Thursday, August 7, 2008
UV
i finally have a job! the outfit it atrocious, some old people are rude, but for the most part it's alright. after a month of doing nothing, it feels weird to be working again. it's a lot more than at the ceramics place but i like being busy.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
not totally sure why the sidebar font is so small...strange.
The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne is a really great book. Mostly he details examples of how he's shown love to God by showing love to His people, to everyone. I'm in the early stages of the book but I just read the part of how he contacted Mother Teresa on the phone [after receiving the sacred number from Mother Superior from the Bronx] and asked if he could help in Calcutta for a summer. I'm just really.. inspired by how young he is and how he's done so many great things. It makes me anxious as I sit around, trying to save money while unemployed by not driving places, making my own meals instead of buying, trying to contact the lady in charge of hiring, and waiting for college to begin on August 18. It feels like I'm waiting for something big to begin.
It makes me doubt if I should even pursue college [my dad's foot in my conscience always punts that notion out] when all I really want to do is go somewhere where I can help people out. I know that charity begins at home, and I'm trying to find opportunities around here but this is a fancy schmancy area. Poverty is still everywhere and just last night I recognized a man that I've seen at Feed My Sheep before, that Jim once bought lunch for; he was using the restroom at In N Out. I desperately wanted to buy him a meal. But I couldn't. When I was driving with friends to Venice [another pointless souvenir & polyester extravaganza franchise juxtaposed to abstract graffiti art on the West Coast] I saw a lady lying on the side walk. It took me a minute to realize she was on a sleeping mat with a sleeping bag scrunched up at the end. I wanted to bust out of the cramped van and help her out. But I couldn't. I'm tired of the "couldn't"s and want to make them into "so I did anyways."
Anyway, read The Irresistible Revolution.
The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne is a really great book. Mostly he details examples of how he's shown love to God by showing love to His people, to everyone. I'm in the early stages of the book but I just read the part of how he contacted Mother Teresa on the phone [after receiving the sacred number from Mother Superior from the Bronx] and asked if he could help in Calcutta for a summer. I'm just really.. inspired by how young he is and how he's done so many great things. It makes me anxious as I sit around, trying to save money while unemployed by not driving places, making my own meals instead of buying, trying to contact the lady in charge of hiring, and waiting for college to begin on August 18. It feels like I'm waiting for something big to begin.
It makes me doubt if I should even pursue college [my dad's foot in my conscience always punts that notion out] when all I really want to do is go somewhere where I can help people out. I know that charity begins at home, and I'm trying to find opportunities around here but this is a fancy schmancy area. Poverty is still everywhere and just last night I recognized a man that I've seen at Feed My Sheep before, that Jim once bought lunch for; he was using the restroom at In N Out. I desperately wanted to buy him a meal. But I couldn't. When I was driving with friends to Venice [another pointless souvenir & polyester extravaganza franchise juxtaposed to abstract graffiti art on the West Coast] I saw a lady lying on the side walk. It took me a minute to realize she was on a sleeping mat with a sleeping bag scrunched up at the end. I wanted to bust out of the cramped van and help her out. But I couldn't. I'm tired of the "couldn't"s and want to make them into "so I did anyways."
Anyway, read The Irresistible Revolution.
Monday, July 7, 2008
a beeline
Why do people refer to a beeline when they're talking about darting straight ahead when really a beeline is all over the place? That’s how I feel a lot of my posts are, just a jumbled mix of thoughts in no particular order. And of course, their whole purpose is to serve the queen bee. Uh I meant that as a joke but now it kind of relates to what I was going to start out with.
I think...A major flaw of mine is how self-centered I can be. I loathe how many times I start sentences with 'I' or 'me', things like that. Although I feel like maybe half the time I'm putting others before me, the other half I'm just focused on me, and not in perhaps the correct way. It’s hard to explain. Like when I'm not outgoing, it's self-protection. sometimes I have no clue what to say or am afraid of saying the wrong thing so I wait for an opportunity to interject an own experience. I hate when I catch myself asking someone a question just so that I get it asked back and I can tell a story. It relates to something Courtney said in Peru, the school drama teacher said people interact just to let others know you're alive. While I don't think that's the only reason people talk to one another, it is a valid point. I believe that's what I do too often. I hate that because I'm scared of not knowing what to say at times, or when my mind just goes blank, people might get the wrong impression of me. I think I've come a long way from solely concentrating on what people think of me to being fine with myself so that I can focus on others. That sounds totally opposite from my original point, but like I said it's difficult to explain...
I've been back for almost a week, and now have realized my job situation to be categorized as 'laid off.' what I didn't know is that I think it was Wednesday or Thursday of last week and my mom got officially fired from her job. And though my dad was thrilled to tell me he was at a new, smaller office furniture dealership, he didn't mention how he was apparently without a job for about a month. It scares me that this is such a common theme in our family. I understand, it was while school was dwindling down for me, and with graduation he didn't want to upset me.. But it really bugs me how closed off our whole family is. When we finally do open up, it's typically in the form of yelling. How many times a day do you say "When I have kids, I'll never do _______." How many times did our parents say that and go against it?
Even like my post before this, about how I want to do missionary work with my life.. That's the first time I've actually said it in some form, besides in semi-threatening ways. I remember the summer after sophomore year, I had to go to a high school photo workshop I was given a scholarship to instead of the New Orleans trip because I had agreed to the photo one first. I think I yelled, through tears, “Well what if I want to be a missionary? How will I know unless I go on this trip?” Something like that. I think it seriously shocked my parents. Then at a dinner in Peru, I was sitting next to Jim and he asked if I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I was still stuck between video production and missionary stuff. When he said something like “You know who else didn’t know what they wanted to do? Toll-Booth workers.” I again blurted out being in the missionary field as what I was leaning towards. I even said I would love to do the kind of thing mike is doing. But I should’ve known better to go there…
Sorry, my thoughts are making a beeline.
But that last paragraph was an exhaustive example of how I can’t really tell my family the big things I think about, and how I really hope to not be like that when I have kids. This, more than likely, will not happen when I’m young, as I do not plan on getting married young. Just because I’m in the church and that seems to be a common thing, doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the path I want or will take. Sorry. Anyway.
I’ve been back for 6 days. The day I returned I went on a hike in Wildwood because that just seemed like a normal thing to do. It was strange to return to my car, and not walk everywhere. When I was in Wildwood, the change in landscape from beautiful mountains and matching roofs in Cusco to nature interrupted by houses that try to out-do each other crawled under my skin. When I found a good place to sit and catch up on journaling, flies wouldn’t leave me alone. I couldn’t enjoy the scenery because in front of me was a table with profanities carved into it, and I could only hear self-indulgent conversations of housewives making their way up the hill. I decided to leave, and in doing so I passed the women with a nod and a Hi. They just kept walking right by me. I started getting so annoyed with all these contrasting differences but mostly chalked it up to lack of sleep. The rest of the days I’ve been back I’ve been filling out job applications and think I’ve found a good match in Ritz camera. It’s honestly not a first choice mainly because it’s in the mall which I loathe right not but at least I’ll get a discount. My main fear is not being able to help a customer, or that I may give someone pictures that are ruined somehow. [Both are complaints I read about the store on yahoo! Local. Yipes.] And for the most part besides job applications and cleaning out my closet, I’ve been sleeping. Yeah. It’s pretty sad. At least last Wednesday I signed up to be a big sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County. With the holiday weekend it’s been hard to arrange a day to meet with a case worker but after my Ritz interview tomorrow I’ll call over.
Ok, I should stop here…
:… .:
:……...:: .:
::……: [horrible attempt at a beeline]
I think...A major flaw of mine is how self-centered I can be. I loathe how many times I start sentences with 'I' or 'me', things like that. Although I feel like maybe half the time I'm putting others before me, the other half I'm just focused on me, and not in perhaps the correct way. It’s hard to explain. Like when I'm not outgoing, it's self-protection. sometimes I have no clue what to say or am afraid of saying the wrong thing so I wait for an opportunity to interject an own experience. I hate when I catch myself asking someone a question just so that I get it asked back and I can tell a story. It relates to something Courtney said in Peru, the school drama teacher said people interact just to let others know you're alive. While I don't think that's the only reason people talk to one another, it is a valid point. I believe that's what I do too often. I hate that because I'm scared of not knowing what to say at times, or when my mind just goes blank, people might get the wrong impression of me. I think I've come a long way from solely concentrating on what people think of me to being fine with myself so that I can focus on others. That sounds totally opposite from my original point, but like I said it's difficult to explain...
I've been back for almost a week, and now have realized my job situation to be categorized as 'laid off.' what I didn't know is that I think it was Wednesday or Thursday of last week and my mom got officially fired from her job. And though my dad was thrilled to tell me he was at a new, smaller office furniture dealership, he didn't mention how he was apparently without a job for about a month. It scares me that this is such a common theme in our family. I understand, it was while school was dwindling down for me, and with graduation he didn't want to upset me.. But it really bugs me how closed off our whole family is. When we finally do open up, it's typically in the form of yelling. How many times a day do you say "When I have kids, I'll never do _______." How many times did our parents say that and go against it?
Even like my post before this, about how I want to do missionary work with my life.. That's the first time I've actually said it in some form, besides in semi-threatening ways. I remember the summer after sophomore year, I had to go to a high school photo workshop I was given a scholarship to instead of the New Orleans trip because I had agreed to the photo one first. I think I yelled, through tears, “Well what if I want to be a missionary? How will I know unless I go on this trip?” Something like that. I think it seriously shocked my parents. Then at a dinner in Peru, I was sitting next to Jim and he asked if I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I was still stuck between video production and missionary stuff. When he said something like “You know who else didn’t know what they wanted to do? Toll-Booth workers.” I again blurted out being in the missionary field as what I was leaning towards. I even said I would love to do the kind of thing mike is doing. But I should’ve known better to go there…
Sorry, my thoughts are making a beeline.
But that last paragraph was an exhaustive example of how I can’t really tell my family the big things I think about, and how I really hope to not be like that when I have kids. This, more than likely, will not happen when I’m young, as I do not plan on getting married young. Just because I’m in the church and that seems to be a common thing, doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the path I want or will take. Sorry. Anyway.
I’ve been back for 6 days. The day I returned I went on a hike in Wildwood because that just seemed like a normal thing to do. It was strange to return to my car, and not walk everywhere. When I was in Wildwood, the change in landscape from beautiful mountains and matching roofs in Cusco to nature interrupted by houses that try to out-do each other crawled under my skin. When I found a good place to sit and catch up on journaling, flies wouldn’t leave me alone. I couldn’t enjoy the scenery because in front of me was a table with profanities carved into it, and I could only hear self-indulgent conversations of housewives making their way up the hill. I decided to leave, and in doing so I passed the women with a nod and a Hi. They just kept walking right by me. I started getting so annoyed with all these contrasting differences but mostly chalked it up to lack of sleep. The rest of the days I’ve been back I’ve been filling out job applications and think I’ve found a good match in Ritz camera. It’s honestly not a first choice mainly because it’s in the mall which I loathe right not but at least I’ll get a discount. My main fear is not being able to help a customer, or that I may give someone pictures that are ruined somehow. [Both are complaints I read about the store on yahoo! Local. Yipes.] And for the most part besides job applications and cleaning out my closet, I’ve been sleeping. Yeah. It’s pretty sad. At least last Wednesday I signed up to be a big sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County. With the holiday weekend it’s been hard to arrange a day to meet with a case worker but after my Ritz interview tomorrow I’ll call over.
Ok, I should stop here…
:… .:
:……...:: .:
::……: [horrible attempt at a beeline]
Saturday, July 5, 2008
ideally,
how my life would go:
first, i would get a job at either uv or ritz camera, where i can work a lot and put away a lot of money. concurrently i would attend moorpark to save money and knock out those AA requirements. while doing my 2 years, i'd take graphic design as a pre-req for silk screening. when i take that, i make multiple copies of my yellow shirt, which is destined to become a urban outfitters flash in a pan, earning me lots of money. i would also take classes at Art Center College of Design because that's one place you can actually go for instruction rather that just trying to get through it like most college crap is. dependant on the amount of money from the shirt venture, i would transfer to either APU, Hope University, Seattle Pacific University, or some school where i can do art stuff with religious studies. hopefully i'll have other amazing t-shirt ideas or do company instruction videos on the side of a day job, earning money money money. then by about 25 i would divide my time between doing missionary work in peru/chile, africa, dominican republic, or other places that catch my heart. for vacations i'd help rebuilding areas destroyed by hurricane katriana, which probably won't be complete by 2015. there's a lot of places in need and i don't know if i can reach all of what i hope to. at some point i'll get married and whatnot, and raise kids that get to experience a lot of great things in the world and see things that will make us all grateful to be alive, while never ending our world perspective.
that's what i've been thinking of lately.
i'm banking a lot on the t-shirt idea but hey, i titled this 'ideally' so that's my optimisic approach to how i want my life to go.
first, i would get a job at either uv or ritz camera, where i can work a lot and put away a lot of money. concurrently i would attend moorpark to save money and knock out those AA requirements. while doing my 2 years, i'd take graphic design as a pre-req for silk screening. when i take that, i make multiple copies of my yellow shirt, which is destined to become a urban outfitters flash in a pan, earning me lots of money. i would also take classes at Art Center College of Design because that's one place you can actually go for instruction rather that just trying to get through it like most college crap is. dependant on the amount of money from the shirt venture, i would transfer to either APU, Hope University, Seattle Pacific University, or some school where i can do art stuff with religious studies. hopefully i'll have other amazing t-shirt ideas or do company instruction videos on the side of a day job, earning money money money. then by about 25 i would divide my time between doing missionary work in peru/chile, africa, dominican republic, or other places that catch my heart. for vacations i'd help rebuilding areas destroyed by hurricane katriana, which probably won't be complete by 2015. there's a lot of places in need and i don't know if i can reach all of what i hope to. at some point i'll get married and whatnot, and raise kids that get to experience a lot of great things in the world and see things that will make us all grateful to be alive, while never ending our world perspective.
that's what i've been thinking of lately.
i'm banking a lot on the t-shirt idea but hey, i titled this 'ideally' so that's my optimisic approach to how i want my life to go.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
i love life
i'm honestly really happy i don't blog [i hate that word] ahem journal online very much. i searched the other day for the place that opened next door to my work and ended up at the 23-year-old manager's blog, learning of her drunken adventures and sexcapes. yeah maybe, don't name your employer so it doesn't show up in search engines dumb dumb. anywhooooo this is the last week of classes for my last year of high school, and i'm extremely excited. a new thing i've done everyday this week though it shouldn't be rewarded, i know, is i've left 5th period early. it's not really allowed but i think everyone just looks the other way, because really, what's the point? finals are over, there's nothing left to learn. and really, i hate my 5th period class so the fact that i get to leave it to go in my car and do other things is an amazing feeling. it has put me in such a good mood that i can't stop smiling. this is a great time.
i've also started a happy book, like erin's, and so far i have 318 entries. the very first day i started, i had about 200. other things at the moment that make me happy [besides the boy i like, because that would be embarassing to reveal it here] :
weezer
the grand canyon is really amazing!
the giving tree! i'm the tree for our play!
Machu Picchu! and the whole peru trip, my first plane ride and first experience with using my bright green luggage. leave in 15 dayzzz!
and 318 other things, found in my happy book. i'm really having the time of my life right now. everyone, i hope you live your life.
i've also started a happy book, like erin's, and so far i have 318 entries. the very first day i started, i had about 200. other things at the moment that make me happy [besides the boy i like, because that would be embarassing to reveal it here] :
weezer
the grand canyon is really amazing!
the giving tree! i'm the tree for our play!
Machu Picchu! and the whole peru trip, my first plane ride and first experience with using my bright green luggage. leave in 15 dayzzz!
and 318 other things, found in my happy book. i'm really having the time of my life right now. everyone, i hope you live your life.
Friday, April 25, 2008
a secret
secret #1 : not so much a secret because it involves telling people things. at work i tell customers that our competitor's store smells weird. truthfully it does, but i realize it's not nice to do.
secret #2 : i'm extremely hard on myself about things. i probably wrote a similar post or it might've been in my real journal, i don't know. but i've made a huge effort in God knows how many years to be nicer, less judgemental to people. just eliminate fighting as much as possible. if someone screws up and apologizes a million times, i'm there telling them 'no problem' 'its no big deal' 'de nada.' but when it comes to things i mess up on...i get so upset, and angry. i really don't know why. take for example when i failed my driving test the first time, which is a situation where only you affect your success or failure, i safely made it home [it was raining and i was crying], my dad went in the house and i stayed in my car for about 40 minutes. the whole time, i screamed, and cried so hard. "you're so stupid! God, we prayed that i would pass this! how could this happen?! who fails their driving test?! EVERYONE GETS IT! YOU'RE SO STUPID!" horrible things like that over and over. the second time, i tried to avoid that so i got on my bike and headed to the top of the santa rosa trail in wildwood. people were the last thing i wanted to run into, and that's who i found. luckily it was no one i knew, a bunch of old people, but at times like that, i don't want to even pretend to be nice. and today, my mood has again been strongly affected by my own screw-ups. today, i realized, was the last day to take math and english assessments for moorpark, something i of course have put off. i first thought it wasn't working but it was just our security blockers. once i got through that i tried to use the pin number they sent me. that didn't work, so after 3 tries i saw on the side the page said i had to come into the school and talk to the people at the front desk. this was at 4:00, and moorpark offices close at 3:30. i drove over there anyway [cursing like a sailor], to find no one that could help me. the whole ride home the only time i opened my mouth was to include the f-word relating to anything going on on the freeway or streets. so now, i have to wait until monday to go to moorpark and figure out the assessment thing. of course sunday [that's the day before monday] is the last day to finish those and upon completion be eligable for early registration. and because there's so many freshman, classes fill up fast and i'll be stuck in crappy classes [i don't even know which i have to take]. more than likely with my horrible luck, i'll be stuck with people from my school who are also lazy and i can't stand. i'm trying to get ahead in college and already i've fallen behind, and i haven't graduated yet. and it's all my fault, so i'm extremely angry with myself. my head hurts immensely. although i know it'll blow over and i'll accept the situation, i've failed on something i've waited for for so long. and my dad will be so pissed cause he can't tell his friends that i did early registration like they recommended. i hate life right now.
secret #3 : i gossip too much, more than i should.
secret #4 : i got a girl at my work in trouble and i was happy about it.
secret #5 : i don't think i know enough about God and the Bible to educate others on it, and i think i'm too dumb to absorb all the information people might ask me questions about.
secret #6 : i mostly want to graduate college so i can create a better life. better might be the wrong word because it implies arrogance, but just a happier one would be nice.
secrets aren't all they're cracked up to be.
secret #2 : i'm extremely hard on myself about things. i probably wrote a similar post or it might've been in my real journal, i don't know. but i've made a huge effort in God knows how many years to be nicer, less judgemental to people. just eliminate fighting as much as possible. if someone screws up and apologizes a million times, i'm there telling them 'no problem' 'its no big deal' 'de nada.' but when it comes to things i mess up on...i get so upset, and angry. i really don't know why. take for example when i failed my driving test the first time, which is a situation where only you affect your success or failure, i safely made it home [it was raining and i was crying], my dad went in the house and i stayed in my car for about 40 minutes. the whole time, i screamed, and cried so hard. "you're so stupid! God, we prayed that i would pass this! how could this happen?! who fails their driving test?! EVERYONE GETS IT! YOU'RE SO STUPID!" horrible things like that over and over. the second time, i tried to avoid that so i got on my bike and headed to the top of the santa rosa trail in wildwood. people were the last thing i wanted to run into, and that's who i found. luckily it was no one i knew, a bunch of old people, but at times like that, i don't want to even pretend to be nice. and today, my mood has again been strongly affected by my own screw-ups. today, i realized, was the last day to take math and english assessments for moorpark, something i of course have put off. i first thought it wasn't working but it was just our security blockers. once i got through that i tried to use the pin number they sent me. that didn't work, so after 3 tries i saw on the side the page said i had to come into the school and talk to the people at the front desk. this was at 4:00, and moorpark offices close at 3:30. i drove over there anyway [cursing like a sailor], to find no one that could help me. the whole ride home the only time i opened my mouth was to include the f-word relating to anything going on on the freeway or streets. so now, i have to wait until monday to go to moorpark and figure out the assessment thing. of course sunday [that's the day before monday] is the last day to finish those and upon completion be eligable for early registration. and because there's so many freshman, classes fill up fast and i'll be stuck in crappy classes [i don't even know which i have to take]. more than likely with my horrible luck, i'll be stuck with people from my school who are also lazy and i can't stand. i'm trying to get ahead in college and already i've fallen behind, and i haven't graduated yet. and it's all my fault, so i'm extremely angry with myself. my head hurts immensely. although i know it'll blow over and i'll accept the situation, i've failed on something i've waited for for so long. and my dad will be so pissed cause he can't tell his friends that i did early registration like they recommended. i hate life right now.
secret #3 : i gossip too much, more than i should.
secret #4 : i got a girl at my work in trouble and i was happy about it.
secret #5 : i don't think i know enough about God and the Bible to educate others on it, and i think i'm too dumb to absorb all the information people might ask me questions about.
secret #6 : i mostly want to graduate college so i can create a better life. better might be the wrong word because it implies arrogance, but just a happier one would be nice.
secrets aren't all they're cracked up to be.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
improper undergarments
well I'm leaving for outdoor school in 1 week, and when i got home from a Peru meeting tonight, i had a [i think] great idea. basically if you know me, you know i get annoyed by screeching little girls, or over-sexed youngn's. i dunno, I've always acted older than i am so maybe they're just acting their age. but definitely in the last decade, girls have been growing up faster and faster. i remember i was at Claire's in the mall for some reason and there was a girl no older than 9 wearing uhm...undergarments meant for older women. it's not right.
and so to do my little bit to hopefully positively influence these 6th graders for 5 days, I've decided to make a little card/thing they can put on their wall. I've been picking up card stock or scrapbookng ideas from Andy [i actually don't know what to classify it as..cool cards?] so I'll have their name on the front, all spiffy, and inside each I'll have something like 'Laura's tips for adolescence survival (and beyond!)' and just put little things that they can look at if they're having the inevitable troubles of growing up. my friend made me a card for my 16th birthday, which for some reason was a crappy day. it's creative and has all this positive stuff on it, so now whenever i look at it, it really helps. and so by being their counselor, sharing how i live my life, being nice and sincere, and helping them remember all this through the cards, i hope something good will come out of it. if only at least they decide against doing something stupid because of advice i give them.
really, the main reason i decided to post this was because I'm on my dad's part of the computer and i don't feel like saving cornball quotes to his documents. keep in mind, these will be arranged awesomely and creatively, so they won't look as pathetic as they might on this page. if you [faceless reader] have any to add or want to criticize against some, be my guest.
In three words I can sum up everything that I learned about life, "It goes on." When the going gets tough, make yourself realize that no matter what your problem is, someone is and always will be fighting a harder battle.
Tears don't help problems and whining won't make things better. Have faith but understand that faith makes things possible, not easier. Have hope but understand without doing anything nothing gets done.
Be there when people need you, because in order to have friends you must first be one. Make the impossible, possible. Never give up! You only fail when you fail to try. Keep an open mind; you never know what you may learn.
Never compromise your standards for anyone, do it for you. Remember that laughter makes the world go round. Beware of the person who has nothing to lose, see through the problem to find the solution. Don't make promises that you can't keep. Keep in mind, those who gossip to you will gossip about you. Say only what you mean, and don't believe everything that you hear because some day the story will be about you.
Everyday is a gift, even if it sucks. Count your blessings, not your troubles. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone that you love them, because you never know what tomorrow has in store for you. Give people a second chance, because no one is perfect. Love all that you can, give all that you have, smile away your days, and dream away your nights.
Life, what a wonderful thing!
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Annie Dillard: How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
Bertrand Russell: The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge.
Corita Kent: Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.
Dorothy Thompson: Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.
Elbert Hubbard: Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.
George Eliot: What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?
Joan Baez: You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live. Now.
Norman Vincent Peale: Live your life and forget your age.
Oscar Wilde: To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
Stephen Covey: Whatever is at the center of our life will be the source of our security, guidance, wisdom, and power.
Winston Churchill: We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Do everything. Love as much as you can. it may hurt but it helps us grow. Give all you have...you may be poor but you will be content. Always forgive....your heart can not afford not to. Teach what you know and learn what you don't. Stay open to all”
and so to do my little bit to hopefully positively influence these 6th graders for 5 days, I've decided to make a little card/thing they can put on their wall. I've been picking up card stock or scrapbookng ideas from Andy [i actually don't know what to classify it as..cool cards?] so I'll have their name on the front, all spiffy, and inside each I'll have something like 'Laura's tips for adolescence survival (and beyond!)' and just put little things that they can look at if they're having the inevitable troubles of growing up. my friend made me a card for my 16th birthday, which for some reason was a crappy day. it's creative and has all this positive stuff on it, so now whenever i look at it, it really helps. and so by being their counselor, sharing how i live my life, being nice and sincere, and helping them remember all this through the cards, i hope something good will come out of it. if only at least they decide against doing something stupid because of advice i give them.
really, the main reason i decided to post this was because I'm on my dad's part of the computer and i don't feel like saving cornball quotes to his documents. keep in mind, these will be arranged awesomely and creatively, so they won't look as pathetic as they might on this page. if you [faceless reader] have any to add or want to criticize against some, be my guest.
In three words I can sum up everything that I learned about life, "It goes on." When the going gets tough, make yourself realize that no matter what your problem is, someone is and always will be fighting a harder battle.
Tears don't help problems and whining won't make things better. Have faith but understand that faith makes things possible, not easier. Have hope but understand without doing anything nothing gets done.
Be there when people need you, because in order to have friends you must first be one. Make the impossible, possible. Never give up! You only fail when you fail to try. Keep an open mind; you never know what you may learn.
Never compromise your standards for anyone, do it for you. Remember that laughter makes the world go round. Beware of the person who has nothing to lose, see through the problem to find the solution. Don't make promises that you can't keep. Keep in mind, those who gossip to you will gossip about you. Say only what you mean, and don't believe everything that you hear because some day the story will be about you.
Everyday is a gift, even if it sucks. Count your blessings, not your troubles. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone that you love them, because you never know what tomorrow has in store for you. Give people a second chance, because no one is perfect. Love all that you can, give all that you have, smile away your days, and dream away your nights.
Life, what a wonderful thing!
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Annie Dillard: How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
Bertrand Russell: The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge.
Corita Kent: Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.
Dorothy Thompson: Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.
Elbert Hubbard: Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.
George Eliot: What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?
Joan Baez: You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live. Now.
Norman Vincent Peale: Live your life and forget your age.
Oscar Wilde: To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
Stephen Covey: Whatever is at the center of our life will be the source of our security, guidance, wisdom, and power.
Winston Churchill: We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Do everything. Love as much as you can. it may hurt but it helps us grow. Give all you have...you may be poor but you will be content. Always forgive....your heart can not afford not to. Teach what you know and learn what you don't. Stay open to all”
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