Also, I've gotten really bad at this blogging thing... ugh.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Go Packers!
I thought I would take this moment to publish my love for the Green Bay Packers, who will be playing in the 2011 Super Bowl. The last time they were in the Super Bowl, I was 10. TEN! It's been too long, boys.
Also, I've gotten really bad at this blogging thing... ugh.
Also, I've gotten really bad at this blogging thing... ugh.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Bring On 2011!
It's been six months exactly since I've posted my last entry. I thought it was about time I get back to this. I was doing so well too, and then I just stopped. I think it was partly because I lost focus of what I was doing and what direction my life was going. I got out of routine.
In six months, I moved my entire life to Texas, became a parent to my little poodle pup Roscoe (a HUGE highlight), quit my job that wasn't the right fit for me, watched a relationship deteriorate that I should have seen coming, stayed unemployed for two months, and made the best decision for me which was to end a relationship and move back to Illinois. After that, I was beyond fortunate and blessed to be given a second chance with the Illinois Senate Republican Staff in Springfield, Illinois. Today was my first day back there.
I could sit here and try to analyze what all happened and why it happened, but that's really pointless. I do believe now more than ever that everything happens for a reason. It's been proven to me over and over. I learned extremely valuable lessons, and even though it wasn't easy by any means, it's strengthened me and made me better in several ways. In the past month, so much has happened to me that validates these beliefs, and I know what happens next will be for much of the same reasons. I've learned that if something that I feel is positive now continues to grow and move in a positive direction, that happened for a reason. But I now know that even if something starts great and doesn't end up as you hoped, there's a reason for that too and it's because something even better than you could imagine is around the corner. I've really found that out and come to realize that just within the past two weeks. Pretty amazing.
I'm excited for what 2011 holds for me. I'm sure there will be some disappointments, maybe even some hurts, but I know the laughs, smiles, fun times and memories will completely overshadow that. It's easy to get down about things and even sometimes fear the bad that might be ahead, but as I sit here, all I can be is excited to see what else life brings that I'll be able to later reflect on and say, "oh, I know why that happened...", and smile. I already am.
Happy New Year! May you find as much good out of the bad that I have, because it's there.
In six months, I moved my entire life to Texas, became a parent to my little poodle pup Roscoe (a HUGE highlight), quit my job that wasn't the right fit for me, watched a relationship deteriorate that I should have seen coming, stayed unemployed for two months, and made the best decision for me which was to end a relationship and move back to Illinois. After that, I was beyond fortunate and blessed to be given a second chance with the Illinois Senate Republican Staff in Springfield, Illinois. Today was my first day back there.
I could sit here and try to analyze what all happened and why it happened, but that's really pointless. I do believe now more than ever that everything happens for a reason. It's been proven to me over and over. I learned extremely valuable lessons, and even though it wasn't easy by any means, it's strengthened me and made me better in several ways. In the past month, so much has happened to me that validates these beliefs, and I know what happens next will be for much of the same reasons. I've learned that if something that I feel is positive now continues to grow and move in a positive direction, that happened for a reason. But I now know that even if something starts great and doesn't end up as you hoped, there's a reason for that too and it's because something even better than you could imagine is around the corner. I've really found that out and come to realize that just within the past two weeks. Pretty amazing.
I'm excited for what 2011 holds for me. I'm sure there will be some disappointments, maybe even some hurts, but I know the laughs, smiles, fun times and memories will completely overshadow that. It's easy to get down about things and even sometimes fear the bad that might be ahead, but as I sit here, all I can be is excited to see what else life brings that I'll be able to later reflect on and say, "oh, I know why that happened...", and smile. I already am.
Happy New Year! May you find as much good out of the bad that I have, because it's there.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA! Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays and the chance to celebrate what it means to be an American and celebrating our freedom is just awesome... and fun! Tim, Nick, and I are about to head downtown to watch fireworks at the lake. I love fireworks!
I had no idea what kind of following UFC has. But it's big, really big. Last night, we went to a place to watch the fights and it was no small place. The entire bar was devoted to broadcasting the fights on every flat screen they had. There were three levels to the bar and the place was packed. You'd walk around, and everyone was just facing one direction, and that was towards a television. If you don't know what UFC is, I guess I wouldn't be shocked. I didn't really know much of it either before just recently. UFC stands for Ultimate Fighter Champion and it's basically where guys get in a ring and fight. Unlike boxing, they can take the person down and wrestle around and choke each other out. It's basically a mix between wrestling and boxing. And guys love it. Some girls too. I found it humorous to watch.
Wednesday, some lady decided to run into my rear bumper. That was fun. Except bad really turned into good because 1) she paid for it, 2) it was on the side that I already had a scrape from a shopping cart, so that was fixed too, and 3) they fixed the part of my car where I scraped the front on a pole from last year for no charge. So it's like my car is brand spankin' new kinda. Can't really complain! And I wasn't hurt, so that's the best part. It was definitely a bizarre experience and at first I didn't even realize what was happening. Just one of those things I guess!
Hope everyone had a great 4th!!
I had no idea what kind of following UFC has. But it's big, really big. Last night, we went to a place to watch the fights and it was no small place. The entire bar was devoted to broadcasting the fights on every flat screen they had. There were three levels to the bar and the place was packed. You'd walk around, and everyone was just facing one direction, and that was towards a television. If you don't know what UFC is, I guess I wouldn't be shocked. I didn't really know much of it either before just recently. UFC stands for Ultimate Fighter Champion and it's basically where guys get in a ring and fight. Unlike boxing, they can take the person down and wrestle around and choke each other out. It's basically a mix between wrestling and boxing. And guys love it. Some girls too. I found it humorous to watch.
Wednesday, some lady decided to run into my rear bumper. That was fun. Except bad really turned into good because 1) she paid for it, 2) it was on the side that I already had a scrape from a shopping cart, so that was fixed too, and 3) they fixed the part of my car where I scraped the front on a pole from last year for no charge. So it's like my car is brand spankin' new kinda. Can't really complain! And I wasn't hurt, so that's the best part. It was definitely a bizarre experience and at first I didn't even realize what was happening. Just one of those things I guess!
Hope everyone had a great 4th!!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Austin, Meet Your New Resident
Ok, so by now, maybe I'm not the newest resident of Austin, but we'll just go with that since this is my first post since I've moved. Which, I'm sorry about! I really can't blame it on anything other than me just being lazy. I can't tell you how many times I thought about writing it, but then got doing something else and so it just never happened.
I'm in Austin! I'm getting really settled at this point, considering I've been here for two weeks now, and getting into my own routine. I don't know where tons of things are yet, but I know the important stuff, and I'm pretty much just figuring it out as I go. For instance this morning, I had to go to the bank and I knew the general direction of how to get there, so I just went with it, and then when I had to get back on the highway, I knew I saw an exit off the highway for the road I was on, so I was like "hmmm, if I go down this road, which is towards the direction of the highway, I bet I'll be able to get on the highway," and sure enough.
I've definitely already learned a few things about Austin/Texas that I'd like to share. First, the water here is terrible. I mean it's bad, and it tastes like dirt. I'm going through bottled water like crazy. Luckily, you don't taste it too bad when you're brushing your teeth. But at the restaurants, water fountains, etc. it's all straight out of the tap and it's just nasty. You might as well just order a soda instead even if you don't prefer it. The only thing I've found is that if you drink the water really fast, you don't taste it as bad. So there you go. Second, it does not matter what time of day it is, do not expect to get on 35 and cruise all the way to your destination without braking and/or slowing to at least 15 mph. Boy this is a fun aspect of Austin. I have no patience for traffic so when I'm trying to get home at 4:30/5, it usually takes me a half hour to 45 minutes. It would take me about 15 minutes, maybe less, if it moved along as it should. Nonetheless, the route takes me right along the downtown area, so it's cool to see the skyline, and it hasn't gotten old yet. Pretty much anywhere you go in Austin and the surrounding areas, you get on a highway of some sort, but 35, 183 and Mopac (or 1) are the main ones. I use 35 the most for work. That's another thing, you don't really get anywhere that fast. For instance, I went up north the other day to meet Tim at his brother's, and I did not run into any traffic, but it still took me 35 minutes. Now he lives up in a north suburb, but still, things take a little longer. Third thing, the mosquitoes love me here. I've been prone to their bites before, but they're ravenous here! Or maybe it just seems that way, I don't know. The first day I was here, I got bit on my right arm above the fold of my elbow, and it became the size of a racquetball and I can still see a little bit of it. Saturday, I was by the pool, and I was bit 7 times on my back in a period of about 5 minutes, maybe less. Insane! Last week I got one on the back of my thigh and Tim thought it was a tumor because of how hard it was. Gross, I know, but it's what happened! I bought one of those Off! fans and it seems to work... when I have it with me. I didn't have it with me at the pool. Whoops. So when you come visit me, bring repellent, bottled water, and we'll try to avoid the highway at those peak traffic times.
A lot of my focus in the condo has been keeping things cleaned and in order. I've found it to be a never ending thing, which I'm just going to have to accept. It's definitely different going from just looking after yourself and then adding another person, who also happens to be a boy, plus another boy who occasionally is there (Tim's brother), and it's suddenly doubled if not tripled. It's really not that bad though, and I've found that sometimes I don't mind it when I see stuff that's messy, a lot of which is my stuff, then clean and make it look all nice and then I'm happy that I made it look all nice. And then when I'm not in the mood to do dishes or laundry, I just procrastinate with it and resolve to do it later until it really needs to be done. Sometimes you're just really not in the mood to clean! I've been baking a little bit too, so that's been fun. It started because I bought some bananas but didn't eat them fast enough so I needed to make bread out of it, and my Mom has a great recipe for it. Then Tim's brother's birthday was this past weekend, so we had a little party for him where I made cole slaw and attempted cupcakes from scratch. Read: I failed with the cupcakes. Nonetheless, my Mom told me I'm becoming domesticated. I suppose it's true, and I'm truly ok with that!
It's been an adjustment for Tim and I to be around each other on a regular basis. Before, we had the knowledge that I would be leaving to go back to Illinois soon hanging over our head with each visit, and that's not there anymore. It's certainly great not to have that, but now that it's not, we've both had to learn to integrate one another in our routines. For him, he's already started to build his life here, so he had to add me into that, and for me, I've had to begin to build my life here with and aside from Tim. I'd be lying if I said it's been all sunshine and roses, but I can tell it's getting better. We're becoming used to each other and becoming more familiar with the every day to day quirks of each other, and we both have them. It's quite the mixture of compromise and acceptance.
I started my job with Clever Yarn Imports a week and a half ago, and it's going really well so far! I wasn't sure what to expect, but I sense that I'm really going to enjoy it. It's certainly good that I'm looking at the clock every day and going "it's already 2:30?!" I'm really anxious to get more acclimated to the process and knowing what needs to be done on my own, so I can just do it rather than always being like "ok, so it's alright if I go ahead and do this?" and such. Janna, the owner, has some really great ideas and plans and is working on spreading the word of her business, and I'm excited to help her doing that, organizing the company, the process, and making the company money! The more the company has, the more I could potentially receive. The yarn we import, from Estonia and Italy, is beautiful. The ones from Italy, Filanda, are the more traditional yarns with way higher quality than you'd find in something like Michael's, and then the yarn from Estonia, Evilla, comes in the more non-traditional style. At least that's the way that I look at the two lines. The Evilla comes in yarn and pre-yarn, where you're able to spin the yarn yourself, which apparently a lot of crafters like to do. I definitely had no idea how big the crafting and yarn/knitting world was, but it's definitely big. We just really need to break into it. And one of the funniest things, to me, is how into crafting/knitting these people are. They are extreme enthusiasts, and they're passionate. I'm sure I'll be learning more terms I never even knew of and I've already been bitten a little bit by the craft bug. I'm probably going to try my hand at knitting or crocheting an infinity scarf with some of our beautiful yarn. So yeah, it's been interesting and good for me thus far! The bad thing: today it took me an hour, no exaggeration, to get home. Blah.
There are these few movie theaters here called Alamo Drafthouse, and they are just the coolest! You go in, sit down, and there's a thin table in front of you with menus, pens, and small pieces of paper. You write down what you want, stick it in the front edge of the table and a waiter comes and picks it up for you. Minutes later, you're served with your food and you can eat while you watch your flick. It's so awesome! Tim and I went and saw "Knight and Day" there last week. We'll probably be going there a lot!
In my remaining down time, we've been hanging out at the pool in our complex. I've met a good number of the other people that live here, and it seems that people are always around, especially on the weekends, and they're fun people. I've also just started a 7 day pass to 24 Hr Fitness, but like a lot of other things, it takes about 20 mins to get there, so I have to decide if I really want to join or not. We'll see. That's another thing -- I'm fairly positive I've gained 5 to 10 pounds since moving here because I haven't worked out and I've been eating tons more than I was used to! Gotta work on that...
Tonight, I'm dragging Tim the the midnight premiere of Eclipse! I'm so excited to see it, and Tim is, well, not as much.
I truly, truly love living in Austin, just as I expected I would. I'm still getting used to the area, and still settling, but I'm enjoying it all and enjoying experiencing new things and finding new places to go. There's SO much here! This new chapter of my life has officially begun, and I can't wait to see what's written in it! I'm just creating and living my own life, and I love it.
I, of course, miss my Mom and Dad terribly, as I saw them often while living in Springfield. I don't think that will ever change, but I hope to see them in the next couple of months.
Stay tuned for my adventures as a resident in Austin! I still have to get a driver's license and register my car, so I'm sure there will be a story there!
I'm in Austin! I'm getting really settled at this point, considering I've been here for two weeks now, and getting into my own routine. I don't know where tons of things are yet, but I know the important stuff, and I'm pretty much just figuring it out as I go. For instance this morning, I had to go to the bank and I knew the general direction of how to get there, so I just went with it, and then when I had to get back on the highway, I knew I saw an exit off the highway for the road I was on, so I was like "hmmm, if I go down this road, which is towards the direction of the highway, I bet I'll be able to get on the highway," and sure enough.
I've definitely already learned a few things about Austin/Texas that I'd like to share. First, the water here is terrible. I mean it's bad, and it tastes like dirt. I'm going through bottled water like crazy. Luckily, you don't taste it too bad when you're brushing your teeth. But at the restaurants, water fountains, etc. it's all straight out of the tap and it's just nasty. You might as well just order a soda instead even if you don't prefer it. The only thing I've found is that if you drink the water really fast, you don't taste it as bad. So there you go. Second, it does not matter what time of day it is, do not expect to get on 35 and cruise all the way to your destination without braking and/or slowing to at least 15 mph. Boy this is a fun aspect of Austin. I have no patience for traffic so when I'm trying to get home at 4:30/5, it usually takes me a half hour to 45 minutes. It would take me about 15 minutes, maybe less, if it moved along as it should. Nonetheless, the route takes me right along the downtown area, so it's cool to see the skyline, and it hasn't gotten old yet. Pretty much anywhere you go in Austin and the surrounding areas, you get on a highway of some sort, but 35, 183 and Mopac (or 1) are the main ones. I use 35 the most for work. That's another thing, you don't really get anywhere that fast. For instance, I went up north the other day to meet Tim at his brother's, and I did not run into any traffic, but it still took me 35 minutes. Now he lives up in a north suburb, but still, things take a little longer. Third thing, the mosquitoes love me here. I've been prone to their bites before, but they're ravenous here! Or maybe it just seems that way, I don't know. The first day I was here, I got bit on my right arm above the fold of my elbow, and it became the size of a racquetball and I can still see a little bit of it. Saturday, I was by the pool, and I was bit 7 times on my back in a period of about 5 minutes, maybe less. Insane! Last week I got one on the back of my thigh and Tim thought it was a tumor because of how hard it was. Gross, I know, but it's what happened! I bought one of those Off! fans and it seems to work... when I have it with me. I didn't have it with me at the pool. Whoops. So when you come visit me, bring repellent, bottled water, and we'll try to avoid the highway at those peak traffic times.
A lot of my focus in the condo has been keeping things cleaned and in order. I've found it to be a never ending thing, which I'm just going to have to accept. It's definitely different going from just looking after yourself and then adding another person, who also happens to be a boy, plus another boy who occasionally is there (Tim's brother), and it's suddenly doubled if not tripled. It's really not that bad though, and I've found that sometimes I don't mind it when I see stuff that's messy, a lot of which is my stuff, then clean and make it look all nice and then I'm happy that I made it look all nice. And then when I'm not in the mood to do dishes or laundry, I just procrastinate with it and resolve to do it later until it really needs to be done. Sometimes you're just really not in the mood to clean! I've been baking a little bit too, so that's been fun. It started because I bought some bananas but didn't eat them fast enough so I needed to make bread out of it, and my Mom has a great recipe for it. Then Tim's brother's birthday was this past weekend, so we had a little party for him where I made cole slaw and attempted cupcakes from scratch. Read: I failed with the cupcakes. Nonetheless, my Mom told me I'm becoming domesticated. I suppose it's true, and I'm truly ok with that!
It's been an adjustment for Tim and I to be around each other on a regular basis. Before, we had the knowledge that I would be leaving to go back to Illinois soon hanging over our head with each visit, and that's not there anymore. It's certainly great not to have that, but now that it's not, we've both had to learn to integrate one another in our routines. For him, he's already started to build his life here, so he had to add me into that, and for me, I've had to begin to build my life here with and aside from Tim. I'd be lying if I said it's been all sunshine and roses, but I can tell it's getting better. We're becoming used to each other and becoming more familiar with the every day to day quirks of each other, and we both have them. It's quite the mixture of compromise and acceptance.
I started my job with Clever Yarn Imports a week and a half ago, and it's going really well so far! I wasn't sure what to expect, but I sense that I'm really going to enjoy it. It's certainly good that I'm looking at the clock every day and going "it's already 2:30?!" I'm really anxious to get more acclimated to the process and knowing what needs to be done on my own, so I can just do it rather than always being like "ok, so it's alright if I go ahead and do this?" and such. Janna, the owner, has some really great ideas and plans and is working on spreading the word of her business, and I'm excited to help her doing that, organizing the company, the process, and making the company money! The more the company has, the more I could potentially receive. The yarn we import, from Estonia and Italy, is beautiful. The ones from Italy, Filanda, are the more traditional yarns with way higher quality than you'd find in something like Michael's, and then the yarn from Estonia, Evilla, comes in the more non-traditional style. At least that's the way that I look at the two lines. The Evilla comes in yarn and pre-yarn, where you're able to spin the yarn yourself, which apparently a lot of crafters like to do. I definitely had no idea how big the crafting and yarn/knitting world was, but it's definitely big. We just really need to break into it. And one of the funniest things, to me, is how into crafting/knitting these people are. They are extreme enthusiasts, and they're passionate. I'm sure I'll be learning more terms I never even knew of and I've already been bitten a little bit by the craft bug. I'm probably going to try my hand at knitting or crocheting an infinity scarf with some of our beautiful yarn. So yeah, it's been interesting and good for me thus far! The bad thing: today it took me an hour, no exaggeration, to get home. Blah.
There are these few movie theaters here called Alamo Drafthouse, and they are just the coolest! You go in, sit down, and there's a thin table in front of you with menus, pens, and small pieces of paper. You write down what you want, stick it in the front edge of the table and a waiter comes and picks it up for you. Minutes later, you're served with your food and you can eat while you watch your flick. It's so awesome! Tim and I went and saw "Knight and Day" there last week. We'll probably be going there a lot!
In my remaining down time, we've been hanging out at the pool in our complex. I've met a good number of the other people that live here, and it seems that people are always around, especially on the weekends, and they're fun people. I've also just started a 7 day pass to 24 Hr Fitness, but like a lot of other things, it takes about 20 mins to get there, so I have to decide if I really want to join or not. We'll see. That's another thing -- I'm fairly positive I've gained 5 to 10 pounds since moving here because I haven't worked out and I've been eating tons more than I was used to! Gotta work on that...
Tonight, I'm dragging Tim the the midnight premiere of Eclipse! I'm so excited to see it, and Tim is, well, not as much.
I truly, truly love living in Austin, just as I expected I would. I'm still getting used to the area, and still settling, but I'm enjoying it all and enjoying experiencing new things and finding new places to go. There's SO much here! This new chapter of my life has officially begun, and I can't wait to see what's written in it! I'm just creating and living my own life, and I love it.
I, of course, miss my Mom and Dad terribly, as I saw them often while living in Springfield. I don't think that will ever change, but I hope to see them in the next couple of months.
Stay tuned for my adventures as a resident in Austin! I still have to get a driver's license and register my car, so I'm sure there will be a story there!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Last Day
Today is winding down for me, and that means the end of my Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program. It's been a challenging, interesting, memorable, educational, and overall good year. The experience I had is unlike any other and I'm truly honored that it was something I was chosen for. The people I met and worked with were nothing short of absolutely wonderful, and I feel like throughout the year we became good friends, not just co-workers or co-interns. I really will miss them.
With that said, it's off to Austin in less than 48 hours! I cannot believe it! A year ago, it was something that seemed so far away, and now it's here. I really cannot express how much I'm going to miss my Mom and Dad and other family, because I get rather teary when I get into it and think about it, but at the same time, I'm so excited to start something new! I've handled so much in my life and gone through so many changes, that I know I'm prepared to face this new part of my life and whatever comes with it. So we will see how it goes!
Tim is on his way to Champaign now. Tomorrow we load up and leave early Sunday morning. I'll be sure to include pictures (if I take them), and do an update post sometime next week when I've arrived and settled some.
Are you ready for me, Austin?!
With that said, it's off to Austin in less than 48 hours! I cannot believe it! A year ago, it was something that seemed so far away, and now it's here. I really cannot express how much I'm going to miss my Mom and Dad and other family, because I get rather teary when I get into it and think about it, but at the same time, I'm so excited to start something new! I've handled so much in my life and gone through so many changes, that I know I'm prepared to face this new part of my life and whatever comes with it. So we will see how it goes!
Tim is on his way to Champaign now. Tomorrow we load up and leave early Sunday morning. I'll be sure to include pictures (if I take them), and do an update post sometime next week when I've arrived and settled some.
Are you ready for me, Austin?!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Classic Women
This morning, I was told a heartbreaking story about a woman who I wish women and people in general (read: Americans) would be more like.
Our staff photographer shared this with me about his mother: She was raised during the Great Depression, had her mother die at age 6, and her father passed away a few years later while he was holding her as she slept. She married, had four boys, and was pregnant with a fifth boy when 3 days before that fifth boy was born, her husband was killed in a car crash. She then took care of five young boys by herself for four years before remarrying, and all without ever receiving welfare assistance from the government.
Amazing. I know so many people come across horrendous and unspeakable hardships in life, some worse than this, but it proves something that I believe and have said before. People in America are not the same kind of people that they were back then when people knew that no matter what happened, they had to make their own way in life and had enough pride in themselves to do what was needed to provide for their families, mostly because that was how they were raised, or because that was before welfare was available.
Not only that, but back then, women in particular were classic. They were classy. They cared about their appearance and their modesty. They cared about, well, being a woman. They did their hair everyday, wore makeup and lipstick, and wore nice clothes to do even the most mundane of things like picking up the newspaper from the driveway. They took pride in their appearance and who they were. Sure the opportunities for women were not the same as they are now, but just because we began to receive more opportunities and freedoms didn't mean that our gender needed to lose and disregard what being a respectable woman was about. And so many have done just that. I look at women in America today and shake my head. What's sad is I don't even have to give any examples of a lot of women today, because you know exactly what I'm talking about. They've just completely let themselves go and have lost that pride that women once had. I don't know why it changed so or what changed, but I've always thought it would be great to go back to how it was and just keep the same opportunities women have today. I'll even say that I wouldn't mind wearing dresses and skirts everyday.
Jay (our staff photographer, who was the fifth boy and never met his father), showed me a picture of his mother. And his mother was just the kind of woman I was talking about. In the photo, she was 17, but her appearance was that of a woman. She looked classic.
Her story also highlights the time in our country where people weren't dependent or manipulative of the government welfare system. I know there are people who legitimately need assistance, and that's fine, I'm all for that. But there are also people who are legitimately playing the broken system and remaining dependent on it simply because they can and they want to. Along the way and throughout the years, people have lost their pride in themselves and have settled. I blame a lot of that on welfare. There was a time when people went on welfare because they needed to, and then they decided that what they received was good enough for them and liked not having to do anything. Therefore they didn't and remained on welfare. And over the years it has continued and has been passed down to generation after generation. They lost respect for themselves and lost the will to provide on their own, and in many cases, have used their welfare checks for drugs, alcohol, and who knows what else.
The system is broken, and it has broken so much and so many in our country. It's extremely depressing to me. If people who are on welfare that legitimately do not need to be would gain back what they lost or were never taught, things could become so much better in America than they are now.
Society has just lost so much of it's richness throughout the years and what it means to be an American. I know it's important for humans to evolve, otherwise we wouldn't have things like cell phones or computers (!), but some of the ways we have evolved as a people and as a nation has made us lose so much.
Our staff photographer shared this with me about his mother: She was raised during the Great Depression, had her mother die at age 6, and her father passed away a few years later while he was holding her as she slept. She married, had four boys, and was pregnant with a fifth boy when 3 days before that fifth boy was born, her husband was killed in a car crash. She then took care of five young boys by herself for four years before remarrying, and all without ever receiving welfare assistance from the government.
Amazing. I know so many people come across horrendous and unspeakable hardships in life, some worse than this, but it proves something that I believe and have said before. People in America are not the same kind of people that they were back then when people knew that no matter what happened, they had to make their own way in life and had enough pride in themselves to do what was needed to provide for their families, mostly because that was how they were raised, or because that was before welfare was available.
Not only that, but back then, women in particular were classic. They were classy. They cared about their appearance and their modesty. They cared about, well, being a woman. They did their hair everyday, wore makeup and lipstick, and wore nice clothes to do even the most mundane of things like picking up the newspaper from the driveway. They took pride in their appearance and who they were. Sure the opportunities for women were not the same as they are now, but just because we began to receive more opportunities and freedoms didn't mean that our gender needed to lose and disregard what being a respectable woman was about. And so many have done just that. I look at women in America today and shake my head. What's sad is I don't even have to give any examples of a lot of women today, because you know exactly what I'm talking about. They've just completely let themselves go and have lost that pride that women once had. I don't know why it changed so or what changed, but I've always thought it would be great to go back to how it was and just keep the same opportunities women have today. I'll even say that I wouldn't mind wearing dresses and skirts everyday.
Jay (our staff photographer, who was the fifth boy and never met his father), showed me a picture of his mother. And his mother was just the kind of woman I was talking about. In the photo, she was 17, but her appearance was that of a woman. She looked classic.
Her story also highlights the time in our country where people weren't dependent or manipulative of the government welfare system. I know there are people who legitimately need assistance, and that's fine, I'm all for that. But there are also people who are legitimately playing the broken system and remaining dependent on it simply because they can and they want to. Along the way and throughout the years, people have lost their pride in themselves and have settled. I blame a lot of that on welfare. There was a time when people went on welfare because they needed to, and then they decided that what they received was good enough for them and liked not having to do anything. Therefore they didn't and remained on welfare. And over the years it has continued and has been passed down to generation after generation. They lost respect for themselves and lost the will to provide on their own, and in many cases, have used their welfare checks for drugs, alcohol, and who knows what else.
The system is broken, and it has broken so much and so many in our country. It's extremely depressing to me. If people who are on welfare that legitimately do not need to be would gain back what they lost or were never taught, things could become so much better in America than they are now.
Society has just lost so much of it's richness throughout the years and what it means to be an American. I know it's important for humans to evolve, otherwise we wouldn't have things like cell phones or computers (!), but some of the ways we have evolved as a people and as a nation has made us lose so much.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Friday Funny
Ok, I know this is completely and totally silly but I watched THIS VIDEO and I laughed out loud. Then I watched it another six times and laughed just as hard.
Why are these things so funny?! Maybe it's because of the person it involves. That probably has something to do with it. The other part is that it's just funny to me when people are stupid. True story.
Enjoy, cause we all need a little laugh every once and a while.
Why are these things so funny?! Maybe it's because of the person it involves. That probably has something to do with it. The other part is that it's just funny to me when people are stupid. True story.
Enjoy, cause we all need a little laugh every once and a while.
Bliss
It's 10:30 and I've already begun to snack on and chomp away at my pound bag of Twizzlers. Predictions are that the bag will either be gone or very close to gone by the end of the day. It's a problem, I know.
I bought a new face wash last week and it smells so good I want to eat it. It's made by St. Ives, it's a green tea scrub, and it just smells delicious. Given the fact that it has that salicylic acid in it, I think I'll refrain.
I've been a little stressed lately, and given my personality (read: trait inheritance from my mother), I've been worrying as well. This morning as I was toiling and worrying, Bob Marley came on my Pandora station and told me "don't worry 'bout a thing, cause every little thing's gonna be alright." Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not. Ironic? Yes. Just what I needed? Of course. It's funny how things happen like that at the moments you need them and it's also at times like that where I believe God is so real and present in my life. I couldn't really think of it being anything less.
You know, I've always wanted to succeed in life and do my very best and be happy. It's no different from anyone else, but for me, it's not wanting to make a mistake or a wrong decision, and almost a terrible fear of doing so. Have I before? Yes. Will I again? Most certainly. But recently, I've had to get past this fear, wrestling with myself regarding decisions and simply listen to my head and trust my heart.
Life is such a beautiful mess and all anyone tries to do is make it as neat and wonderful and poetic as possible. It's a mess because you go into something, you make a decision, and you never truly know what the outcome is going to be. You might have an idea, but you never know with absolute certainty, nor do you know what bumps or joys might come along the way. And it's beautiful because of those joys, the unexpected things that make you unexpectedly happy, the relationships you have with others, the love you share and are given, the moments you experience, and all that can bring complete happiness or earth shattering pain - but knowing that life continues on it's path, revealing and discovering more beauty as you move past what came before, joy or bump.
I think back to when life was simple - about age 0 to preteen/teen years - and that was bliss. They say ignorance is bliss, and I think it's largely true, unless you're being ignorant about something that you need to be responsible about, then you're being a deadbeat. But back as a kid, your biggest decision was choosing a purple or red popsicle (definitely red), whether you wanted to jump rope or swing or ride your bike, and whether to watch Barney or Sesame Street. Then it became decisions like whether or not to try out for the basketball team, whether to take chemistry or advanced placement chemistry, and then one of the most important, what college should I go to? In college, decisions whether to drink or not, rush a sorority, what you'll major in and what classes to take. From high school on, decisions have fluctuated from the minor ones to pretty significant life-direction ones. And now in this period of my life, I find myself making even more serious life changing decisions such as what job to take, where to live, should I charge that to my credit card? (Ok, the last one was to kind of lighten the mood, but it's still a decision). Ignorance was bliss. Back before we knew the complexities of the world and the chaos that is generally within, the responsibility of being an adult, and back when we chose to wear our light up sneakers instead of having to make a decision that will change life as you know it.
All I know is, in my short, just beginning age of 23, you can only make decisions based on what you know, what you believe is possible, what you believe is best, and what you believe will make your mess the most beautiful and you the happiest. Then after the decision is made, you have to hope for the best and be at peace with the decision you've made.
A very wise man, who will never be replaced in my heart and I cherish, influenced the above. He also told me that there is nothing that is permanent or cannot be changed except death, being pregnant/having kids, and probably taxes (ha, ha). I take that as just another part of the mess. If it's not so beautiful, things can be done to make it so.
I'm sure I'll make decisions and wonder "what if?" I already have done so with past decisions, and that's no doubt going to continue. But one decision I am certain of and will not wonder about: that I will make my decisions based on my desires, my dreams, and making my life the most beautiful.
Maybe the two (?) readers of my blog can take something away from this post. In any regard, it's been therapeutic to write.
Everything happens for a reason. And I have to believe the decision I just made is because of just that.
I bought a new face wash last week and it smells so good I want to eat it. It's made by St. Ives, it's a green tea scrub, and it just smells delicious. Given the fact that it has that salicylic acid in it, I think I'll refrain.
I've been a little stressed lately, and given my personality (read: trait inheritance from my mother), I've been worrying as well. This morning as I was toiling and worrying, Bob Marley came on my Pandora station and told me "don't worry 'bout a thing, cause every little thing's gonna be alright." Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not. Ironic? Yes. Just what I needed? Of course. It's funny how things happen like that at the moments you need them and it's also at times like that where I believe God is so real and present in my life. I couldn't really think of it being anything less.
You know, I've always wanted to succeed in life and do my very best and be happy. It's no different from anyone else, but for me, it's not wanting to make a mistake or a wrong decision, and almost a terrible fear of doing so. Have I before? Yes. Will I again? Most certainly. But recently, I've had to get past this fear, wrestling with myself regarding decisions and simply listen to my head and trust my heart.
Life is such a beautiful mess and all anyone tries to do is make it as neat and wonderful and poetic as possible. It's a mess because you go into something, you make a decision, and you never truly know what the outcome is going to be. You might have an idea, but you never know with absolute certainty, nor do you know what bumps or joys might come along the way. And it's beautiful because of those joys, the unexpected things that make you unexpectedly happy, the relationships you have with others, the love you share and are given, the moments you experience, and all that can bring complete happiness or earth shattering pain - but knowing that life continues on it's path, revealing and discovering more beauty as you move past what came before, joy or bump.
I think back to when life was simple - about age 0 to preteen/teen years - and that was bliss. They say ignorance is bliss, and I think it's largely true, unless you're being ignorant about something that you need to be responsible about, then you're being a deadbeat. But back as a kid, your biggest decision was choosing a purple or red popsicle (definitely red), whether you wanted to jump rope or swing or ride your bike, and whether to watch Barney or Sesame Street. Then it became decisions like whether or not to try out for the basketball team, whether to take chemistry or advanced placement chemistry, and then one of the most important, what college should I go to? In college, decisions whether to drink or not, rush a sorority, what you'll major in and what classes to take. From high school on, decisions have fluctuated from the minor ones to pretty significant life-direction ones. And now in this period of my life, I find myself making even more serious life changing decisions such as what job to take, where to live, should I charge that to my credit card? (Ok, the last one was to kind of lighten the mood, but it's still a decision). Ignorance was bliss. Back before we knew the complexities of the world and the chaos that is generally within, the responsibility of being an adult, and back when we chose to wear our light up sneakers instead of having to make a decision that will change life as you know it.
All I know is, in my short, just beginning age of 23, you can only make decisions based on what you know, what you believe is possible, what you believe is best, and what you believe will make your mess the most beautiful and you the happiest. Then after the decision is made, you have to hope for the best and be at peace with the decision you've made.
A very wise man, who will never be replaced in my heart and I cherish, influenced the above. He also told me that there is nothing that is permanent or cannot be changed except death, being pregnant/having kids, and probably taxes (ha, ha). I take that as just another part of the mess. If it's not so beautiful, things can be done to make it so.
I'm sure I'll make decisions and wonder "what if?" I already have done so with past decisions, and that's no doubt going to continue. But one decision I am certain of and will not wonder about: that I will make my decisions based on my desires, my dreams, and making my life the most beautiful.
Maybe the two (?) readers of my blog can take something away from this post. In any regard, it's been therapeutic to write.
Everything happens for a reason. And I have to believe the decision I just made is because of just that.
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