The Month of May

I ran into a friend of mine today who was showing off a large bruise on her shin, which she received from running into a small piece of furniture. She said that it had been more than two weeks since the incident and only now the bruise was starting to fade into greenish yellow tints and fade away. I also had an incident that left me with a "bruise." My incident was only last Thursday and involved me jumping off a concrete bench and landing on my knees instead of my feet. Those watching will attest that it was a pretty good show. My knees and my right wrist felt like they were going to bruise over for sure. However, three days later, it is apparent that these injuries have skipped the blue and purple stage entirely and are instead turning greenish yellow and fading away. Three days and my bruises are practically gone from an outstanding accident that probably would have broken bones in another person. My first impulse is to complain about this because I have no injuries to show off. But, I have instead decided to change that opinion and favor this alternative response: basically, I'm Superman's daughter, and very blessed to be so. ;)

~

The month of May for most people is the end of school and the beginning of what is sure to be a splendid summer of fun, sunshine, love, and probably some form of boredom at one point or another. May is the symbolic beginning of summer and a time loved by most people. I repeat: most people. You see, in my family, the month of May has an entirely different implication: work, experimentation, and character building. These things in and of themselves are not awful ideas. In fact, they are great things that are given to people on a pretty normal basis without any help. But, in my family, we help it. In May. The Month of May became (for a few years) a ritual in which my parent decided on a lesson they wanted to teach their children (and work on themselves) and they found an "interesting" way to teach it. The first Month of May was a experiment where we went without all modern conveniences. Yes, I mean ALL. No TV, microwave, computer, and we even turned out the lights for a week at the end. Instead of normal past-times, we played cards, board games, played the piano, read, and baked a lot of pies. Although this month was a tough change from the way we'd been living before, it taught me just how much I can live without, and let me tell you: I can live without A LOT! Over all, the lessons learned from this month are priceless to me now and have helped me in many ways over the last few years. Other Months of May included: Emergency Preparedness Month (in which each week was dedicated to a different kind of emergency we should be ready for: living on food storage for a week, turning off the water for a week and living off water storage, living without electricity for a week, and various other small day-to-day emergency tests) and Good Grocery Shopping Month (which ruled that each person only had $10 a week to spend on food [I must interject that I cheated during this month because I am weak with certain things and I just couldn't stand pretending to be poor]). But these two other Months of May have also helped me with being prepared for and knowing how to deal with emergencies, and also how to be better about buying groceries and saving money.

At the time, I felt sure that my parents were only trying to make life miserable. Now, I can see that they were trying to teach me something valuable that I would use for the rest of my life. In retrospect, not such a bad idea. :)

The point: It's May again, and though I've never really missed the Month of May since I've moved out, I have wondered what I would do for a "Month of May." I know it's a little late to get started, but I have considered it anyway. But in thinking about it, I have come to an interesting discovery: this month has been a time for me to bring together all of the previous Months of May and implant them in my life. I don't have a lot of money so grocery shopping must be done efficiently, I have a lot of time with nothing to do and I don't want to idle around all day watching Bonanza (no matter how good of a show it is), and I sometimes need to be prepared for irregularities. So far this month has been (and probably will be for the rest of the month) a test of how well I can apply these lessons I have learned to my life. My parents have done good and I can prove it. I am probably more ready for anything than anyone else my age. Life isn't easy, but I have have the tools to make it through. It may be hard, but my parents always told me, "You can do hard things."

This month of May I want to prove them right. Life is hard, but I can do hard things.

~

"Life is a storm my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment and be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome, 'Do your worst! For I shall do mine!'" --The Count of Monte Cristo

"Don't tell God how big the storm is. Tell the storm how big your God is."

"It's only a failure if you can't say what you've learned from it." --Dr. P

"Nothing is impossible until the laws of physics tell you so. Then get a second opinion."

~

Today's Featured Quote:

"A man has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses." --C.S. Lewis

It's Amazing

It's amazing how much can change so quickly.

It's amazing how much you learn about yourself when you're alone.

It's amazing how much you learn about yourself when you're surrounded by lots of people.

It's amazing how much stress factors into mood and personality shifts.

It's amazing to realize you're not alone.

It's amazing how much you don't notice until you do notice.

It's amazing what you take for granted.

It's amazing how calming summer can be.

It's amazing how beautiful some places are when you look at them right.

It's amazing what a little perspective can do.

It's amazing how much influence Disney movies can have on a bad day.

It's amazing to think of how many billions of people there are in the world, and only one of you.

It's amazing how much you've grown since you last recognized how much you'd grown.

It's amazing how much like your parents you really are.

It's amazing what a little creativity can do.

It's amazing how much you forget.

It's amazing how much you remember.

Face it. Life is amazing sometimes.

~

"Life is easy. Life is hard. But always, life is beautiful." -CEH

"I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it."

"I will love the light for it shows me the way. I will love the dark for it shows me the stars."

"To err is human, to forgive divine." -Alexander Pope

"I've had a lot of problems in my life. Most of them never happened." -Mark Twain

~

Today's Featured Quote:

"I loosened my tie and saw what it feels like to breath/...I took off my watch and found I had all the time in the world." -Time For Livin'

Homework

Here are some lyrics to a song from You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. It basically sums up how I feel about all, well, most homework. :)

~

If I start writing now

When I'm not really rested

It could upset my thinking

Which is no good at all.

I'll get a fresh start tomorrow

And it's not due till Wednesday

So I'll have all of Tuesday

Unless something should happen.

Why does this always happen,

I should be outside playing

Getting fresh air and sunshine,

I work best under pressure,

And there'll be lots of pressure

If I wait till tomorrow

I should start writing now.

But I if I start writing now

When I'm nbot really rested

It could upset my thinking

Which is no good at all.

--Charlie Brown

~

Today's Featured Quote:

"Procrastinators unite! Tomorrow."

Pointlessly Occupied

Disclaimer: If you know you are not included in the "general terms" used below, then you are not among the intended audience of this post, but you may enjoy it anyway. If you know you are included in the "general terms" used below, please pay close attention: I am talking to you. If you are in denial about being included in the "general terms" used below, please dig deep and refer to the previous sentence. :)

The world (the world being a general term) is pointlessly occupied. We are all (all being a general term) so busy doing absolutely nothing. Our time is spent texting, facebooking, tweeting, watching TV, listening to noise with a beat, and brainwashing our minds with various other forms of entertainment that would be fine if used appropriately and in moderation. As it is, they are not. Hence the problem: Our world (world, again being a general term) is consumed with too much and not enough. We have too much pointlessness in our life and not enough fullness.

If your aspirations for the week are to get to the next level of the little game inside your phone or iPod, STOP IT! Of all the hundreds of thousands of possibilities out there for ways to spend your time, you are choosing to hurt what is left of your eye sight, deafen what is left of your hearing, and ignore the things that matter most in life for the itsy-bitsy pixels inside a machine that may or may not be an alien robot waiting to attack you? Really? STOP IT!

Everyone (everyone being a general term) enjoys technology and there is nothing wrong with that. Watching some TV, listening to some music, being on facebook, and even sending an occasionally tweet under the alias of Lord Voldemort are perfectly respectable ways to pass the time. It is only when these things become a driving force in your life that you need to stop and ponder your choices of entertainment. *Definition of "driving force" being: anything that you couldn't/wouldn't live without for more than three days. Again, for those of you in denial: dig a little deeper. :)

But now that we've established that there are some things that need to be cut back, what then do we fill all our new free time with? Let me answer that question with a story:

An aspiring young pianist played at a concert and was receiving compliments after the performance where a middle aged man approached him and said, "Wow. You are amazing. I wish I was as good as you." The aspiring young pianist replied, "Thank you, but no you don't. If you really wanted to be as good as me, you would be." We are all as talented as we really want to be. Granted, there are some cases where we may never reach the goals and dreams of childhood for whatever reason, but how many people (people being a general term) have dreams stored away in a box inside of another box inside of our closet? Now, if your dreams have been put aside as a sacrifice for something better, then I commend your self control and wish you the best. But if your dreams are locked away for no other reason then you think they're only good memories or because you are pointlessly occupied elsewhere, then I urge you to STOP IT! Wipe the dust off those boxes, kill the spiders who have made their home there, unpack your dreams and get going. Someone wise, experienced, and probably dead once said: "Your future is as bright as you faith." It's true no matter what you apply it to. In this case, your dreams are as bright as your faith in yourself. In the almighty words of that beloved satire Galaxy Quest: Never give up! Never surrender! (Or if you prefer, insert your favorite cliche, cheesy, and overused catchphrase from your favorite movie)

Find something to replace the time you (you being a general term) spend pointlessly occupied. Let it be anything you want (reasonably speaking) and don't be afraid of failure. Failure is just a short and sweet way of saying that you're not perfect but that you have room to grow if you will only try again. Failure comes as much from putting everything out and falling as never fully extending your wings. Either one results in a failed attempt, but only turns into a obstacle if you don't get back up and give it all you've got [again].

Let's break the cycle. One, two, three, go.

~

This has been a public service announcement. You're welcome. :)

~

"Go. Live your dream." "I will." "Your dream stinks, I was talking to her." -Tangled

"No one can go back and make a new beginning, but anyone can start now and make a new ending." -U. N. Known

"Fifty years from now when you're looking back, don't you want to be able to say you had the guts to get in the car?" -Transformers

"Give everything you have, all the time, and you will have a lot fewer regrets in life."

~

Today's Featured Quote:

"Doubt is a luxury we can't afford anymore." -The Incredibles

21

As I pass the threshold of another year I have become determined that every year must bring about a collection of wisdom that has accumulated over the course of the last 365 days. And so, naturally, I sat down to ponder what I had learned over the course of the last year and as I did so, I became completely distracted by the copious amount of changes that have happened in my life, direct and indirect:

Flashback... (in no particular order)

My parents moved to Hawaii

My sister got remarried

I read the entire Harry Potter series in three weeks (not easy, you try it sometime)

I certified as a phlebotomist and worked as one for three months

I lived in Hawaii for a summer

I've been on a plane 4 times

I've taken two trips to Logan

I've seen three shows (two plays, one movie) twice (each time within 24 hours or less)

I got a new phone

I've started standing firmer against stupidity (in a good way)

I've not be as bad as procrastinator as last year

I finally made a right choice

I found a whole list of things I want to do

I reconnected to the gospel

I realized that I have a long way to go

I learned ALOHA

I've successfully memorized a couple dozen new songs with which to annoy people

I found/stole the best chocolate-chip cookie recipe ever

I made new friends

I moved to a new house with new roommates and new experiences

I took my Debate team to State, where they took 3rd place overall as a team

I smiled more

I complained as much as always ;)

I've tried harder to do what's right

I've started asking better questions

I've stopped rising to an argument (it's kind of like the first step towards patience for me...)

My parents gave me their old piano

I got a job on campus

and...

I'm a whole year older.

~

Eventually, my pondering bought about the recollection of lessons I have learned. Here are some free words of wisdom from the last year of my life:

1. Wag more. Bark less.

2. If for a while is seems the harder you try, the harder it gets; take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived.

3. Not forgiving is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

4. Never pick a fight with an old man; if he's not in the mood to fight, he'll just kill you.

5. A man has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses.

5. It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.

6. He/she can who thinks he/she can.

7. Angels don't always have halos and wings; sometimes they are disguised as perfect strangers and our closest friends.

8. If you have no other qualities, you can succeed with love alone.

9. You can't be perfect today, and you can't be perfect tomorrow, but you can be better today and you can be better tomorrow.

~

Well, it is the passing of another year of my life. Twenty one years. I can now legally gamble, drink, and rent cars..........yeah...what's so great about turning 21 again? ;)

~

Today's Featured Quote:

"Life will either grind you down or polish you up; it all depends on what you're made of."

Originality

I am taking a class this semester on Literature and Film--mostly adaptations of literature to film. However, based on discoveries in that class, I would like to point out that there is very little originality out there folks. Now, that's okay; I don't particularly care because I like classic stories and if they're good, why not reuse them in a different way? But I find it very amusing because when you find other stories' plots imbedded in new stories, it makes for an interesting discussion about originality...of which there is very little apparently.

Please follow the link below and enjoy the 35 second clip that illustrates this concept masterfully. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8CD6tI21Cc&feature=related

There is very little out there that can be called original, but why moan and complain and criticize? I think we should just learn to enjoy a good story wherever it is used well. But, of course, we should also make comparisons wherever we can if for no other reason then to annoy and irritate our friends and family. :)

~

"It is great cleverness to know when to conceal one's cleverness." --Francois de la Rochefoucauld

"It's not denial. I am just very selective about the reality I accept." --Calvin

"Vanity working on a weak mind produces every kind of mischief." --Mr. Knightly, Emma

~

Today's Featured Quote:

"Well, remember what you said, because in a day or two, I'll have a witty and blistering retort! You'll be devastated THEN!" --Calvin

Love in My Heart

I have done a lot of thinking lately (perhaps too much) and I have felt disheartened because I feel like I have so far to go. In recent reflection I believe some of my sadness comes from a false impression that everything has to be done at once instead of gradually, one piece at a time. After this realization, the biggest questions I had was: where do I start? The following quote is long, but I believe it is a wonderful place to begin:

Love in My Heart

"I will greet this day with love in my heart. For this is the greatest secret of success in all ventures. Muscle can split a shield and even destroy life, but only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men and until I master this art I will remain no more than a peddler in the market place. I will make love my greatest weapon and none on whom I call can defend against its force. My reasoning they may counter; my speech they may distrust; my apparel they may disapprove; my face they may reject; and even my bargains may cause them suspicion; yet my love will melt all hearts liken to the sun whose rays soften the coldest clay.

I will greet this day with love in my heart. And how will I do this? Henceforth I will look on all things with love, and I will be born again. I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge. I will greet this day with love in my heart. And how will I speak? I will laud my enemies and they will become friends; I will encourage my friends and they will become brothers. Always will I dig for reasons to applaud; never will I scratch for excuses to gossip. When I am tempted to criticize I will bite on my tongue; when I am moved to praise I will shout from the roofs. Is it not so that birds, the wind, the sea and all nature speak with the music of praise for their creator? Cannot I speak with the same music to His children? Henceforth will I remember this secret and it will change my life.

I will greet this day with love in my heart. And how will I act? I will love all manner of men for each has qualities to be admired even though they may be hidden. With love I will tear down the wall of suspicion and hate which they have built round their hearts and in its place will I build bridges so that my love may enter their souls. I will love the ambitious for they can inspire me! I will love the failures for they can teach me. I will love the kings for they are but human; I will love the meek for they are divine. I will love the rich for they are yet lonely; I will love the poor for they are so many. I will love the young for the faith they hold; I will love the old for their eyes of sadness; I will love the ugly for their souls of peace.

I will greet this day with love in my heart. But how will I react to the actions of others? With love. For just as love is my weapon to open the hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate and the spears of anger. Adversity and discouragement will beat against my new shield and become as the softest of rains. My shield will protect me in the market place and sustain me when I am alone. It will uplift me in moments of despair yet it will calm me in time of exaltation. It will become stronger and more protective with the use until one day I will cast it aside and walk unencumbered among all manners of men. And how will I confront each whom I meet? In only one way. In silence and to myself I will address him and say I love you. Though spoken in silence these words will shine in my eyes, unwrinkled my brow, bring a smile to my lips, and echo in my voice; and his heart will be opened.

Most of all I will love myself. For when I do I will zealously inspect all things that enter my body, my mind, and my soul. Never allow my soul to become complacent and satisfied, rather I will feed it with meditation and prayer. Never will I allow my heart to become small and bitter rather I will share it and it will grow and warm the earth.

I will greet this day with love in my heart and henceforth will I love all mankind. I have not time to hate only time to love. From this moment I take the first step required to become a (wo)man among (wo)men. If I have no qualities, I can succeed with love alone. I will greet this day with love and I will succeed."

I think we could all use a little more love. :)

~

"Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts." --Robert Fulghum

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." --Proverb (I'm sure)

"If you keep waiting for tomorrow, you will find yourself with a whole lot of empty yesterdays."

"Not because we are able, but because He is." --Lawrence E. Corbridge

~

Today's Featured Quote:

"Success will come when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change." --Unknown