childhood on a citrus nursery. (It’s hard to compete with the spring smell of 600,000 blossoming citrus trees).
  • I left home and high school at age 15 to co-found a software company.
  • I went to a small liberal arts college in Iowa; Grinnell College.
  • I grew up in California, went to college in Iowa, and now live in Wisconsin.  Minnesota, however, still feels like home somehow.
  • I’ve lived in both Ghana and Guatemala, and will be relocating to Croatia (the Dalmatian coast) in June.
  • I’ve written a few academic articles, see here and here.

All-Time Favorite Books

Long Walk to Freedom (by Nelson Mandela); The Unbearable Lightness of Being (or anything else by Milan Kundera); A Force More Powerful; The Poisonwood Bible; Man’s Search for Meaning.

Favorite Music

Burial; The Be Good Tanyas; Ravel; Tchaikovsky; Rodrigo & Gabriela; Jolie Holland; DJ Rekha; Bill Evans; Horse Feathers; Charley Patton; Mississippi John Hurt; Po’ Girl; The Wrens; Iron and Wine; John Hiatt; Sigur Rós; Great Lake Swimmers; Leo Kottke; Sun Kil Moon; Red House Painters; Valet.

Your turn, I hope (TheGrowingLife {-at-} gmail {-dot-}).

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  • When are you going to be guatemala again?
  • This is really a neat way to introduce your self to the world ... And it has been a pleasure meeting you I am looking forward to reading the rest of your blog :)
  • Clay,

    Love the picture with you putting your hand out. Can I steal that idea? ;-)
    But no, I just got here and I am super excited to start going through the archives. Catch ya soon!

    Cheers,
    Jeremy
  • Ron
    :)
  • Ron
    Greetings Clay. Great Blog, keep up the fantastic work. I'll be around checking things out.
  • If I ever get to croatia, it would be awesome to meet you. Are you on couchsurfing.com? It's so random how I came across your website, but your website and thoughts resonate with me, so thank you...

    just fyi since you'll get a kick out of it: i saw a screen shot of a quote from your twitter, googled the phrase, found your twitter account, and followed you from there, here. It was kinda like looking up into the sky after being indoors all day and seeing a shooting star.
  • Hi Clay,

    I love this page. What a friendly, assertive way to introduce yourself! I am impressed that you left school at 15. Wish I'd had the courage to do the same. School was stultifying and not what I needed at that point. Anyway, I'm Dot, I live in the D.C. suburbs but was born on Long Island in NY and grew up there.

    My list of blogs to visit daily is getting longer as I explore more of Leo Babauta's readers' links. I'm going to have to divide the list in two and visit them on alternate days, because I just don't have as much time to spend on blogging as I'd like. It's amazing when you have a selection of writers from the entire English-speaking world to choose from.

    As for blog software not letting you edit, I know WordPress has a plugin for that, but I can't tell what software you're using. To me, it's an essential because of typos as well as afterthoughts.

    Dot
  • OMG - you're on AllTop -- way to go! The antiguru of the antihack... so glad that more people will benefit from your unique brand o' wisdom. Keep it up!

    PS, Doing the happy dance for ya over the sunny side of the Pacific :)
  • Hey Clay, Cool blog -- I really like your writing style... look forward to exploring more.... I write 2 blogs -- one on natural healing/mind/body connection as I have healed myself of several illnesses using these techniques and one on kid's non violent computer game recommendations. I was born in NYC and now live in upstate NY -- I love raising my kids here. Being a club kid at 13 in NYC was great for me but somehow NOT how I want to picture my kids! ;-) I love the great outdoors as well....hiking, cross country skiing, BBQ! Just wanted to say a quick hello and introduce myself -- congrats on your accomplishments thus far -- I can see why you have gotten such a warm reception and look forward to hearing of many future successes! Cheers! Jenny
  • Clay,

    Thanks for your comment on my blog. I'm currently having issues with links on typepad - and have tried to fix yours 3 times to no avail. But your link on the comment works....and I'll link back to you again soon!

    Warmly,
    Gal Morale
  • NVM
  • @Clay: Cool, what works for you best! Pardon for the rehash but what plugin do you use for the tabbed "Most Popular" on the right of your blog?
  • Clay Collins
    @Torley: I have looked into twitter feed but I really just prefer writing my own feed announcements. That way I can customize them, spice them up a bit.
  • It's so funny the photo. So friendly! hehe
    Great idea!

    Nice to meet you too! :o)
  • Clay, good to see the Growing Life keeps... growing!

    Have you looked into TwitterFeed to automate announcing your posts yet?

    Also, what plugin do you used for the tabbed "Most Popular" on the right of your blog? It's pretty spiffy! :)
  • Clay Collins
    @Pleased to meet you to! Thanks for dropping by my friend.
  • Clay Collins
    @Monika: Thanks for introducing yourself! I'm glad that you came back, even it if it took an entire copyblogger guest post to get the job done :-)
  • Hi Clay,

    Pleased to meet you. After reading your blog about 2 weeks ago and subscribing I've been too busy to come back. Then today I read your hilarious pot on Copyblogger. Thanks for a great laugh gansta.

    Then I saw Hunter talking about signs from the Universe and linking to you and that got me round the block again to say welcome to the blogosphere.

    Loved your introduction and for some reason I already feel like we've been camping before. Like you, I also love the outdoors but I do own a TV (nbot that it's much useful anyway).
  • Mazlina
    Im always interested in lifehacking issues and/or articles. pleased to meet you also. im from malaysia
  • Hi Clay,

    I've seen your comments at zenhabits. Like you, I am also a fan of Leo...I honestly don't know why it took me this long to visit your site. I guess it's just the way I am. It takes me a while to warm-up to things but once I committ, I loyal to the end.

    Anyway, your site has piqued my interest, and I will be visiting often. I may not make a comment every posts, but I will be visiting everyday.

    Chris
  • Hi Clay,

    I knew I had to comment here, you have a very good intro. I have been staying in your blog recently and I must say, I LOVE it. Definitely love your style of writing and not to mention, the simple blog design you have. You officially have a new subscriber :) I hope to see more great post from you so yea, keep up the good work!

    Edwin
  • Clay Collins
    @Charlie: Indeed. I'll be sending you an email soon.
  • Bah, I already commented on the "Add Friend" section. And then I read this one and want to say welcome to the blogosphere.

    This is a great intro, btw. I forgot to mention in my own About page that I like camping, dutch oven cooking, and backpacking! I'll have to go back and add that, too.

    I look forward to getting to know you better and doing the internet personal development dance.
  • katy
    Mandela's autobio is my favorite book, too! Never met another person who's said the same. Cool!
  • Clay Collins
    @Desika: You blog's a good read. I'm glad that I followed the link.
  • Clay Collins
    @Michael: I'm glad that you'll be coming back. Hope to see you around the site again.
  • Clay, is that one of those complaint bracelets? How long did it take for it to arrive? I've been waiting 6 months, but hey--I can't complain, right?

    I've only read your 4HWW/GTD smackdown so far, but it was enough to make me an instant subscriber!

    Regarding "Why don't the themes let you go back and edit?!," try leaving a comment on nezsez.com. He has a plugin that lets you edit your comments for a few minutes after you leave them.
  • What a great way to welcome your blog. I look forward to reading your blog as it develops.
  • Clay,

    Thanks for visiting my blog.

    -Desika
  • Clay Collins
    @Tannage: Thanks. Sometimes I consider settling down in Minneapolis instead. I've been moving for quite some time and would like to eventually lay down roots, become a yokel, and see the same landscape and people day after day. Croatia might be my last hurrah (or however you spell that :-).
  • Clay Collins
    @Kelly: I was in Xela studying Spanish in Guatemala, and then I came down with Malaria. Talk about throwing a wrench into my plans :-). Your childhood sounds fascinating: I guess the only way to rebel would have been to become conservative. Ha! I hope to make it to New Zealand and Australia someday; I'm jealous of your geography.
  • Clay Collins
    @Kelly: I do that all the time in comments. This isn't where I do my best writing, and I'm glad that I'm not the only one who makes mistakes here. Why don't the themes let you go back and edit?!
  • Clay Collins
    @Deskia: Regarding my blog: the feelings is mutual. And I like what you wrote about "Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr." their autobiographies are probably three of my top 10 favorite books (well, MLK doesn't really have one, but an editor made an unofficial compilation). Dreams are powerful indeed and I believe it is sometimes possible to love our dreams into existence. Next stop: your blog. :-)
  • Clay Collins
    @Laurie: Yup, that's my nerd story. It was a long time ago, but some of that entrepreneurial spirit lingers :-).
  • @Pat: I like your introduction, especially what you say regarding telling stories about your family. And that Tolle quotation is powerful; thanks for sharing it. Now I'm going to have to go out and buy the book :-). Thanks for stopping by.
  • Hi Clay - we met on StumbleUpon and I'm happy for your success with your blog. Great job after only 2 weeks.

    My husband of 41 years and I have lived in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for 25 years. It's a small town around 8500' in elevation and we're only about 45 minutes from the outskirts of Denver. I can relate to you when you say you like the outdoors. Living where we do nature is evident all around and I love it. There's nothing like a freshly fallen snow on a cold, crisp night with a full moon illuminating the mountains all around.

    I love family - children and grandchildren and love to tell stories about them and my life. They're such a kick the second time around. I write about my life and what I've been learning walking and testing out this spiritual path and the inspirations I've received along the way. My passion is connecting with people. In Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose", I finally found the definition of what this connecting is: "When another recognizes you, that recognition draws the dimension of Being more fully into this world through both of you."

    Welcome aboard from a really new blogger to a new blogger. I wish you well and much success and trusting we'll connect again and our paths will continue to cross.
  • I love this post! What a great idea!

    I left home and high school at age 15 to co-found a software company.

    I never knew this about you, but somehow it doesn't surprise me at all.
  • Had a typo attack me in my second paargraph.

    I was talking about not knowing your "music tastes" before. I listen to a lot of different stuff, but I don't know most of these artists.

    Not sure where half my sentence went...

    Kelly
  • Hi Clay,

    Very nice to meet you, too. I have added you to my stumble friends. I like your passions in life.

    What can I say about myself? I live in Seattle area in Washington, with my wife and 8.5 year old son. My passion is self-mastery, enlightenment and ascension, and this is what I blog about. I believe that we project our inner world to create our outer world. That is the state of our outer world is a result of our collective dreams. I believe that current state of the world is a condition created by a few powerful dreamers to satisfy their own selves. If we want to change the outer world, then we have to dream about the new circumstances we want. If we all collectively dream of a golden era of equality and abundance for all, then we can achieve that through powerful dreaming. This was proven in modern times, by Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., to name a few. If one person's powerful dreams can change the world for the better, as they proved it, imagine what we can all accomplish as a group, if only each one of us dreams so powerfully. As within, so without. Well, that is what I believe.

    You have a great blog. Hope to read more of your articles.

    Thanks,
    -Desika
  • Hi Clay

    We may have done the "Pleased to meet you" thing on StumbleUpon, but one can never say these things too much, so I'm very pleased to meet you!

    Sounds like you've had an interesting life journey so far, I hope the ride stays just as thrilling. I've studied Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala. What were you doing down there? And Croatia is said to be awesome. I am so jealous. I am amazed though that I do not have reasonably diverse tastes, so will have to try and track some of this stuff down.

    What can I tell you about me? I'm 36, married, have one gorgeous almost 4 year old. My parents were quite hippy-ish and nomadic so I grew up moving every 18 months or so in my childhood - all over New Zealand and the east Coast of Australia. I've lived in caravans, campervans, houses and Greenie camps. I went to 14 different schools, and left home at 18 to go live in a city where I wanted to study, though didn't know anyone.

    As an adult, I've always been a seeker of truth and life experiences so I've travelled a lot, changed jobs and careers a few times, studied 3 different degrees, and moved house about 42 times. Funny enough though, I have kept the same friends for 20 years.

    I've been writing ever since I was a girl, and now I blog at http://she-power.com where I write about Life, Inspiration and miscellaneous "Chick stuff".

    :) Kelly

    PS. Your blog is coming along really well considering it's only been up 2 weeks
  • Tannage
    Hey! Pleased to meet you. Good luck with the move to croatia!
  • Clay Collins
    @Essentially Me: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I'm off to check out your blog now...
  • Clay Collins
    @Patricia: Thank you for replying and introducing yourself. I look forward to reading your blog and seeing your around StumbleUpon. Thanks for stopping by.
  • The virtual handshake is classic. Welcome!
  • well HELLO! It's very nice to meet you too!

    I have to giggle at the fact that you're this outdoorsy kinda guy because I think we are becoming good blogging buddies and I am the polar opposite. Well maybe not POLAR but I am a New Yorker- I told my husband that I was bewildered with the wilderness he was bringing me into in Washington .. in which he replied "Baby. It's Grass."

    :-|


    I'm coming around though - I like Lays - Kettle Cooked chips! and um.. well I live in the suburbs now .. which is me being open minded lol

    I love this statement - "Like a mutual fund, I seem to grow up more than down over a five-year period, but the key is to hold on, not sell (out)." I will keep this in mind as a reminder to help keep me on course

    Lol about the self help books
    :-| at you don't own a tv. Well, when I stopped watching it, I never missed anything. Then - last summer, I was exposed to soaps... its a never ending black pit and my favorite guilty pleasure.


    I find your travels fascinating and can only hope you will write about some of those experiences you had abroad (so that I might live vicariously through you.)

    All in all, it's a pleasure to meet you Clay :) I look fwd to reading more.
    I'm sure many other readers will feel the same.
  • Hi, Clay, it is nice to meet you too. I just added you as a Stumble fan and came here from Slade Roberson's Spiritual Blogging. Slade and I have been friends for months before I started blogging in June 2007. Have you checked out Slade's Shift Your Spirits blog yet? That is how I met him. Slade and I are both in the niche of spiritual blogging hince the name of my blog, Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker. I write about several different topics of my spiritual journey---healing from incest, Al-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, The Secret, Law of Attraction, my 3 trips to India, and my first series was about the most influencial people in my life with Slade being one of those. Hope you will take the time to check out my blog. I look forward to reading more of yours as it develops.
    Patricia
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