ADDITION (10/25/2011): This post was written when I actually did retire the “If I Were In Charge” Series. Like that of many sports figures,the “retirement” didn’t last long. The series is now alive. For an ongoing list of posts in the series, please see the Overview & Topical Guide. For a list of my other posts, see Mike S.
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I am retiring the “If I Were In Charge” series. It’s not for a lack of ideas, as there are topics for at least another couple of dozen of posts. It’s also not for a lack of popularity. The post on garments is the most popular post ever on this site, and 8 of the top 13 posts in the last quarter are from the series. So why retire it?
It seems to have lost what I intended for it to do and the concept is being diluted more than I’d like. Perhaps because of the popularity of the series, posts have cropped up with titles like “If I were in charge: Reporting Sex Crimes” (subsequently changed to “Reporting Sex Crimes” for being too derivative). Other titles include “If I Were Giving Away Books…” or “So, if I were doing the Sunday School curriculum…” So the whole idea of “If I Were…” has lost it’s meaning. It’s like all of the Nirvana-esque bands that cropped up in Seattle after they started a new style of music.
The original concept was about changing non-doctrinal things that were perhaps offending current members or causing non-members to not have any interest in the Church. I must not have made this clear enough, so I’ve gone back and retitled the whole series “Sacred Molehills“. These are little things that are molehills to some people, but mountains to others. And for many members, these minor and trivial things are “sacred”, even though non-doctrinal. Hopefully, by retitling the series, it will refocus things. And anyone else can go ahead and use the “If I were…” idea however they want.
So, there will be no more posts in the “If I Were…” series, at least from me. Perhaps we’ll get to some of the remaining ideas in the future. For now, I’m going to enjoy the rest of my summer with my family. Cheers.
Wheat & Tares 
have a fun rest of the summer
Mike,
Thanks for the lively conversations. Have a good time with your family.
im legitimately dissapointed. i was lovin this series.
hope it comes back in another form soon!
😦 have fun with your family.
(also, check your mails)
am i reading this correctly – the series will return in the fall, but under a new name?
Fwiw, I like the title change / refocus, Mike – and I look forward to the Sacred Molehills series.
If it makes me think as much as the others did . . . and I’m sure it will.
Sorry Mike. I hope you continue the series even if it’s under a new name. I really liked the idea of changing policies and not doctrines.
This doesn’t compute for me at all. Because your series had such a clear, narrowly defined focus it is easy for me to differentiate and appropriately weigh your posts vs. the other posts. I’m sufficiently intellectually advanced to distinguish meanings and differences across posts that share nothing more than a sequence of three words in the title.
In other words, there’s only one Nirvana, copycats need not apply!
I appreciate your reasons for discontinuing the series, but I sure was enjoying it. 😦 Remember: the Bloggernacle keeps me active by giving me the outlet for edgy discussion that my Primary calling and lack of local LDS friends deny me!
Hi all.
Thanks for the support and interest in the series. I’m actually on the beach and forgot that this was posting until now (I set it up this weekend). I’m sure the concepts in the series will continue – the specific format may change. And who knows how long the “retirement” will actually last. Maybe it will be like Jay-Z or a sports figure “retiring” and back before you know it.
And as an aside, it is a bummer Nirvana isn’t around any more. With the unfortunate death of Amy Winehouse this week at age 27, it’s kind of strange that Kurt Cobain also died at age 27, as well as Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. 27 must be a bad year if you’re a musician.
Well, back to the sand and surf 🙂
If you are Nirvana – does that make Jeff Spector Soundgarden? Alice in Chains?
#2:
Just out of curiosity. At the time I’m posting this, Will’s comment had 3 likes and 1 dislike. Was there something he actually said that was distasteful, or did someone dislike Will on principle?
I’ve certainly disagreed with Will from time to time, but it’s for the sake of discussion and it’s caused me to really think about things. I usually don’t change and go over to his way of thinking, but it’s at least fodder for thought.
No. Given his background, I see Jeff Spector more as Matisyahu – an excellent artist, by the way – and one who sticks to his principles.
(Janis Joplin and Brian whatsisname from Rolling Stones also died at 27…moral of the story, don’t do drugs if you’re 27 and a famous musician).
I look forward to future “spiritual molehill” posts.
Mike S.
“I see Jeff Spector more as Matisyahu – an excellent artist, by the way – and one who sticks to his principles.”
Wow, I got him on the iPOD! Oy Vay.
BTW, I like the new title! Very descriptive!
Grrrrr.
Mike: I defended your intellectual turf as well as I could (http://www.wheatandtares.org/2011/06/30/if-i-were-in-charge-reporting-sex-crimes/ see comment #9). Regardless, we all quickly came to recognize the cheap knock-offs (no, I’m not singling anyone out Stephen). And I suppose we can live with “Sacred Molehills” if I have to. And keep up the good work.
if I/we…
Enjoy the beach – your posts will always be a hit under whatever title. Like jmb275, I didn’t confuse those other posts with yours (with the exception of the Sex Crimes one which only fooled me until about the 2nd sentence). “If I were” is a fairly common phrase – “If I were a sculptor, but then again – no. Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show. . .” or “If I were a rich man, bada deedle deelde bada bada deedle deedle dum. All day long I’d biddy biddy bum. If I were a wealthy man.”
Glad the series will continue after your vacation.
Mike,
It is Dan. He marks thumbs down on everything I write. Everything. But, what do you expect, if I had been beaten on the issues as many times as he has, I’d cry too.
Will,
It wasn’t me. There are many others who dislike you.
And you can see that by the (at current) 2 dislikes to your comment #19. One of them is mine.
Mike S, Retirement is not all it’s cracked up to be. I retired 7 years ago and since then have helped 2 daughters build houses, have built a home for my wife and self, and am now rebuilding a house I own which was damaged in the Queensland floods.
I wasn’t even a builder before I retired.
For the record, Nirvana was not one of the first true “Grunge” bands. They were one of the last.
Collin – all the more reason that analogy is apropos.
Collin:
Just like Nirvana, none of my ideas are new either. They are just the same old chords presented in a different format. The format resonated, so people started copying the same format. There are only a few basic chords/themes. We will be discussing them in years.
For the purposes of this series, it’s like a band in the 80’s or 90’s. Some, like U2 or Radiohead, reinvented themselves once others started copying their sound, and they are still around. Other bands clung to their same “sound” and are now on the Foreigner/Journey reunion tour playing oldies.
It became time for a change. At this point, I don’t know what that will be, but if the change could even be as much as 1% as cool as Kid A, I’d be happy.
“For the record, Nirvana was not one of the first true “Grunge” bands. They were one of the last.”
And like so many musicians of other dispensations, they have sealed their grunge testimony with a band members blood. They now go to a sacred place of waiting, preparatory to the second coming of ROCK!!!