At this juncture in my life, I am taking a Summer course while my boyfriend has the Summer off. Like any relationship, we have had our ups and downs. However, it seems that having one of us working while the other is on vacation is a definite down. He feels like I will bite off his head if he interrupts me while I'm working (which is fairly accurate) and I feel like I don't have a chance to do my work because I need all of my attention on my task at hand. So we had a long discussion today. Lesson: we grew up in very different families and we work in two totally different ways. We are learning how the other person functions and are trying to adjust to that. I have to be very verbal about when it is ok and not ok to interrupt me and he has to be more verbal about what his plans are so that I can figure out my day to mesh with his. In the end, it's all about communication. Slowly but surely we are getting into each other's mind and we are seeing a new world. Let me tell you something: those shades of gray are really tough to distinguish.
Wow, this is probably the worst writing I've done in a while. I blame the time of day and the stress I'm feeling. I'll admit that I half-assed this. Oh well. Next time I won't have six pages of translations to work through. Oh my gosh, I ended a sentence in a preposition. I ought to get to bed. My writing is only getting worse as the hours pass by me.
28 June, 2011
27 June, 2011
I speak for the trees!
While walking from my car to class this morning (since I'm too cheap to get a parking permit), I noticed that some university employees were cutting down a tree. I am assuming and hoping that it was diseased or dead already. While thinking about the poor tree, I remembered a little story from my days at nerd school.
Before I arrived at this particular school, there was a beautiful, large tree next to the dormitory. It provided shade for the book nerds and something to climb for the athletic nerds. However, to the shock of all the residents, it was cut down one day. It had been declared dead and a risk to the building if it should fall the wrong way. All that was left was a stump. The nerds would not stand for this! In Dr. Seuss fashion, a Lorax was carved into the tree and the words "I speak for the trees" were etched next to it. You see, once the tree was chopped down, it was realized that it had actually been completely healthy. After a while the school took away the stump and planted a new tree upon the request of the students.
So here's your lesson for the day. Measure twice and cut once . . . or never!
Before I arrived at this particular school, there was a beautiful, large tree next to the dormitory. It provided shade for the book nerds and something to climb for the athletic nerds. However, to the shock of all the residents, it was cut down one day. It had been declared dead and a risk to the building if it should fall the wrong way. All that was left was a stump. The nerds would not stand for this! In Dr. Seuss fashion, a Lorax was carved into the tree and the words "I speak for the trees" were etched next to it. You see, once the tree was chopped down, it was realized that it had actually been completely healthy. After a while the school took away the stump and planted a new tree upon the request of the students.
So here's your lesson for the day. Measure twice and cut once . . . or never!
15 June, 2011
Not enough time to think of a cute title
I need to get something off my chest. I am Roman Catholic. Yes, the church along with other religions and Christian denominations can be really screwy. Yes, it is difficult to explain why I am so adamant that non-Catholics should not receive communion at a Catholic church. No, not everything we do comes from the Bible. Yes, our services are not as laid back as other denominations and it has a very certain order to it. No, I don't agree with all of the teachings of the Catholic church. Yes, I'm still Catholic (see the Nicene Creed). Now can we all just chill out? I like to discuss my beliefs and the beliefs of other people. It fascinates me how many beautiful religions we have. I don't appreciate feeling like I need to defend every detail about my faith or everything that people of my faith have done. Have major leaders in the Catholic church messed up? Oh heck yes! People are imperfect. End of story. No matter what religion, nationality, sex, gender, or age, we all err. Now, can we get back to finding out how to feed to hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and spread love? 'Cause that's what really matters.
/rant
/rant
17 May, 2011
Death and Memories
I received an e-mail today that I see all too often: "[My University] Mourns the Death of a Student". Reading that line filled my head with memories. As an undergrad in my second year, a new friend died suddenly in a car crash while driving back to school after a weekend at home. Nobody found out why she crashed into that tree that day. I was called by the school newspaper because she was a freshman and I was her Resident Assistant. They wanted to know what she was like. What could I say? I stumbled over some words about her beauty that shone through her smile and her love of reading and horses. What I wanted to say is that she was someone that, after meeting once, I had wanted to become close friends with. We had so much in common! We were both bubbly people that wanted to open our hearts to everyone. I thought that we were going to be close friends. I was wrong. I couldn't go to the funeral; I felt stupid for mourning someone I barely knew.
Death has never been too far away. Just a month after graduation, a close friend died. She had had heart surgery as a child and one night her heart just stopped. When I heard the news, my legs fell from underneath me. There was no way that a 21 year-old dancing, singing, loving girl could die. That night, my friends became family. We had no one to help us through it except each other. Our families were scattered around the country so we turned to each other. It's been over a year since she started a dance party in heaven and I still miss her so much.
My sister was able to go to visit our first home, Virginia, a week or two ago. While there she visited the grave of our sister, Michelle. That's the last memory I have of Virginia, visiting that cemetery. I was four years old, almost five. I felt bad for leaving her all by herself. We had no other family there. Who would visit her? I think I'm the only sibling who has not gone back yet. I want to go see the house we lived in and visit Michelle. I want to place a stone on her place marker to let her know and anyone who sees her that she has not been forgotten. She will always be loved.
Death has never been too far away. Just a month after graduation, a close friend died. She had had heart surgery as a child and one night her heart just stopped. When I heard the news, my legs fell from underneath me. There was no way that a 21 year-old dancing, singing, loving girl could die. That night, my friends became family. We had no one to help us through it except each other. Our families were scattered around the country so we turned to each other. It's been over a year since she started a dance party in heaven and I still miss her so much.
My sister was able to go to visit our first home, Virginia, a week or two ago. While there she visited the grave of our sister, Michelle. That's the last memory I have of Virginia, visiting that cemetery. I was four years old, almost five. I felt bad for leaving her all by herself. We had no other family there. Who would visit her? I think I'm the only sibling who has not gone back yet. I want to go see the house we lived in and visit Michelle. I want to place a stone on her place marker to let her know and anyone who sees her that she has not been forgotten. She will always be loved.
16 May, 2011
Can't Sleep
I can't seem to fall asleep so I thought I might write something in here. First off, I have to point out that I can hear the June bugs flying against the window trying desperately to get in. It's really creeping me out. I hate bugs.
So, I was watching a show where actors in a public place act out a true to life scene to see how people will react. One was done in a town not far from me where a bakery worker refused to serve a woman because she was "dressed like a terrorist" (that is to say, wearing a hijab). Half of the people spoke up against the worker. The other half gave him a thumbs up or told him that he was doing the right thing. Disgusting.
The reason I bring this up is that a more recent episode had a man interviewing to work at a restaurant. The interview was being held at the restaurant at one of the tables on the floor. The actor playing the manager tells the man that he cannot wear his yarmulke to work. The actor playing the interviewee says it is illegal to require him to take off religious garb. (This is very true, by the way) This got me thinking.
Lay Christians are not known for any religious clothing with the possible exception of the mantilla. (Here's the wiki article for a brief overview)A few, such as myself, wear scapulars. Few people notice this little "necklace" that I wear and most that do see it mistakenly call it jewelry. I have seen some whose scapulars are large and ornate with color embroidery of Mary. Mine is small and quite simple. One piece of cloth as a script "M". The other has a small drawing of Mary. I feel that this better embodies the idea behind this scapular. It is to remind me of my devotion to Mary and my aim to be more like her: modest and completely faithful to God. There is no need for everyone to see what I hold in my heart. Anyway, it's difficult to explain why I think wearing this will help me gain favor with Our Lady. I don't know how I would respond if an employer asked me to not wear it. I would feel naked and vulnerable. I would worry what Mary would think of me if it was so easy to convince me to take off this symbol of my love. I think it would feel almost as odd as a married person being required to take off their wedding ring. What it symbolizes is so much more important than any job or any person.
Well, my brain isn't getting anywhere past this. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel like the sinners in Milagros de Nuestra Señora. I have this crazy idea that if I love God and Mary and show that through daily prayer that I might have a chance to be forgiven of my sins when it is my turn to be judged. Then again, I might be off my rocker. It's always a little hard to tell with me.
So, I was watching a show where actors in a public place act out a true to life scene to see how people will react. One was done in a town not far from me where a bakery worker refused to serve a woman because she was "dressed like a terrorist" (that is to say, wearing a hijab). Half of the people spoke up against the worker. The other half gave him a thumbs up or told him that he was doing the right thing. Disgusting.
The reason I bring this up is that a more recent episode had a man interviewing to work at a restaurant. The interview was being held at the restaurant at one of the tables on the floor. The actor playing the manager tells the man that he cannot wear his yarmulke to work. The actor playing the interviewee says it is illegal to require him to take off religious garb. (This is very true, by the way) This got me thinking.
Lay Christians are not known for any religious clothing with the possible exception of the mantilla. (Here's the wiki article for a brief overview)A few, such as myself, wear scapulars. Few people notice this little "necklace" that I wear and most that do see it mistakenly call it jewelry. I have seen some whose scapulars are large and ornate with color embroidery of Mary. Mine is small and quite simple. One piece of cloth as a script "M". The other has a small drawing of Mary. I feel that this better embodies the idea behind this scapular. It is to remind me of my devotion to Mary and my aim to be more like her: modest and completely faithful to God. There is no need for everyone to see what I hold in my heart. Anyway, it's difficult to explain why I think wearing this will help me gain favor with Our Lady. I don't know how I would respond if an employer asked me to not wear it. I would feel naked and vulnerable. I would worry what Mary would think of me if it was so easy to convince me to take off this symbol of my love. I think it would feel almost as odd as a married person being required to take off their wedding ring. What it symbolizes is so much more important than any job or any person.
Well, my brain isn't getting anywhere past this. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel like the sinners in Milagros de Nuestra Señora. I have this crazy idea that if I love God and Mary and show that through daily prayer that I might have a chance to be forgiven of my sins when it is my turn to be judged. Then again, I might be off my rocker. It's always a little hard to tell with me.
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