I grew up in a house where watching movies was a natural occurrence. Everything from Godzilla to Star Wars, Pride and Prejudice to Ever After. Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, Tri-Star... we watched and enjoyed them all.
Aside from this love of movies, I was also brought up with a love for the written word. I sadly don't read as much as I used to for the sake of pleasure but there comes a time every now and then where I pick up a novel and simply cannot put it down until it is finished. Sometimes this happens with a brand new book but just recently (meaning this very evening) I finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and I am pretty sure it was only my second time reading it the whole way through. Sad, I know. But it has been done and it was just as lovely as the first time.
Also recently as of this past week I seem to have come down with a cold. Not the one that knocks you out cold for a whole week but one of those annoying pesky things where you are stuffy and sneezy about 75% of the time. I have been taking cold medicine and I am sure I will be better soon (seeing as I also "splurged" and bought myself some orange juice fortified with Calcium seeing as it has been a little while since I drank milk into my system).
What do these three bits of news have to do with one another? Well, I will tell you.
One of my absolute favorite movies growing up was, surprise surprise, the romantic comedy entitled You've Got Mail. You know the one with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? That strangely perfect chemistry based duo of the acting world? Well, for those of you who have never watched it, go watch it! It is a lovely movie. Not only is it the right amount of quirk and sass to keep my entertained but it also has the sweetness of the blooming friendship and romance that will make just about any woman (young or old) swoon.
Ryan plays a bookshop owner, having inherited it from her late mother. She has been taking care of the shop for a handful of years when out of nowhere, in swoops Hanks who is in charge of a big bookstore corporation (something akin to Barnes and Noble really) and starts to put Ryan's little bookshop out of business. And as luck would have it, (and I feel no qualms in telling you this because you figure it out in pretty much the first ten minutes of the movie) the two of them have been pen pals for a certain amount of time after having met in a chat room. Of course, neither of them knows the actual connection and you watch the story unfold. The friendship takes hold. And of course love blooms.
(You see it? The connection between movies and my love of books has been made. Now, you might ask, where does the cold come into play? Well...)
So, one of my favorite scenes in the whole movie happens when Ryan is stuck at home with a cold. You know the kind. Where you are practically drunk on cough syrup, you haven't taken a shower and thus your bed head has gotten away from you, tissues are strewn upon every flat surface, and even the dishes have gotten away from you.
Well, if I remember rightly, somehow, Hanks finds out that she has a cold and what does he do? He buys her flowers. And not just any kind of flowers. He buys her daisies! Pretty much the cheeriest flower the Lord ever created. "They're such friendly flowers," is how Ryan describes them in the movie. Anyway, Hanks gets up to her apartment and wheedles his way into the room (after Ryan has thrown a trench coat over her flannel pajamas and stuffed as many dirtied tissues as she can manage to grab in her hurry into the deep pockets). He makes small talk and eventually ushers her back into bed after putting the flowers in a vase for her (and she tows said vase of daisies with her to her bedroom) and he says a few more things that leave the audience wishing he would just tell her that they are meant to be and get it over with.... and he leaves.
Well, in conclusion, being the entirely hopeless romantic that I am, I await the day when something similar to this scene happens in my life. Now, I know the chances aren't all that great because it's a movie, written up by writers who are simply trying to please their audience... but there's no harm in wishing right? That the right guy will just waltz up to your door and disregard the fact that you feel like something the cat drug out of the bag so that he can give you a modestly sized bouquet of daisies?
It would totally brighten my day.
In other news, I landed a part-time job today off campus and am gearing up for another interview for yet another job tomorrow so I will lay down my cough medicine infused system for a couple of hours and hope that I will at least not appear sickly in the morning.
Wish my luck! Prayers are appreciated as well. And thank you so very much in advance!
21 November 2013
08 November 2013
Viral
With social media being what it is, we have all heard of videos, blog posts, etc, going viral. Recently, it seems there have been a lot of blogs being shared about that express the writers' opinions on how relationships are supposed to work and other such related topics. My friends have shared a variety of these--most of which I have read personally, some that I have shared in my turn.
Now, whenever I see these blogs shared, there is always that person who takes a single phrase written by the blogger and blows it out of proportion or uses it to sum up what the blogger was trying to say (sometimes, even, taking it completely out of context and not getting the "gist" of the post at all). This bothers me (obviously) to an extent but something I saw yesterday bothered me even more.
It was the comment someone put at the top of a blog post they shared and it read: "Finally a retort blog post!" Really? Good grief, folks. It was one person's opinion. If you don't agree with it then, be my guest, and let them know in a respectful manner what your own opinion is but don't openly combat someone like that. I think the phrase or word for it is "trolling" when a person does that?
Regardless of what you would call it, I would respectfully say that it is an immature way of commenting and sharing your opinion on a subject that 100s before you (and I am sure even more afterward) have written a blog on. Think of your own blog post title and be tasteful and tactful. You aren't gaining anything by attacking the opinion of someone else (except for maybe your own twisted sense of pleasure from feeling like you have really given them the one-two).
So in conclusion of this short blog post with my very own, non-combative title--- I am actually thankful that my blog hasn't gone viral because I think it is petty to attack another person's opinion. It ends up looking like you are riding on the coattails of someone else. Just a last minute thought there.
Now, whenever I see these blogs shared, there is always that person who takes a single phrase written by the blogger and blows it out of proportion or uses it to sum up what the blogger was trying to say (sometimes, even, taking it completely out of context and not getting the "gist" of the post at all). This bothers me (obviously) to an extent but something I saw yesterday bothered me even more.
It was the comment someone put at the top of a blog post they shared and it read: "Finally a retort blog post!" Really? Good grief, folks. It was one person's opinion. If you don't agree with it then, be my guest, and let them know in a respectful manner what your own opinion is but don't openly combat someone like that. I think the phrase or word for it is "trolling" when a person does that?
Regardless of what you would call it, I would respectfully say that it is an immature way of commenting and sharing your opinion on a subject that 100s before you (and I am sure even more afterward) have written a blog on. Think of your own blog post title and be tasteful and tactful. You aren't gaining anything by attacking the opinion of someone else (except for maybe your own twisted sense of pleasure from feeling like you have really given them the one-two).
So in conclusion of this short blog post with my very own, non-combative title--- I am actually thankful that my blog hasn't gone viral because I think it is petty to attack another person's opinion. It ends up looking like you are riding on the coattails of someone else. Just a last minute thought there.
05 November 2013
Life's Tough...
Growing up, I watched a lot of Boy Meets World. Most of the time I laughed at the antics of the characters as they went through their lives but every once in a while, there was a truth spoken that I would carry with me for the rest of my life.
One such truth was spoken by Eric Matthews to his little brother, Cory, and though we all laughed when Eric smacked him in the forehead directly thereafter, the truth remained in my mind:
"Life's tough. Get a helmet."
Life is tough. Even for the people who are always smiling and happy, there is usually some battle that they are facing and we may never know just how hard it is for them to continue smiling for us and cheering everyone else on in their trials and struggles.
I have had my share of trials and must admit that from time to time I feel as though they never stop. That there is no reprieve. That I am constantly treading water and trying to struggle free from the pressure and choking hold that the dark has upon my soul.
As I was laying down in an attempt to sleep tonight, an ice pack tucked snugly underneath my back with a couple layers of material between (winter is around the corner after all), I started thinking--from time to time aloud--about where I am in life. This included not only my relationship status but also the status of my testimony and beliefs. What started out as ramblings became something moving to me and I had to sit up at once and start composing this blog entry.
I imagined myself in front of a crowd of people (I have a tendency to lay out scenes in my mind) perhaps they could be my single adult ward, or perhaps just a gathering of young people with my same base belief and tie to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
What I said was something similar to this:
I believe in Christ. I believe in His Gospel and know that Joseph Smith was the first prophet of the Restoration. Chosen by God to bring forth this marvelous work. I know that I would not be the person I am if not for my foundation in this church. I am grateful for parents who encouraged me to go with them to church every week--who taught me how to pray. And I am thankful for siblings who have and still set an example for the kind of disciple I want to be.
My soul aches when they fall just as I know theirs do when I experience my moments of weakness. I am grateful to know that we continue to love each other through these struggles and times of darkness and in the words of a friend of mine--continue to be FAMILY.
Sisters... you are so strong. We may have moments of weakness but at the end of the day we are strong. Our capacity to do good is larger than we can ever imagine. Our paths are our own. We will be asked to fight dragons that others of us may not encounter til later in life or not at all. Some of us will marry and raise families. Others of us will help our loved ones to nourish the minds and spirits of their children, perhaps our nieces and nephews.
It's a potentially frightening road that we will travel but if we arm ourselves with virtue, faith, charity, and light we will be able to follow it to its end.
I know it is hard at times not to get caught up in the dramas of relationships---from those with our friends to those with our boyfriends and sometimes even our boy(space)friends. But if you must be caught up, be sure to assess the situation you find yourself and know it is because you seek to make them happy. Do not fall in love to make yourself happy. Relationships are made of a desire to serve one another and those relationships that turn into courtships are made of the service that only you can give one another... or at least that is what I think.
It hurts when we cannot make another happy. I have experienced this with both my male AND female friends. I love them... and from this love stems a desire for them to be happy. It is unfortunate that I have hurt some, discouraged others, and perhaps even don't recognize that some soul wants my attention. I apologize for those moments... but I hope you at least understand that I do want you to be happy---regardless of my proximity to the reason for your happiness.
Some of the strongest, smartest, and most beautiful women I know are those who have been asked to trod the paths of this world alone. I am grateful to have such examples of faith and trust in God and the hope that it will work out in the end as long as they keep pressing on and allowing Him to guide them with His will and hands.
Men. I am not saying that this means you have to date these particular women. But if you refuse to do that... then please, I implore you, be our brothers. Help cultivate places of refuge and strength. Places where we can turn when the world has almost beaten us and take time to cry. Let us know that you love and support us. Men. Tell the sisters if you are their home teachers. Sometimes home teachers are the only ones we feel we can turn to.
Help us to know how we can help you and support you. Let us know when we hurt you. Why. Don't give up on us for, though we may say it from time to time, we surely have not given up on you.
These are just a handful of the words that I spoke to myself but it reminded me that I still feel. Compassion. Hurt. Tenderness. Disappointment. Peace. The day we stop feeling is the day that we lose hope. The day when we forget to bring our "helmet" along and face up to the toughness of life with our brightest light of optimism and hope for what the future has in store for us if we will only have the courage.
And this is what I will leave you with-- a quote from President Thomas S. Monson, the current prophet: "Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow.'"
One such truth was spoken by Eric Matthews to his little brother, Cory, and though we all laughed when Eric smacked him in the forehead directly thereafter, the truth remained in my mind:
"Life's tough. Get a helmet."
Life is tough. Even for the people who are always smiling and happy, there is usually some battle that they are facing and we may never know just how hard it is for them to continue smiling for us and cheering everyone else on in their trials and struggles.
I have had my share of trials and must admit that from time to time I feel as though they never stop. That there is no reprieve. That I am constantly treading water and trying to struggle free from the pressure and choking hold that the dark has upon my soul.
As I was laying down in an attempt to sleep tonight, an ice pack tucked snugly underneath my back with a couple layers of material between (winter is around the corner after all), I started thinking--from time to time aloud--about where I am in life. This included not only my relationship status but also the status of my testimony and beliefs. What started out as ramblings became something moving to me and I had to sit up at once and start composing this blog entry.
I imagined myself in front of a crowd of people (I have a tendency to lay out scenes in my mind) perhaps they could be my single adult ward, or perhaps just a gathering of young people with my same base belief and tie to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
What I said was something similar to this:
I believe in Christ. I believe in His Gospel and know that Joseph Smith was the first prophet of the Restoration. Chosen by God to bring forth this marvelous work. I know that I would not be the person I am if not for my foundation in this church. I am grateful for parents who encouraged me to go with them to church every week--who taught me how to pray. And I am thankful for siblings who have and still set an example for the kind of disciple I want to be.
My soul aches when they fall just as I know theirs do when I experience my moments of weakness. I am grateful to know that we continue to love each other through these struggles and times of darkness and in the words of a friend of mine--continue to be FAMILY.
Sisters... you are so strong. We may have moments of weakness but at the end of the day we are strong. Our capacity to do good is larger than we can ever imagine. Our paths are our own. We will be asked to fight dragons that others of us may not encounter til later in life or not at all. Some of us will marry and raise families. Others of us will help our loved ones to nourish the minds and spirits of their children, perhaps our nieces and nephews.
It's a potentially frightening road that we will travel but if we arm ourselves with virtue, faith, charity, and light we will be able to follow it to its end.
I know it is hard at times not to get caught up in the dramas of relationships---from those with our friends to those with our boyfriends and sometimes even our boy(space)friends. But if you must be caught up, be sure to assess the situation you find yourself and know it is because you seek to make them happy. Do not fall in love to make yourself happy. Relationships are made of a desire to serve one another and those relationships that turn into courtships are made of the service that only you can give one another... or at least that is what I think.
It hurts when we cannot make another happy. I have experienced this with both my male AND female friends. I love them... and from this love stems a desire for them to be happy. It is unfortunate that I have hurt some, discouraged others, and perhaps even don't recognize that some soul wants my attention. I apologize for those moments... but I hope you at least understand that I do want you to be happy---regardless of my proximity to the reason for your happiness.
Some of the strongest, smartest, and most beautiful women I know are those who have been asked to trod the paths of this world alone. I am grateful to have such examples of faith and trust in God and the hope that it will work out in the end as long as they keep pressing on and allowing Him to guide them with His will and hands.
Men. I am not saying that this means you have to date these particular women. But if you refuse to do that... then please, I implore you, be our brothers. Help cultivate places of refuge and strength. Places where we can turn when the world has almost beaten us and take time to cry. Let us know that you love and support us. Men. Tell the sisters if you are their home teachers. Sometimes home teachers are the only ones we feel we can turn to.
Help us to know how we can help you and support you. Let us know when we hurt you. Why. Don't give up on us for, though we may say it from time to time, we surely have not given up on you.
These are just a handful of the words that I spoke to myself but it reminded me that I still feel. Compassion. Hurt. Tenderness. Disappointment. Peace. The day we stop feeling is the day that we lose hope. The day when we forget to bring our "helmet" along and face up to the toughness of life with our brightest light of optimism and hope for what the future has in store for us if we will only have the courage.
And this is what I will leave you with-- a quote from President Thomas S. Monson, the current prophet: "Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow.'"
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