in which my political opinions may or may not become more clear

It has become very evident to me, in my twenty-two years of living, that there are many things in which I do not have control.

I cannot decide who will become the next president (Thank goodness)
I, ultimately, cannot control other's decisions and opinions
I can't choose how my instructors run their courses,
or the content they provide for the course.
I cannot decide for others what is right and wrong, and I certainly can't make choices for them.
And on a more personal note, I don't know where life will lead us after college, or if a job will be secure. I don't know that we'll ever make "enough" money. I don't know for sure if my children will emulate and be submissive towards the Christlike life that I have promised my Heavenly Father I will instill in them. I can only pray and have faith that such things will come to pass.
//
I could create an overwhelmingly long list of things I cannot control. But there's gotta be something I can....

A friend of mine once shared a quote with me, and I have never found a time in my life in which it is not extremely evident and pertaining.

We see things not as they are, but as we are. 

--Unknown

My (general) happiness and contentment amidst the election and all of the evils throughout the world could be mistaken for ignorance, but I assure you that is not the case.

Sure, I wish I were more informed. (Certainly no one's fault but my own)
Sure, I get swallowed up on a daily basis by the mass amounts of knowledge I do not know, and by the tens and thousands of books I have not read.

But that is not my point. My point is that we have a choice to be happy and feel free, (albeit those are ambiguous terms) and that is extremely liberating.

Is it just me, or is the above quote really true? If I'm having an off day, or receive bad news, or something just isn't going my way, I tend to view things more negatively. Often my reactions to situations directly reflect my mood/state of mind. It continues to fascinate me.

choose to be in love with the life you lead and by all means, change it if that is not the case

because you can

stop signs

i'm so glad that you and i
stop at stop signs

when the rest of the world
just drives on by

living free and cavalier
is nice once in a while

but we have to care
because we have a reason

we know what happens
when we don't stop.

we know because
we've done it before,

we've been there
and we're not going back.

at least,
i'm not

The Same Lessons.

You may have heard the phrase, "not all that glitters is gold." I love that.

It comes from a poem written in 1748 Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat (yeah!), the following is an excerpt:

Not all that tempts your wandering eyes
And heedless hearts is lawful prize;
   Nor all that glisters gold.

"Wow, almost three hundred years ago," you might think. But it is not so long ago when you consider these lessons have had to be taught and learned time and time again. Shakespeare teaches us that, and many, many more. This poem is actually quite sexist by today's standards: directed towards women and their love for shiny things. Erring them to be cautious in that which they consider a worthy prize.

What does that say to you?


To me, it shows that humanity is the same. Sure, we have progressed by leaps and bounds in some aspects, and digressed in others. It shows that I was not born in the wrong era, but that I need to conquer my own. We need balance and a higher order in our lives to give it purpose and meaning, because try as we may, material things do not.

Monday.

She walked outside to feel that the earth was just beginning to wake. Very few cars, some bodies slowly making their way to campus and other various obligations. She had risen early and was hopeful for the hours to come.

When the weather dropped after dusk she was finally able to open the windows and cool down her 80 degree apartment. She walked around feeling like she was floating on summer, smelling freshly mowed lawns and clean air, listening to cars drive by from a distance. In just a few hours the trains would be going, they were beginning to feel like a lullaby that welcomed sleep amongst her worry-some late night thoughts.

It is a gift to know and to feel and to be, but sometimes during the height of the day it is easy for her to forget.