Tag, You're It!

Okay, Emily Ann tagged me in her blog so now I need to post the fourth picture from the fourth folder in my Pictures folder.

Voila:

I took this picture last summer on my back porch in Draper. It was basically right after I discovered picnik.com, and I ran around my house trying to find cool things to take pictures of so I could use them on the spiffy online photo editing Web site!

Now, I tag Kayla and Rachie!

Post the fourth photo in the fourth folder in your Pictures folder!

Things I Have Learned This Semester

...and some things I always knew but never realized that I did... . . . .. . . -1- Never expect anything. It almost always sets you up for disappointment. Pleasant surprises are just so pleasant, anyway. 2- The more time you spend in the Library, the better grades you SHOULD get. 3- If you walk out of a test thinking you did better than you really did, then it is a poorly written test. 4- Being different is a good thing. 5- The Brontës were a strange, brilliant little family. 6- Everyone needs to be appreciated. 7- Scriptures are different every time you read them. 8- There is this really cool butter spray you can get at the grocery store that has zero calories but still makes everything taste yummy. 9- Salt isn't very good for you. 10-It really isn't that hard to avoid contention. All you have to do is try. 11- Dating is confusing. 12- If you don't do your laundry, nobody will. 13-"Say what you need to say!" 14- There is an aquarium in the basement of the Widtsoe. 15-Some memories never fade and some friendships last forever. 16-Snow is beautiful. 17-I am indecisive. 18-Public Relations majors have to write for the Daily Universe for a whole semester. Mine is this coming winter. 19- Being open-minded is such a good thing. It keeps you from getting offended all the time and really makes you appreciate when someone is respecting you. 20- Tomasittos serves really yummy biscuits before 11am every morning. 21-I will be turning 21 this coming year... 22-Rules protect us and make us happier when we willingly obey them. 23- "Just because everything's changing, doesn't mean it hasn't been this way before." 24- Smiling is attractive. 25-God lives and loves me very dearly. He knows better than I what is best for me.

Cereal

This morning I had cereal for breakfast. Sometimes I wonder why we love it so much. If you think about it too hard, you realize that a bunch of thin, flaky wheat crackers floating in a bowl of milk is kind of disgusting. It's just strange, some of the things we think ourselves into liking or disliking. As much as we wouldn't like to admit it, this lovely cereal example reflects how dependent our opinions are upon other people and the cultural contexts we coexist in. Yeah, I just love cereal. So much! My favorite kind of [soggy flat grain cracker] would have to be Life. Cinnamon Life, particularly. However, tomorrow that might change to Raisin Nut Bran, because of the yummy nutty covered raisins. Or if I'm feeling healthy I really do love Special K, but sometimes you just can't refuse the sweettasteofthoseCinnamonToastCrunchswirlsineverybite!

Waiting for the Bus: An Exhibit

I hate it when the bus is late. When I'm waiting for a late bus, I like to take pictures of myself on my phone's camera. It is great fun, but I still don't like waiting. It actually happens quite a bit since I work mulitple times a week and I ride the bus to work. Yes, I have now made quite a ravishing collection of streetside photos that subtly represents the inconsistency of UTA buses in Utah Valley. I've been learning about random things that modern artists do to everyday things and then declare them art. Therefore, I give you art:

Good, Better, Best

What do you do with your time? Good things? Great things? What is something that you could be doing right now that is better than reading my blog? Now, I can see how perusing my chatter and babble may be very important to your personal well-being. However, the thought makes one wonder how efficient our daily routines really make us. I need to make time for what is MOST important. Determine what that is and then do it. Don't waste time on silly little indulgences! Become involved in doing good. One of my favorite quotes by President Gordon B. Hinckley says: "You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others." This past week I made a nifty little checklist that is hanging by my desk. I've written there a number of things that I want to make sure and accomplish every week, things that I should do instead of facebooking or watching movies to fill any spare time I may have, and a short reminder list of the things I have determined to do daily. It's kind of like my own personal inventory. I'm still not sure how it will work, though. Checklists are good, but they are strange when it comes to an attempt to stretch yourself spiritually, some of those things should just be spontaneous... maybe. Hmmm.... we will just see how this turns out. I think it's a step in the right direction, for sure!

How to Be Brave

Sometimes it's so hard to just open your mouth and say what you must. Each and every time we speak, we submit ourselves to the judgement of those who hear us... subconsciously, of course. There is always the question of what they will ultimately think of us, how they will respond, what kind of an effect you will have on them, and what kind of an effect that will have on your existing relationship. Some of the things we say are more poignant than others in this way, for example, politics, religion, a person's character, and issues of interpersonal relations. The reason I have been pondering these things has a lot to do with the recent election, particularly Proposition 8 in California and my Church's surprisingly active support of it. I've been dealing with the prospect of confonting those whom I respect and care for, about touchy subjects that I feel very strongly about and they feel very strongly about in a completely different way. I've also been learning that there are some things that we just MUST say that may be hard to do. It's strange to think that you have to be brave to just talk to someone. I've gotten so comfortable with just talking to people about almost anything, even people I don't know that well. I watched a mission prep. fireside today that was completely focused on "open[ing] your mouth" (D&C33:2) about the gospel. Share what you know to be true with everyone you come in contact with! Even if it's scary. Be brave! .... gah... Why do we fear each other so? What is so terrible about judgment from others? How do we overcome those fears? I guess these could be rhetorical questions... but I still want to answer them for myself.

Patriotic Conviction

Today the billions of Americans who call themselves registered voters are fulfilling their oh-so-important civic duty. I have to admit I am not one of these people. It's probably a good thing that not many people read my blog, because I am a bit ashamed of this fact, and I'm sick of coming up with excuses why I'm such a slacker. I truly wish I had remembered and found the time to send in that silly little paper before September 31, or whenever the deadline was to postmark it. Why didn't I register before this year? Well, I honestly haven't felt the need or pressure to. Until now. Of course, it's only pressure I'm feeling at the moment. Everyone who has asked me about it and discovered my terrible transgression has been somewhat angry with me for not registering and voting this year. They make me feel like such a terrible person. Interestingly, though, most of these people are my fellow students. It is quite amazing how so many young people are finding it more and more important to be a part of this national ritual. It seems that way, anyway. I genuinely commend them and admire them for this. However, I don't personally regret not voting this time around, and that makes me wonder if I ever will understand the importance of voting. I see that it is partially the principle that matters. The fact that every single eligible citizen in this great nation has the opportunity to give their own input is truly inspiring, even if it so often is undermined by the overwhelming majority. It is the fact that you are participating, truly becoming a member of this grand brotherhood of Americans, that seems to fuel a large amount of conviction. It's kind of like singing in a large choir. If you were to step out in the middle of a song, it is doubtful that much will change. However, being a member of that choir is what makes you care. If everyone decided to stop singing because their one voice was unimportant, there would be no sound at all. I never really felt that twinge of patriotism that runs through the blood of far too few Americans until I took American Heritage at BYU. I believe that it is because I grew to know those people who fought for something stronger, more stable, and more safe for the wild variety of people in this world who just want the right to be themselves. I learned and gained a testimony that God truly had a hand in the founding and stabilizing of this great nation, so that His restored gospel could bless my life today. I guess I just need to find that conviction that will inspire me to claim and contribute my seemingly insignificant ballot. Maybe next time... Just don't murder me before then for not really caring too much right now.... ... P.S. I didn't take this picture. I just think it is very beautiful. The URI to TrackBack this entry is: http://americantraveler.blogsome.com/2008/08/31/statue-of-liberty/trackback/