This isn't really poetry, and I don't know where it came from, but it's just a very good quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, it's on a poster on my wall. I ought to make a new tag called "Quotes" at some point.
"To laugh often and much;
"To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
"To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure betrayal of false friends;
"To appreciate beauty;
"To find the best in others;
"To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child or a garden patch;
"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;
"This is to be a success."
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Dog Tired
This week was a lot like any other. It was long, very tiring, featured rain, lots of walking, lots of homework, tests and quizzes, etc.
It also had some out-of-the-ordinary things, too. Like playing Settlers of Catan with Courtney, Louise and Harry(I lost, now 0-for-18-and-counting...), sleeping late, a cookout at Grace Baptist, and a dog visiting in psych.
Monday had the depressing "Super Size Me" documentary to watch and finish the assignment for it, then doing other assignments for nutrition, as well as taking a psych quiz, working lots of editing homework and getting ready for a lit quiz. Then went to the BCM that night, SWAT practice was pretty rough, it didn't go so well. Then the worship service and then volleyball practice, which went okay. My setting was improving, but defense wasn't the best. (It's SCARY when the ball rockets at your head! And embarrassing when a serve clonks your glasses off when you're trying to return it.) I didn't make the roster of any of the three teams NSU's group is sending to the state tournament, which was a little disappointing. But I didn't think I would really, anyway, just was hoping. Serving and passing aren't quite enough to solely rely on. There's always next year, though, right?
Been kind of dealing with some type of stomach bug all week, that's not really much fun. And everyone is just absolutely exhausted, dealing with the second wave of tests and everything, no more energy to focus. I forgot the dates of when the Black Tuesday's stock market crash was (Prof. Semrow: "Anybody know this date was called?" "Black Friday?" Snickering from class and I want to fall into the floor. Sydney: "That's the shopping day after Thanksgiving." Prof. Semrow: "Black Tuesday. At least you were on the right track.") and when the Great Depression ended. Out loud. So...yeah. It wasn't the best lit class ever or anything.
And the stories we had this week are about a young wife dying of heart disease in 1894 and a woman recalling her parenting methods as a single mother of her oldest daughter during the Great Depression. Neither of which I can exactly understand very well, and they're sort of downers.
Psych test was Wednesday, was really anxious about it, but it went all right. Got all my editing homework done, and nutrition assignments, only to have editing canceled Thursday and nutrition canceled Friday. So I slept in Friday morning until nine, where I throw everything together in a hurry and rush down to the Business/Tech building and....oh, yeah, we didn't have class today, did we? And Thursday me and two other people showed up anyway and reviewed homework for two hours.
Mrs. Bowin brought her dog Gus into class Friday to illustrate how we associate different stimuli together through classical conditioning, he really, really, REALLY hates the smell of nail polish remover. Even just seeing the bottle, he makes this horrible frowny face. And he was scared, being in that strange new place with all these stressed-smelling people nearby. Kinda felt sorry for him.
Louise and Harry decided to visit the family Thursday night, they asked if I wanted to come along. That was nice.
That new show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is great, at least so far. The pilot ran Tuesday on ABC, it's basically like a Marvel movie put into TV-show format. There were a ton of references to the movies, too, and good one-liners and sarcastic comments.
Only ate in the caf about three times this week, which was nice. I still have a bunch of groceries, and then meal trades and stuff. Went to this place downtown for dinner Friday night, it was a nice night to go for a walk. And once or twice a semester you can splurge and do something weird like that, right? The fries and toast from my chicken-fried-steak dinner made a good midnight snack and breakfast today.
Hiked up to Grace Baptist and back for a cookout earlier tonight, which went okay. There was some good food there, catfish, hush puppies, and lots of chocolatey desserts.
Walked down to Morgan's Bakery Tuesday for the first time in about a month, that always makes the day go better.
Homecoming is next week, I'm planning on skipping it. Because the far-more-important holiday of the Okmulgee Library Book Sale is that weekend! Wrote this last year about Homecomings, so don't really need to add anything there. This year's theme is "Get Rowdy in the Jungle", so Ross has become a construction-paper forest, pretty much. And so every time I check the mail that guitar intro from "Welcome To The Jungle" runs through my head. But at least it's an original theme, and not a copyright violation of something or other like most of them are.
And I found a couple of episodes of Wishbone on YouTube.
Only watched Jeopardy once this week, discovered among the strange array of channels the TV gets sometimes leads to Canadian football on the NBC Sports Network. Full House hasn't been seen in a couple weeks, it's like the way Wal-Mart is always switching up layout design, the schedule is always changing. Is it time for the Olympics yet?
It also had some out-of-the-ordinary things, too. Like playing Settlers of Catan with Courtney, Louise and Harry(I lost, now 0-for-18-and-counting...), sleeping late, a cookout at Grace Baptist, and a dog visiting in psych.
Monday had the depressing "Super Size Me" documentary to watch and finish the assignment for it, then doing other assignments for nutrition, as well as taking a psych quiz, working lots of editing homework and getting ready for a lit quiz. Then went to the BCM that night, SWAT practice was pretty rough, it didn't go so well. Then the worship service and then volleyball practice, which went okay. My setting was improving, but defense wasn't the best. (It's SCARY when the ball rockets at your head! And embarrassing when a serve clonks your glasses off when you're trying to return it.) I didn't make the roster of any of the three teams NSU's group is sending to the state tournament, which was a little disappointing. But I didn't think I would really, anyway, just was hoping. Serving and passing aren't quite enough to solely rely on. There's always next year, though, right?
Been kind of dealing with some type of stomach bug all week, that's not really much fun. And everyone is just absolutely exhausted, dealing with the second wave of tests and everything, no more energy to focus. I forgot the dates of when the Black Tuesday's stock market crash was (Prof. Semrow: "Anybody know this date was called?" "Black Friday?" Snickering from class and I want to fall into the floor. Sydney: "That's the shopping day after Thanksgiving." Prof. Semrow: "Black Tuesday. At least you were on the right track.") and when the Great Depression ended. Out loud. So...yeah. It wasn't the best lit class ever or anything.
And the stories we had this week are about a young wife dying of heart disease in 1894 and a woman recalling her parenting methods as a single mother of her oldest daughter during the Great Depression. Neither of which I can exactly understand very well, and they're sort of downers.
Psych test was Wednesday, was really anxious about it, but it went all right. Got all my editing homework done, and nutrition assignments, only to have editing canceled Thursday and nutrition canceled Friday. So I slept in Friday morning until nine, where I throw everything together in a hurry and rush down to the Business/Tech building and....oh, yeah, we didn't have class today, did we? And Thursday me and two other people showed up anyway and reviewed homework for two hours.
Mrs. Bowin brought her dog Gus into class Friday to illustrate how we associate different stimuli together through classical conditioning, he really, really, REALLY hates the smell of nail polish remover. Even just seeing the bottle, he makes this horrible frowny face. And he was scared, being in that strange new place with all these stressed-smelling people nearby. Kinda felt sorry for him.
Louise and Harry decided to visit the family Thursday night, they asked if I wanted to come along. That was nice.
That new show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is great, at least so far. The pilot ran Tuesday on ABC, it's basically like a Marvel movie put into TV-show format. There were a ton of references to the movies, too, and good one-liners and sarcastic comments.
Only ate in the caf about three times this week, which was nice. I still have a bunch of groceries, and then meal trades and stuff. Went to this place downtown for dinner Friday night, it was a nice night to go for a walk. And once or twice a semester you can splurge and do something weird like that, right? The fries and toast from my chicken-fried-steak dinner made a good midnight snack and breakfast today.
Hiked up to Grace Baptist and back for a cookout earlier tonight, which went okay. There was some good food there, catfish, hush puppies, and lots of chocolatey desserts.
Walked down to Morgan's Bakery Tuesday for the first time in about a month, that always makes the day go better.
Homecoming is next week, I'm planning on skipping it. Because the far-more-important holiday of the Okmulgee Library Book Sale is that weekend! Wrote this last year about Homecomings, so don't really need to add anything there. This year's theme is "Get Rowdy in the Jungle", so Ross has become a construction-paper forest, pretty much. And so every time I check the mail that guitar intro from "Welcome To The Jungle" runs through my head. But at least it's an original theme, and not a copyright violation of something or other like most of them are.
And I found a couple of episodes of Wishbone on YouTube.
Only watched Jeopardy once this week, discovered among the strange array of channels the TV gets sometimes leads to Canadian football on the NBC Sports Network. Full House hasn't been seen in a couple weeks, it's like the way Wal-Mart is always switching up layout design, the schedule is always changing. Is it time for the Olympics yet?
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
College. And Life in General. And Other Things Written by Young Adults.
This post is mainly stuff posted on Facebook written by people I know, I just copy/pasted a lot of it.
This was a two-part list complied by Cheyenne, who lives the next floor down in Ross.
"The best part about college?
You're not the only one who's broke. Okay, just kidding. But honestly, most of us are pretty creative.
Bugs in your room? Ignore them. They go away eventually. They can't live forever, right?
Lightbulb burns out? Use your flashlight.
Can't sleep? Coffee it up.
Forgot to do your homework? Skip class. Wait...that's not new.
Hungry? Go hang out with a friend and steal their food or go home and see your parents. Free food.
Cant afford your books? Go Xerox pages from a friend's book.
People don't like you? Who cares?
Bored? Go to Wal-Mart.
Your room's dirty? Throw everything in the closet.
RA is doing room checks? Scramble to hide everything that's you're not supposed to have.
Showers are cold ...again? Figure out how much you really want that shower.
Class is out early? Go back to your dorm and sleep.
Can't find a parking spot? Blame the freshmen and park in their spots.
Almost run over on the crosswalk? Blame freshmen.
Homework is too hard? Throw a study party and do absolutely no homework.
Cold? Go outside. All the buildings are freezing.
Hot? Go inside for 5 min. You'll freeze.
Want something to do? Go to Wal-Mart."
"Stuff you learn at college:
Hate the food in the caf? You have a microwave. Use it.
Phone low on battery? Bring your charger to class and sit near the back. Plug it into the wall.
Bad grade on test? Try to decide if its better to withdraw now or keep going on with the class.
Broke? Join the club. Most everyone is. Have a study party or movie night in the quad.
All the washers taken in the laundry room? Figure out how to hand-wash stuff.
Raining? Steal your friend's umbrella.
Snowing? Best day ever. Deal with it. Half your class won't show up.
Overwhelmed? Don't be. Nothing's as hard as you think it is.
You don't like your roommate? Talk to them. You can probably work it out. Or you can move rooms. Both work.
Loud neighbors? Invest in earplugs.
Find someone you like? Tell them. Everyone has way to much going on in their lives to read your mind.
Want to make friends fast? Start by complaining about freshmen. Most everyone is doing it.
Bored? Wal-Mart. Said it once...will keep saying it till it sinks in.
Want to get ahead? Make friends with the upperclassmen."
And this was written by Daniel P., from the BCM. "I'm at the point in the semester where things are just piling on. It seems like every time I turn around there's a new assignment coming my way. Anyone else at that point? I realize that there is so much to do, and from the human perspective I keep telling myself "Hey, buckle up and push through." But on further inspection, I think me and anyone else taking on the heavy load right now needs to look at it from a Biblical perspective. In Matthew 11:28 it says, "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," and in Psalm 37:5 it says, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act." So my point, to me and all of you, is that even in stressful, difficult, or worrisome times, we need to realize that through all the difficulties, we won't have to carry these things alone; that God will give us rest."
And Jon posted this the other night.
Okay so (especially directed at all you young adults like myself) ik life can be hard, decisions can be tough, people can be discouraging....life isn't all rainbows, that's why we need Godly encouragement in our lives...and prayer, lots of it!! There's nothing wrong or weird or needy about publicly asking for prayer, and that's exactly what I'm doing...prayer for happiness, faith, contentment...discernment in life and big decisions...annnd if any of you have a prayer request I would love to pray for you, too.
Is everybody's life confusing and a mess? Are we all dealing with frustration, loneliness, uncertainty, contentment, faith, sin, cynicism, anxiety, fear? Looks like it...we just don't like to say so most of the time. Maybe it's pride, we're afraid of being thought of as weak or "that one vague status poster, looking for attention".
School, that next blind corner or hairpin turn of the future, so many different things going on. Most of life doesn't go as we'd have planned it to. Which is a good thing, cause that never really ends well. So we kind of just keep plowing through whatever our mundane tasks are, day after day, try to keep our faith in God's care and providence and sovereignty. Cling to the promises in Scripture, pray and study the Bible as much as we can. Be careful who we trust and mindful of our actions.
Maybe we'll eventually figure it out. Like, when our kids head out onto their grown lives.
This was a two-part list complied by Cheyenne, who lives the next floor down in Ross.
"The best part about college?
You're not the only one who's broke. Okay, just kidding. But honestly, most of us are pretty creative.
Bugs in your room? Ignore them. They go away eventually. They can't live forever, right?
Lightbulb burns out? Use your flashlight.
Can't sleep? Coffee it up.
Forgot to do your homework? Skip class. Wait...that's not new.
Hungry? Go hang out with a friend and steal their food or go home and see your parents. Free food.
Cant afford your books? Go Xerox pages from a friend's book.
People don't like you? Who cares?
Bored? Go to Wal-Mart.
Your room's dirty? Throw everything in the closet.
RA is doing room checks? Scramble to hide everything that's you're not supposed to have.
Showers are cold ...again? Figure out how much you really want that shower.
Class is out early? Go back to your dorm and sleep.
Can't find a parking spot? Blame the freshmen and park in their spots.
Almost run over on the crosswalk? Blame freshmen.
Homework is too hard? Throw a study party and do absolutely no homework.
Cold? Go outside. All the buildings are freezing.
Hot? Go inside for 5 min. You'll freeze.
Want something to do? Go to Wal-Mart."
"Stuff you learn at college:
Hate the food in the caf? You have a microwave. Use it.
Phone low on battery? Bring your charger to class and sit near the back. Plug it into the wall.
Bad grade on test? Try to decide if its better to withdraw now or keep going on with the class.
Broke? Join the club. Most everyone is. Have a study party or movie night in the quad.
All the washers taken in the laundry room? Figure out how to hand-wash stuff.
Raining? Steal your friend's umbrella.
Snowing? Best day ever. Deal with it. Half your class won't show up.
Overwhelmed? Don't be. Nothing's as hard as you think it is.
You don't like your roommate? Talk to them. You can probably work it out. Or you can move rooms. Both work.
Loud neighbors? Invest in earplugs.
Find someone you like? Tell them. Everyone has way to much going on in their lives to read your mind.
Want to make friends fast? Start by complaining about freshmen. Most everyone is doing it.
Bored? Wal-Mart. Said it once...will keep saying it till it sinks in.
Want to get ahead? Make friends with the upperclassmen."
And this was written by Daniel P., from the BCM. "I'm at the point in the semester where things are just piling on. It seems like every time I turn around there's a new assignment coming my way. Anyone else at that point? I realize that there is so much to do, and from the human perspective I keep telling myself "Hey, buckle up and push through." But on further inspection, I think me and anyone else taking on the heavy load right now needs to look at it from a Biblical perspective. In Matthew 11:28 it says, "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," and in Psalm 37:5 it says, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act." So my point, to me and all of you, is that even in stressful, difficult, or worrisome times, we need to realize that through all the difficulties, we won't have to carry these things alone; that God will give us rest."
And Jon posted this the other night.
Okay so (especially directed at all you young adults like myself) ik life can be hard, decisions can be tough, people can be discouraging....life isn't all rainbows, that's why we need Godly encouragement in our lives...and prayer, lots of it!! There's nothing wrong or weird or needy about publicly asking for prayer, and that's exactly what I'm doing...prayer for happiness, faith, contentment...discernment in life and big decisions...annnd if any of you have a prayer request I would love to pray for you, too.
Is everybody's life confusing and a mess? Are we all dealing with frustration, loneliness, uncertainty, contentment, faith, sin, cynicism, anxiety, fear? Looks like it...we just don't like to say so most of the time. Maybe it's pride, we're afraid of being thought of as weak or "that one vague status poster, looking for attention".
School, that next blind corner or hairpin turn of the future, so many different things going on. Most of life doesn't go as we'd have planned it to. Which is a good thing, cause that never really ends well. So we kind of just keep plowing through whatever our mundane tasks are, day after day, try to keep our faith in God's care and providence and sovereignty. Cling to the promises in Scripture, pray and study the Bible as much as we can. Be careful who we trust and mindful of our actions.
Maybe we'll eventually figure it out. Like, when our kids head out onto their grown lives.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
More Traces of Copper
"Wesley was home two weekends in a row! Rags and the family and I were very happy about that.
"Courtney has been baby-sitting a whole lot lately, to earn money to go on a trip to Mexico, wherever that is. (Sounds sort of like College to me.) But, she seemed excited about it, so that's good. Gonna go with some people from church, Mr. Gundersen and Dylan and Laura are all going. So she's been learning some funny-sounding people-language called "Spanish".
"The weather is starting to cool down, it's fall again. I like fall.
"Caleb got some stitches in his foot a couple weeks ago, it's nearly healed. And he and Dad bought new fishing poles Saturday.
"Dad's had a bunch of home inspections to work on, which is good, I guess. Keeping him pretty busy.
"Been feeling really old here lately...don't really much like it.
"The family is planning on going to the zoo this Friday, they'll get to see all kinds of neat animals like elephants and polar bears and river otters. I wouldn't want to live in a zoo; but I guess it's all right for some types of folks.
"The little goats ate up all of Mom's garden, almost every last plant. And did they get in trouble....
"Sunny had some saying she used to close these off with...it was a quote from some movie, about a man's life being part of a Noisy Box show. I can't remember how it goes. So I guess I'll just say goodbye. I'll keep my nose out for more happenings around The Place until next time."
"Courtney has been baby-sitting a whole lot lately, to earn money to go on a trip to Mexico, wherever that is. (Sounds sort of like College to me.) But, she seemed excited about it, so that's good. Gonna go with some people from church, Mr. Gundersen and Dylan and Laura are all going. So she's been learning some funny-sounding people-language called "Spanish".
"The weather is starting to cool down, it's fall again. I like fall.
"Caleb got some stitches in his foot a couple weeks ago, it's nearly healed. And he and Dad bought new fishing poles Saturday.
"Dad's had a bunch of home inspections to work on, which is good, I guess. Keeping him pretty busy.
"Been feeling really old here lately...don't really much like it.
"The family is planning on going to the zoo this Friday, they'll get to see all kinds of neat animals like elephants and polar bears and river otters. I wouldn't want to live in a zoo; but I guess it's all right for some types of folks.
"The little goats ate up all of Mom's garden, almost every last plant. And did they get in trouble....
"Sunny had some saying she used to close these off with...it was a quote from some movie, about a man's life being part of a Noisy Box show. I can't remember how it goes. So I guess I'll just say goodbye. I'll keep my nose out for more happenings around The Place until next time."
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Sapphire Samplings
It would've been Mimi's birthday today. It went easier than I expected, mostly because I was preoccupied with trying not to fall off this high-speed treadmill of homework, trying to stay on top of everything. Which is kind of impossible, because it's a monster that's always breeding new litters, so every time you kill one, there's another one over here, and those two hiding in the corner...it's sort of like a hydra. Anyway, I hunted up (in the campus library, gasp!) Kick, Pass and Run, by Leonard Kessler, and Amelia Bedelia and Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia!, both by Peggy Parish, and read those. It was the easiest way I could think of to celebrate, nice to re-read great picture books like that. Now if only I could find The Giving Tree and The Story of Ferdinand... Hmm. I need a little sibling to read picture books to. If I'd thought of it sooner, I could have gotten some strawberry milk to commemorate it, too, but I didn't feel like walking down to the gas station at night. Maybe tomorrow.
Officially declared my major, the Journalism/Broadcasting option in Media Studies, so that's something that sounds like it would be important in some way but isn't really all that much. Ran into Tom Tucker and Mr. Deiter this week. Need to email Jason asking about APA style of essay-writing...
Psych quiz Monday and test Wednesday, we didn't have class today. Been studying like crazy trying to get ready for those. We'll probably have a Latin test sometime next week, too. Finished a nutrition quiz this afternoon, got an assignment on carbs about halfway done so far. Worked on editing homework, and just remembered I still have two pages to work on for that. yay... Well, as long as I'm up, anyway...and it is due in about twelve hours...I'll do that after I finish this post.
The SWAT practice went all right Monday, still some rough edges to work out, but it's coming together nicely. And a couple of people are regular Blimey Cow viewers, so that's always cool. Volleyball practice could have gone better, but some days are like that. We should find out Monday who makes the three teams NSU is sending to the state tournament net month.
There was a water balloon fight, with water guns and loads of shouting and screaming, held at midnight last night, a bunch of sorority girls were staging an attack on the frat guys' dorm. IT WAS LOUD. All that was missing was General Custer shouting impressively: "We are NOT going to ATTACK!!!!!" at the beginning.
It finally rained some a couple hours ago, but not anywhere near enough. It's still humid, and now everything around campus smells like oil, feces, gasoline and body odor all mixed together. We had the SIXTH fire drill in a month, everyone was extremely mad.
Thankful for the way the "family in Christ" thing works, it's been one of those times when you just know that people have been praying for you. Gotten encouragement from Steven, Ryan McNeil, Derek Steeley, Carolyn Osborn, John Dugas and Daniel just in like, the last week. That's been good.
Sleep scheduling is in its typical residence in the state of disarray, time has been off for the last couple of days because of that. I have a bunch of healthy(er) snacks to munch on in addition to the crappy caf calories, (HOORAY FOR PROTEIN BARS!!!!) but now I'm out of Diet Coke. And nearly out of toothpaste. I should maybe call Grandpa or Harry for a ride to Wal-Mart. Or go with Stephen and Jordan on their next trip. It's useful to know neighbors.
But for now, I'm off to the other side of the room, a journey of a whole three feet, to get those practice problems in the workbook finished. And then hopefully get about four or five hours sleep before climbing again that mountain of Things To Do. The title of this post comes from the fact that September's birthstone is the sapphire, and I couldn't think of any new ways to say "This is What's Happened the Last Few Days".
Officially declared my major, the Journalism/Broadcasting option in Media Studies, so that's something that sounds like it would be important in some way but isn't really all that much. Ran into Tom Tucker and Mr. Deiter this week. Need to email Jason asking about APA style of essay-writing...
Psych quiz Monday and test Wednesday, we didn't have class today. Been studying like crazy trying to get ready for those. We'll probably have a Latin test sometime next week, too. Finished a nutrition quiz this afternoon, got an assignment on carbs about halfway done so far. Worked on editing homework, and just remembered I still have two pages to work on for that. yay... Well, as long as I'm up, anyway...and it is due in about twelve hours...I'll do that after I finish this post.
The SWAT practice went all right Monday, still some rough edges to work out, but it's coming together nicely. And a couple of people are regular Blimey Cow viewers, so that's always cool. Volleyball practice could have gone better, but some days are like that. We should find out Monday who makes the three teams NSU is sending to the state tournament net month.
There was a water balloon fight, with water guns and loads of shouting and screaming, held at midnight last night, a bunch of sorority girls were staging an attack on the frat guys' dorm. IT WAS LOUD. All that was missing was General Custer shouting impressively: "We are NOT going to ATTACK!!!!!" at the beginning.
It finally rained some a couple hours ago, but not anywhere near enough. It's still humid, and now everything around campus smells like oil, feces, gasoline and body odor all mixed together. We had the SIXTH fire drill in a month, everyone was extremely mad.
Thankful for the way the "family in Christ" thing works, it's been one of those times when you just know that people have been praying for you. Gotten encouragement from Steven, Ryan McNeil, Derek Steeley, Carolyn Osborn, John Dugas and Daniel just in like, the last week. That's been good.
Sleep scheduling is in its typical residence in the state of disarray, time has been off for the last couple of days because of that. I have a bunch of healthy(er) snacks to munch on in addition to the crappy caf calories, (HOORAY FOR PROTEIN BARS!!!!) but now I'm out of Diet Coke. And nearly out of toothpaste. I should maybe call Grandpa or Harry for a ride to Wal-Mart. Or go with Stephen and Jordan on their next trip. It's useful to know neighbors.
But for now, I'm off to the other side of the room, a journey of a whole three feet, to get those practice problems in the workbook finished. And then hopefully get about four or five hours sleep before climbing again that mountain of Things To Do. The title of this post comes from the fact that September's birthstone is the sapphire, and I couldn't think of any new ways to say "This is What's Happened the Last Few Days".
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Declensions, Dead Bodies, and Other Things of Recent Note
I'm really tired. Some of that could be from getting about five or six hours' sleep for about three or four nights in a row, or maybe it's from the first wave of tests last week. But this semester is about a month old, so there will be just about twelve or so weeks left...that's good. I've sort of run out of study-drive energy.
School's going okay, as well as it ever does. Nutrition is still tough, psych demanding, editing a challenge, with Latin and lit being very good.
The temperature in the dorms is settling back into its normal arctic levels, and the insect infestation is still fully in effect. I found a preying mantis in my hair this afternoon. Well, I didn't actually find it in my hair....it sorta dropped off my head onto my laptop keyboard. Needless to say, I grabbed a piece of toilet paper, carefully trapped the mantis and then smashed her. (Well, it might have been a male. And in that case, wouldn't a better death be by smashing than getting eaten alive by your mate?) After that, I FREAKED. And that, yeah, pretty much threw the whole rest of the day out-of-kilter. Yecch....!!!! So. Nasty.
Didn't get hardly any studying done after that, though I did get this week's nutrition quiz out of the way. Maybe tomorrow will be more productive. Didn't have any homework for Thursday in editing, and we're still discussing "Hills Like White Elephants" in lit. (You know, that's short. And good. Maybe I ought to do a post on it for here.) We should get our Latin tests back tomorrow. I loved this heading above it: "Probatio Capitulo I, Autumnus MMXIII" (Translation: "Chapter 1 Test, Fall 2013.")
The BCM's drama group/ministry deal, SWAT, is off to a good start this year. Last week we were unexpectedly asked to fill in something with 45 minutes notice, so we quickly ran through one of the skits, a game show spoof called "Go With The Flow". It went very well, going from cold-reading to full showtime in just over an hour, and about six takes. I play the host, Matt Kojak, still working on the proper blending of Bob Barker and Ryan Seacrest. (Side note, Idol will be atrociously unwatchable next year, with Randy and JayLo both back. I'm out.)
I guess there's this state volleyball tournament in Edmond in late October, with all the the BCM chapters at each school competing against each other. So there was a volleyball practice last night after the worship service, which followed the SWAT practice; anyway, there was about thirty to forty guys and girls trying to make the sixteen or so slots for the two teams NSU's group will be sending. So it'll be competitive, which is fantastic. The intensity of the atmosphere was almost like SGYC ping pong: If you're gonna play, go hard, and play to win. One downside: The sole of my right black Nike decided to begin to separate from the upper part, so I may have to go sneaker-shopping here soonish...
The apathy towards school-sponsored sports apparently isn't at a high enough level or something, so NSU decided to begin this stupid-sounding idea of not allowing students and faculty into football and basketball games just with ID. Instead, now we'll have to print off one of these digital bar codes and present that. General predictions say that it won't go over too well and student participation will plummet.
Speaking of not attending the football games, there's now been the second suspicious death since May, when the chemistry professor was murdered. Somebody rode to Kansas for the Pitt State game with some friends, left his truck by the track in the parking lot and forgot to lock it. When he went back to get it late Sunday afternoon, there was a bloody dead guy sitting in the car. CREEPY.... And scary... Made for a lot of lively speculation this afternoon before editing. Why would someone want the body to be found if they killed someone? Even creepier...the church is about a quarter-mile past the football stadium. I probably walked past the truck on the way back home....
There was also that bomb threat at the courthouse the last day of school in spring, and a shooting at Love's last month.
Songs of the Day were Audio Adrenaline's "Big House", Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble"(sadly without the goats) and Jason Aldean's "Tattoos On This Town". Going to try to write a few spec stories to send to the TNE, we'll see if they might run or not. The twelfth anniversary of 9/11 is tomorrow. Mimi's birthday would be next Wednesday, Mom's birthday is Sunday. Missing the dogs and goats and Rags, and been thinking about camp and that homeless shelter we worked at over spring break, for some reason.
School's going okay, as well as it ever does. Nutrition is still tough, psych demanding, editing a challenge, with Latin and lit being very good.
The temperature in the dorms is settling back into its normal arctic levels, and the insect infestation is still fully in effect. I found a preying mantis in my hair this afternoon. Well, I didn't actually find it in my hair....it sorta dropped off my head onto my laptop keyboard. Needless to say, I grabbed a piece of toilet paper, carefully trapped the mantis and then smashed her. (Well, it might have been a male. And in that case, wouldn't a better death be by smashing than getting eaten alive by your mate?) After that, I FREAKED. And that, yeah, pretty much threw the whole rest of the day out-of-kilter. Yecch....!!!! So. Nasty.
Didn't get hardly any studying done after that, though I did get this week's nutrition quiz out of the way. Maybe tomorrow will be more productive. Didn't have any homework for Thursday in editing, and we're still discussing "Hills Like White Elephants" in lit. (You know, that's short. And good. Maybe I ought to do a post on it for here.) We should get our Latin tests back tomorrow. I loved this heading above it: "Probatio Capitulo I, Autumnus MMXIII" (Translation: "Chapter 1 Test, Fall 2013.")
The BCM's drama group/ministry deal, SWAT, is off to a good start this year. Last week we were unexpectedly asked to fill in something with 45 minutes notice, so we quickly ran through one of the skits, a game show spoof called "Go With The Flow". It went very well, going from cold-reading to full showtime in just over an hour, and about six takes. I play the host, Matt Kojak, still working on the proper blending of Bob Barker and Ryan Seacrest. (Side note, Idol will be atrociously unwatchable next year, with Randy and JayLo both back. I'm out.)
I guess there's this state volleyball tournament in Edmond in late October, with all the the BCM chapters at each school competing against each other. So there was a volleyball practice last night after the worship service, which followed the SWAT practice; anyway, there was about thirty to forty guys and girls trying to make the sixteen or so slots for the two teams NSU's group will be sending. So it'll be competitive, which is fantastic. The intensity of the atmosphere was almost like SGYC ping pong: If you're gonna play, go hard, and play to win. One downside: The sole of my right black Nike decided to begin to separate from the upper part, so I may have to go sneaker-shopping here soonish...
The apathy towards school-sponsored sports apparently isn't at a high enough level or something, so NSU decided to begin this stupid-sounding idea of not allowing students and faculty into football and basketball games just with ID. Instead, now we'll have to print off one of these digital bar codes and present that. General predictions say that it won't go over too well and student participation will plummet.
Speaking of not attending the football games, there's now been the second suspicious death since May, when the chemistry professor was murdered. Somebody rode to Kansas for the Pitt State game with some friends, left his truck by the track in the parking lot and forgot to lock it. When he went back to get it late Sunday afternoon, there was a bloody dead guy sitting in the car. CREEPY.... And scary... Made for a lot of lively speculation this afternoon before editing. Why would someone want the body to be found if they killed someone? Even creepier...the church is about a quarter-mile past the football stadium. I probably walked past the truck on the way back home....
There was also that bomb threat at the courthouse the last day of school in spring, and a shooting at Love's last month.
Songs of the Day were Audio Adrenaline's "Big House", Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble"(sadly without the goats) and Jason Aldean's "Tattoos On This Town". Going to try to write a few spec stories to send to the TNE, we'll see if they might run or not. The twelfth anniversary of 9/11 is tomorrow. Mimi's birthday would be next Wednesday, Mom's birthday is Sunday. Missing the dogs and goats and Rags, and been thinking about camp and that homeless shelter we worked at over spring break, for some reason.
Friday, September 6, 2013
L'Envoi
I'm not exactly sure what this poem by Rudyard Kipling means, but it's interesting, and very famous.
"When Earth's last picture is painted, and the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colors have faded, and the oldest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it - lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall set us to work anew!
"And those who were good shall be happy; they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash a ten-league canvas with brushes of comet's hair;
They shall find real saints to draw from - Magdalene, Peter and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!
"And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame;
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They Are!"
"When Earth's last picture is painted, and the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colors have faded, and the oldest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it - lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall set us to work anew!
"And those who were good shall be happy; they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash a ten-league canvas with brushes of comet's hair;
They shall find real saints to draw from - Magdalene, Peter and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!
"And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame;
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They Are!"
All Things Bright and Beautiful
I learned this poem in fourth grade, you often see it on signs and cross-stitches, and there's an Owl City CD named after it. Written by Cecil Francis Alexander.
"All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
"Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.
"The purple-headed mountains,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.
"The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them, every one.
"The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
We gather every day.
"He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well."
"All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
"Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.
"The purple-headed mountains,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.
"The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them, every one.
"The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
We gather every day.
"He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well."
Little Boy Blue
This is very sad, but it's a very good poem. Written by Eugene Fields.
"The little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and stanch he stands;
And the little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket molds in his hands;
Time was when the little toy dog was new
And the soldier passing fair; And that was the time our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.
"Now, don't you go til I come," he said,
"And don't you make any noise!"
So, toddling off to his trundle-bed,
He dreamed of the pretty toys;
And as he was dreaming, an angel song
Awakened our Little Boy Blue -
Oh! the years are many, the years are long;
But the little toy friends are true!
"Aye, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place -
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
And the smile of a little face;
And they wonder, as waiting these long years through
In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue
Since he kissed them and put them there."
"The little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and stanch he stands;
And the little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket molds in his hands;
Time was when the little toy dog was new
And the soldier passing fair; And that was the time our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.
"Now, don't you go til I come," he said,
"And don't you make any noise!"
So, toddling off to his trundle-bed,
He dreamed of the pretty toys;
And as he was dreaming, an angel song
Awakened our Little Boy Blue -
Oh! the years are many, the years are long;
But the little toy friends are true!
"Aye, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place -
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
And the smile of a little face;
And they wonder, as waiting these long years through
In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue
Since he kissed them and put them there."
A Time To Talk
This is by Robert Frost, found it in The Book of Virtues' "Friendship" chapter. I probably should try to work on this more often, sort of why I'm posting it, as a reminder.
"When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
At all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, "What is it?"
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod; I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit."
"When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
At all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, "What is it?"
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod; I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit."
Guitars
There's this quote from a book entitled "Diary of a Player", co-written by Brad Paisley and David Wild. Brad pretty much wrote the thing, and then this David guy cleaned it up and polished it all nicely. Anyway, there's this paragraph that is just terrific.
"When I was eight I got a gift from my grandpa. No coincidence that around that time I also got an identity. See, no matter how I have changed, learned, and evolved as a person, the guitar has been a major part of it, and really the only constant. A crutch, a shrink, a friend, love interest, parachute, flying machine, soapbox, canvas, liability, investment, jackpot, tease, a sage, a gateway, an addiction, a recovery, a temptress, a church, a voice, veil, armor, and lifeline. My grandpa knew it could be many of these things for me, but mostly he just wanted me to never be alone. He said if I learned to play, anything would be manageable, and life would be richer. You can get through some real tough times with that guitar on your knee. When life gets intense, there are people who drink, who seek counseling, eat, or watch TV, pray, cry, sleep, and so on. I play."
Mom wanted to learn how to play at one point, so Dad got her a guitar at the music store in Okmulgee that is now a Hibbett Sports. It was an Abilene AW-15, with sort of a flat brown finish. He also got a little kid-size guitar for me; neither one of us actually really learned to play. So they just sat there in the closet and then were moved to Beggs, and then they sort of disappeared somewhere after the fire, reappearing later.
It was probably that big ice storm in 2007, maybe the year before, I was clearing a yard of downed tree limbs for my dad's mom and stepdad. (I guess I could say "my grandparents", but that doesn't sound quite right. We don't really know many people on Dad's side of the family.) Anyway, Paw Paw Jim digs around somewhere in a mountain of discarded old things and pulls out this guitar. He says, "You should have this, you've done a great job these last couple days." I can't play, but it would be kind of awkward to say that...so I just take it anyway. It's bright orange, with an extremely thick neck. Think it might be one of those Spanish classical guitars. Not the best for playing, but it's the one I learned on. I sort of halfheartedly attempted to learn a few chords, but not especially hard.
Then after the fire I was trying to think of something to work on that would keep me busy during the lulls(ha!) of remodeling, and I remembered that guitar. So that's when I really first started taking it seriously. Didn't do very well, I only had a poster on the wall and my ears to tell me how it should go, but it was a start. Mom found her guitar one day and since she didn't have time to re-learn how to play, she asked if I wanted it. So I took that guitar and gradually it became Abby Lee, who you can see in the picture in the corner.
About a year later I realized I needed some help if I was actually going to learn how to play instead of making random noises with a wooden box, so I rather shamefacedly purchased a copy of Guitar For Dummies. It helped a lot.
About a year after that, we had some extra money saved up, so Dad asked if I wanted to take guitar lessons. I agreed sort of hesitantly at first, but this guy was supposed to be pretty friendly and Annette and the Gastons said he was a good teacher. Well, that was Dale; and I loved every second(okay, welll....almost) of those lessons. My playing skills grew leaps and bounds, and I'd found another friend who played music, was beginning to discover how many people I knew either played or were learning. Annette, Asa, Billy, JB, Logan, Jed, Jon, Micah, Sam, Josh, Bennett, Garrett, Wesley D...
My senior year, Steven asked if I'd lead worship with Josh for the youth group. So I did that for about eight months before leaving, it was a good experience. Gave me lots of time to ponder the lyrics of hymns, exactly what makes a good song "good"(the theology, mainly), and improve my playing. I was always a half-step behind Josh's piano; because I was trying to slow myself down to match him. When Laura would sub for her big bro, that was easier, because she plays things fast, too.
For my eighteenth birthday, I got an electric, a Fender Squire Strat in a sunburst design, pretty awesome. I don't play electric as much as acoustic, partly because it's quite a bit louder and I don't like people to hear me practicing, and partly because it requires a lot of space, with the amp and everything. But it's very good to have, for those times when you need to play old rock songs or pretend you're Brad Paisley or Keith Urban. Or when playing the tab of the MacGyver theme song. Another reason I usually prefer to play acoustic is because that's what was used on a lot of the music I heard in the late 90's. Songs like Big Tent Revival's "Two Sets of Joneses" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQE5PNRLZ40), Green Day's "Time Of Your Life" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwnoNVOj1Fs), Jars of Clay's "Flood" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfAhpX_wIBk), most of Chris Rice's music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GQZeBjfXP4) and anything by Eli (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJVzlXCmIR4), just to name a few.
An interesting story about how Eli got his first six-string: There was this older lady at his church that he'd kind of met, one day she marches up to him after the service and says, "Eli, I have something to give you, and you need to follow me out to the car right this second." He probably looks at her confused for a minute, then shrugs and goes along. This lady's husband had died recently, leaving behind many things, one of which was a guitar. They get to the car, the lady pulls out her husband's guitar and holds it out to him. "Eli, you're supposed to have this." "That was your husband's, I can't take that...." "Yes, you can; Larry(for lack of knowing the real name) doesn't need it any longer, and it's just taking up space in the house. And besides, for some reason God told me to give this to you." He's probably frowning by now. "But....I can't play it. I don't know how." "I don't care; God told me to give it to you, and so that's what I'm doing. He said you'll do something great with it to minister to people someday, and so I'm just doing my part and we'll see what the Lord does with you." "Well...okay?..." At one point he was a drug addict, another time homeless. Eventually he learned to play it, and that led to several wonderful CDs, and a couple others that I can't find hardly a trace of anywhere.
By playing, whether strumming or tab or fingerpicking or whatever, we can preach to ourselves, all the things about life and how we ought to be living as Christians, truths about God and His character. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16 (NIV). One of my favorite verses. Not just guitars, either; but many types of instruments. Pianos; violins and their cousins; cellos; mandolins; harmonicas; drums; trumpets; banjos; just voices; they can all be used to praise and edify and make good memories with friends. (Like, see my camp posts, or the T4G trip, or all those CD reviews...)
Can't think of anything else to say on this topic, so I guess I'll just end it right there.
"When I was eight I got a gift from my grandpa. No coincidence that around that time I also got an identity. See, no matter how I have changed, learned, and evolved as a person, the guitar has been a major part of it, and really the only constant. A crutch, a shrink, a friend, love interest, parachute, flying machine, soapbox, canvas, liability, investment, jackpot, tease, a sage, a gateway, an addiction, a recovery, a temptress, a church, a voice, veil, armor, and lifeline. My grandpa knew it could be many of these things for me, but mostly he just wanted me to never be alone. He said if I learned to play, anything would be manageable, and life would be richer. You can get through some real tough times with that guitar on your knee. When life gets intense, there are people who drink, who seek counseling, eat, or watch TV, pray, cry, sleep, and so on. I play."
Mom wanted to learn how to play at one point, so Dad got her a guitar at the music store in Okmulgee that is now a Hibbett Sports. It was an Abilene AW-15, with sort of a flat brown finish. He also got a little kid-size guitar for me; neither one of us actually really learned to play. So they just sat there in the closet and then were moved to Beggs, and then they sort of disappeared somewhere after the fire, reappearing later.
It was probably that big ice storm in 2007, maybe the year before, I was clearing a yard of downed tree limbs for my dad's mom and stepdad. (I guess I could say "my grandparents", but that doesn't sound quite right. We don't really know many people on Dad's side of the family.) Anyway, Paw Paw Jim digs around somewhere in a mountain of discarded old things and pulls out this guitar. He says, "You should have this, you've done a great job these last couple days." I can't play, but it would be kind of awkward to say that...so I just take it anyway. It's bright orange, with an extremely thick neck. Think it might be one of those Spanish classical guitars. Not the best for playing, but it's the one I learned on. I sort of halfheartedly attempted to learn a few chords, but not especially hard.
Then after the fire I was trying to think of something to work on that would keep me busy during the lulls(ha!) of remodeling, and I remembered that guitar. So that's when I really first started taking it seriously. Didn't do very well, I only had a poster on the wall and my ears to tell me how it should go, but it was a start. Mom found her guitar one day and since she didn't have time to re-learn how to play, she asked if I wanted it. So I took that guitar and gradually it became Abby Lee, who you can see in the picture in the corner.
About a year later I realized I needed some help if I was actually going to learn how to play instead of making random noises with a wooden box, so I rather shamefacedly purchased a copy of Guitar For Dummies. It helped a lot.
About a year after that, we had some extra money saved up, so Dad asked if I wanted to take guitar lessons. I agreed sort of hesitantly at first, but this guy was supposed to be pretty friendly and Annette and the Gastons said he was a good teacher. Well, that was Dale; and I loved every second(okay, welll....almost) of those lessons. My playing skills grew leaps and bounds, and I'd found another friend who played music, was beginning to discover how many people I knew either played or were learning. Annette, Asa, Billy, JB, Logan, Jed, Jon, Micah, Sam, Josh, Bennett, Garrett, Wesley D...
My senior year, Steven asked if I'd lead worship with Josh for the youth group. So I did that for about eight months before leaving, it was a good experience. Gave me lots of time to ponder the lyrics of hymns, exactly what makes a good song "good"(the theology, mainly), and improve my playing. I was always a half-step behind Josh's piano; because I was trying to slow myself down to match him. When Laura would sub for her big bro, that was easier, because she plays things fast, too.
For my eighteenth birthday, I got an electric, a Fender Squire Strat in a sunburst design, pretty awesome. I don't play electric as much as acoustic, partly because it's quite a bit louder and I don't like people to hear me practicing, and partly because it requires a lot of space, with the amp and everything. But it's very good to have, for those times when you need to play old rock songs or pretend you're Brad Paisley or Keith Urban. Or when playing the tab of the MacGyver theme song. Another reason I usually prefer to play acoustic is because that's what was used on a lot of the music I heard in the late 90's. Songs like Big Tent Revival's "Two Sets of Joneses" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQE5PNRLZ40), Green Day's "Time Of Your Life" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwnoNVOj1Fs), Jars of Clay's "Flood" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfAhpX_wIBk), most of Chris Rice's music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GQZeBjfXP4) and anything by Eli (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJVzlXCmIR4), just to name a few.
An interesting story about how Eli got his first six-string: There was this older lady at his church that he'd kind of met, one day she marches up to him after the service and says, "Eli, I have something to give you, and you need to follow me out to the car right this second." He probably looks at her confused for a minute, then shrugs and goes along. This lady's husband had died recently, leaving behind many things, one of which was a guitar. They get to the car, the lady pulls out her husband's guitar and holds it out to him. "Eli, you're supposed to have this." "That was your husband's, I can't take that...." "Yes, you can; Larry(for lack of knowing the real name) doesn't need it any longer, and it's just taking up space in the house. And besides, for some reason God told me to give this to you." He's probably frowning by now. "But....I can't play it. I don't know how." "I don't care; God told me to give it to you, and so that's what I'm doing. He said you'll do something great with it to minister to people someday, and so I'm just doing my part and we'll see what the Lord does with you." "Well...okay?..." At one point he was a drug addict, another time homeless. Eventually he learned to play it, and that led to several wonderful CDs, and a couple others that I can't find hardly a trace of anywhere.
By playing, whether strumming or tab or fingerpicking or whatever, we can preach to ourselves, all the things about life and how we ought to be living as Christians, truths about God and His character. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16 (NIV). One of my favorite verses. Not just guitars, either; but many types of instruments. Pianos; violins and their cousins; cellos; mandolins; harmonicas; drums; trumpets; banjos; just voices; they can all be used to praise and edify and make good memories with friends. (Like, see my camp posts, or the T4G trip, or all those CD reviews...)
Can't think of anything else to say on this topic, so I guess I'll just end it right there.
Scars, Jewelry and Old Leather Jackets
These ideas have kind of been floating around half-formed for a couple weeks, wasn't sure what to do with them, so I just decided to try to combine them all into one post. I just got to thinking about what the outside appearance tells us about ourselves and what it tells other people.
They kind of hold memories hidden deep into the past, or serve as hopeful reminders about things to come. They show how we wish to be perceived, ways we'd like to improve. About our attitude towards life, how we approach things like our jobs.
Like, take scars for instance. They show we've gotten through something, remind us of a memory or tell something to avoid, make sure we've learned some lesson from an event. I have a small burn scar on my right forearm, it says whenever I notice it's there, "Be very careful when taking brownies out of a hot oven!" And then I think about the blessing of chocolate, and the fact that we can cook tasty food and experiment with new recipes, all of those are very good things that God didn't have to let us enjoy, but He did. And heat, which we wouldn't be able to survive without in cold temperatures. That's another blessing.
Three small pinkish-white scars on my pinky, ring and middle fingers serve as a reminder that stairs really don't work that well when they're two inches too short. Especially not if they're made of concrete. So, if you ever find yourself doing home construction, be sure to build the stairs and other items the right way. If you don't, then you'll have massive structural problems later on, but that's another post... Didn't mean to go into a a rant on proper remodeling techniques. I was on my way to the post office to mail a birthday card to a friend, so I often just stop and say a quick prayer for those I know, thank God for the fellow travelers He places at times in our journey through life. We can pray for one another, teach and encourage each other, laugh at often-pointless-but-hilarious inside jokes and recall pleasant memories. We can try to ease the burden somewhat when things aren't going well, to share in grief through hard times. We can be happy when good things take place in our friends' and family's lives. It's on my left hand, the one I serve with in volleyball, which is a great game, nice temporary break from the stress of everyday life. It also brings back good times at camp, as well as stressful moments. And the card's recipient is one of the best volleyball players I've ever seen, she was a great teammate, good to work with.
There's emotional scars that may not be as easy to spot, but sometimes take a while longer to close. Like 9/11, or the fire, the loss of a dearly-loved pet. They never quite heal; the hole they leave is never completely filled again. We learn to keep going.
A by-now-tiny scar on my upper shin is a relic from a trip to the zoo when I was about four or five, I tripped on the sidewalk just after we'd left and tore all the skin on my knee. It was extremely bloody, took SIX (!) Band-Aids to cover it up. Very messy, never really forgotten that, for some reason. Always think of it whenever I go to the zoo, or at random times as I walk the crack-mosaic and crumbling sidewalks around campus and downtown.
There's a large scar on my stomach from a surgery done as a baby, Trevor and Caleb think it's amazing. I guess they think it looks tough and impressive, like I could beat somebody up. And when you're eleven and love all things military, that's a really cool and good thing.
And there's my eye, which I can't really say anything about, because it's always been this way, I've never known any other way of looking at life. And so at times it's made some things difficult, others near impossible, but most of the time I can just ignore it and go about life. And in a way, even that's been a good thing, getting some help with paying for college. So, there's a lot of things I'm not quite sure how I'll work around in the future(for example, transportation, work, etc.), but I'll find some way. After all, I've taught myself tricks to do a lot of things I probably shouldn't, medically speaking when I was born, be able to do.
Working as a sportswriter throughout high school, part of the gameday tools was the press pass. A kind of secret key behind the scenes, this ID card on a lanyard allowed access to places most fans can't go before getting quickly chased out. That doesn't mean I haven't been booted out of places myself, but just that it didn't happen as often. I learned that acting confident of your role is often what convinces people to let you find shortcuts or detours on the way to the objective you're trying to reach. It represents sort of my role in life so far: Mostly to stay on the fringes and observe what's happening, then try to find some good points to talk about in the story so the audience can absorb the information.
So I'm just kind of used to having something around my neck, why I usually wear a necklace when going someplace or whatever. Yeah, I know that sounds a little strange. One of the two I usually wear was made by a friend, broken in a football game, and then rebuilt by another friend. So it, also, in some ways reminds me that there's family and friends out there, even though sometimes this world feels gigantic and I'm a tiny ant all alone in comparison. More than that, though, is its main reminder. It's two nails(well, a nail and a screw, actually) fastened together with some wire to form a cross. Really drives home the point of the sufferings Christ went through, the enormity of that mystery, of why God would choose to save certain lost sinful creatures. But just as much brings the inexpressible joy of thankfulness for his grace, and the reality that "God is there and He is watching/He tells me all is well", to quote the DC Talk song "Supernatural". So keep running the race, keep fighting the good fight. There's going to be times of hardship, dark valleys, but it's part of being one of his followers, means we're on the right track. And hopefully as we strive to go through our lives in a godly manner, that will encourage other believers, and possibly lead to a doomed soul being saved from the destruction of eternity in hell. So that's the main reason I wear it, the primary message it preaches. I sometimes attach a spare guitar part(a "button", it holds a strap in place) onto the string, which is just a reminder that one of the ways we can preach truths to ourselves and others, as well as tell people about what we've been given, is through music.
The other necklace is made of some kind of shiny metal, it's been around forever, no clue where I might have gotten it. (Maybe Faith Baptist in Broken Arrow, when Mom and Dad were youth pastors? Left behind someplace by one of the teenagers, and I picked it up? As a prize for something in Miss Nancy's Sunday School class? I don't know.) On the front, it says "WWJD"(What Would Jesus Do?) with a cross set inside the letters. It's a great question, a good check to try to live and act and say things in a way that would be pleasing to Him.
You have to have a watch. Makes sure things are running on schedule, plus useful for timing things or knowing what day of the week or month it is. (Useful tool when in college and all the days run together...) There's this "Calvin and Hobbes" where Calvin's complaining about how his watch doesn't tell what month it is...it tells the time, day of the week and day of the month, but not what month it is. Hobbes, ever the sarcastic dry-witted voice of reason, says, "Well, I guess they figure that if you don't know what month it is, you probably aren't the type to wear a watch."
I have this rubber bracelet I got a while ago, probably about twelve, just near when the drama group was starting. It's camouflage black and white swirled together, with "COURAGE" printed on it. I'm not very brave. Usually scared of something more often than not(I kinda have a "fear of man" problem, I guess). It's nice to have that reminder to keep going, to have courage.
And there's my "leash", a green lanyard with my keys on it. Sort of important to know where those are...and if they're hanging from my neck, then I shouldn't ever lose them, right? (In theory, at least.) I call it a leash because it's a symbol of being chained along doggedly working towards my degree.
Clothes also say lots about us. Most of mine were given to us by strangers after the fire, like this old leather jacket from the 80's/90's. (Like, seriously. It has shoulder pads.) But I like it. It's warm; which is very useful. It's comfortable; most jackets and coats aren't. It has lots of pockets; which is extremely useful. I can tuck a bag of cookies in there, or my camera, an energy drink or guitar tuner...you get the idea. And it looks like the one MacGyver always wears. Now, I know that sounds a little silly; but isn't there something to be said for that extra boost of whatever-you-want-to-call-it, Michael's Secret Stuff, at times? Isn't it possible that looking something like MacGyver would make you feel a little smarter or resourceful, which in turn might translate to a small rise in confidence or problem-solving or something?
I've got this hoodie and T-shirt from the first year the Thunder played in OKC, got them the day after the fire. By God's grace, we survived that. And all the rebuilding and everything. Sometimes I forget that too easily.
Other than that, I pretty much try to make the clothes I have last as long as possible, which means that when I don't have to go anywhere my jeans are generally ripped and faded, my T-shirt has stains, and my hoodie may be without sleeves. And my tennis shoes are literally worn til they fall apart. I don't like spending any more money than I have to.
So, that's basically it....just a bunch of random thoughts are crammed together. Was doing laundry over the weekend, forgot to check to make sure it was empty of everything, and missed a couple dozen crayons. Yup....half my wear-in-public shirts got stained; not bad, but just bad enough that when you're around people most of the time(like, classes...) they wouldn't work. But I guess everybody needs to mess up something in the washer at some point, right? It'll probably be sort of funny someday.
They kind of hold memories hidden deep into the past, or serve as hopeful reminders about things to come. They show how we wish to be perceived, ways we'd like to improve. About our attitude towards life, how we approach things like our jobs.
Like, take scars for instance. They show we've gotten through something, remind us of a memory or tell something to avoid, make sure we've learned some lesson from an event. I have a small burn scar on my right forearm, it says whenever I notice it's there, "Be very careful when taking brownies out of a hot oven!" And then I think about the blessing of chocolate, and the fact that we can cook tasty food and experiment with new recipes, all of those are very good things that God didn't have to let us enjoy, but He did. And heat, which we wouldn't be able to survive without in cold temperatures. That's another blessing.
Three small pinkish-white scars on my pinky, ring and middle fingers serve as a reminder that stairs really don't work that well when they're two inches too short. Especially not if they're made of concrete. So, if you ever find yourself doing home construction, be sure to build the stairs and other items the right way. If you don't, then you'll have massive structural problems later on, but that's another post... Didn't mean to go into a a rant on proper remodeling techniques. I was on my way to the post office to mail a birthday card to a friend, so I often just stop and say a quick prayer for those I know, thank God for the fellow travelers He places at times in our journey through life. We can pray for one another, teach and encourage each other, laugh at often-pointless-but-hilarious inside jokes and recall pleasant memories. We can try to ease the burden somewhat when things aren't going well, to share in grief through hard times. We can be happy when good things take place in our friends' and family's lives. It's on my left hand, the one I serve with in volleyball, which is a great game, nice temporary break from the stress of everyday life. It also brings back good times at camp, as well as stressful moments. And the card's recipient is one of the best volleyball players I've ever seen, she was a great teammate, good to work with.
There's emotional scars that may not be as easy to spot, but sometimes take a while longer to close. Like 9/11, or the fire, the loss of a dearly-loved pet. They never quite heal; the hole they leave is never completely filled again. We learn to keep going.
A by-now-tiny scar on my upper shin is a relic from a trip to the zoo when I was about four or five, I tripped on the sidewalk just after we'd left and tore all the skin on my knee. It was extremely bloody, took SIX (!) Band-Aids to cover it up. Very messy, never really forgotten that, for some reason. Always think of it whenever I go to the zoo, or at random times as I walk the crack-mosaic and crumbling sidewalks around campus and downtown.
There's a large scar on my stomach from a surgery done as a baby, Trevor and Caleb think it's amazing. I guess they think it looks tough and impressive, like I could beat somebody up. And when you're eleven and love all things military, that's a really cool and good thing.
And there's my eye, which I can't really say anything about, because it's always been this way, I've never known any other way of looking at life. And so at times it's made some things difficult, others near impossible, but most of the time I can just ignore it and go about life. And in a way, even that's been a good thing, getting some help with paying for college. So, there's a lot of things I'm not quite sure how I'll work around in the future(for example, transportation, work, etc.), but I'll find some way. After all, I've taught myself tricks to do a lot of things I probably shouldn't, medically speaking when I was born, be able to do.
Working as a sportswriter throughout high school, part of the gameday tools was the press pass. A kind of secret key behind the scenes, this ID card on a lanyard allowed access to places most fans can't go before getting quickly chased out. That doesn't mean I haven't been booted out of places myself, but just that it didn't happen as often. I learned that acting confident of your role is often what convinces people to let you find shortcuts or detours on the way to the objective you're trying to reach. It represents sort of my role in life so far: Mostly to stay on the fringes and observe what's happening, then try to find some good points to talk about in the story so the audience can absorb the information.
So I'm just kind of used to having something around my neck, why I usually wear a necklace when going someplace or whatever. Yeah, I know that sounds a little strange. One of the two I usually wear was made by a friend, broken in a football game, and then rebuilt by another friend. So it, also, in some ways reminds me that there's family and friends out there, even though sometimes this world feels gigantic and I'm a tiny ant all alone in comparison. More than that, though, is its main reminder. It's two nails(well, a nail and a screw, actually) fastened together with some wire to form a cross. Really drives home the point of the sufferings Christ went through, the enormity of that mystery, of why God would choose to save certain lost sinful creatures. But just as much brings the inexpressible joy of thankfulness for his grace, and the reality that "God is there and He is watching/He tells me all is well", to quote the DC Talk song "Supernatural". So keep running the race, keep fighting the good fight. There's going to be times of hardship, dark valleys, but it's part of being one of his followers, means we're on the right track. And hopefully as we strive to go through our lives in a godly manner, that will encourage other believers, and possibly lead to a doomed soul being saved from the destruction of eternity in hell. So that's the main reason I wear it, the primary message it preaches. I sometimes attach a spare guitar part(a "button", it holds a strap in place) onto the string, which is just a reminder that one of the ways we can preach truths to ourselves and others, as well as tell people about what we've been given, is through music.
The other necklace is made of some kind of shiny metal, it's been around forever, no clue where I might have gotten it. (Maybe Faith Baptist in Broken Arrow, when Mom and Dad were youth pastors? Left behind someplace by one of the teenagers, and I picked it up? As a prize for something in Miss Nancy's Sunday School class? I don't know.) On the front, it says "WWJD"(What Would Jesus Do?) with a cross set inside the letters. It's a great question, a good check to try to live and act and say things in a way that would be pleasing to Him.
You have to have a watch. Makes sure things are running on schedule, plus useful for timing things or knowing what day of the week or month it is. (Useful tool when in college and all the days run together...) There's this "Calvin and Hobbes" where Calvin's complaining about how his watch doesn't tell what month it is...it tells the time, day of the week and day of the month, but not what month it is. Hobbes, ever the sarcastic dry-witted voice of reason, says, "Well, I guess they figure that if you don't know what month it is, you probably aren't the type to wear a watch."
I have this rubber bracelet I got a while ago, probably about twelve, just near when the drama group was starting. It's camouflage black and white swirled together, with "COURAGE" printed on it. I'm not very brave. Usually scared of something more often than not(I kinda have a "fear of man" problem, I guess). It's nice to have that reminder to keep going, to have courage.
And there's my "leash", a green lanyard with my keys on it. Sort of important to know where those are...and if they're hanging from my neck, then I shouldn't ever lose them, right? (In theory, at least.) I call it a leash because it's a symbol of being chained along doggedly working towards my degree.
Clothes also say lots about us. Most of mine were given to us by strangers after the fire, like this old leather jacket from the 80's/90's. (Like, seriously. It has shoulder pads.) But I like it. It's warm; which is very useful. It's comfortable; most jackets and coats aren't. It has lots of pockets; which is extremely useful. I can tuck a bag of cookies in there, or my camera, an energy drink or guitar tuner...you get the idea. And it looks like the one MacGyver always wears. Now, I know that sounds a little silly; but isn't there something to be said for that extra boost of whatever-you-want-to-call-it, Michael's Secret Stuff, at times? Isn't it possible that looking something like MacGyver would make you feel a little smarter or resourceful, which in turn might translate to a small rise in confidence or problem-solving or something?
I've got this hoodie and T-shirt from the first year the Thunder played in OKC, got them the day after the fire. By God's grace, we survived that. And all the rebuilding and everything. Sometimes I forget that too easily.
Other than that, I pretty much try to make the clothes I have last as long as possible, which means that when I don't have to go anywhere my jeans are generally ripped and faded, my T-shirt has stains, and my hoodie may be without sleeves. And my tennis shoes are literally worn til they fall apart. I don't like spending any more money than I have to.
So, that's basically it....just a bunch of random thoughts are crammed together. Was doing laundry over the weekend, forgot to check to make sure it was empty of everything, and missed a couple dozen crayons. Yup....half my wear-in-public shirts got stained; not bad, but just bad enough that when you're around people most of the time(like, classes...) they wouldn't work. But I guess everybody needs to mess up something in the washer at some point, right? It'll probably be sort of funny someday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)