It's all coming back to me.
The breeze.
The clean, open air.
Boom, got the comfy seat.
Zing!
Watch out for Dad!
Okay, he got it.
Good deal.
Fish on, baby!
Who's turn is it?
Mikayla, take the rod!
Oh! Guess I'm up, huh?
Boy, am I rusty or what?
Okay, keep the rod steady.
Tip down, tip down.
Okay, backing up.
Tip steady.
Come on, Dad, just net it already!
Holy moly, that's a big fish right there!
That's a...steelhead? Brown trout?
Great, I forgot how to identify my fish!
That's embarrassing.
Whew, my arms hurt.
Is it weird that I like the smell of fresh caught fish?
Whatever, I'm a nursing major.
I'm supposed to like weird stuff like that, right?
Whoa, another fish on!
Caleb, ya gotta watch out for Dad.
Almost got thrown over there!
That would've been hilarious.
Okay, Dylan's turn.
Man, this kid talks a lot.
Yes, Dylan, we know reeling makes your arms hurt.
Sheesh, enough commentary, just get the fish in the box.
Mikayla, you're turning!
Yeah, I'm turning cause driving this boat is such a pain!
I lost my landmark.
Oh, the smoke stacks, right.
Okay, back on track I think.
Mikayla, now you're too far left!
Sheesh, I don't know what I'm doing!
Now I remember why I hate driving.
Crap, I have to pee.
No!
I am not peeing in that bucket!
Wish we were hunting.
Then I could just pee behind a tree.
That's pretty easy.
What time is it?
Only eleven.
We've been fishing for over five hours already.
It really is beautiful on the lake today.
And one foot waves, wow, that's like nothing!
Mikayla, take the rod!
Oh! Another fish for me, okay.
Yowza, there's a beast on the other end!
Wow, my arm is burning.
Wonder how mad Dad would be if I just let go of the pole...
Hmm, should I try it?
No, not unless I want to move out early!
Yeah, that would be a very bad idea.
Man, is this fish close yet?
Oh! There it is, it jumped.
Fly, little fishy, fly!
Alright, almost there.
Dad's got the net, okay.
Oh, Caleb's netting?
Great.
Three years later, ha!
Come on, Caleb.
Do your thing.
Net it, man, net it!
Ahh, thank you.
Wow, my hands hurt!
Back to driving?
Guess I'm okay with that.
Just a few more hours.
We can do this.
Ya know, sometimes fishing can get annoying.
But I really do love it.
I feel like I'm twelve again.
I guess fishing is part of my history.
My family's history.
I remember the breeze.
I remember the clean, open air.
I remember how I loved it.
And I love it once more.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Spreading some love
Everyone is capable of spreading some love and joy. It's all about waking up and deciding to do so. Recently I've seen some cool Coca-Cola commercials in which they use their product to cause a few more smiles in our world. Just thought I'd share some with ya! By the way, I'm not sharing these because I'm a Coca-Cola lover, I really don't drink much pop, I just like all the smiles in these videos. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA9tXYxD8g This one's one of my favorites. Almost teared up, actually.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9cmoT_wb0A This one is great because it's so true! Sometimes it's tough to start making friends in college.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqT_dPApj9U I'm sharing this one simply because I wish it would happen at Trinity:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A45sjUX7mp0 Ha! I love it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfM9rIhxieU I love all the confused faces at the beginning.
I'm not a company or corporation, but I can still make people smile, and so can you.
Spread some joy today, it's as simple as that:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA9tXYxD8g This one's one of my favorites. Almost teared up, actually.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9cmoT_wb0A This one is great because it's so true! Sometimes it's tough to start making friends in college.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqT_dPApj9U I'm sharing this one simply because I wish it would happen at Trinity:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A45sjUX7mp0 Ha! I love it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfM9rIhxieU I love all the confused faces at the beginning.
I'm not a company or corporation, but I can still make people smile, and so can you.
Spread some joy today, it's as simple as that:)
Monday, May 19, 2014
In the dark
It was 3:30 pm.
The bingo-ers were hustling out of the activity room as fast as their little walkers and wheelchairs would take them. (I know what you're thinking, but some of them are actually pretty fast!)
A few of us CNA's were running the elevator system, working as efficiently as possible. (I'm a pro at filling the elevators, just saying.)
In the midst of the hustle, we saw a flicker and watched as the whole building lost power except the light in the elevator.
"Get them out!" someone said.
So we quickly got our residents out of the elevator, four in all.
The other aides rushed to their halls to get people's oxygen plugged into the working outlet. I was left upstairs to sit with the stranded residents.
"So," I started, "how'd we do at bingo today, ladies?"
It's refreshing to have a little chat with my residents once in a while. We talked about bingo, grandkids, family visits, and joked about who was going to be piggy-backed down the stairs first.
We decided we were very grateful that it was still light outside when the power went out, however it did stay off for another four hours. After realizing that the other elevator in the facility was connected to the generator, we got everyone back to their rightful places.
I've never heard the halls so quiet, even on midnights, as when the power was out. Throughout the night we had to do some major rearranging of resident's rooms to get either their beds or chairs plugged into the red plugs (which were the ones connected to the generator). Some of our residents were stuck in their recliners because the feet were lowered with a remote. I bet if a visitor had cruised through our hall, they would have wondered why they were seeing recliners and beds smack in the middle of resident's rooms!
It was quite a wonky day, if I may be honest. But I was surprised at how chill everyone was, for the most part. As we had dinner on paper and coffee in Styrofoam, we went around the room sharing what we were thankful for. That seemed to cheer people up.
Everybody has some type of interesting work story, so I figured I'd share my most recent one:)
In the midst of the craziness, we were told the cause of the power outage: a car accident. I'm not exactly sure what happened with the accident on 65, but my prayers go out to all the families and friends effected by it.
The bingo-ers were hustling out of the activity room as fast as their little walkers and wheelchairs would take them. (I know what you're thinking, but some of them are actually pretty fast!)
A few of us CNA's were running the elevator system, working as efficiently as possible. (I'm a pro at filling the elevators, just saying.)
In the midst of the hustle, we saw a flicker and watched as the whole building lost power except the light in the elevator.
"Get them out!" someone said.
So we quickly got our residents out of the elevator, four in all.
The other aides rushed to their halls to get people's oxygen plugged into the working outlet. I was left upstairs to sit with the stranded residents.
"So," I started, "how'd we do at bingo today, ladies?"
It's refreshing to have a little chat with my residents once in a while. We talked about bingo, grandkids, family visits, and joked about who was going to be piggy-backed down the stairs first.
We decided we were very grateful that it was still light outside when the power went out, however it did stay off for another four hours. After realizing that the other elevator in the facility was connected to the generator, we got everyone back to their rightful places.
I've never heard the halls so quiet, even on midnights, as when the power was out. Throughout the night we had to do some major rearranging of resident's rooms to get either their beds or chairs plugged into the red plugs (which were the ones connected to the generator). Some of our residents were stuck in their recliners because the feet were lowered with a remote. I bet if a visitor had cruised through our hall, they would have wondered why they were seeing recliners and beds smack in the middle of resident's rooms!
It was quite a wonky day, if I may be honest. But I was surprised at how chill everyone was, for the most part. As we had dinner on paper and coffee in Styrofoam, we went around the room sharing what we were thankful for. That seemed to cheer people up.
Everybody has some type of interesting work story, so I figured I'd share my most recent one:)
In the midst of the craziness, we were told the cause of the power outage: a car accident. I'm not exactly sure what happened with the accident on 65, but my prayers go out to all the families and friends effected by it.
Friday, May 16, 2014
1/4 over
Yowza, it's been forever since I've blogged! Sorry friends (mostly Dad) for the wait. I figured with classes and exams being done, I'd spend some time in reflection over what has happened this school year.
Never again will I be a freshman! Woo hoo:)
First and foremost, I have to say that I love my school. I've enjoyed most of my classes, events we have on campus are awesome, and the friendships I've made here are incredible. It's hard to believe that I only get three more short years here...*tear*
Trying to come up with a select few stories to share with you is proving to be rather difficult! I guess I will start with one of my favorite professors who, sadly, retired at the end of last semester. Dr. Breems was the best at incorporating random phrases into his lectures which, surprisingly, contributed to what he was communicating! I believe some examples are in order:
"Let's meet at the square and shut those suckers down!"
"They don't just call someone a son of a bitch."
"Like low-hanging pants...they might change your knowledge of human anatomy!"
"The Taliban has jokes too."
"There're no laws for bulls!"
"I don't have sharp teeth. I don't have the urge to kill. Well, I do have an urge to kill, it's just not the same."
"Or if you really know swords and happen to have yours with you, your fight instinct might be more powerful."
I don't remember the context for most of these, but does it really matter? It's still hilarious. These are all the quotes I have, but I should also note that Breems made us a powerpoint full of just puns. Long story short, Dr. Breems will be missed.
And then there's the super cool events Trinity has all year. Trollstock was so awesome! It's amazing how much talent thrives on this campus. There was music, dancing, comedy, and more. I was especially impressed by Callie Bunker, who read a story about a fart and won a prize. I was falling out of my chair laughing! My friend Nick and I were even scolded by another student for laughing too loud, which honestly occurs on a daily basis.
One aspect of college that I did not anticipate were all the late night laughing fits, which really just consisted of me rolling on the floor laughing until my sides ached and my roommates standing there, laughing at me laughing. Anneliese, Madz, and Erin: you guys should've seen your faces! I'm glad we had so many joyful times and jokes to share. Even though we often laughed until it hurt, I'm thankful for those crazy weird times.
What I at first thought was a pain in the butt actually turned out to be my favorite part of the year, and that is the fact that I lived in South Hall. For starters, there is no air conditioning in this building, and the bathrooms aren't that great, but South quickly became my home. I'm honestly going to miss this building...all the dance parties, genuine joy, and spontaneous trips to, well, wherever! At first us freshmen thought the whole "Social South" thing was a joke, but we soon discovered it was actually true. And now we're all Southies for life:)
OPUS was a super cool event, too. Basically students get to sign up to show off their academic projects and adventures they had throughout the year. It was awesome to listen to other student's presentations and projects. I'm glad there are so many students that are passionate about what they're learning, and they want to share it with others.
I think what I and most of my friends loved the most this year are the odd dinner/mealtime conversations. First of all, a majority of people in our group are nursing majors, which means conversation often turned to the grossest medical stories or experiences we can share with each other. I guess I should apologize to my friends like Nathan, Kyle, Sierra, and others we have possibly grossed out. But then again, this is never going to stop, especially when we're actually in the nursing program. Sorry guys! Three more years;) Although some of our weirdest cafeteria conversations were not caused by the nursing majors!
I'm so thankful for the family that I've developed at Trinity. If I need a laugh or have something serious to discuss, I know I have people to go to. I'm thankful for Alice constantly telling me I should get out and do something and not be such a responsible nerd. I'm thankful for Nick's hilarious sarcasm and jokes, even though it flies over other people's heads at times. I'm thankful for Anneliese's dry humor and the funny faces she makes, especially when annoyed. I'm thankful for Maddy's obnoxiousness. I'm thankful for Kylla's smile and constant joy. I'm thankful for Nathan's well-worded explanations for everything (English majors be like). I'm thankful for Sierra's bubbliness and, yes, even her need to sing almost every moment of the day. I'm thankful for Kyle's laugh and genuine love for fun. I'm thankful for Taylor's love of laughter and just plain silliness. There are many more people I've grown to love at Trinity, but to write about all of them would cause arthritis in my hands, so I shall refrain. Just know that while all my friends are off having their crazy, exciting adventures, they will be missed.
When I was little and our whole family was gathered around the table for dinner, Dad would always ask how our day was. Us kids would take turns reciting the generic answers: "good," "okay," "boring," and "not too much homework."
Now, if I was asked how my year was and I only had a few words to express it, I would say that this year was one of challenges and blessings. I had a lot of obstacles to conquer, but the benefits of my first year at Trinity are truly astounding.
Hard times and good times.
Stress filled days and moments of laughter.
Challenges and blessings.
"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." -Proverbs 31:25
Thanks for reading! Our college adventure is 1/4 over. Here's to the next 3/4ths!
Never again will I be a freshman! Woo hoo:)
First and foremost, I have to say that I love my school. I've enjoyed most of my classes, events we have on campus are awesome, and the friendships I've made here are incredible. It's hard to believe that I only get three more short years here...*tear*
Trying to come up with a select few stories to share with you is proving to be rather difficult! I guess I will start with one of my favorite professors who, sadly, retired at the end of last semester. Dr. Breems was the best at incorporating random phrases into his lectures which, surprisingly, contributed to what he was communicating! I believe some examples are in order:
"Let's meet at the square and shut those suckers down!"
"They don't just call someone a son of a bitch."
"Like low-hanging pants...they might change your knowledge of human anatomy!"
"The Taliban has jokes too."
"There're no laws for bulls!"
"I don't have sharp teeth. I don't have the urge to kill. Well, I do have an urge to kill, it's just not the same."
"Or if you really know swords and happen to have yours with you, your fight instinct might be more powerful."
I don't remember the context for most of these, but does it really matter? It's still hilarious. These are all the quotes I have, but I should also note that Breems made us a powerpoint full of just puns. Long story short, Dr. Breems will be missed.
And then there's the super cool events Trinity has all year. Trollstock was so awesome! It's amazing how much talent thrives on this campus. There was music, dancing, comedy, and more. I was especially impressed by Callie Bunker, who read a story about a fart and won a prize. I was falling out of my chair laughing! My friend Nick and I were even scolded by another student for laughing too loud, which honestly occurs on a daily basis.
One aspect of college that I did not anticipate were all the late night laughing fits, which really just consisted of me rolling on the floor laughing until my sides ached and my roommates standing there, laughing at me laughing. Anneliese, Madz, and Erin: you guys should've seen your faces! I'm glad we had so many joyful times and jokes to share. Even though we often laughed until it hurt, I'm thankful for those crazy weird times.
What I at first thought was a pain in the butt actually turned out to be my favorite part of the year, and that is the fact that I lived in South Hall. For starters, there is no air conditioning in this building, and the bathrooms aren't that great, but South quickly became my home. I'm honestly going to miss this building...all the dance parties, genuine joy, and spontaneous trips to, well, wherever! At first us freshmen thought the whole "Social South" thing was a joke, but we soon discovered it was actually true. And now we're all Southies for life:)
OPUS was a super cool event, too. Basically students get to sign up to show off their academic projects and adventures they had throughout the year. It was awesome to listen to other student's presentations and projects. I'm glad there are so many students that are passionate about what they're learning, and they want to share it with others.
I think what I and most of my friends loved the most this year are the odd dinner/mealtime conversations. First of all, a majority of people in our group are nursing majors, which means conversation often turned to the grossest medical stories or experiences we can share with each other. I guess I should apologize to my friends like Nathan, Kyle, Sierra, and others we have possibly grossed out. But then again, this is never going to stop, especially when we're actually in the nursing program. Sorry guys! Three more years;) Although some of our weirdest cafeteria conversations were not caused by the nursing majors!
I'm so thankful for the family that I've developed at Trinity. If I need a laugh or have something serious to discuss, I know I have people to go to. I'm thankful for Alice constantly telling me I should get out and do something and not be such a responsible nerd. I'm thankful for Nick's hilarious sarcasm and jokes, even though it flies over other people's heads at times. I'm thankful for Anneliese's dry humor and the funny faces she makes, especially when annoyed. I'm thankful for Maddy's obnoxiousness. I'm thankful for Kylla's smile and constant joy. I'm thankful for Nathan's well-worded explanations for everything (English majors be like). I'm thankful for Sierra's bubbliness and, yes, even her need to sing almost every moment of the day. I'm thankful for Kyle's laugh and genuine love for fun. I'm thankful for Taylor's love of laughter and just plain silliness. There are many more people I've grown to love at Trinity, but to write about all of them would cause arthritis in my hands, so I shall refrain. Just know that while all my friends are off having their crazy, exciting adventures, they will be missed.
When I was little and our whole family was gathered around the table for dinner, Dad would always ask how our day was. Us kids would take turns reciting the generic answers: "good," "okay," "boring," and "not too much homework."
Now, if I was asked how my year was and I only had a few words to express it, I would say that this year was one of challenges and blessings. I had a lot of obstacles to conquer, but the benefits of my first year at Trinity are truly astounding.
Hard times and good times.
Stress filled days and moments of laughter.
Challenges and blessings.
"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." -Proverbs 31:25
Thanks for reading! Our college adventure is 1/4 over. Here's to the next 3/4ths!
Saturday, March 8, 2014
My message: love, joy, strive, live, appreciate, cultivate, be, and share
Trinity is a campus full of blessings, one of which I'll discuss right now: Bible study. Each hallway in the dorms has a hall sponsor, and ours happened to grace us with her presence by leading our Bible study on Wednesday. We discussed what lent traditions, if any, we grew up with.
And then, near the end of Bible study, she challenged us to do something most of us thought would be impossible. She wanted us to write the final message we would give to our loved ones in 25 words or less before we died.
Crazy, right?
So we set to work thinking of the most loving, profound, and ground-breaking words to jot down with colorful crayons on our blank white sheets.
The first message I thought of, of course, was this: "Love deeply."
I chose this because love is the glue that holds people together. Whether you are a couple that after an argument realizes that the little things don't matter because you love each other, or a best friend that is always there to support the other. It doesn't matter! Every relationship requires work from both sides. And why do we want to do this work? Because of love! (insert cheesy smile here)
The second message is something a little more personal to me: "Find joy in everything."
A lot of people tell me that they have never seen me without a smile, or I'm always happy, or laughing, or something of that sort! To which I mentally respond, then you've never seen me after a stress-filled shift at work! While I'm not always a bubbly person, I am definitely not a Debbie-downer. I love the people I meet that always look on the bright side and take things as they come. Why do we need to be worried about every little detail? Let's just all take a deep breath, be thankful for what we've been given, and find joy in everything, even the dark times.
My third message is like a mini-motivational speech: "Strive for perfection in everything you do"
Now I know some of you are probably thinking, Are you saying it's bad for me that I make mistakes? Absolutely not. In fact, making mistakes is one of the best ways for us to learn. All I'm saying is that we should do our best in everything and work at what we need to improve on. That's why I put the word "strive" in there. We can never be perfect, but if we know we tried, then we can be proud of ourselves.
Message four: "Live boldly."
I love the fact that we are social creatures! How cool is it that we can converse with people, create relationships, feel joy, excitement, adrenaline? By living boldly, we allow ourselves to feel exposed, whether in a deep and intriguing conversation with a stranger, or by simply exploring a new place. These instances are important because we are trying new things and learning as we explore.
Number five I believe is especially important: "Appreciate beauty."
It is becoming increasingly difficult in our culture to truly appreciate beauty. Our minds have been slowly morphed into thinking that beauty is what we see in models and celebrities. But something so precious about every detail we see in nature, in animals, and in us is that everything we see is made by God's hands. Humans are even created in His image! How incredible is that? So why do we put others down? Why can't we learn to appreciate the beauty that is inside every single one of us? I know this is something I need to work, as it's so easy to be quick to judge, and I'm sure others of us struggle with this as well. So take a step back, think of God's masterful design of everything, and just bask in appreciation of it.
This next message is especially important for our walk as Christians: "Cultivate a servant's heart."
Christ had the ultimate servant's heart, and He is our greatest example of how to live. I know how easy it is to get tied up in our day to day lives of work, school, or what have you, but service is so important, it can't be passed up. Our world is so broken, every little step we can take will make a difference. On Thursday, I volunteered at an after school club for kids to help them with their homework. It was a very loud and rowdy environment, so it was difficult to keep the kids focused. But with every math problem we finished, the kids got more excited about being finished. It's as if they wanted to be successful, but just needed a little push to get there. Even service as simple as that is all God wants us to do. You don't have to be a missionary in some foreign country for three years. All you have to do is give some of your time to benefit the lives of others. That's the jist of service.
Message seven rings as a great reminder. What's something that bothers a lot of us? Two-faced people. Here's message seven: "Be yourself."
Remember those people in jr. high that would act one way with you and another way with others? That's the opposite of our goal. If you be yourself, the people you surround yourself with will appreciate you for you. I know this seems like such cliché advice, but it couldn't be more true! I can't imagine trying to keep up an act around my friends because I was acting like someone else when I met them. Why do that to yourself? Just be honest from the start! (okay, cheesiness ends here, I promise!)
And my final message is this: "Share Christ."
This paired with having a servant's heart is the simplest way to describe our purpose on this earth. We are salt and light to the world. Be in the world, but don't be of the world. I could go on, but I think this message is pretty clear.
Thanks for reading! I haven't blogged in awhile, so when I noticed I had some quality material, I thought I'd share it with you:)
And then, near the end of Bible study, she challenged us to do something most of us thought would be impossible. She wanted us to write the final message we would give to our loved ones in 25 words or less before we died.
Crazy, right?
So we set to work thinking of the most loving, profound, and ground-breaking words to jot down with colorful crayons on our blank white sheets.
The first message I thought of, of course, was this: "Love deeply."
I chose this because love is the glue that holds people together. Whether you are a couple that after an argument realizes that the little things don't matter because you love each other, or a best friend that is always there to support the other. It doesn't matter! Every relationship requires work from both sides. And why do we want to do this work? Because of love! (insert cheesy smile here)
The second message is something a little more personal to me: "Find joy in everything."
A lot of people tell me that they have never seen me without a smile, or I'm always happy, or laughing, or something of that sort! To which I mentally respond, then you've never seen me after a stress-filled shift at work! While I'm not always a bubbly person, I am definitely not a Debbie-downer. I love the people I meet that always look on the bright side and take things as they come. Why do we need to be worried about every little detail? Let's just all take a deep breath, be thankful for what we've been given, and find joy in everything, even the dark times.
My third message is like a mini-motivational speech: "Strive for perfection in everything you do"
Now I know some of you are probably thinking, Are you saying it's bad for me that I make mistakes? Absolutely not. In fact, making mistakes is one of the best ways for us to learn. All I'm saying is that we should do our best in everything and work at what we need to improve on. That's why I put the word "strive" in there. We can never be perfect, but if we know we tried, then we can be proud of ourselves.
Message four: "Live boldly."
I love the fact that we are social creatures! How cool is it that we can converse with people, create relationships, feel joy, excitement, adrenaline? By living boldly, we allow ourselves to feel exposed, whether in a deep and intriguing conversation with a stranger, or by simply exploring a new place. These instances are important because we are trying new things and learning as we explore.
Number five I believe is especially important: "Appreciate beauty."
It is becoming increasingly difficult in our culture to truly appreciate beauty. Our minds have been slowly morphed into thinking that beauty is what we see in models and celebrities. But something so precious about every detail we see in nature, in animals, and in us is that everything we see is made by God's hands. Humans are even created in His image! How incredible is that? So why do we put others down? Why can't we learn to appreciate the beauty that is inside every single one of us? I know this is something I need to work, as it's so easy to be quick to judge, and I'm sure others of us struggle with this as well. So take a step back, think of God's masterful design of everything, and just bask in appreciation of it.
This next message is especially important for our walk as Christians: "Cultivate a servant's heart."
Christ had the ultimate servant's heart, and He is our greatest example of how to live. I know how easy it is to get tied up in our day to day lives of work, school, or what have you, but service is so important, it can't be passed up. Our world is so broken, every little step we can take will make a difference. On Thursday, I volunteered at an after school club for kids to help them with their homework. It was a very loud and rowdy environment, so it was difficult to keep the kids focused. But with every math problem we finished, the kids got more excited about being finished. It's as if they wanted to be successful, but just needed a little push to get there. Even service as simple as that is all God wants us to do. You don't have to be a missionary in some foreign country for three years. All you have to do is give some of your time to benefit the lives of others. That's the jist of service.
Message seven rings as a great reminder. What's something that bothers a lot of us? Two-faced people. Here's message seven: "Be yourself."
Remember those people in jr. high that would act one way with you and another way with others? That's the opposite of our goal. If you be yourself, the people you surround yourself with will appreciate you for you. I know this seems like such cliché advice, but it couldn't be more true! I can't imagine trying to keep up an act around my friends because I was acting like someone else when I met them. Why do that to yourself? Just be honest from the start! (okay, cheesiness ends here, I promise!)
And my final message is this: "Share Christ."
This paired with having a servant's heart is the simplest way to describe our purpose on this earth. We are salt and light to the world. Be in the world, but don't be of the world. I could go on, but I think this message is pretty clear.
Thanks for reading! I haven't blogged in awhile, so when I noticed I had some quality material, I thought I'd share it with you:)
Saturday, January 18, 2014
I am the origami master!
After a Christmas break filled with work, family, presents, more work, and then getting stuck at work because of a snow storm, I finally made it back to school for interim. Interim is about a two week period in which students choose a class to take. But these classes aren't your average history or math class. These are unique classes like rock climbing, a trip to New York, conspiracy theories, or, in my case, origami.
At first, I was not excited about this interim at all. I thought it sounded super lame and nerdy, and I did not want to have to teach people what I was learning. I missed the first class day because the weather post-poned my travels, so I walked into class the second day, not knowing what to expect.
Origami literally means "folding paper." It was started by the Japanese in the 17th century and spread outside Japan in the 1900's. My teacher was a wise and yet hilarious older woman who happened to be a world traveler. She has been to every continent except Antarctica, some of them multiple times. I walked into class, told her my name, and was given a box of paper and other tools. Weapons. My training had begun.
After learning a few common moves and stances (folds and bases, that is), I was ready to dive into the ancient art of paper folding. From there I discovered new models and tricks that allowed me to climb the ladder toward becoming an origami master and achieving my black belt...or whatever it is you get when you become an origami master.....I should probably know that shouldn't I?
On Monday, I will face my final obstacle. During class we are to display our twelve best/favorite models. I hope I have used my weapons wisely to create the best models I possibly could. My training has come down to the final test. Will my creations impress the crowds as well as be enough to earn my origami black belt? I hope it was enough...and if it was then I will soon become *wait for it* and origami MASTER!!! (MASTER, master, master, master...)
I think you get the picture. Let's just say I feel like a really confident young kung-fu student who is about to be honored for achieving master status. While I know quite a lot about origami, I am definitely not an origami master! At least...not yet:)
At first, I was not excited about this interim at all. I thought it sounded super lame and nerdy, and I did not want to have to teach people what I was learning. I missed the first class day because the weather post-poned my travels, so I walked into class the second day, not knowing what to expect.
Origami literally means "folding paper." It was started by the Japanese in the 17th century and spread outside Japan in the 1900's. My teacher was a wise and yet hilarious older woman who happened to be a world traveler. She has been to every continent except Antarctica, some of them multiple times. I walked into class, told her my name, and was given a box of paper and other tools. Weapons. My training had begun.
After learning a few common moves and stances (folds and bases, that is), I was ready to dive into the ancient art of paper folding. From there I discovered new models and tricks that allowed me to climb the ladder toward becoming an origami master and achieving my black belt...or whatever it is you get when you become an origami master.....I should probably know that shouldn't I?
On Monday, I will face my final obstacle. During class we are to display our twelve best/favorite models. I hope I have used my weapons wisely to create the best models I possibly could. My training has come down to the final test. Will my creations impress the crowds as well as be enough to earn my origami black belt? I hope it was enough...and if it was then I will soon become *wait for it* and origami MASTER!!! (MASTER, master, master, master...)
I think you get the picture. Let's just say I feel like a really confident young kung-fu student who is about to be honored for achieving master status. While I know quite a lot about origami, I am definitely not an origami master! At least...not yet:)
Monday, December 23, 2013
Part of being human
Sometimes I wish I could be Superman.
I'd just swoop in and save the day. And not just for people in trouble, but for anyone. Anyone who was in need of any assistance would receive a visit from me that would result in them smiling and feeling confident that they could go through the rest of their day happily.
Many events of my day reminded me of a commonly asked question: why do bad things happen to good people? Why is it that good drivers get in a fatal accident the one time they are distracted while driving? Why does disease plague our human bodies?
These are the questions that spin through my mind as I drive home from work at 10:15pm in the single digit weather after a surprising and frankly awful shift. I was reminded today that it is possible to remain calm in the face of shocking events. I think that's a lesson that a lot of us need to see. Bad things happen. And when they do, we need to hike up our big girl pants and take care of the issue directly.
Being a freshman in college, I see a lot of doubt. Other students doubt whether or not they're in the right place or the right major. It's not difficult to assure or encourage them, but is it enough? Does that erase their doubt? Not always.....
Doubt plagues me too sometimes. I doubt that I'm doing my job well enough or if my mistakes are producing drastic effects. I doubt that I'm smart enough for what I'm studying. I doubt I make a positive difference in the world. But after these doubts root themselves in my mind I need to remind myself of who I am and what I am doing here. I am a child of Christ. I am human. I mess up. I break under pressure. I fight with people I love. But I am also forgiven. I don't belong on this planet. Heaven is my real home.
I may doubt sometimes. I may want to make everyone happy and do everything perfectly, but I can't. No one can. I'm trying my best, and that's all I can do. Making mistakes is part of being human. That's a tough thing to accept, but it's definitely necessary.
I'd just swoop in and save the day. And not just for people in trouble, but for anyone. Anyone who was in need of any assistance would receive a visit from me that would result in them smiling and feeling confident that they could go through the rest of their day happily.
Many events of my day reminded me of a commonly asked question: why do bad things happen to good people? Why is it that good drivers get in a fatal accident the one time they are distracted while driving? Why does disease plague our human bodies?
These are the questions that spin through my mind as I drive home from work at 10:15pm in the single digit weather after a surprising and frankly awful shift. I was reminded today that it is possible to remain calm in the face of shocking events. I think that's a lesson that a lot of us need to see. Bad things happen. And when they do, we need to hike up our big girl pants and take care of the issue directly.
Being a freshman in college, I see a lot of doubt. Other students doubt whether or not they're in the right place or the right major. It's not difficult to assure or encourage them, but is it enough? Does that erase their doubt? Not always.....
Doubt plagues me too sometimes. I doubt that I'm doing my job well enough or if my mistakes are producing drastic effects. I doubt that I'm smart enough for what I'm studying. I doubt I make a positive difference in the world. But after these doubts root themselves in my mind I need to remind myself of who I am and what I am doing here. I am a child of Christ. I am human. I mess up. I break under pressure. I fight with people I love. But I am also forgiven. I don't belong on this planet. Heaven is my real home.
I may doubt sometimes. I may want to make everyone happy and do everything perfectly, but I can't. No one can. I'm trying my best, and that's all I can do. Making mistakes is part of being human. That's a tough thing to accept, but it's definitely necessary.
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