Hello Again Blogging World

going to see wicked

Oh goodness me, my life is beautiful right now! I have such an incredible story right now. I have an amazing and supportive family, a phenomenal job, and an outstanding man in my life who makes everything so much more fun and worthwhile.

M and I have known each other for awhile but we started "dating dating" just a bit ago. It seems as though I have known him my whole life. In the year that we have known each other, it feels so much longer-I feel completely comfortable telling him anything and everything that crosses my mind. I guess that was when I first realized I was in love, when I realized that I could tell him any random thing and know he wasn't going think me weird for thinking it.

 

 

He is so much fun, so optimistic, and wise. I always tell him how good he is, which I genuinely mean as one of the highest compliments. Today, people are not good, they feel they have to be. M is not good because he has to due to obligation, he is because it is who he is and what he has learned from life.

 

If anyone would have told me that this is where my life would be in 5 months, I would have laughed right in their face and thought they were psychotic. I am sure happy that didn't happen, so I don't have to apologize to anyone for scoffing at their proper prediction. 

 

 

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." - Lance Armstrong

I love this quote. Maybe the man is no longer the hero we all thought he was, but his words still ring truth and power in them.

 In another blog I will go into more detail about all of what has happened in my life, but I have something else on my mind for today.....

 

Something that has been festering in me lately is the lack of respect we have for civility anymore. It seems that all anyone says--including myself is hate. " Oh I hate that show" "I hate fish" "I hate that presidential candidate". Now I am a firm believer in having an opinion in everything, it keeps you being you. But I do feel however that we as a generation have lost the civility that needs to be attached with having such opinions that are pressing on other people's beliefs.

 That is the BIG DEAL HERE. YOUR OPINION IS YOUR BELIEF, JUST AS MY OPINION IS MINE. We somehow have lost that respect for difference. We, and I say we openly because I am guilty, you may decide for yourself whether you are too. But we throw things that are different to the side, whether it be in religious discussions, political, or something as simple as favorite seasons. We do not like to hear the other side, because what if they say something that strikes you or me? What if I then begin to agree with the opposition?  

Especially in religion, when people are no longer serving missions I feel like this a huge issue. I'm going to be bold because this is my blog and if you do not like what I have to say then please stop reading. If you are firm in your belief then you can discuss religion, moral problems, ethical predicaments, and politics without feeling like you are going to be changed. Those who do not talk about anything pertinent are living with their head in the cloud and are not allowing themselves to be enlightened. To see the other side and still hold to yours is the greatest understanding one could have. I love and cherish knowledge. I have invested my life into. The Art of War is one of the greatest I have ever owned, here is a piece of wisdom from it's pages:

 

Easy to find--buy it!

"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle".Sun Tzu

 

As I said at the beginning of this I love my life. This has just been on my mind. I know not what or who is the culprit to the deprivation of civility. I just think that we all need to try a little harder to be civil, not only for the sake of respect, but also as Sun Tzu says, when you are tolerant and hear other opinions out you will then know how to take on the next battle if you lose that one. Use it as an internal motivator if needs be.

 

I love my life. I love my job.  I love my family & friends. It is full of good people. Laughter. Amazing memories. Conversations that are so deep they would hit the bottom of the ocean and need to go through it. I love where I am in life. I love who I am and the path I have taken to get here.

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
The gunpowder treason and plot

I know of no reason

Why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be fought

The Ugly Duckling becomes a Beautiful Swan

~I'm free!~

Once upon a time I was like a caged bird that had clipped wings and confined to live my life in a cage. But then life opened the door to freedom and allowed me to have the opportunity to fly anywhere my heart desires. What caused this freedom?

It was sparked by the braces coming off this past week!

You see before I had the braces, I was an ugly duckling with a excessive upper beak, but with patience and help by an amazing orthodontist (and staff) they transformed this beak into a beautiful mouth.

 This transformation was not even close to occurring overnight. Oh no, 29 long months of time had to go into the process of turning the ugly duck into the swan.  Not only was time a factor in this transformation, but also being a volunteering to be a guinea pig. I underwent having 12 screws 

placed into my mouth to help correct the issue. Yes, I had 12 real screws that were drilled/ twisted/ forced into my jaw bone and upper palate bone. Luckily they were not all at the same time. At one moment I had, I think 5 in at one time. So you may be thinking, why so many then? Well some of them were pushed out by my bone rejecting it the metal, some became loose, and some of them became imbedded and my palate healed over it.

 Now, why did I feel captive, because I was. I couldn't go anywhere too far, because I always had to be back in the following 4-6 weeks to get them tightened, new procedures, or just a check up. It was while caged that I thought and tried to decide what I want to do with my life. Keep my roots in an area or move, bounce around the country. By being stuck here didn't help my hunger to travel. I want to go to Boston and see the roads John Adams walked. I want to visit Andy in Chicago and work in a museum making history for others come alive. 

And now, my transformation is complete. After being in braces for 6 years all together(a few months in elementary and 3 years in jr. high), my teeth are beautiful, and I am so happy with them. My dreams are now in reach to becoming reality with the cage finally off of me and allowing me to spread my wings and fly.

I'm so free, I went to mars!!

Don't get me wrong, I still want to teach, but since I suck at standardized test puts that particular dream to be put on hold until it becomes a giant mountain that gets off that path. I love teaching and I miss it more than anything. But until that test becomes a mountain in my rear view mirror, I have to put other dreams ahead of it so I don't become stagnate. But right now all I can do is continue to lick my slimy, shinny, beautiful, gorgeous teeth!!

It was very fun to watch my friends this past weekend try and decide what was different with me and finally someone realized that my chains were off and I was free!!!! 

We had a blast getting chased by security in Gateway, apparently you cannot do scavenger hunts....that didn't stop us. What a blast, I loved being with everyone. It was just what I needed to get my spirit up and my heart ready to take flight!!!

Birthday WIshes

sometimes this is how I feel

I have been thinking back on my birthday about a weeks ago, which then had me think on my past birthdays, and they have been great!!

I had an amazing group birthday party my sophomore year.We had three actual birthdays in February, and two half birthdays. It was so much fun and very mush so a full house!! This was by far one of the most amazing years of my college experience, which I have blogged about previously.

NEXT....

 My awesome family took me to WENDOVER for my 21st birthday! Luckily, it landed on a Friday and it was much fun to go and gamble some money away with them. I am happy I was able to experience my first official game of black jack and slots was with my family.

Another GREAT birthday-

When a very dear friend, surprised me with a party. She even made fruit pizza and cupcakes!! We were just able to talk and mingle with friends and friends of friends. She is such a great person and I really appreciate all that she did for me that day.

This year, I was able to go see a movie with my family, eat dinner, and scream and each other while playing a game call PIT . The movie we saw was The Woman in Black which was actually really good, I jumped quite a bit.

The best part was getting tricked by my brother with my gift. He gave me his copy of the Mockingbird, some FunDIP, a Lemonade. I thought it was weird that he gave me candy, but I didn't say anything. He asked me how far I was in the book before I had to give it back to him. I flip it open and find in the front of the book a concert ticket to one of my favorite bands!!  

MAYDAY PARADE here I come!!

Hopefully we can hang out again this time!!!!!

I guess the reason I have been thinking about my previous birthdays so much is because I am reaching nun approved age. HA. At least that is what my community thinks of me. I think I am apart of the generation that is muffling between how things used to be, traditionally, to how they are everywhere else in the nation. 

I am 23 years old. I have my BA and am beginning a new adventure in a new-ish town. 

I am successful! I am intelligent. I am excited to begin the new adventures of my life with a career. I know that I am where I am for a reason and I am beginning to try and adjust to it as best I can. Going from a small town to a commuter town is not easy. I just read a lot. I reminisce a lot at work, hence where the idea for this post came from.

Hero

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is not just a man who gave many people the day off today, he is a hero. A hero being a person who does something not because they have to, or because the get a reward for it. A person is a hero for doing something because no one else will and they stand by what they believe no matter what storm they must face. 

Dr. King is a hero of mine. He served and fought for equality for everyone. He fought not only for equality based on the color of our skin, but also to find economic justice. Dr. King Jr. showed how much you can accomplish by not throwing fits or hateful words, but by communicating and using nonviolence. Undoubtedly he is one of the greatest people to help create a better America. 

I find it so disheartening that people will try and crucify his name with slander and hate. There is a .org website that is either the third or fourth link that pops up when his name is searched that is owned by Stormfront.  

Stormfront is a white nationalist. Their motto is "White Pride World Wide". They have terrible and faulty things posted on this website. It is an opinion that I will not tolerate, I can't after all the good this one man has done, I just don't want to hear anything bad.

I am so happy a monument has  finally been put up a memorial for him on this day in which we honor him and all those who fought and continue to fight for equality. Dr. King had a dream, and his dream is continuing to come true. I love reading through his speeches and taking this day to remember and recognize his influence on my life today.

Each day we are getting closer to reaching equality for all. I have the utmost respect for this man, he will undoubtedly be a man that I search for in heaven to shake his hand.

"Non-violence is a powerful and just weapon. It is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and enables the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals".

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.