Thursday, March 31, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 31- March 31

This morning I was reading about homosexuality and how to address it in the classroom.  One of the things I started thinking about was my compassion for those who are bullied.  As a elementary, middle school, and early high school student I was subject to several instances of bullying.  While I try not to live in the past and for the most part am happy with who I have become, there are hard days where I remember the hurtful things people have done to me.  I am greatful for those experiences because they have given me greater compassion and understanding.  But at times the pain is hurtful, the effects on my belief in myself become obvious, and I still get weary of people when they tease me believing that they may just be wanting to point out whatever those other bullies saw.  They saw some weakness and tried to feed on it to reach their own.  It's important that we address bullying and not in the what has become comical "big kid flips little kid upside down to get money" - but in the real way that people affect each other.  We need to teach our students that "no man [or woman] is an island" - what we do does have an affect.  Refusing our responsibility for the ways we can affect people's lives is irresponsible, inconsiderate, and immature.  We can't always be there as teachers to stop bullying- but we can take a clear stance against it when we have the chance.

Slice of Life Post Day 30- March 30

The power of flow is essential to life.  Or at least I think it is.
I think or at least hope that everyone experiences the power of flow.
What is flow?
Perhaps we can describe it with some synonyms: when things click, smooth, feels natural, happens without thinking, my senses were heightened and I was aware of everything.
Some antonyms to give more depth: stuck, awkward, felt lost, unconfident.
Some concrete examples: when a sports team is on- they call it the A game- everything just seems to happen- all the shots and passes are made- the team seems unreal or unstoppable.
When a writer sits down and the words come all at once and the only thing you can do is hope to get it all onto paper before it disappears.
When teaching comes without having to do a lot thinking.
When conversation just goes without thinking on a really good date or in a crucial conversation that goes well.
Flow is in essence being at our full aesthetic awareness of life and reaching past our normal capabilities.  I often associate it with a feeling of completely surety, confidence, and pleasure with the moment.  It is in every sense a natural high.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 29- March 29

Cleaning house.
Or in my case, cleaning my room.  It's always a good feeling.
Especially when you start throwing away things you don't need.
It can get kind of addicting.
I sort of want to throw everything away and just have nothing.  Or maybe just a few clothes to wear.
But then I realize I like my music and my books.  And a few of my other possessions.
That's okay.  Throwing EVERYthing away isn't realistic.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 28- March 28

Today on the Slice of Life:
DHTMaster realizes that there are some things you wish you could fix and/or take away the pain from someone else- like my fiance's sickness.  I wish I could take it for her or make it better.  There is simply nothing I can do.
 The word choice "fix" is very much considered a male choice.  "Guys always want to fix things."- I've heard.  Our mission president used to remind us frequently that when we were married got married our spouse would come and complain and we would listen very carefully and offer a solution and then they would be mad at us after we had just come up with a great solution.  And yet does a woman not want the same things?  Does she not want to come up with a solution to her children's difficulties?  But instead of women "fixing" things, we call it "nurturing".
   So my big question is- is there a difference between "fixing" and "nurturing" or is it all just some long problematic rhetoric game that has existed for many years?

My initial reaction is that the difference is "fixing" is set down next to the idea of a solution, most often, while "nurturing", which does include solutions, is also the act of caring and support even when there isn't a solution.  Thoughts?

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 27- March 27

Yay for a real vacation.  Some vacations do just add to stress because they are busy and jammed full of activities and are really interesting and fun, but they don't allow the person to relax.  This vacation was nice because I was very relaxed and didn't have too many worries.  How nice it is to just leave all your responsibilities.  Granted, now I have to pick them up off the shelf I left them on, but I have the energy to do it now.  Sometimes, escaping from life, is a tool to sharpen the saw so you can go stronger again rather than keep wearing down all the time.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Slice of Life March twenty six

Im having trouble with my sisters com uter.  Different letters arent ty ing.  Im leaving s ace for them
But that is life  Sometimes you just have to do your best.  And give whatever you have got  In my case the circumstances are making it hard to make this ha  en.  But Im doing what I can.
Ha  y Twenty Sixth day.  Just a few more and Ill have done them all  ersistence is good

Friday, March 25, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 25- March 25

I can hardly believe I'm writing this early, but I'm headed on vacation to visit my sister for her birthday.  I'm worried that internet access will be limited, but I still plan to make it every day.
I love car ride's.  I like driving, talking, listening to music, and I can even read while I'm in the car.  There is something pleasant about riding in the car.  Except that my back hurts.  So here's to road trips.  And if you would like a movie that inspires love for road trips you should see Elizabethtown.  Kirsten Dunst plans a road trip for Orlando Bloom timed out to music (an impossibility in reality, but a fun concept anyway).

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 24- March 24

Have you ever felt really bad about something that wasn't your fault at all?
I did tonight.  There was an event where the person who had ordered it didn't order enough food.  I don't know if they just didn't have any experience ordering food or just thought because it was late they would have enough.  But suddenly 100 more people in line were wondering why there wasn't food left and they were looking at me to get them food when I had no possible way to provide them with more food unless i had gone to the grocery store that moment and bought something out of my own pocket.  I just felt sad.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 23- March 23

Foam pads are genius.  I've been living on cheap college apartment mattresses for most of the last four years and boy can I tell you the difference is noticeable.  There are some nights I'm pretty sure my sleep is inhibited because it hurts to lay down.  It makes me wonder how people who sleep on bamboo mats every night do it- maybe they put a pad down or bamboo is softer than I realize.(Speaking of where other cultures sleep, in Mexico many sleep in hammocks because they are cheaper than beds- I tried it out, boy are they comfortable.)  Anyway, my fiance has allowed me to borrow the foam pads from her bed and I took them to mine.  Wow, I sleep so much better.  I didn't realize such a small thing would make such a big difference.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 22- March 22

So today I really heard the bell on our campus ring.  I've heard the sound before, but it was the first time I took it into account.  We have a large bell tower that dings on the hour.  Bell towers are very much a part of literature and many stories.  The only particular one that comes to mind is "For whom the bell tolls" and the part in Disney's Robin Hood where the character yells "1 o'clock and all is well".  Anyway, it's just not something we really take note of or even consider- or maybe that is just me.  But today I heard it, and appreciated that it could become a part of a rich association to this campus if I take time to hear it on other days.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 21- March 21

I made cinnamon rolls on Sunday.  I heated them back up for breakfast this morning.  And then might have eaten one with dinner.
I love cinnamon rolls.  They remind me of special mornings at home when my parents would make breakfast.  When we were younger my dad would frequently do pancakes on Saturday morning.  As we got older and learned how to cook we replaced my dad in making them.  So now, when my mom occasionally makes breakfast she makes cinnamon rolls that are so good.  I recently started using the recipe with bread flour instead of regular white flour-  I would never have believed it could make such a difference. :)

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 20- March 20

I had contact with two sets of identical twins today.  I've grown up in a world where identical twins are the anomaly that we observe in case studies.  Yet, for all their similarities, once we know a set of twins we can tell them apart.  Each individual is different.  Differences are good.  I heard someone quote President James E. Faust today and liked this quote a lot- to paraphrase- "Our differences are the salt that bring out the sweetness in our relationships."  I learned the connection between salt and sugar as a young teenager one morning when my parents explained as we were eating cream of wheat that if you put salt it helps the taste of sugar to come out.  To this day, I've always known that salt would allow me to taste the sugar- so the quote seemed very poignant to me.  Our differences are blessings that even though at times difficult (salty) give us the opposition to allow us to recognize happiness.  The sense of taste in those words tickles my aesthetic innards.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 19- March 19

"Saturday is a special day it's the day we get ready for Sunday."
I frequently reflect on this childhood Primary song.  Funny, must have always sung it on Sunday, but it's lesson has pervaded.  The truth however is that "Saturday is a special day when I try and squeeze in all my adult responsibilities and still do things for fun."
I think Saturday was more special when I was a kid.  Responsibility adds independence and a certain type of joy to life, but I sometimes wish for the type of joy attached to childhood naivete to the world's responsibilites.

Slice of Life Post Day 18- March 18

Why it's important to love what you do (Work, school, free time activities, etc.).
   If you love the things you are doing, being busy will still be okay.
   When the times do get rough, you can remember that most of the time you do enjoy what you are doing.
   Nobody else is going to choose what you do, so you better pick choices that make you happy.
   Loving is conducive to being happy.  Being happy generally indicates less stress and greater productivity.
   You don't regret the time you've spent when you know that you've put what you really care about in the right places in your life.

The End

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 17- March 17

I ran a mile in 8:10 today.  The fastest I've run in a while.  That's a whole minute slower than I was able to run it in high school . . .
when I was playing soccer . . .
when I was 20-30 pounds lighter . . .
when I had the structure of daily soccer practice . . .
and could go night after night on 5 hours of sleep . . .
and I could read and write into the later hours of the night without getting drowsy . . .

Boy things change.  That's okay though.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 16- March 16

A list of some blessings:
Whitney, my fiance.
A wonderful family.
A job that I love doing.
School!
Food!
Talents- in music, writing, and in other things.
That I need to buy shorts (because it's getting warm!)
Running home in the rain, because we all need an adventure that leaves us dripping wet.
Laughing at how dramatic my Spanish readings are.
Knowing that tomorrow is another opportunity to have a great day!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 15- March 15

So tonight I was at the grocery store and saw a Chrysler 300 waiting near the store- it made me nervous.  The Chrysler 300 looks like this:
Now you may not have any context for this car- but when I see it, I think gangsters.
I served as a missionary for two years in California.  Much of it in some more ghetto-ish areas.
When I saw this car in the ghetto it usually came with a tatted up individual hiding behind black tinted windows.
When I see this car anywhere else, I don't think classy, I think gangster and feel just a little bit more anxious.
The part that makes me laugh is it I'm in a place where it's very unlikely to be gangsters.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 14- March 14


Life is like a box of chocolates.
Sometimes I would like a box of chocolates to be more a part of my life. But that would probably lead to an increase of cholesterol, calories, fat, and unhealthiness.
The reason I'm writing about chocolate is because I am craving it. My sweet tooth is talking up. I don't know about yours, but my sweet tooth is really big. It speaks to me on a regular basis. Then again, my family just likes food. We delight in food. In cooking and eating it and trying new things. Yummy.
Life is good. I laughed a lot tonight. I shouldn't let myself get too down about the hard parts. Most of the chocolate in my life is good. My life is like a box of chocolates.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 13- March 13

So this morning I went for a walk. It was beautiful outside and a walk seemed like a good idea.
I don't spend enough time in nature. Nature helps me to relax and see that I may be kind of silly about life sometimes. I tend to take life and myself too seriously. I used to try and come off more serious like to other people, then I realized their belief in my seriousness was creating a cycle of seriousness. Being serious about life is important on occasion. But too much will just drive a person crazy.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 12- March 12


I could have sworn I had something I wanted to write about.
I was at Stake Conference listening to a Seventy speaking about having the love of Christ.
But I can't remember what it was specifically. This is one of those moments that I regret not having written down what I wanted to write down later. Oh well. I can write down what he said specifically- four principles - loving is serving, time = love, and it's always good to give affirmation of our love for others- catch them doing something nice.
I hope my ability to love and appreciate others will continue to grow. Love is good.

Slice of Life Post Day 11- March 11


You know how I mentioned that I wish I could dance?
I am taking a dance class.
Today my fiance and I went to a competition and made it to the quarterfinals- in beginner's dance :)
It was fun. However, I just wanted to comment on one thing:
Fake tans and super heavy make up- BAD IDEA!
I asked someone (not wearing the make up) why they do this to themselves. Their answer was that they believe it makes them look good. No, no. Orange skin isn't natural- except when you eat too much beta carotene (which happened to me when I was a baby)- either way, it doesn't look natural or pretty for that matter.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 10- March 10


Between all the happy times there are the really rough ones. Stress, anxiety, depression, sadness. Urgh. I don't like these feelings. I don't like having them. My perfectionism has kicked in. Time to turn it back off.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 9- March 9


Ah! I was about to drift off to sleep when I remember that I hadn't posted.
So, here it is!
What happens when 60 Japanese nursing students come to the U.S.?
They all want to take pictures with you (especially if you served them lunch) one by one while making Asian peace sign poses with big smiles and squeals of delight.
Though I couldn't really communicate much, there happiness brightened my day.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 8- March 8


Preface: The Lord has given me many blessings. He has blessed me with many talents and abilities of which I am truly appreciative.
However, if I could trade talents I would trade my ability to sweat for the ability to dance. Yes, I am asserting that I am skilled at sweating.
Dancing is elegant and refined- sweating is not.
Dancing is enjoyed by the parties participating and watching- sweating is not.
Dancing helps me to appreciate humanity, other cultures, and our own- sweating does not.
In short, I'm just saying, that I wish dancing came a little more intuitively and sweating not so un-intuitively.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 7- March 7


This morning my roommate bolted out of his bed and out of the room into the kitchen. I could hear him open the oven and smelt baked potatoes. He cooked them for his lunch. The reason he bolted, because they were in the oven too long. He overslept when he was going to get up to move them. As I thought about this whole action of bolting across the room, I wondered if it was necessary.
I assume that all people do. I know I rush across the room and have watched many do so. Do we need to really bolt across the room when something is burning on the stove or in the oven? I mean, as long as it isn't going to set on fire, does the 5 seconds to bolt, or 15 seconds to walk make that much of a difference? If it's burnt, it's burnt. I think we could just walk. Bolting doesn't allow us to control the situation.
Then I started generalizing the situation. This same principle has bigger consequences in other situations. If you are supposed to be at work and you leave five minutes too late to arrive on time you can lose your job, or get scolded, or your students might be left alone. Speeding in the car won't get you that much faster. If you come five minutes too late for a plane, its gone. These ideas aren't flowing as well as I want. But it's the slice of life I've been thinking about today.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 6- March 6


Nearly every Sunday I benefit from technology. Granted, I benefit everyday from technology. But especially on Sunday because I get to talk to my family over Skype. If you haven't experienced Skype, it is a free program that allows you to video chat with other users that have Skype. Skyping each Sunday is like getting my own little slice of life from home. I can not only hear the voices, but I can see how tired my parents are, or how active my siblings are, or how relaxed everyone is. While it doesn't replace being physically in the location of those you love, it can be a great substitution for the times when you don't have that option.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 5- March 5


I have a black and white photograph in my room of a little monkey wrapped around a single pointer finger. His eyes are big and he seems uneasy. Vulnerable.
Today, I am not like that monkey. Although some days I am. Today, I was just busy. And in a way, I would like to become that monkey wrapped around a finger. Except when I wrap around the finger, I find comfort.
Also, I watched a documentary called Sound and the Fury about family and their debates over cochlear implants and keeping to the deaf community. Very interesting film and definitely enjoyable to watch.

Slice of Life Post Day 4- March 4


I am currently running out of battery both on my Macbook and in lack of sleep. I wrote about sleep and how bad I am at it, but this week has been particularly bad.

Today we booked the Temple. It's the one in Salt Lake City in June! I know. Kind of crazy. . .busiest temple in Utah, but they had a time and it will be great! It's just weird that there are some parts of life that are so far in the distance that they seem surreal. Then, as you take steps towards it, it becomes more and more real. Funny thing was I already thought this one was real in my head. Surprise, it keeps becoming more real everyday. Reality is good. I like arriving at reality.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 3- March 3


Sleeping is not my forte. In the last two nights I have gotten a combined 8 hours of sleep and not because I had to stay up- I just couldn't fall asleep.

My mom says I stopped taking naps when I was 8 months old. And I've not really started again.

Still, it can be frustrating. With a lot of effort I have finally gotten to the point where I can fall asleep in 15 minutes rather than 2 hours and I can take the occasional nap.

Last night I couldn't. Nor the night before. So my question is why are there sometimes when I get four hours of sleep and can function on a normal level- like today- whereas most times getting that little sleep tears me up physically, mentally and emotionally?

I'm hoping sleep comes more easily tonight.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 2- March 2


I work for a catering company. Catering is a behind the scenes type job. You know the type. We
Publish Post
seem to appear out of nowhere, perform our duties without drawing attention to ourselves, and then we disappear. I love the anonymity of it. Behind the scenes there is a lot of work to it that nobody else can see. It's these behind the scenes people that I like to work with. They are my anonymous buddies. In our anonymity, we unify and act as passive observers of those eating. Yeah, that's write, we are watching how you eat. Don't worry though, you eat about the same as everyone else.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Slice of Life Post Day 1- March 1



Facebook connects you to people you know but may never see again. When I got back from my mission there was a guy who actively attended the LDS Singles Ward that I was going to. A few months ago I saw that he had changed his Facebook religious status to Christ Consciousness and Ascended Matters. Words like transcend, light, and healing started coming up in his Facebook posts. Now words like being 100% committed and pay me for an energy healing and "Because you ARE a powerful creator I believe you created your space in LO 270". Sounds more like an Orson Wells Animal Farm than a religious reality. Anyway, today's post was the most interesting:
"I'm high on DMT, a natural, spiritual hormone! I had a kinesiology correction on my pineal gland. It's producing 7 times more DMT than before . . . It's one of the most spiritual experiences ever. Dimenthyryptamine rocks!"
So I visited my friend Wikipedia to discover that DMT is a "naturally" occurring psychedelic and is illegal except when used for medical purposes. Searching "pineal gland" revealed that its a part of our brains that controls sleep and wake patterns. Injecting a "correction" right there sure would light up one's psychedelics. I'm a little weary of a spiritual connection that relies on psychedelics- just sayin'.