Toss your Worries!

When I'm at school, my dad often finds creative ways to keep in touch with me.

This includes e-mails, which, for some people may be considered pretty uncreative... but for Dad, it's creative. Let's just give that to him.

Here's a list that he sent me one time. I'm posting it now, because (a) it's an awesome list! and (b) I just tacked it up by desk, and need to start following these ideas... I think it'd help me improve this failure of a week.


'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.'

1. Pray
.
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say no to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. 

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest
.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to music that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus.’

27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego
.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.


'If God is for us, who can be against us?'

(Romans 8:31)


So there ya have it. Use it if you'd like. Or don't. But if you do,
Dad says "You're welcome."

"I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming... I'm heweh!"

Any Full House fans in the house?! (2 points extra 'cause I said house twice!) (... And yes, this year I'll be delegating points to myself. Get stoked.) Anyway, Michelle always said that in Full House... the whole "I'm coming" thing... It's something my sisters and I always say... I can sense I'm already losing readers on this one... so, moving on...

I'M BACK AT SCHOOL.

This is so weird, this is so weird, this is so... awesome. It's a new year! Which can only mean one thing: you can again return to my blog and actually find NEW MATERIAL! Which I'm sure is very exciting for all of you who have been waiting with bated breath for a new post. I apologize for not blogging all summer, but I will summarize my summer in three words. (... And then maybe a few more...)

1. SIFE. The month of May, my friends, was SIFE-filled. SIFE, if you don't know, is an international organization (Students In Free Enterprise), and one of the many clubs at Roberts. This year, our SIFE team competed not only regionally, but NATIONALLY, and I traveled with the team to Minneapolis, Minnesota in the beginning of May for the competition! It was a great experience, and our team did very well, eventually placing in the top 16 IN THE NATION for college SIFE teams. (Can I get a 'What! What!'?!) 'Twas very exciting. THEN, I traveled AGAIN with a SIFE team to a village in Guatemala!! RWC SIFE has been ministering to this community for seven years, and having gone on the trip last year, I couldn't wait to return again. Although we were scheduled to stay one week, God had some other ideas... and after a volcano eruption, (!) tropical storm, (!!) and a few sinkholes, (!!!!!) we finally escaped an extra week later, via El Salvador. QUITE the adventure! But one of the most amazing trips of my life. Stories from that trip may or may not sneak into this blog periodically.

2. LEATHER. That's right, I'm talkin' cow hide. This summer, I worked at a Leather shop for the first time ever! It was a new thing for me... (believe it or not, I'm not actually experienced...) but was so much fun. It's a private shop inside Hersheypark (ever heard of it?! I live close-by!) where I made keychains, bracelets, dreamcatchers, belts... even rings or dog tags (which, consequently, were made out of metal... not leather...) for the chocolate-loving tourists. Sometimes, working in a shop, with a heavy apron on, in 98 degree weather can be... interesting... but for the most part it was a great experience. Mostly because my boss and co-workers were so cool. And because it was like arts and crafts time, ALL the time, combined with meeting new and exciting people, from places like Azerbaijan, every. day. Awesome-ness. Plus, working at the park means free passes to park, which I definitely had to take advantage of...

3. BEACH. Of course! It's summer... time to getchyo Ocean on! I went to the beach several times, with family or friends, or a little of both. Spending time with my family in the summer is always a highlight, because, quite simply: I love them. :) I'm fully convinced that there is no better group of crazy cats in the world for me, and living at home during the summer is always so good. This summer, we also added a few random weekend adventures to our sched's, like a whale-watching trip out of Massachusetts... where we saw TWENTY FIVE HUMPBACK WHALES! (YES, my friends, dreams DO come true!! In case you don't know this about me, I am slightly freakish about the Ocean and all its contents. I love whales.) So the family, that was good. Plus, my dog is there, and that cute ol' cockapoo is quite the companion.

So there you have it, my friends! My summer in three words! (Or... you know... three hundred... but it was close.) Overall, it was an amazing time, and couldn't really be put into blog-form... more like novel form. Hence the length of this puppy! But don't worry, your tired eyes will not have to work themselves into a tizzy every time I write a blog. So come on back sometime, and check in. I still have to tell you about life here at Bob's! :)

WHAT IS HAPPENING.

Something quite unbelievable has happened.

The fourth semester of my college career… has ENDED. What! WHAT?! I know. Your jaw is dropped in awe and amazement of the skillful stealth of Father Time, who has so quickly stolen the last few months of my sophomore year at Roberts.

It really is hard to believe. I feel like it was just yesterday that I moved in. I also feel like a 90 year old grandma using the phrase, “I feel like it was just yesterday…” but so be it. That’s what it’s like. And this year, something truly remarkable has happened… as finals approached, (and then started… and then ended…) I realized that for the first time in the history of my life, I didn’t want school to end. (What! WHAT?! I know. Your jaw is dropped in awe and amazement…) But folks, this is the scary thing: I’m serious!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than ready for a break from school work, and I wouldn’t have minded if finals had been about one afternoon long instead of a full week… but after a semester like the one I just had… I just didn’t want it to end! One huge reason is that my friends this past semester have been just awesome, supporting and encouraging one another through rough days, weeks, or semesters… we’ve grown so much closer than before and I frankly just don’t like having to spend the summer about 300 miles and a state border or two away from most of ‘em. I love these guys!

But another reason I didn’t like this semester ending so quickly was big bad GRADUATION DAY. Yup. That’s right. Graduation. From college. First of all… this year is the first year I feel even indirectly affected by this day, because it’s the first year that some of my close friends include seniors. So now, (this second, if you’re keeping track) as they graduate and find jobs, I’m not only watching them (even helping them!) move out of Roberts apartments and dorms and into real apartments for real jobs but also (and yes, this is third… you were spot on!) but am realizing how soon this whole process could be happening to me! (Assuming I finish my bachelor’s in four years as planned and I decide against grad school.) HOLY TOLEDO, WORLD. I’m coming to meet you so soon! After 15 years of just being a student, I have 2 years left before my job description will read… something else! WHAT IS HAPPENING. I’m just hoping that by the time that huge jump to the real world comes around, I’ll be ready for it… because right now, I definitely am loving this whole college thing.

HOWEVER, it is now SUMMER!!! Which means, Mission Trip to Guatemala with RWC SIFE NEXT WEEK, starting a new job in Hershey in TWO WEEKS, and a road trip to the beach in THREE! Many things to be excited about right now. Check back in a few and maybe you’ll see an update! Now get outside and enjoy that sunshine. :)

A Blog's Blog. Soma Syle.

I have just looked through some old blogs, and realized how consistent of a blogger I once was. Goal of the semester: to blog more. Hold me accountable, people! I think the one thing holding me back is I never feel like I have anything interesting enough to say that anyone would like to read. To prove myself wrong, I am taking the advice of a fellow blogger, Mike by name, and writing what he has dubbed a "Blog's Blog." Think of it as a free write, creative writing class style. Except on a keyboard, and not a notebook. Also, I'm sitting in a very comfortable green satellite chair, and not a rough desk chair. Hopefully some of this will be found interesting to a reader or two. :)

Also, I'm listing this... in order to organize AND (double whammy) look cool.

#1 - I really like lists. I write down lists a lot. Things to do, people to e-mail/call, cool ideas/places I just heard of, lyrics, etc. If anyone looks at my desk they'd think I'm a really super busy person, because taped to my desk frame I have about 34 post-it notes with To-Do's written on them. (Ok, yes, that was a bit of an exaggeration... I probably only have about 14.) Looks overwhelming, but really, it's quite organized, and can include notes as vague as "JOB. GET ONE." and "That Video Thing for TMC" to "Thank You note to Harold" or "Library Book!" (Aaaand, yup. These examples are real-life. I did write them/have them on my desk. I wouldn't lie about such things, believe me.) So really, I just walk by my desk and remember, "Oh yeah, I should finishing recording that new song with Jon Foreman..." or "Right! I have that frozen squirrel to take care of." (Not real-life examples.) It's a handy way to keep me POSTED. (Ha. Ha ha. I was talking about Post -It notes...)

#2 - Speaking of my desk, I also have a sweet page-a-day calendar this year. I normally don't use calendars to write down dates of anything (see #1), so I decided a boring "One-picture-to-stare-at-for-30-days" just won't cut for me in the exciting year of 2010. No, no! So I now have a calendar with a new picture to look at EVERY SINGLE DAY (except Saturdays and Sundays, which are combined. Acceptable, I figure.) It's modeled after the New York Times Bestselling Book, "1000 Places To See Before You Die," and gives an interesting fact/quote along with a picture of a different beautiful place in the world on each page. At first, as a traveler, I thought, "This is great! I'm gonna love it!" but now, after tearing off the page which had The Great Ocean Road in Australia, to see the sunny sands of St. Thomas, I've come to the "Are you kidding me" stage. Staring outside at about 2 feet of snow and then looking on my desk at palms and springs is not a combination to raise your spirits. I have a feeling that my relationship with this calendar has just turned south. (Ha. Ha ha. I was talking about places... maps... south... Man, I am so funny today.)

#3 - I'm listening to House of Heroes. Holy cow, these guys are versatile. Seriously. I'm impressed by their ability to somehow incorporate tight harmony, electronica, heavy guitar and heavy drums, and just about every tempo imaginable.

#4 - I just put laundry in the washer. I figured it was time after my suitcase was overflowing. Yes, my suitcase. I was using it as a hamper, because, (get this!)... my real hamper was still full of all the clean clothes from the last laundry trip that I was too lazy to fold and put back in my drawers. Ha! Wow... that's not a good sign. So my suitcase was overflowing. I put all those clothes in the washer about 30 minutes ago, and just went to see how soon they'll be done... and I never closed the door. So in another 30 minutes... I'll have to go check. Something tells me laundry is not my strength. Maybe I should start using Post-It's to remind me to do it.

#5 - I'm in a nasty habit of staying up way too late. It's to the point where I stay up until at least one or two even when I don't have to. Last night, I was chatting with Corey, a friend from Canada with a sick YouTube channel, until about 1:30, and tonight, I'm blogging. What is this, Amy?! Poor Christine, the ever-so-sleepy Nursing major roommate of mine, trying to rest, and here I am with my desk lamp on. I think she really is asleep. But I'm sure she'd sleep much better if she knew I too were snug and slumbering. Wait! Movement! I think she might be up!

In honor of her slumber, and my slumber, for that matter, I am closing this short little bloggette here. Amazingly, as I finished typing that sentence, the music in my headphones just stopped playing, as if knowing it's time to call it a night. I hope something I said was interesting to someone. And if it wasn't, at least check out that website for the "1000 Places"... It's one cool book!

Until next time,

Hakuna Matata.

Motherhood

I've never really thought about being a mother.

Some girls loved dolls. My younger sister, for example, would carry her doll around everywhere she went. It was more than a toy to her, it was something she really did nurture and care about. In some ways, my stuffed animals were like that to me, when I was younger. I'd play with them in my room, we'd go to carnivals and zoo's for humans together... (Seriously. I was a rascal.) ... but to me, these guys were more like my friends than children. I never really got into the whole doll scene. I only liked Barbie because I could practice some wicked interior design in her Dream House.

As I got older, I started babysitting. For some reason though, it never clicked that "Hey! Someday, you could actually be doing this for your own kids. This could be your life." I regularly babysat three boys when home in the summer or on breaks, and had the TIME of my LIFE ... DAY with those goobers. They're a ton of fun, I really liked hanging with them. But that's kind of what it was for me. Hangin' out. [Is it strange that, to me, I'd rather try out some new nerf guns in the kitchen than go to a boring adult party? I never really thought about it.]

I watched a movie this weekend. It's called "The Family Stone." Has a bunch of big names in it. If I were to describe it in three words, I'd say: predictable, cute, and Hollywood. However, one thing that I walked away from this movie with was something I've never really experienced before... excitement for motherhood.

When the word 'motherhood' is brought up, I normally think of young kids. Elementary school, pre-school, diapers. There's the toys and games, the cowboys and robbers, the Barbie and American Girl... but as I get older, and as my sisters get older, and as my whole family grows older... there's this strange shift in dynamics. And I'm really diggin' it. The parents and the daughters really start to relate to each other, I guess. Similar humor develops, 'real world' problems are discussed and resolved, my opinion has a say as much as Mom's or Dad's. There's a letting go of the responsibilities that come with parenting, or 'motherhood,' and suddenly an ability for me, as a daughter, to step up and help out Mom or Dad with big important issues... not just setting the table.

As I watched "The Family Stone," I saw a family with many struggles, prejudices, boundaries to overcome, and as they were worked through, the cornerstone, Mom, slowly fades in role. It struck me. Here is one woman who has made such an impact on the lives of her children when they were kids, that now, in the present-day of the movie, she's able to turn back to them for help, correction and support. And she needed it.

Suddenly, I want that.

I want to raise a bunch of kids, letting them develop their own styles and attitudes and opinions. I want Christmas at my house in 40 years to be noisy. With laughter and traditions and "remember when's." I want to laugh at their stories of school pranks, embrace their weeping bodies, whispering comfort, and say 'Clean your room' before the guests come over. I want to set for them the greatest example of what a woman should be, how she should act, what she should say, how she should care. I want to nurture.

It's like that instinct that should have kicked in at age 2 with "Susie-Squirts-a-Lot" is now up and at 'em. I am PUMPED for a family!
It's gonna be awesome.



That said, I sure can wait. A good long time, actually.
I have a lot to do before any of these shenanigans get started. And a great deal to mature, change, grow.... especially if I'm going to be the best mother in the world.

The Fear of the Unknown

I've always heard it said that humans have an innate fear of the unknown.
But that's not quite right, is it?

I mean, in order to fear something, anything, you have to know something, anything, first. If you put a newborn baby in a tank with crocodiles, will it fear them? No. Why not? Well, (1) because it's probably unaware that it is even with crocodiles in the first place, and (2) because it doesn't know anything about crocodiles yet... like their big long jaws full of sharp teeth, strong muscles, or carnivorous appetite.

One of my biggest fears is losing friendships. Why? Because it's happened, and it really sucked. Another one: coming into the possession of a great deal of money. Why? Because I've seen it's effects in others, and think I'd be vulnerable to the same corruption. It was only after I knew something about these things that I feared them. And it's only after any of us learn anything that we have something to fear.

Now, ironically, here I am with a fear of not knowing enough.
I know enough to know that there's more I should know, and not knowing how to get there... that's a huge reason to be afraid. I've come to terms with the fact that I have a large decision to make soon, about where I'm going to spend the next few years of my life, and what I'm going to be doing during them, but it's pretty hard to make a choice when you don't know all the options. God, give me the options. I want to be able to do all these things I'm dreaming of, but I just don't know how to get there.

Maybe that's the unknown that humans fear... the not knowing whether or not you'll make it out of this life with all those boxes on your to-do list checked off, with actually reaching those standards you've built your life around reaching.
A recent 2010 survey found that 46% of Americans are unhappy with their jobs. That means over half of this country is waking up each morning to face something unpleasant. (Coming to terms with this happy little realization, that what's we call a mid-life crisis.)

I don't want to part of the 54%.
I never did like being in the majority anyway.

'Ding!' You are Free to Move About the World.

I've got some thoughts to blog about. But, as seems to be the case whenever my creative writing mind is opened, I am not connected to the Internet. So I shall type this up, only to forget about it in a day or so, unless by some miracle I remember to post it later this weekend. I find myself this particular Friday afternoon sitting in the Observation Deck of the Baltimore-Washington International Airport in a rocking chair, staring outside a wall of glass. On the other side of this see-through partition happens to be the runway from which dozens of planes will take off and on which dozens of others will land during the hour I sit here waiting for my family to come pick me up.

It really is a strange concept, isn’t it? Flying is quite basically cramming as many people as possible into large metal tanks with engines strapped on the sides and propelling them into the stratosphere. People sit in comfy chairs, drink coffee, read the news, sleep, watch movies… all the while thousands of feet in the air.

For most of us, this is a day-to-day occurrence, just another way to get from point A to point B. It never seems unusual to see a plane above us… we don’t quite need run to the windows to know what’s going on if we hear a loud jet fly overhead. But for others it is one phenomenon they will never experience. Many don’t have the opportunity (it really is a privilege to be able to fly). Still others, category C, don’t really feel the need to cast themselves off into the sky in a heavy metal rocket armed with nothing but a seat for a “flotation device,” thank you very much.

For me, flying is a freedom. I will fly whenever given the chance. I love it. It’s such a unique way to experience the world that surrounds us… nothing can compete with the strange perspective gained when miles above land. As I flew today out of La Guardia in New York City (Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘A layover between Rochester and Baltimore?! How lame!’ and rightly so, for it is, indeed, lame. However, it is also significantly cheaper, and for a college student, saving money is very important. Actually, for anyone with half a brain saving money is important. Moving on…), staring down at the harbor where small boats speckled the smooth surface of the Atlantic, their masts sticking straight toward me like the hairs on my goose bumped arms, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the advancement of technology and the opportunities it’s presented my generation with. To list them would be monotonous. The very fact that I’m typing this on my laptop in the middle of an airport while listening to Citizen Cope in the most comfortable pair of headphones I’ve ever worn while simultaneously texting friends in various states should be enough proof.

I think the one aspect of flying that appeals to me most is the communal way of things. It is one way of transportation that brings absolute strangers within close proximity of each other for hours at a time. Now, I realize that this thought in itself may be quite UNappealing, but meeting strangers is one of my favorite things… especially in airports. Where else do you have the opportunity to have long conversations with someone you didn’t know existed yesterday, and chances are, will never see again? When so far up in the air, you have no one else. You only have each other. It is simultaneously isolating and bonding people.

It’s the prospect of glancing into someone else’s life, that’s what I like. I chatted with someone this morning while checking in, and then ran into him again at the security checkpoint and a third time while getting the essential 5 AM coffee. We acted like old friends, when in reality we had only known each other for about 30 minutes. Once, I sat next to a man on the way to Puerto Rico who was flying there from Switzerland. He was in the middle of interviewing for two jobs, one in each country, and trying to figure out where to go to live and start a new career. That was an intriguing conversation… I remember it clearly. By the end of it, we were sharing some chocolate he had picked up in Europe and swapping jokes. It’s been almost two years since that flight. I wonder where he ended up. Then there was this one kid; on his way to hunting for elk in Alaska with his dad… that was an interesting story. They had to bring guns, of course, to hunt with, and when they were checking their luggage, opened up these large black cases with the biggest guns I had ever seen packaged neatly in gray foam inside, like something from a movie. I think this was my first flight, ever… and my stomach just about dropped to my pinky toes when I saw that. Haha! But once my friends and I got talking to these guys in the gate, and our initial anxiety turned into curiosity and eventually cordiality.

I think that people who travel fascinate me just as much as travel itself fascinates me. There are so many reasons to be in an airport. Students, like me, are traveling home (or back to school)… business men and women are on route to yet another weekend conference… a family is returning from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a foreign country… a rock band is leaving for a tour across the world. To quote the musical brilliance that is John Mayer, “Airports see it all the time/ where someone’s last goodbye blends in with someone’s sigh/ ‘cause someone’s coming home, in hand a single rose."

I guess that just about sums it up for me here. There are two elderly ladies sitting nearby having the funniest conversation (at least they seem to think so) and I think I might join them. Remember the next time you fly how funny of a thing it is, and what a privilege it is, too. And strike a conversation with the person next to you...9 times out of 10 it's interesting. Plus, there's a chance it could be me. :)