What is the weekend for? Well according to a paper that I just wrote for my Greek and Roman Mythology class, the weekend is the time for people to unwind from the structure of the work week. I hold fast to this principle, even though right now in my life I don't really have any type of weekend because I am working as a delievery boy at Pizza Hut. But during the day on saturday I get to enjoy myself for a couple of hours. For example, this past saturday I went with some friends and played mud football. It was really fun running around bare foot in the mud tackling people. Although my body is still pretty sore from the intense exercise.
So what am I getting at with this? Well, seeing as I am in college some people would say that I should use the free time that I have to study and get homework done. I say that is a horrible idea. I hate doing anything school related on the weekend because I get enough of it during the week. I need that special time to relax from the everyday and do something unique and fun. That is why I usually get the stuff I need to done before the weekend, or I wait until sunday night to do whatever it is that I need to do. So far it has worked out pretty well for me.
So my message to all of you out there is to find a way to have some kind of weekend that is not plagued with homework, or work in general. Sit down and watch a good college football game or just get out and do something. We need that time to unwind from the stresses of the week. If we don't then eventually we will break and something unwanted might occur. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and it is supposed to be fun.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Pranks
One of the cool things about being creative is coming up with ways to pull pranks on people. I find this to be a fun thing to do because it allows me to express myself in a way that most people have a hard time doing. Of course there is a fine line between having fun and crossing the line into the extreme where people might end up getting hurt. I'm not for that, but a little harmless act is fair game.
When I was younger my brothers and I had an interesting prank that we pulled on each other multiple times throughout our childhood. When we were younger there were two rooms and four of us, so there were two of us in each room. Usually it my younger brother, Brenden, and I that slept in the same room, and my other two brothers slept in the other one. At night Brenden and I would sneak in to the other room and put up toilet paper all over the room so that when Garrett and Dustin woke up they would get all tangled up in toilet paper. A couple of nights later they would retaliate back with the same gesture. My parents were not fond of this exhibition of brotherly love since it was a "waste" of toilet paper. It was fun while it lasted though.
Over my college career I have had some pretty fun room mates and we have come up with some pretty fun ideas for pranks. One time we took around this blow up cardboard things of George W. Bush that was sitting in our apartment hall and we took it around sticking it up in people's windows. It was a fun time until someone asked us for the blow up back. Another prank that we pulled was popping a whole bunch of popcorn and spreading it on someone's floor, and to put the cherry on top of the cake we put a goldfish in their toilet. Good times had by all.
One of the pranks that I have been wanting to do for the longest time is getting a duck, putting it in a box, then placing that box on someone's door and when they open it up the duck runs into their house. That, to me, would be amazing. I have so many opportunities to catch a duck as well since every time I walk up to school there is a slew of them at this pond. A man can dream.
So as long as you are having some harmless fun go ahead and pull a prank on someone. It is a creative art that not many people like to explore. Life is about having fun, and what's the use of having fun if you can't drag some other people into it as well?
When I was younger my brothers and I had an interesting prank that we pulled on each other multiple times throughout our childhood. When we were younger there were two rooms and four of us, so there were two of us in each room. Usually it my younger brother, Brenden, and I that slept in the same room, and my other two brothers slept in the other one. At night Brenden and I would sneak in to the other room and put up toilet paper all over the room so that when Garrett and Dustin woke up they would get all tangled up in toilet paper. A couple of nights later they would retaliate back with the same gesture. My parents were not fond of this exhibition of brotherly love since it was a "waste" of toilet paper. It was fun while it lasted though.
Over my college career I have had some pretty fun room mates and we have come up with some pretty fun ideas for pranks. One time we took around this blow up cardboard things of George W. Bush that was sitting in our apartment hall and we took it around sticking it up in people's windows. It was a fun time until someone asked us for the blow up back. Another prank that we pulled was popping a whole bunch of popcorn and spreading it on someone's floor, and to put the cherry on top of the cake we put a goldfish in their toilet. Good times had by all.
One of the pranks that I have been wanting to do for the longest time is getting a duck, putting it in a box, then placing that box on someone's door and when they open it up the duck runs into their house. That, to me, would be amazing. I have so many opportunities to catch a duck as well since every time I walk up to school there is a slew of them at this pond. A man can dream.
So as long as you are having some harmless fun go ahead and pull a prank on someone. It is a creative art that not many people like to explore. Life is about having fun, and what's the use of having fun if you can't drag some other people into it as well?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Love of a Mom
If there is one thing that I can say it is that my mom loves me. I know that whatever I do that my mom will stick by me until the bitter end. It is a special love between a mother and her child, and I think it comes from the fact that we are born from our moms. There is some inherent bond that is forged that is very hard to explain, but is such a unique type of love that it can't be described either. Mom will always love you no matter what you do. Whenever you do something wrong and dad wants to give you a spanking, you run to mommy to save you from his palm. She is the one person who understands you the best. Of course there are those rare times when even mom is disappointed with you actions and will not side with you.
There has only been one such incident in my life where my mom was ready to give me the punishment of a lifetime. I was a junior in high school, and I fell prey to the wiles of my friends at the time. We had come up with the great idea to pull a prank on one of the girls on the cross country team. She had been parking in the senior parking lot (she was only a junior) and we thought that we would teach her a lesson. Her car was parked near a curb, so we decided to pick up the back of her car and put one of her rear tires on the curb. It was a harmless thing. Unfortunately I and a couple other friends got caught, and we had to put the car back into its original position, then go to the principal's office to receive our punishment. We all had to call our parents to tell them what had happened. I remember that when it came to my turn I was very scared because I had no idea what my mom would say or do to me when she found out what I had done. We ended up having to serve a saturday (spending 4 hours at school on saturday basically just sitting in a classroom).
This was probably the worst thing that I have ever done in my life. I am a pretty good person, and I haven't done anything to rash, but this one time I made the mistake of following the crowd (something I usually don't do). Of course we all make mistakes in life. It is about learning from those mistakes that is the real key. In the end my mom didn't kill me, but she gave me a good talking to. That is one thing that my brothers and I dreaded as kids, our mom's lectures.
There was always one thing that I knew if I did that my mom would come close to wanting to kill me. When I was younger, in elementary school, there was an incident where we had had the day off and we were out in the yard with my mom. I think my brothers and I were playing and she was doing some yard work, when we saw a few high schoolers from our church walking down at the end of the street. Apparently they had ditched school and were just wandering around. Well they ended up being at the wrong place at the wrong time because my mom recognized them and called them over. She then had them march into our house and call their moms. After that she gave them a good lecture until their moms arrived, and then the real lecture began. I don't really remember what happened during that time because I was probably occupied with something else. All I remember thinking is that if I ever ditched school, my mom would kill me. So I never missed a class, and still haven't to this day. But in the end, I know that despite the wrong things that I have done, and will do, that my mom will always love me. And I love her for that. So here's to you mom, you're the greatest.
There has only been one such incident in my life where my mom was ready to give me the punishment of a lifetime. I was a junior in high school, and I fell prey to the wiles of my friends at the time. We had come up with the great idea to pull a prank on one of the girls on the cross country team. She had been parking in the senior parking lot (she was only a junior) and we thought that we would teach her a lesson. Her car was parked near a curb, so we decided to pick up the back of her car and put one of her rear tires on the curb. It was a harmless thing. Unfortunately I and a couple other friends got caught, and we had to put the car back into its original position, then go to the principal's office to receive our punishment. We all had to call our parents to tell them what had happened. I remember that when it came to my turn I was very scared because I had no idea what my mom would say or do to me when she found out what I had done. We ended up having to serve a saturday (spending 4 hours at school on saturday basically just sitting in a classroom).
This was probably the worst thing that I have ever done in my life. I am a pretty good person, and I haven't done anything to rash, but this one time I made the mistake of following the crowd (something I usually don't do). Of course we all make mistakes in life. It is about learning from those mistakes that is the real key. In the end my mom didn't kill me, but she gave me a good talking to. That is one thing that my brothers and I dreaded as kids, our mom's lectures.
There was always one thing that I knew if I did that my mom would come close to wanting to kill me. When I was younger, in elementary school, there was an incident where we had had the day off and we were out in the yard with my mom. I think my brothers and I were playing and she was doing some yard work, when we saw a few high schoolers from our church walking down at the end of the street. Apparently they had ditched school and were just wandering around. Well they ended up being at the wrong place at the wrong time because my mom recognized them and called them over. She then had them march into our house and call their moms. After that she gave them a good lecture until their moms arrived, and then the real lecture began. I don't really remember what happened during that time because I was probably occupied with something else. All I remember thinking is that if I ever ditched school, my mom would kill me. So I never missed a class, and still haven't to this day. But in the end, I know that despite the wrong things that I have done, and will do, that my mom will always love me. And I love her for that. So here's to you mom, you're the greatest.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
A Few Costume Ideas
Halloween has always been a fun time of year for me. I especially have always enjoyed getting tons of candy that I usually never ate and just kept for the year until next Halloween rolled around. One of the fun activities that is associated with this holiday is dressing up as something you aren't. Applying knowledge from my Greek and Roman Mythology class, the Greeks would view this "pagan" holiday (as my Mythology professor pointed out to us) as a Dionysian holiday seeing as Dionysus was not just the god of wine and partying, but of the theater, liminal abandon, and pretending to be something you aren't (that is where the theater comes in).
Over the course of my life I have had many a great costume ideas. When I was really young I remember one year I was a bumble bee. I think that was my mom's idea, not mine. (Hopefully)
A few years later when I was in elementary school I remember being an astronaut. It was a pretty sweet outfit, including a helmet with a visor that you could lift up and down. Although I think I looked more like a future spaceman than a real astronaut. That one lasted for a couple of Halloweens. The next costume I remember was my grim reaper costume. It was just a black robe with one of the hoods that had a mesh where I could see out, but people couldn't see my face. I think that i used it for 3 years. Then when high school rolled around I think is where I got a little more creative. A couple years in a row I dressed up like a fat hobo (because somehow that makes sense). I even had a little sack on a stick. One of those years I pulled this one off I ended up passing out candy to the kids on the block. I remember having an old plaid shirt with a pillow stuffed inside of it (to make me look fat of course) That's about all I remember of this particular costume. My senior year my friend and I went around the neighborhood together getting candy. I wore my lettermans jacket and had a plush alien on my shoulder, and my friend had aluminum foil on his head like from the movie Signs. We went around to peoples' doors telling them about how there was an alien invasion, while at the same time trick or treating. It was pretty brilliant.
The next two years I dressed up as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of course that's what I was for those two years anyways, so I don't think I can really count it as a costume, plus I didn't even go out to get any candy. When I got home the next Halloween I dressed up as a cambodian. I had a sarong (it's basically a piece of cloth that looks like a dress) and a cambodian shirt. I went trick or treating with my nephews as well. That was a lot of fun. So that brings me up until the present. For this year I'm not sure what I am going to dress up as. I have been thinking about being Fry from Futurama. I just need to buy a red jacket and some how get orange hair. It's in the works, but I think it would be fun. If I could get someone else to be Bender that would be awesome. I think that my inspiration comes from the fact that I am a delivery boy right now. If this idea fails I guess I could just put on my pizza hut uniform and do that. But that would be lame. Maybe I'll come up with something else. For now, though, Fry it is. I'm sure I'll have just as much fun this year as I have had in the past. And once Halloween is over the holiday season is just right around the corner. Man time flies.
Over the course of my life I have had many a great costume ideas. When I was really young I remember one year I was a bumble bee. I think that was my mom's idea, not mine. (Hopefully)
A few years later when I was in elementary school I remember being an astronaut. It was a pretty sweet outfit, including a helmet with a visor that you could lift up and down. Although I think I looked more like a future spaceman than a real astronaut. That one lasted for a couple of Halloweens. The next costume I remember was my grim reaper costume. It was just a black robe with one of the hoods that had a mesh where I could see out, but people couldn't see my face. I think that i used it for 3 years. Then when high school rolled around I think is where I got a little more creative. A couple years in a row I dressed up like a fat hobo (because somehow that makes sense). I even had a little sack on a stick. One of those years I pulled this one off I ended up passing out candy to the kids on the block. I remember having an old plaid shirt with a pillow stuffed inside of it (to make me look fat of course) That's about all I remember of this particular costume. My senior year my friend and I went around the neighborhood together getting candy. I wore my lettermans jacket and had a plush alien on my shoulder, and my friend had aluminum foil on his head like from the movie Signs. We went around to peoples' doors telling them about how there was an alien invasion, while at the same time trick or treating. It was pretty brilliant.
The next two years I dressed up as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of course that's what I was for those two years anyways, so I don't think I can really count it as a costume, plus I didn't even go out to get any candy. When I got home the next Halloween I dressed up as a cambodian. I had a sarong (it's basically a piece of cloth that looks like a dress) and a cambodian shirt. I went trick or treating with my nephews as well. That was a lot of fun. So that brings me up until the present. For this year I'm not sure what I am going to dress up as. I have been thinking about being Fry from Futurama. I just need to buy a red jacket and some how get orange hair. It's in the works, but I think it would be fun. If I could get someone else to be Bender that would be awesome. I think that my inspiration comes from the fact that I am a delivery boy right now. If this idea fails I guess I could just put on my pizza hut uniform and do that. But that would be lame. Maybe I'll come up with something else. For now, though, Fry it is. I'm sure I'll have just as much fun this year as I have had in the past. And once Halloween is over the holiday season is just right around the corner. Man time flies.
Monday, October 15, 2007
If They Laugh, It Was Worth It
In life there are times when we say or do something that we wish that we could take back. These are the embarrassing moments that others love to use to make fun of us when they need to lift their self-esteem a little bit. (I could go off on a random tangent with that thought, but that could be the focus of another blog) Personally I feel that these moments help to humble us a little so that we are forced off of the "high horse" that we like to sit on all the time. Luckily, for people like me, I am pretty much immune to public embarrassment because one, I really don't care what other people think about what I do (even if it is a little retarded) and two, I like to make other people laugh, and if the only way to do that is do something stupid, so be it. I have a high enough self-esteem (at least I like to think so) that I can take public embarrassment. Heck I say and do stupid stuff at work all the time, but it gets my coworkers laughing, and that makes me smile.
I can't say that there are many defining moments where I have just been totally humiliated in public. There are just the little things that people forget over time. The ones where people remember forever is something that I don't really think I have ever experienced (either because they haven't happened, or I have subconsciously buried them in my brain). I mean there was a time when I was in third grade where I got hit in the head by a loose baseball bat flung by a sixth grader. I think that that hurt more than it was embarrassing though. I think most of my embarrassing moments have been personal ones where I was the only one around to witness it. I guess if I asked my brothers or parents they could tell me a few things. I do remember one time when I was little where I really mix and matched my wardrobe. I have no sense of color coordination even to this day. So one day I decided that I would wear plaid pants with a checkered shirt (see what I mean) in public. I remember going to the store with my mom, and when we were in the parking lot she saw what I was wearing and told me that my sense of dressing myself was way off. I think she was probably more embarrassed than me though because I had no idea what I was doing.
There was one experience that I had recently that was pretty embarrassing for me. I share it only because I figure that there isn't anything I can do to change the past now, so why worry about it. So I laugh it off, and learn from it. That is why we have those kinds of experiences anyways. Well, getting on the the story I had taken a girl out to dinner and we had walked to her door, (and now to show how completely ignorant I am to the dating process) we stood there for a second, and I said, "I don't know what to do now." She replied, "well you can either walk away, or hug me and walk away." Then I said, "I'll choose the latter." I gave her the hug, said "have a good night," and went home. I look back on that and think of how stupid I was, but I was only being honest. I really didn't know what to do. I guess it will be something that I can look back on when I'm older and tell my grandkids about. Even though it was an embarrassing moment, it really wasn't that bad for me. So if that is the best I can come up with, I'd have to say I haven't gotten above a 4 on the embarrassment scale (on a scale of 1-10 of course). But there are many years left in my life (hopefully) so I'm sure there is plenty of opportunities for me to make a fool of myself in front of others. But hey, if they laugh, then it will all be worth it. So that is my point of the day. If something embarrassing happens in your life, just let it be an opportunity to make others laugh, and roll on. Besides, no one is really immune to a slip up or two. They are bound to happen eventually, so learn to live with it.
I can't say that there are many defining moments where I have just been totally humiliated in public. There are just the little things that people forget over time. The ones where people remember forever is something that I don't really think I have ever experienced (either because they haven't happened, or I have subconsciously buried them in my brain). I mean there was a time when I was in third grade where I got hit in the head by a loose baseball bat flung by a sixth grader. I think that that hurt more than it was embarrassing though. I think most of my embarrassing moments have been personal ones where I was the only one around to witness it. I guess if I asked my brothers or parents they could tell me a few things. I do remember one time when I was little where I really mix and matched my wardrobe. I have no sense of color coordination even to this day. So one day I decided that I would wear plaid pants with a checkered shirt (see what I mean) in public. I remember going to the store with my mom, and when we were in the parking lot she saw what I was wearing and told me that my sense of dressing myself was way off. I think she was probably more embarrassed than me though because I had no idea what I was doing.
There was one experience that I had recently that was pretty embarrassing for me. I share it only because I figure that there isn't anything I can do to change the past now, so why worry about it. So I laugh it off, and learn from it. That is why we have those kinds of experiences anyways. Well, getting on the the story I had taken a girl out to dinner and we had walked to her door, (and now to show how completely ignorant I am to the dating process) we stood there for a second, and I said, "I don't know what to do now." She replied, "well you can either walk away, or hug me and walk away." Then I said, "I'll choose the latter." I gave her the hug, said "have a good night," and went home. I look back on that and think of how stupid I was, but I was only being honest. I really didn't know what to do. I guess it will be something that I can look back on when I'm older and tell my grandkids about. Even though it was an embarrassing moment, it really wasn't that bad for me. So if that is the best I can come up with, I'd have to say I haven't gotten above a 4 on the embarrassment scale (on a scale of 1-10 of course). But there are many years left in my life (hopefully) so I'm sure there is plenty of opportunities for me to make a fool of myself in front of others. But hey, if they laugh, then it will all be worth it. So that is my point of the day. If something embarrassing happens in your life, just let it be an opportunity to make others laugh, and roll on. Besides, no one is really immune to a slip up or two. They are bound to happen eventually, so learn to live with it.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Reading Rainbow
One of the recreations that has been on the decline lately is that of reading. More and more kids are turning to videogames and other sources for entertainment. This is a sad thing because there are a lot of good books out there to read, and they are very stimulating to the mind. It has been awhile since I made it through a book, but I did start reading one over the summer. Unfortunately I couldn't finish it because I had to head up to school before I was even a quarter of the way through it. I am a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy novels because that is what I feel stimulates my mind the most.
As of late, since I haven't really had much time to read anything (seeing as I am reading my textbooks and studying) I have taken to reading online walkthroughs on gamefaqs.com. Right now I am reading some walkthrough facts on sidequests to Final Fantasy 12. It is quite amusing to see how the writer did certain things, and my strategies for the same thing. One day when I was at work I was so bored that I read the whole walkthrough for Super Metroid. It was fun, but I wish that I had had something better to do.
So what I guess I'm trying to get across is that we as a society need to read more. I have read many books over my life (mainly because in high school I had to read 1,200 pages a semester) but it was good for me. I feel that every time that you open a book it should be like you are starting (or continuing) an adventure. The one thing that makes a good book for me is if I can relate to the character, and get in their shoes for a bit. That is why I like playing RPG games because for most of the ones that I have played it actually feels like I'm right there alongside the characters experiencing what they go through with them. It's fun for me at least. And who knows, maybe if you read a book, you'll get an idea of your own that you will publish someday.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
My First Crush
Life is always full of little surprises. One of those surprises happens to be when someone walks in to your life and just totally blows you away either by how beautiful they are, or with their awesome personality. People tend to use the phrase "first love" to describe the first person that they felt could be with for the rest of their life. Unfortunately not many people end up spending the rest of their life with their "first love." Sometimes that is really hard because that person comes really early in their life and it may just be puppy love.
For me, I don't think I have ever had a first love. I have never really made an effort to ever get involved with the opposite sex, mainly because I am only mentally four years old. But that hasn't stopped me from having "crushes" on the female sex. It was early on in my life when I figured out that girls were actually nice to get to know. When I was in second grade I developed my first crush on a girl. Her name was Jennifer. I don't remember too much from these years of my life because they were so long ago. I just remember playing with her at recess sometimes and it was fun. She ended up going to a different school, so I forgot about her and moved on.
During my life I have had a number of girls that I have liked, but I have never really put forth an effort to go any farther than the like stage. Up until this point in my life I have been in the mindset that getting involved with a girl took too much effort, time and money. The money was the main issue for me since I am not the richest person in the world (actually I'm in the poor college student bracket right now). But now I am beginning to break out of this mindset and actually get myself out there. I am not the most outgoing person in the world, but I think that it is time for me to get out there and experience this important aspect of life. There is much to be learned in life, and there are many things you can't learn by yourself. That's the way I see it. Life is an experiment of gathering information, knowledge, and experience. The person with the most of these things, I feel, will be better off, because they can contribute more to society.
For me, I don't think I have ever had a first love. I have never really made an effort to ever get involved with the opposite sex, mainly because I am only mentally four years old. But that hasn't stopped me from having "crushes" on the female sex. It was early on in my life when I figured out that girls were actually nice to get to know. When I was in second grade I developed my first crush on a girl. Her name was Jennifer. I don't remember too much from these years of my life because they were so long ago. I just remember playing with her at recess sometimes and it was fun. She ended up going to a different school, so I forgot about her and moved on.
During my life I have had a number of girls that I have liked, but I have never really put forth an effort to go any farther than the like stage. Up until this point in my life I have been in the mindset that getting involved with a girl took too much effort, time and money. The money was the main issue for me since I am not the richest person in the world (actually I'm in the poor college student bracket right now). But now I am beginning to break out of this mindset and actually get myself out there. I am not the most outgoing person in the world, but I think that it is time for me to get out there and experience this important aspect of life. There is much to be learned in life, and there are many things you can't learn by yourself. That's the way I see it. Life is an experiment of gathering information, knowledge, and experience. The person with the most of these things, I feel, will be better off, because they can contribute more to society.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Memories That Happen Twice A Year
This past weekend was General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Seeing as I am a member of this organization I took 8 hours out of my weekend so that I could watch it and be edified. There are always good messages that are given, especially by the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. He is such an amazing man, and I hope that one day I can be a little bit like him. During the first session I was very moved by many of the talks that were given, especially the one given by President Monson. He is such a wonderful speaker, and his words touched my heart. The other sessions of conference were just as good, although by the time the 5th session rolls around it is a little bit harder for me to stay focused. But as usual I hung in there and made it to the end. Unfortunately I had to miss one of the session because of work (I hate work). But twice a year I get to look forward to what the leaders of the church have to say. It is always a good experience, but it hasn't always been easy for me to sit down for 10 hours and listen to "old guys" talk for a very long time.
When I was younger it was a bittersweet thing to watch conference. It was nice because I could sleep in a little bit, and wouldn't have to get dressed up in sunday attire for church, I could just stay in my pajamas. I also liked the idea that I didn't have to go to church, but I didn't like the fact that my parents had my brothers and I sit there for the whole time watching. It is hard for a young kid to sit in one place for 2 hours 5 times in a row. Sometimes I'd fall asleep just because I was bored and didn't really understand what was being said. And as usual I'd be counting down the minutes until I'd be free (I still do that to this day) so that I could go out and play with my friends. The two hours that I had between sessions was a nice break from the long two hours of sitting, but it was always too short lived because when you are having fun time flies by.
I also remember that before conference started I'd be up in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and I would finish it just as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was starting to sing the opening hymn. These are the good memories of youth. For the past couple of years before I went on my mission I would skip the 3rd session and go with my best friend, Scott, to a Japanese community center. It just so happened that on the first saturday of every october and april there was held an event called aki matsuri. It was always fun to go to it. But I digress. On my mission is where I think that I gained a real appreciation for General Conference. I was out teaching people that there was a prophet on the earth, and that twice a year we had an opportunity to hear from him. Although the weekend of the first general conference on my mission I happened to get an ear infection. That wasn't fun, but I was still able to enjoy conference anyways. Towards the end of my mission I watched some of the session in Cambodian. That was always neat. And since I have been back I have had the same opportunity as well. It helps me to keep up on my language skills.
Now at this point in my life I try and apply the things that I have learned from the talks that are given so that I can better myself. It is a quest that I am on, and it always helps when you are given a few pointers. I know that we have been given a prophet and apostles to guide us to know what it is that we can do to become better people. Life is hard enough and we aren't expected to do it alone. I am grateful for the fact that I can receive guidance from one that is chosen by God to lead His children back to His presence. It makes me smile just thinking about it. I love President Hinckley and all that he does. He is a spiritual giant, and we can all learn a thing or two from him. Those "old guys" really know what they are talking about, so we should give an ear to what they have to say. Who knows, maybe you might learn something.
When I was younger it was a bittersweet thing to watch conference. It was nice because I could sleep in a little bit, and wouldn't have to get dressed up in sunday attire for church, I could just stay in my pajamas. I also liked the idea that I didn't have to go to church, but I didn't like the fact that my parents had my brothers and I sit there for the whole time watching. It is hard for a young kid to sit in one place for 2 hours 5 times in a row. Sometimes I'd fall asleep just because I was bored and didn't really understand what was being said. And as usual I'd be counting down the minutes until I'd be free (I still do that to this day) so that I could go out and play with my friends. The two hours that I had between sessions was a nice break from the long two hours of sitting, but it was always too short lived because when you are having fun time flies by.
I also remember that before conference started I'd be up in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and I would finish it just as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was starting to sing the opening hymn. These are the good memories of youth. For the past couple of years before I went on my mission I would skip the 3rd session and go with my best friend, Scott, to a Japanese community center. It just so happened that on the first saturday of every october and april there was held an event called aki matsuri. It was always fun to go to it. But I digress. On my mission is where I think that I gained a real appreciation for General Conference. I was out teaching people that there was a prophet on the earth, and that twice a year we had an opportunity to hear from him. Although the weekend of the first general conference on my mission I happened to get an ear infection. That wasn't fun, but I was still able to enjoy conference anyways. Towards the end of my mission I watched some of the session in Cambodian. That was always neat. And since I have been back I have had the same opportunity as well. It helps me to keep up on my language skills.
Now at this point in my life I try and apply the things that I have learned from the talks that are given so that I can better myself. It is a quest that I am on, and it always helps when you are given a few pointers. I know that we have been given a prophet and apostles to guide us to know what it is that we can do to become better people. Life is hard enough and we aren't expected to do it alone. I am grateful for the fact that I can receive guidance from one that is chosen by God to lead His children back to His presence. It makes me smile just thinking about it. I love President Hinckley and all that he does. He is a spiritual giant, and we can all learn a thing or two from him. Those "old guys" really know what they are talking about, so we should give an ear to what they have to say. Who knows, maybe you might learn something.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Battle Wounds of Life
Life is full of small adventures (especially when you are a little kid) which sometimes leave marks on us. These marks (I will to refer them as "scars") can sometimes have good stories behind them. I like to think of them as my battle wounds of life. Most of the scars that I have are on my hands, and many of them I don't know where they came from. I have a couple of scars that are pretty big that don't have that great of a story to them, but I am a pretty careful person, and I am not very accident prone.
One of the scars that I have is on my right thumb. I got it when I was around 5 years old. My brothers and I were with my dad while he was helping someone to move. We were sitting in the van that we had at the time (it was a brown Toyota van) and I decided to get out. Then after I had gotten out my brother decided to close the door while my hand was still in the van. I managed to get most of my hand out, but my thumb unfortunately got caught in the door. All I really remember is that my thumb really hurt, the fact that I was crying was a good indicator, and that it was purple and blue. I also remember that my dad put ice on it to keep the swelling down. As for the rest of the story, I can't recall any more since it was so long ago. But it did leave a nice little scar that I get to look at multiple times everyday of my life.
I also have another scar that isn't as visible, and isn't the most interesting of things, but it is still a scar. It is along my abdomen, and it is just a line. I got it when I was born because I was six weeks premature and I needed an operation where they cut me open. So it is a pretty cool scar, but I never really get to show it off since it isn't in a very visible spot, and it is hard to see anyways.
One of the coolest scars I know of isn't one that I have, but that my youngest brother has. My brothers, my best friend, and I were on a camping trip with my dad and we had climbed up a pretty steep hill just for the fun of it. Unfortunately the coming down part was more dangerous because the dirt on the slope was very loose. Two of my brothers and I managed to get down safely, but as I was going down my youngest brother slipped and fell off the slope, somersaulted in the air, and hit his head on a rock. I remember walking him to the van where my dad was, all the time blood was pouring out of his head. My dad took him to the hospital leaving the rest of us at the tent. That night was particularly windy, and our tent eventually caved in due to the force of the wind. My dad came back with my brother around midnight and set the tent back up. The next morning we saw the damage. He ended up getting 16 stitches. Today the scar that was left makes him look a lot like Harry Potter, but it is on the opposite side of his forehead.
So scars are pretty cool things, and I wish that I had more to show off, and good stories to tell. I think it helps to make life a little more interesting and fun. If you don't have any scars, you really haven't lived. It is just a part of life that we have to learn to deal with. All of those who are striving for perfection, and perfect whatever are living in a false reality. Nothing is perfect, and being perfect is boring. You don't have any cool stories to tell. So if during a time in your life you manage to get a scar, let it be, and allow yourself the opportunity to tell a good story.
One of the scars that I have is on my right thumb. I got it when I was around 5 years old. My brothers and I were with my dad while he was helping someone to move. We were sitting in the van that we had at the time (it was a brown Toyota van) and I decided to get out. Then after I had gotten out my brother decided to close the door while my hand was still in the van. I managed to get most of my hand out, but my thumb unfortunately got caught in the door. All I really remember is that my thumb really hurt, the fact that I was crying was a good indicator, and that it was purple and blue. I also remember that my dad put ice on it to keep the swelling down. As for the rest of the story, I can't recall any more since it was so long ago. But it did leave a nice little scar that I get to look at multiple times everyday of my life.
I also have another scar that isn't as visible, and isn't the most interesting of things, but it is still a scar. It is along my abdomen, and it is just a line. I got it when I was born because I was six weeks premature and I needed an operation where they cut me open. So it is a pretty cool scar, but I never really get to show it off since it isn't in a very visible spot, and it is hard to see anyways.
One of the coolest scars I know of isn't one that I have, but that my youngest brother has. My brothers, my best friend, and I were on a camping trip with my dad and we had climbed up a pretty steep hill just for the fun of it. Unfortunately the coming down part was more dangerous because the dirt on the slope was very loose. Two of my brothers and I managed to get down safely, but as I was going down my youngest brother slipped and fell off the slope, somersaulted in the air, and hit his head on a rock. I remember walking him to the van where my dad was, all the time blood was pouring out of his head. My dad took him to the hospital leaving the rest of us at the tent. That night was particularly windy, and our tent eventually caved in due to the force of the wind. My dad came back with my brother around midnight and set the tent back up. The next morning we saw the damage. He ended up getting 16 stitches. Today the scar that was left makes him look a lot like Harry Potter, but it is on the opposite side of his forehead.
So scars are pretty cool things, and I wish that I had more to show off, and good stories to tell. I think it helps to make life a little more interesting and fun. If you don't have any scars, you really haven't lived. It is just a part of life that we have to learn to deal with. All of those who are striving for perfection, and perfect whatever are living in a false reality. Nothing is perfect, and being perfect is boring. You don't have any cool stories to tell. So if during a time in your life you manage to get a scar, let it be, and allow yourself the opportunity to tell a good story.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
What's For Breakfast?
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. At least that's what people say. I guess I would have to agree because it is the meal of the day that gets you going. If you don't get the necessary nutrients in the morning you won't have enough fuel to get you through the day, and you will burn out. I've been there. Even though I never have time in the mornings to cook anything elaborate, I like to dream of the things that I could eat. Usually I just have a bowl of cereal. The type of cereal is always changing because I like to eat different things at different times. You could say I go through phases, but those phases are always random. Right now I'm in the Fruity Pebbles phase. And I have to say that there are some pretty amazing cereals out there. Raisin Bran Crunch is one of my all time favorites. Frosted Flakes came out with a cinnamon kind, but they have discontinued it. Very sad. Anyways, I pretty much like all cereals, except the super healthy ones (Shredded Wheat, All Bran, etc.). The only cereal that I really don't like is Golden Grahams and I don't know why. But I definitely prefer cereal to oatmeal, bleh.
There are those mornings though where I feel a little inspired to cook up something nice. One of my favorites is french toast with bacon and eggs. So good. I love bacon with anything. I also like pancakes sometimes, but they are messy so I don't bother with them all that much. I have made breakfast burritos with my friend a couple of times, and I have thanked myself many a time for it. This is one reason why I like to go eat at Denny's, because they offer such a plethora of breakfast options. One of the things that make up a good breakfast is eggs. You gotta have eggs. And it doesn't matter how you cook them, they will go with practically anything. They are a beautiful thing, and they make me smile just thinking about them.
So go out there and experience breakfast the way it should be experienced. There are so many choices to satisfy the desire of you stomach. Just listen to what it wants and you can't go wrong. I often find myself following its commands and I always thank myself later. To be able to feel your stomach "smile" is a good feeling. And believe me, you will thank yourself for it too.
There are those mornings though where I feel a little inspired to cook up something nice. One of my favorites is french toast with bacon and eggs. So good. I love bacon with anything. I also like pancakes sometimes, but they are messy so I don't bother with them all that much. I have made breakfast burritos with my friend a couple of times, and I have thanked myself many a time for it. This is one reason why I like to go eat at Denny's, because they offer such a plethora of breakfast options. One of the things that make up a good breakfast is eggs. You gotta have eggs. And it doesn't matter how you cook them, they will go with practically anything. They are a beautiful thing, and they make me smile just thinking about them.
So go out there and experience breakfast the way it should be experienced. There are so many choices to satisfy the desire of you stomach. Just listen to what it wants and you can't go wrong. I often find myself following its commands and I always thank myself later. To be able to feel your stomach "smile" is a good feeling. And believe me, you will thank yourself for it too.
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