Tolerance?

This might be a bit of a delayed reaction, but oh well. Today I was reading an article that my dad sent me. It was an article written by an LDS Los Angeles Police Department detective supervisor in response to Proposition 8 and everything that followed its passing. I couldn't help but notice how many times this man used the word 'tolerance' in regards to those against Proposition 8, and mostly how we hope for just that- tolerance of our deep rooted beliefs.

My junior year of high school in my english class we had a discussion about people in general and tolerance of others and their beliefs. My teacher, a Ms. Margaret Pratt said something that I will never forget. She said: "I hate the word 'tolerate'. We tolerate flies, not human beings. Stretch yourselves out a bit and try for something more than 'tolerant'."

I could not agree more. So lets stretch ourselves today and try for something more than just 'tolerance'. Maybe compassion? Perhaps even love.

Phone Blogging?

So I've decided that I write a lot of stuff on my phone. If I need to remember something I'll just write it in a text and save it. Sometime last week I was on my way to the bus stop and I saw three blind students walking together and one had his arm linked with another. I thought that was interesting. A blind man leading another blind man. After this I whipped out my phone, some kind of inspiration had hit.

Before I continue this story I have to say this; I am kind of a word nazi. I enjoy finding just that right word, and I am bugged to the max when the word is on the tip of my tongue and it won't come to me.

So I pull out my phone and start texting out some random thoughts I had. It started out as just a regular type paragraph, but then somehow it mutated into stanzas. I would think that I was done with it, but then I would find something better, so I would re-text it out. I think by the time I was done I had 10 texts in my 'drafts' folder. The end result you ask? A poem. Nothing significant because my name is not Robert Frost, but a poem all the same. I guess a blind man leading a blind man is an inspiring thing to witness.



Here's to you

Here I sit.
There I go.
And I wait
Should I know?
Which way to take
Which path will show?

Because here I sit
And where I go
Won't always be
A path I know.

So to you
Who'll wait for me
Those who'll give
Me room to grow
Here's to you.

Cause there I go.

Twilight

So, I saw this movie today. I had to wait eight and a half hours to write about it otherwise this post would have been about four pages long. Now you must be thinking at this point "Oh barf, another gushing teen ready to throw herself at Edwards feet". Well, if you made that assumption you are wrong. I had to wait eight and a half hours so I would not use extremely harsh verbiage.

I cannot honestly come to terms with the fact that I wasted two hours of my life watching this movie, not to mention five dollars and fifty cents that it cost to sit through this. The only way I've come up with to describe this in the most non-offensive way is to say that it was a two hour long commercial. I say this because you know how commercials are just the highlights of a movie, really action-packed and attention grabbing, almost to the point that they go over the top? Welcome to Twilight. I felt like the announcer guy should have been in the background the entire time saying cliche phrases in his overly masculine voice over and over again.

That's all I'll say. I won't say anything about the acting or the actors themselves. This would never end and I'd have to come up with so many different synonyms for the word 'ridiculous', it would be next to impossible.

Yes Please

So I dunno if the world and I have come to terms about how it has been treating me lately. Mostly I think the world wants me to think that we've come to an agreement, when really it's just waiting to pull something else. (Which if you think about it probably sounds kind of paranoid, but thats what happens when the world isn't happy with you). I feel like either the sun is going to burst from the clouds, or the clouds are going to eat me. Yesterday the world allowed a few rays of sunlight, and today a few more, but I don't want to tempt the world by hoping for the former. For now I want to make a list of the rays of light (yes, I am being cliche- get off my back). These rays of light would be (in no particular order):

good music
time to think (even if it is in your Ecology class when you should be taking notes)
writing
good movies
good foreign movies about music
alone time
friends
food (even if its not the greatest)
people who genuinely care
the library
procrastinating homework
taking a nap
sharing
someone holding the door open for you
saying thank you when someone holds the door open for you
talking
writing (I know it's on there twice)
reading

This looks like a good list. Now I'ma just waiting for the sun. Hopefully the clouds won't really eat me.

...

Yesterday I wrote a really good blog on my phone. It was about stars and it was kinda cutesy and sort of girly, but pretty good all the same. Today I have the overwhelming urge to delete said blog because the world hates me and I hate it back. Maybe I'll post it when I'm in a better mood, or when the world feels like making peace with me again. It probably won't happen soon, so don't hold your breath.

Just thought I'd let all two of you know.

Things I've learned from College: A series of comments

7. Never get attached to your schedule until you actually get into the classes. Stupid registration.

8. Its not worth it to stay up till midnight to try and get into classes that are full. Stupid registration.

9. Ask a Senior to sign up for the classes you want, and then simultaneously have them drop the class while you add it when you can finally register at the end of the week. Stupid registration.

10. Registration is stupid.

Dear Josh,

So, since you recently discovered that I write a blog I decided to write you.

Tonight I went to a performance. This performance was the African Children's Choir. Needless to say I thought of you for the better part of the performance. These kids are with an organization called "Music for Life", with this they are singing to better their African Nations. They travel all over the world dancing and singing to raise money for their fellow students to continue going to school to better their lives. The mission statement of the African Children's Choir is "Helping Africa's most vulnerable children today, so they can help Africa tomorrow". I wished so many times that you could have been there to watch these amazing children showcase their amazing heritage. These kids between the ages of eight to eleven are making an enormous difference in the lives of literally thousands. The reason I thought of you was because you have done the same. It might not have been on such a grand scale, and it may not have been around the world, but you have made a difference- and not in just the lives of those precious vulnerable children.

On a less gushing note, you would have aslo loved the dancing. I remember you talking about the boys that totally kicked your butt at dancing. It reminds me of the Ben Folds song Zak and Sara "Visions of pills that put you in a loving trance that make it possible for all white boys to dance". I'm sorry to say bud, I really don't think that'll ever happen ;) Maybe someday, with lots of practice, or ya know... the Second Coming. At any rate, maybe someday.

In conclusion, you have changed a lot of lives and will continue to do so. You are also an excellent dancer, just not as excellent as eight year old African children :)

With Love,
Megs

P.S. You can consider this your first unofficial letter from me!

Things I've learned from College: A series of comments

1. Dishes in the sink never go away. Even when you wash them, you turn your back for even the tiniest fraction of a second and there are more in there.

2. Roommates also never go away. This might sound harsh, but its just a fact. I love my roommates, and our oh-so-lovable hobo, but the fact remains they're there. Kinda a two edged sword with this one.

3. Living in a stairwell rocks. I've been to the dorms on campus and they have hallways whereas I live in a stairwell, and let me tell you the stairwell kicks the halls trash.

4. Living in a stairwell with boys also rocks. It just makes life that much more interesting, cause no offense to my own gender, but I dunno how BYU students do it- I could not live in an entire building full of girls. The end result would inevitably be death. For whom or by whom would depend.

5. Reading, for any length of time, will always be interrupted. No matter what it is you're reading, whether you're trying to slosh your way through psychology, or you just picked up Brisingr- you will always be interrupted in one form or another.

6. Most of the food at college is not so great...

To be continued...

Chapstick

I feel like I should write an ode to chapstick, but I'm not that talented of a writer so I'll just ramble about chapstick.

Chapstick is amazing. It's especially good when it hits below forty degrees (which it has by the way in Logan for the past week). What is not so great about chapstick is when you leave it in your pocket of the jacket you left home last weekend and then you have to go out and buy a brand new tube of it just so you don't go insane. At the same time it's almost worth it cause Aggie Chapstick is so brilliantly awesome. I think they design it just so you'll lose it halfway through the tube and then have to buy more cause you're hooked. Anyone that knows me fairly well, or lives with me... or I guess if you've just seen me put on chapstick you can understand my love for it. Kirena told me that if she wanted to torture me she would chain me to the wall with a tube of chapstick just out of reach of my lips- and truly this would be the worst torture ever. So in conclusion, chapstick rules. Buy it, use it, smell it, taste it.

Amazing.