About this time every year

About this time every year the Christmas decoration get taken out. maybe. I have a hard time decorating for Christmas when it's just me here in my house. Sure the roommates are here this year but I still am having a hard time mustering the enthusiam to decorate. I've got the mantle done and the tree in up - not decorated just up and the only reason it's up to be honest is that my roommate recieved a package that needed to go under the tree. I feel bad for my "why bother" attitude.

About this time every year I get lonely. I start to really miss my family. It doesn't matter that I talk to them on the phone every week I want them around me. Listening to my dad read "The Life and Adventures of St. Nicholas" (Dad if your reading this shouldn't you be starting to send me MP3 files of the recording soon).

About this time every year I wish I had someone to cuddle with. This year I have this guy:

 

but he's not really into cuddling and I don't think he likes me very much. PS-he needs a home. He's only here till the end of the year then he's got to go so if you like big puppies and this adorable face I may have the pup for you! He could be someone's Christmas present! Having him go to a good home would be my Christmas present.

 

Wandering

In honor of The Hobbit coming out soon, one of my favorite JRR Tolien quotes:

"Not all who wander are lost."

I have found that:

By wandering I have discovered many unexpected treasures of nature

It is usually when I let my mind wander where is will that solutions are found

Wandering is good for the soul

And you are never truly lost - just a little confused as to your whereabouts

5 Random Facts about me

1: I have a huge Teddy Bear collection. not kidding. at last count it was near 400 of them. Granted at this stage in my life most are in a few big bins in my garage but I still have a few on display thoughout the house. and much to my surprise my parents keep adding to my collection (and I love them for it) the latest addition: a bear that is literally as tall as I am that they bought in Maryland and stuffed in a big suitcase to deliver when they visited. I would have loved to see the look on the guys face who x-rayed that suitcase.

 

2: In direct contrast with my love of the cute and cuddly is my love for violent and bloody books and movies. Saving Private Ryan? yeah I laughed when the guy picked up his arm and walked off with it. My favorite auther is Matthew Rielly, he's australian and writes fast and furious and oh so violent novels. I'm waiting rather patiently to read this book (called Scarecrow Returns here in the USofA, why they changed the title is beyond me I thing Scarecrow and the Army of Theives is a great title) comes out in paperback on December 26th and you better believe I've pre-ordered it!

3: I like doing things that should scare me as evidanced here. My bucket list may also include things like swimming with sharks - and I'm not talking about in a tank and minus the cage thing you see in the shows I wanna be up close and personal. ummm ok maybe not too close and personal like the shark making me dinner that would not be cool. And we're not talking tiny little plancton eating sharks either - maybe not a great white per se but something of medium size. But then again how cool would swimming with great whites be! I may have looked up the best places to encounter a shark...

4: I like to observe people/things. It calms me and helps me put things in perspective. Even when I'm in a large group of friends I'm usually the one in the back taking it all in. My powers of observation also helps in the creative process. So if you catch me staring at you - it's not that I'm starring, I just forget to blink when I'm processing information.

 

 

 

 

5: Sometimes it'll take me years to finish a project. Case #1: I stripped most of the wall paper off the kitchen/dining room walls right after my parents moved (almost 3 years ago) and it's set like that ever since. Case #2: I started a really cool (I think) series of 3 painting which I call "Pillars of Eternity" about 5 years ago I have .25 paintings left I just have to paint the olive tree... and I'm stuck. Trees are not my favorite thing to paint I find them a little intimidating. Case #3: I'm not sure how long ago I started this post...but it was at least a year and a half ago.

Where's your focus?

I was looking through my pictures from my Nauvoo trip this summer and this on caught my eye...

 

It made me think about where I put my focus in life. Is it on the things right in front of me - the here and now? Or is it on the bigger picture - the future and where I want to end up? Is it on what lies in my way - obstacles/weaknesses to overcome? Or is it on the joy of traveling to a prized destination?

 

So natuaraly I made this...

Somersaulting Tire Treads

My car is cursed. Let me explain my reasoning.

In June I hit a curb which caused my to have to replace a wheel and my windshield.

In July, my dad backed my car into another (only my car was hurt) and I had to replace my back bumper.

Wednesday a semi's tire tread displayed it's acrobatic genious on my way home from work and slammed into my car (I think my car won the fight but not without some damage) so off I go to replace my front bumper.

Hence my conclusion that my car is cursed and I need to own stock in my collision repair shop.

Are you happy with your life?

This question was posed to me a few months ago and has not left my mind. My answer then (as well as now) was a firm, definate "yes".
I was then asked "why?"
This was a harder question to answer because well the truest answer made me feel really vulnerable and I hate being vulnerable. So I spouted off some answer about work being fabulous and my life being amazingly blessed. (At the time everything was going my way - still is really for the most part- in such a way that I think Heavenly Father must be buttering me up for some really difficult times ahead).
But as I've thought more about it I felt I needed to share the true reason I'm so happy with my life. And the external influences have nothing to do with it. Ok nothing may be an exaggeration I'm sure they contribute slightly but I believe I'd be happy even if things started to go wrong.
I am Happy because I am at Peace.
I am at peace with myself - something that until within the last year I hadn't realized I was lacking. So I tried to pinpoint the reason I felt like I was fighting against myself and came to realized I had lost myself- I didn't know who I was anymore. I didn't know what truly made me happy. I didn't know what hobbies I truly enjoyed or was just doing because I thought it was what people wanted me to do. For so long I had "adjusted" my likes and dislikes based on who my friends were or what was popular at the time that I completely lost track of me.
So in January I decided I needed to do something about it. And I embarked on a mission of self-discovery to find out who I was deep inside - the person who had gotten buried under "who I think everyone else wants me to be".
I went into social hibernation.
I spent a lot of time pondering.
I spent a lot of time praying.
I "tried on" new/old hobbies to see if I really liked them.
I stopped doing the things I knew I was doing because I thought it was what people wanted of me.
And little by little I came to know me again.
And found peace.
Which led to being happy and fulfilled - because I was doing what I loved and being who I truly am.
I'm still learning - with the help of Heavenly Father and a few friends that I'm sure don't even realize they're helping - and I am happy and encouraged by the bits of understanding I have gained.

Nauvoo - A little Peek

While in Nauvoo I took about 800 photos - while I go through them I thought I'd share two absolute favorites.

This was taken about 9 o'clock at night right after a torrential downpour (like I couldn't see to drive downpour) The statues are of Joseph and Hyrum Smith leaving Nauvoo for the last time as they head to Carthage. The story goes that they stopped at the temple site and turned to face the city and Joseph said "This is the most beautiful place and the best people under heaven" or something like that and I have to agree. Nauvoo was named well "Beautiful Place"

This was taken the morning we were leaving about 6 am. My dad's idea (he's brilliant sometimes - most of the time) and his picture - I couldn't both be in it and take it. The sun was just coming up and the air was cool, the perfect time for a little scripture studying in the groves below the temple.

I'll post my other pictures as soon as I pick more favorites. The sister missionaries stopped by last night and ooo'd and awed over them with me, it'll be difficult to narrow them down. I'll also get around to sharing about how I lost and found my keys in the above grove.

Road Trip - Day Three - A Day of Tickets

Started the day flying down the highway to make it here in time (luckily everytime a cop was around I was boxed in by cars frustratingly going the speed limit)

 Then I headed downtown to visit Gateway Arch. I bought my ticket (ticket number 1) to go to the top and then browsed the musuem where I saw real life catholic nuns for the first time and then waited and waited and waited some more for my 2:15 ride to the top (which actually meant we got on the tram at 3, I wish they had told me that, I had places to be and I was hungery and therefore cranky!)  Picture time.

I finally got my tram ticket!! (ticket number 2) Tram 3 with a lovely couple from England (now living in Phelidelphia) and another couple of which the wife rode with her eyes closed because she was clausterphobic and those trams are TINY.

The Trams are really cool, I didn't get a picture though. They were designed in 2 weeks by a college drop out which I think is awesome! They're circular and as they go up the arch it rotates at intervals so you don't go unside down.

I made it to the top!

The riverboat looked like a bath toy.

The first bridge to use the cantilevered arch.

After the arch I went on my merry way to Nauvoo, the only hiccup was while I was jamming out to Phatom of the Opera, not exactly paying attention to my speed, I got another ticket (my third for the day) and not one I wanted. But on a happy note speeding tickets in Missouri are half the price of tickets in Texas!

I love this view!

Road Trip - Day Two - Corn, Cattle & Construction Cones

Day two of my roadtrip consisted of driving from Oklahoma City to Columbia, MO. Pretty much all I saw was corn and cattle and construction cones. I did observe that when cattle are traveling somewhere and not being herded they travel in single file lines. Who knew cattle were that organized. The highlight of the day was stopping here for a few hours:

Kansas City LDS Temple

And then arriving in Columbia and spending the evening with my wonderful friend Marybeth.

She'd kill me if she knew I posted this picture :)

She took me on the Grand Tour of Columbia and then out to dinner and custard and then we walked along the Katy Trail to work off our extra full stomachs. It's been so much fun and will be repeated Tuesday when I pass through again.

Oh and just when I thought the trip couldn't get any more boring I saw one of these just outside Kansas City, how cool is that?!

Road Trip-Day One-Murrah Building Memorial

So the Pigster (aka Piglet my car) and I roadtriping it up to Nauvoo right now, we got on the road about 4 after working most of the day and have stopped over in Oklahoma City. I decided while I'm here I should go to the Murrah Building Memorial downtown and o my goodness that place is incredible. I will admit to almost tearing up a few times. Here's a few pictures:

The Gates of Time:

9:01 the moment of innocence before the attack

9:03 the moment of horror and hope after the attack

 For the Rescuers

An outpouring of love - new things are still tied here everyday 

From around the world tiles came they made a few into a wall

The Survivors

 "Deeply rooted faith sustains us"

The statue is across the street at the St Joseph's Cathedral aptly named "And Jesus Wept"

The Field of Empty Chairs

9 rows for each of the 9 floors

168 chairs for each person taken

149 large for the adults

19 small for the children

But for those who lost someone April 19th 1995 there is only one chair that matters.

I overheard one of the park rangers telling about one of the small chairs: a little girl's whose father worked in the building as an army recruiter and had brought his family to work that fateful day. He survived, his wife survived, his older daughter survived, his younger daughter somehow did not. Stories like that just break my heart and I'm sure if I stopped to listen I could have heard 168 more heartbreaking stories.



Counting Blessings

Sometimes I make my guardian angels work overtime, wednesday night was one of those times. I think if there is an allotment for number of blessings in a week someone can be granted, I used them all in 12 hours.

Driving home from here:

I decided to test out my stunt driving skills.

AKA I hit a curb going about 30 mph.

Know what happens when you do that?

Your car goes like this:

and you bend the rim of your wheel which causes

your tire to deflate.

Oh yeah and it was raining.

Fun times.

If being safe and not rolling my car wasn't blessings enough they kept on coming:

1. I have amazing friends who helped me change my tire in the rain!

2. The dealership had the wheel in stock.

3. I didn't need a new tire.

4. It wasn't terribly expensive.

5. I work for incredibly understanding people.

6. I didn't have to tell my friend Jessica I could no longer drive for the carpool to Houston for our Annual Ward Peanut Butter trip.

Puzzling

I think this puzzle has turned me a little OCD...

So frustrating but it will NOT beat me! I will win, puzzle.

It may take me 6 months but I will conquer you!

For my favorite scientist...

I was looking at quotes the other day and came across a few that I thought were perfect for my big brother - the uber-smart scientist of the family:

Look and you will find

The human mind is a very interesting machine. Have you ever noticed how selective our attention is? How we can tune into certain things and tune others things out? For example, if I told you to find 6 things in the room that are blue you will find that blue objects jump out at you. Or say you just bought a new car – you tend to see the same model car everywhere. That is because we find what we are looking for.

If you look for beauty, you will find beauty. If you look for drama, you will find drama. If you look for happiness, you will find happiness. If you look for the good in others, you will find it. If you look for faults, you'll find those too. It's all a matter of the channel you are tuned into.

Sometimes when things are rough we focus on the negative and thus only find the negative in life – I've been stuck in this trap many times. But if we instead focus on the positive – even if it's just little positives – the rough times are still there but we're able to see the good that comes out of them.

My challenge to you and to me is to look for the positive – find the beauty in life and enjoy your journey, even if it's on a bumpy road.

Artwork for Little Emma

My neice turned 1 back in mid-February. So I made her a little artwork for the walls of the room she shares with her brother. Because I haven't actually packed it up and sent it I thought I'd share it here so her parents know what's coming ... and I'm super excited for it. So here it is:

The Power of Understanding

I just finished reading Inheritance the last book in Eragon's series and it got me contemplating the power of understanding.

I'm not talking about understanding on a superficial level but REALLY understanding. Understanding Yourself. Understanding Friends. Understanding Enemies. Understanding Actions.

True understanding of yourself encompasses understanding your strengths and your weaknesses and can be difficult to

swallow because it requires letting go of your pride, but once obtained you have increased power over yourself. You have the power to grow and develop in ways or areas you couldn't have before and change your true nature. And isn't that what this life is about - developing our natures to be more Christ-like? We can't do that unless we understand our "natural man" the person each of us is when no one is looking. Once understood though we have the power to change ourselves through our actions over the course of time.

Understanding actions also brings great power. Understanding how your actions effect you. How your actions effect others.

How your actions effect the world at large. How a single action, a single misspoken word, a single hasty judgment, a single hello, single smile can have a lasting effect on you and those around you for good or bad. Think of how different the world would be if everyone took the time to understand the effect of an action not only on them but on those around them before they took it. Understanding how the actions you have taken in your life have effected the world truly can make or break a person.

What I learned from reading Eragon, Eldest, Brisinger, and Inheritance is that true power comes through understanding and

true understanding has the power to change the world. Even if it's just your corner of it.

When Anna and I get together...

the one liners we usually keep to ourselves start flowing.

Case in point - our road trip to the very beige city of Lubbock, Texas.

We took the senic route there - which turned into the very long senic route when we discovered that the blue dot was not on the blue line but after 2-3 hours of driving we finally managed to get back on route. The town's along the way provided a lot of entertainment for us:

Runaway Bay, TX - where all the runaways including fish go
Wizards Wells,TX - where Harry Potter has a summer home
Coca-cola Ranch Road - that's where they grow coca-cola
Mr. Cut Rate convince store - convince I'm not sure I want
Hidden Lake - where it's hide and seek with the lake all the time
Loving, TX - where all the love is
Loving, TX - where all the love in Texas is
Random field of red flashing lights: it's the end of the world! Do not cross! You will fall over!
Jean,TX - just incase you weren't sure where jeans went
(As the stop light turns red) Sandy: Really light, really, just because a car pulls up, doesn't mean it really wants to go!
The Feed Bag - the ultimate sack lunch
The Feed Bag: Anna: Please tell me that's a feed store. Sandy: I think it was BBQAnna: Oh
Seven Bar Ranch - where you you can get drunk at seven different bars
Two M Ranch - m&m
Seymour, TX - no butts
Rock Inn Cafe - it was really rockin'
Red Springs, TX - where the springs are always red
Benjamin, TX - we found the lost tribe!
Gilliland, TX - where gillyweed comes from
Anna: (after seeing construction sign) End road work? Sandy: I like their kind of road work! Anna: where's the road work?
Trident South Camp - I guess the Olympians have a camp here too
New Deal, TX - where's the old one?
Smokin the competition Empty store
Idalou, TX - Idalou, youdalou

On the way home we took a more direct route - very disappointing, very little to make fun of.

I wonder if Post is more than just a hitching post?
Sandy: Now entering Southland. Anna: But we're in north Texas. Sandy: You mean this isn't where they filmed Southland?
Double U Ranch - double the you double the fun
Sand Creek - all sand all the time
Fluvanna, TX - where the flu hangs out in the off season
Scurry County - a place to scurry from
Snyder, TX - there's nothing snide about it.
Inadale, TX - where the farmer in the dell lives
Noodle Dome Rd??? Wonder what it looks like and if they had to use linguine.
Hayter Rd where all the haters live
BIG

From the mouth of a child...

Yesterday we had a pretty awesome lesson at Family Home Evening - no one probably thought I was paying attention cause i was also playing soduku but I was, cross my heart.

The presenter started out by showing us a picture of a typewriter and asking us what we thought of when we saw it.

Words like: antique, old-fashion, no spellcheck, no misktakes, the ding it made when you reached the end of the page were put out there.

He then told us what a 9 year old had said when shown a similar picture: "Cool, a keyboard and printer that doesn't need a monitor or software."

The typewriter was something so foreign to this 9 year old that he/she had a completely different take on it then those of us who, dare I say, remember when the home computer first came on the market.

He then related it to the problems we face - sometimes we just need a fresh perspective. And the easiest way to get that is not from mulling it over- and over and over and over trying to force yourself to see a different angle. It is to ask someone else for their perspective on the issue - a trusted friend or family member or maybe some random stranger if you want. And because their perspective is taken from their experiences, which can be completely different from your own, their "answer" to your problem will be something completely different from what you could come up with and may be just what you need to do.

Sometimes to change your perspective you have to change whose perspective you're viewing.

A Little Valentine's Day Perspective

Holiday's are all about perspective, I think, especially Valentine's Day - or Single Awareness Day as it is sometimes called by those of us who have no sinificant other to share the "lovers" holiday with. I confess Valentine's Day used to be depressing for me because I was focusing on what I didn't have - I have ALWAYS been single on Feb. 14th.

But this year it's different - not because I'm not single, I am still - but because I changed my perspective. This holiday is not all about romantic love, it's about love, all types of love. Love for your family, love for you friends and yes love for your special someone.

So this year instead of dwelling on poor ole single me I decided to focus on what I do have - some pretty awesome friends and showing them how much I appreciate them and the support they give me - cause without them life would be pretty lonely.

And guess what? Instead of dreading this day I have been super anxious for it to get here and woke up excited this morning. Not because I think someone is going to send me flowers or buy me candy or take me to dinner but because tonight I get to delivery a little bit of holiday cheer and I'm so giddy with excitement I can hardly wait for the work day to end.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

I am not a Rhinoceros ... or a Cow

I think I'm an elephant.

This is what I've learned from re-reading "Rhinoceros Success" by Scott Alexander. The first time I read it was in college (it was required for one of my design classes). The first time I read it I so wanted to be a rhino but alas I have come to terms that I am not.

Let me explain how I've come to this conclusion. A rhino has 2 in thick skin and charges after what it wants with single mindedness - I do not. Plus I really don't have the audacity or self confidence to pull off being a rhino. I am also not a cow - cows (according to the author) are lazy, do nothing-ers, just wasting away life in the field watching the world go by. That is not me. So I think I'm an elephant - simply because I think it's fun to say and they are friends with the rhino. I make a very good friend to rhinos.

Despite not being a Rhinoceros there are important lessons to be learned from this book - no matter your breed:
* don't ignore the negative in life, but don't saturate yourself with it
* we become the product of three things: who we associate with, the books we read, and what we listen to
* dreams don't always come true, but plans acted on are sure to materialize. Plan your dreams and then work your plan
* be flexible - if your plan isn't working, modify it
* the more energy you put into something the more you are going to get out of it
* at least twice a year take off for one week and do nothing but relax
* Happiness is feeling good about yourself. Treat yourself special
* "Minutes are precious. They are the building blocks of hours, which are the stuff days are made of. Days quickly turn into months. Months become years and years make a lifetime. But it all starts with the minutes. Waste enough minutes and you could waste a lifetime."
* Always pay your tithing: 10% is the Lord's retainer fee for being your partner - and you need Him as your partner.

Tattoos on this town

My senior year in collage I was apart of an art show - every senior interior design student did a display of a concept we learned during our four years in the program. I used shadow boxes in part of my display and finally got the out of storage from Utah (5 years later). Ever since July I've been trying to think of something to do in them. I finally settled on this for one of them:

Some of you know I LOVE tattoos and graffiti (not that I'd ever get one or actually take a can of spray paint and paint a wall around town) but I love seeing it. On my train ride from Albany, NY to Baltimore, MD I saw lots of awesome street art and took tons of pictures so I decided to own up to my secret and display some promenently in my art room.

I have another idea for my other shadow box ... it's going to be amazing, but you'll just have to wait to find out what it is.

Demigods

Demigods – the mortal offspring of the Grecian gods. Born with the powers of their divine parents and the frailty of mortality. There's something something fantastic about the thought that pulls at each of us. How awesome would it be to have the wisdom of Athena or the green thumb of Dionysus? The right to claim divine heritage and meet with the gods?


But what if it really isn't a myth? What if we all really are the offspring of deity? Every last one of us. What if instead of being half-gods we were full blooded legitimate children of a god – the God – Our Heavenly Father. Endowed with divine gifts to nurture and improve. What if instead of being destined to become mere “heros” we are destined to becomes gods. What if we were gods in trainging, learning the necessary skills and attributes so the someday we can stand as kings and queens, gods and godesses under the Most High God?

That is not a myth. That is reality.

PS Can you tell I just finished reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians?

Never Fly as Cargo

Kermit the Frog once said, “I really do believe that all of you are at the beginning of a wonderful journey. As you start traveling down that road of life, remember this: There are never enough comfort stops. The places you're going to are never on the map. And once you get that map, out you won't be able to refold it no matter how smart you are.

So forget the map, roll down the windows, and whenever you can, pull over and have a picnic with a pig. And if you can help it, never fly as cargo.”

Sound advice – take time to look at the world around you as you travel through life and don't plan too far in advance because the unexpected detours is what make life interesting. And don't ride through life in a windowless cargo hold. Live!

To Grandma

Every year around August I ask my Grandma what she wants for Christmas (why ask so early? you'll see) Every year she says the same thing: "A painting" This year I asked her to be more specific and she said a self portrait. I laughed. I don't paint people - I'm a perfectionist (kind of) and I have a really hard time with people. So I got a little creative because she insisted. So when she opened her gift from me this is what she found:

A nice family tree of her oldest son. Can you guess which one's me? If she asks for another self portrait next Christmas I've got another idea so I won't have to actually draw myself. Or maybe I'll continue the family trees and do her next child's family.

Together

One of the songs I love by the 10 Tenors is “Together”. The chorus of this songs says:

“We'll grow together, if we rise up together. We'll be stronger together, for much longer together, and we'll make it together we'll go on forever.”

This is a beautiful message that I think in our competitive nature we tend to forget. We all need each other. To quote High School Musical “We're all in this together”.

Why is this?

I'm a very independent person – I like to do things on my own, it's sometimes easier that way. However, I have learned in my work that bouncing ideas of my coworkers always leads to new and better ideas. We need each other to broaden our horizons.

I am also a loner, on most occasions. I am perfectly happy by myself, for a while. But I know that if I become a hermit for to long I will very easily spiral into depression. Heavenly Father made us social creatures for a reason. So we can build and uplift each other. So we can draw each other closer to Him. So the human race can live on. (Can you imagine if we all were hermits? Humankind would have died out with Adam and Eve.)

Another song by the 10 Tenors states: “We stand together, yet we stand alone” Ultimately how our lives play out is up to us. I have control of me - just me- I make my own decisions. But I need others to help me make the best decisions and to use their strengths to cover my weaknesses.

Look for the Bare Necessities the simple Bare Necessities

I grabbed my keys, cell phone, and ipod and I went for a walk in the crisp afternoon air, I took my usual route down to the park a few blocks from my house, one loop around the park and out the far exit. As I walked I jammed out to Disney Mania 3 on shuffle and learned an interesting lesson.

About half way though my route the song “The Bare Necessities” you know the one – ol' Beleu extolling the virtues of life in the jungle to young Moblie and being happy with the bare necessities and forgetting about your worry and strife. In essence finding joy in your world.

In stark contrast the next song that started was “Part of You World” in which the Princess Arial sings about having everything – gizmos and gadgets a plenty, woozits and whatits galore – and yet still wanting more.

It made me wonder if after Arial got what she wanted – a life out of the sea, married to Prince Eric – was she really happy or did she still want more? Was life on land all she imagined it to be? Did she miss her carefree days with Flounder? Did she miss her family?

That's the problem with always wanting more – you have to sacrifice something to get it. Is the sacrifice worth it? For somethings I'd say yes. Wanting more isn't inherently bad, it pushes us to improve and be better people, but if in the wanting and dreaming and scheming to get more you can't see the amazing things right in front of you – you sacrifice being happy in the hear and now - I'd say the sacrifice is to much.

This year I'm going to focus on “The Bare Necessities” and being happy with the circumstances and life I have been blessed with in the here and now. I have an amazing life that I sometimes take for granted. I still have dreams and wish things were different but what I have is enough, and that's good enough for now

Born From a Boombox

Dancing- I love watching is, I love doing it – I'm just not very good at it, I'm tend to think to much and can't get out of my head. I love watching "street dancers" hip hop dancers - you know the ones that have dancing in their souls. The ones that hear music and just can't help but moving. Who are so aware of themselves that they have no inhibitions. Their moves are instinctual, sometimes seemingly unnatural, sometimes gravity defying and always inventive. They amaze me. They inspire me. Maybe someday I can learn the technique and moves and– with a whole ton of work – I can move like them. But I'm not sure I'll ever be completely like them because I wasn't "Born from a Boombox."

Perspective

Have you ever looked up into the night sky and wondered at the beauty of a starry night. The view from earth is incredible. The stars arranged just so sometimes light years apart but appear to be mere feet and form the most intriguing shapes. I've often stared up at the big dipper or Orian with his belt and marveled at the design of the universe.


I often wonder if I lived on another planet and looked up at those same stars would I see the big dipper or mighty Orian. Or would I see other shapes, other constellations that our angle from Earth hides from us.

If I traveled among the stars would I recognize the north star -the guiding star - when I came upon it. I doubt it.

As we change the perspective from which we see we often find ourselves in unfamiliar territory - staring up at the same stars and not recognizing them for what they once were to us. Even those who study the stars most ardently would be lost if they were placed among them far from home.

In life there are many perspectives to look from: the hopeful perspective of the eternal optimist; the gloomy perspective of the hardened pessimist. The whimsical perspective of a child; the adventure filled perspective of youth; the dutiful perspective of adulthood; the solemn perspective of old age. I could go on the list is as varied as the stars I'm so fond of.

What perspective do you see the world through? And are you brave enough to view the world from different angle.

I'm not sure I am - but I sure am going to try.