Adventure #27: Procrastination

“If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done.” ~Rita Mae Brown

I'm hoping this post will provide me with the jump start I need to get my homework done - it's due at midnight. So, to make my homework even closer to the last minute - and potentially late - I've chosen to write my blog on time instead.

My intentions are always good - especially when it comes to my homework and various other projects. But I seem to have lived my whole life thinking "I've got plenty of time." Until finally time's up. The projects get done but even then I wonder, Could I have done better? Could I have done more?

I want to say that I'm on the verge of changing this about myself but that probably won't happen until I've acquired/invented that time machine I've been meaning to get to. (sorry, world, I'll get to it ONE day!) For now, the last minute is when I'll get things done. It is my favorite time of day!

(I think I can write my research paper now! Right after I watch one more episode of some show I've seen a million times!)

Enjoy your Netflix adventures!!!

Adventure #26: Celebration

“Life is what you celebrate. All of it. Even its end.”  ~ Joanne Harris, Chocolat

I celebrate as much as I can. Any reason to have cake, I'm gonna find it. I may not always have cake on those days but they are still cake-worthy days. Here's the short list of days I love to celebrate:

• birthdays
• holidays
• popcorn day
• pizza day
• platypus day
• Official Stop and Smell the Roses Day (Apr. 28th, for those who want to join)
• All days that end in "y"
• Just For The Heck Of It Day (which is the same day as Dr. Seuss/Read Across America Day)
• I'm serious...every day I can!

The reason I bring this up is because today should be a day for cake! I'll have to go find me some. Either way, cake or not, today (meaning Nov 10th because I posted this late even though I made the date say Nov 9th) is one of my favorite days of the year!

Who wouldn't celebrate a day that changes their life? A day of knowledge and power but also of peace. Going through the temple is exactly what such a day is made of. So today, I'm writing a little about celebrating because we have much to celebrate. And every time I return to the temple as well as often in between, I feel gratitude for the opportunities and promises found in attending.

Whatever life brings, Nov. 10th is a day to celebrate. Enjoy your adventures!

Adventure #25: Homework

"Homework, I have discovered, involves a sharp pencil and thick books and long sighs." ~ Katherine Applegate

Guys, homework is difficult! If you talk to me anytime in the next two years, I apologize in advance if all I can communicate about is homework. Web-scripting, marketing, conceptual storytelling, typography, photography...and that's just Quarter 1! But honestly, this is how I'm feeling about my homework for the most part:

"YOU ARE DOING MAGIC HOMEWORK FOR YOUR MAGIC CLASSES AT YOUR MAGIC SCHOOL WITH YOUR MAGIC FRIENDS!"

So, my homework is not actually magic but this is my brand of Hogwarts! I'm making websites and I'm writing stories and I'm making movies(well, soon)! This is the type of stuff I do for fun! And I haven't even started film classes yet! Gah! I love my life!!!

And this is where I realize: No one said it would be easy but only that it'd be worth it! Guys, homework is difficult but so so worth it!


P.S. This post was late because of my homework...actually my dog ate my post...well, really, my house burned down...alright, alright, I was abducted by aliens! Enjoy YOUR excuses adventures!

Adventure #24: Butterflies

“Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

On The Wings of Butterflies

The uncertainties today
create cares we wish to throw away.
Such concerns take to the skies,
on the wings of butterflies.

Blessed be the people here,
whether friends far or near.
For on them, we should rely
and on the wings of butterflies.

As we joined them, we must know,
our family always loves us so.
Built-in comrades and allies,
on the wings of butterflies.

For peace, happiness, and love,
turn to those around and above.
My care for you always applies
on the wings of butterflies.

Adventure #23: My Family

Lilo: He was an orphan and we adopted him! What about "ohana"?
Nani: He hasn't been here that long!
Lilo: Neither have I. Dad said "ohana" means family. Family means...
Lilo & Nani: ...nobody gets left behind.
Lilo: Or...?
Nani: ...or forgotten. I know, I know. I hate it when you use "ohana" against me.

I knew I missed Cedar City like crazy! I still do but it might mostly be because that is where my family is. They drove me crazy when I lived with them...and perhaps I wouldn't trade my current adventure for that just yet but it is nice to know that they are always there, willing to welcome me back to their craziness. And that is love.

And where would one find more of that love than sitting in Grandpa Palmer's front room (because we're finally old enough!!!) chilling with the Palmer cousins? Or going to concerts with Tiana? Or eating Chinese food with Josh and Brooke? Or camping at Three Peaks over Easter weekend? Or groaning in unison with all Smiths within earshot of Grandpa Smith's most recent lame pun? Or chasing Hunter around at any Palmer get together? Or talking until 3am with Holly and Tiana? Or listening to Shamra describe her ever-adventurous life? Or hosting the traditional Katlyn-Racheal-Melody-Melissa-Miranda sleep over? Or visiting Bruno's with Angie? Or candlelight dinners on Valentine's Day with Mom, Dad, and sisters?

That is a LOT of love! And there continues to be even more...I'm part of the best families in the world! Who else would have put up with me for this long? After all, "Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts." So thank you to the sweet and the nutty because my life wouldn't be nearly so full of adventures without you all! I love you!!!

Adventure #22: Change

"I can't help but notice, that for someone who doesn't like change, you rearrange your room a lot." ~Kathryn Gardner

I cut my hair. I moved to Provo. I tried to switch to the new Pinterest before they did it for me. And I did rearrange my room.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would have liked me to mention this sooner and also more personally. Rearranging my room is a big step and I neglected many in the effort. I do apologize for the informality of this route but I've been holding out on the subject area to write about it now. A part of me might have been frightened to bring it up; we learned in my last post that when I announce something, it becomes concrete to the point of scary real. The craziness? I feel okay, even calm. Glad I finally put it out there about rearranging my room!

So...the real reason I've brought you here today is to inform you of my move to Provo. It's new and exciting and I never thought I'd EVER leave Cedar City. But here I am, writing from my new apartment in Provo, UT, jobless and inexperienced, having never lived away from my hometown. And I feel CALM??? Honestly, it's freaking me out that I'm not freaking out! (I still think that if I wait just a couple more days a freak out will happen but I've been saying that to myself for the last month!)

And since I'm not having a come apart, now seems like a good time to talk about my feelings on change. I will NEVER hug the couch - but - I'm continually learning that, "All stories, even the ones we love, must eventually come to an end and when they do, it's only an opportunity for another story to begin."

So begins a new story for me...a change that I chose for myself. So as Katie pointed out in the quote above, I don't like change (like when my parents got their new, uncomfortable couch) but I do like to rearrange my room A LOT! And that's the difference - we don't have power over all change that happens in our lives but we have power enough to cope.

And if ever you find me rearranging my room, it probably means I'm unsettled about something out of my control. Happy changes to all!!!

Adventure #21: When Things Go Wrong...

If things go wrong, don't go with them.  ~Roger Babson

 "I locked my keys in the car." 

All I wanted to do was laugh hysterically and curl up into a ball on the floor, but announcing my dilemma made it real. And, therefore meant I was in no state to think clearly. Being three hours from my spare key, having dropped my family off an hour north of my current location, needing to fix this within 12 hours, and losing all capability to be logical, I was relieved to be staying with My Friend Katie.* MFK, since we became friends in June 2011, has taught me a bit about the use of logic and emotions. 

"Don't freak out."

MFK often said this to me when I was overly concerning myself with some little things. Scheduling, contacting people, not reaching self-appointed deadlines, etc. were met with this response. Thankfully, in the instance of my keys locked in the car, she did not say this to me. I actually don't remember the words of her immediate response but she was on her computer looking up 24-hour Locksmiths before I could put myself together enough to recognize the word 'Locksmith.'

"What options do we have?"

A question, while varied in its form, occurs frequently in our friendship and, having come back from Emotionland, I was aware enough to form coherent suggestions. For some stubborn reason, I did not want to deal with a locksmith, at least not as the first choice. My thought then was to look up how to break into a car. Katie, using her super-speed typing, had pulled up several videos on such a subject. We watched a few, searched for materials in her newly-moved-into basement apartment and MFK spent an hour breaking into my car, using a flashlight, twine, a crowbar, gift bag, a shoelace, stick, and a lengthy scrap of wood (we couldn't locate a wire hanger in the accessible parts of the house to which MFK's apartment is attached). At this point, exhausted and unsuccessful, logic necessitated that we rest and call a locksmith in the morning.

"You're going to stress about this all night, aren't you?"

I tried lying but having both lived with me for a year and nearly lived with me for a year before that, MFK knew what my distant eyes, contemplative expression, and attempt at a joke meant. Lying has never been a honed skill for me - I've never wanted to practice it. But I was going to stress and Katie knew it. Which is why in her 'cheer up' voice she sing-songly suggested watching White Christmas (because I'd been wanting to watch it for a month or two and it always got pushed back in, as it goes in our movie selecting process). So I took her up on the offer and an hour in, we were asleep. But not before I decided that I had one more idea to try in the morning before calling a locksmith.

"Any success?"

And that's where MFK found me - 8 o'clock in the morning (I couldn't sleep past 7), with twine attached to a string that I had looped to hang down. I could get the loop over the lock but couldn't keep enough friction to effectively pull up, releasing the lock. Maybe ten minutes after she'd come out, I finally realized I needed a further element to succeed. Having spent another hour trying and not knowing what that element was, I followed Katie back into the house, momentarily defeated.

"Do you have a wire hanger? Melody locked her keys in her car. And we are going to win!"

MFK must have been as determined as I was (or she knew I was feeling that way), because when she asked her sister (who'd been asleep the night before) for a wire hanger, I knew this was the missing element. After deforming the hanger, we headed straight for the car...this time with an audience! A couple attempts with just the hanger proved unfruitful. However, when the hanger was bent to frame the lock and then combined with a secure backing of twine, the ideal circumstances were created to pull up, release the lock, and OPEN THE DOOR! 

Thus verifying that with three hours and the support and resolution of my level-headed, logical friend Katie, anything is possible!




 
 *For clarification, My Friend Katie, MFK, and Katie are all the same person. :) PS: Happy birthday to MFK!!!

Adventure #20: Principle of Cheating

"When I consider life, it is all a cheat. Yet fooled with hope, people favor this deceit." ~John Dryden

I like to cheat when playing games. I cheat to help other people. Strange? Enjoyable! In Phase 10 and Skip-bo, I especially enjoy it. Recently while enjoying a game of Skip-bo with MFK (My Friend Katie) and Jeremiah, cheating for others jumped from merely an action in games to a principle for my life. 

I hadn't realized that the cards in my hand would help MFK place hers (for anyone who is not a Skip-bo fan, basic game play can be Googled). It was too late; it was already Jeremiah's turn. But that didn't stop me - ba BAM! MFK was set up perfectly.

Even if anyone tells you different, my motivation had been to help her. The convenient result? Her cards were setting up mine.

Next round...Jeremiah hadn't won yet, though MFK and I had. Logically, it was his turn to win. If you factor in the time of night and the adventures of the day, giggling like crazy and always out of turn, MFK and I used our cards to give him an opportunity to win.

Our motivation was to give Jeremiah a win. The convenient result? This became the most memorable game of Skip-bo in my life.

So I like to cheat when playing games. I also like to "cheat" in real life by helping others succeed.

From these two examples, there are life lessons to draw. Often, when we help others - family, friends, neighbors, strangers, children, etc - we are setting ourselves up to be helped. 

• Anytime I've cleaned in a spirit of service, for instance, I've been set up to receive blessings from those actions: finding something lost, feeling accomplished, smiles from those I love...
• Anytime I've listened to another person in their time of need, I've received the answers I needed in my own life as well as a feeling of increased trust in that relationship...
• Anytime I try to make another happy, I find happiness in my life.

And that is the Principle of Cheating. In favor of others, cheating is quite acceptable, even more it's an adventure!

Adventure #19: The Zigzag

“Previous journeys in search of treasure have taught me that a zigzag strategy is the best way to get ahead.”  ~ Tahir Shah

There's a post somewhere on the Internet that describes lines. These lines spoke to me as more than math terms. Though I love math, I gained insight that I had not expected to procure. In this gathering, I decided it's something I'd like to share. Here is good. And I suppose I ought to start with the concept itself:

• Parallel lines have a lot in common but they never meet. Ever. You might think that's sad.
• But every other pair meets once and then drifts apart forever. Which is pretty sad too.

I agree that both of the line scenarios are sad. This was made sadder when I thought that maybe life was like this - do people, who have a lot in common, never meet? Do we have people enter our lives for a fleeting adventure, never to be seen again? Unfortunately, I believe both happen. Which is why I am grateful for those in my life who have done The Zigzag.

To renew in life, we can zig when expected to zag. Sometimes we reverse it. Often we enjoy connecting with those who will also zig when we expect them to zag. I propose that in the best relationships the zigging and zagging unite the principles of parallel lines with lines that only meet once.

Consider the following illustration:

 

When the blue and purple lines are traced, the places they intersect as well as the parallel sections are blatant. But the beautiful part? The blue and purple lines are traveling together! They remain clearly themselves. They connect. They have plenty in common. They continually renew and refresh through unexpected zigging and zagging. And through it all, they grow together. That's the beautiful part!

The inspiration of The Zigzag came from a dear friend, who often zigs when I expect her to zag. We are currently traveling together - we remain ourselves - we connect - we have plenty in common - and we refresh through unexpected zigging and zagging. I have grown because of that friendship. And while The Zigzag can vary in size as well as apply to a variety of relationships, this friend is proof that The Zigzag does work.

Adventure #18: Something Funny

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." ~ Victor Borge

The urge to write something funny led me to ponder moments in which I've laughed and what about them I found humorous. For instance, the time my roommates, Amanda and Brittany, were learning about asymptotes.
 "You're an asymptote!" Brittany called Amanda.
 "Can't touch this! Dun un un un..." was Amanda's response.
I'm sure my nerdy side factors into my love of this exchange but, between these two, this is most memorable for me. Perhaps, it is only funny to those who know that an asymptote is a function that gets closer and closer to a specific point but never crosses it. The beautiful part to me is that they had learned enough about the concept to make the joke - they certainly are the clever sort!

Another time, I was doing a puzzle with my roommate, Linsey. The clue for the word was "Food Vessel." In my honest-to-goodness best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, I looked at Linsey, flexed, and said, "It's ver you vessel with your food." Her response was contagious, in that we laughed for what felt like hours. It made me think: Yeah, every once in a while, I have a good line.

One further example of laughter is with my current roommate, Katie. While enjoying the company of my family one evening, the laughter couldn't be held in. MFK (this is what I call Katie) was especially infectious in her energy. I thought I might attempt to stopper the insanity...or perhaps contribute.
 "You're weird," I said, eyes crinkling.
 "Yeah, so?" MFK responded.
 "Lychee!" I pronounced.
 "Oooooooooooooommmmmmmmm," Katie concluded, going zen.
This conversation may not make sense others; after all, it didn't completely to us. But I'm pretty sure that people overhearing most conversations I have with MFK won't connect things coherently. So anyone eavesdropping will need a road map back to intelligibility.

I live in a realm of hilarity. I hope everyone does - humor is a necessity in every life. To laugh is to live in the moment, fearing nothing and hoping everything. So, as my sister Miranda once said, "Can I put a smiley face on here in all seriousness?" :)

Adventure #17: Emotions

“I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.” ~ Oscar Wilde

In relation to emotions, I've been wondering what way is the best to respond to them. There seems to be two schools of thought in my life on this topic.

• Experience each emotion as it comes, good and bad, just let them consume you.
• Ignore bad emotions completely, shun them, push them away entirely.

 Such views are not comprehensive. In fact, I believe that neither one is wholly right.

Problem with #1: Like the quote above states, this leaves a person at the mercy of one's emotions. That may work if you never have to interact with others but it's difficult to be a part of a society if you have no idea what your emotional state may be at a given instant.

Problem with #2: A person attempting this drastically increases the risk of becoming numb, of essentially turning off a range of their humanity. The saddest part is, without the bad, the experience of the good is decreased. Loving is harder, joy is lessened, and life becomes blah itself.

Acquired from discoveries of late, I've learned that I quite agree with Mr. Wilde's sentiments. I want to use my emotions - enjoy them - dominate them. To do this, I think I'll practice a balance of the two strategies I've discussed here as well look into new approaches to embracing the emotional struggle that is being human.

Good luck to all of you out there doing the same!

Adventure #16: I Love You

When you say, I love you, you are making a promise with someone else’s heart, try to honor it. 

 I - When said, you incorporate yourself. This is where the commitment starts and you are making the commitment. It's you; you are promising something, something beautiful and dangerous. The power of this undertaking is real and is made personal by the inclusion of yourself.

Love - In a basic English class, we learn that this is a verb. Simply, this is what we do. Since actions speak louder than words, the act of confessing love, on whatever level, is the start of an excellent expedition. In order to fulfill such, your actions must envelop you, consume you, until you cease to be. During the journey of loving another person, you become love itself.

You - They are the most important part; whoever receives your words is the most important part. By your words, you are connecting hearts and joining destinies for even just an instant. It is in these instances, the beauty and danger arise. As the quote says, you are making a promise with someone else's heart. While it isn't always easy to live up to this, the only joy you'll have is in the adventure of love.